not afraid,” in a voice which they knew was that of Jesus. CHAP. XLIIL Always impulsive, the warm-hearted Peter could not wait till the Deliverer came among them. "Would not his Master suffer him to come to Him on the water?" Then followed that touching incident which has supplied a lesson for all ages; the safe footing on the waves while the apostle kept His eyes fixed on his. Lord, and the instant sinking when His faith gave way-an image of His whole nature, and of all his future life. But the saving hand was near, and with the gentle rebuke, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" they were in the boat, and as they entered, the wind ceased, so that, presently, with easy sweeps, their oars carried them to the shore. Like the mass of men, the Twelve were slow at reasoning or applying broadly the plainest lesson. Had they realized the greatness of the miracle they had seen the day before, even the walking on the sea, and the calming of the wind, would have seemed only what they might have expected. But their minds were dull and unreflecting, and their amazement knew no bounds. It is the characteristic of the uneducated, that they think without continuity, and forthwith relapse into stolid vacuity after the strongest excitement. The miracle of the loaves had ceased to be a wonder, for it was some hours old. But this new illustration of the superhuman power of their Master was so transcendent, that their wonder passed into worship. The impression, like many before, might soon lose its force; but for the moment they were so awed that, approaching Him, they kneeled in lowliest reverence, and, through Peter, ever their spokesman, paid Him homage in words then first heard from human lips-"Of a truth Thou art the Son of God." CHAP. XLIV. WHE CHAPTER XLIV. THE TURN OF THE DAY. HEN day broke on the scene of the miraculous meal of the evening before, a number who had slept in the open air, through the warm spring night, still remained on the spot. They had noticed that Jesus did not cross with the Twelve, and fancied that He was still on their side of the Lake. Meanwhile, a number of the boats which usually carried over wood or other commodities, from these eastern districts, had come from Tiberias; blown roughly on their way by the same wind that had been against the disciples. In these, many, finding that Jesus had left the neighbourhood, took passage, and came to Capernaum, seeking for 1 John 6. 22 Him. It was one of the days of synagogue worship 7.1. 2 John 6. 59. Matt. 14. 3436. Mark 6. 5356. Monday or Thursday-and they met Him on His way to the synagogue, to which they accordingly went with Him.2 Excitement was at its height. News of His arrival had spread far and near, and His way was hindered by crowds, who had, as usual, brought their sick to the streets through which He was passing, in hope of His healing them. The incidents of the preceding day might well have raised desires for the higher spiritual food which even the Rabbis taught them to expect from the Messiah. But they felt nothing higher than vulgar wonder, and came after Jesus in hopes of further advantages of the same kind, and, above all, that they would still find in Him a second Judas the Gaulonite, to lead them against the Romans. A few, doubtless, had worthier thoughts, but, to the mass, the Messiah's kingdom was as gross as Mahomet's paradise. They were to be gathered together into the garden of Eden, to eat, and drink, and satisfy themselves all their days, with houses of precious stones, beds of silk, and rivers flowing with wine, and spicy oil for all. It was that He might gain all this for them that they had wished to set Him up as king. Feeling how utterly He and they were at variance, Jesus resolved to enter into no irrelevant conversation with them, and waiving aside a question as to His crossing the Lake, at once pointed out their misapprehension respecting Him, and urged them not to set their hearts on the perishable food of the body, but to seek earnestly for that food of the soul which secures eternal life. So long as they did not seek this beyond all things else, they missed their highest advantage. As the Son of Man-the Messiah-accredited from God the Father by His wondrous works, He was appointed John 5. 36. to give them this heavenly food, and would do so if they showed a sincere desire for it by becoming His disciples." 4 5 John 6. 28. The Rabbis were accustomed to teach by metaphors, and the people saw at once that He alluded to some religious duty. What it was, however, they did not understand, but fancied He referred to some special works appointed by God. As Jews, they had been painfully keeping all the John 6. 28. 6 a Rabbinical precepts, in the belief that their doing so gave them a claim above. Yet, if He had some additional injunctions, they were willing to add them to the rest, that they might legally qualify themselves for a share in the New Kingdom of God, as a right. But, instead of multiplied Luthardt, ii. observances, He startled them by announcing that citizenship in the New Theocracy required no more than their believing in Him, as sent from the Father. In this lay all, for the manifold "works of God" would spring naturally from it.8 Those of the crowd around who had not seen the miracle of the day before had, doubtless, ere this, heard of it. It had been an amazing proof of supernatural power, but their craving for wonders demanded something still more astounding, as a justification of His claim to be "the Sent of the Father." A voice, perhaps that of some open opponent-for the Rabbis had taken care to be present-therefore broke in, apparently half mocking, with the question, "What 'sign' He had to show, that they might see it, and believe Him? 7 52. 8 Lücke, li. 76. "The Jews" is or Christ's It is used here the expression used by John opponents. CHAP. XLIV. Moses proved his authority by stupendous 'signs.' What sign worthy the name do you do, to show your right to introduce new laws, in addition to his, or in their room? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, 'He 10 Exod. 16. 4. gave them bread from heaven to eat.'10 What voucher as great as this do you offer?" 11 Lightfoot, Hor. Heb. iii. 304. 12 Ps. 72. 16. 13 Nork, 174. 14 Gfrörer, i. 217-220. The miracle of the manna had become a subject of the proudest remembrances and fondest legends of the nation. "God," says the Talmud, "made manna to descend for them, in which were all manner of tastes. Every Israelite found in it what best pleased him. The young tasted bread, It had even become a 12 the old honey, and the children oil." It was thus only an expression of the public feeling of the day when Jesus was asked to repeat the descent of mannathe greatest of the miracles of Moses. It is in human nature, but above all, in Eastern human nature, to associate high office and dignity with display and outward circumstance, and what must hence have been the popular expectations of external grandeur and majesty in the Messiah, when they saw a demigod in Moses, whom He was to resemble? No demand for overpowering "signs" of the divine approval of a claim to be the Messiah could, in this point of view, be too great, from one whose outward appearance, and whole life, in other CHAP. XLIV. respects, so entirely contradicted the general Messianic anticipations. But Jesus, at all times resolute in withholding miraculous action for any personal end, had no thought of satisfying their craving for wonders. "Moses indeed," said He," gave you manna, but it was not the true Bread of Heaven." He wished to draw them from the merely outward miracle to that far higher wonder, even then enacting before their eyes, the free offer of the true Bread of Heaven, 15 in the offer of 15 Lücke, ii. 76. Himself as their Saviour. The manna, He implied, could only by a figure be called bread of Heaven, for it was material and perishable, and the heaven from which it fell was only the visible sky, not that in which God dwells. Moses gave what was called by a figure, "Bread of Heaven," but the true Bread of Heaven only His Father could give, and He was giving it now. That only can be the true Bread of God, which comes down from the highest heaven,-He might have said, from the pure heaven of His own soul,and gives life to the world; for with Jesus, those who had not this bread were spiritually dead.16 16 Verses 35, 39, 40. United States, "Master," cried many voices, "give us this bread henceforth, for life." Like Ponce de Leon, with the spring of Unfading Youth in Florida, 17 they thought that the new gift 17 Bancroft's would literally make them immortal, and eagerly clamoured to have a boon so far in advance of the mere barley loaves of the day before. i. 23. "I am the Bread of Life," replied Jesus; in a moment scattering to the winds their visions of material plenty and endless natural life. Then, explaining Himself, He added, "He that comes to me shall never hunger, and he that believes on me shall never thirst. But, as I said a moment ago, 18 you have not only heard of me, but have also seen Verse 29. me, and been eye-witnesses of my deeds as the Messiah, and yet you do not believe. All whom the Father gives me will come to me. You may resist my invitations or yield, 19 but John 5. 40; he who resists is not given me by my Father. Believe me, no hungering and thirsting soul that comes to me will I cast out of my Kingdom when it is erected. How could I, 3. 19; 1. 11. Matt. 23. 37. |