AMONG THE FISHERMEN.
Capernaum was on the shore of the beautiful lake of Galilee. There
were villages clustered around the lake then and all Galilee was
swarming with busy life, but now there are few inhabitants, and
Capernaum is only a heap of stones. Some of these stones, which may
now be seen, are carved in such a way that we may know that they are a
part of an ancient synagogue. This was the synagogue, perhaps, that a
good Centurion built whose servant Jesus cured when he was near death,
and here in Capernaum lived the nobleman whose son Jesus cured by a
word, and here lived His first disciples, Peter and Andrew, and James
and John, and here Matthew, who sat in his little office taking the
taxes that the people had to pay, may have seen Jesus pass, and may
have heard him speak before he became a disciple.
The beautiful plain of Gennesaret spreads out from one end of the lake,
and there is a white beach of shells there, while at other points on
the lake there are hills and great rocks close to the water.
On this white beach Jesus stood one spring morning teaching the people.
As the fisher-folks and others gathered close around to hear Him, He
was pushed so near the water that He stepped into Peter's boat, which
was near the shore, and asked him to push it out a little way into the
water, and there in the stern of the boat Jesus sat and taught the
people who stood thick upon the shore.
The boat of Zebedee, the father of James and John was near by, for they
were the partners of Peter and Andrew. They had washed their nets and
had given up fishing until night again, for morning was not a good time
for fishing, but Jesus said to Peter and Andrew,--
"Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught."
The disciples were surprised at this, for it was not the hour for
fishing, and Peter said,
"Master, we have toiled all night and have taken nothing; nevertheless
at thy word I will let down the net."
[Illustration: Jesus among the fishermen]
When they had done this they found that their nets were filled with
fishes, so that they called to James and John to come and help them,
for their nets were breaking. When they had emptied the nets into the
two boats they were filled so full that they began to sink.
Then Peter fell down at Jesus's knees and cried out,--
"Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!" so wonderful did the
miracle seem to him.
But to Peter Jesus said,--
"Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men." James and John He
also called, and showed them that the time had now come for them to
help Him in founding the Kingdom.
They did not wait to sell the great draught of fishes that they had
brought to land; and they did not wait to sell their fishing boats and
nets, but they forsook all and followed Jesus. They did not know that
their names would be known forever as the founders of the Christian
Church with Him who was its divine Head.