A few hours later he was speeding along the lake's edge in the bright
morning, happy as the bird singing in the skies, when the thought like a
dagger-thrust crossed his mind that being the son of a rich man Jesus
could not receive him as a disciple, only the poor were welcome into the
brotherhood of the poor. His father had told him as much, and the beggar
whom he had met under the cliffs, smelling of rags and raw garlic,
expressed the riches of simplicity. Happy, happy evening, for ever gone
by! Happy ignorance already turned into knowledge! For in Peter's house
Jesus would hear that the man whom he had met under the cliffs was the
son of the fish-salter of Magdala, and perhaps they knew enough of his
story to add, who has been making money in Jerusalem himself and has no
doubt come to Galilee to engage his father in some new trade that will
extort more money from the poor. He is not for thy company. A great
aversion seized him for Capernaum, and he walked, overcome with grief,
to the lake's edge and stooped to pick up a smooth stone, thinking to
send it skimming over the water, as he used to when a boy; but there was
neither the will nor the strength in him for the innocent sport, and he
lay down, exhausted in mind and body, to lament this new triumph of the
demon that from the beginning of his life thwarted him and interrupted
all his designs--this time intervening at the last moment as if with a
purpose of great cruelty. This demon seemed to him to descend out of the
blue air and sometimes to step out of the blue water, and Joseph was
betimes moved to rush into the lake, for there seemed to him no other
way of escaping from him. Then he would turn back from the foam and the
reeds, and pray to the demon to leave him for some little while in
peace: let me be with Jesus for a little while, and then I'll do thy
bidding. Tie the tongues of those that would tell him I'm the son of a
rich man--Simon Peter, James and John, sons of Zebedee. James would say
a word in his favour, but Jesus would answer: why did he not tell these
things to me overnight? And if he loves me, why does he not rid himself
of the wealth that separates him from me?
Well, young Master, cried somebody behind him, now what be ye thinking
over this fine morning? Of the fish the nets will bring to be safely
packed away in your father's barrels? My father's barrels be accursed!
Joseph exclaimed, springing to his feet. And why dost thou call me
master? I'm not master, nor art thou servant. And then, his eyes opening
fully to the external world, he recognised the nearly hunchback Philip
of Capernaum--a high-necked, thick-set fellow, in whom a hooked nose and
prominent eyes were the distinguishing features. A sail-maker, that
spoke with a sharp voice, and Joseph remembered him as combining the
oddest innocence of mind regarding spiritual things with a certain
shrewdness in the conduct of his business. Thy voice startled me out of
a dream, Joseph said, and I knew not what I said. Beg pardon,
Master--but the word "Sir" you like no better, and it would sound
unseemly to call you "Joseph" and no more. As we are not born the same
height nor strength nor wits, such little differences as "Sir" and
"Master" get into our speech. All those that love God are the same, and
there is neither class nor wealth, only love, Joseph answered
passionately. That is the teaching of the new prophet Jesus, Philip
replied, his yapping voice assuming an inveigling tone or something like
one. I was in Magdala yester evening, and spent the night in my debtor's
house, and as we were figuring out the principal and interest a
neighbour came in, and among his several news was that you were seen
walking with Jesus by the lake in the direction of Capernaum. We were
glad to hear that, for having only returned to us last night you did not
know that Jesus has become a great man in these parts, especially since
he has come to lodge in Simon Peter's house. That was a great step for
him. But I must be hastening away, for a meeting is at Simon Peter's
house. And I have promised Jesus to be there too, Joseph answered. Then
we may step the way out together, Philip answered, looking up into
Joseph's face, and--as if he read there encouragement to speak out the
whole of his mind--he continued:
I was saying that it was a great step up for him when Simon Peter took
him to lodge in his house, for beforetimes he had, as the saying is, no
place to lay his head: an outcast from Cana, whither he went first to
his mother's house, and it is said he turned water into wine on one
occasion at a marriage feast; but that cannot be true, for if it were,
there is no reason that I can see why he should stay his hand and not
turn all water into wine. To which Joseph replied that it would be a
great misfortune, for the greater part of men would be as drunk as Noah
was when he planted a vineyard, and we know how Lot's daughters turned
their father's drunkenness to account. Moreover, Philip, if Jesus had
turned all the water into wine there would be no miracle, for a miracle
is a special act performed by someone whom God has chosen as an
instrument. It is as likely as not, Master, that you be right in what
you say, for there's no saying what is true and what is false in this
world, for what one man says another man denies, and it is not even
certain that all men see and hear alike. But, Philip, thou must remember
that though men neither hear nor see alike, yet the love of God is the
same in every man. But is it? Philip asked. For can it be denied that
some men love God in the hope that God may do something for them, while
others love God lest he may punish them. But methinks that such love as
that is more fear than love; and then there are others that can love
God--well, just because it seems to them that God is by them, just as
I'm by you at the present moment. Jesus is such an one. But there be not
many like him, and that was why his teaching found no favour either in
Cana or in Nazareth. In them parts they knew that he was the carpenter's
son, and his mother and his brothers and sisters were a hindrance to
him, for thinking him a bit queer, they came ofttimes to the synagogues
to ask him to come home with them, for they are shrewd enough to see
that such talk as his will bring him no good in the end, for priests are
strong everywhere and have the law of the land on their side, for
governors would make but poor shift to govern without them. But why
then, Philip, shouldst thou who art a cautious man, be going to Peter's
house to meet him? Well, that's the question I've been asking myself all
the morning till I came upon you. Master, sitting by the lake, and not
unlikely you were asking yourself the same question, sitting over yonder
by the lake all by yourself. He casts a spell upon me, I'm thinking, and
has, it would seem to me, cast one upon you, for you went a long way
with him last night, by all accounts. I'd have it from thee, Philip,
how long he has been in these parts? Well, I should say it must be two
years or thereabouts that he came up from Jericho, staying but a little
while in Jerusalem and going on to his mother at Cana, and afterwards
trying his luck, as I have said, in Nazareth. But his mother hasn't seen
him for many a year? He has been away since childhood, living with a
certain sect of Jews called the Essenes, and it was John---- Yes, I know
John was baptizing in Jordan, Joseph interrupted, and he baptized Jesus.
And after that he went into the desert, said Philip hurriedly, for he
did not like being interrupted in his story. He came up to Nazareth, I
was saying, about two years ago, but was thrown out of that city and
came here; he was more fortunate here, picking up bits of food from the
people now and then, who, thinking him harmless, let him sleep in an odd
hole or corner; but he must have often been like dying of hunger by the
wayside, for he was always travelling, going his rounds from village to
village. But luck was on his side, and when he was near dying a
traveller would come by and raise him and give him a little wine. He is
one of those that can do with little, and after the first few months he
had the luck to cast out one or two devils, and finding he could cast
out devils, he turned to the healing of the sick; and many is the
withered limb that he put right, and many a lame man he has set walking
with as good a stride as we are taking now, and many a blind man's eyes
he has opened, and the scrofulous he cured by looking at them--so it is
said. And so his fame grew from day to day; the people love him, for he
asks no money from them, which is a sure way into men's affections; but
those whose children he has cured cannot see him go away hungry, and
they put a loaf into his shirt, for he takes anything that he can get
except money, which he will not look upon. There has been no holier man
in these parts, Sir, these many years. The oldest in the country cannot
remember one like him--my father is nearer ninety than eighty, and he
says that Jesus is a greater man than he ever heard his father tell of,
and he was well into the eighties before he died. Now, Sir, as we are
near to Peter's house, you'll not mind my telling you that there is no
"Sir" or "Master" at Peter's house. But, Philip, has it not already been
said that thou mayst drop such titles as "Sir" and "Master" in
addressing me? And wert thou not at one with me that we should be more
courteous and friendly one between the other without them? Well, yes,
Master, I do recollect some such talk between us, but now that we be
coming into Capernaum it would be well that I should call you "Joseph,"
but "Joseph" would be difficult to me at first, and we are all brothers
amongst us, only Jesus is Master over all of us, and God over him. But
it now strikes my mind that I have not told you how Jesus and Peter
became acquainted.
One day as Jesus was passing on his rounds a man ran out of his house
and besought him to help him to stop some boys who were playing drums
and fifes and psalteries, saying to him: I know not who thou art, but my
wife's mother is dying of fever, and the boys jeer at me and show no
mercy. Let us take stones and cast them at them. But Jesus answered: no
stone is required; and turning to the boys he said: boys, all this woman
asks of you is to be allowed to die in quiet, and you may ask the same
thing some day, and that day may not be long delayed. Whereupon the boys
were ashamed, and Jesus followed Peter into his house and took his
wife's mother's hand and lifted her up a little and placed her head upon
the pillow and bade her sleep, which she did, and seeing that he had
such power Peter asked him to remain in the house till his mother-in-law
opened her eyes, which he did, and he has been there ever since. Now
here we are at the pathway through which Jesus comes and goes every day
on his mission of healing and preaching the love of God. Your father,
Sir, is much opposed to Jesus, who he says has persuaded Peter away from
his fishing and James and John and many others, but no doubt your father
told you these things last night.