THE CRISIS IN CAPERNAUM

The Five Thousand Fed.

And the apostles, when they were returned unto Jesus, told him all things, whatsoever they had done, and whatsoever they had taught.

Now the passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. And he saith unto them, "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

And they went away in the boat to a desert place apart. And the people saw them going, and many knew them, and they ran together there on foot from all the cities, and outwent them.

And he came forth and saw a great multitude. And he welcomed them, and spake to them of the kingdom of God, and them that had need of healing he cured. And he had compassion on them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd.

And the day began to wear away; and the twelve came, and said unto him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages and country round about, and lodge, and get provisions: for we are here in a desert place."

But Jesus said unto them, "They have no need to go away: give ye them to eat."

Philip answered him, "Two hundred shillings' worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little."

Jesus saith unto them, "How many loaves have ye? go and see."

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, "There is a lad here, who hath five barley loaves, and two fishes: but what are these among so many?"

And Jesus said, "Bring them hither to me."

And he commanded them that all should sit down by companies upon the green grass. Now there was much grass in the place. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties. And he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake the loaves; and he gave to the disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they all ate, and were filled. And they took up broken pieces, twelve basketfuls, and also of the fishes. And they that ate the loaves were five thousand men.

When therefore the people saw the sign which he did, they said, "This is of a truth the prophet that cometh into the world."

Jesus therefore perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, constrained the disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side, till he should send the multitudes away.

And after he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain apart to pray: and when even was come, he was there alone.

Jesus Walking on the Water.

And his disciples were going over the sea unto Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. And the sea was rising by reason of a great wind that blew. And in the fourth watch of the night, when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they behold Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the boat. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost;" and they cried out for fear.

But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, "Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."

And Peter answered him and said, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters."

And he said, "Come."

And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters, to come to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me."

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"

And when they were gone up into the boat, the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves; for they understood not concerning the loaves, but their heart was hardened.

And when they had crossed over, they came to the land unto Gennesaret, and moored to the shore. And when they were come out of the boat, straightway the people knew him, and ran round about that whole region, and began to carry about on their beds those that were sick, where they heard he was.

The Disappointment of the People.

On the morrow the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, save one, and that Jesus entered not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples went away alone (howbeit there came boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks): when the multitude therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they themselves got into the boats, and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.

And when they found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, "Rabbi, when camest thou hither?"

Jesus answered them and said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw signs, but because ye ate of the loaves, and were filled. Work not for the food which perisheth, but for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man shall give unto you; for him the Father, even God, hath sealed."

They said therefore unto him, "What must we do, that we may work the works of God?"

Jesus answered and said unto them, "This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent."

They said therefore unto him, "What then doest thou for a sign, that we may see, and believe thee? what workest thou? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.'"

Jesus therefore said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, It was not Moses that gave you the bread out of heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread out of heaven. For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto the world."

They said therefore unto him, "Lord, evermore give us this bread."

Jesus said unto them, "I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, that ye have seen me, and yet believe not. All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I am come down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the will of him that sent me, that of all that which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

The Jews therefore murmured concerning him, because he said, "I am the bread which came down out of heaven." And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how doth he now say 'I am come down out of heaven'?"

Jesus answered and said unto them, "Murmur not among yourselves. No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him: and I will raise him up in the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught of God.' Every one that hath heard from the Father, and hath learned, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he that is from God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth hath eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which cometh down out of heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world."

The Jews therefore strove one with another, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

Jesus therefore said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, ye have not life in yourselves. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven: not as the fathers ate, and died; he that eateth this bread shall live for ever."

These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.

Many therefore of his disciples, when they heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can hear it?"

But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said unto them, "Doth this cause you to stumble? What then if ye should behold the Son of man ascending where he was before? It is the spirit that giveth life; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit, and are life. But there are some of you that believe not."

For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who it was that should betray him. And he said, "For this cause have I said unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it be given unto him of the Father."

Upon this many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Jesus said therefore unto the twelve, "Would ye also go away?"

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God."

Jesus answered them, "Did not I choose you the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"

Now he spake of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve.

Rejection of the Tradition of the Elders.

And there are gathered together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of his disciples ate their bread with defiled, that is, unwashen, hands. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands diligently, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the market-place, except they bathe themselves, they eat not; and many other things there are, which they have received to hold, washings of cups, and pots, and brasen vessels.) And the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, "Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with defiled hands?"

And he said unto them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

"Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men."

And he said unto them, "Full well do ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your tradition. For Moses said, 'Honor thy father and thy mother;' and, 'He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death;' but ye say, 'If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is Corban,' that is to say, Given to God; ye no longer suffer him to do aught for his father or his mother; making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do."

And he called to him the multitude again, and said unto them, "Hear me all of you, and understand: there is nothing from without the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man."

Then came the disciples, and said unto him, "Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?"

But he answered and said, "Every plant which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit."

And when he was entered into the house from the multitude, his disciples asked of him the parable.

And he saith unto them, "Are ye also even yet without understanding? Perceive ye not, that whatsoever from without goeth into the man, it cannot defile him; because it goeth not into his heart, but into his belly, and goeth out into the draught?"

This he said, making all meats clean. And he said, "That which proceedeth out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, covetings, wickedness, deceit, false witness, lasciviousness, an evil eye, railing, pride, foolishness: all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man."

The Plot of the Pharisees.

And it came to pass on a sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man there, and his right hand was withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath; that they might find how to accuse him.

But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man that had his hand withered, "Rise up, and stand forth in the midst."

And he arose and stood forth. And Jesus said unto them, "I ask you, Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good, or to do harm? to save a life or to destroy it? What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep, and if this fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? How much then is a man of more value than a sheep! Wherefore it is lawful to do good on the sabbath day."

But they held their peace. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved at the hardening of their heart, he saith unto the man, "Stretch forth thy hand."

And he stretched it forth; and his hand was restored whole, as the other.

But they were filled with madness; and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

And the Pharisees went out, and straightway with the Herodians took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.