Volume 2

Jesus in Peter's House
251
returned to report, the second remaining to spy Jesus'
conduct and teaching. They had already held a meeting
before which the Centurion Zorobabel, the son, and
father had to appear and answer interrogatories respecting
the boy's cure and Jesus' doctrine. They could neither
deny the cure nor challenge the doctrine, nevertheless
they could not reconcile themselves to what had happened.
They were angry because Jesus had not studied
under them; they found fault with His frequenting the
company of common people, such as the Essenians,
fishermen, publicans, and sinners; they were indignant at
His presuming to teach without a mission from Jerusalem,
from the Sanhedrin; they were offended at His not
having recourse to themselves for counsel and instruction;
and they could not endure that He was neither Pharisee
nor Sadducee, that He taught among the Samaritans, and
cured on the Sabbath day. They were in short furious at
the thought that to render Him justice would be to denounce
and condemn themselves. The young man frool
Nazareth was a violent enemy of the Samaritans, whonl
he persecuted in many ways.
Jesus' friends and relatives did not want Him to teach
in Capharnaum on the Sabbath. Even His Mother was
full of anxiety, and she expressed her opinion that it
would be more advisable for Him to go to the other side
of the lake. From such objections, Jesus turned aside
with a few brief words and without explanations.
There were in Bethsaida and Capharnaum immense
numbers of sick, of heathens, and Jews. Several troops of
the travellers that Jesus had lately met on the other side
of the lake were here awaiting Him. Near Bethsaida were
large open inns covered with reeds, some for heathens,
some for Jews. Above this place were the heathen baths;
below were the Jewish.
Peter accommodated many of the Jewish sick in the
precincts of his dwelling, and Jesus next morning healed