Volume 2

264 Life of Jesus Christ
worldly solicitude, that He who gave health to the sick
would provide for their subsistence and furnish them with
ability for what they had to do. All were perfectly
satisfied, excepting Peter who, in his humility and
simplicity, could not comprehend how he was for the
future to be, not a fisherman, but a teacher of men. This,
however, is not the call of the Apostles related in the
Gospel. That had not yet taken place. Peter had
nevertheless already given over a great part of his business
to Zebedee. After this walk by the lake, Jesus again
went to Capharnaum and found an unusual number of
sick around Peter's house outside the city. He cured
many, and taught again in the synagogue.
As the concourse of people continued to increase,
Jesus, without being noticed, disengaged Himself from
the crowd, and went alone to a wild but very pleasant
ravine which extended to the south of Capharnaum, from
Zorobabel's mansion to the dwellings of his servants and
workmen. In it were grottos, bushes, and springs,
numerous birds, and all kinds of tame, rare animals. It
was a skillfully cared-for solitude belonging to Zorobabel,
besides being a part of that garden of pleasure,
Genesareth, thrown open to the public. Jesus spent the
night alone and in prayer, the disciples being ignorant of
His whereabouts.
Early next morning, He left the wilderness, but not to
return to Capharnaum. He ordered Peter and another of
the disciples who had come to seek Him to send Parmenas,
Saturnin, Aristobolus, and Tharzissus to a certain
place where He would meet them, and thence go to the
Baths of Bethulia. He went around the height of the
valley on which lay Magdalum, which He passed a couple
of hours eastward to the left. On the south side of this
height was the city of Jetebatha.