PAPER 147: Section 6.
Returning To Capernaum
P1653:5, 147:6.1 The last week of April, Jesus and the twelve departed from their Bethany headquarters near Jerusalem and began their journey back to Capernaum by way of Jericho and the Jordan.
P1654:1, 147:6.2 The chief priests and the religious leaders of the Jews held many secret meetings for the purpose of deciding what to do with Jesus. They were all agreed that something should be done to put a stop to his teaching, but they could not agree on the method. They had hoped that the civil authorities would dispose of him as Herod had put an end to John, but they discovered that Jesus was so conducting his work that the Roman officials were not much alarmed by his preaching. Accordingly, at a meeting which was held the day before Jesus' departure for Capernaum, it was decided that he would have to be apprehended on a religious charge and be tried by the Sanhedrin. Therefore a commission of six secret spies was appointed to follow Jesus, to observe his words and acts, and when they had amassed sufficient evidence of lawbreaking and blasphemy, to return to Jerusalem with their report. These six Jews caught up with the apostolic party, numbering about thirty, at Jericho and, under the pretense of desiring to become disciples, attached themselves to Jesus' family of followers, remaining with the group up to the time of the beginning of the second preaching tour in Galilee; whereupon three of them returned to Jerusalem to submit their report to the chief priests and the Sanhedrin.
P1654:2, 147:6.3
Peter preached to the assembled multitude at the crossing of the Jordan, and
the following morning they moved up the river toward Amathus. They wanted
to proceed straight on to Capernaum, but such a crowd gathered here they remained
three days, preaching, teaching, and baptizing. They did not move toward home
until early Sabbath morning, the first day of May. The Jerusalem spies were
sure they would now secure their first charge against Jesus -- that of Sabbath
breaking -- since he had presumed to start his journey on the Sabbath day.
But they were doomed to disappointment because, just before their departure,
Jesus called Andrew into his presence and before them all instructed him to
proceed for a distance of only one thousand yards, the legal Jewish Sabbath
day's journey.
P1654:3, 147:6.4
But the spies did not have long to wait for their opportunity to accuse Jesus
and his associates of Sabbath breaking. As the company passed along the narrow
road, the waving wheat, which was just then ripening, was near at hand on
either side, and some of the apostles, being hungry,
plucked the ripe grain
and ate it. It was customary for travelers to help themselves to grain as
they passed along the road, and therefore no thought of wrongdoing was attached
to such conduct. But the spies seized upon this as a pretext for
assailing
Jesus. When they saw Andrew rub the grain in his hand, they went up to him
and said: "Do you not know that it is unlawful to pluck and rub the grain
on the Sabbath day?" And Andrew answered: "But we are hungry and rub only
sufficient for our needs; and since when did it become sinful to eat grain
on the Sabbath day?" But the Pharisees answered: "You do no wrong in eating,
but you do break the law in plucking and rubbing out the grain between your
hands; surely your Master would not approve of such acts." Then said Andrew:
"But if it is not wrong to eat the grain, surely the rubbing out between our
hands is hardly more work than the
chewing of the grain, which you allow;
wherefore do you quibble over such trifles?" When Andrew intimated that they
were
quibblers, they were indignant, and rushing back to where Jesus walked
along, talking to Matthew, they protested, saying: "Behold, Teacher, your
apostles do that which is unlawful on the Sabbath day; they pluck, rub, and
eat the grain. We are sure you will command them to cease." And then said
Jesus to the accusers: "You are indeed zealous for the law, and you do well
to remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy; but did you never read in the
Scripture that, one day when David was hungry, he and they who were with him
entered the house of God and ate the
showbread, which it was not lawful for
anyone to eat save the priests? and David also gave this bread to those who
were with him. And have you not read in our law that it is lawful to do many
needful things on the Sabbath day? And shall I not, before the day is finished,
see you eat that which you have brought along for the needs of this day? My
good men, you do well to be zealous for the Sabbath, but you would do better
to guard the health and well-being of your fellows. I declare that the Sabbath
was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. And if you are here present
with us to watch my words, then will I openly proclaim that the Son of Man
is lord even of the Sabbath."
P1655:1, 147:6.5
The Pharisees were astonished and confounded by his words of discernment and
wisdom. For the remainder of the day they kept by themselves and dared not
ask any more questions.
P1655:2, 147:6.6
Jesus' antagonism to the Jewish traditions and slavish ceremonials was always
positive. It consisted in what he did and in what he affirmed. The
Master spent little time in negative denunciations. He taught that those who
know God can enjoy the liberty of living without deceiving themselves by the
licenses of sinning. Said Jesus to the apostles: "Men, if you are enlightened
by the truth and really know what you are doing, you are blessed; but if you
know not the divine way, you are unfortunate and already
breakers of the law."