So it is in life: when the winds of temptation and the waves of despair
beat upon us, the eye of faith is turned more upon these raging
elements than upon the Light of Life, the power of faith is thus
weakened, and as Peter, we begin to sink. Too many, ah, too many go
down beneath the billows; only a few cry out as he. "Lord, save us!"
And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand, and caught him, and
said unto him, "O, thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"
ANOTHER TEST
[Sidenote: In Capernaum.]
Next morning, the people in Capernaum who knew that Peter and the other
disciples had left the opposite shore without Jesus, were very much
astonished to see Him in their midst, and said, Rabbi, when camest thou
hither?
"Ye seek me," answered Jesus, "not because ye saw the miracles, but
because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled."
[IMAGE: "Lord, save me."]
"Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which
endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto
you." [2]
[Sidenote: Sermon on the Bread of Life.]
He then delivered the famous sermon on the Bread of Life, part of
which, as John remembered it, is recorded in John the sixth chapter.
There were so many things spoken which the Jews could not understand,
because of their prejudice, that they first became confused, then
angry, and finally much offended. Those who had only a little faith,
became influenced by the murmuring crowd, and said, "We don't believe
this man is the Son of God." Even some of His disciples turned away
from the Truth, and "walked no more with Him."
[Sidenote: Men Swerved by Doubt.]
The mass of angry men and women became much like the heaving sea that
tossed the disciples the evening before. The winds of ridicule and the
waves of discontent beat against the wavering disciples. As they looked
upon these angry elements of human passion, their faith in Christ
weakened, and they "began to sink."
[Sidenote: Jesus Appeals to the Twelve.]
In vain, Jesus testified, "It is I, the Son of man!" They would not
listen to Him, for He was to them only the son of Joseph the carpenter.
As group after group turned their backs upon Him. He turned to the
Twelve and said, "Will ye also go away?"
[Sidenote: Peter's Answer.]
Again it was Peter who broke the silence. With the others, he had
looked at the noisy crowd, with the others he had listened to the
angry words hurled at their Master. In the midst of this sea of human
passion, shall he say, "Lord, if it be Thee, bid me come unto Thee?"
As if he wavered just a little, as if his faith had not yet become as
firm as Jesus would have it become, he answered, "Lord, to whom shall
we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life."
[Sidenote: Belief Matures into Knowledge.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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