Little Wideawake: A story book for little children

by Mrs. Sale Barker

I must tell you to-day, my dear children, about one of the miracles of our Saviour of which I daresay you have already heard. Perhaps, too, you have seen engravings of the picture from which the woodcut above is taken. It is a large painting by Raphael, a great Italian artist of former days, whom you will know more about when you are older.

After our Saviour had healed the nobleman’s son—the miracle I described to you in our last Sunday-talk—we are told in the Bible that He left Cana and went to Capernaum, a town on the shore of the lake, or sea, of Galilee. The country surrounding this beautiful lake is now desolate and barren; but at the time when our Saviour lived upon earth, it was fertile and thickly populated. On the banks of the lake were towns and villages; on its waters boats plied, engaged in pleasure or trade; and many fishermen carried on their calling.

One evening our Lord walked on the shore of the lake, teaching His disciples, when He found Himself surrounded by a multitude of people. They pressed about Him, eager to hear Him preach; and in order to let them hear and see Him better, He entered into one of the fishing-boats which belonged to Simon Peter. And Christ prayed Simon Peter to thrust out the boat a little from the land: then He sat down, and taught the people from the boat.

We are not told what was the particular purport of His teaching on this occasion, but when He had done, He resolved to render what He had said more impressive by performing a miracle before the eyes of all the people. He turned to Simon, and told him to cast forth his nets to catch fish; upon which, St. Luke tells us, Simon answered: “Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing; nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.”

This is the language of obedience and faith. The net was at once cast into the sea, and it enclosed such a quantity of fish that it began to break. In the boat with Christ, besides Simon Peter, was another fisherman, named Andrew; and they beckoned to their partners, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were in another boat, to come to their assistance. Both boats were filled so full of fish that they were almost sinking.

Scripture does not give us any account of the impression this miraculous draught of fishes made upon the multitude that were looking on from the shore; but the first thought of Simon Peter seems to have been a sense of his own unworthiness. Falling down at our Saviour’s feet, he cried: “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.”

With mingled feelings of humility, gratitude, and awe, he entreated Jesus to depart from one who was so guilty and undeserving. But he did not know the love of Christ towards him, or the gracious design of this miracle. His fears were soon calmed. “Fear not,” said Jesus to His trembling disciple: “from henceforth thou shalt catch men.” From that time Simon Peter, and his companions, Andrew, James, and John, were to be employed in preaching the gospel. These poor, ignorant fishermen became endowed with wisdom and eloquence; and in the wonderful draught of fishes they might foresee their future success. They were to be “fishers of men”; the world the sea in which they were to labour.

St. Luke says of them: “When they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all and followed Him.”