Peter was mildly irritated.

They had come to Bethsaida for a couple of days, and now Zebedee's wife had come over. James' and John's mother was too forward to Peter's way of thinking, and always concerned about her sons. It was normal the woman would want her two sons to succeed, but she was continually asking questions about how Jesus accepted them, and trying to promote their cause.

Now she was at it again.

"James and John—they are well?" she asked.

"Quite well, yes," Peter said.

"And they'll be here tomorrow?"

"I suppose so," Peter said, looking up to check the skies. "Even if it rains, it shouldn't slow them by much. The Lord wants to take a few days off and go over into the wilderness beyond the Gergesenes where no one will know us." Peter was immediately sorry he volunteered such information. The woman had a rather free tongue, and the last thing he wanted was to see a group of people following them across the Sea of Galilee and pestering Jesus.

"We heard rumors that Messiah sent you out on your own," she said matter-of-factly.

"They're true," Peter responded, glad for the change of subject. "I heard their stories. Doubtless they'll be anxious to tell you all about it tomorrow," Peter finished, turning back to the lines he was rigging.

Beth came out then and chatted with the woman for a few minutes while Peter contrived to appear sufficiently occupied that he was asked no more questions.

He went into their house then and gladly listened to his young son and daughter telling him about their lessons. It seemed a new Levite had joined the teaching staff that worked under the keeper of the scrolls at the synagogue, and this man, a fairly young man of not much more than Peter's own 34 years, had been to Rome and to Alexandria and Memphis. He knew much about world conditions, and both of the children were enthusiastic about what they had learned. Peter was amazed at their outbursts; it had been all but impossible to encourage them in their lessons when old Zach, their local linguist, croaked at them with his trembling voice and tried to force them to do their vocabulary lessons in Greek. It was a wonderful family reunion. Aging Jona presided over the meal—fish, inevitably—but spiced this time with some special herbs that had come all the way from Persia that Beth had saved for a special occasion. Beth had wrapped the fish in succulent leaves, placing the herbs and goat's butter inside the fish, and then covered the fish in clay and put them in the oven. When the clay was baked, she broke it open with sharp raps from a hammer, and, when the leaves fell away, there was the fish with all the juices sealed in, the savory steam rising from it making Peter's mouth water. It was marvelous, the way you could lift every bone in the fish completely free by a little effort, leaving two boneless fillets lying in the juices.

Together with the greens Beth had cooked, and bread she had baked with bits of leek mixed into the dough, it had been a family meal to remember.

The next morning Peter knew Jesus and the others would be arriving within a few hours, probably before noon, so he and Andrew hurried to ready the boats. He knew Jesus would want to leave immediately, and knew the reason for it.

The moment His presence was known here in Bethsaida, Jesus would draw huge crowds like a magnet. But only a few of the professional fishermen could afford boats, and none of the hangers-on could follow them.

Besides, with the distant shore shimmering on the far horizon, it would be virtually impossible for questing eyes to see exactly where they landed. And, by the time any enterprising ones had traveled completely around by land, they would be long gone.

Peter felt some small amount of mixed shame and gratitude about Jesus' thoughtfulness in sending him on ahead to be with the family overnight. Peter positively blushed when he wondered if Jesus had thought of Peter spending the night with Beth . . . Probably not, Peter thought. It had only been the Lord's consideration for the family.

Still, though, Jesus was openly frank about family matters and family responsibilities. They even discussed sex from time to time and the ridiculous rumors about Jesus' own origins that the Pharisees kept alive.

Peter knew Jesus was not prudish. Yet He kept Himself rigidly apart from the females as much as He could.

Perhaps that was the very reason so many of them were so enthralled by Him. "Forbidden fruit," Peter almost said aloud, shaking his head.

Jesus' very unobtainability seemed to carry a surprising attraction to many of the women. Mary Magdalene was so obvious it was positively embarrassing. Anyone could see she was completely in love with Him, and yet, aside from the gestures of friendliness He would show anyone else, Jesus hardly seemed to notice the poor woman.

Gratitude first ... and then ...

Peter knew Jesus was not handsome, not even attractive in any physical way like Judas was and a few of the others. But, for all His plainness, His flawless character endeared many to Him.

Peter's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Simon the Canaanite, who said the Lord and the others weren't far from the town and would want to board directly.

Peter supervised the packing of the last of their foodstuffs, and, together with Andrew, insured the two boats were ready to cast off. His good-byes already said, he looked eagerly for Jesus and the others to arrive.

Two hours later they were well across the sea—the big lugsail drawing as they ran right before the wind on their way to the wilderness for a, few days' rest.

They beached the boats, leaving them in the care of a young man they hired for the purpose, and the next four hours found them well beyond the towns, winding their way into the tree-covered slopes of the undulating hills beyond.

One wonderful night camping out, relaxing and listening to Jesus' sayings, before singing some songs around the fire, was all they had.

By the next morning here came seven men with two women and some sick children, and before noon the crowd had swollen to hundreds, and still they came. They shared their meager rations with the first arrivals, and were soon exhausted. Peter listened to Andrew telling him they were out of food, but he doubted if the Lord knew it, as surrounded by the people as He was.

Several began wondering if Jesus would send the people away soon and move on.

Finally Peter thought he would intervene, so he walked through the crowds sitting around Jesus and said, "Lord, couldn't you send them away now? They have been here for hours, and this is a desolate area, nothing to forage for food. And perhaps they should be thinking about lodging and something to eat."

"Well," He said, looking up at Peter, "then give them something to eat." Peter answered, "What shall we do? We don't have anywhere near enough to feed a crowd of thousands of people like this. Furthermore, all the money we have is two hundred pennies. And, even if we went to a nearby town and bought two hundred pennies' worth of bread, it wouldn't be anywhere near enough to go around! There wouldn't even be a scrap of bread for each one of them with such a crowd."

Jesus said, "All right, how many loaves of bread do you have? Go and look!" Andrew, Peter's brother said, "One of the young lads who has been following us has five loaves of barley bread and two fish, but what good is this among such a crowd)"

Jesus then told His disciples, "Tell the crowd to find a place to sit. I will leave it up to you to organize their numbers in groups of about a hundred or fifty or so."

Then, receiving the basket of loaves and the two wrapped fish from the young lad, Jesus looked up to heaven and asked God's blessing in prayer and, reaching into the basket, began to break the loaves of bread, giving the bread as He did so to the disciples as they stood in line to receive the food from His hands.

The disciples, looking past one another, craning to see what He was doing, noticed that He would reach into the basket, break a loaf of bread, then reach into the basket and break another loaf of bread, handing each several fish as He did so, and it seemed the basket was filled with an inexhaustible supply!

After about an hour, when the disciples had finished the task of feeding the great crowd (there were at least five thousand men and enough women and children to make a crowd of over ten thousand people), they passed among them, gathering up that which was left until they collected twelve baskets full of scraps of bread and leftover fish!

Hundreds of people were absolutely astounded! A rumor was rippling all through the crowd about the "cornucopia basket," the incredible miracle Jesus was performing of feeding such a massive group from only a handful of loaves and two fishes! They were commenting about the tremendous quality of the food and praising God and glorifying Jesus and giving Him thanks. The disciples were looking at one another in dismay, shaking their heads in amazement as they gathered up the remaining fragments. Constantly Peter thought, "Now I've seen everything!"

Judas, Peter thought, was probably wondering why in the world Jesus did not charge at least some small sum for the meal! Many of the people began to talk in loud, animated voices about the fabulous miracle.

Peter knew the crowd was on fire with zeal. They were chattering happily. Peter had overheard many a comment, "Just like Moses in the wilderness and the manna from heaven!" and "He can do anything! No miracle is beyond Him!

It was not surprising that some of those who had been in the audiences of the disciples' recent trip were here, and their relatives. Not surprising, either, that a few had managed to arrive from Peter's own hometown (that resulting from Zebedee's wife's loose tongue, no doubt).

The miraculous meal was catalytic.

They had been sitting here, spread out by their groups just as Peter and the others had placed them, and patiently waiting as the disciples came bearing baskets full of fish and bread! What fish it was too! Smoked lightly, it seemed, and the bread was marvelous!

The stories of healings of some of the sick children had spread like wildfire through the crowd, and many a young teenager could be seen seeking friends and relatives, bearing messages for them among the crowds from their families.

The enthusiasm was infectious.

"Let's go right now and begin the march! " One older man urged.

"Nonsense! " said another sitting nearby. "How will the whole mass of us make it to Jerusalem without being set upon by the Romans, and, besides, how can we eat?" He had scarcely finished when the laughter of the one who had spoken first interrupted him.

"Eat?" He had said derisively. "Your belly is even now happily growling with miraculous food that He gave you and you wonder about food?" That silenced the man, and their leader continued, "And so what if some crazy Romans show up? Jesus of Nazareth can take care of them. Didn't He stop even the waves and the wind?" Turning, he saw Peter.

"Peter!" he said, "You were there. You saw it. Tell them! "

"It's true," Peter admitted. "I was there, and I saw it. He put out His hands and said "shalom" to the storm, and it became calm within minutes! " The group marveled; the hum of conversation grew into a cacophony of sound.

At this the group got to their feet, and the elder who had been the spokesman beckoned to Peter and began striding toward Jesus.

Peter went along, wondering how the Lord would respond to this excited enthusiasm. For once, Peter saw, there was not a single dissenting voice, not a single Pharisee, publican or Sadducee in the crowd. No one had challenged Him. Had Jesus actually planned this?

As the word spread, hundreds more rose and marched toward Jesus where He was seated with a few of the disciples, eating.

They drew up before Him, and the elder said, "Lord, we know You are from God, we know You are the very Messiah sent to redeem our nation. Now is Your time. Now is the time for the delivery of God's people Israel!"

"Amen!" and "Hallelujah!" shouted hundreds.

"Men," said the elder who had appointed himself spokesman for the group, "are you with me?"

"Yes! Yes!" they shouted. "Let's go. Let's march now!" shouted another from back in the crowd. "We're through waiting!" said someone else.

The shouting became a tumult, and the forward ranks made as if to hoist Jesus to their shoulders and begin marching toward Jerusalem.

But Jesus stopped them with His word.

"Wait!" He commanded in a loud voice.

They stopped, and Jesus asked for all to be seated again.

Then, in a powerful dissertation, He thanked them for their enthusiasm and began explaining, as He had to His own disciples so often, that this was "not His time," but that only the Father "knew the times that He had before ordained," and that Jesus must not go to Jerusalem now.

It was only by sheer force of His personality that He Prevented them from bodily seizing Him and placing Him on their shoulders, beginning a march, Peter saw.

Peter found himself caught up in the infectious enthusiasm of the crowd. He, too, had wished the Lord would seize this magic moment and begin a march of triumph. What could be better timing? They could gather tens of thousands en route.

Peter was scarcely able to contain his disappointment when Jesus began firmly telling the crowd He had no intention of going to Jerusalem just yet, that it was not for them to know the times and seasons the Father kept secret unto Himself; that there was much yet to be accomplished.