Chapter 14—Choosing the Disciples The disciples had not yet fully joined themselves to Jesus to be co-laborers with him. They had witnessed many of his miracles, and their minds had been enlightened by the discourses they had heard from his lips; but they had not entirely left their employment as fishermen. Their hearts were filled with grief by the death of John, and they were troubled with conflicting thoughts. If the life of John had been permitted to end so ingloriously, what would be the fate of their Master, when the scribes and Pharisees were so bitter against him? Amid their doubt and fear, it was a relief for them to return once more to their fishing, and, for a brief space, find in their old employment a diversion from their anxiety. {2SP 182.3}

Disciplene havde endnu ikke fuldkommen forenet sig med Jesus som hans medarbejdere. De havde været vidne til mange af hans undergerninger, og deres sind var blevet oplyst af de sandheder, som havde lydt fra hans læber; men de havde ikke helt forladt deres arbejde som fiskere. (183) De blev meget bedrøvede over Johannes' skæbne, og modstridende tanker besværede dem. Dersom Johannes' mission endte på en så vanærende måde, hvorledes ville det så gå med deres Mester, når de skriftkloge og farisæerne var så forbitrede på ham? Under denne tvivl og frygt var det dem en lindring atter at tage fat på sin gamle håndtering og derved en kort tid finde en adspredelse fra sin bekymring.