Chapter 20—The Loaves and Fishes Jesus, to obtain a little season of repose, and for the benefit of his disciples, proposed that they should go with him into a desert place and rest awhile. There were suitable places for such retirement beyond the sea from Capernaum, and they entered a boat to make their way thither. But some who were searching for Jesus saw him depart from the shore, and the anxious people gathered together watching the slowly receding boat. The news spread from city to city that Jesus was crossing the sea; and many who were eager to see and hear him flocked to the place where it was thought that his boat would land, while others followed him over the water in boats. So when Jesus and his disciples landed they found themselves in the midst of a multitude of people, pressing forward on all sides to meet them. {2SP 258.3}

Jesus foreslog sine disciple, at de skulle gå med ham til et ødested, for at de kunne hvile sig en kort tid. Der var passende steder, hvor de kunne være ene, på den anden side af søen overfor Kapernaum, og (259) de trådte ind i et skib og satte over. Men nogle, som søgte efter Jesus, så, at han forlod strandbredden, og det bekymrede folk samlede sig og gav agt på hvorledes skibet langsomt drog bort. Det rygtes fra stad til stad, at Jesus drog over søen, og mange, som var begærlige efter at se og høre ham, samledes til det sted, hvor de antog, at hans båd ville lande, medens andre fulgte efter ham over vandet i både. Da Jesus og hans disciple landede, befandt de sig derfor midt i en stor folkeskare, som strømmede til fra alle kanter for at møde dem.