The miracles of Jesus - Classical Christian Literature by Athleo.net

DRAUGHT OF FISHES 45
therefore, to think of Jesus as actually creating the fish
at the moment. Indeed, as one commentator (Dr
Plummer) notices, " In no miracle before the Resurrection
does Jesus create ; and we have no sufficient
reason for believing that the food provided at the
second miraculous draught of fishes was created
(John xxi. 9-13)." It is probably enough, then, on the
present occasion, that through His divine omniscience
Jesus knew that the fish were there, though
it may well have been that, as Lord not only of the
human race but of nature, under whose feet have been
placed " the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea,
and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the
seas " (Psalm viii.
8) He actually, by the free exercise
of His will, attracted them to the spot.
But in any case, whatever the precise nature of our
Lord's working, there can be no doubt that the
whole occurrence was regarded by the disciples themselves
as a real miracle. Trained fishermen as they
were, they saw in this marvellous draught following on
their own past failure, and as the direct result of their
obedience to a word from Christ, an exhibition of
more than human power. Astonishment seized upon
them. And Simon Peter was only giving expression
to the feeling that was shared by all alike when he fell
down at Jesus' knees with the cry, " Depart from me
;
for I
am a sinful man, O Lord."
These words, again, have been cited as words which
no one would ever have thought of inventing, and
which bear on their face the stamp of truth. We
would naturally have looked in the first instance for
some expression of wonder, or of gratitude, certainly
not for this deep-seated expression of sinfulness and