Context: In His native province of Galilee, Jesus begins His ministry. He preaches in the towns around the Sea of Galilee, delivers the Sermon on the Mount, performs miraculous deeds, gains fame through teaching in parables, and selects twelve disciples, whom He warns of impending persecution for their faith. After performing the miracle of "feeding the five thousand," and withdrawing from the crowd by ship, Jesus alarms His disciples by walking on the stormy waters of the Sea of Galilee. Arriving on the west coast of the Sea of Galilee at the town of Gennesaret, Jesus is heckled by Pharisees from Jerusalem, who inquire why Christ allows His disciple to break the law by not washing their hands before eating. Jesus points out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, who keep the letter of the law, but break the spirit of the law. The disciples, uneasy because the Pharisees have been offended, caution the Master: