■■' IBRARY OF CONGRESS. jpyriglit J Chap.-..- Copyright No.. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ^ 189. navnm CHRIST BLESSING LITTLE CHILDREN. ,' TALKS ABOUT JESUS *oWITH^ OUR LITTLE BOYS AND GIRLS. Childhood shows the man As morning shows the day. — Milton. BY MRS. ANNIE RANDALL WHITE, Author of "Bible Story Land," "Polite Society," and formerly editor "Young Folk- Monthly." ARTISTICALLY ILLUSTRATED BY THE CELEBRATED ARTISTS. H. HOFMANN, PROF. PLOCKHORST AND GEORGF HAHN JUVENILE PUBLISHING CQ TWC 1287 Copyrighted, 1897, by K. T. BORLAND. wash/ngt< Th WASH J INTRODUCTION. C . The study of the great truths of the Bible has ever been a most delightful and instructive one to those who, taking that best of all books for a guide, desire earnestly to follow its teachings. Children should be taught early to explore its pages, that they may imbibe those lessons of gentleness and self-denial that will round out their characters, and fit them to lead useful lives. In no surer way can they receive this assistance than by a close study of the life of our Blessed Saviour. It is the desire of the author to give such a concise history of His life and teachings as would be of interest to even the youngest reader. And while adhering strictly to the acts of our Lord during His brief earthly life, it has been the aim to clothe His sayings in language so simple as to bring it within the understanding of the smallest child who reads these pages. And while we are confident that it will fulfil its mission of teaching the young to love and attempt to imitate that grand life, we feel that parents and teachers will receive helpful hints from this Story of the Saviour. And even though so grand a theme may have been very im- perfectly dealt with, we commit the work to those for whom it was written, with the earnest hope that it may accomplish its intention— to do good, and awaken a stronger desire to live better lives. The Author. GENERAL INDEX. CHAPTER I. II. III. IV." V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII.. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. XXIII. XXIV. XXV. XXVI. XXVII. XXVIII. Mary, the Mother of Jesus 19 The Birth of Our Saviour 22 Presenting the Babe in the Temple 30 The Boyhood of Jesus 34 Jesus is Baptized 43 The Temptation in the Wilderness 46 The First Miracle s 50 The Feast of the Passover. . 55 Nicodemus 58 The Woman of Samaria , 61 The Nobleman's Son 65 His Old Home 68 Calling the Disciples 72 A Sabbath in Capernteum 76 The Sermon on the Mount '. 80 Healing of the Leper 87 The Palsied Man Healed — The Widow of Nain . . gi Raising Jairus' Daughter 96 The Pool of Bethesda 100 The Pharisee and the -Sinner 104 The Withered Hand no Choosing the Twelve Apostles 114 A Parable — The Storm 119 The Demoniac 124 The Death of John the Baptist 128 Feeding the Five Thousand 132 Many Disciples Leave Jesus 139 The Tyrian Woman 144 CHAPTER XXIX. it XXX. tt XXXI. << XXXII. (i XXXIII. « XXXIV. tt XXXV. tt XXXVI. a XXXVII. tt XXXVIII, (< XXXIX. «« XL. E cannot find much from the Bible of the daily life of Jesus while He was a boy. But we know that here in Nazareth they lived a peaceful life. The tender love and care of a gentle mother and a kind father were thrown about Him. Here He played with His cousins, the boys and girls of His mother's sis- ter, and the young people of the village. We do not think He had any brothers and sisters of His own, but these cousins were so fond of Him, that they all seemed like brothers and sisters, and were often spoken of as such. Here in Nazareth He went to school, and learned to read and write, for the Jews were very careful that their children should be made perfect in those two branches. The books He was given to study from, we can read to-day. They were the books which are contained in the Old Testament. He led a simple, happy, peaceful life, He, the King and the 34 THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS. 35 Redeemer, whose death on the cross was to purchase pardon for poor sinners. It is a pleasant thing to think of those years of Our Saviour's boyhood, is it not ? Do you not love to think of Him, dear children, as a little child, loving to play and study, and frolic with other boys ? But you must remember that Jesus was not like other children, in many ways. He never sinned. When His parents gave Him a com- mand, He obeyed it at once. His mother never had to speak sharply to this beloved child. He played at her feet, and fol- lowed her about her household duties, and made her life happy. As He grew older He prayed often to His heavenly Father, and grew daily more gentle and loving. Though He went to school each day, with boys of His own age, and learned the same lessons which they did, yet He never became rude, disrespectful or disobedient. The most blessed years were passed by Mary in that little town of Nazareth, which lay among the mountains, in a little valley a mile long and half a mile broad. This valley was like a garden. Here Mary spent the happy years when Jesus was a babe, and she fondled and loved Him as all good mothers do their little ones. Here, too, she often held in her arms both infants, her own and the baby John, Elizabeth's child, and the cousin of Jesus. He was but a few months older than our Saviour, and was the one who preached or foretold the coming of our Lord. Mary was very fond of him also. 36 THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS. Because' Jesus was once a child, He knows how Satan tempts even little ones, to be naughty. He loves children dearly, and loves to help them whenever they go to Him and ask Him to. It was the rule among the Jews that the eldest son, or the only son of a widow, must learn the trade of his father. So Jesus had to become a carpenter, because Joseph was one. Would you not like to know if He liked that irksome labor ? Or if He ever rebelled against it? He could not have liked it, because He had no time to think, and His Father's workshop was a gathering place for all the gossips of the place. But He never murmured. His was a kingly nature that bore even the most disagreeable tasks without complaining. He loved His mother very dearly, and this employment brought Him nearer to her in His father's workshop than He might have been had He had some other calling. Every year the Jews went up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Passover. No matter how far away stretched their homes, no matter how poor they were, nor how infirm or old, they journeyed on past ripening fields, through the cool and shady groves, from town to town, their numbers ever in- creasing, sleeping in the open fields at night, and hurrying on by day, till they reached Jerusalem, where the feast was held. When Jesus was twelve, Joseph and Mary went with the vast throng up to Jerusalem, taking their boy with them. There were many other boys going up to Jerusalem in com- pany with Jesus, and how eager they all must have been to see BY GEORGE HAHN. I AM THE VINE, YE ARE THE BRANCHES. BY H. HOFMANN. THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS. 39 that city and temple of which they had read so much in the Scriptures which they had studied at school ! Herod had rebuilt this magnificent temple, hoping by this means to make himself popular with his people. While they rejoiced to have their splendid temple restored, they could not forget the many cruel acts of the king, and they could not love him. When Joseph and Mary reached the " Holy City " Jesus went at once to the temple. Here He spent his days, and saw the splendors of that house to which pilgrims came so far to worship. Once before He had been in the temple, but He could not remember it, for He was but a babe of six weeks. That was the time when Simeon and Anna had recognized Him, and hailed Him as the Saviour. A week passes very quickly, and soon the solemn services were over. It was time for them to return home. When His parents joined the other pilgrims on their homeward march, they thought that Jesus was with them. They did not see Him, but they believed that He was with some of His young companions. A great many relations and friends were with the party, and so they felt very cheerful. They had traveled the whole day, and evening was at hand ; they were going to rest for the night, and now they missed Him, for the first time. What a terrible dread seized them, lest, after all, the reign- ing king had learned that this young boy was the one whom prophets and wise men had named "The Prince of the House 40 THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS. of David." Oh, that they knew where He was ! They feared the worst. You can tell how your own fathers and mothers would feel were you out in the dark night, lost. How much more wretched these parents felt when they thought that their child was not only lost, but that He had bitter enemies who were seeking His life. They went among the groups of young people, asking who had seen Him ; had He left Jerusalem in any of their bands? They had not seen Him, they suddenly remembered, for some time. Neither had any of the older pilgrims spoken to Him. Back they turned, heartsick, to the city which they had just left. Three days they searched before they found Him ; three days they endured of suspense and misery. They could think of no reason for his absence save that their secret had been disclosed. They thought His enemies had learned that Jesus was the child whom the wise men had traveled from afar to see, and that He had fallen a victim to their fury. But they found Him after three days. How had He lived those three days? Who had fed Him? We do not know. When their eyes fell upon Him, He was standing in one of the outer halls with the learned rabbis and doctors who taught the laws, and who were in the habit of assembling there to argue and dispute, gathered around Him. Jesus was the center of a circle of these great men, and was asking and answering questions so readily that they were puz- zled, and asked each other whence came His knowledge. THE BOYHOOD' OF JESUS. 41 They had never met so wonderful a pupil. Why, He was a mere child, and His father was an obscure carpenter. Yet His answers were so wise and apt that they could not confuse Him, although they tried ever so hard. His mother's heart gave a bound of joy when she saw Him safe and happy, but she chided Him for the anxiety He had caused them. She could not help feeling hurt and surprised, for He had never given them any occasion for a pang of sorrow before. He had always been so tender of their feelings. "Son," she asked, "why hast Thou given us such anxiety? Thy father and I have looked for thee long, in sorrow and dread." At once a dimness came over Him. He knew it was His duty as a son to return home with His mother. A recollection of the hard labor and the poor home came to Him, and He was sad. But far more than all, He felt the time was coming when He should] be called to do His heavenly Father's work, and He wanted to begin to prepare for it at once. He said to His parents in a low, sad tone, — " Why did you seek me ? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house ? " He meant that the temple was the home of the Spirit, and here He would love to stay and commune with the Father always. He went home to Joseph's house, however, even though He preferred to remain in the temple. Jesus had no thought of self. He was ever ready to do those duties which lay near- est to Him. 42 THE BOYHOOD OF JESUS. Nazareth again became His home. Eighteen more years He worked in His father's shop, while great changes took place. Galilee was still ruled over by Herod Antipas, another son of Herod the Great, but Archelaus had been put off his throne, and the country had been made a province of Rome. Joseph had died, and the whole care of His mother fell upon Jesus. Yes, the Saviour did not refuse to labor with His own hands, in that dingy little workshop. Meanwhile, the people were murmuring loud against the hard way they had to live, and many of them were looking for the leader who had been promised them — the Messiah who was to deliver them from their hard taskmasters. Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom 1 am well pleased. Luke 3—21, 22. CHAPTER V. JESUS IS BAPTIZED. \(S you were told in the last chapter, Jesus lived eighteen years more in Nazareth. He was now thirty years old. All these years had been passed in hard toil at the trade which Joseph had taught him— that of a carpenter. He had not performed a miracle, or preached to the people. He had lived a quiet, humble life. But the people were growing more wicked. Cruelty and wrong of every sort was being done. And still the faithful few who grieved for their sins and wanted the Saviour to appear, were looking longingly for Him. They did not know that He was- among them ; that daily they looked upon His face, and knew Him not. About this time a prophet was talked about, who had appeared in Judea. This great preacher was baptizing in the river Jordan, and men and women were coming from all parts of the land to be baptized by him. His fame was spreading far and wide, but he told the peo- 43 44 JESUS IS BAPTIZED. pie of their sins, and what hypocrites they were, and bade them repent, for the kingdom of heaven was at hand. This messenger whom God had sent, was John the Baptist. The spirit of God was in him from his birth. He dressed very simply. His raiment was of camel's hair, fastened only by a leather belt about his waist. His food was only such as the poorest people of that coun- try ate— locusts and wild honey ; and his drink was cold water from the river. People went to him in great numbers, to tell him of their sins, and how sorry they were, and ask him to wash them clean by baptism. He took them to the river, and baptized them, and told them that baptism was a sign that they meant really to give up all their sins, and that God would wash them clean if they truly repented. Then he spoke to them of the Messiah. He told them that he indeed baptized them with water, so that they would repent, but that One was coming after him, who was far mightier than he, whose shoes he was not worthy to untie. He would bap- tize them with the Holy Spirit, which would make their souls clean, even as water made thi^odies clean. Even though John was telling them of the coming of the Saviour he did not know that Jesus was that Lord. But God had told John that when he should see the Holy Spirit coming down from heaven like a dove, and resting upon any one, he should know by that token that it was the Saviour. l esus came from Galilee to Jordan, where John was teach- JESUS IS BAPTIZED. 45 ing and preaching, to be baptized by him. He could have had no sins to confess, but He took the sinners' place. What it was right or needful for them to do, He would do also. Although John did not know Him as the promised Saviour, still he knew how pure and holy was His life, and he felt dis- tressed to think Jesus would stoop to ask him to perform this office, and he remonstrated, saying : "I need far more to be baptized by you. Why do you come to me and ask me to baptize you ?" Jesus said — "Suffer it to be so now. For it is right to do all that is commanded." On hearing which, John baptized Him in the river. The heavens opened, and the Spirit of God came down and lighted upon his head, in the form of a lovely white dove, and a voice was heard, saying : "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." John was a cousin of the Saviour. He was the son of Elizabeth, his mother's cousin, and had been born to her in her old age, some six months before the birth of Jesus. It was a wintry day when this baptism took place. There could not have been many witnesses of the solemn scene. But when the sign which John had waited for, was given him, then he knew that Jesus was the promised Messiah, of whom he himself was the forerunner, and he hailed him as his King and Lord, forevermore. And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing; and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. Luke 4—1, 2. CHAPTER VI. THE TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS. (FTER our Lord was baptized in the river Jordan He went away, alone, into the wilderness, to fast and pray. The wilderness was lonely and desolate. Wild beasts roamed through it, and howled and roared all night as they traveled in search of food. Our Saviour knew no fear. God took care of him, nor let them harm him. Forty day: and forty nights He dwelt in that lonely place. And all this time He prayed constantly, and no food entered His lips. But He was not alone, although he took no one with Him into the wilderness. One was there watching Him with evil intent. Satan was there. He knew who Jesus was, and he hated Him, and tried to do Him harm. He knew that if he could make Him do wrong only once, He would no longer be the Saviour of sinners. 46 THE TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS. 47 He knew that Jesus felt hungry after His long fast, and he stood before Him, and said scornfully : " If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made into bread." He hoped that Jesus would be so hungry that he would not wait his Father's time to feed him, but would make a miracle on his own account. Jesus could have done it, had He wished to, but this would not have been waiting the will of His Father. So our Saviour answered him that " Man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.'' He meant that bread alone would not keep us alive, unless God willed that we should live. Satan was baffled. He hated Jesus because he could not get Him in his power, but he was determined to try hard to conquer Him. He then took Jesus into the city of Jerusalem, and placed Him upon a« part of the temple, so high that any one who should fall from there, would be dashed to pieces. He then dared the Saviour to cast Himself down. He told Him if He were the Son of God, that no harm could come to Him, for God would send His angels to hold Him up, so that He should not be dashed against the stones. What fair words these seemed. Would you not think that Satan felt sure that God would do what He said for His Son? He was trying to make Him yield to his will, and then he would have made Jesus sin against His heavenly Father. 48 THE TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS. Jesus reproved him again out of the Scriptures : " It is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Was the wicked tempter ashamed, and did he stop trying to persuade Jesus to sin? No, he made one more effort. He took Him up into a very high mountain, and pointed out to Him the beautiful lands that stretched away in the bright sunlight ; all the rich treasures of gold and silver those lands contained ; all the people that dwelt in those kingdoms, and the fair cities and peaceful villages, and then he said : "All these things I will give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." Satan was telling a lie, as he always does when he tempts people to do wrong, and promises them so much pleasure. No one can be happy who does wrong, and he knows it. He wants to win their souls, and he cares not how much they suffer. Besides, God made the earth, and all that is in it. Then what right had Satan to promise it to the Saviour ? When he said those daring words, Jesus rose up in His might, and said to the devil : "Get thee hence, Satan! for it is written, thou shalt wor- ship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." Then Satan fled, in great haste, defeated and disappointed. And who do you think came to Jesus, and ministered to Him, after he was left in the wilderness, faint and hungry with his long vigil ? The angels came to him, and fed him. THE TEMPTATION IN THE WILDERNESS. 49 You see that each time the devil tempted Jesus, our Lord answered him out of the Scriptures. This shows us that its pages hold all we need to know of the right way in which to walk. Our Lord, even, was tempted. This was so that He might come closer to poor sinners who are tempted ; that He might see how sorely those He came to save are tried sometimes, and how hard it is to resist the nice promises that Satan makes continually to those whom he seeks to make do his work. Only one thing will answer as a weapon against the evil one ; and that is prayer. When you are tempted to do wrong, you need not think because you cannot make a long prayer, that you will not be kept safe. Three simple words mean much, and will ever be heard by your Father in heaven. They are — " Lord, help me!" ■M When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants which drew the water knew), the governor of the feast called the bridegroom — This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. St. John 2—9, 11. CHAPTER VII. THE FIRST MIRACLE. jHE next day, when John the Baptist saw the Saviour passing, he said to two men who were with him, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The men believed what He said, and turning back they followed Jesus. He asked them very gently, what they were seeking ? They said to Him — "Master, where do you live?" He told them to come and see. They went with him to His house, and spent the day with Him. After that they were with Him all the time. One of these men, Andrew, wanted his brother Peter to be- lieve in the Lord also, so he talked to him of his beloved Master. Peter straightway followed Jesus. The next day, as Jesus was walking on the road, on His way to another town, He met a man named Philip. 50 THE FIRST MIRACLE. 51 " Come with me," was all He said to Philip. The man never asked a question, but followed the Lord. Philip had a young friend, Nathanael by name, and he went quickly to him to tell him about his becoming a disciple. Nathanael sneered at first at the idea that Jesus could be the one whom Moses and the prophets wrote about. " Why," he said, " Nazareth is a very bad place. Can any- thing good come out from there ?" You see how ready people are to condemn others for noth- ing. But Philip did not mind his sneer, and simply replied — "Come and see." Nathanael thought there would be no harm in going to look at Him, and so he accompanied Philip. As soon as Jesus saw Nathanael He called out: " See, an honest man comes this way." Nathanael said, — " How do you know me ?" Jesus made answer, — " I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael doubted no longer. He exclaimed with joy : " Master, Thou art the Son of God ! Thou art the King of Israel." So he became a disciple too. The third day after, a wedding was to take place in Cana of Galilee. They always made great festivities of weddings. Sometimes the feast lasted for days. When Jesus came back from the desert He went to see His mother, but she had gone' to this marriage feast. So he fol- 52 THE FIRST MIRACLE. lowed her to Cana, for He wished to see her very much. He had not seen her for over two months. As soon as the people of this little village heard that He had come, they sent him an urgent invitation to join the other guests at once. Cana was the native place of Nathanael, and he felt very proud and happy to think that his Rabbi, as he loved to call Him, would.be his guest during His stay in that city. Jesus went first to the house where the young couple were to be married. He did not go alone, as so often He had gone to other places, for His five disciples were now with Him. Yes, wherever He went, they would go too. You can all imagine how glad Mary was to see her son again. How much she had to say to Him, and how she longed to have the whole people know Him as she knew Him — the Saviour of the world. Wine was always used at all feasts and gatherings in those days, and when the guests were assembled, the wine was soon drank up. Mary knew that all the prophets of the olden time worked miracles as signs to the people. Then when would so good an occasion come as this for Jesus to work a miracle to show the people that He was from God? So when she learned that there was no more wine, she turned to Jesus, and in a low tone said : " They have no wine." He answered her, " What have I to do with you in this mat- ter ? My time has not come for me to work." He knew just when His Father's time was at hand for Him THE FIRST MIRACLE. 53 to do His work, and He would not perform a miracle until He felt it was right for Him to do so. But Mary felt certain that He would heed her request. She knew that He loved to make every one happy around Him. He never turned from any one who needed Him. So Mary turned to the servants, and said : " Whatever He tells you to do, obey Him at once." Near Him stood six large stone pots, which were used for holding water. Jesus bade the servants fill these pots with water. And they drew water, and filled them to the brim. Jesus said—" Pour some into a cup, and carry it to the ruler of the feast." When the great man of the feast had tasted it, he thought it was the best wine he had ever had. He did not know where it came from, but he called the young bridegroom, and said :— " Many set out the good wine at the first "of the feast, and after awhile, they place the poor wine before their guests; but thou hast kept the best wine until now." The master of the house could not say a word ; he knew the wine he had provided for the company had been drank, and he could not tell where this wine had come from. The servants knew all about it however, and they told the story ; that Jesus had told them to fill up the jars with water, and then had changed it into wine. Every one was astonished. And we are sure that Mary was very happy. The disciples were" now more than ever satisfied that Jesus was the Son of God. 54 THE FIRST MIRACLE. This was the Saviour's first miracle ; and was performed to give joy to a company on an occasion when all wished to be happy. Jesus had called the five disciples to His side, and they be- came His faithful followers, seeking wisdom from His lips, and learning how to do His will. These men were fishermen, and when He called them, He said — " Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." They left their employment, and their homes at once, and obeyed Him. So He took them, and His mother, and His brethren, after the marriage feast was over, and they went down to Caper- naeum for a short visit, and staid there until it was time to go on their yearly pilgrimage to the Feast of the Passover. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matthew 26—26, 27, 28. CHAPTER VIII. THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER. ;ESUS now for the first time went up to Jerusalem with his little band of followers. John the Baptist, wearing his robe of camel hair, his hair grown long, and thick and shaggy, and his face tanned with the winds and suns, followed closely upon His steps. He listened to Jesus as He talked to the mul- titudes, with thirsty ears. This was to be John's last passover, although he knew it not. Jerusalem was full of strangers. They came from places very far away, and even from other countries. Every house and inn was crowded. Hundreds of people had to make tents of branches of trees, and mats of rushes, to lie down upon at night, for they could not find a house in which to stay. This Feast of the Passover was a very solemn feast which God had told the Jews to keep always in memory of the time, many, many years before, when He had rescued their people 55 56 THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER. from bondage to a cruel monarch, and had brought them away from a land where they were treated very badly. When Jesus went up to the temple to join in the ser- vices, he saw a dreadful sight. There were hundreds of cattle and sheep standing in the courtyard, waiting to be sacrificed, while those who were too poor to offer up cattle, brought doves and birds. The cattle were disturbing the services by their lowing and stamping. Round the tables in the court of the Gentiles money-changers were sitting, with heaps of Roman coins piled up before them. These men were disputing with each other, no doubt. They were greedy and selfish, and went there to bargain and exchange money, not to worship. The clamor and noise dis- turbed those who were making the sacrifices. Jesus was very angry at the scene, and making a scourge, or whip of small cords, He drove out all the oxen and the sheep, and all who were selling them. He then went to the money-changers, and upset their tables, scattering the money all over the floor, for the men to stoop and pick up themselves. He spoke to those who were selling the doves — "Take these things hence. Make not my Father's house a place in which to buy and sell." Thus were the Scriptures fulfilled where it was said hun- dreds of years before, that one day the Lord would come into His temple and make it pure. That time had come. No one resented His scourging them. They knew they were doing wrong, and they slunk away, guilty and self- condemned. THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER. 57 Even the priests and Pharisees knew they had done wrong to allow the temple to be used for such purposes. But they were bolder than the men who had been selling, and they were too proud to let a stranger chide their practices in this way. So they joined together and talked it over. They could not bear to have a man from Galilee teach them their duty. They came to Jesus and asked Him by what right He had done as He did, They wanted Him to give them a sign. He would not give them a sign, but He prophesied instead. " Destroy this temple," He said, " and in three days I will raise it up." What, they thought, pull down this temple that we were so many years in building ! Indeed not ! They left Him, but they remembered His words. They did not understand Jesus' meaning. He meant that they would one day kill Him, but that He would rise again on the third day. Our Lord was willing to give them signs, and so He worked many miracles at this Passover, the fame of which went far and wide. It was in those days as it is now. If a strange deed was done, it was talked about by every one. These miracles made many believe that He was the Saviour, but still they were not willing to follow Him. And so He could not trust them. There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God : for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him. St. John 3—1, 2. CHAPTER IX. NICODEMUS. ;HE wonderful things that Jesus did in the temple reached the ears of a man of great learning and power, named Nicodemus. He heard the other rulers talking over the things which Jesus had done, and how they hated Him because He was from Galilee. They said, too, that they did not believe that He was the Lord, no, not even a prophet. Nicodemus began to think of the miracles Jesus had done; of His driving the merchants out of the temple; of the many who believed He was the Messiah, and he grew very anxious to see Him, and speak with Him. But how could he go and see Him without the Jews know- ing it? How would it look to have him, the great ruler and teacher, go to visit the carpenter ? That would be too humil- iating. You see he was, although a very good man, afraid to come 58 NICODEMUS. 59 out openly and do something, for he dreaded to be made the object of remark. But he would see Him ; that he was resolved. And so he waited until it was quite dark, and then he went out into the street, and walked to the house where the Lord was. When he went in, he said very humbly and sincerely : " Master, we know that you are a teacher, come from God. No one could do the wonderful things you do, unless God was with Him." Jesus knew he meant what he said, and He told him that no one could go to heaven unless they were changed. Nicodemus was not able to understand Him. But Jesus explained to him that the heart must be made clean, and that only the Spirit of God could do that. " Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Jesus talked of a great many things to His guest, and showed him how happy His teachings would make all men who believed in them. And when Nicodemus asked Him what He taught, He said His message to the world was : " For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begot- ten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish v but have everlasting life." Is this not a glorious message ? He gave His Son to die for us, that we might be saved in His kingdom forever. Nicodemus listened to every word He said. He believed now that this was the Son of God. And though he was a Pharisee, and a man of great influence, he loved Jesus ever 60 NICODEMUS. after, and protected Him often from the jealousy of the priests. After this long talk with the ruler, Jesus went to the banks of the Jordan, where He baptized the eager people who flocked to hear Him. John the Baptist was near, and was also baptizing the peo- ple. But so many went to Jesus that even John's disciples began to fear that their master was being wronged by the new teacher, and they said unto Him : " Master, the one who was with thee beyond Jordan, and whom thou bore witness for, is baptizing, and all men come to him." John was a loving witness, indeed, for he told them at once that he never said he was the Christ, but he was sent only as the friend of the bridegroom, and he rejoiced to hear Jesus' voice. " I am of the earth, earthy," John said. " He that cometh from heaven is above all." John had been sent to foretell the coming of the Saviour. He himself performed no miracles. So the fame of Jesus spread, for as John said of him : " He must grow in renown, but I must be heard of less." There cometh a woman of Samaria, to draw water; Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that 1 shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. St. John 4—7, 14 CHAPTER X. THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. ;HE Jews and their rulers hated to. have Jesus among them any longer. He told them too plainly of their evil ways. So He left the banks of the Jordan, and went down into Galilee. It was December, but not cold, as our winters are. It was rainy and warm. The Pharisees were beginning to take notice of the Saviour, and to feel very jealous. Why, they said, He has baptized more people than John the Baptist, whom they hated. Jesus did not Himself baptize the people, although His disciples did by His direction. So He went into Galilee. His way lay through Samaria, a country whose people were very cross to the Jews. Two miles from Shechem, at a little place called Sychar was a very deep well, so deep that its waters were like ice in the hottest weather. This well was called Jacob's well, and was sunk in a part of 61 62 THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. a field where Jacob built his first altar to God. The bones of Joseph were buried here, also. Jesus and His disciples had walked a long way, and were very tiied and thirsty. So He sat down by the well, and would gladly have drank of the cold water, but there was no bucket with which to draw any. The disciples had gone away to buy food, for they had walked nearly twenty miles, and it was now noon. While He sat there alone, a woman came to the well with a pitcher. As she drew up the cool water, Jesus said to her: "Let me drink some." The woman was a Samaritan and her people were very rude to the Jews. She only said: " Why do you ask me to give you a drink ? You are a Jew. I am from Samaria. The Jews and the Samaritans have no dealings with each other." Jesus spoke so gently to her, and told her that if she had known who He was she would have asked Him for living water. And He would have given it to her. She talked with Him, and told Him the well was very deep, and He had nothing to draw water with. ' Where, then, could He get that living water from ?" Jesus said, " Whosoever drinks of this water shall thirst again ; but if any one drinks of the water that I shall give him he will never thirst again." She wondered at this, but still she felt that He had some hidden meaning, and she said : THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. 63 " Give me this living water, that I may never again be thirsty." Jesus talked with her about her sins, and told her she must pray to God. The woman did not understand Him, but she thought to ask Him a question that He could not answer. The Samaritans had a temple, built also by Herod, on Mount Gerizrm; this mountain they called sacred, for they, too, were expecting a Messiah, who should come in glory, and so she asked Jesus which was the right place to worship ; on that mountain, or in Jerusalem. Our Lord made answer that there was no special place, neither on the mountain, nor at Jerusalem. He told her that God was a Spirit, and the true worshiper could worship Him anywhere and everywhere. What a happy thought, children, that in every place, in sick- ness and in health, in poverty and amid plenty, the good and the penitent can look up to God, and call on Him to help and guide them ! When the woman heard this answer, she was more friendly and gentle, and she told Him that her people were looking for a Messiah who would tell them all things. Jesus answered : " I that speak unto thee am He." Could that be possible? The poor, tired, dusty traveler, the Messiah? But she felt He had spoken the truth. Just then the disciples came back, and they wondered to see their Master talking with this Samarian woman. But they said not a word, only laid the food they had bought before Him, and urged Him to eat. 04 THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. He would not. " I have meat to eat, that you know not of," He said. The disciples asked each other if He had been fed by any one. But He made them understand that His meat was to do His Father's will, and to finish His work. He loved to do that more than to eat or drink. It was food' and drink and rest to Him, to work for His Father in heaven. The woman had left her jar at the well and hurried to the town to call the men and tell them that the Saviour of the world had come. " Come," she said, "and see a man who told me all 1 ever did. Surely He must be the Messiah." So the men of the city followed the woman to the well where Jesus sat. The Samaritans were more simple and pure than the Phar- isees. They did not care so much for show and pomp. This made their hearts more ready to believe the truth. When they heard Jesus teaching those things they longed to hear about, they begged Him to stay with them in their ancient city. He staid with them two days, and as He preached, great numbers believed on Him. Some believed because the woman said He had revealed all the things she had ever done. But far more believed on Him for what He said to them.. These said to the woman : " Now we believe, not because of anything you said, but because we have heard Him ourselves. We know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world." So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He made water wine, and there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto Him, and besought Him that He would come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. St. John 4—46, 47. CHAPTER XI, THE NOBLEMANS SON. FTER two days more had passed, Jesus left Sychar, and went into Galilee, to Cana, where His first miracle was wrought. Here He found friends, for the Galileeans had seen the miracles which He did at the feast. They were very glad to have Him come to them again. It was now winter. The snow glistened on the mountain tops, the fields were brown and drear, and storms of hail and rain swept over the land. The weather was disagreeable, but that made no difference with Jesus. He kept on with His work in spite of wind or weather. He went at once to the home of Nathanael. In Capernaeum, which was about twenty miles away, a rich nobleman lived. This nobleman had a son whom He loved very dearly, who was so ill that all the doctors could not help him. They had done all they could, and the unhappy father 65 66 THE NOBLEMAN'S SON. knew he must die unless he could be cured at once. The father heard that Jesus had come out of Judea, and he said to himself : "This great prophet has cured so many people, that I know He could cure my sick boy if He will only come here and see him." He started very early m the morning to go to Jesus. His son was sinking fast, and he knew there was no time to lose. When he got to Cana, he went right to Jesus and told Him the sorrow he was in, and begged Him to go home with him to see his son, who was so ill. Jesus knew the nobleman had faith in Him, but He wanted to see how strong it was. So He said : " Except I do miracles, you will not believe on Me?" He answered, "Sir, come down, or my child will die." Jesus knew that He could cure the little boy at a distance as easily as though He touched him. He turned to the noble- man, and said : " Go thy way ; thy son liveth." So great was the nobleman's trust in God's power and mercy, that he did not hurry back to his own home. He had not a doubt that his boy was getting well, and he staid near Jesus until the next day, that he might hear Him preach. On his way back, he met his servants who came to meet him with the joyful news that his child was better. " At what hour did he begin to be well ?" THE NOBLEMAN'S SON. 67 They said : " Yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him." The father knew that this was the very hour, one o'clock, when the Saviour had said to him: " Your son liveth." The nobleman from that hour believed on the Lord. And so did all his household. This was the second miracle which Jesus had worked in Cana. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And he began to say unto them, This day is the Scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son? Luke 4— 16, 21,22. CHAPTER XII. HIS OLD HOME. >ESUS had left Jerusalem and gone back to Naza- reth, His old home. Here He had played when a child, and worked in the little carpenter shop when He was a man. He had been away a long time, and though the village looked the same, He found many of the people changed ; some had gone away, and some were dead. Those who were there yet, knew Him well. He had often worked for them, and they were glad to see Him: once more, for they had heard of the wonderful things he had. done in other places. So they welcomed Him back. He went on the first Sabbath day into the synagogue, as was His custom. The Jews called their churches synagogues. There they went to pray and preach, as we do in our churches. As soon as Jesus entered the building, the book of Isaiah, was handed to Him to read from. The church was full of His old friends and neighbors, and every eye was upon Him. Their 68 HIS OLD HOME. 69- townsman had become known abroad. And they felt very eager to have Him work some miracle, that they, too, could see some evidence of His power. Jesus stood up, on the low platform where all could see Him, and chose this passage : "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor ; He hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted ; to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind ; to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord." What a comfort such a message was to those who could 1 , understand it. He closed the book, and handed it to the minister, and sat down. He began to talk to them. He told them that He was the Messiah— He was the one upon whom the Spirit of God rested. They were pleased with His kind and gentle manner, as He said to them : " This day is the Scripture fulfilled." They listened with pleasure at first, and began to whisper,. " Is not this the carpenter's son ?" Their murmurings were heard by our Saviour. He knew they were expecting some great miracle. They were jealous because He had done so many marvelous things in other places, and none there. They thought they had a right to ask it. Their voices were heard saying in hoarse tones : " This is the son of Joseph and Mary. And does He dare to tell us that He is the Messiah ? We have known Him all 70 HIS OLD HOME. His life, and His people. And does He think we will receive Him as our Messiah ?" Jesus said sadly, "A prophet is never accepted in his own country." Their ingratitude and doubts hurt him. But He reproved them for their hard hearts. He told them how others who were not of them had believed He was the Lord. He warned them that God would take away their blessings, and give them to others who deserved them more. They knew what He intended them to understand ; that they were unworthy of these blessings, and that God would punish them by giving them to strangers, who would appreciate them more. Then their anger grew stronger. " What right has He to teach at all ?" they said. They became mad with hate. They rushed upon Jesus, and even though it was the Sabbath day, and the house of God, they dragged Him out of the synagogue, and through the city, to the edge of a very steep hill. Yes, His old friends, who had known Him from boyhood, intended to cast Him down headlong. They would have been His murderers. They had asked for a miracle. Now, indeed, they re- ceived it. In a second He was gone, and where ? He passed through the groups of fierce men, and disap- peared over the green hills, where they knew not. They had driven Him away and would not have Him among HIS OLD HOME. 71 them. All the years they had been acquainted with Him, the> had never known Him to commit one fault. But now they sought to kill Him. The Samaritans, once strangers and unfriendly, believed in Him ; the Nazarenes, His old neighbors and former friends, cast Him out, and wanted to take His life. He never went back to Nazareth again. J 1111 iff And He goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. And He ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them fortl to preach, and to have power to heal sickness, and to cast out devils. Mark 3— 13, 14, 15. CHAPTER XIII. CALLING THE DISCIPLES. >HEN our Lord had been cast out of Nazareth, and had hid Himself from the fury of those who would have killed Him, He went down to the Lake of Gennesareth. You can scarcely imagine so beautiful a place as this valley was. Flowers were there of every color, and the trees were full of song birds, who warbled all day long. The lake was full of fishes. Many of the people who lived near, made their living by catching them, and selling them in the towns around. Jesus went down to this beautiful place to teach, and to -call them to repent. Many large towns lay round this lake, and many people came to hear Him, every day. All who had heard of Him, wished to hear this new teacher who had come among them. He proclaimed the good news that the time had come when the Saviour would save all those who repented of their wicked- ness, and trusted Him. 72 CALLING THE DISCIPLES. 7} You have been told of the fishermen who had become disciples of Christ — Andrew, and John, and Simon ? They had come home again, and were again fishing. They had become separated from their Master. The Bible does not tell us how, but it must have been when He escaped from the -wicked Nazarenes. They were sad without their beloved Lord. And they were made still more unhappy by some bad news. John the Bap- tist had been thrown into prison by King Herod. Nothing seemed to end as they expected and hoped it would. While they were busy one day, Jesus came that way. He stopped and bade them leave the fishes, and come with Him. He promised them He would make them fishers of men. He wanted them to leave all, and He would teach them how to save sinners, and preach the Gospel to the poor. When they heard that voice, they left everything ; their nets, their boats, their homes, and went to Him whom they loved, once more. Jesus went on with His work of love. He went into the synagogues and taught, and He healed the sick wherever He found them. Peter, and the others, did not see that it was our Lord's wish that they should give up fishing altogether. Jesus had been speaking to the people, and they pressed so close upon Him, all anxious to hear His words, as He stood by the lake of Gennesareth, that He could not move. Two boats stood out in the lake. The fishermen who 74 CALLING THE DISCIPLES. owned them, had gone away from the boats, and were washing- their nets. So when the crowds gathered so close upon our Lord, He entered one of these boats, which belonged to Peter, and asked him to push out from the shore, and He would talk to them from the boat. When He had finished His sermon, after telling them of the joy which God has in store for the good, He said unto- Simon Peter : " Push the boat out into deep water, and then let down your net." He knew they had spent the night in their boats, and had not caught any fishes. And though He must have been tired, yet His first thought after He had done the people all the good He could by talking to them, was of His disciples. Peter's faith was shown in his answer : " Master, we have worked hard all the night, and have taken nothing ; but as you tell me to let down the net, I will obey." As soon as they let down the nets they filled with fish so> fast, that their weight tore the nets. And Peter beckoned to James and John to come and help him draw up the fishes. They came quickly, and both boats became so full of fish that they were in danger of sinking. Never had they seen so vast a number of fishes before. When Peter saw how great was the power of Jesus, he felt how little he deserved such a Master, and he fell at Jesus' feet, crying : " Leave me, for I am a very sinful man." CALLING THE DISCIPLES. 75 The disciples were all astonished, at the numbers of fishes they had taken. Jesus said to them very tenderly : " Fear not. From this time you shall catch men." They now began to see that if they were indeed to become teachers of men, and true followers of their Master, they must give up all else for Him, that they might better do His work. They hesitated no longer. When they had brought their boats to shore, they gave up all, to follow their beloved Master. But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way, And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee and taught them on the Sabbath days. And they were astonished at his doctrine; for his word was with power. And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. Luke 4—30, 3l, 32, 37. CHAPTER XIV . A SABBATH IN CAPERNAUM. ;ESUS went to Capernaeum, on the banks of the lovely Lake Gennesareth. While here He must have lived at Peter's house. He no longer worked at His trade, but went about doing good to every one. From this place He went back and forth to the other towns on the lake, and even up into the hilly country over Galilee. Everywhere crowds followed Him, some to mock and sneer, and some to believe and repent. He always went into the synagogue on the Sabbath, wherever He was. And every one who heard Him was glad, for He did not teach like any one else whom they had ever heard. And all received a blessing from Him. The first Sabbath He was in Capernaeum He went into the synagogue. While He was speaking, and every one was listen- ing, a great noise was heard. Every one turned to see who had thus profaned the house of God. The cries came from a 76 A SABBATH IN CAPERNAUM. 77 poor man who had an evil spirit in him. He feared Jesus, and hated to hear His words. The man cried out loudly : : ' Let us alone. What have we to do with you ? You are come to destroy us! I know who Thou art. Thou art the Son of God." You see even the evil spirits had to own His power. The people crowded round Him, but the Saviour knew that it was the evil spirit speaking through the man, and He pitied him. So He spoke sternly to this spirit, and said : " Be silent, and leave the man !" At this command, the man fell on the ground, screaming, but in a moment he was well. The evil spirit had left Him, and he was once more in his right mind. How the people wondered, and whispered to each other : " What does this mean ? Why, He has power even over evil spirits. He has but to speak, and they obey Him !" As with His other miracles, their fame was noised abroad, and this last one was talked over in their homes, and on the street, and in the market places, for it filled them all with wonder. Jesus arose from His seat in the synagogue, and went to Peter's house for His midday meal. Here He found the mother of Peter's wife very ill with a fever. They asked Him to see her, and make her well. He went at once to her bedside, and with the touch of His hand raised her up, and she went about preparing the dinner for her son's guests. 78 A SABBATH IN CAPERN/EUM. The news of the cure He had made in the morning had spread through the city, and every one, the blind, the lame, the sick, wanted to go to Him at once and be healed., The Jews kept their Sabbaths very strictly. They did not even let sick people go and be made well on that day, so they all had to wait impatiently for the evening, for the Sabbath of the Jews was ended as soon as the sun set. And then what a long procession of people, sick with vari- ous diseases, turned their steps toward Peter's home, all eager to be healed. Indeed, so great was the throng, that the holy book says that "all the city was gathered together at the door." Here the Saviour met them and cured them all, by either touching them, or speaking to them. What a pleasant thought it is, that He was ever willing to help. No one who ever cried unto Him, asked in vain. And as He passed from one to the other of the sufferers, laying His hand gently on one, or saying a cheering word to another, their souls must have been full of thankfulness. The Saviour must have been very weary, and He must have felt pain also, at the sight of so much suffering. For He felt for them most tenderly. He bore their pains, for we know He took all their griefs and sicknesses upon Himself. When the hour for Him to rest had come, He went away. But long before it was light, He passed out of the house, and through the town, and into a lonely spot where He knelt and prayed. A SABBATH IN CAPERNAUM. 79 He found comfort in praying, just as we can, when we are lonely and sad. The people sought to follow Him, asking Him not to leave them, but He told them that He was sent to preach good tid- ings to other cities, as well as to Capernaum. And He preached in the synagogues of Galilee. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Matthew 5—3, 6, 8. CHAPTER XV. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. ;HE news of all that had occurred, spread all over Syria. People flocked to hear and see the great prophet who did such wonderful cures. From every town and village people came to witness some of His miracles, and be taught by Him. When Jesus saw how many were coming after Him, He went up into a mountain to preach. For there was a place where His voice could be heard by many thousands at once. Here He seated Himself while His disciples drew near their dear Master. The people got as near to Him as they could, so that they might not miss one single word. He talked to them in this Sermon on the Mount, as they had never heard any one talk before. The smallest child can understand some things He told the people in this sermon. He called those people who were humble, blessed. He told those who had sorrows that they should be comforted. 80 V S3 BY H. HOFMANN. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. BY H. HOFMANN. THE WIDOW'S MITE. THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 85 The meek He promised a rich gift; and those who hated quarreling, and who used every one kindly, He said were also blessed. He told them that those who were ill-used because they loved goodness and feared God, would be blessed and upheld. " Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." " Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." Jesus bade them be loving and kind to all, even to those who were spiteful. This is not an easy thing to do, but if you remember that Christ bade you be forgiving, I am sure that you will try and be as He wished. In your plays, think of this, and if you'are tempted to fly into a passion, or strike another child, or be rude to your elders, think of the many words of instruction in this Sermon, and ask your heavenly Father earnestly to help you do right. These words seemed to fill the people with delight. It was a very long sermon, but they never grew tired, but crowded closer and closer to Jesus, as He told them that God was a loving Father, who took care of them continually. To those Jews who listened to Him, this was a new idea. They represented Him in their teachings as an awful Judge, a stern and holy God, but Jesus told them how loving He was, and how He cared for the smallest and poorest creature. He said to them, " Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." He meant that they should not be ashamed to do good 84 THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. deeds, and that they should give freely of their store that they might bless others, and also do honor to God. And He also told them not to be worried for fear that they would not have sufficient to eat and to wear. He pointed to them the little birds that fly here and there ; they were cared for, and the flowers grew without doing any work, and yet even the great King Solomon in his gorgeous robes was not dressed half so fine as they were. If God cared for these things, He would care far more for His creatures who had souls to save. He cautioned them against unjust anger with their fellow men ; and He told them they must make no offering upon the altar, until they had cleansed their heart of all wicked feelings toward any one. The Pharisees were very proud and fond of seeming good. So they made very long prayers, and loved to have people think they were very particular in their worship. If they chanced to be in the street when it came time for a certain prayer, they would say it before every one who was near. Jesus knew that they liked to be called very religious, so He told the people who were listening so attentively, not to be like the hypocrites who prayed on the street corners and in the synagogues, so that all men should hear them. When you pray, go into your room, and shut your door, and pray to your Father in secret, and He will hear and answer you. Then He taught them a prayer, which every little boy and girl must have learned, for it is called " The Lord's Prayer." This is the way He wished them to pray : THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. 85 Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name ; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven ; Give us this day our daily bread ; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that ti^spass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for- ever, Amen. He charged them to forgive all their enemies, and warned them that unless they did forgive, their heavenly Father would not fcrgive their sins. Remember this, when you find it so hard to forgive some one who has made you very angry. Jesus told all His hearers that every one who heard His words, and heeded him, was like a wise man who built his house upon a rock. And the rains came pouring down, and the water came like a flood, and the winds blew loud and strong. But that house was safe, for it rested upon a rock, and could neither be blown down, nor washed away. He likened those, however, who had heard all He said, and would not do as He said, to a very foolish man, who placed his house upon the sand. And when the heavy rains fell, and the waters rose around it, and the winds blew so hard, and beat against the house, it fell. And a terrible fall it was. Our Saviour is that rock. And all who put their trust in Him are safe against every enemy ; but those who trust to this 86 THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. world, will find that their house was planted on the. sand, and will be destroyed forever. This beautiful sermon filled the people with amazement, for they had never heard the doctrine of love taught in their places of worship, and they went away, feeling that He spake as one who had a right to speak. And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy; who, seeing Jesus, fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, 1 will; be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him. Luke 5—12, 13. CHAPTER XVI. HEALING THE LEPER. ;N all the world there is no disease so dreadful as leprosy. When a man is attacked by this terrible plague, he knows that home and friends must be forever given up. He may be very dear to his friends, he may have been very noble to look upon, his doom is fixed. He must bid good-bye to all whom he loves, and live apart from them all the rest of his life. It is not only a loathsome, but is a painful disease, and its victims suffer greatly. In those countries where leprosy is common, sometimes little babies have it. Oh, how a mother's heart must ache to think that she must either send away her darling, or go with it and live among the lepers. They are outcasts as long as they live, for there is no cure for leprosy. If a leper chances to be walking in the road, and sees some one coming toward him, he shrinks to one side, and covering up his face, cries out : 87 88 HEALING THE LEPER. " I am unclean !" so that the well person may not acci- dentally touch him as he passes by. When Jesus came down from the mountain, with the peo- ple following him, a poor leper who had heard of His wondrous power, approached near unto him. He never doubted for an instant that God could make him well, for he had heard of the miracles He had worked, and he thought if He could do such strange things, He could heal even him. So he went right to Jesus. The Sermon on the Mount had just been finished. All the commands to love all and show mercy to the wretched were still .sounding in their ears, and yet the people hurried away from this miserable leper, as he drew nearer to Christ. They forgot the lessons of love they had just heard. But he paid no attention to them. His eyes were fastened on Jesus' face, and he threw himself on the ground before Him, saying : " Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." See what faith he showed. The Saviour looked at him with tender pity, and put forth His" hand, and touched his unclean body, saying: " I will ; be thou clean !" At these words, the four spots disappeared. His skin be- came clear and healthy. Jesus charged him to tell no man what He had done, but to show himself to the priest, and offer those things which Moses had commanded. The leper went his way, but he could not keep it secret. HEALING THE LEPER. 89 He was so grateful that he wanted every one to know what Jesus had done for him. He told every man he met of his wonderful cure. The city was full of excitement. The news spread so fast that Jesus could not stay among them any longer. He left the place for a few days, and went into the barren and rough hills beyond, where the people could not find him. Jesus came back to Capernaum. A man lived here who was considered a great man. He was rich, and commanded over a hundred men. He was called a centurion, and people looked up to him. He was not a Jew. but he had lived among them a long time, and was so kind that they liked him very much. He had even built a synagogue for them, with his own money. -He had a servant who had fallen ill: He was very sorry for him, and he went to the elders and asked them to send a messenger to Jesus, praying Him to come and raise his ser- vant up. Why did he go to the elders ? Why did he not go to Jesus himself? Because he was so humble-minded. He had heard all about the Saviour, and he felt that he was not good enough even to go unto Him. So the elders went to Jesus, and told Him that the servant of the centurion lay at home, sick of the palsy, and grievously tormented. They begged very earnestly that He would come, telling Him that the centurion was a very worthy man, and had done much for the Jews. The elders thought that Jesus would come when they •90 HEALING THE LEPER. pleaded with Him. They did not know that He was always willing to heal the sick, no matter who they were. He replied to the messengers that he would come and heal the servant. Jesus went with them, but when He- had almost reached the house, the centurion sent friends out to meet Him, saying : " Lord, trouble not thyself to come. I am not worthy to have you in my house, nor did I think myself worthy to come to you. But say the word only, and my servant will be healed." Jesus was surprised at this man's meekness, and He said to those around Him : " Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." The Gentile had shown more faith than even the disciples had. He told them that many from other nations should be saved, but that many unbelieving Jews should not see heaven, but should be cast out. The elders could not have been very well pleased to hear these words. They did not know that it was faith in God that would give them the right to enter the kingdom of heaven. He said to the centurion : " Go thy way ; as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee." His word was sure. From that moment the servant was well. And they came unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. And he came and touched the bier; and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, 1 say unto thee, arise. Mark 2—3, 5. Luke 7—14. CHAPTER XVII. THE PALSIED MAN HEALED — THE WIDOW OF NAIN. GAIN Jesus was home in Capermeum, "His own city" as it has been called. The word was carried that Jesus had come. He went to Simon Peter's house, and sat there teaching, while the Pharisees and doctors of the law sat near; and the house was so full that no more could enter. Four men came up the street, carrying a bed made of dried grass, with a piece of carpet thrown over it. On this bed a man lay, who was sick with the palsy. He was unable to move, and they were bearing him to Jesus to be made whole. But how were they to get the bed into the house ? The people were packed so closely together that they could not get in at the door. The sick man began to be fearful that he would be unable to reach the Saviour. Although he wanted to have his limbs 91 92 THE PALSIED MAN HEALED— THE WIDOW OF NAIN. cured, he was far more anxious to have his sins removed, for he had led a bad life, and he was very sorry for it. He knew that Jesus could pardon him. So when he saw how hard it was to enter the door, he was worried. But his friends were determined that he should not be disappointed, for they, too, had great faith that he would be made well, if they could only find some way to get him into the house. So they made a way. The houses in Palestine were not built like ours. Like those in all hot countries, the roofs were flat, and there were flights of stairs from the outside, to pass up. The people spent a great portion of their time on the housetop, and often flowers and shrubs were grown there. So these friends of the palsied man took him up the stair- way to the roof, and lifting up some of the tiles, they cut a large opening in the housetop, and let him down, on his bed, into the midst of the people, close to where the Saviour sat. It pleased Jesus to see the perfect faith they had shown. He knew, too, that the sick man was more troubled about his wickedness than he was about his poor, miserable body. So He said to the man, who was looking at Him so earnestly : " Son, be of good cheer ; thy sins are forgiven." Some of those present were vexed at this. They had looked for a miracle to be shown, on his body. They were not think- ing that his soul was sick with sin, and needed a cure also. They thought, " What does this man mean ? Why does He THE PALSIED MAN HEALED— THE WIDOW OF NAIN. 9} speak thus? He blasphemes ; it is God alone who can forgive sins." They knew He could cure diseases. They had all seen Him heal the sick. But they grew angry at hearing Jesus say that He forgave sin. Our Lord knew their thoughts, and He reproved them, thus : " What do you think in your hearts ? Is it easier to say your sins are forgiven, than to say, Arise and walk ? " But that ye may know the Son of Man hath power on earth, to pardon sins (He turned to the man sick with the palsy), I say unto thee, Arise, take up thy bed and walk." The palsied man's heart leaped up, his limbs regained their strength in an instant, and he rolled up his bed, and passing through the crowd, went. his way, praising God. And the people went away saying among themselves : " We have indeed seen strange things to-day. We have never seen anything like this before." About twenty-five miles distant from Capernaum was a little town called Nain. This town lay on the side of a moun- tain in a very pretty country, where streams sparkled as they flowed down the sides of the hills. As Jesus came nigh to the gate of the city He met a sad group — a procession of people accompanying a poor woman whose only son was dead. She was a widow, How sad she must have been. Her neighbors and friends came with willing hearts to show their respect, and to try to comfort her loneliness. 94 THE PALSIED MAN HEALED— THE WIDOW OF NAIN. But she could not be comforted. Her only son, whom she had loved fondly, was dead. She could only weep and mourn. Some men were carrying the dead boy on a bier, and the mourners were walking behind it, crying loudly and lamenting. When Jesus saw her, He had pity for her sorrow, and He went to her and. said in tones of gentle compassion : " Weep not !" She must have felt grateful to a stranger for speaking com- forting words. But how must her heart have throbbed with gratitude and joy when she saw Him go toward the bier on which her beloved child lay. He came and touched the bier, while the men who bore it stood still. Every one of the mourners was looking at Him wondering why He should wish to see one whom He could not have known when he was alive. And He said : " Young man, I say unto thee, arise !" The boy was dead. How could he hear this command? It was Jesus who had spoken to him. At that voice, life flowed back into the body, and he that was dead, sat up, and began to speak. s And Jesus gave the boy to his mother. Oh, what could that happy mother say to tell her gratitude ! How she must have loved that gracious Lord who gave her back her dear child. What did the people say ? A great fear came upon them. Do you wonder that they were filled with awe ? This was more miraculous than anything He had done before. He had THE PALSIED MAN HEALED -THE IV I DOW OF NAIN. 95 made the sick well, had giyen sight to the blind, and caused the lame to walk. But now He had raised the dead. But they broke out into glorification of the power of God, saying : "A great prophet is risen up among us. God hath visited His people." And many believed from that hour. Thus every miracle He wrought brought them closer to God. They saw His hand in all these signs, and owned the power of Jesus. While he spake these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler, and worshiped him, saying, My daughter is even now dead; but come and lay thy hand upon her, and she shall live. And Jesus arose, and followed him, and so did his disciples. Matthew 9—18, 19. CHAPTER XVIII. RAISING JAIRUS l DAUGHTER. S Jesus went forth to preach one day, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at a table, taking money for the king. That was his business, to collect money, and he collected a good deal for himself, for he was not honest. When the Saviour looked upon him He said to him : " Follow me." Matthew was rich. He had not led a good life, and yet when he heard this command he was so pleased to know that Jesus had chosen him for a disci- ple, that he left his trade of money-getting, and arose at once, and followed our Lord. He made a great feast in his own house that night, to show his joy at the honor which he had received, and he invited Jesus to the feast, and all his own friends. These friends were not good men. But Matthew had no other friends at that time, though after that he only associated with those who were good and true. 96 RAISING JAIRUS' DAUGHTER. 97 Jesus went to the banquet, and sat down with sinful men and women. The Scribes and Pharisees were very proud and self-righteous. They would not eat with such people, for they thought themselves too holy and good. As usual, they spoke about it to the disciples, saying : " Why do ye eat with such vile people as these?" Jesus heard them complaining, and He said to them that well people did not need a doctor, only the sick did. He told them plainly that His mission was to save sinners, whom He wanted to make feel ashamed of their wickedness, for, He said : '* I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repent- ance." They did not like to be reproved for their want of charity toward other's faults. But the supper was scarcely over, when a great man, one of the rulers of the synagogue, came hastily in, and throwing him- self at the feet of Jesus, begged him to come right away to his house. For he said his only daughter, a girl of twelve, whom he was very fond of, was dying. Jesus heeded his petition. He rose up, and went to the house, followed by His disciples, and many others. They know He was going to the house of the rich man, to save the life of his only daughter. On His way thither, a sick woman who had been ill for many years, saw Him. No doctor had been able to help her, and she was growing more sick all the time. She had a great desire to come near to Jesus, for she % RAISING J A1RUS' DAUGHTER. thought if she could but touch Him, she should be better. So she worked her way in among the crowd, and coming behind Him she timidly touched the hem of His robe. He felt that light touch, and inquired, "Who touched me ?'* Peter thought it was only the throng pressing against Him. Jesus knew better, and He said again : " Somebody has touched me, for I perceive that a blessing has gone out from me, to some one." The poor woman knew she could not hide herself, and she came forward tremblingly, for she feared she had offended Jesus. She told Him why she had put her hand upon His garment ; she had been ill so long, that she wanted to be made well, and she knew no one could cure her but the Master. He answered her very gently : "Daughter, be of good cheer. Thy faith hath made thee .well. Go in peace." All this time how impatient and anxious that poor father was, who came for Jesus. But as they hurried on, a messen- ger met them from the ruler's home, bidding him not to worry ■the Master. It was no use to come now, for the little girl was dead. Jesus spoke with tenderness to the poor father : " Fear not ; believe only, and she shall be made whole." Going on, He entered the house, bidding no one to follow Him save Peter, James and John. He found the house full of mourners, who were beating; their breasts, and tearing their hair, and crying in a loud voice, as was the custom among the people of that country, to show their grief. RAISING JAIRUS' DAUGHTER. 99 Jesus said to them : " Why do you weep so ? The maiden is not dead ; she only sleeps.." And they laughed Him to scorn. For the child was dead, and they knew it. How foolish, they thought, it was to say she sleeps. He sent these mourners who mocked Him, out of the house, and taking the three disciples and the weeping father and mother into the chamber where the dead girl was, He went up to the couch on which she lay, and taking her b** the hand, He called : " Maiden, arise." At once the warm blood came back into the little cold form, the eyes opened, and she arose from the bed. Then He told her parents to feed her. How that house- nold must have rejoiced. And how dearly that little girl must have loved Jesus, who had given her back to the father and mother who loved her so. But He charged them that they were to tell no man why had been done. Now there is at Jerusalem, by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue, Bethesda, having five porches. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? John 5 — 2, 5, 6. CHAPTER XIX. THE POOL OF BETHESDA. BOUT the middle of March there was held, in Jerusalem, a feast. It was not a religious cele- bration, like the Feast of the Passover, but rather a national one, and was held by the Jews to commemorate the deliverance of their race in the days of Esther. There was a sheep-gate in the city, near which lay a pool, called in the Hebrew Bethesda, or House of Mercy. Round this pool were built five porches or doorways where sick people lay, sheltered from the sun. These people were sick of various diseases, and they waited there for the coming of an angel who, every now and then, came down and troubled the surface of the pool in a very strange manner. It was said that the first person who could step into that water after it was so disturbed, would be blessed, through its healing power, and would be cured of whatever sickness afflicted him. 100 THE POOL OF BETHESDA. 101 It was the Sabbath day, and Jesus, with His tender love for the poor and helpless, would surely be found here. And so He was, for He went to this pool, and there lay a man who had been a cripple for thirty-eight years. Jesus knew all his past life, and how he had been a bad man, and this sickness had come upon him through some sin he had done. But He looked upon him, and said : " Wilt thou be made whole?" Trie friendly voice sounded sweet to his ears. He answered Jesus, by telling Him his sad story. He said he had waited so often for the chance to enter the waters when they wer^ troubled. But he had no friend to carry him there, and before he could reach the pool, some one else would step in, and he would lose the blessing. Jesus pitied him, and said: " Rise, take up thy bed and walk." Strength came at once to his crippled limbs. He arose, rolled up his mar, and walked through the streets. He was walking on, when some Jews met him, and spoke to him quite sharply : " It is the Sabbath day. Do you not know it is wrong to carry your bed?" He said : " He that cured me, told me to take up my bed, and walk." They asked him eagerly who it was that had cured him. But he could not answer that question, because he did not know who Jesus was, and He had gone away from the pool directlv. 102 THE POOL OF BETHESDA. Later in that day he went to the temple to praise God for His mercy, and Jesus saw him again, and bade him be careful, now that he was well, that he sinned no more, lest a worse thing should happen to him. The man now knew who had given him back the use of his limbs. He at once left the temple, and told the Pharisees who had made him well. They were very angry. To think this new healer should dare to break one of their most binding rules, and perform a miracle upon the Sabbath. When they chided Him for it, He said in answer : " My Father worketh, and I work also." This made them still more bitter against him. He not only- had broken their Sabbath, but He claimed that He was the Son of God, and that His Father helped Him do the miracles. So they whispered among themselves, and resolved to kilt Him. They knew their religion, with all its empty show, was in danger of being overthrown, and so they resolved to kills Jesus. They had already thrown John the Baptist into prison, and they thought it would be easy to slay this new prophet who had arisen. Jesus said very solemnly that His Father loved Him, and gave Him power to do His works ; even to raise the dead to life again ; that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He told them how John had borne witness unto Him ; also that His own works were a proof that He was the Son of God. THE POOL OF BETHESDA. 105 " Search the Scriptures," He said, " for in them ye think ye have eternal life ; and they also speak for me." He also reminded them that Moses, who was their great lawgiver, and whose words they trusted, wrote of Him. He said, "But I know you, that you have not the love of God in you." That was true ; the Jews were careful to obey God in some things ; but their hearts were not filled with His love. They pretended to follow His precepts, but they were planning the murder of his Son. Jesus knew that He was hated and watched, and He left the holy city, with a few friends. He had not chosen all of His disciples, but John, the youngest of them, was with Him, and so was Philip. With sad hearts they left Jerusalem, and re- turned into Galilee. And behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment ; And stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Luke— 7, 37, 38. CHAPTER XX. THE PHARISEE AND THE SINNER. ;HE time had come when Jesus was no longer safe in Jerusalem. He was hated by all the great men in power, and they were planning continually how to get Him in their hands, so that they might kill Him. But though He knew the time was coming when He should die at their hands, yet it was not His Father's will that He should perish then. And so He would do His work daily until that hour when He must give up His precious life to His enemies. Jesus had labored so long in the cities about Lake Gennesa- reth, that it grieved Him to find the people still so unbelieving. They remained hard-hearted and blind to the truth, even though they had listened to His teachings so often. A certain Pharisee, named Simon, at Capernaum, invited Jesus to dine at his house. Simon was not one of his enemies from Jerusalem ; he was merely a member of the sect, and he gave this feast and asked our Saviour to come, so that he might hear H im talk. 104 BY H. HOFMANN. THE SINFUL WOMAN FORGIVEN. L -*m BY H. HOFMANN. ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS. THE PHARISEE AND THE SINNER. 107 He also asked a great many others to dinner that day. It was always a mark of respect to have the servants wash the feet of guests, and put oil upon their heads, and as Simon's friends began to gather at his house, they were all honored in this manner. But he probably thought he had paid Jesus atten- tion enough by asking Him to come and eat at his table, and so when our Lord entered the room, He sat down, and no such courtesy was shown Him. This proud Pharisee met all the other guests with a kiss, and a pleasant word of welcome. Jesus came in alone, and not a word was said to Him to show Him that the master of the house was pleased to see Him. The tables were spread with many good things, and the vis- itors were placed around them, on couches. They did not sit up straight in chairs as we do, but half-reclined on couches or lounges, while they ate. While they were at meat, a woman who was noted for her sinful life entered the house, and going up to the Saviour, threw herself at His feet, while the tears of sorrow at her wickedness poured down her face. They were tears of sorrow for her sins. Then taking an alabaster box of costly ointment which she had brought with her, she began to bathe His feet with her tears, and then she kissed them, and wiped them with her long hair, and anointed them with the ointment. The Pharisee, Simon, was very much displeased. He felt sure that Jesus could not know who the woman was, efee He would not have permitted her to touch Him. 108 THE PHARISEE AND THE SINNER. He thought within himself, although he did not say the words : " If this man were a prophet, as they pretend He is, He would have known all about this woman, for she is a sinner." You know the sect to which he belonged believed themselves very holy. And the Bible tells us of one of them who smote his breast and thanked God he was not as other men. So you could not expect him to feel compassion for a sinner, ■even if she were very, very sorry for having led a wicked life. Jesus read the thoughts of those around Him, just as He would an open book. So He knew what was passing in Simon's mind, and He said, to him : " Simon, I have something to say to you." And the Pharisee said — " Master, say it to me." Jesus told him the story of a man who had let two other men have money. One of these men owed him quite a large sum of money, the other only owed him a small sum. He found that neither of these men could pay him anything, and so he forgave them both. The Saviour asked Simon which of those men would love the creditor most ? Simon answered that the one to whom he forgave the most, would love him most. Jesus answered — "You have judged rightly." This was a lesson of the great debt of gratitude which those who are wicked owe God, when He helps them to cast off their burden of sin. The one who has sinned the most, has most cause for thankfulness. Jesus turned toward the penitent woman, and said : THE PHARISEE AND THE SINNER. 109 "Simon, do you see this woman? I came into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she hath washed my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. You gave me no kiss, but this woman has never ceased to kiss my feet, since the time I came in. You put no oil upon my head, but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. " Wherefore I say unto you, her sins which are many, are for- given; for she loved much. But those to whom little is forgiven, the same love little." What a lesson this was for Simon. He had shown no hos- pitable feelings to his invited guest, neither had he humbled himself as had this poor woman whom he despised. His self- love must have had a hard blow at these words of reproof from the lowly Nazarene. Those who sat round the table began to talk among them- selves, and ask — " Who is this that forgives sins also ? " And He said kindly to the woman — "Thy faith hath saved you. Go in peace." And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand. And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth. And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored who'e as the other. Mark 3—1, 3, 5. CHAPTER XXI. THE WITHERED HAND. IWVIONG the Pharisees certain laws were laid down for the people to observe, which were very strict. The Sabbath had become a burden under the instructions of the rabbis. The Sabbath had been given by God to man, as a day of rest for both body and soul, and for worship in His holy temple. The Pharisees had made so many useless and foolish rules with re- gard to its observance, that we wonder how they could expect them to be obeyed. Jesus wanted to tell the Pharisees how the Sabbath should be kept. But that angered them, because they did not want to- be taught. They could not endure to have any blame cast upon anything they did or said. Among the foolish laws they had were these : No insect, however troublesome or poisonous, must be killed on the Sabbath. Shoes with nails in them were not to be worn on that day. no THE WITHERED HAND. Ill No fire was allowed to be lighted on the Sabbath. All the food eaten was to be cooked on other days, and no sick people were to be made comfortable, or healed on that day. The Lord had given a commandment that the Sabbath day was to be kept holy, but the rabbis kept adding these petty rules until it was very hard for the people to avoid doing some- thing that would not be considered breaking them. So when the Saviour began to tell them how best to keep the day, the rabbis were offended, for they knew His doctrines were sure to set their authority aside. It was a beautiful Sabbath day, and as Jesus and His disci- ples were walking through a cornfield the disciples began to pluck the ripe ears that hung heavy on their stalks. For they were hungry, and the corn was juicy and sweet. Here was a chance to blame them, and the Pharisees, who were ever on the lookout for faults in others, complained to Jesus : " Why do your disciples do that on the Sabbath day which is unlawful ?" Jesus answered them from their own Scriptures. " Have you not heard," He said, " when David and they that were with him, were hungry, how that they went into the temple of God and ate the shew bread, which none but the priests should eat?" He said more than this. He defended His disciples. He said they were not doing wrong by satisfying their hunger, and anything that was necessary to be done on that day, could be done without harm. 112 THE WITHERED HAND. " The Sabbath was made for man," He said, " and not man for the Sabbath. The Son of man is Lord, even of the Sab- bath day." Such plain defiance of their rules was too much for these proud rabbis. They hated Him now more than ever. He passed on, and entered one of their synagogues, and taught. There He found a man with a hand drawn up and withered, so that he could not use it at all. The Pharisees were watching Him, for they knew His ten- der nature, and they wanted to see if He would again break their laws by healing on the Sabbath. They meant to accuse Him, and have Him punished. Jesus was not to be stopped in His work of mercy, and as soon as He saw the paralytic, He said to Him : "Stand up in the midst." The man stood up quickly. He felt the joy that was in store for him, for he knew Jesus' power. Then Jesus, looking around, said to the stubborn Pharisees: " I will ask you a question. Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath day, or to do evil ? to save life, or to kill?" But they could not answer Him a word. He looked again at the Pharisees. He was very angry at their hard hearts and their unreasonableness. And He said to the man : "Stretch forth thine hand." The poor man did not wait to be told twice. He stretched out his shrunken, useless hand, and lo, it was made well, and like the other. THE WITHERED HAND. 113 Now the Pharisees grew furious. Instead of being glad that the man could use his hand again, they were enraged, be- cause our Lord had broken their laws, and they resolved to ■destroy Him. So they took counsel with the Herodians as to how they should do so. Jesus knew their designs. But the time was still in the future when He must die at their hands, and so He went away from them for a time, and went down to the sea. And multitudes followed Him, from Galilee, and from Judea ; and from Jerusalem, and from beyond the Jordan. And they thronged round Him, and He kept on healing, and casting out unclean spirits. All with one accord, fell down be- fore Him, and cried out : " Thou art the Son of God !" And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would; and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with hir«i„ and that he might send them forth to preach. And to have power to heal sickness, and to cast out devils. Mark 3—1 3, 14, 15. CHAPTER XXII. CHOOSING THE TWELVE APOSTLES. ( FTER this He went up into a mountain to pray. Here He remained all night, talking with His Father in heaven. How He must have loved And what comfort and rest He must have received, from communing with Him! Thus we can all feel, dear children, when we kneel in prayer. It is a glad thought that we can all become as little children, and go to Him with our troubles, asking His help to bear them, and His strength to enable us to put away our foolish, angry, or un- forgiving feelings. After spending the night in this way, He called to Him His disciples. Many answered the call, for many loved Him, and would gladly have followed Him. All who listened to His words, and tried to be good and obedient to the lessons He taught them, were His disciples. Do you know what the word apostle means ? It is one sent, 114 CHOOSING THE TWELYE APOSTLES. 115 or a messenger. He was about to send them forth as mission- aries, to take His message to sinners, and to preach and heal as He had done. The names of these twelve chosen ones were, Simon Peter and Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas ; another James, the son of Alpheus ; and Simon, the Canaanite ; Thaddeus and Judas Iscariot, the traitor, who afterward betrayed his Lord. And Jesus made them ministers ; blessing them, and giving them power to preach, and cast out evil spirits, and cure those who were sick. He intended to send them forth, two by two, for this purpose. He commanded them to proclaim that the kingdom of Heaven was at hand. He told them that, though they were poor, yet were they rich, for they would come into the king- dom of God. Blessed they were, when hungry, for they should be filled. He told them not to expect to be well received by every one. They must expect to be persecuted, but that every hair of their head was numbered, and even though their bodies were ill-used, they should fear nothing save that which would harm both soul and body. By that was meant sin, and that we should all fear. One command he gave those who listened, which should be fixed in the hearts of all: " Love your enemies and do good to them which hate you." " Give to every man that asketh of thee." And even if they were unjustly treated, they were to return good for evil. 116 CHOOSING THE TWELVE APOSTLES. He taught them that if they only loved those who loved them, what merit was there in it ? Or if they only were kind and obliging, with the expectation of receiving kindness again, they were selfish. It was much harder to do good to those who were unthank- ful, and when they tried to do right, their reward would be great hereafter, and they would become the children of the Highest. For He was kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. The apostles staid with Him a little while longer, that they might be more thoroughly trained for their work. On the same day that the Saviour had chosen his twelve apostles, a man was brought to him who was possessed of an evil spirit, and who was otherwise dreadfully afflicted, for he was blind and dumb. And Jesus had much compassion for the unfortunate man, and he cast out the devil, and made the man both see and speak. At this the people were more amazed than ever, and some of them said: " Is not this the Messiah ? " But the Scribes and Pharisees spoke very meanly of our blessed Lord. They declared that He cast out devils by Satan's help, and that He himself was possessed of a devil. Jesus asked them how an evil spirit could cast out another evil spirit. He told them that He cast out devils by the hand of God. And He told them that they were in danger of being cast into hell if they spoke against the Holy Spirit of God CHOOSING THE TWELVE APOSTLES. 117 which was in Him. And unless that Spirit entered their hearts, they could never go to heaven. His relatives now began to grow very uneasy about Him when they heard how sternly He had rebuked the Scribes and Pharisees. They tried to excuse His strong language. "He must be out of his mind to act like this." They had not begun to wholly believe in him, as the Son of God, and when He appointed the twelve disciples and gave them power to do miracles, they were very much distressed. And the Scribes were very glad to know that his mother and his brethren doubted his miraculous powers, and they kept repeating their accusations. All day long they had been so busy ministering to the mul- titudes that Jesus and His disciples had not had time to even eat any bread. So when Mary and His brethren knew how ready the Scribes and Pharisees were to injure Him, they thought they would per- suade Him to go with them to some quiet place, where He would be out of danger. His mother should have known by this time that He was truly the Son of God, and did not need her protection. Her faith should have been stronger. When they reached the house where Jesus was hemmed in by the crowd, they could not enter. So they sent in a messen- ger to say that His mother and brothers were outside, and de- sired to speak to Him. And Jesus answered the man, saying : " Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? " 118 CHOOSING THE TWELVE APOSTLES. Then stretching forth His hand toward His disciples, He said: " Behold my mother and my brethren ; " For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and my sister, and my mother! " And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him, And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord save us; we perish. Mark 8—23, 24, 25. CHAPTER XXIII. A PARABLE. — THE STORM. iESUS' words never fell on dull ears. Everywhere He went His steps were closely followed by multitudes eager to hear all He said. The day was not yet over, and Jesus had been teaching in a house. Going down to the shore of the Sea of Galilee He sat down. Seeing Him there, the crowds began to collect about Him, and there were such numbers that He entered a boat and was pushed away from shore. From this boat He spoke many things to them. He now began to talk to them in parables. Parables are stories told which have a hid- den meaning. Sometimes these meanings are very hard to find out. But Jesus loved to teach by means of these stories. On this day, when the people were crowding each other to get as near the edge of the water as they could, He spoke to them in this wise : " Behold, there went out a sower to sow. 119 t 120 A PARABLE.— THE STORM. "And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. " And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth ; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth. " But when the sun was up, it was scorched ; and because' it had no root, it withered away. " And some tell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. " And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased, and brought forth, some thirty, and. some sixty, and some a hundred." When the people had gone away, pondering on this story,, the disciples asked the Saviour what the parable meant. He said, " It is given to you to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those who were outside, I must speak in parables. " The seed is the word of God, and the soil it is sown in, is the hearts of the people. " When it falls by the wayside, it falls on cold, hard hearts.. They hear God's message, but pay no attention to it. The. cares of the world soon make them forget the seed. "Those on the rock are people who love to hear about God, but take no pains to do as He bids them, and soon all the good impulses die in them. "' The thorns are the little things that worry and perplex people. They believe the word is good, but they are sc busy A PARABLE.— THE STORM. 121< piling up money, or seeking pleasure, that they have no time to* seek the kingdom of God. ' But the seed that fell on good ground, are people whose hearts are honest and who love God sincerely, and try to walk in the right path." And good fruit, such as gentle deeds, and pure actions, spring up in those hearts, a blessing to all around. Children, is not this a fine parable, and would you not choose to be the good ground ? Many other parables He uttered, and He always explained, them to the' disciples when He was alone with them. The long day was ended. Jesus was weary, and needed rest. All day He had preached to the people, and He wanted to go where it was quiet. So He said : " Let us go to the other side of the lake." So they got the boat ready right away, and the little boat started away from the shore. Other little ships with people in them, who could not give the Saviour time for rest, so anxious they were to hear more from His lips, followed the one in which the disciples with their loved Master, was. As the boat sailed over the sea, the tired Saviour fell fast asleep. He was in the hinder part of the boat, and with His head on a pillow, He was resting quietly. Sudden storms are very common on the Lake of Galilee. The wind sweeps down the ravines between the mountains with great power, and such a gale came on with fury. The wind began to howl, and the waves lashed the sides of the boat so fiercely that the disciples, even though they had been fisher- 122 A PARABLE.— THE STORM. men, and used to the sea, were terrified. Those who were in the other boats must have been even more frightened, as the water dashed into their little boats. How hard they toiled against the wind and waves, that they might reach the other side of the lake, where they would be sheltered. They grew still more alarmed, for the boat was fast filling with water. And still the Master slept on. He was so very tired, that though the spray and foam leaped high up in air, and the waves dashed against Him, and the boat was rocked to and fro, yet He seemed to heed it not. At last, when the boat was so full of water that they feared it would sink, in their great terror they cried out ; "Master, save us ! Carest thou not that we perish?" Jesus rose at this appeal. He had no fear. He wondered that these men who had been with Him in many perils should be so terrified. Was He not with them now ? " Why do you fear ?" He asked. " Have you no faith ? " And He rebuked the wind, and said to the howling, foaming sea that angrily tossed the waters over them : "Peace, be still!" The wind died away in a soft murmur, the waves were quiet, and a great calm fell on the deep. But the disciples were filled with great fear, and they said one to another : " What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?" They knew then that their Lord was both God and man. A PARABLE.— THE STORM. 123 As a man He was overcome by weariness, and had slept As a God, He could make the winds and the waves acknowl- edge His power. And so the disciples had another proof of His wondrous power ; and a lesson also that they should trust Him without questioning. He stilled the waves, and brought His followers safely back. Thus you, little children, must trust Him in all things. ^vt* '*->v^ Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb; and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? Matthew 12—22, 23. CHAPTER XXIV. THE DEMONIAC. ;HE next morning was bright and pleasant, after the wild storm of the night before, Jesus had calmed the angry waves, and the little boat had passrd over the waters into the country of the Gada- renes, and they had gone on shore. The Saviour and His disciples had scarcley landed, when a terrible object came rushing down upon them. It did not look like a man, yet it was one, whom no one could tame. He was "possessed with a devil." No one dared pass that way. No one could show him any kindness, for he was so violent that no one dared approach him. Again and again had bands of men gone out there, and taken him and bound him in chains, but always he broke loose, and ran away. He lived among the old tombs, where people had been buried many years before, and he never wore any clothes. How he found food, or where he slept, no one knew, for he was so 124 THE DEMONIAC. 125 vicious and strong that every one kept away from this lonely spot. You may know that he was strong enough to injure any one who came near him, when he could snap the iron links of heavy chains apart. He had dwelt here a long time, and though there were peo- ple who would gladly be kind to him, they could not show their willingness to be so. Here he lived, wretched and alone, tormented day and night by this wicked spirit, crying loudly, and cutting himself with stones. He must have seen the boat approach the land, for he dashed headlong down the hill to meet the Saviour. What would you expect this poor demoniac to do ? Would you not fear that he would try to harm Jesus ? He did not ; he fell down and worshiped Him, and cried : "What have I to do with thee, Son of the Most High! I beg thee to torment me not ! " The wicked spirit that was in the poor man knew Jesus, and ■knew His mighty power, and trembled before Him. As soon as Jesus saw him, he said with a loud voice : " Come out of this man, you unclean spirit." How the evil spirit did shriek. It knew it had to obey. Then Jesus asked the man his name. His answer was : " My name is Legion — for we are many." Legion signifies a great number, and he meant that there were a great number of bad spirits in him. The devils began to fear that they would be sent back to 126 THE DEMONIAC. their wicked home, and they begged Jesus to let them stay. A little way off a vast herd of swine were feeding. And they asked the Saviour to send them into the swine. And He said unto them, "Go." As soon as they entered the swine, the whole herd of two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and were drowned. The men who had charge of the pigs and fed them, and saw that they did not stray away, were terribly frightened. They ran as swiftly as they could to the city, and some went round into the country, and told the miraculous news. The people who heard this story could scarce believe it, and they left their homes, and their business, to see if it were true. As they drew near the spot where the demoniac had wandered so long, they found him sitting at Jesus' feet as quiet and sen- sible as any other man. And they were amazed and afraid, and begged Jesus to depart from their midst. No doubt they were angry at the loss of their swine, instead of being rejoiced at the poor man being cured. Jesus turned away and went back to the boat" that had brought Him to this shore, where His first miracle had brought the ill-will of the people upon Him. The man whom He had made well, prayed Jesus to let him go with Him, but the Saviour would not. Rather must he re- main behind, as a witness to what the Lord had done for him. The restored man did as Jesus bid. He went at once to 'chose friends who had known him when he was young, and to THE DEMONIAC. 127 strangers wherever he met them, and published to all the country about, how good the Lord had been to him. And all who heard were filled with wonder. Jesus and His disciples, tired and hungry, left the place where He was not welcome, and went back across the lake. And the people on the other side received Him gladly. They were waiting anxiously for His return. And he sent and beheaded John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. Matthew 14—10, 11, 12. CHAPTER XXV. THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. iOHN the Baptist had been shut up in prison a long time. King Herod had given the order that he should be kept a prisoner, for John had reproved him sharply for a great sin. This Herod was the son of that other Herod who was king when our Saviour was born. And this Herod was as wicked as his father. Herod had done two very wicked things. He had put away his own wife, who was a good woman, and had married Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, who was still living. The fame of John the Baptist had gone forth, and Herod had sent for him that he might see what kind of a man he was. John was sent for to come to the palace. The great prophet came, dressed in his camel's hair robe, and stood before . the king and Herodias, who had been made the queen. John had never been afraid to speak to any person of their 128 THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 129 sins. The Pharisees and the soldiers, as well as the common people, had all been rebuked by him when they deserved it. As he stood in the presence of the king and queen, he said boldly to Herod : " You know it is not right for you to have your brother's wife." How angry these words made the king and queen. He had not been sent for that he might chide them thus, but that their curiosity might be satisfied as to his appearance. Herodias was so enraged that she would have killed him at once, but she could not, but from that time she hated him bitterly. Herod was very angry too, but still he liked a good many things that John had said, and he dared not kill him, for he was a holy man, and only spoke the words that God put in his mouth. So he could only throw him into prison, and keep him there. But the queen was plotting all the time to have him killed. Putting him in prison did not seem punishment enough for her. She wanted to see him dead. The birthday of Herod Tame, and he gave a great banquet, and invited all the great captains of his army, and the lords, and many of the noted men. Herodias had a young daughter Salome who danced very gracefully. So on Herod's birthday her mother told her to go into the banquet hall, and dance there before the king and his company. 130 THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. Herod was so much pleased with her dancing, that he said to her, and he took a very solemn oath, in the hearing of the nobles : " Whatever you like to have, that will I give you, even to the half of my kingdom." The young girl did not know what she had better ask for, and so she ran back to her mother, and said : " What shall I ask the king to give me ?" And that wicked woman was secretly glad. Here was the chance she had waited for. The king had given his word be- fore all those nobles, and he was fearful lest they would despise him, if he broke it. So she said to her daughter : " Go, ask for the head of John the Baptist" Would not most young girls have shuddered at such a dreadful request as that ? Alas ! Salome was as wicked as her mother. So she went to the hall where the king sat surrounded by his guests, and said to him in firm tones : " Give me, by and by, on a dish, the head of John the Baptist." Herod was troubled. He knew it was wicked to take John's life, merely because he had blamed the queen and him- self for doing wrong. He feared to kill him too, because the people loved John, honoring him as a great prophet. But the young girl reminded him of his oath, and he had to keep it. So he sent an executioner at once to the prison, who cut off the head of John the Baptist, and brought it in on a tray to the girl, who took it and carried it to her mother. Herod now began to hear of the fame of Jesus, and he THE DEATH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST. 131 trembled, because he thought the prophet whom he had killed had risen from the dead. He said to his servants : 'This must be John the Baptist. He is risen from the dead." You see his conscience troubled him. No one can do wrong, and feel easy after it. Neither Herod nor his wife were happy after that. Guilt' and sin always bring sorrow. When the disciples of John had laid his body in the tomb, they came and told Jesus. And He grieved deeply, for He loved His cousin John. And John was very dear to many, for he was a great prophet, and had many followers. So Jesus went away by ship to a desert place, where He mourned for the cruel death of that prophet who had been His own forerunner. And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled; and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. Matthew 14—19, 20, 21. CHAPTER XXVI. FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND. |HE apostles were back from their first journey. They had been sent by the Saviour, two by two, to preach and heal, and they had been round Galilee, performing their work. And they told Jesus of the many strange things they had seen and heard. The people were coming and going, and were following the Saviour everywhere, for they had gone after Him out of all the cities, so eager were they to hear Him preach. And His heart was full of compassion for them, and He healed their sick. And though He had gone to that desert place in a ship, when they reached it, they found this multitude had gone there before and were waiting for Him. And when the night fell, and the darkness came upon the earth, the disciples thought the people should go to their homes, and leave Jesus, to find that rest and refreshment which He so much needed. So they said to Him 132 FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND. 133 "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves food." Jesus said — " You need not send them away. We will feed them." Philip made answer : " We have not money enough, even if we spent all of it, to buy food for all these people." Jesus said — " How many loaves have you ? " Andrew said, "There is a boy here, who has five barley loaves and two small fishes. But what use are they, among so many people ? " For there were five thousand people, men, women and children! " Bring them hither to me," was all He said. And then He told that army of people to sit down upon the grass, in rows of fifty, and He took the bread and the two little fishes, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them and broke them in pieces, giving them to the disciples to pass to the people. Think of it! Five thousand men, and women and children, ate of the food, and ate heartily, for they were all hungry no doubt. And the food kept growing more in quantity in the Saviour's hands, while He kept breaking and distributing it to the crowds. Every one ate of the loaves and fishes until they were filled. Jesus said to the disciples when the repast was finished : "Do not waste anything; gather up the fragments that are left." 134 FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND. So they got some baskets, and picked up all the bits that were not eaten, and there were twelve baskets full. Then all who saw this miracle testified: "This is surely that prophet, the Messiah, that was to come into the world." The thousands of men who partook of that supper, were very much pleased and excited when they had done eating. They declared among themselves that Jesus had done wonders for them, that day. He had taught them, and healed all who were sick, and now He had fed them. They reasoned that He would make a good king, and rule them far more mercifully than that wicked Herod. The disciples began to share the excitement. Jesus knew the crowd would even take him by force and make him a king ; so He hastened to disperse the people and send them to their homes. He sent the disciples away first. They went very unwil- lingly, for they thought if Jesus was about to have a crown and a kingdom, they ought to be with Him. Bur He commanded them to enter their boat, and sail over the lake toward Capernaum. He then persuaded the multitude to go away. His gentle voice had such power over them that they moved on, a little reluctantly, however, for they really wished to make Him their ruler. At last they were gone, and our Saviour was alone. He went up the steep mountain side, to pray. The night was dark and stormy, but He loved to be on that hillside, BY GEORGE HAHN. IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS. BY GEORGE HAHN. THE GOOD SHEPHERD. FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND. 137 because He could there prav to His God without being dis- turbed. Where were the disciples ? They were in the boat, trying to sail across to the other shore. A terrible storm had arisen, and they could not manage the boat. Jesus saw them toiling with the rowing. He had not for- gotten them, but was watching them with tender care, as He stood on the mountain side. And while their hearts were shak- ing with fear, they saw, in the middle of the night, a figure of a man walking on the water, and coming toward them. They were terrified. It was dark and gloomy, and the winds were howling around them, and still they saw the figure ap- proach. And they cried out with fear : " It is a spirit ! " But Jesus spoke these reassuring words : " Be of good cheer. It is I. Be not afraid." It must have been that Peter did not quite believe even then, for he asked the Lord if it were really He, that He would let him (Peter) come to Him on the water. Jesus simply said, " Come," and Peter went over the side of the boat, and began to walk on the waves. ' But he began to sink, and looking round, for the wind was strong, he began to be afraid, and cried out in terror : "Lord, save me!" Jesus wished to teach him a lesson of faith, for He chided him thus : " How little faith you have! Why did you doubt ? " But He stretched forth His hand and held Pqter up. While Peter looked at his Master, he walked safely on the 138 FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND. water. But as soon as he began to iook round upon the sea, and felt the waves dashing against him, he grew faint-hearted, and then he sank. Just in this way, must we all look up to Jesus. When some sorrow comes, or some hard task is set for us, we must not think of the obstacles in the way, but look unto Jesus for courage, and He will give His Spirit to us, and lend us strength. The disciples were happy now that their Lord was in the boat with them again. The wind died down at once, the sea grew calm, and they soon reached the place where they wished to land. Then those who saw this strange thing cried out with one voice : " Of a truth you are the Son of God." In that same hour said Jesus to the multitude, Are ye come out as against a thief, with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled. Matthew 26—55, 56. CHAPTER XXVII. MANY DISCIPLES LEAVE JESUS. >HEN the Saviour worked the miracle of feeding the five thousand, some had remained behind. They had not seen Him depart in the boat, but in the morning when daylight came, He was not to be found. What had become of Him? They searched in vain. Some boats were lying there, which were bound for Capernasum. So the people entered the boats, and went to that place, still looking for Jesus. There they found Him in the synagogue, teaching. They were surprised, and said : " Master, when did you come hither ? " Then answered He : " You came for me, not because you wished to see miracles and have signs, but because I fed your bodies. "Think not of that which perisheth, but labor for that spiritual food which lasteth eternally." 139 140 MANY DISCIPLES LEAVE JESUS. They felt ashamed of this reproof, for they saw that He knew their most secret thoughts. " What shall we do," they asked, " that we might work the works of God?" His answer was: "This is the work of God, that ye be- lieve on Me." They would not take it home to their hearts, but nardened them, and asked : " What sign will you show us, that we may see and believe you? What miracles will you work?" What a question from those whom Jesus had taught so long and patiently. It must seem strange to you that those disciples who had the opportunity every day of seeing Jesus heal the sick and the deformed, and heard Him talk to the peo- ple, should have thought it necessary to ask for a sign that He was the Son of God. They were receiving such signs every day. Jesus heard them with divine patience. They said that their fathers did eat manna in the desert, for God gave them bread from heaven to eat. He told them that Moses could not give them true bread from heaven, but that God now sent them the bread of which He wished them to eat. Their answer came quickly: "Lord, give us this bread evermore." He said that He was that Bread of Life, and they who came to Him should never hunger, an^ they who believed on Him should never be thirsty. MANY DISCIPLES LEAVE JESUS. 141 He also reproved them, for He said : "You have seen me, and still you do not believe on me. " Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. "I come to do my Father's will, and this is His will — that every one who believes on me shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." The Jews who were standing near, had listened to Jesus, and were very much incensed, as they always were, when He talked to the people. They began to complain, because He said, " I am the bread which came down from heaven." Again they asked the same question that His old neighbors did when He preached to them in the synagogue of His early home : "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph whom we know? How does He say that He came down from heaven?" Jesus heard all they said : " Murmur not among your- selves. " For I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath ever- lasting life. " I am that Bread of Life. " I. am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever ; and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." The Jews argued with each other, still inquiring: "How can this man give us His flesh to eat ?" Jesus went on : "Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye 142 MANY DISCIPLES LEAVE JESUS. eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you." He did not mean His real flesh or real blood, but the teach- ings, the instructions, He gave them, they were to take into their souls, and feed upon ; and drink in His Spirit, that they might have everlasting life. But now His own disciples began to question and doubt. They could not receive the deep truths He was teaching them, and they complained thus : "This is a hard saying ; who can know what it means ?" Jesus asked the murmuring ones : " Does this displease you ?" He explained to them that it was the Spirit that gave life ; the flesh profited nothing. " The words that I soeak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." For He knew from the beginning who believed, and who did not, also who would betray Him. From that time many of his disciples went away, and walked no more with Him. They had followed Him a long time, and had enjoyed hear- ing Him preach. But now they did not understand Him, and so they became vexed and dissatisfied. Jesus felt sad to see them go, for He knew they were turn- ing from the right way. But He had the Twelve left, and with sorrowful tones, He asked them : " Will you also go away?" Simon Peter spoke up affectionately : MANY DISCIPLES LEAVE JESUS. 143 " Lord, to whom should we go ? Thou hast the words of eternal life. We believe and are sure that thou art the Christ, the son of the living God." Peter's heart was so full of tender trust that he thought all the rest of the Twelve felt as he did ; and so he spoke for all of them. But what was the Lord's reply ? " Have I not chosen you twelve ? And one of you is a devil." What did He mean? He knew that Judas Iscariot would betray Him ; and he was one of the Twelve. How guilty the traitor must have felt when he heard that awful accusation. And behold a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. Then came she and worshiped him, saying Lord, help me. Matthew 15—22,23,25. CHAPTER XXVIII. THE TYRIAN WOMAN. ;HEN came to Jesus the Scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem, and again they vexed Him with foolish questions. One of these men asked : " Why do your disciples break all the rules of the elders? They wash not their hands when they eat bread." He did not mean that the disciples were not neat and clean, but the Pharisees had a great many trifling and silly rules. Indeed, their religion was one of forms merely, and one of their rules required the washing of the hands as a symbol of purification before breaking bread. Jesus labored constantly to show the people that forms alone were useless ; that the spirit of love and faith was alone necessary to salvation. The disciples had set aside one of the " traditions " or cus- toms of the elders, and in their eyes it was a very serious offence. 144 THE TYRIAN WOMAN. 145 Unless they washed their hands often, they thought they were defiled. They cleansed the vessels which they used about their homes, cups, pots, brazen vessels, tables, and every- thing that is used in a family, and they would not cook their breakfasts and their midday meals in the same cooking utensils, but had different sets for each meal. In their eyes, it was far more sinful to neglect or break one of these customs than it was to do a really wicked deed. Jesus therefore told them that they (the Pharisees) continually disre- garded the traditions of their fathers, rle spoke lightly of their observances. "Ye hypocrites," He said to them, "well did Isaiah proph- ecy of you, saying, 'This people draw nigh unto me with their mouths, and honor me with their lips. But their hearts are far from me.' " He further warned them that any one who took the sayings of men for a guide, did not worship Him. To enforce His meaning, He called the multitude, and said : " Hear and understand me. Not that which goeth into the mouth, maketh a man impure ; but that which cometh out of the mouth, maketh him impure." Even His chosen Twelve did not know what He meant, and He asked them if they, too, had as little intelligence as the Pharisees. He showed them that whatever entered the man from without, did not harm him, because it did not enter his heart, but that which proceedeth out of a man defiled him, if it was not good, as words and actions come from the heart, and from 146 THE TYRIAN WOMAN. thence come evil thoughts, greediness, blasphemy, pride, fool- ishness, and many other sinful things. You see how necessary it is to watch our hearts, and keep them pure, so that no wicked thoughts may dwell there. And the best and only way to do this, is to ask God for help. After He had said these things He went away from the fault- finding people, and went to a part of the country which He had never visited — to the borders of Tyre and Sidon. Here dwelt a heathen people. He did not go there for the purpose of preaching, but that He might rest awhile, and be quiet. He went because the groups of people would not press upon Him continually here, as they had done in other places'. His beloved Twelve went with Him, and they all stopped at an obscure house, where He hoped no one would find Him. A woman lived near this house who had heard of the great Prophet of Nazareth, and she had longed earnestly to see Him. Now He was there, in her own country. Joy, indeed! for she had a young daughter who was afflicted with an unclean spirit. The mother knew that Jesus could make the evil spirit leave her, if He would, and she went to the house where He had gone for rest, and cried : " O Lord, thou Son of David, my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil-." Jesus was always ready to answer such entreaties, but now He said not a word. The disciples begged Him to send her awav. They wanted Jesus to cure the girl, but they wanted Him to be quick, and send the mother away, for she talked so loudly THE TYRIAN WOMAN. 147 they feared others would hear her, and flock around their Mas- ter. And they came down there for rest. Jesus wanted to see how strong her faith was. So He said : " I am not sent to the Gentiles, but to save the lost sheep of the house of Israel." She was a Gentile, and many people would have felt angry or hurt at this rebuff, but she would not depart, but fell at His feet, saying—" Lord, help me." Jesus said : "It is not right to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs." And she replied : " That is true, Lord, yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. I do not ask for the bread. I am satisfied with the crumbs." You see how humble she was. She was content with a very little notice from our Lord. Jesus was pleased with her humility and faith, and so He said to her : " For thy humble words, I will reward thee. Go thy way. The evil spirit has gone out of thy daughter." And on going to her own house, she found her daughter well, and she was laid upon the bed. The faith of this woman was extraordinary, for she belonged to another country, which had only heard rumors of what Jesus had done. She was patient, and even when Jesus seemed to pay her no attention, she persevered in her appeal for help. She was very humble. Although she felt her own unworth- iness, still she was sure He would not despise her. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them; And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. Matthew 15— 30, 35, 36. CHAPTER XXIX. PEOPLE CURED AND FED. UR Saviour went about a great deal in those days. Leaving Tyre and Sidon He came to a part of the land known as Decapolis. He was talked about here. The miracles He had done were known. The man who had so many devils came to this neighborhood and told every one who would listen to him, how Jesus had made his mind clear once more. They brought a man who was deaf and had a defect in his speech to Him. And they begged Him to restore him. The Saviour took him away from the rest of the people, and put His fingers in his ears, and then He spit and touched his tongue. Looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said — " Be opened." And the man's ears were opened, and his tongue was loosed, and he heard and spoke readily. Jesus charged him not to speak of his cure to any one. 148 PEOPLE CURED AND FED. 149 But the man did not obey, for he and his friends spread the news everywhere. All who heard of this last miracle were willing to give Him all praise. " He hath done everything well," they said. " He makes the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak." After this the throngs of people, bringing the lame, and blind, and deaf, grew greater, and as the days passed, each brought its care and work, and still Jesus ministered to the needs of all. For three days the people had remained listening to the words of Jesus. It was summer, and the nights were warm. On the third day, when all the provisions were gone, the disciples once more, as they did on that other occasion, wanted Him to send the. people away, so they could find food for themselves. But Jesus' heart was full of pity. He was a loving friend as well as a teacher. So He would not send them away fasting. He said — " If I send them away hungry, they will faint by the wayside." Most of them had come a long distance, and had brought nothing with them to eat. The disciples were not as kind as they should be, for they asked impatiently how they could find bread for them, for they were in a wilderness, and could not purchase food to satisfy these hungry ones. Jesus questioned.: ' How many loaves have you ? " "Seven," was their reply. 150 PEOPLE CURED AND FED. Jesus bade them all sit down upon the grass, and He took the seven loaves and a few tiny fishes which they had, and blessed them, and began to break them up for the crowd. And they all ate of the bread and fishes, and had plenty. So great was the abundance that they took of the broken fragments that were left, seven baskets full, and they all departed to their homes. This was the second time that Jesus had worked a miracle by feeding great numbers. And when ye shall hear of wars, ana rumors of wars, be ye not troubled; for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles; these are the beginnings of sorrows. Mark 13— 7, 8. w^ CHAPTER XXX. COMING SORROWS. ;HE time had come for Jesus to go away again, so He took his disciples, and returned to the shores of Gennesareth. Here He entered a town called Magdala. No sooner had He reached the place, than His enemies, the Pharisees, always seeking to annoy Him, came round Him, demanding a sign. Many questions they asked Him, tempting Him to anger if they could, and then they called to Him to give them some sign from heaven, to show that He was God. Jesus felt very sad, and He mourned that that generation should insist on having a sign, but he said they should have none. He left them. He knew they hated Him, and going into a boat, He sailed away over the lake to another place. When they went into this strange place the disciples had forgotten to bring food, and they began to complain about it to each other. 151 152 COMING SORROWS. Jesus showed them how weak was their faith. They had apparently forgotten the two miraculous repasts He had given the multitudes. If they had not, they would not have been at all worried because they had so little— but one small loaf of bread. They brought a man to Jesus who was blind, and implored Him to make him see. He took hold of the blind man's hand, and tenderly led him away from the people, out of the town. Then the Saviour spat upon his eyes, and laid His hands upon him, and asked him if he could see anything. The man looked around, and said : " I see men like trees, walking." Again the Lord put His hands upon his eyes, and told him to look up. This time the blind man saw everything plainly, for his sight was perfect. Jesus sent him to his own home, and told him not to go near the town to tell any one that He had cured him. The people of that town were unbelievers, and did not love Jesus. So He did not wish them to know anything about it. Jesus and His chosen Twelve journeyed on, and soon He asked them : " Whom do men .say that I am ?" They said : " Some think that you are John the Baptist ; some say that you are Elias, or one of the prophets." Does it not seem strange that those people who had seen Him so often do such wonderful things, should still doubt Him ? Still regard Him as only a prophet ? And yet they had frequently exclaimed that He was the Son of God, but it was only a fleeting conviction. They did not truly believe what they said, or they would not have talked so differently at times. BY H. HOFMANN. "WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED TOGETHER/' ETC BY H. HOFMANN. CHRIST APPEARS TO MARY. COMING SORROWS. 155 Jesus asked His disciples : " But whom do you say that I am?" Peter responded at once, fervently: "Thou art the Christ." The Saviour said : ' You are blessed. For no man has taught you this, save God, the Father, which is in heaven." He then began to tell them some very sorrowful things ; that He must go to Jerusalem, and be treated very rudely, even cruelly ; that He would be rejected and cast out by the elders and the chief priests, and the Scribes. And, what is more dreadful still for those loving disciples to hear, He told them He was to be killed, but that after three days He should rise again. Now their hearts were indeed troubled. What, their Mas- ter was to suffer death ? He, the Son of God, to be killed by the people at Jerusalem ? No, this could not be. Their hearts ached at the thought, and Peter, who was ever earnest and impulsive, forgot almost for the moment that it was God who was speaking of those things which were sure to come, and he seized hold of Jesus' garments, and said : 'This shall not happen to you, oh Lord !" A few moments before he showed perfect faith. Now he spoke as though he knew better than his Master. Swift and sharp was the rebuke that he received : " Get thee behind me, Satan. Your thoughts are not from God, but from men." He meant that it was Satan who was prompting Peter to speak to Him in that doubting manner. The other disciples listened, with their heads bowed in 156 COMING SORROWS. grief. They did not know what He would teach when He spoke of rising from the dead: They did not understand either that sinful man could only reach heaven through the death of Jesus ; that by dying on the cross He bore the punish- ment of our many sins. They were touched by its sadness, but did not see its necessity. He went on telling them that trials, and hardships and sor- rows, were for His followers also. They must endure cheer- fully shame, ridicule, scorn, even death, for His sake. He promised them also, that He should come down from heaven one day, in the glory of His Father, with the holy angels. And then the true and faithful would be rewarded. He taught them how much better it was to be good and self-denying than selfish and anxious for this world's goods. " For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul ?" He warned them further that whoever was ashamed of Him, He would be ashamed of them when He came again in glory. He told them that some of those who were standing there, should not die until they had seen the Son of man coming in His kingdom. He was going to show three of them His glory very soon. He knew it would give them strength to bear the sorrows that were coming after. The disciples heard Him with deep anguish. " They knew now that trouble was coming to them, but they would not leave their Master. They loved Him so dearly they were ready to bear anything for His dear sake. And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Matthew 17—1, 2, 3. CHAPTER XXXI. THE TRANSFIGURATION. 5>OT many days after that talk with the Apostles, when the Lord had told them He must die, He took three of them — Peter, James and John — up to the top of a high mountain. The three disciples were very weary after climbing, for the mountain was very steep and rugged. But they were glad to go wherever their dear Master led, so they did not complain. It was now evening, and they grew very sleepy. So they lay down upon the grass, and soon fell asleep, but Jesus did not sleep. He was praying to His Father in heaven. And while He prayed, a wonderful change came over Him. His face became bright and shining as the sun, and His raiment grew white as the snow, when it first falls on the ground; whiter, the Bible tells us, than fuller's earth could make it. And Jesus was not alone. Two men stood talking with 157 158 THE TRANSFIGURATION. Him. They, too, were all brightness and glory. They talked with Jesus, concerning the death He should die at Jerusalem. The light that shone around the Saviour was so dazzling that it awoke the sleeping disciples, and they started up to their knees, overcome with awe. They gazed upon their Lord, transfigured before them. They saw also the two men who were talking with Him, and knew at once that they were Moses, that great prophet and lawgiver who had lived on earth so many hundred years before, and Elijah, who was taken up to heaven in a chariot of fire. Peter, James and John heard all they were saying ; and they were talking with the Lord^ about the persecutions and sufferings He was about to undergo. Peter, who always seemed to be the quickest to think, and the most ready to speak, said : " Lord, it is good for us to be here. If thou wilt, we will raise here three tabernacles, one for thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias." But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them all ; and they felt great fear as its brightness covered them. Then a voice from the cloud was heard : " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased ; hear Him." It was the voice of the Father ! God Himself was speaking to them. But they were sore afraid, and fell on their faces on the ground. But their fear departed, as Jesus gently touched them, and said : " Arise, and fear not." THE TRANSFIGURATION. 159 They raised their eyes, and lo ! no one was there, save Jesus. The prophets had departed. When they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them strictly that they should tell no one what they had seen, until after He had risen from the dead. And they obeyed him, and never spoke of it even to the rest of the Apostles. But they often talked about it to each other, and still they wondered what rising from the dead could mean. And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man kneeling down to him, and saying, Lord, have mercy on my son; for he is lunatic, and sore vexed; for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water. And 1 brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him. Matthew 17— U, 15, 16. CHAPTER XXXII. THE AFFLICTED BOY. >HEN Jesus and Peter, James and John reached the foot of the mountain, they saw the other nine apostles in a group ; crowds of people were gathering around them, while the Scribes were asking them so many questions that they seemed perplexed and ashamed. As Jesus drew near, the people ran to Him, and saluted Him. But as they gazed into His face they showed astonishment, for some of the glory yet lingered there, and they beheld it. There was great excitement among the numbers collected there, and Jesus inquired of the Scribes : " What are you disputing about with them ?" They had not had time to answer, before a man roughly pushed his way through the mass of people, till he reached the spot where Jesus stood. He then knelt humbly before him, and cried : " Oh, Master, I have a son, my only child. I beseech you 160 THE AFFLICTED BOY. 161 to look upon him. He is deaf and dumb. This spirit," he con- tinued, " wherever he taketh him, teareth him, and he foameth at the mouth, and gnasheth his teeth. Often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. My boy is sick, and is pining away." What a terrible affliction that was. No wonder the poor man longed to tell his story to Jesus. But he had more to say. He told him that he had asked the Apostles to cast out this evil spirit, and they could not. The Saviour had given these followers full power to heal the sick, and cast out devils. And yet they had not been able to help this poor boy. Their failure made them look both distressed and mortified. Jesus knew why they had not succeeded in performing his work, and as soon as the father had done talking, He turned to them, with these words of blame : " Oh, faithless people, how long snail I be with you? How long must I bear with you ? Bring your son to me." The boy was brought at once to Jesus. And when he came, he fell on the ground, and writhed in agony. " How long has he been this way ?" asked Jesus. " From a little child. Oh, will you not have compassion upon his sufferings, and help him?" pleaded the father. Jesus merely answered : " If you can believe, it will be well. All things are possible to those who believe." See how little the loving Saviour asks ; merely that we be- lieve on Him. Then everything becomes easy to us. The father cried joyfully, while the tears streamed down his face : 162 THE AFFLICTED BOY. " Lord, I do believe. Help thou my unbelief." The people came running up nearer to the place where Jesus stood, which, on His seeing, He reproved the wicked spirit, and bade it come out from the boy, and never enter him again. Did the wicked spirit do so willingly ? It cried, and screamed, and convulsed the boy. And when it had gone out of him, the boy lay upon the ground so still and rigid that he looked as if he were dead. Many who saw him exclaimed : " He is dead." Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up, and gave him into his father's care. Again were the people amazed at the wonderful power of God. But even now they were not ready to praise Him. When Jesus came into the house where the Apostles were, they asked Him why they had not been able to rid the boy of the evil spirit. He said to them : "This kind of a spirit is only cast out by earnest prayer and fasting. You did not have faith strong enough." That was the reason they failed. They did not rely on their Master's promises as they should ; their faith and trust were daily growing weaker. They should have prayed without ceasing. He said to them: "Verily I say unto you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this moun- tain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove. And nothing shall be impossible unto you." THE AFFLICTED BOY. 165 He wished to impress upon them how necessary faith in His promises was. This story teaches you, dear children, how much depends on faith. This poor boy was under the influence of Satan. Are you not equally so, when you give way to angry passions, and quarrel with your companions? or are disobedient or disre- spectful to your parents ? You then place yourself in Satan's power. He is strong, and will conquer you, unless you go humbly to God, and pray for strength to resist him. But you must have faith that God will answer your prayer. Faith is what your heavenly Father demands first ; perfect confidence in His power. When you have that, you will over- come all evil. These evil spirits that torment you, by trying to possess your heart, can be cast out by yourselves. How, you ask ? By prayer and by faith. And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first the same shall be last of all, and servant of all. And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them; and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive me receiveth not me, but Him that sent me. Mark 9—35, 36, 37. CHAPTER XXXIII. JESUS TEACHES THE TWELVE. NCE more Jesus was back in Capernaeum, but He wished no one to know that He was there. The Pharisees and the rulers had seen Him do many great works there, but still they hated Him bitterly. He had taught them for along time, but their hearts were so hard that they would not repent of their evil ways. So He came back secretly, because He had determined to teach the people no longer. His purpose from this time was to train and instruct the twelve apostles so that they might carry on His work after He had gone away from them. He often repeated now the sad story which they could not bear to hear, that "The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill Him." But He always promised them that after His death He should rise on the third day. 164 JESUS TEACHES THE TWELVE. 165 They had not yet come to understand what He meant by rising on the third day, and they were afraid to ask Him. But they tried to be happy in the thought that He was their Lord, the Messiah, and that He would reign in glory, and they believed they would be permitted to be with Him. They did not realize that suffering and death would have to come first before this glory they so longed to share with Him. On their way to Capernaeum, they began to dispute among themselves, as to which one of them would be the greatest when they should enter the kingdom of heaven with their Lord ! It is sad to think that those disciples who had the blessed privilege of living every day with the meek and lowly Jesus, were so full of selfishness and pride, and not at all like Him. « He was humble-minded, but they were not. They grew so angry over the question of which would be placed the highest in heaven, and disputed so loudly, that the Saviour, who was walking a little way ahead, heard their voices. He did not chide them at that moment, but when He reached the city, He said to them, after they entered the house: "What were you quarreling about with each other on the way ? " No one answered. They felt too ashamed to reply. They had shown so different a spirit from His own, that they felt very guilty. . Jesus sat down, and calling the Twelve to Him, He gave them a lesson on their conduct, in this wise: 166 JESUS TEACHES THE TWELVE. ' If any man wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all, and become a servant to the rest." Another lesson on the beauty of being lowly-minded, and not thinking so much of one's self. Then He called a little child, and taking him in His arms, He said: " Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me; and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but Him that sent me." This child whom Jesus took in His arms, must have been a gentle, loving little boy, else the Saviour would not have chosen him for a symbol. He wished His disciples to feel that they must become sim- ple and innocent as all good children are. The little ones whom our Saviour loves best are those who do not think most of themselves, and their own pleasure, but look after the com- fort of others. The obedient and humble-minded ones are very dear to Him. For all who would follow Him, must be as little children. He says: " Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." He said to them: " I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in me. " I am the vine and ye are the branches." Christ likened Himself to a vine because He was fruitful of JESUS TEACHES THE TWELVE. 167 all good works, and the disciples when they did as He com- manded them, had His holy Spirit in them, and produced good works also. John said to Him: "Master, we saw a man casting out devils in Thy name, and we forbade his doing so, because he did not follow us." John secretly felt that they had done wrong in reproving the man for doing a good work, and he wanted to know what the Saviour would say about it. He did not approve of their con- duct, for He said : " Forbid him not. For there is no man who shall do a miracle in my name, who can speak evil of me." If the man had not believed in our Lord he could not have performed a miracle. Peter now had a question to ask his dear Master. " Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I for- give him ? Till seven times?" Jesus said unto him : " I say not unto thee, until seven times, Dut until seventy times seven." He meant that they must forgive again and again, and freely forgive from the heart. They must not say they forgave when their hearts were full of hatred and revenge. Then the Apostles humbly asked Him to increase their faith. They knew how hard it was to be filled with this for- giving spirit, and they asked Him for help, just as you must when you find it hard to overlook some injury that has been done to you. Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye knew whence I am : And I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. John 7—28,29,37. CHAPTER XXXIV. JESUS TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE. FESTIVAL was about to take place which was always an occasion of great joy and feasting, at Jerusalem. It was held in commemoration of the boun- teous crops of grains and fruits which had been given them by a kind Father, and for which they were truly grateful. This feast was held at the end of every year, and everybody who could leave home, went up to the Holy City to take part in it. It was called the Feast of Tabernacles. But Jesus would not go with His brethren when they re- quested Him to. They did not yet believe in Him wholly, and still they were very anxious that He should go there and per- form some miracles before the immense throng of people they expected would be there. His answer to their plea was very humble : 168 JESUS TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE. 169 " My time is not yet come ; but your time is always come. The world cannot hate you ; but it hates me, because I tell the people that they are wicked. " Go ye up unto this feast. I go not yet ; for my proper time has not yet come." When His brothers found He would not go with them, they started on to the feast. Jesus had said it was not time for Him to go, so He waited till nearly every one had gone, and then He followed secretly with His disciples. The Jews expected to meet Him at this feast, and they be- gan looking diligently for Him. And they kept asking each other, " Where is He ?" This led the people to talk about Him. Some said : "He is a good man," while more said, " He is not good ; He de- ceiveth the people." I am sorry to say that you will often find more people ready to speak ill of any one, than good. Would this be so, if we tried faithfully to "love our neighbors as ourselves," and treated them gently and charitably ? This feast was usually kept up about eight days. On the fourth day the people were surprised to see Jesus walking into the temple, where He at once began to teach. The Jews at once gave Him close attention, but were much puzzled at His learning, and began to question how it was that He, who was only a carpenter's son, knew so much. Jesus took no credit to Himself for what He knew. He said : ".My knowledge is not mine. It comes from my heavenly 170 . JESUS TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE. Father. It you obeyed God's will you would know at once that what I teach you comes from God." They were suddenly struck dumb by a question which He asked them, which showed them that every thought of their hearts was laid bare before Him : " Why do you go about to kill me ?" They answered Him with cruel roughness : " Thou hast a devil. Who goeth about to kill thee ?" Jesus told them so gently how He had cured the sick man at Betnesda, and of other good works He had done. " Why should you," He asked, " be angry with me for do- ing good works on the Sabbath day?" For answer to this, some of. the Jews who belonged in Jerusalem, began to cry loudly : " Is not this the man whom they seek to kill ? He speaks with great boldness, and they do not answer Him. Do the rulers really believe that He is the Messiah ? " We know this man. He cannot be Christ, for when He comes, no man can tell from whence He comes." Our Saviour said to them : " You know me, it is true, and you know, too, that I am not come of myself, but I am sent by that God of whom you know nothing." ^ Some who heard Him speak thus, believed on Him at once. They were satisfied that He was telling the truth, and they said : " When Christ cometh, can He do any more miracles than those which this man has done ?" The Pharisees and chief priests were very indignant. They JESUS TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE. 171 were vexed that any one should believe on Jesus, and they sent some soldiers to take Him. When the soldiers drew near, they heard the blessed words the Saviour was saying : " If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. " He that betieveth on me shall drink of rivers of flowing water." And there arose a dispute among those who heard Him, some saying He was the Christ, and others denying it because He came out of Galilee, while they looked for the Messiah to be of the House of David, and be born in Bethlehem. . You see they did not know that our blessed Lord was born in Bethlehem. So the soldiers did not dare to lay their hands on so holy a teacher ; and when they returned to those who had sent them, they were wroth with the soldiers, and demanded why they had not brought Jesus. The soldiers said with one accord: "Never man spoke like this one." The Pharisees were furious. "Are you deceived also ?" they said. " Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed on Him yet?" , One of the rulers did believe on Him— the same one who came to learn of Jesus by night. Nicodemus was his name. But he did not have courage to say openly that he believed on the Lord Jesus, but he wanted to say something in his be- half, so he spoke timidly : 172 JESUS TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE. ' Our law does not judge any man before it hears him, and knows of what fault he is accused." The other rulers were offended to think that one of their number would appear to take his part, so they sneered at Nicodemus : " Art thou, too, a believer on Him? Search and look ; for no prophet shall ever arise out of Galilee." Then every man went to his own house. But Jesus had no home to go to. So He went up into the Mount of Olives, and there He staid all through that lonely night, but in the morning He came down and went into the temple, to preach. The people came about Him to listen. And the Scribes and Pharisees, who were resolved to torment Him all they could,, brought a woman before Him, who had done some great sin. They set her in the midst of all those men, and they gazed at her, some with pity because she had done wrong, and some with bitter scorn. Then they told Him that Moses had written in his law, that such women should be stoned. But they wanted to hear what punishment Jesus would say she deserved. They were trying to tempt Him to defy one of their ancient laws, so that they might have some chance to bring reproach upon Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote upon the ground, as if He did not hear them. They persisted in asking Him, and at last He stood up in His majesty, and said solemnly :. JESUS TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE. 17> " He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." Then He stooped again, and wrote with His finger upon the ground. They were convicted at once. Conscience spoke to every one of them, and they went out, one by one, even unto the very last man. And Jesus was left standing alone, with the woman. He looked around, and seeing no one but the poor, miserable creature, whose form was bowed with shame, He said unto her : "Who accuses thee, woman? Has no man condemned thee ?" She said, "No man has, Lord." Jesus said unto her : " Neither do I condemn thee. Go, and sin no more." Then Jesus addressed the people again : " 1 am the light of the world. He that followeth me snail not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." The Pharisees contradicted Him. They said: "You are praising yourself. You are not speaking truth." Jesus feared them not. He knew His time to die was close at hand, and He talked very plainly to them. He told them if they did not repent, and believe that He was the Son of God, they would perish in their sins. The Jews answered that God was their Father. But He told them that they were not God's children, else they would accept Him. Rather were they the children of the devil. They 174 JESUS TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE. were, He said, given to lying, and hardness of heart. But that they could not believe, because they were not of God. They argued with Him, and told Him He had a devil, be- cause He promised them if they would believe on Him, that they should not see death. But He repeated His words, and told them how wicked they were. They were determined now that He should die. So they took up stones to throw at Him, for they wanted to stone Him to death. You remember that He hid Himself from the Nazarenes when they tried to dash Him over the precipice? Well, He now worked a miracle like unto that one. He hid Himself again from His enemies, and passing out of the temple, through the infuriated Pharisees, He escaped in safety. And as Jesus passed by. '..e saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind! Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. John 9—1, 2, 3. CHAPTER XXXV. THE BLIND MAN. tTER Jesus had so mysteriously left the temple, He saw a man who was born blind. It is a terrible thought that he had never seen this lovely world that God has made for our dwelling-place; he had never looked upon the dear faces of his father and mother; never had seen the sky at night when the stars sparkled in its blue depths, nor the sun by day, when its golden rays light up the earth. This poor man had never seen any of these things, and the disciples inquired of Jesus: " Master, why was this man born blind? Was it because he sinned, or because his parents were great sinners ? " Jesus told them that neither he nor his parents had sinned; but that God had a purpose in making the man blind, and that purpose was, so that the *X)wer of God should be made olain through him. He told them that He must do the will of God while He 175 176 THE BUND MAN. was with them, nor wait, for the time would come when it would be night, and no more work could be done. He referred to the hour when He should be taken away, to die on the cross. The blind man did not think the Saviour would notice him. He did not know how full of compassion He was, and that He never forgot the most miserable being. So Jesus stopped, and spat on the ground, and made a clay which He spread on the sightless eyes of the blind man. Then He said to him: "Go, wash in the Pool of Siloam." The man asked no questions, but hurried away to the pool, which he entered, and in a moment he saw everything around — the earth, the sky, the people, and, best of all, he saw the face of Jesus. Those who had often seen this man, knew he had been blind and they could scarcely believe their own senses, but asked each other: " Is not this the blind man who sat and begged by the gate? " Some testified that it was he, while others were not sure, out said: " It looks like him." But he answered: " I am that man." They asked him how his eyes became opened. And he told them the story of his great joy. " A man named Jesus put clay on my eyes, and anointed them, and then He bade me go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. And I went and washed, and received my sight." " Where is He? " was their next question. He said: " I do not know." THE BLIND MAN. 177 This miracle was wrought on the Sabbath day. And the people carried this man who had been blind, in to the Pharisees. Then the Pharisees questioned him as to what had been done to his eyes. Again he told them of Jesus, and what He had done for him. Some of them, when they heard this, said: " This man is not of God, because He does not keep the Sabbath day." Others said: " He cannot be a sinner, else how can He do such miracles ? " Thus they disputed and differed for a long time. They turned to the blind man, and asked him what his opinion was about the man who had restored his sight. His answer was prompt: " He is a prophet. ' : Then the Jews tried to make themselves believe that the man was never blind, so they called his parents. They were so stubborn that they would not receive the truth. When the parents came, they said: " Is this your son whom you say was born blind? How is it that he can see now? " These parents were not willing to acknowledge what they secretly believed, that Jesus was the Lord, for it had been threatened that any man who confessed that, should be put •out of the synagogue. So they said: " We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind. But by what mean* he sees now, we do not i : o THE BLIND MAN. know, nor who hath worked this cure. He is of age. Ask him; he will be able to tell you." They called the man who had been blind, and said: " Give God the praise for this thing. We know that this man whom you say did it, is a sinner." He was resolute in one thing. He would give the praise to- Jesus. He replied: ' Whether He is a sinner or not, I do not know. But I do- know one thing, and that is, that while I was blind before, I can see now." Again they asked him: "What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes? " He grew tired of their teasing, for he said: " I have told you already, but you would not believe me. Why do you wish me to tell it again. Would you like to be His disciples? " They scoffed at him, saying: "You are His disciple; but we follow Moses. We know that God spoke to Moses; but as for this fellow, we know not from whence He came." The man had a grateful heart and a brave spirit. He re- proved the Pharisees thus: " Why, here is a strange .thing, that you who pretend to know so much, do riot know from whence He comes, and yet He hath given me my sight. Now God does not answer sin- ners. But when a man worships God, and does His will, He listens to him. Never before, since the world began, has such a wonder as this been performed. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing." When He "ttered these bold words, they decided to punish THE BLIND MAN. 179 Him, and they said to the man : ' You were born wholly in sin, and do you dare to teach us?" So they ordered that He should be shut out of the syna- gogue for presuming to teach them. For thirty days He could not enter its walls. This was deemed a great disgrace to be cast forth from the synagogue. It not only deprived Him of the privilege of the synagogue, but He became an outcast and a wanderer from His own father's house. But he had his reward. He was one of those chosen to suffer persecution for Christ's sake. When Jesus heard how the Pharisees had punished the man, He went to find him. He asked Him : " Do you believe on the Son of God ?" He said to Jesus: "Who is He, Lord? I would like to believe on Him." Jesus made answer : "Thou hast seen Him. It is He that talketh with thee." The man said : " Lord, I believe." And he fell down and worshiped Him. The man was doubly blessed. Jesus had opened his heart as well as his eyes, and light had been shed into his soul. And thus he found everlasting life. After these things, the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them, two and two, before his face into every city and place, whither he himself would come. Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, Peace be to this house. Luke 10—1, 3, 5. CHAPTER XXXVI. CHOOSING THE SEVENTY. ;HE time was drawing very near when Jesus was to be crucified. He knew how little while He would be with them, and He had much to do yet, and He wished to go about to a great many places. He had decided not to teach in Samaria any more, for He had sent two of the disciples into that country to tell them that He was coming, but the people "would not receive them. James and John were so angry at this treat- ment, that they asked the Lord if He was willing that they should call down fire from heaven and consume their villages, as a fit punishment for their unbelief. Jesus would not listen to this. He told them that they were cherishing revengeful feelings, which were sinful. He rebuked them sharply : "The Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." 180 CHOOSING THE SEVENTY. 18] And they went into another village. Here He met a man who said he would follow Him wherever He went. Jesus told him that He had no home. " Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests. But the Son of man has no place to lay His head." To another man whom He met, He called : " Follow me." But this man wanted to perform some duty first. And Jesus told him he must leave all things undone, if he were in the way of looking after the kingdom of God. " No man," He said, " having given himself to the work, and regrets it, or looks back on what he has left behind, is fit to enjoy the kingdom of God." He was going to the country beyond the Jordan to devote the last few weeks of His life to speaking to the people there of the Saviour who was so soon to die for sinners. The harvest was a rich one, but the laborers were few. So He appointed seventy men, beside the twelve Apostles, and sent them on before, two by two, into every town and city which He was going to visit afterward. These seventy men were earnest followers of the Lord Jesus. Good men they were, who believed fully in Him, and loved to obey Him. These are the instructions which He gave them : " Go your ways. Behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves." He charged them to carry neither money, nor satchel, nor shoes. And they were to speak to no man whom they met op the way. 182 CHOOSING THE SEVENTY. Whenever they entered a house they were to first say : " Peace be to this house." And if harmony dwelt in that house, they were to remain, and eat and drink of such things as were offered them, and not run from house to house. They were to do works of mercy, such as healing the sick, and casting out evil spirits, and were to preach that the king- dom of God was near at hand. And when they were rejected by any city, they were to shake the dust from their feet, but were to warn that place of its wickedness, and tell them too, to tremble, for the kingdom of God was nigh unto them. And the seventy men went forth upon their mission, and did faithfully all that they were commanded to. After a certain time they came back, and joyfully told their Lord of their success. They were so rejoiced that they said eagerly : " Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name." He answered: "Behold, I give you power to destroy all wicked things, and to triumph over the enemy." But He warned them against pride at the power they pos- sessed : " Rejoice not, because you can conquer evil spirits, but rather rejoice that you are chosen for that work." The names of this chosen Seventy are not given. But the Lord had told them that their names were written in the Book of Life. The Twelve were not so blessed. One of the Twelve was CHOOSING 'THE SEVENTY. 183 wicked beyond belief. Though he had power to do great works, yet was his own soul full of evil. Our Lord once said : " I have chosen you Twelve, but one of you is a devil." A certain lawyer standing near thought he would make our Saviour say something that would sound wrong, and he asked Him : " What shall I do to inherit eternal life ?" Jesus made the man answer His own question. For He said : " What is written in the law ? How do you understand it?" And he repeated the law : "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind ; and thy neighbor as thv- self." And He said unto him : "Thou hast answered right. Do all this, and thou shalt live." But he wanted to excuse himself for his misunderstanding of the law, and he asked : " Who is my neighbor?" Jesus answered him with a story : A certain man went down from Jerusalem, to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothes, and beat him, leaving him half dead. As the man was lying there, wounded and miserable, a haughty priest came that way, and seeing only a wretched looking being lying there, he passed by on the other side. And a proud Levite came and looked at the suffering man, and he, too, crossed over to the other side, without doing any- thing for him. 184 CHOOSING THE SEVENTY. But a Samaritan who chanced to be journeying that way, saw what a sad plight he was in, and instead of passing him by as the others had done, he dismounted from the animal he was riding, and ran to the bleeding man, and poured oil and wine upon his wounds, and bound them up. His kindness did not stop here. He placed the man upon his own beast, while he walked slowly by his side, and he brought him to an inn, and staid there with him and took care of him. The next morning he was compelled to start on his jour- ney again, and leave the sick man behind. But he went to the landlord, and paid him some money to take care of the man until he should get well, and told him if it cost any more than that, he would repay the innkeeper when he came again. And surely he would, too, for a man who was so tender and merciful would keep his word. When Jesus had finished telling this story, He asked the lawyer, which of the three men, the priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan, had acted most like a neighbor to the man who had fallen among thieves ? And he said, " He who showed him mercy." Then said Jesus unto him, " Go, and do thou likewise." s&Jf P 1 BY GEORGE HAHN. THE GOOD SAMARITAN. BY GEORGE HAHN. PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON. I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compas- sion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. Luke 15—18, 19,20. ■-^ CHAPTER XXXVII. THE PRODIGAL SON. PHARISEE, a man of immense wealth and influ- ence, made a feast on the Sabbath day, and invited Jesus to partake of it. This Pharisee did not ask Him out of kind- ness. On the contrary, he had a very mean motive for wishing Jesus to come to his house. He wanted a better chance for him and his friends to watch Him, to see if they could find Him breaking any of their Sabbath laws. They were so anxious to seize Him and persecute Him, that they were always looking for some pretext. They consid- ered that breaking the Sabbath was one of the most terrible crimes. A man approached Jesus, who had the dropsy. His body was swollen to a great size with the disease, and he suffered greatly. Jesus was moved to pity. But He knew that the lawyers and Pharisees were looking for a chance to censure Him, and 187 188 THE PRODIGAL SON. He knew, also, that they did not feel in the least sorry for the man. He asked them: " Is it against the law to heal on the Sabbath day? " They held their peace. They knew that there was no sin in doing good on any day, but they did not like to see the Saviour heal any one, for it was but more testimony to His won- drous power and mercy. But the Lord Jesus healed the man in spite of them, and sent him away rejoicing. He asked them then if any of them had an ox or any other animal f 11 into a pit up n the Sabbath day, if they would not pull it out? Again they kept silent. Their consciences convicted them of trying to impute sin to others whfch was no sin. He gave them a lesson in humility. He observed how they always selected the best seats for themselves, and He told them if they were invited to a wedding or any other festivities they should not choose the best place, test a better man than they were, might be intended by the host for that place of honor. He would then have to ask them to give way to the honored guest, and take a lower place, and that would shame them. But they should always sit in the humblest seat when bidden to a feast, that the host might ask them to take a higher one; and then respect would follow them. And He spoke a parable unto those who thought they were better than others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Phar- isee, and the other a publican. THE PRODIGAL SON. ISO The Pharisee stood and thanked God he was not wicked and greedy, unjust, and full of sin. He even was so self- righteous that he stood there and thanked God he was not like the publican who stood near. He told the Lord that he fasted twice a week, and paid taxes on all he owned. But the publican, standing afar off, dared not lift his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, and cried humbly: " God be merciful to me a sinner! " And Jesus said to them: " I tell you this man was heard before the other one. "For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." He loved to teach through parables. Many lessons He con- veyed in this way. The publicans and sinners were called very wicked. But they honestly tried to become better, and so they drew near to Jesus to hear His words. He often went to their houses, and ate with them. A new complaint was now made by the Scribes and Pharisees. He visited sinners, *and broke bread with them. He told them that beautiful parable about the lost sheep. " What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? "And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. " And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends 190 THE PRODIGAL SON. and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. " I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just men, who need no repentance." He thus showed them that even though the Pharisees did not feel glad when they heard of a sinner who had turned to* God, there was joy in the presence of the angels. He told them about a certain man who had two sons. One of them was dutiful and loved his home, and did his- daily tasks patiently. The younger son was restless, dissatisfied, wished to see the world, as he would say, and so he asked his father to give him the share of his goods that would fall to him. So his father- divided them, and gave the boys their portion. Not many days after, the younger boy gathered his alt together, and started away into a distant land. There he led a very bad life. He did things he knew were wrong, and he wasted the money that his kind father had given him, and soon he had none left. He had nothing to buy food with. Besides, there was a great famine in that land, and food was not to be purchased. What could he do now? He had to work or else go hun- gry. So he went to a native of that country, and asked him if he would not give him something to do. He was willing to become a servant rather than starve. The man hired him to go into the pastures to feed his. swine. He began to suffer the pangs of hunger, for, as I said,. THE PRODIGAL SON. 19* a great famine was abroad in the land. He was glad to take some husks and coarse food that belonged to the pigs, and eat them. And no man gave him anything better. . How cold and miserable he was. Now he had time to think of the good home he had left, and how he had abused his father's generosity, and he repented of his conduct. He thought of the many servants his father had, and com- pared his lot with theirs. They had bread enough, and to spare, while he was perishing with hunger. As he remembered all these things he made a sudden resolution : ""I will arise, and go to my father, and will say unto him r Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee ; " And am not worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants. . "And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him." Some fathers, even though they saw the penitent son com- ing, would have stood up in their dignity and waited for him to- come and fall at their feet. But this father was a forgiving parent, and as soon as he saw his son coming, even though he was in rags, he ran and fell upon his neck, and kissed him. So does our heavenly Father meet us. When He sees we are repentant, and want to come back to Him, He is ready to receive His erring ones with outstretched arms. And when this son had confessed to his father his shame and sorrow, that forgiving parent said to his servants: 192 THE PRODIGAL SON. " Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. " And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it. And let us eat, and be merry. " For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found." And they began to be merry. The elder son had been busy all day working in the field, and as he came toward the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. And he asked a servant why it was. The servant told him that his brother had come, and that his father was so happy to have him back safe and well, that he had made a great feast. Should you not have thought he, too, would have been so delighted to see his brother that he would have hastened to welcome him back? But he was not. He felt very jealous, and would not go into the house, to take his brother by the hand. His father was hurt at this coldness, and he came out, and entreated him to come. He could not feel happy if one of his sons kept away from the feast. He said to his father, " Lo, I have worked faithfully for thee these many years. I have always obeyed you, and done my duty. But you never gave me even one little kid, so that I might make a feast, and invite my friends. " But just as soon as that son comes back, who went away from you, and wasted all he had with bad companions, you kill for him the finest calf we have." THE PRODIGAL SON. 193 The father's heart was touched at the sons words, and yet he knew he had no reason to be angry. "Son," he said, " thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. " It was right that we should make merry and be glad; for thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost and is found." What did this parable mean? It means that the prodigal had done wrong. He had been in danger of losing his soul, but as soon as he turned from his evil ways, the father was ready to forgive him, and restore him to his rightful place, just as your Heavenly Father is always ready to pity and' forgive every one who is sorry for his sins, and asks for pardon. For remember, there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. Matthew 19—14; Luke 17—12, 13. CHAPTER XXXVIII. MERCIFUL ACTS. matter where Jesus went, He was ever doing works of love. He was teaching in a synagogue one day, when He saw a poor woman bent nearly double. It was impossible for her to stand straight. She had been in this sad condition for eighteen years. He did not wait for her to implore His help, but He called her to Him at once, and placing His hands upon her poor, bent form, He said : " Woman, you are rid of your infirmity." And she stood up straight, and her first act was to praise God. The ruler of the synagogue showed much anger thereat, and forbade the people coming there to be cured on the Sabbath day. 'There are six days in which men ought to work, and therefore people should come on one of those days." " Thou hypocrite !" cried the Saviour. " Does not each one of you unfasten his ox or his ass from the stall,- and lead him away to water ? 194 MERCIFUL ACTS. iyj "And why should not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan hath bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day ?" For once His enemies showed a feeling of shame. And •every one who heard His answer rejoiced for the glorious things that He had done. A short time after this, as He passed through Samaria and -Galilee, on His way to Jerusalem, as He was going into a cer- tain village He met ten lepers. You remember the leper He healed before, and how horri- ble a disease it is. Also that any one afflicted with it, was com- pelled to stand afar off, and call out " Unclean, unclean." These lepers did not dare approach Jesus, but they had heard of His wonderful kindness, and so they cried out, instead •of " Unclean !" "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." Their appeal for mercy was heard. He told them to go show themselves to the priests. They went, and on their way, they became cleansed. What would you expect them to do? Why, return at once, and fall at Jesus' feet and do Him homage. Strange to say, they hurried away, and only one of them remembered the great debt he owed, and he turned back, and gave voice to his gratitude, proclaiming in a loud voice what God had done for him Then he prostrated himself at the feet of our Lord, and gave Him thanks. This man, the only one who showed any thankfulness, was a despised Samaritan. He belonged to a people whom the Jews especially hated. 196 MERCIFUL ACTS. And Jesus said : "Were there not ten made clean? Where are the nine ?" And He said to him : " Arise, and go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole." God loves a grateful heart, and willing lips that praise Him. And a young man came to Him asking how he could gain eternal life ? Jesus told him he must keep the commandments. The young man told Him he had kept those from his youth up. " What more can I do ?" Our Saviour told him if he wished to be perfect, to sell all that he had and give to the poor. He would then have treas- ure in heaven, and would be fit to follow Him. But the young man went away with a sad heart, for he was very rich and could not bear to give all he had up. The Saviour demands a heart to be wholly His. He does not want a love for riches, or a pet sin to divide with Him. As He taught the people, many mothers brought their little babes to Jesus that He might bless them. They wanted Him to lay His hands upon them, for they had heard Him teach, and they thought they should like to have Him take them in His arms, for a benediction would linger round them forever. The disciples did not feel pleased to see them come with their babes to Jesus. They fancied their Master would not want to be troubled by a number of little children. So they chided these mothers, and were about to send them away. MERCIFUL ACTS. 197 How little they knew their Master's tender heart. He would not let them be driven away. He called His disciples to Him, and said : " Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not ; for of such is the kingdom of God." And He gave them this to think about : " Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall in no wise enter therein." And He took the babes in His arms, and placed His hand upon their heads, and blessed them. And He went away after this. Very near to Jerusalem was a beautiful little village known as Bethany. Here two sisters lived with a brother, and a very happy household it was. Martha, the elder sister, was a very good woman. She loved the Lord Jesus, and whenever He came to Bethany she always welcomed Him to her house. Martha had a sister, Mary, who also loved Jesus' words. She was very happy when He came, for she would sit at His feet, and listen to His sayings. Their brother Lazarus also loved the Lord. Martha was a very busy woman, who always kept her house in order, and when Jesus came to see them, she was very careful to prepare Him nice food. One day when Jesus came, Martha felt particularly anxious to prepare something very good for Him. He was her guest, and her heart was full of care, for she wanted to wait on Him properly, as He deserved. But Mary was not giving her any 198 MERCIFUL ACTS. help, but sat in her favorite place, at Jesus' feet. She was so anxious to learn all she could from His beloved lips. Martha began to be cross with her sister. She was vexed because she did not assist her in her work. So she came to Jesus, and asked Him : " Lord, do you not care because my sister has left me all alone ? Tell her to help me serve." Martha knew that Mary was willing to assist her, but she was desirous that the food should be cooked nice, and the table well set, and she felt a little irritable to think that Mary was not taking any interest in such things. She wanted Jesus to speak plainly to Mary and tell her what her duty was, and then her sister would obey at once. He knew why Martha spoke so. He saw that her heart was full of. love, and that she aimed to give Him the best she had. So He spoke to her gently, but He did not give Mary the reproof Martha expected He would. He said : " Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things. " But one thing is needed ; and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." He meant to show Martha that she was busying herself with the concerns of this world, while Mary was filling her soul with those truths that would make her love God, and be fit for His kingdom. They were now about to hold the Feast of Dedication. This was held in honor of the reconsecration of the temple after its MERCIFUL ACTS. 199 * shameful desecration one hundred and sixty-six years before Christ. Although not participated in by those Jews who lived far away, or by the Galileeans, still it was a time of merry-making. It was called the Feast of Lights, as they illuminated the city so brilliantly during the celebration. It was always held in the winter. As Jesus walked in the colonnade encircling the Court of the Gentiles, the Jews gath- ered round Him, and asked Him to say plainly if He were the Christ. Jesus answered them : " I told you and you would not believe me. The works that I do in my Father's name bear witness who I am. " But you believe not, because you do not belong to me. You are not my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and follow me. " And to them I give eternal life. They shall never perish, nor shall any man take them from me. " My Father is greater than all. He gave these sheep to me ; and no man can pluck them out of my Father's hand. " I and my Father are one." Oh, how stern the Jews became. They would teach Him not to revile and blaspheme in this manner. They seized stones again, as they did once before, for the purpose of stoning him to death. Jesus asked them for which of the good works He had done from His Father did they seek to stone Him? They said : " We do not seek to stone thee for any good 200 MERCIFUL ACTS. work you have done, but for your blasphemy in calling yourself God, when you are but a man." He again declared that He did the works of His Father, and that He and His Father were one. And again they tried to seize Him, but He escaped from them and went away into the place beyond the Jordan where John had first baptized, and where He would be safe from those who persecuted Him. Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Beth- any, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes; and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus sayeth unto them, Loose him, and let him go, St. John 11—1,43,44. CHAPTER XXXIX. LAZARUS. >N the little town of Bethany, Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary, lay very ill. . What should these loving sisters do first? Send word to that Lord on whom they believed. He had healed so many, He would not fail to restore Lazarus whom He loved so tenderly. They sent a messenger to Jesus, saying: " Lord, he you love so dearly is sick." But Jesus told them this sickness was not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God should be glorified also. Jesus cared very much for these two sisters and their sick brother. But He remained two days in that place, after the message came. This seeming indifference to Lazarus' peril was designed to make them trust Him more completely. He meant to show them a greater miracle than any He had yet performed. He then said He would go into Judea once more. His dis- 201 202 LAZARUS. ciples tried to persuade Him not to go there. They urged Him not to venture. " Master, the Jews so lately sought to stone thee to death, why do you go there again? " The sisters must have felt that their Master had forsaken them in their grief. How they must have longed to see Him. But Lazarus died. After that Jesus said : "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep." When He spoke so calmly about Lazarus, the disciples thought He had reference to that slumber that comes to you every night when you lie down upon your beds. So they said : " Lord, if he sleeps, he shall do well." Jesus spoke more plainly then, and said: " Lazarus is dead. " And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe. Nevertheless we will go to him." The miracle He was about to perform would more firmly convince the disciples that He was the Messiah than anything that had gone before. But they -still felt a sinking of the heart at thought of His returning to Bethany where He had been in such danger. Thomas said in despair to the others : " Let us go, too, that we may die with Him." He feared that his Master would be killed, and he was willing to die too. When Jesus reached Bethany, He found the household full of sadness. Lazarus had died, and was buried, and his two sisters were grieving sorely. LAZARUS. 203 The house was thronged with kind neighbors, who were trying to comfort them in their affliction. Many of the Jews were there, doing those kindly offices that such a time of sorrow calls forth. Martha, who was always active, as soon as she heard that Jesus had come to Bethany, went out to meet Him. But Mary sat quietly in the house. As soon as Martha saw Jesus, she began to lament. She thought if He had come when they sent for Him, their brother would have lived. She cried: "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." Jesus comforted her with these words: "Thy brother shall rise again." Martha thought He spoke of the day when all shall rise, and she answered: " I know that He shall rise again in the resurrection, at the last day." Jesus spoke to her again, and said that He himself was the resurrection and the life. That whosoever believed on Him should never die. " Believest thou this?" He asked her. And Martha said earnestly: " Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." He asked her where Mary was. Martha returned to the house, and called her sister secretly, and told her the Master had come and wanted to see her. Martha knew there were many Jews in the house who had 4 204 LAZARUS. * come to console Mary and herself, and she feared to say openly that Jesus was outside, lest He be seized. Mary rose quickly, and went out to meet her beloved Teacher. The Jews who saw her hurry out so suddenly, pitied her grief, and they followed at once, so as to say kind words to her, for, they said: " She is going to the grave to weep there/ Lazarus had now been dead four days, and had been placed in the grave. Mary came to Jesus, and falling at His feet, she uttered the same reproach that Martha had spoken: " Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." Jesus saw her weep, and He saw the pitying tears upon the faces of the Jews who had followed her from the house, and His heart was disturbed. " Where have you laid him? " was all he said. They answered, " Lord, come and see." Jesus wept. He could not bear the sight of their anguish. He felt how they mourned their dead brother, and how lonely they were without him. And the tears flowed down His face. Some of the Jews said to each other: "Behold, how He loved him!" But others said, " Could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused this man not to die? " Jesus, groaning in His spirit, came to the grave. They had chosen a cave in a hillside for the sepulcher, and LAZARUS. 205 an immense stone was rolled upon the grave. Jesus said: " Take away the stone." Martha loved her brother, and missed him greatly, but she was afraid it would be a dreadful sight to uncover the grave of one who had been dead four days, and she said so. Jesus saw that she lacked in faith, and He exclaimed: " Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God? " They rolled away the stone, and Jesus looking up to heaven, said: "Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me." He then cried out in a loud voice, so that every one heard: "Lazarus, come forth!" What a miracle was this! At once, while all the people were standing around, some touched with awe, and some speechless with fright, Lazarus, who had been dead four days, rose up, with the grave clothes about Him, and the cloth upon his face. And Jesus said: " Loose the clothes and let him go." There, looking as fresh and healthful as though he had never died, stood Lazarus, while his sisters received him in their arms. Their dear brother who was dead, was now alive. What joy! What gratitude they felt to Jesus. And in that hour many believed on the Saviour. None but God could work a miracle like this! But there were some whose hearts were hard, who still hated Jesus, and sought to do Him harm. These went as fast as they could to the Pharisees, and told them of this strange scene. The chief priests and the Pharisees held a council, and 206 LAZARUS. planned to kill Jesus speedily. For they said if they let Him live any longer, the whole world would believe on Him, and they would lose their place and nation. But there was one among them, Caiaphus, who was chief priest, who told them plainly they knew nothing at all. That it was not necessary that one man should die for the nation. But he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation, and not for that nation alone, but that He should gather together all the children of God who were scattered abroad. And from that day forth they took counsel together to put Him to death. Their Feast of the Passover was soon to be celebrated, and many went up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify them- selves, and here they looked diligently for Jesus, that they might deliver Him up to death. The Saviour could no longer walk among them, so He journeyed to a little town called Eohraim, near the wilderness, where few people lived. Here He staid with His disciples. And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the Mount of Olives then sent Jesus two disciples, And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. Matthew 21—1, 6, 7. CHAPTER XL. GOING TO JERUSALEM. iESUS remained in this quiet spot for a few weeks, resting. The time had come for Him to go up to Jerusalem. He knew that it was His last visit to that city; He knew the shameful and cruel death He was to suffer there, and yet He did not shrink ; it was the will of His Father, and He would not murmur. As He walked slowly on before the Twelve, He thought of the agony in store for Him. But His spirit was ready for the sacrifice. And He began to talk to the Twelve who followed on be- hind, and to explain to them all that was about to take place. He told them of His betrayal into the hands of His foes, how they would mock and sneer at Him, how spitefully they would use Him. He held up to their gaze the picture of Himself beaten and scourged with whips, and spit upon ; and how they would at last put Him to death, but that on the third day He should rise again 207 208 GOING TO JERUSALEM. They listened intently to every word, bat they could not understand what He meant by rising again on the third day. Even now when they should have been thinking only of what He was telling them, their selfishness led them to forget Him and think only of themselves. Two of the disciples, the brothers James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him to ask a favor. " Master, we wish you would do something for us which we desire very much." " What would you have me do?" He asked. They answered: "Grant that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and one on thy left hand, when thou comest in thy glory." Their weakness and selfishness was known to our Saviour, and He made this reply : " Can you bear all the suffering that I am to endure?" He said : "You may bear sorrow and pain for me, but to sit, the one on my left and the one on my right, is not mine to give. But those honors shall be given to those for whom the Father has prepared them." The other ten disciples were quite angry with James and John for asking this favor. Jesus kept instructing them, and showed them that he who would rule must first serve ; in other words, He meant that to be truly good and great one must be unselfish and humble ; must subdue his own pride, and be willing to help others. They approached a town called Jericho. A blind beggar, named Bartimeus, sat by the roadside. Though he saw not, GOING TO JERUSALEM. 209 he heard the noise of so many people passing, and he asked what was going on. He was told Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. He called out : " Jesus, thou Son of David have mercy on me !" Jesus heard his prayer, and commanded that they bring the man to Him. They encouraged the blind man, then, although before they had told- him to hold his peace. They said : " Be of good comfort. Rise, .He calleth thee." And he cast away his garment, and rose to his feet, and they led him up to Jesus. The Saviour asked him what he would like to have Him do for him, and he said, " Lord, give me my sight." He did not ask Jesus if He could give him his sight, but he pleaded that He give it to him — showing unquestioning faith. Jesus said : " Go thy way ; thy faith has cured thee." And the blind man saw instantly, and he followed Jesus, praising Him. And all the people glorified God. In this same town lived a very great sinner, who had made himself very rich by unfair means. He was a publican, or tax- gatherer. This Zacchaeus was very grasping, for he loved money. He extorted all he could from the people, and was much despised in consequence. Jesus knew all this. Zacchaeus was a man without any influence among his fel- low men, in spite of his great wealth. He was a man of ex- ceeding low stature, so small that he could not see over the heads of those who were gathered around Jesus. But he had a great curiosity to see this great Prophet, and when he heard that He was coming by, he climbed into a syca- 210 GOING TO JERUSALEM. more tree, so as to see that Jesus of whom every one was re- peating such wonderful stories. He was safely in the tree, never supposing that any one would notice him. What was his surprise to hear the voice of Jesus, saying : " Zacchasus, come down quickly. For to-day I must stay at your house." He came down as fast as he could, and as soon as he reached the ground, he received Him joyfully. He could not tell why Jesus should honor him thus, but he took Him home. When the people saw that Jesus had gone to the publican's house, they began to grumble. They were forever complain- ing at everything that Jesus did. " He is gone," they said, " to be the- guest of a sinner." Zacchaeus began to think of his greed and hoarding up of money, and how unfairly most of it was made. And while Jesus was at his house, he stood up and said : " Lord, I will bestow half of my goods upon the poor. And if I have robbed any man by false accounting, I will restore what I have taken, fourfold." He not only repented of his deeds of evil, but he tried to make restitution. The Saviour knew his sincerity. He was so glad to have this sinner turn to the right way, that He said : "This day has salvation come to this house." How different this man was to the young ruler who was not willing to give up his riches, as a test of his sincerity. Zac- chaeus offered of his own free will to give up everything for Jesus. And thus he became an heir to everlasting life. And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the Feast of the Passover, And the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. Matthew 26— 1, 2. CHAPTER XLI. JESUS WARNS THEM. J\OW Jesus preached constantly of the hour when the kingdom was at hand. He denounced un- believers, and warned the proud rulers of the destruction of their temple. He warned them to be ready, and told them that " Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." The coming of the Son of man would be sure and sudden. If they were prepared to receive Him, all would be well ; but if not, terrible would be the punishment. And the disciples came to Him privately after He had ceased talking in the temple, and asked Him when this destruc- tion was to take place. He was on the Mount of Olives, weary with the day's labor, when they surrounded Him, and asked Him for a sign of His coming, and the end of the world. Jesus bade them watch that no man deceived them, for He said that many should come in His name, claiming to be Christ. 211 212 JESUS WARNS THEM. And they should delude many. And that wars and troublous times would come, but they must not be shaken. Pestilences and famines and earthquakes were to ravage the earth ; and nations should quarrel with each other. And when these evil days came, the faith of many would grow cold. But those who endured persecutions and doubts and trials to the end, should be saved in everlasting life. " Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." He admonished them to be like a wise and faithful servant ; when the master of the house maketh him ruler over his affairs, he knows they will be carefully looked after. And not like the servant who takes advantage of his master's absence, to abuse the other servants, and waste his goods. The lord of that servant shall come home suddenly, and punish the unfaithful one severely. nd He likened the kingdom of heaven to ten virgins , who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of these virgins were wise, and the other five were foolish. The foolish ones carried out their lamps, and forgot to see that they were filled with oil. But the wise virgins carefully looked after their lamps, and saw that they were full. While they waited for the bridegroom, they all fell ask ep. And at midnight they heard a great cry": "Behold the bridegroom cometh." JESUS WARNS THEM. 213 And they arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish ones asked the wise ones to give them some of their oil. But they refused to give them any, but told them to go and buy for themselves. While they went to buy, the bridegroom came ; and they that were ready went in to the feast. And the door was shut. When the other virgins returned, they called, " Lord, Lord, open the door to us." But He said, " I know you not." This parable was a thrilling presentation of the necessity for us all to prepare for the hour of death. If we live a good life, and have our lamps trimmed and burning, when the bride- groom, the Son of Man, cometh, we shall be welcomed to the marriage feast ; but if we neglect our duties here, and forget to care for those truths that we need for our salvation, we shall hear the terrible words, — " I know you not." The Feast of the Passover had not yet been held. It was six days before the day of holding it. Jesus came to Bethany, and He went to Martha's house. This was a great joy to them. Not only were they rejoiced to see Him, because they loved Jesus, but He had called their beloved brother back from the grave, and they were deeply grateful. It was the Sabbath when He arrived, and they made Him a supper in the house of Simon the leper, who had been healed by the Lord. A large company was invited. Probably they made the feast in Simon's house because it was more spacious than their own little home, but Martha waited upon the guests herself, while Lazarus occupied a seat at the table with Jesus. 214 JESUS WARNS THEM. The house was thronged with Jews who came to the house to see Lazarus. They wanted to see a man who had been raised from the dead, and hear Him speak. Mary, ever anxious to prove her love for her dear Master, took a box of very costly ointment, which she poured over His head and feet, and then she wiped his feet as He sat at supper, with her long and beautiful hair. The exquisite perfume of the ointment was shed all through the house. There was one disciple who sat there who was very indig- nant at what he considered extravagant waste upon Mary's part. This was Judas Iscariot, the traitor, who afterward be- trayed Jesus. He muttered : " Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and the money given to the poor?" He did not care for the poor. But he was a thief, and carried the bag which the disciples used to put away their small store of money in. He often pilfered from that bag, and his only anxiety because the ointment was used in this manner, was that, had it been sold for money, he would have had a chance to steal some of it. Poor timid Mary had not meant to be extravagant, or neg- lectful of the poor. She had only desired to show her love for the Saviour by anointing Him. Jesus saw that she was grieved at being blamed, and He turned to Judas when He heard him grumbling, and said sternly: "Let her alone. Against the day of my burying hath she kept this. The poor you have with you always. But me ye have not always." JESUS WARNS THEM. 215 The Jews were still planning how to get Jesus into their power. Each day that He lived He was teaching more earnestly, and each day saw greater numbers of their people believing on Him and becoming His followers. Now Satan entered into the heart of Judas. He coveted money, and gathered together all he could. A terrible desire to accumulate more seized upon him. A thought came to him. Perhaps the chief priests would pay him a large sum if he would only help them to seize Jesus without the people know- ing it, or without creating any disturbance. He should have fought the evil suggestion bitterly. Had he tried to cast Satan out of his heart, and prayed to God for help, he would never have committed that terrible crime. His soul would have been made pure. But he made no effort to put aside these wicked, covetous thoughts. He hurried away from Bethany in the darkness of the night, and went up to Jerusalem where he consulted with the priests and captains, and asked them what they would pay him if he betrayed the Saviour into their hands. These foes of Jesus were elated at the chance. They felt sure they would be successful, because one of His own disci- ples was with them, in their infamous scheme. So they made a bargain with him that they would give him thirty pieces of silver - nearly twenty dollars. Judas was well pleased at the' price they offered, and from that time he constantly watched for the coveted opportunity to deliver Jesus over to His enemies. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. Matthew 21—9, 10, 11. CHAPTER XLII. TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. ;HE day after the supper which the Saviour ate with the two sisters and Lazarus at Simon's house, He started for Jerusalem, with his disci- ples. As He approached the city, he sent two of His disciples on ahead, saying: "Go ye into the village over there. When you enter its streets, you shall find a colt tied, on which never man hath sat. Untie him, and bring him hither. " And if any one asks you why you take the colt, you shall say unto him: 'The Lord God has need of him.'" They went as they were told to, and found the colt fastened by a door in a spot where two roads met. And as they untied him, some men who were standing near, asked: " Why do you loose that colt? " " Because our Lord needs the colt," they replied. So the men said no more. 216 TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. 217 The roads and byways were full of people who heard that Jesus of Nazareth was coming to Jerusalem; and they went out in immense numbers to meet him, bearing branches of the palm trees in their hands and strewing them like mats along the road. And they spread their garments on the colt, and placed Jesus upon him, while many threw their garments upon the ground, and cut down the branches for Jesus to pass over, as they shouted with glad voices! "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord!" And this shout was taken up by all who went before, and echoed again by those who followed: " Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest." The Pharisees, of whom there were many in the crowd of people, could not endure to hear them praising Jesus so, and they said to Him: " Master, rebuke your disciples." But He answered that if these men should hold their peace, the very stones would cry out. They were near the beautiful city of Jerusalem now, and as Jesus looked down upon it, he wept over it. He saw the devastation which the enemies of Jerusalem would work upon its fair proportions, when they should cast a trench about it, and hem it in on every side, and not one stone should be left upon another. He wept because the people of that city would not believe on Him, and live. They were full of sin and unbelief. He had 2 1 8 TRIUMPHAL ENTR Y INTO JER U SALEM. taught them so long, and worked out so many miracles, and they trusted Him not. He would have gathered His children together, as a hen gathereth her chickens, but they would not let Him. He knew that God would punish that city, which was about to shed the blood of His well-beloved Son. He rode into Jerusalem on the colt, and as the people who were assembled to celebrate the Passover, saw the procession coming up the narrow streets, while thousands looked down from the housetops, they wondered what caused so great a commotion, and the question ran from lip to lip: " Who is this that cometh? " And the multitude answered with a mighty shout : " Ho- sanna to the Son of David!" Even the children took up the . cry, and filled the temple with their praises. The chief priests came to Him, and asked Him if He heard what they said. " Yes," answered Jesus, "have you never read, ' Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? ' : But the next morning when He entered the temple He saw the same disgraceful scenes which He had witnessed three years before. The cattle and sheep, and birds, that were to be sacrificed at the coming Feast, were all in the courtyards, making God's house discordant with their cries: And there too, were the money-changers at their tables. Jesus was moved to anger. Once more He drove them from the sacred place, upsetting their tables, casting out those who bought and sold, as with scorching words He addressed them : TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. 219 "My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves." When He had driven out those who profaned the temple, the blind and the lame came to Him, and He healed them. And while He was in the temple, He saw the rich men cast- ing their gifts into the treasury. And a poor widow passed Him, and timidly cast in two mites. And Jesus was pleased that she had remembered that, though she had so little, she could spare some, and He said: " Of a truth I say unto you that this poor widow has done more than all these rich men. " For they have given of their abundance, and feel not the want of it. But she has, in her poverty, given of her living, and needeth it." For days Jesus remained in the temple preaching and heal- ing. The Pharisees were ever asking Him difficult questions, expecting that He would be baffled and unable to reply. But He gave them parable after parable which came back upon them- selves,, and their hatred of Him grew more fierce. He told them of the wicked husbandman and the marriage of the king's son. The great Sanhedrim sent a party of their men to demand of Him his authority for teaching. This Sanhedrim was the highest legal and religious court of the nation. His reply was a question to them: " Was the baptism of John from heaven or of men?" They dared not answer as they really thought, for they 220 TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. feared the wrath of the people, who honored John as a prophet. So they retired, angry and revengeful. The Pharisees and the Sadducees in their turn tried to make Him say something which they could complain of, but He met them at every point, and conquered them. It was now night, and the Saviour went back to Bethany, and lodged there. And all the Twelve went with Him, even to that wicked Judas, who was trying to invent some plan by which he could give Jesus into the hands of the Jews, and thus earn the longed-for thirty pieces of silver. BY B. PIvCCKHORST. CHRIST'S ENTRANCE INTO JERUSALEM. ■ «aSa m ijb*i BY H. HOFMANN. THE LAST SUPPER. And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matthew 26—26. 27, 28. CHAPTER XLIII. THE LAST SUPPER. HE days of teaching were drawing to a close. Soon the enemies of Jesus would, have Him in their power, and He would die upon the cross. Two days more He taught in the temple, while the chief priests and rulers were seeking dili- gently how to take Him. When the first day of the Passover came, Jesus said to Peter and John : " Go prepare the passover, that we may eat." They did not know what to do, for there was no house in all Jerusalem which was open to them, and they asked Him : " Where will you have us prepare it ?" He said to them : " Go at once to the city and you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water. Follow him into the house which he enters. And when vou see the good man of the house, say to him — The Master bids me ask you where the guest-chamber is, in which He shall eat the passover with His disciples. . - 223 224 THE LAST SUPPER. 11 He will take you to a large upper room, furnished. There make ready." They obeyed to the letter His instructions, for they trusted Him completely. They went, and behold, they met the man with the pitcher, and on following him, they asked the master of the house where the room was which Jesus had sent them to find. , He took them upstairs, to a large room, in which was a iong table, with seats arranged round it. And Peter and John pre- pared everything for the supper. At eventide Jesus came to the house with His twelve disci- ples, and they went into the upper room which Jesus had told them of, and all sat down. This was a solemn meal, for it was the last Jesus would eat with His beloved followers, before His death. And as they drew round the table He first took the cup of wine in His hands and gave thanks over it. And He passed it to His disci- ples, saying, " Take this, and divide it among yourselves. For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come." He told them also : " I have longed to eat this passover with you before I suffer." He told them this would be the last time He should eat with them. And even at this sad announcement, when their hearts should have been very humble, there arose a strife among them to know which should be considered the greatest. 'They had not yet subdued their proud and selfish spirits, and become humble as their Lord desired them to be. THE LAST SUPPER. 225 And now Jesus arose from the table, and laying aside the white robe He wore, He girded a towel about His waist, and pouring water into a basin He began to wash the feet of His own disciples. In that land it was always the duty of the servants to bathe the feet of the guests. They wore sandals, and their feet be- came very dusty, and this laving refreshed them. But this supper, of which Jesus had partaken, was unat- tended by servants. They had waited upon themselves to the bread and wine which was set before them. Think of Jesus, who was the blessed Lord, doing that act which belonged to a servant to do. He humiliated Himself to teach them to be humble. They were so astonished and ashamed that they could say nothing. But when He came to Peter, he protested against it " Lord," he said, "dost thou wash my feet ?" Jesus said : : 'What I do now, you do not understand, but you shall know hereafter." Peter said, " Lord, thou shalt never wash my feet." But when Jesus said to him, " If I do not wash thee, thou dost not belong to me," Peter answered earnestly : "Lord, wash my feet, and my hands and head also." He was not able to bear the thought of being sent away from his Lord. Jesus said : " He that is washed, needeth only to have his feet washed, for he is clean. And you, my disciples, are clean, but not all of you." He alluded to their hearts. They had been made clean 226 THE LAST SUPPER. through Jesus' teachings, all save one ; and that was Judas. His heart was black and vile. After washing their feet, He took the towel from His waist and putting on His festive robe, He sat down at the table again. " Know you what I have done to you ?" He told them that they called Him Lord and Master, and they should wash each other's feet as He had washed theirs. "The servant is not greater than his Lord, neither He that is sent greater than he that sent Him." Again they had reason to feel the flush of shame when they thought of how jealous they had been of each other, and un- mindful of what He taught them daily : " He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me ; and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." While they were yet at supper, that Last Supper they would ever eat together, Jesus was very sad. He must have thought of many things, but most of the ingratitude and hypocrisy of that disciple who had received the same kind in- structions as the rest, and yet who would deliver up his Master to death for a few paltry pieces of silver. He was troubled in spirit, and He said : " Verily, verify I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me." The disciples were startled at this terrible charge, and each looked at the other, as if to ask of whom He spoke. One by one they began inquiring, " Lord, is it I ?" Jesus gave them no answer. There was one disciple whom THE LAST SUPPER. 227 Jesus loved very dearly ; this one sat next to Him, with his head resting on the Saviour's bosom. Peter motioned to him to ask the Lord who the guilty one was, for he thought he would receive an answer. John whispered in a low tone, "Lord, who is it ?" Jesus answered in the same low tone, — "He to whom I shall give a sop, when I shall have dipped it." The Saviour took a piece of bread and dipped it into a dish that stood near His plate, and passed the bread to Judas. John and Peter then knew who the wicked man was. But no one else had heard the Lord's answer. After the sop was handed him, Satan took entire possession of Judas, and Jesus said to him : :< That thou doest, do quickly." Not one of those who heard these words knew their mean- ing. Some of them no doubt fancied that the Saviour had told him to go and buy something for the poor, or something that they needed at the feast ; for you know that Judas carried the bag of money that belonged to them in common. Judas rose and left the room, no doubt glad that the tinx had so soon come. It was night, and as he hurried along the dark streets, on his way to the priests and Scribes, he must have been a most miserable man. Then Jesus took the bread and blessed it, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying : " Take, eat ; this is my body." And He took the cup, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them also, and pouring out the wine, they all drank 228 THE LAST SUPPER. of it. He said : "This is my blood, which is shed for you. Drink this in remembrance of me." The Last Supper! He wanted to teach them by those symbols, that as the bread had been broken, and the wine poured out, so would His body be broken, and His blood spilled for them, and for all men. They sang a hymn, then they left the house, and went out into the streets, toward the Mount of Olives. Jesus talked tenderly to them. He said, " It is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. You will all leave me to-night. I shall be taken, and you will be left alone." Peter said : "Lord, / will not leave you. I will go with you anywhere. I will lay down my life for your sake." Jesus knew that Peter was in earnest. He also knew that he was weak, and would not be so steadfast under trial as he imagined. And He said : . < " I say unto you, that this day, even in this night, before the cock crow twice, you will' deny me thrice." Peter could not believe himself so wicked, and he spoke with still greater earnestness : " If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise." And they all said the same. Jesus now began to say His parting words. He knew how soon He would be gone, and He tried to comfort them. " Let not your hearts be troubled. Ye believe in God, be- lieve also in me. " In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not THE LAST SUPPER. 229 so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also." And He gave them a new commandment : " That ye love one another. As I have loved you, so love you one another." Then, while these loving words fell on their ears, He prayed for those disciples who had clung to Him, and labored with Him, and suffered persecution for Him. He prayed that they might be kept from evil, and made, strong to do good works. And while He prayed that they might be sanctified, He also sent up a petition for all who would believe : " Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word." ■ Then cometh Jesus- with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, While I go and pray yonder. Then saith he unto them, my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. Matthew 26-36, 38, 39. CHAPTER XLIV. GETHSEMANE. >HEN the little band of disciples, with their dear Master, left Jerusalem the night of the Passover, they crossed the brook of Kedron, and passed on into a beautiful garden not far from the city, called Gethsemane. Jesus loved to visit this spot. . It was quiet, and the noise of the busy people in the city did not reach it. Judas knew where it was, for he had often been there with the rest of the Twelve, and he was pleased at the opportunity he had of leading the men whom the priests had furnished him, to the spot. As soon as the feast was over, the guards who were to help Judas seize the Saviour, hurried to their task. They would not leave the feast even for so important an object. They must first observe that, and then they were ready to kill. When the Saviour went into the garden, He went a short distance from His little band of disciples, and knelt in prayer. 230 GETHSEMANE. 23 1 He said to them as He withdrew from them: "Sit here, while I pray." He called Peter, and James and John to accompany Him. He felt sorrowful and sore distressed. He said: " My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death. Wait here, and watch." And He went on a little farther, and fell on His face, praying. This was His prayer to His Father in heaven: " If it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not what 1 will, but what Thou wilt." He was bearing the burden of man's sins. They weighed heavy on Him; no one could help Him bear them. In His own precious person He was to suffer for us, upon the cross. And though He endured such agony, yet He was ready, if it were God's will, to pass through anything, death itself, for us. He walked back to where He had left Peter, and James and John, and He found them asleep! He woke them, and re- proached them gently: " Simon, sleepest thou? Couldst thou not watch with me one hour? " Watch ye and pray, lest ye fall into temptation." Again He went a little way from them, and prayed to God for help in His trial. He returned, and once more found them wrapped in slum- ber. Their eyes were heavy with sleep, and they did not know what to say for themselves. Now He saw that these, His dearest friends, could not share His sorrow. He was entirely alone. 232 GETHSEMANE. But an angel came to Him, and strengthened Him. " And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly; and His sweat was as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground." He left the disciples sleeping, and went away again and prayed. His agony was intense. He prayed with all His power, and the anguish of His spirit was great. These drops of blood came out upon His face, and fell to the earth. But again He ended His petition to Heaven with the words: " Not My will, O Lord, but Thine be done! " Rising from His knees, He sought His disciples, and finding them still sleeping, He woke them with the words: " The hour has come. Behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up. Let us go! For he that betray eth me, is at hand." And now a great crowd of fierce-looking men, armed with sticks and swords and carrying flaming torches, poured into that garden which had but a little while before been so still and peaceful. Judas had promised these men a token by which they would know Jesus. And this token was a kiss. " Whomsoever," he said, " I shall kiss, that same is He. Take Him and lead Him away speedily and safely." As soon as Judas had stepped into the garden, he ran up to Jesus, and crying, "Master! Master!" he kissed Him. Jesus asked calmly: " Judas, do you betray the Son of man with a kiss?" He walked toward the people who were pressing upon Him, and asked: GETHSEMANE. 233 " For whom are you looking? " And they said: "For Jesus of Nazareth." He answered: " I am He." As soon as He uttered these simple words, the guards re- treated backward in a body, and fell to the ground. And once more He asked them for whom they were come. They said: " For Jesus of Nazareth." " I have told you that I am He. Take me, and let my disci- ples go in safety, that the saying might be fulfilled, which He spake, Of them which thou gavest me, have I lost none." Simon Peter had a sword, and suddenly drawing it, he cut off the right ear of a servant of the high priest, whose name was Malchus. Jesus said to Peter: " Put up thy sword, in the sheath. I could have thousands of angels to protect me if I wished them. But no, the cup which my Father hath prepared for me, of that will I drink." And reaching forth His hand. He touched the man's bleeding ear, and healed it. Even to the last His works were works of mercy and peace. Jesus turned to the rabble, and said: " Are you come out as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take him? " I was daily with you in the temple, teaching, and you did not take me. But all this is done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." In that hour of supreme wretchedness and desolation, what did the disciples? 234 GETHSEMANE. They forsook the Son of man. They fled from Him, and left Him in the hands of His enemies. Peter, who was so ready to die with Him, John, whom He loved most of all, and all the rest, ran away! Those who had followed the Saviour so long, had secretly hoped that a band of angels would appear and interpose to save Him from the wrath of the crowd. But no band of angels or other messenger from God, came to rescue Him, and the disciples fled, fearful that they, too, would fall victims to the hatred of the Jews. Now He was in their hands. Now the soldiers bound Him with ropes, and led Him back to the city of Jerusalem. Now Peter sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what Thou sayest. And after awhile came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy . speech betrayeth thee. Matthew 26—69, 72, 73 CHAPTER XLV. PETER DENIES HIS MASTER. iT was far into the night when Jesus was laid hold of in the Garden. But late as it was, they led Him to Annas, the father-in-law of the high priest. Annas was a very old man, and very haughty, and he sent them to the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest, with their prisoner. The Great Sanhedrim would assemble here as soon as they could be called together, and they would sit in judgment upon Jesus. The palace was full of elders and Scribes, and priests. They knew that He was to be brought to them that night, and they were waiting for Him. There was a great commotion outside, and then the sol- diers tramped in, bringing Jesus, whose hands were tied be- hind His back. They had faithfully carried out Judas' hint- had bound Him fast. A shout of triumph went up from the crowd, for they were very glad to have Him in their power. This was a very differ- 235 236 PETER DENIES HIS MASTER. ent shout from that which went up from the crowds which followed Him when He rode into Jerusalem but a few days be- fore. Those were hosannas of praise and victory ; these were sounds of scorn and rage. The chief priests began at once to question Him. They wanted to find witnesses among His accusers, who would give such testimony that they would have an excuse for putting Him to death. Many had borne false witness against Him, and had told lies, but these witnesses could never agree. But there came two, men whose hardest thing they could say was, that He had pronounced Himself able to destroy the temple, and to build it in three days. But this was blasphemy in their eyes. Caiaphas was the same priest who had thought it expedient that one man should die for the people, And he began to in- quire more particularly of Jesus as to what He had done. He asked Him what He had taught, and what His disciples had taught. Jesus said : " I spoke openly to the world. I taught ever in the synagogues, and in the temple, where the Jews always went, and could hear me. I never said a word in secret. " Why do you ask me ? Rather ask those who heard me, what I said unto them. They know well all that I have said." One of the officers of the high priest who heard Jesus' answer, struck him a rough blow with the palm of His hand, and said : " Do you answer the high priest in this manner?" Jesus answered meekly : " If I have spoken wrongly, tell PETER DENIES HIS MASTER. 237 me so. But if I have not spoken wrongly, why do you strike me?" The disciples had all left Him, you remember, but John and Peter were conscience-stricken and ashamed. They were desirous of knowing what had become of their Master, and they followed afar off. John was acquainted with the high priest, and he went into the palace without being questioned. But Peter stood at the door without, until John spoke to the doorkeeper, and she ad- mitted him also. It was a cold, frosty night, and a fire was kindled in the hall, so that they might be warm. Peter quietly seated himself among the servants and soldiers who were clustered about the fire, but he spoke to none of them. He did not want to be recognized. As he sat there, looking very unhappy, a servant maid who passed him, looked at him very intently, and said : " Are you not one of those men who are called the disciples of Jesus ?" Peter spoke a terrible falsehood. He was afraid to tell the truth, and he said : " Woman, I do not know Him." He must have felt frightened at his own wickedness, for he went out of the door. But after a little while another servant saw him, and said quite positively : " I am sure you were with Jesus." And Peter spoke quite angrily, saying : " I do not know the man !" 238 PETER DENIES HIS MASTER. Then he went back to the fire, and sat down to warm him- self. In about an hour a man who was looking at him, said : "Of a truth, this fellow was also with Jesus in the garden. He is a Galileean." Peter was in a great rage now. He began to use bad, ugly words, and again he said : " I do not know what you mean. I tell you I do not know the man !" At that moment he heard the cock crow loudly. And the Lord turned, and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the words of the Lord, how He had said unto him, " Before the cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice." When Peter saw that look of sad reproach and love upon the holy face of his Master, his own heart came near to break- ing. He repented at once. The words of Jesus sounded in his ears. He recalled them in shame and bitterness now. Peter's repentance was sincere and lasting. His heart bled to think he had been so mean and cowardly, and ungrateful, as to deny his Master. And he went out into that garden and knelt down, and wept bitterly. The men who held Jesus mocked Him, and after they had blindfolded Him, they struck Him repeatedly in the face, and asked Him, saying : " Can you not prophesy who it is that smites thee ?" And they spoke many wicked things to Him. The high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus : "Art thou Christ, the Son of the Blessed?" Jesus said : " I am. You shall see the Son of man sitting PETER DENIES HIS MASTER. 2>y on the right hand of God, and coming in the clouds, with the angels." The high priest was satisfied. He had heard these words from Jesus' own lips, and now he rent his clothes, and said : " We do not need any further witnesses. You have heard this blasphemy. What shall we do with Him?" And they cried out with one voice : " Let Him die ! He should be killed !" " So Jesus was condemned to be guilty of death." And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews ? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it. And the chief priests accused him of many things; but he answered nothing. And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing ? behold how many things they witness against thee, But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marveled. Mark 15—2,3,4, 5. CHAPTER XLVI. JESUS BEFORE PILATE. LL that long and dreary night Jesus was tor- mented by the rough men about Him. They called Him vile names, they struck Him and spit upon Him, and yet He answered them not. The ropes that bound His hands were drawn tightly together. Jesus endured this ill treatment patiently, throughout that night when His enemies at last had Him in their power. They dared not do any more than maltreat Him, until they had brought Him before the governor to be examined. Pontius Pilate had not risen, and they had to wait until he entered the judgment hall ere they could bring Jesus to Him. So as soon as it was morning, they took Him to Pilate's house, but here a new difficulty arose. If they entered the Hall of Judgment they would be defiled, and could not partake of the feast that day. So Pilate yielded to their scruples so far as to go out to those wealthy and important citizens. 240 JESUS BEFORE PILATE. 241 " What accusation do you bring against this man? " he asked them indifferently. They answered that if He were not a criminal they would not have brought Him to Pilate to be sentenced. "Then," said Pilate, "take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law." M It is not lawful for us to put any man to death," they retorted. Pilate saw at once that they wanted to kill Him, but they meant to put the blame of His death upon him. But how could he condemn Him when he could not see that He had broken any law? Pilate went back to the judgment hall, and when he saw his holy face he could not find it in his heart to accuse Him of wrong. When he had asked Jesus many questions, and learned with what patience He had borne the insults of the populace, he could find no fault in Him, and he told the waiting crowd that he could not. Their angry reply was: " He calleth Himself Christ, a king, and He deserves to die ! " Pilate was more surprised than ever. " If this man calls himself a king," he reasoned, " how is it that He suffers such indignities? " For the marks of their blows were upon His face. And he asked of Jesus: " Art Thou the king of the Jews? " Jesus answered: " My kingdom is not of this world." He also told him that He was born a king and that He came into the world to bear witness to the truth. Every one who was true could hear His voice. 242 JESUS BEFORE PILATE. "What is truth?" Pilate asked mockingly. He had not found it among either Romans or Jews-. He felt friendly toward Jesus, and half willing to give Him His freedom. He went out again, in front of his palace. As soon as Pilate appeared the rabble were silent. They waited to hear what he would do with Jesus. " I find no fault in Him at all! " he said. The people began to make a great clamor. They were dis- appointed and angry at the result. The chief priests were most bitter against Him. " He stirs up the people, " they said, "teaching throughout all Jewry, from Galilee to this place." Pilate was glad of a chance to be rid of the odium of con- demning an innocent man, and He asked them if Jesus were a Galileean. And he sent him at once to Herod, for if Jesus belonged in Galilee He came under Herod's jurisdiction. Herod and Pilate had not been friends for some time, but now Pilate wished to be at peace with him, and he thought that as Herod had come to Jerusalem to the Passover, he would pay him the compliment of sending Jesus to him to be judged, and thus he would not have to decide in the case. Herod was very much pleased, for he wished to see the famous prophet who had done so many miracles. But when Jesus was brought before Herod, whose face He had never looked upon before, although the Scribes and Pharisees accused Him violently, He would not speak a word. Not a question would He answer, though He had answered Pilate's JESUS BEFORE PILATE. 243 Herod dared not condemn Him to death on such trifling charges, for he knew he had made the people very angry by slaying John the Baptist in prison. But Herod was mean as well as wicked, and he mocked Jesus, and to make Him look more ridiculous, he ordered a gorgeous robe put on Him, as if He were an earthly king, and sent Him back to Pilate. Pilate felt very sorry. He liked Jesus, for he felt He had done no sin. So he thought he would try once more to save Him. So he called the people and his chief priests together, and told them all that they had brought this man to him as one that misled and deceived' the people, and he had questioned Him closely, and could find no fault in Him. He had done nothing to deserve death. ' No, nor neither could Herod," he said. " I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go." It was the custom at this feast for the governor to liberate one prisoner after scourging him. There was a very bad man lying in prison, named Barabbas. He was a thief and murderer. The chief priests said to Pilate: ' Release unto us Barabbas." Pilate was still trying to save Jesus from a dreadful death, and he said to them: " Would you not rather that I release unto you the King of the Jews?" For he knew that the chief priests had delivered our Lord through envy. The crowd of people shouted: "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" Pilate pleaded to know what evil He had done. 244 JESUS BEFORE PILATE. The mob were hoarse with shouting: "Crucify Him! Cru- cify Him!" Pilate must have even then hoped that the punishment of scourging would have satisfied their rage, for he gave Christ up to the soldiers to be scourged. This was a terrible punishment. It was done with knotted ropes, and the stripes were given upon the back. The pain these blows caused was so intense that many a man died under them. Then the soldiers platted a crown of thorns and put a reed into His hand for a scepter. He was still wearing the purple robes which Herod had ordered for Him, when he sent Him back to Pilate. And then He was brought forth for the mob to see. " Behold the man! " said Pilate. Jesus stood there in all His kingly majesty, the same who had healed the lame, and the blind, and the deaf; the same Jesus to whom they had listened gladly not long ago. And yet at sight of Him a mad shout arose: " Away with Him! crucify Him! ' Pilate dared no longer hesitate. He feared the wrath of the people, and yet he knew Jesus had done nothing to deserve death. His wife had just sent a message to Him: " Have nothing to do with condemning that just man, for I have suffered much this day in a dream, because of Him." But he said to them: " Take you Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him." The Jews replied: " By our law He must die, for He calls Himself the Son of God!" Pilate did not wish to make light of an ancient law; going JESUS BEFORE PIL4TE. 245 back, Jesus was brought once more before him into the judg- ment hall, and Pilate asked: "Where do you come from?' The Saviour remained silent. Pilate was indignant, and said : " Do you not know that I can either crucify you or let you go free?" Jesus said : ' You can have* no power over me unless it were given you by God. He who delivered me up to you has the greater sin." Pilate made another effort to release Him. But the people cried : - If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend. Who- soever makes himself a king, speaks against Caesar." They knew that would seal His doom. Pilate set his judg- ment seat on the pavement outside the Hall of Judgment. Jesus came forth, and He said, pointing to him : " Behold your King !" A loud cry of hate went up from the crowd. " What, shall I crucify your king ?" he asked. u We have no king but Caesar," said the chief priests. Seeing he could not persuade those who were determined on shedding Christ's blood, Pilate took some water, and washed his hands in the presence of the multitude. * I am innocent of the blood of this good man," he said. "See to it yourselves." " His blood be upon us, and upon our children," was the reply of the people. Then Judas which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying,. I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us ? see thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. Matthew 27—3, 4, 5. CHAPTER XLVII. JUDAS DIES. >HAT became of Judas? For thirty pieces of silver he had betrayed his Master into the hands of the Jews. And now Jesus was condemned to die a shameful death. Judas had helped to this death. Was he happy? No. When he found that his greediness had placed the Saviour so completely in the power of. \ * His foes, that nothing could save Him from their \ malice, Judas repented bitterly. Alas, remorse came too late. He could not undo what he had done, and his repentance did no good. The deed was done, and he must suffer from an awakened conscience. The money for which he had done this horrible sin was of no benefit to him. He had hoarded it, but in doing so, the devil had won him into his service. Do you believe he was a desirable master? Was he loving, gentle and self -forgetting, as was the meek and lowly Jesus? No, Satan is a hard and cruel master. He delights to tor- 246 JUDAS DIES. 247 ment and mislead those whom he can gain the mastery over, and enjoys seeing their despair and misery. As soon as Judas heard that the Saviour was to die, the money became hateful to him. He wished that he had died, before he led the rough soldiers into the garden, to take the Lord. What to do with the money he did not know. He could not bear the sight of it. It weighed his soul down like lead. He dared not keep it. A thought came to him. He would go to the chief priests and elders, and confess his guilt and re- morse. Perhaps they would take pity on him, and give him some advice. So he went and confessed thus : " I have sinned deeply. I have betrayed the blood of the innocent." Do you suppose he hoped they would listen to his plea, and perhaps when he told them Jesus was innocent of any wrong, they would set Him free? Ah, if he thought this, he did not know those cruel, heart- less hypocrites. They were wolves. The innocent lamb was in their clutches, and they would never release it until they had shed its blood. They scarcely listened to Judas, for they had no pity for him. Jn fact, they really despised him for playing the traitor. He had been useful to them, and they had paid him his price. They wanted no more to do with him. When they would not say one word of sympathy to Judas, the silver pieces were so horrible in his sight that he dashed them angrily down upon the floor, and rushed out of the temple. ^o JUUAS Ulbb. "And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for us to put them in the treasury, because they are the price of blood." And they consulted together, and concluded to buy a piece of ground which lay south of Jerusalem, and said it would be a proper burial place for unknown strangers, paupers and criminals. " Wherefore the field was called the Field of Blood." But people now call it " The Potter's Field." Thus one of the prophecies of Jeremiah was fulfilled, when he said : " And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value. And gave them for the potter's field." Would you not have thought Judas would have gone to the Master whom he had betrayed, and groveled in the dust, be- seeching His forgiveness? He had often heard that gentle voice saying : " Those who come to Me, I will in no wise cast out." And He had given this promise to the weary and heavy-laden : "Come unto Me, all ye who are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Although Judas was borne down with the weight of his sins, and self-contempt, still, much as he regretted his evil • deeds, he did not love Jesus ; indeed, he never had felt affec- tion for Him, as the other disciples had, and so he kept away from Him. You remember the Saviour once said that Judas was a devil. JUDAS DIES. 249 So he would not go and ask His pardon. He had sinned griev- ously, but he could do nothing now but hate himself. When he fled in despair from the temple, he meant to add another sin to those he had already committed. He meant to take his own life ; that life he could not give, and which be- longed only to his Maker. He got a rope, and going into a field, he saw a tree stand- ing there. Climbing up into this tree, he fastened one end of the rope round a branch, and the other end he placed tightly about his neck. Then springing headlong down from the tree, he was left hanging. Thus ended the life of the traitor. He could not ask God's pardon now. He died as he had lived, wicked and unforgiven, and no pardon could reach him. He had gone to that place prepared for the devil and his spirits And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then said Jesus, Father forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself if he be Christ, the chosen of God. Luke 23— 33, 34, 35. CHAPTER XLVIII. CALVARY. >0 at last the malice of the foes of Jesus was gratified. Now He would be killed, that He no more would confuse and shame the unrighteous Pharisees. Pilate had given Him up to the Jews. He knew that He was free from sin, he had said so repeatedly, and yet he would allow Him to be murdered. There was no time lost after they had gained permission to put Jesus to death, but they hur- ried Him away to Calvary, just beyond the city walls, not far from the palace of Pilate. They stripped Him first of the purple robe which they had given Him to mock Him, and put His own robes upon Him again. "And they spit upon Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head." Two thieves were to be crucified at the same hour. And wh had to carry his own cross to the place of crucifixion. 250 CALVARY. 251 The cross was very heavy, and the Saviour was weak with grief and watching. Only the night before He had partaken of that Last Supper with His little band. Then think of the sufferings He endured in the garden when the drops of sweat turned to blood. All night the enemies of Jesus had tortured Him, while He was kept standing before them. In the morning Pilate had ordered that dreadful punishment of scourging. Neither food nor drink had entered His lips since the Supper with His disciples. Do you think it strange that He had not strength enough to carry that heavy cross? When He sank to the ground, bowed down with its weight, they took a man who had come from the country, Simon of Cyrene, and he was told to bear the cross for Jesus. Among the vast throng who followed Him to Calvary, were scores of women, weeping and lamenting. They were about to lose their kind Teacher, and when He sank on the ground, their cries and tears burst forth with added strength. Jesus heard them mourning, and He said : " Do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For the days are coming when such troubles will come to this city that you will wish you were not born." Jesus knew that God would send a fearful punishment upon that wicked place. They had now reached Calvary. Here the soldiers removed the Saviour's clothes, and laying the cross upon the ground, they straightened out His arms, and drove large nails through His hands to secure Him to the cross. Then they fastened His feet in a similar manner. They now raised the cross, and 252 CALYAR.Y. fixed one end of it firmly into a hole which had been dug for it. The soldiers, of whom there were four, whose duty it was to watch under the cross until the person nailed upon it was dead, now divided the raiment belonging to the Saviour and the two thieves, each taking equal share. In that moment, when Christ felt the anguish of being nailed upon the cross, He cried : " Father, forgive them ; they know not what they do." It was the custom to write upon the cross the name of the criminals, and what their crime had been. So Pilate, knowing Jesus had done no wrong, and to the very last saying so, sent word that this title should be placed over his head : "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." And it was written in Hebrew, and in Greek, and in Latin, that all men might read it. This offended the chief priests. They wanted it changed to—" He said, I am the King of the Jews." But Pilate was firm. He would not change it, and so it remained. All the people stood watching Jesus. The chief priests and elders laughed and mocked at Him, bidding Him thus : "He saved others. Let Him save Himself and come down from the cross, if He is the Son of God." Even one of the thieves derided Him, saying — "If you are the Messiah, save yourself and us." The other thief shamed this man. He said : "Do you not fear God too much to speak so to this man CALVARY. 253 when He has done nothing to deserve this death ? We are getting the just reward of our sins " And he said to Jesus, " Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom." Jesus said unto him, "To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise." The soldiers were among the most malignant of those who jeered at His anguish. They had offered Him a drink of vine- gar which was usually given to those who suffered this cruel death. But Jesus would not partake of it. So He saw the angry faces of the people as they passed to and fro along the highway, and heard them revile Him as they said : "Ah, thou that destroyest the temple !" A very sorrowful group stood near the Saviour's cross. His beloved mother was there, and three other women. John, who was so dear to Jesus, was also there. Mary's soul was now pierced as with a sword, as Simeon had told her, when Jesus was a tiny babe, that it would be. Jesus loved His mother. Even in that hour of deep agony. His eyes rested tenderly upon her. John, the youngest dis- ciple, stood near her, and Jesus said to her : " Woman, behold your son !" And to John He said : " Behold thy mother !" She looked up to Him, and in that agonized and loving look, she bade Him farewell. And John led her away from the cross to his own home. Three, hours the Saviour had been hanging on that cross. Then a strange thing happened. The skies had been blue and 254 CALVARY. cloudless. But suddenly an awful blackness spread over the face of the land. . A dread fell upon the people. Their voices became silent. Even the chief priests shared the fear, and stole away from the scene. Three hours of darkness, and Jesus bore them in silence. A mysterious feeling of loneliness must have crept over Him, not a doubt, but a lonely, heart-breaking sorrow. He could bear it no longer. Then He broke into a cry of entreaty : " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me !" He was still bearing the burden of our sins as He had done in the garden. God had not forsaken Him. But Jesus cried out to Him with all His soul. He now began to feel thirsty. His throat was parched and dry. He said, " I thirst." One of the soldiers pitied Him, and filling a sponge with vinegar, lifted it to His mouth. But the rest said : "Let Him be. Let us see if Elias will come -to save and take Him down." Once more Jesus was heard. He cried out with a loud voice : "It is finished!" Saying this, He died. At the moment when He died, an earthquake shook the city of Jerusalem. The earth shook and trembled, and the rocks split in two. The veil of the temple, which hid the holy place from the holiest of holies, was rent in two from top to bottom. CALVARY. 255 Those who were gathered on Calvary, rushed to the city, smiting their breasts in terror. The centurion who had been set to watch over the soldiers, was struck with fear, and cried out : " Truly this was the Son of God." The next day was the Sabbath, and the Jews wanted those who were on the crosses to be taken down, because they did not want their bodies hanging on the Sabbath day. The sol- diers who were sent on their errand, had orders to break their legs, so they would die more quickly. But the thieves were not dead, so they hastened their deaths in this manner. But Jesus was already dead. To make themselves certain of this, one of them pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed from the wound, and ran down on the ground. A rich man, Joseph of Arimathea, who loved Jesus very much, had often thought he would become a disciple of His, but he was afraid of the wrath of the Jews. But he was now no longer afraid to show his love, and so he went to Pilate and begged that he might have the body of Jesus, and bury it in a tomb which he had made in his own garden. Pilate was not sure that the Saviour was dead, but calling the centurion who had testified that Jesus was the Son of God, he asked him if He were really dead, and when he learned that He was, he told Joseph that he might take away the body. When he returned to Calvary, Nicodemus went with him, bearing sweet spices. Joseph and Nicodemus tenderly took down the Saviour's body, and wrapping it up in fine white 256 CALVARY. linen, in whose folds the spices* were laid, they bore Him away, and placed His sacred body in the tomb in Joseph's garden, in which no man had ever been buried. Then they all re- turned to the city, Joseph, and Nicodemus, and the women from Galilee, and Mary Cleophas and Mary Magdalene, to pre- pare the spices and ointments for enbalming Jesus' body as soon as the Sabbath was over. The foes of Christ had not expected this burial of their victim. They would have thrown His body in a common grave where the malefactors who had died this shameful death were thrown. But when they found that Joseph had taken away His body, they went to Pilate, and said to him : "Sir, that deceiving man said that after three days He would rise again. < Command, we pray you, that the sepulcher be made fast until the third day, for fear His disciples come at night and steal Him away, so they can say to the people, He is risen, and thus they will deceive them worse than before." To satisfy the priests, Pilate said : " You have a watch. Go and make the grave as secure as you please." This watch consisted of Roman soldiers, and these made the sepulcher sure, by sealing the stone which was placed over the mouth of the tomb, and then the priests went their way. So the Saviour had given up His life to save the world. When He cried in a loud voice, " It is finished !" He meant His work of saving sinners was done. He had borne their sins, and now He had redeemed them, and His labors were over, forever. When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple; And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. Matthew 27—57, 59, 60. CHAPTER XLIX. THE SEPULCHER. HOSE women who had loved Jesus so much, staid near the place till they saw Him laid in the tomb, and the stone was rolled against the door. Then they went home to prepare the spices and ointments for anointing His body. One of these women was Mary Magdalene. The Saviour had cast out evil spirits from her and had put His own holy Spirit in their place, and she felt that her gratitude had not shown itself nearly as much as she wished it had. On the Sabbath day they had to cease work and rest, for so the commandment bade them. But on the morning of the next day, even while it was yet quite dark, Mary Magdalene and the other women rose to go to the sepulcher. But as they walked together, they were troubled, for they said: " Who shall roll away that great stone from the grave? We cannot do it, for it is very heavy." 257 258 THE SEPULCHER. But as they came to the grave, they found the stone had been moved, and the grave was open! Jesus was not there. How did this happen? In the night while the soldiers guarded the tomb, to see that the disciples did not return, there came a great shock, and an angel whose face was as the flame of the lightning, came down from the dark heavens, and the earth shook beneath their feet. He rolled away the stone, and they fell on the ground, flat on their faces, like dead men. Jesus had told His disciples he would rise on the third day. When the women found the grave empty, they thought His body had been stolen by His enemies in the night. "Then Mary runneth, and came to Simon Peter and the other disciples whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them: They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid Him." Peter and John listened to Mary Magdalene in terror. They could not believe it could be so. So they ran as fast as they could, and Mary Magdalene followed on behind. John came first to the grave. And stooping down and look- ing in, he saw the linen clothes that had bound the Saviour's body lying neatly folded up, as was also the napkin, but that lay in a place by itself. But Peter was not content to look into the grave. He must go in, and all he saw was the napkin and the grave clothes. John then went in, and now he remembered that Jesus had said He would rise again, and he saw, and believed. And the two disciples returned to their home. THE SEPULCHER. 259 When Mary Magdalene had hurried away to tell Peter and John this sad disappearance of the body, Mary Cleophas and Salome had staid by the grave. They entered it, and were alarmed at seeing an angel sitting on the right side. " Fear not," this angel said. " 1 know that you have come to see Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; He is risen. And go quickly and tell the disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee. There you shall see Him as he said unto you." The women fled from the sepulcher trembling with fear, but they hastened to tell the rest of the disciples. But Mary could not leave the place. She stood outside the sepulcher weeping bitterly. She was alone, and as she wept, she stooped down and looked in as John had done. But lo! the grave was no longer empty. Two angels sat, one at the head, and one at the feet, where Jesus had lain, bending over the spot as if they still were guarding Him. The angels said to her: " Why do you weep! " She was so unhappy that she did not feel frightened, and she replied: " They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him." And she turned back, and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know who it was. Jesus asked her: 'Why do you weep so? For whom are you looking? " She was so blinded with her tears that she did not look up, 260 THE SEPULCHER. else would she have known Him. She thought it was the gar- dener who asked her the question, and she said: " Sir, if you have taken Him from here, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." Jesus spoke her name: " Mary ! " Oh, the joy of hearing that familiar voice. She turned with passionate love, and answered: " O my Master ! " She sprang toward Him to touch Him, but" He said, solemnly: " Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father. But go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God." Jesus also showed Himself to Mary Cleophas and to Salome, and sent the same message to His brethren. He still called His disciples His brothers. Though they had forsaken Him in His hour of need, yet He forgave them. So they all went and told the disciples, and gave them the message. But the disciples doubted even yet that they had seen Him. There was only one who thought they were not mistaken, and that was John. He believed that Jesus had risen from the dead. And behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus, himself, drew near, and went with them. Luke 24— 13, 14, 15. CHAPTER L. THE WALK TO EMMAUS. •HAT a glorious day that was when the Saviour rose from the dead! But after He had risen, though He was always with His disciples, they could not see Him. He was the same Jesus, loving, holy and for- giving. He still bore a human body, but it was no longer weak, and He could never suffer pain again. He could never again know hunger and thirst. Earthly wants were not known to Him, now. But He could eat and drink, though He did not need food to nourish Him. But Jesus loved His creatures just as tenderly as ever. He will love them to all eternity. He is unchangeable. When He took upon Himself the form of man, His heart was full of love. In His immortal body, the same love glows. Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week — our Sunday. He showed Himself to Mary Magdalene and to the women of Galilee. They had told His message as He had bid 261 262 THE WALK TO EMMAUS. them do, and yet they were not believed. None of the Apostles had been blessed with a sight of Him as yet. That same day, two men who were good men, were walk- ing along the dusty road that led to the village of Emmaus; this village lay not quite eight miles east of Jerusalem. These men were disciples of Jesus — probably belonged to the Seventy whom He had sent out, two by two, to heal and talk to the people. They had been standing with the crowd when the Galileean women came and told of seeing the two angels at the sepulcher. They had heard the many remarks made by different persons, and they had gone with Peter to the grave when he went a second time. But now it was time to go to their own homes, and as they walked slowly along, in the heat of the afternoon sun, they talked of all that had happened in the past few days. They were very sad, and spoke of the death of the Master whom they honored. So many events had crowded, one upon the other, that they could scarcely realize it all. They did not know He was alive again. As they journeyed on, a stranger going in the same direc- tion, joined them. Their eyes were not opened, so that they could know it was their Lord who was walking with them, and who asked them why they were so sorrowful at the feast time. And one of them, whose name was Cleophas, asked in wonder: "Are you a stranger in Jerusalem, that you have not heard of the dreadful things which have taken place in the city these days ? " THE WALK TO EMMAUS. 263 And He said' " What things ? " Then they related to Him the sad story: "About Jesus of Nazareth, who was a mighty prophet, and did wonderful things, and spoke comforting words, telling the people about God. But the chief priests and rulers have cruci- fied Him. We thought He was our Messiah, but He could not have been, else He would not have suffered death. But a very strange thing is, some women came to us this morning, and said they had been to the grave, and His body was taken away. But they had seen a vision of angels, who told them to go and tell His disciples that He was alive." "0 foolish men ! " answered the Lord, "and slow to under- stand what the Scriptures have told you of the Messiah ! It was necessary that Christ should die, and afterward enter into His glory." They were well read in the writings of Moses and the prophets. And yet He explained them as they had never heard them explained before, and they listened with delight The walk to Emmaus seemed almost too short. They would have liked to hear Him talk for hours. They wondered who this stranger was, whom they loved already ? They had reached Emmaus now, and He seemed to be going on beyond the village. But they could not bear to part with Him, and so they begged Him not to leave them. " Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is nearly gone." So He went in to stay, as they hoped, through the night. How glad they were! 264 THE WALK TO EMMAUS. And they busied themselves in preparing the meal. And when the supper was ready, and they had gathered round the table, they gave their guest the seat of honor. And then what happened ? Why, Jesus took the bread and blessed it and broke it, just as He used to do, in the old days. And then their eyes were opened, and they knew Him— knew that this indeed, was their own dear Master! And while they looked at Him, and would gladly have spoken their joy, He vanished from their sight. And they said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and explained to us the Scriptures ? " And they rose up and returned to Jerusalem, thinking noth- ing of the long walk in the darkness, when they had such news to tell the Apostles and the mother of Christ; the joyful news that they had seen and talked with their Lord. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them : then came Jesus, the door being shut, and stood in their midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then said he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. John 20—26, 27, 28. CHAPTER LI. JESUS SHOWS HIS WOUNDS. N that same happy Easter day, ten of the Apos- tles, with many of the disciples, sat in a large room, in a house in Jerusalem, with the doors locked, for they feared the Pharisees. They were talking over the events of the past few hours. They could not come to any conclusion as to what had become of Jesus' body. Had it been stolen by the soldiers, and tossed into a common grave ? But there was the story the women had told of seeing their Lord. But even Peter, who had also seen Him, was not sure that it was not a spirit, rather than his Master. While they were talking in a very agitated manner about it, the two friends came in — Cleophas and the friend who had been instructed by the Saviour that afternoon. As soon as they entered the room they were greeted by the cry : " The Lord is risen indeed. He hath appeared to Simon." 265 266 JESUS SHOWS HIS WOUNDS. "And we have seen Him also," they answered. "We have seen Him and talked with Him." And they repeated the whole story. How the Lord had walked by their side on their way to Emmaus ; how He had told them more about the Scriptures than they had ever known. They told the listening disciples that until He broke the bread with them, they knew not who He was. The little group who sat there, scarcely believed Cleophas and his companion. They still doubted, when quietly, with not a sound, the doors being still locked, they saw Jesus in their midst. " Peace be unto you !" His gentle voice was heard, but those disciples were every one of them afraid ! They thought they looked upon a spirit. Not one of them dared stretch forth their hand to touch Him, or speak to Him. He saw their fear, and gently He reproached them. " Why are you troubled ?" He asked. " And why do doubts arise in your hearts ?" But they only gazed at Him in awe. " Behold my hands and feet," He said. " It is I myself. Handle me and see. A spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see I have." And He held out His hands and showed them His feet, in which the prints of the cruel nails were plainly to be seen. There was no longer any doubt of it. But they were now too full of joy to be calm. And to soothe them, He asked them if they could give Him something to eat ? " And they gave Him a piece of broiled fish, and some honeycomb." JESUS SHOWS HIS WOUNDS. 267 And He took it from their hands, and ate, that they might know He was not a spirit. Then were the disciples indeed glad, for they knew it was the Lord. * " And Jesus said to them again, Peace be unto you. As my Father has sent Me, so I send you to teach others. " And He breathed on them, and said : Receive ye the Holy Ghost." He imparted more of His Spirit to them, that they might be more fit to do the work which He had taught them to do. And so that happy day was ended. The chief priests continually asserted that the disciples had stolen the body of the Saviour. But though the disciples staid in Jerusalem during the feast, and the Sabbath following, still the rulers made no attempt to bring them to judgment. They knew that they were speaking falsely, but they did not want the people to believe that He had risen on the third day as He had promised. Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus appeared to them and showed His wounds, and when they told him of it, he doubted and declared : " Except I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the print of the nails, an4 put my hand into the hole in His side, I will not believe." He loved his Lord, but he could not believe he should see Him again, and he would not be consoled. Eight days had passed, and the disciples had not seen their Master. Again were they gathered in this room, with the 268 ^ JESUS SHOWS HIS WOUNDS. doors shut and locked, and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus suddenly stood among them, and said : " Peace be unto you 1" He said to Thomas, " Reach forth your finger, and put it into my hands. And stretch forth your hand and put it into my side. Do not be faithless, but believe." Thomas doubted no longer. His unbelief melted at once. He was so glad and thankful, so happy to see Jesus, that he exclaimed eagerly : " My Lord and my God." Jesus knew his doubts were forever set at rest, and yet He wished to show him how little faith he had shown, and He said : "Thomas, you believe because you have seen me. Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed." That blessing is for all who trust Him and love Him, and do His works—" whom not having seen, we love." And now the Twelve Disciples went back to their old home where they were fishermen so long ago. Why did they turn their steps to Lake Gennesareth ? Because Jesus had promised to meet them in Galilee, where He had lived and taught. Now they were waiting for Him. But they were poor, and had to work, so they began to fish again. Peter was the one who first suggested it to them. On his return from Jerusalem one evening, he said : " I am going to fish." They were all willing, and they entered a boat and started JESUS SHOWS HIS WOUNDS. 269 out upon the lake at eventide. But after trying all night to catch some fish, the morning came, and found their nets empty ! In the morning they saw Jesus standing on the shore, and they did not know Him. He called out to them : " Have you caught any fish?" They answered, " Not one." He said to them, " Cast your net on the right side of the boat, and you shall find them." Then they tossed the net out on the right side, and the fish were so plentiful they could not draw it up. Then a miracle like that came to their minds, one that had been done so long ago, and they knew who had directed them ! John was the first to know Him: "It is the Lord!" he said. When Peter heard that, he threw himself into the water, and swam to shore. The others followed after him in the boat, dragging the net. And when they counted the fishes, there were one hundred and fifty-three. When they reached the shore, a fire was burning on the land near the edge of the water, and fishes and bread were laid thereon. Jesus had prepared them for His disciples. He knew they were wet and cold and hungry. And He said to them : " Come and dine." Not one of them dared ask Him who He was. They knew that it was the Lord. The meal was ready, and they were again at their old home, 270 JESUS SHOJVS HIS WOUNDS. on the lake. And Jesus took the bread and blessing it, broke it. They ate, and were filled. They ate in reverent silence. When the meal was over, Jesus said to Peter : " Do you love me more than the rest do?" Peter answered, " Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said unto him : "Feed my lambs." He meant, tell all who love me and would come into my kingdom, about me. And a second time He asked : " Peter, do you love me ?" Peter said, " Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Again He said : " Feed -my sheep." That meant tell all that hear you, what they shall do to gain the kingdom of heaven. Jesus asked him the third time : " Peter, lovest thou me ?" Peter was grieved because Jesus asked him so many times the same question, and he said : " Lord, all things are known to thee. You know I love you." Jesus said : " Feed my beloved sheep." He then told Peter of the death he would die, and Peter listened humbly. The Saviour asked Peter three times if he loved Him, because he had three times denied Him, and He wanted to see him humble and contrite. Then Jesus said to him : " When you were young you could go about where you pleased. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another shall lead you where you do not wish to go." He meant that Peter was to be crucified. But Peter never again denied his Master, but suffered gladly for His sake. JESUS SHOWS HIS WOUNDS. 271 He said to Peter : " Follow me." He meant follow Him in His works, but Peter thought He meant it literally, and he started after Jesus. But Jesus withdrew from His disciples. This was the third time that the Saviour showed Himself to them after He had risen from the dead. But remember, that He is ever with those who seek to know Him. His promise is : " Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. Luke 24— 51, 52. CHAPTER LII. THE ASCENSION. iHE story of our Lord Jesus is almost done. He was on earth but forty days after He rose from the dead. During those forty days He gave proofs that He was alive, which no one could doubt. He ate and drank with the disciples. They laid their hands upon His sacred person, and knew He was not a spirit. He taught them many truths con- cerning the kingdom of heaven, which He wished them to teach to others. He had promised them: " I will see you again, and your hearts shall rejoice. And your joy no man taketh from you." His promise He had fulfilled. The joy of His resurrection had made their hearts rejoice, and no mortal power could rob them of that joy. But the time was very near when Jesus would leave His message with them, and go to His Father. 272 THE ASCENSION. 273 No one saw Jesus after His resurrection save those who were faithful to Him. His enemies saw Him not. He would not show Himself to them. But there were many who saw Him, for there were many who loved Him. Jesus had told His disciples to go to Galilee, and that He would meet them there. And He showed Himself to the Apos- tles when they were fishing in the Lake of Gennesareth. But a larger number were to have actual proofs of His res- urrection. When in Galilee, before His death, He had told the disciples that He would appear to them after He had risen from the dead, on a mountain where they could all see and recog- nize Him. What a happy assemblage that must have been! How eagerly they hurried to the spot to see their dear Lord. And not the Apostles alone were there, but more than five hundred people flocked hither; men, women and children, climbed that steep mountain side to see their risen Lord. No one who could be there was absent, for He had promised to meet them in His own person — not a spirit not an illusion, but their own dear Lord Himself. Some few even yet doubted, but the most of them worshiped Him. Jesus came and spoke to them. He said to them, so all could hear: " All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. '" Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them as I have done, and teach them as I have taught you. " For lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." 274 THE ASCENSION. So each disciple was sent to be the bearer of good tidings. They were to begin their mission at Jerusalem, that city where He had suffered so — the city where He had gone triumphantly on, while the people waved the palm branches, and sang "Hosanna to the Son of David;" the same city that He had wept over, while foretelling its doom; that city where He had been mocked, and jeered, and spit upon, ere they cru- cified Him. And Jesus led them out for a last walk before He left them. And He led them out as far as Bethany, on the Mount of Olives. And as they went, He told them what they must do. They would have the Holy Spirit poured down upon them, and after that they were to preach the Gospel everywhere. " Begin at Jerusalem," He said. And they, thinking His reign would begin in that beautiful city, asked Him: "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" ' And He told them it was not for them to know the times or the seasons which the Father had kept in His own power. But He told them they should receive the Holy Spirit and become witnesses to His name, not only in Jerusalem, but in all Judea, and in Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth. And this is one of the comforting messages He left for the Apostles to deliver unto the people: THE ASCENSION. 275 " Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to Him, and will sup with Him, and He with me." Blessed promise. Open your hearts, dear children, and He will dwell with you, and become your guest, and gladden life for you forever. Now past the places He had loved so well, Jesus led His disciples to a more solitary spot on the mountain side. And after He had spoken these things to them, lifting up His pierced hands, He blessed them. But while He blessed them, a cloud came down and overshadowed them, and He was taken up into the cloud, and, surrounded by bands of angels, He passed from their sight. And while they still looked steadfastly toward heaven, as He went up, two angels stood by them, clothed in white. These angels spoke: "Ye men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you into heaven, will come again some day in the same manner." Then they returned to Jerusalem, along that well-known road, rejoicing, and praising God, and the disciples, with Mary and the other women, continued praying, and going up often to the temple to praise God. And now the beautiful story of Jesus is told ! How lovely was His life, and how you must love Him, and wish to be like Him. Little children, Jesus when on earth loved you very dearly. 276 THE ASCENSION. Then love Him in return, and give Him your hearts now when they are fresh and free from sin, that you may grow like unto Him as the years pass on. Love Him, then, and seek to do His will. He will always help you when you ask Him. And now, hoping that His blessing may rest upon each one of you, and that you may become His little lambs, the author prays that you may be His forever. Amen. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS # 021 066 114 1