THE STORY 
 OF A TOUNG MAN
 
 "/# a manger close by, and wrapped in swaddling clothes, lay the child, asleep'' 
 
 Copyright, 1900, by The Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia
 
 THE STORT 
 OF ^4 TOUNG 
 
 (A LIFE OF CHRIST 
 
 BY 
 
 1LIFFORD HOWARD 
 
 With a Foreword by 
 'The Reverend Amory H. Bradford, D.D. 
 
 Illustrated by 
 W. L. Taylor and *?. Guernsey Moore 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 L. C. PAGE SP COMPANY 
 
 MDCCCCII
 
 Copyright, 1900, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company 
 
 * 
 
 Copyright, ipoi, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company 
 
 Copyright, IQOI, by 
 L. C. Page 3* Company (Incorporated)
 
 ^[ THE STORT OF A YOUNG MAN ACKNOWLEDG- 
 FIRST APPEARED IN THE LADIES MENT 
 HOME JOURNAL." THE AUTHOR 
 WISHES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE 
 COURTEST OF THE EDITOR IN PER- 
 MITTING HIM TO REPUBLISH THE 
 STORY IN ITS PRESENT FORM. 
 [T MESSRS. L. C. PAGE & COMPANY 
 WISH ALSO TO ACKNOWLEDGE 
 THE COURTESY OF "THE LADIES 
 HOME JOURNAL" BY WHICH THEY 
 WERE ABLE TO ARRANGE FOR THE 
 USE OF THE ORIGINAL ILLUSTRA- 
 TIONS. 
 
 [9]
 
 THE STORTOF^ TOUNG 
 
 HIS Story of a Young Man fills an FOREWORD 
 unoccupied place in current literature. 
 The life of Jesus has been 'written 
 
 from the point of view of the "Jew and of the Gentile, 
 of the scholar, the devotee and the theologian ; it 
 has been written to support some favorite doctrine ; 
 and again with the purpose of seeking the simple 
 truth. For more than a thousand years it has been 
 a subject of world-wide inquiry. 
 ^[ So far as I know this differs from all other works 
 of its kind. There has been one teacher in the sphere 
 of ethics and religion whom all have agreed in rec- 
 ognizing as the most potential spiritual force which 
 has ever appeared on this planet. Mr. Howard ap- 
 proaches this personage exactly as he would any other
 
 FOREWORD historic character, and asks, What were the incon- 
 testable facts in his career? "Jesus of Nazareth, 
 as he appeared when a child, a youth, a young man, 
 bending beneath the consciousness of a mighty mis- 
 sion, is the subject of this story. 
 ^T As it concerns only the humanity of Christ, the 
 narrative rightly ends with his death. If any in- 
 quire why it does not go further, or why so little in- 
 terpretation of act or teaching is offered, it is suffi- 
 cient to answer that the author has endeavored to 
 place the more conspicuous facts and characteristics 
 of this life in such clear relief that they will speak 
 their own message and be their own interpretation. 
 ^[ // has been my privilege to examine this story in 
 manuscript, and I can assure those who may wish 
 to read it that it is accurate in its statements, vivid 
 and picturesque in its style, free from cant, and en- 
 tirely reverent and earnest in spirit. 'This story
 
 brings back again the conditions in which Jesus FOREWORD 
 dwelt, causes ancient events to be reacted before our 
 eyes, and with vividness makes us see and love the 
 young man as if he were living still, and in our time 
 were going about doing good. 
 
 AMORT H. BRADFORD 
 
 Pastor of the First Congregational Church 
 of Montclair, New Jersey 
 
 [13]
 
 THE SrORTOF^ TOUNG 
 
 HE Story of a Young Man" is the EXPLANATION 
 
 story of yesus of Nazareth. It is not 
 a life of Christ, in the usual meaning 
 
 of that term. While it is founded solely upon 
 Scriptural records, it makes no pretense of embody- 
 ing all that is contained in the Gospels. The pur- 
 pose of the story, as its title indicates, is to portray 
 yesus as the man ; to 'view him in the light of his 
 humanity ; and, while never overlooking his divinity, 
 to set forth his earthly career in the form of a nar- 
 rative recording the growth, the struggles, the 
 achievements of a fellow being the greatest ever 
 on earth, yet a fellow-being. 
 
 f]~ Such of the events of his life as are introduced 
 have been chosen with a view to illustrate his char- 
 acter from this standpoint: to emphasize his won- 
 drous personality as a man, and at the same time
 
 EXPLANATION to carry forward the story in the progressive form 
 
 of an unfolding narrative. To have recited all of 
 the incidents connected 'with the life of the Saviour 
 'would have given to the story a comprehensiveness 
 and a redundancy of illustration quite out of keep- 
 ing with the object in view. Tet, notwithstanding 
 the necessary omission of much that is related in the 
 Gospels, it is not believed that any representative 
 feature of the life of Christ has been overlooked. 
 ^[ To consistently carry out its design the story is 
 brought to a close with the death of Jesus. The 
 crucifixion marks the completion of the mortal part of 
 bis existence : the fulfillment of his life as a man. 
 ^ If has been deemed advisable to offer the forego- 
 ing explanation, in order that all who read The 
 Story of a Toung Man may do so with a proper un- 
 derstanding of its purpose and its character. 
 
 THE AUTHOR 
 
 [i 6]
 
 THE STORTOF^ TO UNO MAN 
 
 "In a manger close by, and wrapped in LIST OF 
 
 swaddling clothes, lay the child, asleep" ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 (See page 34) Frontispiece 
 
 A Shepherd 29 
 
 A Wise Man 49 
 
 " The child Jesus had grown to boyhood, 
 
 fulfilling the fondest hopes of his parents. " 59 
 
 A Camel Driver 67 
 
 A Hebrew Woman 8 3 
 
 A Merchant I o i 
 
 A Roman Centurion 115 
 
 " Overcome with grief and bitter disappoint- 
 ment, Jesus left Nazareth." 1 27 
 
 A Fisherman 133 
 
 Peter 151 
 
 " He sank upon the ground in the anguish of 
 
 unutterable sorrow' ' 165 
 
 L'7]
 
 LIST OF A Pharisee 173 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS"-^ called aloud, in a 'voice vibrant with 
 
 divine power, ' Lazarus, come forth / ' 203 
 
 Caiaphas 2 1 9 
 
 Judas 229 
 
 Pontius Pilate 237 
 " He could go no farther. With a moan, He 
 
 sank upon the ground, exhausted" 243 
 
 [18]
 
 THE STORTOFst TOUNG 
 
 HE broad, open court of the vil- CHAPTER 
 lage inn was a scene of noisy con- ONE 
 fusion. Men, women and children, 
 preparing for their night's rest, 
 
 moved hither and thither among the packs and 
 bundles that lay strewn upon the ground. Belated 
 travelers, some of them still seated upon their 
 beasts, looked about anxiously for some possible 
 means of accommodation at the already over- 
 crowded inn. A babel of many sounds and voices 
 rose upon the evening air. The yelps of dogs 
 mingled with the grunting of camels and the 
 braying of restless donkeys. Men were talking to- 
 gether in groups ; others were loudly calling to 
 one another or giving commands. Servants hur- 
 ried back and forth, jostling and pushing, while 
 impatient hostlers shouted at their tired animals 
 
 [9]
 
 The Story of as they drove them into the stalls that were 
 a Toung Man ranged about the three sides of the courtyard. 
 
 [[ A little apart from the throng, and half con- 
 cealed in the shadow of a sheltering nook, was a 
 young woman seated upon a donkey. She was 
 dressed in the simple garb of a Jewish peasant. 
 A robe of homespun material covered her girl- 
 ish figure, while a light wimple encircled her 
 head and neck, and served both as a cover and a 
 veil. 
 
 ! I She had chosen this secluded spot to await the 
 return of her fellow-traveler, who had hurried 
 forward in the hope of securing accommoda- 
 tions for the night. 
 
 |j She was evidently a stranger, for she spoke to 
 no one, and those passing near went by without 
 heeding her, except, perhaps, to notice that she 
 leaned forward wearily on her pillion as one ex- 
 hausted with a long journey, and that the beauty 
 of her gentle face was softened with the touch- 
 
 M
 
 ing sadness that comes of patient and silent suf- ^ e Story of 
 
 ferin g- 
 
 ^T Close by three or four men were conversing 
 
 in earnest tones. She appeared neither to hear 
 them nor to be aware of their presence. Her 
 soft blue eyes, filled with the tender light of 
 purity, gazed off wistfully into the depths of 
 heaven, where the first stars of night were al- 
 ready dimly twinkling. Her thoughts were not 
 of the scenes nor of the people about her. Was 
 she simply dreaming of her far-off home amid 
 the hills of Galilee, or was her soul filled with 
 thoughts of vaster and of deeper import, thoughts 
 that drew her near to God in solemn reverie ? 
 f]~ Suddenly she became conscious of the words 
 that were being spoken by one of the men in the 
 little group near by : 
 
 f]~ "Nay nay; speak not thus doubtingly, my son. 
 The time of his coming is already fulfilled as 
 spoken by the Prophets. Yet a little while and 
 
 [21]
 
 The Story of the Redeemer of Israel will appear and avenge 
 a Toung Man the sufferings of his people. 
 
 " Let us bear patiently our tribulations, and 
 let not your faith nor your courage fail you. Be 
 strong, and fear not ; for the day of salvation is 
 at hand. Yea, from this very place, this town of 
 Bethlehem, the city of David, will he come 
 forth the Prince, the Messiah; and his king- 
 dom shall triumph over all the kingdoms of the 
 world. 
 
 "Long and diligently have I studied the Pro- 
 phets and the signs, and I say unto you that the 
 hour is come when Israel may lift up her voice 
 and cry with a joyous heart, * Behold, the words 
 of Isaiah are fulfilled ; the Prince of Peace, the 
 Saviour of the world is born ! ' 
 
 The young woman clasped her hands in an 
 ecstasy of silent emotion. Her lips moved as 
 though repeating the words she had just heard. 
 Then a faint flush mounted her pale cheeks, and 
 
 [aa]
 
 with a smile of wondrous joy, illuming her The Story of 
 countenance as with a radiance of divine glory, a Young Man 
 she lifted her eyes to heaven in soulful adoration 
 and was again lost in reverie. She was aroused 
 by the gentle touch of a hand and the voice of 
 a man tenderly calling "Mary!" 
 
 With a smile of loving recognition she an- 
 swered softly, " Joseph ! " 
 
 " It is as they told us," said the man, speaking 
 slowly ; "there is no room. I have searched 
 through the town. Every house is filled, and 
 those of whom I asked a share of their lodge- 
 ment turned upon me a deaf ear. I care not for 
 myself; it is for you, Mary. The night is cold, 
 and you are faint, for we have traveled far. But, 
 God be praised ! you shall not want for shelter. 
 A stable on yonder side of the inn awaits us. It 
 will serve till the morrow. It is better than the 
 open night. See, the keeper approaches ! He will 
 show us the way." 
 
 [23]
 
 'The Story of % With his strong arms he lifted her from her 
 a Younv Man seat > an ^ together they walked across the crowd- 
 ed courtyard, the keeper leading the way with 
 the donkey. 
 ^ The stable proved to be no more than a cave 
 
 a natural recess in the side of a hill, roughly 
 fitted up for the accommodation of cattle. The 
 drowsy occupants of the place turned their large 
 brown eyes inquiringly upon the intruders, who 
 groped their way by the fitful light of a rude 
 lantern to the farther end of the room. 
 
 ^| To both husband and wife the journey from 
 their home in Nazareth had been one of many 
 trials and hardships. They had come, not of their 
 own accord, but in obedience to the mandates of 
 a hated law, that rankled deep in the hearts of an 
 oppressed and downtrodden nation, requiring all 
 Jews to be enrolled, that they might be taxed 
 for the support of their Roman their heath-en 
 
 masters. Mary and Joseph were both of the 
 
 N]
 
 house of David, and were therefore .obliged to <j*fi e Story of 
 register at Bethlehem, the home of their royal a Young Man 
 ancestor, in accordance with a provision of the 
 law that each person must be enrolled at his 
 family town. 
 
 fj" They were poor and unaccustomed to travel- 
 ing, and the bleak, chilling winds and frequent 
 rains of the winter season added to the trials and 
 discomforts of their slow-plodding journey of 
 several days across the dreary plains and moun- 
 tains. Joseph had traversed the entire distance 
 on foot ; while Mary, too, ofttimes obliged to 
 dismount, because of dangerous or impassable 
 roads, had walked many miles through rain- 
 sodden valleys and over the steep and rugged 
 passes of the Judean hills. 
 
 *\ And now, arrived at their journey's end, faint, 
 footsore and disheartened, they found them- 
 selves alone without friends, strangers in a 
 strange place. No kindly voice to greet them ; 
 
 [25]
 
 The Story of no one to bid them welcome. No familiar face, 
 a Young Man n landmark to cheer their drooping hearts, 
 and nowhere to rest their weary bodies save 
 with the beasts of the field upon the floor of a 
 dark and cheerless stable. 
 I What wonder that the young and gentle wife, 
 yielding at last to fatigue and physical suffering, 
 and overcome with a sense of her desolation in 
 the hour of life's greatest trial, sank upon her 
 meagre bed of straw, and, burying her face in 
 her hands, sobbed as a child with none to 
 offer comfort, save him who sat beside her in 
 helpless sympathy. 
 
 | Gradually the courtyard became quiet. The 
 uproar and commotion ceased. The weary trav- 
 elers and wayfarers stretched themselves upon 
 their pallets beneath the roof that extended 
 along the northern end of the inclosure and 
 formed the sleeping-quarters of the inn.
 
 The stormful clouds that had hung low and The Story of 
 threateningly over the hills drifted apart and a Toung Man 
 melted slowly away into the deep cerulean of 
 night; and out of the darkness came the stars, the 
 immortelles of Hope, blossoming in the fields 
 of heaven. 
 
 The wintry wind that all day long had swept 
 in violent gusts across the mountain ridge now 
 died away, and in its place there came a breath 
 of gentle warmth, bringing with it the dreams 
 of flowers and of music. 
 
 I No sound disturbed the tranquil night save 
 ever and anon a far-off shepherd's call across 
 the hills. A solemn stillness, a spirit of celestial 
 harmony, now breathed upon the dark immen- 
 sity of night. Then over all there came a won- 
 drous peace, a sense of infinite repose, filling 
 the heavens as with a breath from Paradise. And, 
 lo ! the sorrowing and expectant world slept 
 on and heeded not.
 
 The Story of IT ^^ e ^ rst ^ amt traces f tne coming dawn 
 a Young Man were softly stealing above the shadowy hills 
 when the voices of men were heard, hurrying 
 by and speaking in anxious tones : 
 fT " Where is the cave ? Show us the place ! 
 Aye, yonder it is ! Come, let us hasten, that 
 we may find him ! " 
 
 f[ Then they passed out of hearing, and those 
 who were awakened from their slumbers fell 
 back to sleep thinking that they had but 
 dreamed. 
 
 f[ But with the dawn of the day the voices 
 came again this time animated, exultant, as 
 in the announcement of great and joyful news. 
 They were the voices of shepherds, and the 
 men and women who were now astir, prepar- 
 ing for travel or going about their daily occu- 
 pations, beheld in their midst four or five of 
 these lowly herdsmen men of rude and 
 unkempt appearance, armed with heavy crooks 
 
 [28]
 
 Copyright, 1900, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
 
 A SHEPHERD
 
 and clad in sheepskins that hung loosely from cffc gf 0ry O f 
 their shoulders and were girded at the waist a Younv Man 
 with a broad belt, leaving the arms and legs 
 unprotected. 
 
 ^]" But though crude of speech and manner, 
 these men were of gentle heart, for their calling 
 was one of tenderness and care, and their souls 
 knowing little of the world were filled 
 with the poetry of Nature ; with the music and 
 the sunshine of the fields, that drew them ever 
 close to God in confident communion. 
 ^[ And now as they spoke, addressing the 
 curious and inquisitive throng that gathered 
 about them, their heartfelt emotion, their simple, 
 trustful joy inspired their tongues with an elo- 
 quence that thrilled the hearts of their hearers 
 with wondering awe. 
 
 ^j~ " Behold, as on the hills of Bethlehem we 
 watched our flocks, suddenly there shone within 
 the heavens a great and wondrous light a 
 
 [31]
 
 The Story of light as of the glory of the Lord ; and, lo ! an 
 a Young Man angel came and stood before us. 
 
 |[ " Then were we sore afraid, and hid in terror, 
 knowing not the portent of this marvel. But 
 hark ! the angel spoke to us and bade us have 
 no fear ; and, lo ! his words, his tidings, were of 
 wondrous joy ' Behold, the Saviour, Christ 
 the Lord, this day is born/ 
 
 [[ " And, lo ! that we might have a sign where- 
 by to seek the new-born King, the angel spoke 
 again to us and said that we should find him 
 wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger 
 in the town of Bethlehem. 
 
 (]"" Then, behold, the heavens opened and we 
 saw the heavenly host, a multitude of angels ; 
 and all the firmament was filled with music and 
 with voices praising God. 
 
 [f " Then quickly we made haste and came to 
 Bethlehem. And there, in yonder stable, we be- 
 held the new-born child lying in a manger, as 
 
 [32]
 
 was spoken by the angel of the Lord. And by Tfo Story of 
 this sign we knew that he was Christ, the King, a Younv Man 
 and straightway did we worship him." 
 
 | r The marvelous story of the shepherds quickly 
 spread. Men and women discussed it eagerly and 
 earnestly. Some of the more curious visited the 
 cave. It was true ; a child had been born there 
 during the night. But whose child was it? To 
 what family of Israel did it belong ? No one ap- 
 peared to know. The mother was a stranger, a 
 peasant from Nazareth. 
 
 i Then doubts arose. Many questioned the re- 
 ality of the shepherds' vision upon the hills. 
 "They are but dreamers. Why did not we hear 
 and see these wondrous things? Is it thus a king 
 is born in a stable, in a manger? The child is 
 as any other child! No, no; the Messiah, the 
 King of Israel, will come as a Prince, in the 
 splendor of the royal house of David, and in the 
 might and the glory of the Lord ! " 
 
 [33]
 
 The Story of Then they smiled at the momentary credulity 
 
 a Young Man tnat had entered their hearts, and they mocked 
 
 those who were still inclined to believe; and ere 
 
 long the subject ceased to be discussed, and the 
 
 story was dismissed as an idle tale. 
 
 Within the cave, now dimly lighted with the 
 morning sun, the mother lay sleeping upon her 
 pallet of straw. All trace of pain, all sign of suf- 
 fering, was gone. A faint smile hovered about 
 her gentle lips, imparting to her fair, young 
 face a beauty that was more than mortal. Her 
 bosom rose and fell in peaceful slumber. Her 
 trials, her sorrows were forgotten. She slept the 
 dreamless sleep of perfect joy the joy of 
 motherhood. 
 
 ^j" In a manger close by, and wrapped in swad- 
 dling clothes, lay the child, asleep. 
 
 The husband stood near. With an expression 
 that spoke of mingled wonder and reverence he 
 looked upon the slumbering infant ; and then, 
 
 [34]
 
 letting his gaze rest upon her who lay sleeping Tfa Sfory of 
 at his feet, his eyes filled with tears tears of a Young Man 
 tender sympathy and love as he murmured, 
 
 "Mary!" 
 
 [35]
 
 T was a bright morning in the CHAPTER 
 early springtime. The fields were TWO 
 green with sprouting wheat and 
 barley, and the verdant meadow- 
 
 lands sparkled with dew. Wild flowers hedged 
 the paths and roadways, and the scent of blos- 
 soms filled the air. Upon the mountains the oak 
 and the hawthorn were putting forth their ten- 
 der leaves, and the silvery foliage of the olive 
 mingled with the pink of the almond and the 
 peach, while leafing vineyards spread their 
 mantles of delicate green upon the terraced 
 hills. 
 
 It was amid these scenes of awakened life 
 so different from those that had surrounded them 
 on their way from Nazareth six weeks .before 
 that Joseph and Mary journeyed slowly for- 
 
 [37]
 
 The Story of ward on the road that lay between Bethlehem 
 
 a Young Man an d Jerusalem. The way was short not more 
 
 than five or six miles but they had started at 
 
 sunrise, in order that they might reach the city 
 
 and the Temple at an early hour. 
 
 To Mary the day was one of sacred import. 
 Not only was she about to receive the holy rite 
 of purification as a mother, but her child, her 
 son, her first-born, was on this day to be pre- 
 sented to the Lord. According to the custom of 
 her people she had been obliged to wait forty 
 days after the birth of her child before under- 
 taking this momentous errand. And now, the 
 period of seclusion having expired, she and her 
 loving companion were wending their way to- 
 ward the Temple with proud and happy hearts. 
 r She rode upon an ox, for it was the custom 
 of women to travel thus when on their way to 
 the Holy City to be purified. Joseph walked 
 quietly by her side, now and again looking up 
 
 [38]
 
 with a loving smile, or pointing out to her some ^he Story of 
 
 place of interest. a Young Man 
 
 f[ Pressed close to her bosom she carried her 
 
 sleeping child in her arms. 
 
 <[[ "Jesus!" 
 
 f]~ She spoke the name to herself many times in 
 
 the tender fervency of a mother's love. And now, 
 
 as she repeated it and gazed down at the little 
 
 face nestled so close to her own, a glorious vision 
 
 rose in memory before her. 
 
 ^| She is at her home, in Nazareth ; and as she 
 
 sits alone dreamily spinning, an angel appears 
 
 before her, and, in a voice sweet with the music 
 
 of heaven, tells her of the joy and of the glory 
 
 that the Lord has ordained for her. She, above 
 
 all women, has been chosen by the Most High 
 
 for the fulfillment of His promise to the children 
 
 of Israel. Yea, even she, a virgin, shall conceive 
 
 through the power of the Holy Ghost, and shall 
 
 bring into the world the Messiah, Christ, the 
 
 [39]
 
 The Story of Saviour of Mankind the Son of God. And his 
 a Toung Man name shall be called Jesus, and he shall reign 
 over the world, and his kingdom shall endure 
 forever. 
 
 ^[ Oft had she repeated to herself the sacred and 
 cherished words that were spoken to her in this 
 divine annunciation at Nazareth ; and now again 
 they rose to her lips as she gazed from the help- 
 less infant at her breast to the shining walls of 
 the Temple of Jerusalem looming before her in 
 the splendor of the morning sun. 
 
 f[ Then a look of pensive wondering, a vague, 
 half-conscious questioning, stole into the depths 
 of her trustful eyes, and a momentary shadow 
 dimmed the sunshine of her joyous countenance. 
 
 fj" She thought of theshepherds. They had come; 
 they knew it was he. But the others the people 
 of Bethlehem why had not they recognized 
 him? When would the world know? When 
 would it welcome him ? 
 
 [4]
 
 Entering the city and passing through the The Story of 
 narrow, winding streets, Joseph and Mary ar- a Toung Man 
 rived ere long before the gates of the great 
 Temple. 
 
 In company with other women who had come 
 on a similar errand Mary tremblingly approach- 
 ed the sacred court of the Israelites, overawed by 
 the grandeur and solemnity about her ; and there, 
 offering up her humble sacrifice of two doves, 
 she was duly declared purified according to the 
 law. 
 
 With the happy and unaffected pride of 
 motherhood she now brought forward her child, 
 the infant Jesus, and together she and Joseph 
 devoutly presented him to the priests for re- 
 demption, in accordance with a religious ordi- 
 nance requiring the payment of a sum of money 
 and the performance of certain rites as a means 
 of redeeming or releasing a first-born child from 
 the service of the Lord, for according to an an- 
 
 [41]
 
 The Story of cient law the first-born son of every mother be- 
 a Touny Man longed of right to God or the priesthood. 
 
 ^ [ Their duties fulfilled, Mary and Joseph turned 
 to go, that they might return to Bethlehem 
 while the day was yet cool. It was still morn- 
 ing, and crowds of men and women were pass- 
 ing in and out of the Temple courts, going to 
 and returning from their devotions. 
 f[ In the devout and simple earnestness of her 
 soul, Mary felt that her child had been given to 
 her anew, and as she prepared to pass out amid 
 the throng she held him in close and affection- 
 ate embrace her son, her Jesus ! 
 ^[ Had any one noticed him ? Did any one know ? 
 Alas ! with quivering lips the innocent, sensitive 
 mother told herself that no one had heeded his 
 presence ; that no one knew him. No, not even 
 the priests, the servants of God, who had blessed 
 him. 
 ^[ Suddenly she heard a voice calling her. It was 
 
 [42]
 
 that of an old man, who came forward with tot- ^he Story of 
 tering steps, holding out his arms toward the a Young Man 
 child. 
 
 " Praise be to God ! " he cried. " It is he ; it is 
 he ! Lo ! these many years have I waited that I 
 might behold the consolation of Israel; for was 
 it not revealed to me that I, Simeon, should not 
 see death until I had seen the Lord's Christ?" 
 Then, taking the child in his trembling arms, 
 he lifted up his voice in a fervent prayer of 
 thanksgiving. The consolation of Israel had 
 come. His eyes had beheld the Christ, the light 
 to the Gentiles, and he who through faith had 
 waited patiently all these weary years was ready 
 now to die ; to give up the burden of life and de- 
 part in peace. 
 
 ^[ His feeble voice, tremulous with emotion, 
 faltered and broke. Tears filled his dim-lit eyes ; 
 and bowing his head upon his chest he stood for 
 several moments silent speechless ; while into 
 
 [43]
 
 'The Story of his aged face, now half concealed beneath the 
 a Young Man l n g white locks that clustered about it, there 
 came a light of celestial happiness the dawn- 
 ing light of the life to come. 
 
 Returning the infant to Mary he blessed her 
 and her husband, and spoke with prophetic in- 
 spiration of her child and of herself, and to the 
 wondering mother his words were filled with 
 strange, half-fearful meaning. The child would 
 be the cause of the rising and the falling of many 
 in Israel, and many would be against him, and 
 she, too, would suffer. 
 
 [[ As he finished speaking a feeble, white-haired 
 woman, bent and wrinkled with the burden of 
 years, approached the little group. She seemed 
 well known at the Temple, for all who passed 
 her addressed her reverently as "Anna." She 
 had heard the words of Simeon and had come 
 forward timidly that she might look upon the 
 infant. 
 
 [44]
 
 1 Earnestly she gazed upon the peaceful, inno- <T"/^ Story of 
 cent face, and then, as if a glorious revelation a Younv Man 
 had burst upon her soul, she turned her eyes to 
 heaven with a look of ineffable peace, and in 
 simple, heartfelt words gave thanks to God that 
 she had been spared to see this day. 
 
 [45]
 
 HE evening shadows had fallen CHAPTER 
 over the town of Bethlehem. Mary THREE 
 and Joseph were seated in their 
 humble dwelling, with the infant 
 
 Jesus sleeping peacefully on the mother's bosom. 
 The cavern stable that had served them as a 
 shelter upon their arrival at the over-crowded 
 town had been abandoned soon afterward for 
 lodgings in one of the smaller houses of Beth- 
 lehem, where Mary might await in comfort the 
 time of her purification ; and it was in the twi- 
 light quietude of this temporary home that the 
 little family of Galilee were now gathered. 
 ^~ It was the evening of their return from Jer- 
 usalem. In the gathering darkness, through 
 which the light of a candle shed its fickle rays, 
 Mary and Joseph sat together and talked 
 
 [47]
 
 *The Story of talked of him, their child. They were rehears- 
 a Young Man m g the words of Simeon and Anna. The inci- 
 dent at the Temple had wonderfully impressed 
 them, and their hearts were full of emotion as 
 they discussed the prophecies spoken by the in- 
 spired patriarch. 
 
 As they talked they became aware of the 
 sound of approaching footsteps and voices. 
 Along the stony pathway that did service as a 
 street, a cavalcade appeared to be drawing near. 
 With increasing stir it advanced toward the 
 house, until at length the flare of torches and 
 the tramp of many feet, mingled with a clamor- 
 ous babel of tongues, aroused Joseph and Mary 
 from their thoughts. 
 
 Before Joseph could reach the door to ascer- 
 tain the cause of so unusual a disturbance, they 
 heard voices speaking at the threshold. 
 " See, is not this the place?" 
 ^f -"It .is even so. Let us enter." 
 
 [48]
 
 Copyright, 1900, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
 
 A WISE MAN
 
 And a moment later three men entered the 'The Story of 
 room, while the crowd of men and boys that a Young Man 
 had followed them gazed through the open 
 doorway. 
 
 They were strangers, foreigners, dressed in a 
 fashion unknown to either Mary or Joseph. But 
 by the richness of their apparel and their courtly 
 bearing it was evident they were persons of 
 wealth and station. 
 
 ^[ But why had they come to this poor and 
 lowly place? What had brought them here? 
 The husband and wife drew back in consterna- 
 tion ; but in a moment their doubts were set at 
 rest by the kindly salutation of the visitors. 
 [ " Fear not. Peace and joy be unto you. We 
 come seeking him who is born King of the Jews ; 
 for we have seen his star, the star of the Messiah, 
 the Redeemer. It has risen in the East, as was 
 spoken by the prophets of old, and, lo! it has 
 been to us a sign and a guide."
 
 The Story of ^[ Then perceiving the child as he lay in Mary's 
 a Young Man l a P> they came forward reverently, and falling 
 on their knees they worshipped him, and placed 
 before him the offerings they had brought cas- 
 kets of gold, of frankincense and myrrh gifts 
 such as men offered to princes, to kings. 
 ^[ Then rising, and blessing the husband and 
 wife, they took their departure as suddenly as 
 they had come. 
 
 ^[ Mary and Joseph looked at one another in 
 bewilderment. Was it a vision? Had they but 
 dreamed? No, the precious gifts were still there, 
 and curious neighbors hastening in inquired 
 eagerly concerning the strange visitors; for were 
 they not Magi wise men of the East and 
 had they not entered the town asking for an in- 
 fant king ? 
 
 f[ Overwhelmed with wonder at what had oc- 
 curred, and unable at first to grasp its full im- 
 port, it was not until she was again alone with 
 
 [52]
 
 her husband and her child that Mary awoke to ff^ e Story of 
 a realization of its glorious significance. a Younv Man 
 
 The angel of Nazareth seemed to speak again. 
 The words of the annunciation filled her soul 
 with their rapturous music. 
 
 Behold, was it not true? Why had her heart 
 ever doubted, ever questioned? And as she fell 
 asleep that night her soul was radiant with hap- 
 piness and hope, and her dreams were rilled with 
 visions of glory and of joys without number. 
 
 1 Suddenly her dreams vanished. She was awake, 
 and about her was the blackness of night. Joseph 
 was calling her: 
 
 j "Make haste!" he exclaimed. "Take the 
 child, and let us fly ; for Herod, the King, seeks 
 to destroy him ! Yea, the Lord has spoken to me 
 in a dream. Come, let us depart at once lest it 
 be too late. We must leave Bethlehem aye, 
 even Judea and the land of Palestine and flee 
 
 [53]
 
 The Story of mto Egypt, that we may be safe from the wrath 
 
 a Young Man of the King." 
 
 ^[ With fast-beating heart, and spurred by a wild 
 terror of impending danger, Mary hastily- pre- 
 pared for their sudden departure ; her dreams, 
 her happiness, her hopes, all forgotten in this 
 moment of peril. She did not stop to reason nor 
 to ask the meaning of the calamity that so sud- 
 denly threatened to befall them. She only knew 
 that her child was in danger; that some malevo- 
 lent fate was seeking to take him from her. 
 ^[Not for a moment did she question the truth 
 of the dream as a warning from God ; but with 
 mingled emotions of thankfulness and fear she 
 gathered her precious one to her heart and stole 
 forth with her husband into the dark reality of 
 night, away from the sunshine and the music of 
 her soul's happy reverie. 
 
 The stars were still shining, and no sound 
 disturbed the slumbering town as the fugitives 
 
 [54]
 
 passed through the gate of Bethlehem out into 'The Story of 
 the darkness of the world, alone, unheeded and a Young Man 
 unpitied, save by the Father who watched over 
 them and guided their trembling footsteps. 
 
 [55]
 
 HE glory of a summer's day shone CHAPTER 
 upon the town of Nazareth the pQ JJR 
 beautiful City of the Rose, nestled 
 among the sheltering hills of Gali- 
 
 lee. It was the month of April, the time of the 
 Passover, and the town was astir with the busy 
 preparations of those who were about to depart 
 on their annual journey to Jerusalem to attend 
 the great national festival. 
 J Among the many yearly feasts celebrated by 
 the Jews there was none that appealed more 
 strongly to the national spirit than that of the 
 Passover, the celebration of the deliverance of 
 Israel from the bondage of Egypt. Not only did 
 it commemorate one of the most momentous 
 epochs in the history of the race, but to the 
 hearts of many it had now another and prophe- 
 
 [57]
 
 The Story of tic significance the salvation of Israel by the 
 a Younv Man promised and long-expected Messiah. 
 
 * Of the multitude whose thoughts and whose 
 steps turned toward Jerusalem there was one 
 household in the little town of Nazareth to 
 whom the occasion was of more than ordinary 
 interest. To the family of Joseph, the carpenter, 
 and his wife and boy, the feast this year meant 
 more than to all the other worshippers of Pal- 
 estine. Jesus was going with his parents to Jeru- 
 salem. He had reached the age that permitted 
 him to attend the festival; and in the devout 
 and humble life of the little family this first 
 journey of the boy to the Feast of the Passover 
 was an event of surpassing moment. 
 f[ Twelve years had passed since Joseph and 
 Mary, with their precious charge, had returned 
 from their refuge in Egypt, whither they had 
 fled to escape the murderous jealousy of King 
 Herod. But the King having died soon after 
 
 [58]
 
 * te The Child yesus had grown to boy hood, fulfilling the fondest hopes of his parents" 
 
 Copyright, 1900, by The Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia
 
 their flight from Bethlehem, they had ventured The Story of 
 to return to their native town after a sojourn of a Toung Man 
 but a short while in the strange land of the 
 Nile. And here, amid the lowly and humble 
 surroundings of the carpenter's home, and un- 
 der the tender care of his devoted mother, the 
 child Jesus had grown to boyhood, fulfilling the 
 fondest hopes of his parents in his unvarying 
 goodness and in his dutiful, loving obedience. 
 ^[ He had now come of age, according to the 
 Jewish custom, and was for the first time en- 
 titled to take part in the great festival of which 
 he had so often heard. Passing from childhood's 
 realm of home and school, he was about to enter 
 the world to exercise the duties and privileges 
 of a " Bar Mizvah," or " son of the command- 
 ment." 
 
 ^[ To Mary and Joseph the occasion was one of 
 unmingled happiness, fraught with glowing 
 promises of the future ; and it was with glad and 
 
 [6,]
 
 The Story of thankful hearts that they set forth for Jerusa- 
 a Toung Man lem accompanied by their son. He was now a 
 member of the congregation their boy, their 
 Jesus ; the light and the joy of their lives. 
 
 To the boy himself it was the realization of 
 an ideal. In common with all Jewish children, 
 his training from early infancy had been imbued 
 with religion. His first knowledge was of God, 
 the Father. It was of Him that the mother spoke 
 and sang to the child while yet she carried him 
 in her arms. The stories to which he listened 
 at her knee were the stories of Jehovah's love 
 and mercy. From his baby days he had seen on 
 the doorpost of the house a little metal cylinder, 
 the Mesusah, with the name of the Most High 
 inscribed upon it, and had noticed that every 
 one who came or went touched the sacred name 
 with his finger, and then kissed the finger and 
 repeated a short prayer. The conversation in the 
 household, while he sat at meals with his par-
 
 ents or assisted them in their daily work, was The Story of 
 of the Father, and of the mighty deeds of the a Young Man 
 great men of Israel, and at school the Scriptures 
 formed the subject of all his lessons. 
 
 Of a gentle, sensitive nature, his childish heart 
 responded in unquestioning reverence to these 
 holy influences of his daily life. His love for the 
 Father a love instilled at his mother's breast 
 grew ever stronger and more earnest with 
 the unfolding of his devout nature. It was the 
 thought that he was now one of the Father's 
 congregation that he was entitled to take 
 part in the devotions that would bring him in- 
 to closer communion with God that appealed 
 most strongly to the boy and filled his soul with 
 a joyful enthusiasm, as on this bright summer's 
 day he took his place with Joseph and Mary in 
 the company that was leaving Nazareth to at- 
 tend the Passover. 
 f As he passed down the narrow, rugged path 
 
 [63]
 
 The Story of from the mountain village, and out upon the 
 a Toting Man g reat plain below, his heart bounded with boy- 
 ish delight. It was his first journey from home, 
 his first sight of the world, and all Nature seemed 
 to rejoice with him and to be in harmony with 
 his joyous spirit. 
 
 ^[ The earth was aglow with its richest blossoms, 
 decking the green-mantled hills and plains with 
 a wild profusion of color, and filling the soft, 
 warm air with a dreamy perfume. Fields of 
 ripening grain rippled in the gentle summer 
 breeze, and the vineyards and the orchards up- 
 on the hillside lent their delicate and varied 
 tints of foliage and fruit to the rich coloring of 
 the landscape, while from the trees and hedges 
 and across the fields and from the deep blue of 
 heaven came the warble and the song of birds, 
 flooding the air with a melody of gladness. 
 fj" The flowers, the trees, the birds were to the 
 boy as friends in a strange place. He knew them 
 
 [64]
 
 all. They were the same as those in the gar- <j^ Sf 0rv O f 
 dens and fields at home, and he greeted them a Younv Man 
 in happy surprise as he beheld them on every 
 hand amid the new and unfamiliar scenes 
 through which he was passing. 
 fT Like all children of Galilee the greater part 
 of his daily life was spent in the open air, among 
 the glories of Nature, where he had learned to 
 know and to love the works of the Creator. In 
 the delightful, semi-tropical climate of Pales- 
 tine there was but little need for the shelter of 
 a roof during the greater part of the year, and 
 the dwellings of the poor and humbler classes 
 were accordingly of the simplest and most prim- 
 itive style. 
 
 f f Many of the houses in the towns and villages 
 through which the travelers passed were similar 
 to those of Nazareth small, square, one-story 
 buildings, covered with flat roofs, which were 
 reached by flights of steps on the outside. Each 
 
 [65]
 
 The Story of dwelling consisted of one room, the open door- 
 
 a Young Man wav of which was the only source of light and 
 
 air, for there were no windows; and this one 
 
 room was made to serve for all the purposes of 
 
 domestic life. 
 
 Joseph's house was one of this kind, for Jo- 
 seph was a man of but few possessions, depend- 
 ing for his daily bread upon the small and 
 uncertain income of his humble trade. And it 
 was in such a home as this, devoid of all luxu- 
 ries and offering only the bare comforts of life, 
 that Jesus was brought up ; inured to privations, 
 and taught from early childhood the necessity 
 of labor and self-sacrifice. 
 
 ^[ Over hills and through valleys, and along the 
 banks of the beautiful and historic Jordan, the 
 pilgrims from Nazareth slowly wended their 
 way toward Jerusalem, resting at night by the 
 roadside under booths of mats or leafy branches, 
 and starting forward again at sunrise. 
 
 [66]
 
 Copyright, 1900, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
 
 A CAMEL 
 DRIVER
 
 ^|" They joined themselves with other parties <Tfr e Story of 
 on the way, until there was a great concourse a Young Man 
 journeying on together, some riding on camels, 
 and others on mules or horses, but the great ma- 
 jority traveling afoot ; while here and there, ac- 
 companying the procession, were sun-browned 
 shepherds with their flocks of lambs or goats 
 destined for the sacrificial feast. 
 ^]~ On the fourth day they came in sight of the 
 Holy City, shining white in the sunlight on its 
 sacred hills. With one accord the pilgrims 
 raised their voices in a glad shout of hosanna ; 
 and as they passed down through the outlying 
 gardens and orchards they joined together in 
 the singing of a familiar psalm, and approached 
 the gates of the city amid the inspiring chorus 
 of thousands of voices and the sweet-toned 
 music of the flute-players, who were always to 
 be found in a company of travelers. 
 ^T An enormous throng pressed through the gates 
 
 [69]
 
 The Story of an d filled the narrow streets. Companies and 
 a Younv Man caravans had been arriving for days, and the city 
 swarmed with a vast multitude of worshipers 
 from all parts of the country and the world ; 
 while thousands of pilgrims, unable to find 
 accommodations within the walls of the city 
 itself, camped upon the surrounding slopes. 
 ^[The Feast of the Passover lasted a week, and 
 the travelers from Nazareth arrived in ample 
 time to prepare for the celebration of the Pas- 
 chal supper, which was eaten on the night pre- 
 ceding the opening day of the festival. At this 
 supper from ten to twenty persons sat down to- 
 gether as one family and ate of a roasted lamb 
 with bitter herbs and unleavened cakes, in re- 
 membrance of the night, fifteen hundred years 
 before, when the Children of Israel partook of 
 a similar meal on the eve of their flight from 
 the land of bondage; that fateful night when the 
 Angel of Death passed over the houses of the 
 
 [70]
 
 Israelites and slew all the first-born of the Egyp- ffc Story of 
 tians, because of Pharaoh's refusal to set free the a Younv Man 
 chosen people of God. 
 
 ^ Jerusalem, the Holy City, the great metropo- 
 lis of Palestine, with its life and turmoil, its gran- 
 deur, its multitude of people and its historic 
 associations would at any time have proved a 
 revelation and a source of wonder to a simple 
 country lad beholding it for the first time ; but 
 at the present season, when its population was 
 swelled to many times its usual size, and a spirit 
 of festive, religious enthusiasm pervaded the air, 
 it could not but have inspired an intense interest 
 on the part of a boy like Jesus, devout and im- 
 pressionable, who from early childhood had 
 heard of the greatness and the glory of the Holy 
 City and had longed for the time to come when 
 he might set foot within its sacred precincts. 
 ^[ All through the days and nights of the festi- 
 val his interest in the scenes and incidents about
 
 The Story of him never flagged, but with every hour his 
 a Young Man emotions, his impressions grew stronger and 
 more vivid. A subdued excitement pervaded 
 his being. It was all so strange, so wonderful, so 
 different from anything he had ever seen or ex- 
 perienced in the quiet village home in far-away 
 Galilee; and as he passed along the crowded 
 streets with their busy shops and stalls, and 
 mingled with the vast throngs of people, repre- 
 senting all nations of the earth and all degrees 
 and conditions of humanity, his mind was ab- 
 sorbed in constant wonder and delight. 
 
 [ But of the many sights and objects that 
 claimed his attention there was one that took 
 precedence over all others; one spot toward 
 which his thoughts and his steps constantly 
 turned with deepest interest and reverence 
 the Temple, the house of God. 
 
 [ This grand edifice, the chief feature and glory 
 of Jerusalem and the center of the nation's
 
 hopes and affections, stood upon a hill that rose Tfe ^tory of 
 
 abruptly from the city like an island in the midst a Young Man 
 
 of a sea of streets, walls, palaces and houses, and 
 
 crowned by a mass of snow-white marble and 
 
 glittering gold, rising terrace upon terrace in a 
 
 succession of courts, each surrounded by a wall 
 
 and connected one with the other by a broad 
 
 flight of steps; the whole forming a magnificent 
 
 and imposing pile that gleamed and sparkled in 
 
 the sun in dazzling splendor. 
 
 T It was here, in the sanctuary of the Father, 
 that the boy found his greatest pleasure. The 
 beauties and the grandeur of the building, the 
 impressive ceremonies, the never-ending stream 
 of worshipers coming and going, and, above all, 
 the sublime sanctity of the place, appealed with 
 singular force to the boy of Nazareth, and 
 aroused in him a sense of mingled awe and en- 
 thusiasm. 
 
 During the Passover week the Temple San- 
 
 [73]
 
 The Story of hedrin an ecclesiastical tribunal composed of 
 a Younv Man ra bbis, or doctors of the Law assembled daily 
 in one of the courts of the Temple and there 
 held informal discourse with the public. The 
 listeners sat upon the floor, ranging themselves 
 in a semicircle about the doctors, and any one 
 was permitted to make remarks or ask questions. 
 . f[ Theological discussions were always popular 
 with the Jews, and no one claimed greater re- 
 spect than a rabbi one whose knowledge of 
 the Law and the Scriptures entitled him to in- 
 struct others in those matters which were ever 
 nearest to the hearts of the people; for nowhere 
 were religion and every-day life so closely inter- 
 woven as among the Jews. 
 
 ff It may readily be imagined, therefore, that 
 these gatherings in the Temple claimed the spe- 
 cial attention of Jesus, and that he listened with 
 eager heart and mind to the words of the learned 
 rabbis. Although in years he was scarcely more 
 
 [74]
 
 than a child, vet his pious, earnest nature en- , 
 
 * The Story of 
 
 dowed him with a maturity of thought beyond 
 
 J m J a Toung Man 
 
 that usually found in boys of his age. 
 f[ The homely discourses among the neighbors 
 in Nazareth, the lessons in the synagogue, and 
 the simple theology and teachings of his parents, 
 together with the subtle influence of Nature's 
 gentle spirit, had all left their impress on his 
 thoughtful mind and imbued him with a re- 
 ligion of pure and lofty ideals, while at the same 
 time they had awakened in his heart a longing 
 for a deeper knowledge of God for an under- 
 standing of many of the mysteries of life and 
 being, upon which he ofttimes pondered in 
 childish meditation. 
 
 [75]
 
 S the principal religious services of CHAPTER 
 the Passover occupied but two days 
 it was not necessary for pilgrims 
 to remain in Jerusalem after that 
 
 time, and consequently there were many who 
 returned home before the expiration of the full 
 period. Mary and Joseph, with a number of 
 friends and relatives who had come with them 
 from Nazareth, were among those who availed 
 themselves of this privilege, and they started on 
 their homeward journey about the fourth day. 
 In the tremendous crowds that choked the 
 streets and rilled the roads leading out of Jerusa- 
 lem, and amid the confusion and excitement 
 attending the simultaneous departure of thou- 
 sands of persons in the darkness of the early 
 morning, it was next to impossible for mem- 
 
 [77]
 
 The Story of hers of a company to remain together. In the 
 a Toung Man pushing, jostling and general uproar they fre- 
 quently became separated, and it was only when 
 the multitude got some distance beyond the city 
 and began to disperse that any attempt was 
 made to unite again according to companies or 
 parties. 
 
 ^[ When, therefore, Mary and Joseph discov- 
 ered that Jesus was not with them it did not 
 cause them any special uneasiness, for they were 
 assured that he was with other members of the 
 company somewhere on the road. But when at 
 the end of the first day's journey they pitched 
 their little tent and prepared the evening repast 
 they supposed, of course, he would rejoin them. 
 But time passed, and he did not come. 
 ^[ Thinking that he might perhaps be tarrying 
 with some of the relatives, they inquired for him 
 among the other members of the family. He 
 was not with any of them. 
 
 [78]
 
 ^~ Anxiously now the parents looked for him in fffc gfory of 
 the neighboring booths and tents, but he was a Younv Man 
 nowhere to be seen. Surely, some one could tell 
 them where he was. They asked of their fellow- 
 travelers and of every one they saw ; but no one 
 remembered having seen the boy. 
 ^[ Filled with anxiety and growing alarm, the 
 parents spent a wakeful night, striving in vain 
 to allay the apprehensions that crowded upon 
 their thoughts. And when morning came and 
 there was still no news of him they waited no 
 longer; there was now but one answer to their 
 questioning fears their child had been left in 
 Jerusalem. They must return at once; every 
 moment was precious. Even now it might be too 
 late; and leaving the company to proceed on its 
 way, they hastened back toward the city, im- 
 pelled by the wildest fears and forebodings. 
 
 It was dark when they reached the city. They 
 had scanned with earnest gaze every company, 
 
 [79]
 
 'The Story of every family they had met on the road during 
 a Toung Man tne anxious, long day's journey. They had 
 stopped and spoken to many concerning their 
 boy. They had inquired at every wayside house, 
 and had searched amid the pilgrim camps out- 
 side the city walls. But all in vain. Now dark- 
 ness had come and they could do nothing more 
 until the morning. And then, where should they 
 look, how were they to find him, amid the laby- 
 rinths and the multitudes of Jerusalem ? 
 ^[ Perchance their boy was suffering and in want 
 a stranger, a mere child, alone in this noisy 
 and bewildering city seeking in vain for his 
 parents, and knowing not where to turn nor 
 what to do. He might be in danger. Some acci- 
 dent, some calamity might have befallen him. 
 The awful fate that had threatened his infant life 
 twelve years before came to the minds of the par- 
 ents in terrifying vividness. 
 ^[ Distracted with grief and anxiety they 
 
 [so]
 
 searched without rest for two whole days ; and The Story of 
 yet no tidings, no trace of their child. a Young Man 
 
 fT Faint with fatigue and sick at heart, the poor 
 mother was almost in despair. Yet she struggled 
 on by her husband's side as they pressed through 
 the crowded thoroughfares and up and down 
 the long and wearisome flights of the Temple 
 steps, searching, inquiring everywhere ; retrac- 
 ing their steps again and again; looking wist- 
 fully, eagerly on every side, and ever and anon 
 calling his precious name. 
 
 Where could he be? Why did they not see 
 him ? Why did he not answer ? Was he forever 
 lost to them, their wonderful, their beautiful boy? 
 fTBut hark! What was that they heard? 
 fTThey were passing through one of the Tem- 
 ple courts. From the farther end the sound of a 
 voice reached their ears. 
 
 f[ It was the clear, sweet voice of a boy their 
 Jesus ! 
 
 [81]
 
 The Story of ^[ Hurrying forward with eager steps they came 
 a Young Man upon a group of men gathered about the rabbis 
 of the Sanhedrin, who were here holding their 
 customary school for public discussion. 
 ^~ In the midst of the assembly was the boy Jesus. 
 He was talking, and all were listening in rapt 
 attention. 
 
 ^[ He was addressing the rabbis, asking and an- 
 swering questions, wholly unmindful of the audi- 
 ence about him, and oblivious to thesurpriseand 
 wonder he was creating. A boy, a country lad, 
 discussing theology with the doctors, with the 
 gray-haired scholars of the Temple ! 
 ^[ His face was radiant, and his soft, expressive 
 eyes shone with a rare light of soulful intelli- 
 gence. He talked not as a child, but as one of 
 learningand mature judgment; and as the rabbis 
 and those about them listened to his words, 
 clothed in the music of a voice of angelic sweet- 
 ness, they were lost in amazement at his wis-
 
 Copyright, 1900, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
 
 A HEBREW 
 
 WOMAN
 
 dom and his eloquence. Never had one of his The Story of 
 tender years been known to display such power a Toung Man 
 of expression, such depth of thought, such keen 
 and logical perception and so profound a knowl- 
 edge of the Scriptures. 
 
 His listeners regarded him in marveling 
 admiration. None ventured to interrupt him. 
 General discussion was abandoned; questions 
 and arguments were forgotten. The school had 
 become a profoundly impressed audience. All 
 interest was centered upon the youth. 
 
 Suddenly a low cry diverted the attention of 
 the assembly. The boy turned quickly. His 
 mother stood near him with outstretched arms, 
 and the next moment she was pressing him to 
 her sobbing bosom. 
 
 i Amid tears of joy and expressions of tender 
 affection the parents welcomed him back to their 
 arms. They did not chide him. The mere re- 
 cital of the sorrow and pain they had suffered 
 
 [85]
 
 'The Story of on his account was sufficient reproof for a boy of 
 a Young Man his affectionate nature. He would never will- 
 ingly have caused them a moment's uneasiness. 
 | But why, he asked in innocent surprise, had 
 they thus worried about him? Why had they 
 sought him ? Did they not know that he was at 
 the Temple ? Was it not right that he, who was 
 now a member of the congregation, should be 
 engaged in the all-important affairs of his Father? 
 i Mary and Joseph were startled at the subtlety 
 of his questions. They were at a loss how to an- 
 swer. There was a depth, a mystery of meaning 
 in his words that they knew not how to inter- 
 pret. 
 
 To his earnest, religious mind, absorbed in its 
 lofty aspirations, it seemed so clear, so evident, 
 that he had been only fulfilling a duty, that for 
 the moment he found it difficult to understand 
 why his conduct should be questioned. 
 
 Yet he uttered no protest, no criticism. They 
 [86]
 
 were his parents, and his heart knew only deep The Story of 
 remorse at the thought that he had caused them a Young Man 
 to suffer. In gentle and loving obedience he left 
 the Temple with them, forsaking without a 
 murmur the discussion in which he was so 
 deeply interested. And with their child once 
 more beside them, Mary and Joseph retraced 
 their steps, and together the little family jour- 
 neyed back to Galilee. 
 
 [ How quiet, how restful, and withal how 
 strangely different the village of Nazareth 
 seemed to the boy upon his return to the home. 
 Though he had been absent so short a while he 
 had entered a new realm of thought and experi- 
 ence. The world had assumed a different aspect. 
 His mental vision had broadened; a new light, 
 a dawning revelation, had come into his life. 
 
 [87]
 
 T was again the time of the Pass- CHAPTER 
 over. Eighteen years had passed SIX 
 since the first visit of Jesus to 
 Jerusalem, during all of which 
 
 time he had continued to live in Nazareth, 
 growing up to manhood amid the quiet and 
 impressive surroundings of his rural home, and 
 following in the humble footsteps of his parent 
 as a carpenter. 
 
 Once more the Holy City was thronged with 
 its army of pilgrims, and the courts of the 
 Temple swarmed with men and women bent 
 upon the performance of religious duties. The 
 laws of the Jews called for a multitude of cere- 
 monial observances, none of which was more 
 important than the offering of sacrifices ; and 
 at this season of the year the outer court, or 
 
 [89]
 
 The Story of court of the Gentiles, was given over to dealers 
 
 a Young Man 
 
 ^ n doves and cattle and other sacrificial animals 
 for the benefit of the worshipers who came from 
 a distance and could not bring their offerings 
 with them. In this court, also, the money- 
 changers plied their vocation of changing 
 Roman money into Jewish coin, which could 
 alone be used for the Temple tithes. Very little 
 of this Jewish money was in circulation, and 
 consequently nearly all of those who came to 
 pay their yearly dues were obliged to resort to 
 these bankers, who did not hesitate to charge 
 exorbitant rates for their services. 
 ~ The use of the Temple for these mercenary 
 purposes had developed gradually from year to 
 year. The revenue in rent and taxes derived from 
 this source had grown to such proportions that 
 the Temple authorities were loath to relinquish 
 it, and accordingly closed their eyes to the 
 sacrilege they were thus tacitly permitting. 
 
 [90]
 
 The day of preparation for the feast was at <^^ e Story of 
 hand, and the court of the Gentiles was filled a Young Man 
 with a noisy assemblage. Dealers were advertis- 
 ing their stock in loud and lusty voices ; buyers 
 were wrangling and disputing, and the coarse 
 shouts of drovers added to the general uproar, 
 while the clink of coins and the cries of 
 animals rose above the din of the jostling 
 crowd. 
 
 ^~ Suddenly a hush fell upon the scene. A young 
 man, a stranger, appeared within the court. By 
 common impulse all eyes were turned upon him. 
 Armed with a small lash, which he had hastily 
 made from a few cords picked up from the floor, 
 he strode through the crowd and the next mo- 
 ment was driving before him the dealers and 
 their animals. 
 
 ^| " Out ! " he cried in a voice of commanding 
 authority. "An end to this defilement of the 
 Lord's holy Temple ! " 
 
 [91]
 
 The Story of Then turning upon the money-changers he 
 
 a Young Man overthrew their tables, scattering their money 
 in all directions upon the floor, and in words 
 of stinging denunciation expelled them also 
 from the court, while many of the buyers and 
 onlookers fled in consternation before the wrath- 
 ful indignation of this unknown man. 
 [ For a moment he stood defiant amid the 
 startled and bewildered crowd. There was in 
 his look and in his bearing something so ma- 
 jestic, so commanding, that none dared to op- 
 pose him. Then, with an expression of mingled 
 pity and scorn, he passed quietly out of the court 
 and disappeared. 
 
 The news of the occurrence spread rapidly 
 throughout the Temple, and from there into 
 the city streets, exciting general comment and 
 discussion. 
 
 "Who is this man?" was asked on all sides. 
 "Who is he that has dared to do this thing?"
 
 n a short time came answering rumors that ar-^ Storv of 
 served to still further arouse public wonderment. Toun? Man 
 *T"He is a prophet, a man gifted of God, a 
 worker of miracles. Yea, it is told by men from 
 Galilee that he turned water into wine at a wed- 
 ding feast in Cana, and there are those who say 
 that a voice spoke to him from Heaven as he 
 stood in the Jordan to be baptized of John." 
 fj" John was a man who at that time was attract- 
 ing widespread attention. He had withdrawn 
 from the world and was leading an ascetic life 
 in the valley of the Jordan, whither large num- 
 bers from all parts of the country flocked to see 
 and hear him. He called upon his fellow-men 
 to repent; telling them that the Kingdom of 
 God was at hand, and that the Messiah was soon 
 to appear among them. His words of warning 
 and his persistent prophecies regarding the ad- 
 vent of the Christ aroused no little agitation ; 
 while the rite of baptism, which he instituted 
 
 [93]
 
 The Story of as a svm bol of purification, and which gained 
 a Toung Man ^ or ^ m tne title of the Baptist, added greatly 
 to his notoriety. 
 
 fl" Speculation regarding the young man in the 
 court of the Gentiles continued with unabated 
 interest. The more the occurrence was discussed 
 the more daring and more wonderful it appeared. 
 There could be no doubt that this was a man 
 of no ordinary powers. It was even whispered 
 that the Baptist had proclaimed him the Mes- 
 siah ; that he had pointed him out as the Saviour 
 of whom he had prophesied. 
 fl" Yet, after all, was he not simply a Galilean 
 countryman ? There were those in the city who 
 professed to know him. According to them he 
 was but a carpenter a man without rank or 
 learning Jesus, the son of Mary and Joseph 
 of Nazareth. 
 
 fT It was indeed he he who as a boy had 
 startled the doctors with his wisdom, and who 
 
 [94]
 
 now, appearing suddenly from a life of obscur- ^he Story of 
 ity, had fearlessly challenged the Temple rulers a Youn? Man 
 by his bold and forcible denouncement of wrong 
 which none had heretofore had the courage to 
 oppose. 
 
 ff It was the first manifestation of a sublime and 
 wondrous purpose that had long animated his 
 being. From the quiet retirement of his village 
 home he had looked upon the world through 
 the unclouded vision of his pure, devout life, and 
 had beheld with earnest solicitude the corrup- 
 tion and spiritual degradation that everywhere 
 surrounded him. His tender, sympathetic heart 
 was filled with compassion for the great mass of 
 his fellow-countrymen, burdened with political 
 and social oppression, and struggling blindly 
 for the light amid the inconsistencies and abuses 
 that marked the religious teachings of the day. 
 f[ His whole nature thrilled with the realiza- 
 tion that he, the carpenter of Nazareth, must 
 
 [95]
 
 The Story of ta ^ e u P on himself the burden of his people's sal- 
 
 a Young Man vat i n - He felt nay, he knew with the surety 
 
 of divine inspiration that in him lay the 
 
 power to redeem mankind from its thraldom 
 
 of sin and darkness. 
 
 fl" It was toward the accomplishment of this, the 
 sole and all-absorbing purpose of his life, that 
 the early years of his manhood had been de- 
 voted to study and contemplation. In his quiet 
 home or in the seclusion of the fields and 
 wooded hills he had daily sought the Father 
 and communed with Him in prayer. It was to 
 God that he looked at all times for guidance and 
 for strength. In his preparation for the great task 
 before him he was ever conscious that he was 
 but carrying out the will of the Father ; that to 
 him of all men had been intrusted the uplifting, 
 the salvation of the world; that in him the 
 promise of God to His people would be made 
 manifest. 
 
 [96]
 
 ^[ And now, clothed in the might of a definite ffo Story of 
 and unalterable determination, he had entered a Younv Man 
 upon his Father's appointed task, and had sig- 
 nalized the inauguration of his mission by an act 
 of reformation at once so daring, so vigorous, so 
 demonstrative of superior power and authority, 
 that it gained for him immediate public recog- 
 nition as a man of extraordinary character. 
 ^ While the conscience-stricken authorities re- 
 garded him with mingled fear and resentment, 
 because of the rebuke to them which his action 
 so clearly implied, the people themselves looked 
 upon him with awe and admiration. Nor was 
 this feeling on their part in any way diminished 
 when, later, he again appeared in the Temple 
 and voluntarily addressed the men and women 
 who quickly gathered about him in crowds, 
 curious to look upon him and listen to his 
 words. 
 ^[ With the same fearlessness, with the same 
 
 [97]
 
 The Story of irresistible earnestness that had characterized his 
 a Toung Man ^ rst appearance among them, he proclaimed to 
 them the advent of the Kingdom of Heaven. 
 The day of the redemption of Israel had arrived. 
 The new era which the prophets had predicted 
 was at hand. The time of waiting was fulfilled. 
 ^[ His hearers were amazed. They looked one 
 to another with inquiring glances. What was 
 the meaning of this ? Could it be true ? Who 
 was this man that dared to utter words fraught 
 with such stupendous import? 
 ^J The boldness and the gravity of his utterances 
 excited unbounded astonishment. But heedless 
 of the commotion thus aroused he continued to 
 address the crowds that flocked about him, di- 
 recting his remarks particularly to those of the 
 humbler classes. For them he had a message 
 of hope and of cheer. He spoke to them of a 
 brighter, happier life. He told them that he had 
 come to show them the way; to save them from 
 
 [98]
 
 the wrongs and miseries of the world; to lead The Story of 
 them from the darkness of evil to the glad sun- a Young Man 
 light of truth and love. 
 
 ^]~As he talked many of his hearers pressed 
 closer. They would hear more, more. His words 
 to them glowed with the radiance of spiritual 
 comfort; their hearts beat with eager hope. 
 Never had they listened to language of such 
 quickening power, such glorious promise. 
 ^[Yet it was not alone to the poor and the 
 downtrodden that his words appealed. The re- 
 markable statements and teachings of this un- 
 known man, who had so suddenly, so mysteri- 
 ously appeared in their midst, attracted the 
 attention of all who heard him. Even among 
 the Pharisees the leading exponents of reli- 
 gion bound as they were to their narrow and 
 dogmatic ideas, there were many who were 
 deeply impressed with the force and the novelty 
 of his preaching. 
 
 [99]
 
 The Story of ^T ^ ne ^ tnem Nicodemus by name, a man of 
 a Young Man wea l tn anc ^ learning and of high rank among 
 the Jews, went to Jesus at night, in order that 
 he might speak with him alone and learn from 
 him this young man, this Galilean stranger 
 the full truth and meaning of his utterances, 
 which had made so profound an impression upon 
 the Pharisee that he felt convinced that in Jesus 
 he beheld one who spoke through the inspira- 
 tion of God. 
 
 fT There were many to whom-his words brought 
 such soulful conviction, and to whom his im- 
 pressive personality so strongly appealed, that 
 they unhesitatingly believed him and accepted 
 his sayings as divine truth. There were even 
 those who asked that they might go with him 
 as his disciples, when it was learned that he was 
 about to leave the city, so great was the reverence 
 he inspired. 
 
 fl" But, gratifying as this manifestation of regard 
 
 [100]
 
 Copyright, 1900, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
 
 A MERCHANT
 
 must have been to him, he desired for the pres- <f^ e St ory O f 
 ent no associates other than the four or five a "founv Man 
 friends who had come with him from Galilee. 
 With them as his only companions he set forth 
 from Jerusalem, to continue in other parts of 
 the country the prosecution of his work which 
 had opened so auspiciously and so triumph- 
 antly. 
 
 ^[ He was gladly received wherever he appeared. 
 The synagogues of the various towns through 
 which he passed were thrown open to him, and 
 in them he preached to the people, who flocked 
 from all directions to hear him and to drink in 
 the words of hope and joy that he offered to an 
 oppressed and benighted nation. 
 ^[ His exhortations, his doctrines, everywhere 
 excited astonishment, not only because of their 
 originality and significance, but more so because 
 of the independent authority with which they 
 were delivered. What first impressed his audi- 
 
 [ I0 3]
 
 The Story of tors was the remarkable contrast between his 
 a Toung Man manner of preaching and that of the scribes, 
 the religious teachers of the people. Their ser- 
 mons were devoid of life or inspiration. They 
 confined their discourses chiefly to retailing the 
 opinions of commentators ; to the repetition of 
 cerem onial rules and regulations ; and they never 
 ventured a statement nor offered an explanation 
 unless it was sanctioned by some recognized 
 master of theology. 
 
 Jesus, on the contrary, ignored all masters 
 and commentators; all worldly authority. He 
 needed none to tell him of God and of life. 
 These were the exalted themes that inspired 
 his sermons, and the truth within him was alone 
 his authority. So earnest was his conviction of 
 the verity of his words that he did not hesitate 
 to tell his hearers that their future weal or woe 
 depended upon their acceptance or rejection of 
 the message he bore. It was the majesty of such 
 
 [104]
 
 authority as this that smote his listeners with The Story of 
 awe and irresistibly held their attention. a Young Man 
 
 ^[ But even more remarkable was his boldness 
 his moral courage as displayed in his de- 
 nunciation of the abuses and false notions of the 
 day. Station, rank, earthly authority or the 
 world's opinion had no weight with him ; they 
 had no terrors for a nature such as his. He pos- 
 sessed that commanding self-reliance, that splen- 
 did fearlessness, which comes of true and perfect 
 manhood. He was actuated solely by his duty, 
 his mission never stopping to question what 
 the results might be to himself. 
 ^[ Nor did he in this respect confine himself 
 alone to words. In his actions, in his every-day 
 life, whenever the opportunity occurred, he 
 openly and unhesitatingly displayed the same 
 inspiring fearlessness. 
 
 [105]
 
 N one occasion, returning to Jeru- 
 salem to attend one of the many 
 feasts that were annually celebrated 
 there, he came upon a helpless in- 
 valid a man who had been paralyzed for nearly 
 forty years. In company with many others af- 
 flicted with sickness or infirmities this man was 
 lying near one of the pools the pool of Be- 
 thesda the water of which was supposed to 
 have miraculous curative powers at such times 
 as, for some unknown cause, it became disturbed 
 or changed color. 
 
 ^[ On these occasions the invalids hastily en- 
 tered the pool, but the poor paralytic had no 
 one to help him ; and each time, before he could 
 reach the water, others crowded in his way and 
 prevented him. 
 
 [107] 
 
 CHAPTER 
 SEVEN
 
 The Story of The pathos of his plight deeply touched the 
 
 a Young Man heart of Jesus, and with generous sympathy he 
 hastened to relieve the unfortunate sufferer. It 
 mattered not to him that the day was the Sab- 
 bath, and that the deed he was about to per- 
 form was forbidden on that day as constituting 
 an act of labor. Here was a fellow-creature in 
 pain and distress. His duty lay to him, and not 
 to arbitrary human laws. 
 
 i Placing his hand tenderly upon the man he 
 bade him rise and walk. This gentle command 
 from the lips of Jesus was alone sufficient. It 
 carried with it the potency of that sublime spir- 
 itual force that dominated his being. The man 
 to whom the words were addressed rose slowly 
 from his recumbent position, until at length, 
 taking up the pallet upon which he had been 
 lying, he stood up, freed from his infirmity, and 
 gazed in bewildered amazement upon his bene- 
 factor. 
 
 [108]
 
 1 The news of the occurrence aroused instant q-fa gtory of 
 commotion. The restored paralytic, who had a Toung Man 
 long been a familiar figure in the city, was speed- 
 ily surrounded by a gaping crowd, clamoring 
 with inquisitive interest to know by what means 
 he had been so suddenly cured, and for what 
 reason he was violating the Sabbath by carry- 
 ing his bed about with him an act prohib- 
 ited by the Sabbatical laws. 
 j~ Over and over again he was obliged to re- 
 count his marvelous experience, at the same 
 time offering as an excuse for his breach of the 
 Sabbath the fact that the unknown man who had 
 healed him had commanded him to take up his 
 bed and walk. Jesus had in the meantime dis- 
 appeared, without being recognized, leaving the 
 people to their various surmises regarding the 
 mysterious man who, by a mere touch, could re- 
 store health and vigor to a palsy-stricken body, 
 and who had not only dared to break the Sab- 
 
 [109]
 
 The Story of bath himself, but had also deliberately induced 
 a Young Man a fellow-mortal to violate the law. 
 
 ^[ It was not long, however, before he was 
 identified, and the report of his conduct was at 
 once carried to the authorities, who undertook 
 to censure him at the first opportunity. But little 
 were they prepared for the scathing rebuke 
 which he, in return, administered to them for 
 their blindness and perversity in condemning 
 him for an act of charity. Could they not see, 
 he demanded, that what he had done was in- 
 spired of God ? Did they not realize that in tak- 
 ing him to task fordoing the work of the Father 
 they were holding the Almighty accountable to 
 their petty judgment of right and wrong ? 
 ^T Of the many unhappy features of existing re- 
 ligious thought and social conditions there was 
 none more marked than the extraordinary'strict- 
 ness regarding the outward observance of the 
 Sabbath. From the simple command that the 
 
 [no]
 
 Lord had given to the people through Moses, The Story of 
 the scribes had elaborated a vast array of in- a Young Man 
 junctions and prohibitions covering every detail 
 of social, individual and public life, even to the 
 question of the kinds of knots that might law- 
 fully be tied on that day rules that were so 
 manifestly absurd as clearly to indicate how far 
 remote was the relationship existing between 
 them and the piety that they were supposed to 
 represent. 
 
 f[ It is not difficult, therefore, to understand 
 how a nature like that of Jesus' rebelled against 
 such perversions of the Lord's commandments. 
 Though he incurred the deep enmity of the 
 scribes and the Pharisees by his defiance of their 
 authority, and realized that he would be sub- 
 jected to their persecution should he again vio- 
 late their cherished rules, it did not deter him 
 from showing to the world that mercy and love 
 rise superior to any earthly restrictions ; and it
 
 'The Story of was on ly a short while after the incident at 
 a Toung Man Jerusalem that he again had occasion to demon- 
 strate it. 
 
 f[ It was a Sabbath day, and he was holding one 
 of his usual discourses in a synagogue, surrounded 
 by a congregation of interested and critical lis- 
 teners. Among them was a man with a withered 
 hand, and the scribes and Pharisees who were 
 present looked on with unkindly interest, secretly 
 hoping that Jesus would give them an oppor- 
 tunity to accuse him of Sabbath-breaking by at- 
 tempting to heal the man, who, according to 
 the law, could not receive any relief until the 
 holy day was over, as he was in no immediate 
 danger of death. 
 
 ^TTThey inquired of Jesus whether it was lawful 
 to heal on the Sabbath; thinking thereby to 
 draw him into a discussion in which he might 
 commit himself by some tangible demonstration 
 of his unorthodox views. 
 
 [112]
 
 Divining their motive with that rare insight cffc Story of 
 into human nature which was ever one of the a Younv Man 
 distinguishing qualities of his superior mind, he 
 did not at once reply to them ; but, instead, he 
 called upon the cripple to stand up. 
 ^[ Instantly there was a hush throughout the 
 room. 
 
 ^[ Then turning to his questioners he asked; " Is 
 it lawful to do good on the Sabbath?" 
 ^[ The suddenness of the question and the un- 
 expected form in which the case was presented 
 to them took them aback. They who had 
 thought to entrap this Galilean reformer by 
 their usual mode of subtle questioning were 
 themselves confounded. They had met one who 
 was more than their equal. They knew not for 
 the moment how to reply, and their discom- 
 fiture was increased when, continuing with his 
 remarks, couched in the fluent and forceful lan- 
 guage of righteous indignation, Jesus arraigned 
 
 ["3]
 
 Story of them for their uncharitable motives, and in final 
 a Young Man reply to their question commanded the cripple 
 to hold out his hand; and forthwith, exerting 
 upon it his divine influence, he restored it to 
 life. 
 
 ^[ In addition to his inspiring words and con- 
 duct, which drew many to him as their ac- 
 knowledged leader, this gift of healing this 
 miraculous power over physical infirmity - 
 added a potent and wonderful charm to his 
 greatness. 
 
 ^[ There had been others gifted with like ability, 
 but in none had it been so marked, so compre- 
 hensive, so significant of divine power as in the 
 case of this marvelous man. Even the lepers 
 were cleansed at the touch of his hand. 
 ^[ The report of his teachings and his cures 
 spread through Judea and as far north as Gali- 
 lee, his native province, toward which his jour- 
 neyings gradually led him, and where he finally 
 
 ["4]
 
 Copyright, 1900, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
 
 A ROMAN 
 CENTURION
 
 arrived after an absence of several months. He y/fe Story of 
 was heartily welcomed by the inhabitants, who a Young Man 
 were proud to claim him as a fellow-Galilean 
 a man who had made his mark in Jerusalem and 
 whose name was being heralded throughout the 
 land. 
 
 ^[ He who a few months before had been an 
 unknown carpenter now commanded the atten- 
 tion of the public, and rose before the world as 
 a man of mighty possibilities. And scarcely had 
 he returned to Galilee when there occurred an 
 incident that more than justified the popular 
 opinion of him and confirmed beyond all doubt 
 the many reports of his miraculous powers. 
 ^[ One of the officials of the court of Herod 
 Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, learning that Jesus 
 was in the town of Cana, came to him in per- 
 son to ask his aid on behalf of his dying son. He 
 was a Roman nobleman, a member of a class 
 professedly contemptuous of the Jews; yet he
 
 The Story of recognized in this Galilean teacher a personality 
 a Young Man that transcended the bounds of caste; a person- 
 ality superior to his own nobility of birth and 
 office, and in humble supplication he craved 
 that Jesus would return with him to Capernaum, 
 that the life of his boy might be spared. 
 f[ He had the power to have summoned Jesus 
 to his home ; to have commanded his attend- 
 ance upon him; but he had come to him in- 
 stead. He had left his palace and had traveled 
 a distance of more than twenty miles, that he 
 might speak with the man whose works had 
 aroused his reverent admiration, and that he 
 might ask of him the assistance which he felt 
 that he, this divinely gifted physician, could 
 alone give him. 
 
 fl" Deeply touched by a faith so sincere, on the 
 part of one from whom it was so little to be 
 expected, Jesus willingly responded to the noble- 
 man's prayer. But not in the manner that the 
 
 [1.8]
 
 supplicant and those about him had expected. 'The Story of 
 
 He bade the nobleman return home alone. He a Young Man 
 
 would not go with him; it was unnecessary. 
 
 His prayer was already answered; for even as 
 
 he spoke the fever left the child, as the father 
 
 learned upon his return home the following 
 
 day. 
 
 ["9]
 
 LUSHED with the success that CHAPTER 
 had crowned the first months of EIGHT 
 his mission, Jesus returned at 
 length to his home, the little 
 
 town of Nazareth. He entered it quietly and 
 hastened at once to his mother. She should be 
 the first to welcome him. His first salutation 
 should be to her. The bond between mother 
 and son was one of peculiar tenderness and en- 
 dearment a sympathy of love that only the 
 hearts of these two could understand. This 
 had been the first long absence of Jesus from 
 his mother, and as he folded her in his arms he 
 knew by her tears and by the fervency of her 
 silent embrace how deep was the joy that welled 
 within her loving heart. 
 
 ^| He had returned home on the eve of a Sab- 
 
 [121]
 
 'The Story of bath-day; and on the following morning, as had 
 a Young Man been his habit since boyhood, he accompanied 
 his mother to the synagogue. Like those of 
 nearly all the towns in Palestine, the synagogue 
 of Nazareth was a low, rectangular building of 
 stone, situated on the summit of a hill over- 
 looking the town. Thither the townspeople 
 wended their way ; the men with their phalac- 
 teries, or amulets, tied on their forehead and 
 wrist, and the women veiled in white and walk- 
 ing sedately with downcast eyes to the tinkling 
 accompaniment of their metal anklets. 
 
 The air of the synagogue was sweet with 
 the refreshing odor of mint, which was strewn 
 here and there upon the floor. Removing their 
 sandals at the doorway Jesus and his mother 
 entered and took their places among the other 
 worshippers. They did not, however, remain to- 
 gether, for the men and women occupied sepa- 
 rate portions of the synagogue; the women 
 
 [122]
 
 being assigned to a partitioned space near the cffo gtorv of 
 entrance, where custom required that they a Younv Man 
 should remain standing during the service, 
 while the men occupied the benches in the 
 main part of the room or seated themselves 
 upon the floor. 
 
 f[ The first part of a Sabbath morning's service, 
 which consisted of a liturgy and the recitation 
 of passages from the Pentateuch, was followed 
 always by a reading from the Prophets and a 
 short commentary on the Scripture. This fea- 
 ture of the synagogue worship was commonly 
 assigned to some member of the congregation, 
 and on this morning Jesus stepped forward and 
 volunteered his services. He was accordingly 
 invited to come to the pulpit and read the lesson 
 for the day from the book of Isaiah. 
 C The minister handed him the rolled manu- 
 script, and as Jesus opened it in search for the 
 text the congregation looked on with indiffer-
 
 The Story of ent attention. But as he began to read there was 
 
 a Toung Man a noticeable awakening of interest. In place of 
 
 the usual monotonous recitation the words of the 
 
 Prophet rang through the synagogue in a voice 
 
 eloquent with feeling: 
 
 [ "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 proclaim deliverance to the captive; 
 to restore sight to the blind, and to set at liberty 
 them that are bound." 
 
 [ As he handed the roll back to the minister 
 all eyes were upon him. It was customary for 
 the reader himself to expound the lesson, and the 
 congregation now waited with curious interest 
 to hear what comments Jesus would make upon 
 the passage he had just read. 
 
 In an outburst of impassioned eloquence he 
 instantly astonished his hearers by applying to 
 himself the words of the Prophet "Behold, 
 
 [, 24 ]
 
 ye men and women of Nazareth, to-day the The Story of 
 Scripture has been fulfilled in your ears!" a Young Man 
 
 T" Carried forward by the spirit of this inspired 
 declaration he called upon his listeners to bear 
 witness to its truth. His words rose strong and 
 clear; gaining in intensity as he went on. A 
 glorious enthusiasm animated his voice. He was 
 talking to his friends, his neighbors, his fellow- 
 townsmen. They would understand him. They 
 would appreciate to the full the significance of 
 the truth he was proclaiming. Yea, above all 
 others, they would acknowledge him, and re- 
 joice with him! 
 
 But when he finished there came a murmur 
 from the audience a murmur of disapproval. 
 Glances and whispers were exchanged among the 
 men, for the synagogue rules permitted a congre- 
 gation to give open expression to its opinions. 
 T "Is not this man a carpenter?" they asked 
 one of another. "Where has he obtained these
 
 The Story of strange ideas? He belongs to no school. By what 
 a Young Man authority does he, a mere carpenter, thus preach 
 to us? Aye, whence comes his presumptuous 
 claim to the Messiahship ! It is absurd; it is blas- 
 phemous! He has been trifling with us !" 
 ^[ Jesus was overwhelmed. His sensitive nature 
 recoiled with pain and mortification before these 
 unkind comments as they became gradually 
 more loudly and more arrogantly spoken. He 
 realized at once the depth of their meaning. His 
 old-time friends and neighbors were insinuating 
 that his words had been inspired by some un- 
 holy power. It was more than he could endure. 
 His soul cried out against this cruel imputation, 
 and, addressing his critics in a voice quivering 
 with emotion, he laid bare with straightforward, 
 stinging accusation their uncharitable and sinis- 
 ter motives. 
 
 f Wrought up by his words to a state of anger 
 and excitement the congregation interrupted
 
 Overcome with grief and bitter disappointment, Jesus left Nazareth " 
 
 Copyright, 1900. by The Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia
 
 him with shouts and threatening gestures. He The Story of 
 attempted to proceed; but his voice was drowned a Young Man 
 in the uproar; and a moment later he was seized 
 and hurried out of the synagogue. 
 ^[ " Kill him ! " came from many excited voices. 
 " Yea, put him to death ! He is an impostor, a blas- 
 phemer! Let us cast him over the precipice!" 
 and in the centre of a turbulent crowd of men 
 he was borne along toward the edge of a deep 
 ravine. 
 
 [ Was it possible that they really meant to kill 
 him ? Was this to be his reward ? Was this his 
 welcome to the town that had been his home 
 since childhood? 
 
 [" Realizing their murderous intent, he suddenly 
 stopped. Without a word, he cast upon the men 
 about him a look of such deep reproach, of such 
 commanding protest, that they shrank from him 
 in shame and fear, and permitted him to pass 
 through and go his way. 
 
 [129]
 
 The Story of c " Overcome with grief and bitter disappoint- 
 a Young Man rnent, Jesus left the town. He had entered it so 
 full of joyous anticipations, and now he was 
 leaving it leaving it forever rejected, hu- 
 miliated, scorned by his own people ! Of what 
 avail had been his mission ? What meant his 
 successes, his triumphs, in the face of such a 
 crushing blow ! 
 
 [ J 3]
 
 HE clear waters of the lake of CHAPTER 
 Galilee, stirred into gentle ripples NINE 
 by the cool and perfumed breezes 
 that swept down from the sur- 
 
 rounding garden-covered hills, shimmered tran- 
 quilly beneath the radiance of a tropic sky. It 
 was a Sabbath morning in the early summer. 
 The streets of Capernaum were hushed and life- 
 less. 
 
 ^[ The place was one of much importance among 
 the many towns that bordered the lake, and on 
 , other days of the week was the scene of a thriv- 
 ing centre of business, with its fisheries and its 
 markets. To-day, however, all work was laid 
 aside, and the solemn spirit of the day reigned 
 supreme. Fishing-boats rocked listlessly at their 
 moorings, the shops and market-places were de-
 
 The Story of serted, and a sense of rest and quietude brooded 
 
 a Toung Man over the little town. 
 
 f But as the hour for the morning service ap- 
 proached an unusual stir was noticeable among 
 the inhabitants. The streets became filled with 
 men and women hastening with eager steps to- 
 ward the synagogue and conversing in earnest 
 tones. An event of absorbing interest was upper- 
 most in the minds of all. 
 
 The famous young rabbi was in town ! Yea, 
 the new teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, of whom 
 all the country was talking! Beyond doubt he 
 would attend the synagogue that morning. It 
 would give them an opportunity to see him. 
 Perchance, too, they might hear him talk. It 
 would indeed be strange were he not asked to 
 address the congregation. 
 
 Jesus had reached the town early in the 
 morning, attended by four of his devoted friends, 
 who had joined him the previous day. They 
 
 l>3 2 ]
 
 Copyright, 1900, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
 
 A FISHER- 
 MAN
 
 had been with him before as his companions The Story of 
 and disciples, but upon his visit to Nazareth had a Toung Man 
 returned to their homes. They were lowly fish- 
 ermen, these friends of Jesus Andrew and his 
 brother Simon Peter, and two other brothers, 
 James and John; men of but little learning, 
 yet possessed of true hearts and generous, sym- 
 pathetic impulses. 
 
 While they reverently acknowledged the 
 superiority of their friend and master, there had 
 grown up between them an unaffected intimacy 
 of brotherly love, so that when, after an absence 
 of some little time, he unexpectedly came upon 
 them the preceding day while engaged with 
 their nets upon the shore of the lake, and asked 
 them to once more accompany him and assist 
 him in his work, they gladly accepted the in- 
 vitation and went with him at once. 
 
 His cruel rejection by the people of his native 
 town had cast a gloomy shadow upon the very 
 
 ['35]
 
 The Story of threshold of his life's undertaking. But not for 
 a Toung Man one instant had it affected his exalted purpose, 
 nor deterred him from going steadfastly forward 
 with his work. He realized that it was but a 
 foretaste of the trials and sorrows that must come 
 to him in fulfilling the mission that the Father 
 had ordained for him. 
 
 ^]~ Yet the welcome accorded him by the citizens 
 of other towns did much to compensate for the 
 grief of his experience at Nazareth. He was re- 
 ceived with marked cordiality wherever he ap- 
 peared, and now, as on this Sabbath morning, 
 he entered the synagogue of Capernaum, in 
 company with his four companions, he was con- 
 scious of a murmur of welcome from the un- 
 usually large congregation that had assembled 
 in anticipation of seeing him. 
 fj" When the formal exercises of the meeting 
 were concluded he was invited to preach a 
 courtesy that was commonly extended to visit- 
 
 '
 
 ing rabbis. Many marvelous reports had reached yfe Story of 
 the people of Capernaum regarding his elo- a Young Man 
 quence and the novelty of his teachings, and as 
 he came forward and took his seat upon the 
 little platform near the centre of the room a 
 buzz of eager curiosity ran through the assem- 
 bly. 
 
 ^[ But ere he had spoken four or five sentences 
 curiosity gave way to wonder and amazement. 
 No previously formed conception of him had 
 prepared his listeners for the remarkable force 
 of his words and the overmastering influence 
 of his personality. Never before in all their ex- 
 periences had any one spoken to them as did 
 this man Jesus. Never before had such elo- 
 quence, such soul-stirring words, been heard 
 within the synagogue of Capernaum. No scribe, 
 no rabbi had ever taught with such command- 
 ing authority, nor given utterance to such vivid 
 and such inspiring thoughts. 
 
 [137]
 
 The Story of He drew his audience closer, closer. His 
 
 a Toung Man power was fascinating, irresistible. Every heart 
 was beating in uncontrollable response to the 
 fervid music of his eloquence. The people sat 
 as if entranced. They scarcely breathed. The 
 man before them seemed to absorb their very 
 being. They gazed upon him spellbound, thrilled 
 by his every word, his every glance. 
 \ Suddenly a wild and piercing shriek rent the 
 air. A man, disheveled and with countenance 
 horribly distorted, sprang up amid the congre- 
 gation. With fierce gesticulations and frothing 
 at the mouth he struggled frantically toward 
 Jesus, at the same time crying out in the fren- 
 zied and incoherent speech of a maniac. 
 |[ In an instant the place was in an uproar. A 
 wild terror seized upon the people. They be- 
 came panic stricken. Oblivious to the danger 
 that threatened the young rabbi they rushed 
 toward the doorway.
 
 Then above the noise and confusion rose the j^ Story of 
 clear, calm voice of Jesus. He commanded a Young Man 
 silence. The retreating congregation stopped, 
 abashed and overcome. Then fearlessly address- 
 ing himself tothemadman,hebadehim hold his 
 peace, and charged the evil spirit that possessed 
 him to come forth ; and before the astonished 
 gaze of the people the man, who a moment be- 
 fore had been a raving maniac, sank helplessly at 
 the feet of Jesus, restored to his right mind. 
 
 Passing forth from the synagogue, Jesus re- 
 tired with his companions to the homeof Andrew 
 and Peter. He was weary and in need of rest. 
 He had walked many miles during the week, 
 everywhere and at all times addressing those that 
 flocked about him, and constantly called upon to 
 lend his divine aid to the unfortunate. But instead 
 of finding the comfort he now sought he came 
 upon a scene of sorrow and distress in which he 
 was himself called upon to be the comforter. 
 
 L X 39]
 
 The Story of If The m other of Peter's wife was suffering 
 a Toung Man with a violent attack of fever. The inmates of 
 the house knew not where to turn for help ; but 
 the moment they perceived Jesus they appealed 
 to him. Ever animated by a touching sympathy 
 for those in affliction, he forthwith approached 
 the bedside of the suffering woman, and taking 
 her by the hand, raised her tenderly from the 
 pillow, at the same time speaking to her in a 
 voice of gentle cheer and encouragement ; and 
 within a few moments, under the soothing in- 
 fluence of his spiritual power, the fever subsided 
 and the woman was able to leave her bed. 
 fT The news of this, coupled with the miracu- 
 lous occurrence at the morning service, spread 
 with surprising rapidity, and formed the sole 
 topic of conversation throughout the town. 
 fj" With the setting of the sun, which marked the 
 end of the Sabbath and permitted the return to 
 ordinary duties and privileges, a large number 
 
 [HO]
 
 of persons came hurrying to the house at which The Story of 
 
 Jesus was stopping. From every street and every a Young Man 
 
 lane, and from nearby towns and villages they 
 
 came, the great majority of them afflicted with 
 
 infirmities or disease. They had learned of what 
 
 he had done and now besought his aid in their 
 
 behalf. 
 
 With loving pity he came forth and laid his 
 hands with their revivifying touch upon each 
 and every one in turn ; restoring sight and speech, 
 awakening the troubled mind to reason, and 
 bringing back the glow of health to wan and 
 wasted bodies. It mattered not to him that he 
 was fatigued and was seeking a few hours' rest 
 before the morrow's toil. Before him were 
 suffering fellow-creatures. His first duty was to 
 them, and with a smile or a cheering word he 
 greeted them all. 
 
 It was nightfall ere the last visitor went his 
 way, rejoicing and glorifying God. But scarcely 
 
 [HI]
 
 The Story of had the first signs of dawn appeared when again 
 a Young Man the space in front of the little house was filled 
 with the maimed, the sick and the blind, clam- 
 oring selfishly for Rabbi Jesus to heal them. 
 ; But Jesus was not in the house. He had dis- 
 appeared. Hastening anxiously to a neighboring 
 hill, where they thought he might have retired 
 in accordance with a habit they had learned to 
 know, his friends found him in a secluded spot 
 engaged in prayer. He had risen while it was 
 yet night, and had come to this lonely and des- 
 ert place that he might commune alone with 
 God, and gain from Him, the Father, fresh 
 strength and courage. 
 
 ^ But even here he was not free from disturb- 
 ance. No sooner had his companions found him 
 and told him of the sick who awaited him, than 
 many others sought him out and begged him 
 to return to town and heal their friends and 
 relatives.
 
 f[ But much as his heart yearned for the help- fffo t or y O f 
 
 less creatures who were calling for him, and not- a Younv Man 
 
 withstanding the opportunity thus offered to 
 
 increase his personal popularity, he would not 
 
 permit himself to be swerved from the true and 
 
 higher purpose of his mission. 
 
 f[ " No," he replied in his gentle yet firm voice, 
 
 to those who besought him, " I have come, not 
 
 merely to heal bodily infirmities, but to preach 
 
 the good tidings of the Kingdom of God, and 
 
 to call men to repentance. Do not, therefore, ask 
 
 me to remain here, for I must go to the other 
 
 towns as well, that all may hear the truth and 
 
 learn of the salvation that awaits them. Come," 
 
 he continued, addressing his disciples, " our 
 
 work lies before us."
 
 P to this time the labors of Jesus CHAPTER 
 had been in the nature of prelim- TEN 
 inary work, more or less intermit- 
 tent, and governed by no set plans. 
 
 But henceforth his course of action was one of 
 definite and systematic effort combined with 
 unremitting toil. 
 
 ^T With Capernaum as a centre he began now 
 a series of short journey ings throughout the 
 province of Galilee. Attended by his disciples, 
 he traveled on foot from one place to another, 
 teaching in the synagogue of each town, or in 
 the open air when the accommodations were not 
 sufficient for the numbers that came to hear 
 him. 
 
 ^[ Events as stirring and as trying as those that 
 had marked his present visit to Capernaum be- 
 
 [-45]
 
 The Story of came now his daily experience. At every town, 
 a Young Man at ever y stopping-place, the inhabitants poured 
 forth to greet him, eager to harken to his words 
 or to invoke his aid. The sick were placed by 
 the roadside, in the streets, and in the door- 
 ways, that he might touch them as he passed. 
 The blind and the dumb, the insane and the epi- 
 leptic, the diseased and the plague-stricken, the 
 maimed and the deformed all implored and 
 all received his mercy. 
 
 ^f Misery and distress surrounded him on every 
 hand. They intruded themselves even into his 
 lodgings. On one occasion a man suffering with 
 palsy was carried up the outer stairway and 
 lowered through the roof of the house at which 
 Jesus was stopping ; the crowd that surrounded 
 the dwelling being so great that it was impos- 
 sible to gain an entrance for the sufferer through 
 the doorway. 
 ^[Wherever he turned men cried to him for
 
 help, thoughtful only of their own burdens, cffc gf 0ry O f 
 their own afflictions; never realizing that he who a Young Man 
 with infinite compassion laid his hands upon 
 them and bade them take up their beds and 
 walk, was ofttimes himself faint and weary with 
 incessant labor, hungering for food, and know- 
 ing not where to rest his tired body. 
 
 ]] So numerous and so startling were the cures 
 he effected that reports concerning them spread 
 rapidly in all directions. Not only did they stir 
 the entire population of Galilee, but the fame 
 of the young teacher extended throughout all 
 Palestine and into the bordering territories, and 
 attracted to him large numbers of persons from 
 every quarter. 
 
 1 His name was on all lips ; his sayings were 
 quoted far and wide. His journeys became tri- 
 umphal marches, for there were soon gathered 
 about him a large number of deeply interested 
 men and women, who regularly accompanied 
 
 [147]
 
 The Story of mm on h* 8 daily walks, while the populace 
 a Young Man everywhere hailed him with enthusiastic dem- 
 onstrations of welcome. 
 
 f[" The wonder inspired by his abilities as a 
 healer grew with each succeeding day, and rose 
 at length to reverent awe when it became mani- 
 fest that his powers not only held dominion 
 over physical infirmities, but transcended the 
 realm of even death itself. 
 
 ^| It happened, one day, as he was approaching 
 the village of Nain attended by the usual throng, 
 that he met a funeral procession passing slowly 
 out through the gate. A poor widow was about 
 to bury her only son, and the sorrowing vil- 
 lagers had come with her, in token of their 
 sympathy for the broken-hearted woman. 
 ^T The scene was one of inexpressible sadness. 
 Stepping apart from his followers, Jesus ap- 
 proached the weeping mother and addressed 
 her in tones of tenderest sympathy. At this un-
 
 expected interruption the procession stopped, ^The Story of 
 and, in the hush that followed, the startled on- a Toung Man 
 lookers heard the voice of Jesus commanding 
 the widow's son to arise, and the next moment 
 they beheld the young man sitting up and heard 
 him speak as Jesus took him by the hand and 
 assisted him to rise from the open- frame bier on 
 which he had been lying. 
 [ A gasp of astonishment rose from the be- 
 holders. Affrighted and bewildered they turned 
 one to another for explanation. What manner 
 of man was this who could thus triumph over 
 the grave? Had such a miracle been known 
 since the days of Elisha? Truly, a great prophet 
 had come among them, and a thousand tongues 
 hastened to proclaim the marvel that had just 
 been witnessed. 
 
 The rapidly widening field of work resulting 
 from the popularity of his mission soon con- 
 
 [H9]
 
 The Story of vinced Jesus of the necessity of gathering about 
 a Toung Man him a circle of immediate attendants, who could 
 be constantly in his company and receive from 
 him such instructions as would enable them in 
 due time to divide with him his ever-increasing 
 labors, by acting as his apostles or representatives. 
 Accordingly, from the disciples who were fol- 
 lowing him he chose a company of twelve ; most 
 of them plain, unpretentious men, destitute of 
 learning, and belonging to the poor and lowly 
 classes. 
 
 [f Among their number was one, Matthew by 
 name, who was a publican, a collector of taxes. 
 His occupation made him a social outcast; for 
 so great was the Jewish hatred of Roman tax- 
 ation, that any Israelite who became a publican 
 was excommunicated, and, in the estimation of 
 the Pharisees, was no better than a robber or a 
 murderer; unfit to hold the slightest intercourse 
 with any self-respecting Jew. 
 
 t'5]
 
 Copyright, 1901, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
 
 PETER
 
 It was, therefore, a bold step for Jesus to 7*^ Story of 
 deliberately choose a man of this class for one a Toung Man 
 of his disciples. He fully realized that by so doing 
 he forfeited any possible chance of securing the 
 goodwill or recognition of the influential classes. 
 But with his supreme indifference to the narrow 
 prejudices of the world he selected Matthew be- 
 cause of his qualities as a man, as a fellow-being, 
 regardless of his station or his life conditions. 
 [ In calm defiance of the strict ideas of the 
 Pharisees, who, for fear of being defiled, relig- 
 iously shrank from any contact with the com- 
 mon people, he mingled freely and at all times 
 with the lower classes and those whom public 
 opinion had branded as sinners : the downtrod- 
 den, the outcast, the forsaken ; the poor unfor- 
 tunates whom the religious leaders of the day, 
 with their self-righteous notions of virtue and 
 propriety, regarded as hopelessly lost and as 
 unworthy of assistance. 
 
 [S3]
 
 The Story of i" It was to persons such as these, both men and 
 a Young Man women, that Jesus devoted his special attention. 
 He went among them as a counselor, as a friend, 
 as a brother ; cheering them with words of com- 
 fort and of hope, and recognizing them as equal 
 before God with all mankind. It was they who 
 most needed his help, and it mattered not to 
 him that by his intercourse with them he aroused 
 the indignation of the other rabbis and the 
 scribes. 
 
 [j From the very first the Pharisees and religious 
 teachers had looked upon him with suspicion. 
 As his popularity increased their ill-feeling 
 ripened into jealous enmity, and they availed 
 themselves of every possible opportunity to ha- 
 rass him by publicly criticising his conduct, in 
 the hope of humiliating him and lessening his 
 influence with the people. 
 
 To this end, also, they sought to belittle his 
 miraculous powers, and to poison the public 
 
 [-54]
 
 mind by asserting that he was in league with cffo Story of 
 Satan, especially in his remarkable cures of de- a Young Man 
 moniacs, or persons suffering from the influence 
 of evil spirits. Not content with this malicious 
 accusation, they endeavored to have it believed 
 that he was himself possessed of a demon that 
 his mind was affected ; an insinuation that found 
 support, not only in the strangeness of his teach- 
 ings and the startling nature of his claims, but 
 more particularly in the extraordinary zeal that 
 characterized his labors. 
 
 *\ It was undoubtedly true that in this latter re- 
 spect he differed very greatly from other teachers, 
 with their monotonous routine of spiritless pre- 
 cepts and trifling formalism. His whole life force 
 was concentrated upon the accomplishment of 
 a single purpose the redemption, the uplifting, 
 of mankind. 
 
 f[ At times the demands upon him were so great 
 that he could not find time even to eat; and on
 
 'The Story of one occasion he was so engrossed in his benevo- 
 a Young Man lent work, and gave himself up to it with such 
 tireless enthusiasm, utterly forgetful of himself 
 and his needs, that the cruel slander instigated 
 by the Pharisees found justification in the minds 
 of some of his own friends, who, with misguided 
 solicitude, sought to interfere, convinced that 
 he was indeed beside himself. 
 
 With trials such as these to contend with in 
 the midst of his exhausting labors, and coupled 
 many times with the sad realization that the 
 multitudes who flocked about him were more 
 often attracted by selfish desire for assistance 
 than by the glorious truths he announced to 
 them, it was but small wonder that he some- 
 times questioned the success of his mission. 
 
 But without a murmur of complaint, he con- 
 tinued steadfastly with his teachings. It mattered 
 not where his audience happened to be ; he ad- 
 dressed himself to his fellow-men everywhere
 
 on the mountain side, on the shore of the cj-fo g forv O f 
 lake, on the high ways, in the villages, in the syna- a Young Man 
 gogues, in the houses. Wherever men and women 
 gathered about him, there he taught them and 
 preached to them. 
 
 ^[ His sermons appealed to the heart, to the 
 emotions. Clothed in simple yet fervent lan- 
 guage, they rang with the eloquence of truth. 
 At times they were direct and forceful state- 
 ments. Again, they were in the attractive form 
 of parables ; but at all times their purpose was 
 to proclaim and define the Kingdom of God, 
 which he, as the representative of the Father, 
 had come to establish. Nota kingdom of earthly 
 splendor, such as a popular belief had taught 
 that the Messiah would inaugurate, but a spirit- 
 ual dominion of love and humility ; a kingdom 
 within the reach of every repentant and believ- 
 ing soul. 
 
 [157]
 
 EARLY a year had now elapsed CHAPTER 
 since the beginning of Jesus's ELEVEN 
 Galilean ministry. He had been 
 absent from Capernaum for some 
 
 time, and it was with much enthusiasm that 
 the inhabitants one morning received the news 
 that he had once more returned, in company 
 with his twelve disciples, who had just com- 
 pleted their first missionary work ; having trav- 
 eled through the more remote parts of Galilee, 
 preaching and healing in accordance with the 
 instructions of the master. 
 
 The people of the surrounding country were 
 soon pouring forth to welcome him, and the 
 throng was increased by passing bands of pil- 
 grims on their way to the Passover. But as both 
 he and the disciples were fatigued and in need 
 
 [-59]
 
 The Story of f food he directed that they cross the lake, in 
 a Young Man order to avoid the crowds that were rapidly 
 gathering. Accordingly, they entered a boat and 
 passed over to a secluded spot at the foot of a 
 mountain, about six miles distant. 
 ^[ Divining his destination, many of the people 
 hurried toward the place on foot, and were 
 joined on the way by others from the inter- 
 mediate villages, so that when Jesus stepped 
 from the boat, thinking to find himself alone 
 with his companions, he beheld a multitude al- 
 ready awaiting him, and companies of men, 
 women and children hastening forward from 
 all directions. 
 
 ^[ Instead of taking offense and resenting their 
 intrusion his heart was filled with compassion. 
 They had come to him for encouragement and 
 help, and, forgetting in a moment his own 
 wants, he went among them with kindly words 
 of welcome; and as they gathered about him 
 
 [,6o]
 
 on the grass-covered hillside he cheered their ffo Story of 
 hearts with one of his ever-beautiful and soul- a Young Man 
 thrilling sermons. 
 
 ^| Scarcely had he finished speaking when the 
 cries of the sick and afflicted who had dragged 
 themselves to the spot drew him here and there 
 amid the assembled thousands ; and so com- 
 pletely absorbed did he become in his labor of 
 love and mercy, that he failed to note the pas- 
 sage of time until one of his disciples called 
 attention to the lengthening shadows, and sug- 
 gested that the people be dismissed, in order that 
 they might return to the villages before nightfall. 
 ^[But with that loving thoughtfulness that at 
 all times characterized his nature he could not 
 brook the thought of sending them away tired 
 and hungry, as they must indeed be. They had 
 been there several hours; many of them had 
 come from a long distance, and they had come 
 to greet him and to be comforted. 
 
 [161]
 
 The Story of Presently the restless crowds were stilled. 
 
 a Toung Man The faint and the weary ceased their murmur- 
 ings. The rabbi was about to feed them ; to give 
 food to the hungry thousands. 
 *[[ In obedience to his instructions they seated 
 themselves in small groups, half doubting, half 
 expectant. Was it possible that he intended to 
 feed them all and in this place ? 
 ^[ Yea, it was indeed true ; for, behold ! even now 
 they were being served with bread and fish. 
 ^[ The grateful refreshment was eagerly seized 
 upon. The scene of a short time before was 
 transformed into that of an inspiring feast ; more 
 than five thousand, men, women and children, 
 eating together in thankful communion amid 
 the sunset glories of Nature's solitude. 
 ^[ Then, suddenly, from many directions at once, 
 came the question, "Whence comes this food?" 
 ^[ Each man looked to his neighbor. " Yea, 
 whence comes this food ? Was it not said that 
 
 [162]
 
 the rabbi's disciples could find but a few loaves The Story of 
 of bread and two or three small fishes?" a Young Man 
 
 The repast came to an end amid increasing 
 surprise and astonishment, which rapidly gave 
 way to intense excitement as the people realized 
 that they were the witnesses of a stupendous 
 miracle. Verily, it was a repetition of the feed- 
 ing of Israel in the wilderness ! Lo, the very 
 sign by which the scribes had said that the 
 Messiah would manifest himself! 
 
 | Shouts now arose above the excited com- 
 ments of the throng. A wild enthusiasm, an 
 ecstasy of religious and patriotic emotion, seized 
 upon the people. Jesus was their King, their 
 Messiah ! he would lead them to victory against 
 the Romans ! Jerusalem should be regained ! 
 Israel should triumph above her enemies ! 
 
 J In a tumult of tempestuous zeal, shouting, 
 gesticulating, the mighty host surged forward in 
 obedience to a sudden, overmastering impulse.
 
 The Story of J " Hail to Jesus, the King, the ruler of Israel ! 
 
 a Young Man Come let us put him at our head. We will fol- 
 low him to the Holy City ! Hail to the con- 
 queror ! Hail to the Messiah ! Jesus, our King, 
 our King ! " 
 
 I But Jesus had disappeared. At the first mani- 
 festation of excitement he had hastily directed 
 his disciples to cross the lake, and had himself 
 sought retirement in the solitude of the moun- 
 tain ; weak and exhausted, and bowed down 
 with an overwhelming grief. 
 
 The end had come. He had witnessed the 
 climax, the final result, of all his months of 
 self-sacrificing labor among the people of Gali- 
 lee. His mission was a failure ! The people had 
 not understood him. And now now they 
 would reject him ! 
 
 { Only too clearly he saw that his refusal to 
 act as their political leader and his failure to
 
 He sank upon the ground in the anguish of unutterable sorrow " 
 
 Copyright, 1900, by The Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia
 
 fulfill their material conception of the Messiah y^ g forv O f 
 would result in their turning from him. This a Young Man 
 was the outcome of his teachings and the re- 
 ward for his labors. This was the return for his 
 love and for all that he had endured for the sake 
 of his fellow-beings. 
 
 T The cries of the multitude still rang in his 
 ears " Hail to the Messiah ! Jesus, our King ! 
 our King ! " From the plain below they rose 
 upon the evening air, torturing his soul with 
 their bitter significance. Then, gradually, they 
 grew fainter and died away. Failing to find him 
 the enthusiasm of the people had turned to dis- 
 appointment; and the last murmur of voices 
 was gathered into the mournful solitude. 
 
 The day faded into night, and about him 
 was the desolation of the wilderness. Alone with 
 the Father, and beneath the cold and unpity- 
 ing light of the stars, he sank upon the ground 
 in the anguish of unutterable sorrow. 
 
 [167]
 
 T happened as Jesus had foreseen. CHAPTER 
 The Galileans turned from him TWELVE, 
 in contempt. They were disap- 
 pointed and angered at his refusal 
 
 to accept the honor which they were ready to 
 bestow upon him. 
 
 ^| On the following day, in the synagogue of 
 Capernaum, he endeavored to explain to them 
 his spiritual character. They could not compre- 
 hend it. It was so utterly different from their 
 preconceived notions of the Messianic King, 
 that it only heightened their resentment and 
 drove from him many of those who had fol- 
 lowed him as disciples. 
 
 f[ But the faith of his chosen twelve shone 
 through the clouds of this trying ordeal as a 
 softening ray of hope and encouragement. Their
 
 The Story of love for the master was too deep, too sincere, to 
 a Toung Man be thus suddenly shattered. Nor was their devo- 
 tion in any way diminished by the adversities 
 which now quickly followed his waning popu- 
 larity. They had shared with him his triumphs 
 and his fame, and they would share with him 
 his misfortunes and his trials. 
 f[ It was rumored that Herod Antipas, who had 
 but recently executed the reformer and prophet, 
 John the Baptist, after a cruel imprisonment of 
 many months, was now seeking an opportunity 
 to lay hold of Jesus; having become alarmed 
 at the widespread enthusiasm aroused by him 
 throughout the province. 
 
 [| Menaced by this danger and spurned by his 
 fellow-countrymen, the young rabbi's ministry 
 in Galilee came to an abrupt and thankless ter- 
 mination. With his company of devoted friends 
 he forsook the familiar scenes of his daily labors 
 and retreated to the most distant and retired parts 
 
 [170]
 
 of the province an outcast, a fugitive; no y^ Story of 
 longer attended by enthusiastic crowds nor sur- a Young: Man 
 rounded by admiring multitudes, but seeking 
 refuge in solitude and retirement. 
 
 i But the threatened violence of Herod, coupled 
 with the ingratitude of the people, was but a 
 minor peril compared with the ever-increasing 
 hatred of the scribes and other ecclesiastical 
 leaders. The Pharisees at Jerusalem had watched 
 the movements of this new reformer with un- 
 feigned anxiety and displeasure, and had but 
 recently sent deputations to Galilee to act in 
 concert with their local adherents in opposing 
 him. 
 
 They resented his teachings as heretical and 
 revolutionary. But more particularly were they 
 incensed at his deliberate defiance of many of 
 their cherished rites and observances washing 
 the hands before eating, fasting on certain oc- 
 casions, and other like formalities, which Jesus 
 
 ['7']
 
 The Story of not on ty failed to observe, but which, as reli- 
 a Young Man gi us requirements, he denounced as vain and 
 contrary to the true spirit of God's will. 
 
 f[ The antagonism of the Pharisees, which had 
 thus been aroused from the very beginning, was 
 constantly augmented, not only by their failure 
 to produce any substantial opposition to the new 
 teacher, but by the manner in which he met 
 their attacks; turning upon them the clear light 
 of spiritual purity and exposing to the world 
 their hypocrisy and inconsistencies. 
 
 f[ And yet true to the sublime loftiness of his 
 character his words of rebuke and reprobation 
 were directed against his opponents as a class 
 not as individuals; for as creatures of God they 
 were his fellow-beings, and as such were worthy 
 of his charity and his pity. 
 
 fj" Only a short time before one of the most 
 prominent men of Capernaum Jairus, a ruler 
 of the synagogue had come to him imploring 
 
 [172]
 
 Copyright, 1900, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
 
 A PHARISEE
 
 his aid on behalf of his dying daughter. With The Story of 
 his brother Pharisees he had previously availed a Toung Man 
 himself of every chance to oppose the young 
 reformer. But now, in his anxiety for his child, 
 all his bitterness as a Pharisee had departed. He 
 was but a human being, a father, pleading for 
 the life of a loved one. Throwing himself at 
 the feet of Jesus he humbly acknowledged the 
 superiority of him whom he had been perse- 
 cuting, and begged that he would now assist 
 him. 
 
 j Well might Jesus have spurned him with con- 
 tempt. Well might he have found revenge in 
 this brief triumph over his opponent. But, with 
 that love and forgiveness which formed the key- 
 note of his teachings, and which ever illumined 
 his beautiful nature, he hastened to the assist- 
 ance of his fellowman, and called into existence 
 for the sake of this one sorrowing soul the 
 mightiest and most marvelous manifestation of 
 
 ['75]
 
 The Story of his exalted being the power of life over 
 
 a Young Man death. 
 
 | During the father's absence the daughter had 
 died, and when Jesus reached the house the 
 mourners had already assembled. Bidding them 
 cease their noisy lamentations, he entered the 
 room in which the young girl lay, and taking 
 her by the hand, even as he had done with the 
 widow's son at Nain, he called her back to 
 life. 
 
 [ His bitterest enemies were at all times forced 
 to acknowledge his transcendent powers ; yet it 
 only added to their malicious envy, and it may 
 well be imagined that they were filled with con- 
 sternation at the enthusiasm which marked his 
 presence in Galilee during the past year. As the 
 accepted leaders of the people, the scribes and 
 Pharisees fiercely resented this intrusion on the 
 part of one whose teachings were so strikingly 
 at variance with their own.
 
 \\ Appreciating their inability to cope with the The Story of 
 situation, they succeeded in arousing against a Young Man 
 Jesus the animosity of the Herodians and the 
 Sadducees, two of the most influential classes of 
 the nation, representing the Jewish aristocracy 
 and the higher priesthood. Selfish and conserva- 
 tive, fond of worldly pleasures, and courting the 
 favor of the Romans, they took but little interest 
 in the religious welfare of the people; so that 
 while the Pharisees, in their fanatical zeal for 
 everything that pertained to religion, were 
 deeply concerned regarding the ministry of 
 Jesus, the Sadducees took no notice of it until 
 the excitement and enthusiasm aroused on all 
 sides gave to it the appearance of leading to a 
 political disturbance. 
 
 This they knew would bring down the iron 
 hand of their Roman masters and imperil their 
 power and their property, and out of fear of such 
 a consequence they finally j oined with the Phari- 
 
 l>77]
 
 The Story of sees m a common cause against the man who 
 a Young Man was threatening the peace of the nation. 
 
 Taking advantage of his sudden rejection by 
 the Galileans, his adversaries pressed their oppo- 
 sition with more boldness and determination. 
 They spied upon his movements and dogged his 
 footsteps, and, whenever they overtook him, 
 arrogantly disputed with him on points of law 
 and theology, in the hope that he might so far 
 commit himself as to give them ground for 
 bringing him before the authorities. 
 ^[ For six weary months he led the life of a 
 fugitive. There was no house, no town nor vil- 
 lage no, not even any section of the country, 
 that he could now call his home or where he 
 was safe from molestation. Hisjourneyings were 
 no longer triumphal marches from town to town, 
 amid the ringing voices of the multitudes, but 
 were long and weary flights through mountain 
 wilds and across the desert wastes.
 
 Then, accompanied by his disciples and a 'The Story of 
 number of his former followers, who had again a Toung Man 
 joined him, he bade farewell to Galilee and 
 turned his face toward Jerusalem. 
 I It was a bold and perilous step. It would bring 
 him in direct contact with the hostile authori- 
 ties and place him at the mercy of his enemies. 
 His disciples urged him against it; but he an- 
 swered that, although his labors in Galilee were 
 finished, his mission was not yet fulfilled. He 
 still had work to do. There were many of his 
 people to whom he had not yet appealed; many 
 to whom the tidings of deliverance had not yet 
 come. 
 
 [ J 79]
 
 T was the month of October, the CHAPTER 
 time of the Feast of Tabernacles, 
 that most picturesque festival of 
 the Jews, when for seven days the 
 
 THIRTEEN 
 
 people lived in booths of leafy branches, to com- 
 memorate the tent-life of Israel in the wilder- 
 ness. All who could, celebrated the festival at 
 Jerusalem, and the great city was now em- 
 bowered in a mass of foliage. The courts of the 
 houses, the roofs, the streets, were filled with 
 booths. Every available space was occupied by 
 these leafy structures as shelters for the throngs 
 that were gathered together on this festal occa- 
 sion. 
 
 T Three days of the feast had passed when 
 suddenly a rumor filled the air. Then came the 
 news. It passed with lightning-like rapidity 
 
 [181]
 
 'The Story of from one to another. The whole city was astir. 
 
 a Toung Man Jesus, the Galilean, had arrived ! 
 
 fT Flocking to the Temple the curious and ex- 
 pectant populace beheld the famous teacher, the 
 great reformer, the mysterious, the wonderful 
 man, whose name was known from one end of 
 Palestine to the other, and the reports of whose 
 miracles and teachings had stirred Jerusalem 
 with wonder and apprehension. 
 ff The discussions regarding him had led to 
 various opinions. There were those who be- 
 lieved him the Christ, the Messiah. Many 
 regarded him simply with curious interest, 
 knowing not what to think concerning his 
 claims, yet admitting the righteousness of his 
 teachings, while not a few condemned him as 
 an impostor. 
 
 ^]~ The seclusiveness that had marked his daily 
 life for the past few months was now thrown 
 aside. From the day of his arrival he fre-
 
 quented the Temple and boldly preached to the The Story of 
 crowds that thronged about him with eager a Young Man 
 interest. Such absolute fearlessness completely 
 disconcerted the Temple authorities. They 
 knew that he was aware of their unfriendly 
 feelings and intentions, and yet he daringly in- 
 vaded the very precincts of their tribunal, and 
 calmly defied them. Overcome with astonish- 
 ment, and hardly knowing what course to pursue 
 in the face of such superlative manhood, they 
 contented themselves with listening to the fear- 
 less intruder, convinced that sooner or later his 
 utterances would serve them as a pretext for 
 action against him. 
 
 I Whenever he appeared in any one of the 
 Temple courts he was immediately surrounded 
 by a mass of men and women. He was never at 
 a loss for an audience. Eager listeners were ever 
 pressing forward to be within sight of him as 
 he sat and preached in the midst of these im-
 
 The Story of promptu gatherings. The people of Jerusalem 
 a Younv Man could now understand how he had made so 
 great a popular impression. His power lay as 
 much in himself in the influence of his per- 
 sonality as in what he said. His calm dignity, 
 the undefmable majesty of his bearing, and the 
 intense, soulful earnestness of his voice gave to 
 his words the force of an authority that was 
 more than human. 
 
 C" Suddenly, in the midst of one of his dis- 
 courses, he was interrupted by a commotion on 
 the outskirts of the assembled audience. The 
 Temple police were seen advancing. The au- 
 thorities had decided upon his arrest. His utter- 
 ances were too presumptuous, too heretical - 
 nay, they were blasphemous. Already he was 
 arousing undue discussion and excitement. 
 Hundreds were becoming converts to his het- 
 erodox teachings. His influence must be speedily 
 checked.
 
 f|" Unmindful of the impending danger, Jesus y^ Story of 
 continued with his address. The guards hesi- a Young Man 
 tated. The voice of the man smote them with 
 a strange fear. His words thrilled them with 
 awe. They stopped and listened, overcome by 
 his impressive dignity and the power of his 
 eloquence. They feared to approach him, and 
 returned empty-handed to their superior offi- 
 cers. 
 
 fT The chief priests and their brother officials 
 soon realized that the arrest of Jesus would 
 be a more serious matter than they had antici- 
 pated. Not only had they as yet no material 
 evidence against him, but the popularity he was 
 rapidly creating also rendered it both difficult 
 and hazardous to publicly apprehend him. 
 There were many who would not hesitate to 
 take his part, and his arrest might therefore 
 bring about the very result which the chief 
 priests the Sadducees were laboring to
 
 The Story of avoid. So that while they had thought to quick- 
 a Young Man ly end the career of this Galilean, the days and 
 the weeks went by and he still fearlessly pur- 
 sued his ministry in their very midst. 
 
 [ During this period of his labors in Jerusa- 
 lem and the neighboring parts of the country 
 he was enabled for the first time since the 
 commencement of his work to taste of the 
 pleasures of home. Close to Jerusalem, though 
 hidden from view by the Mount of Olives, lay 
 the little town of Bethany, its white, flat-roofed 
 houses half concealed amid the orchards and the 
 gardens that surrounded them. In this charm- 
 ing and sequestered spot dwelt two sisters, Mary 
 and Martha, and their brother, Lazarus. 
 \ In this little household Jesus was at all times 
 a welcome and honored guest. The embowered 
 dwelling, with its tranquil surroundings and 
 refreshing comforts, stood ever open to receive 
 him. It offered a restful shelter from the con- 
 
 [ 1 86]
 
 fusion and the dangers of the Temple courts or tj-fc gf 0ry O f 
 the exhausting labors of his occasional mission- a Young Man 
 ary journeys. It was indeed a home, a refuge, 
 a haven of rest, hallowed by the loving minis- 
 trations of noble women and the friendship of 
 a true and worthy man. 
 
 ^J" The attachment between Jesus and these 
 friends at Bethany dated from their first meet- 
 ing ; and, nourished by the sweet familiarity of 
 increasing affection, it grew ever stronger and 
 more beautiful with the passing of time. The 
 brother and sisters, in their love and admira- 
 tion for their gifted friend, looked forward 
 always in happy anticipation to the days on 
 which the home would be gladdened by his 
 presence ; while their unfailing kindness and 
 delicate attentions appealed with peculiar force 
 to the responsive heart of Jesus, and contrib- 
 uted to a friendship that he cherished as one of 
 the dearest and most comforting of his life. 
 
 ['8 7 J
 
 The Story of IT This peaceful home at Bethany meant to him 
 
 a Young Man not only loving hospitality ; not only bodily rest 
 
 and repose of mind; but, above all else, it 
 
 meant for him sympathy and appreciation 
 
 that heart refreshment for which his sensitive, 
 
 exalted nature so often thirsted in vain. 
 
 ^T Yet the happiness which this taste of home 
 
 life brought to the weary heart of Jesus was but 
 
 a rift in the clouds that were growing ever 
 
 darker and more ominous. 
 
 f[ The animosity of the Pharisees and the ec- 
 clesiastical officials steadily increased. Every 
 possible effort was used to counteract his influ- 
 ence. It was made a misdemeanor to listen to 
 him. Those who dared to acknowledge him as 
 the Messiah were excommunicated. He was 
 himself excommunicated branded as a sinner 
 and forbidden to enter the synagogues. The 
 accusation that he was possessed of a devil was 
 again brought forward. His lowly birth, his
 
 humble circumstances, his lack of schooling, ^fa Story of 
 his unconventional mode of life all were set a Young Man 
 forth as damaging facts. 
 
 These malicious efforts were not without 
 their effect. They awakened suspicion and 
 contempt among many of the more strictly 
 orthodox Jews. With the masses, however, his 
 popularity continued to increase; and through 
 the overmastering force of his personality and 
 his surprising knowledge of the Scriptures he 
 succeeded for the time in thwarting every effort 
 of his opponents to involve him. 
 
 One day, shortly after his arrival in Jerusalem, 
 as he was seated in the centre of a group of lis- 
 teners in the Temple, he was called upon by 
 some of the scribes and Pharisees in authority 
 to give his opinion on a judicial question. Drag- 
 ging forward a young woman, convicted of 
 having broken one of the Ten Command- 
 ments, they said to him with feigned humility
 
 The Story of an ^ reverence: "Teacher, the law of Moses 
 a Young Man commands that one guilty of the sin committed 
 by this woman shall be stoned to death. What is 
 your opinion?" 
 
 ^[ If he answered that the penalty should be en- 
 forced it would injure him in the eyes of the 
 people, for the Scriptural law in this particular 
 had long been obsolete, and to revive it now 
 would arouse a storm of public indignation. If, 
 on the other hand, he decided that the woman 
 should be dismissed, he would be charged by 
 the authorities with slighting the law, for it 
 was still binding, even though unobserved. 
 ^[ His enemies thought they had succeeded in 
 placing him in a predicament. They congratu- 
 lated themselves that they had at last found an 
 opportunity of not only humiliating him before 
 the public, but also of proving him guilty of an 
 offense. 
 
 *[[ All eyes were turned upon him. What would 
 
 [190]
 
 he answer? With averted face he stooped and The Story of 
 wrote with his ringer upon the dust of the floor, a Toung Man 
 \ "He is bewildered. He knows not how to 
 reply," w.ere the whispered comments of the 
 scribes ; and again they put the question to him, 
 this time more boldly. 
 
 ] Slowly rising and turning his calm, penetrat- 
 ing gaze full upon his opponents, he said : " If 
 there be one among you who is without sin, let 
 him cast the first stone at this woman, as re- 
 quired of the chief witness by the law of Moses." 
 
 Rebuked and mortified at his masterful 
 evasion of the snare they had set for him, the 
 scribes and Pharisees knew not what to reply ; 
 and, to conceal their confusion, they retired 
 hastily from the court, followed by the wonder- 
 ing crowd, leaving Jesus alone with the woman, 
 whom he dismissed with a few kind words of 
 pity and admonition. 
 
 The invariable failure of their attempts to
 
 The Story of compromise him served only to irritate his an- 
 a Toung Man tagonists the more ; yet nothing so violently 
 exasperated them as his claims regarding him- 
 self. During the first part of his ministry he had 
 been somewhat reticent on this subject, but now 
 he took advantage of every opportunity to boldly 
 set forth the divine character of his personality 
 in his relation to the Father. 
 
 i The orthodox and prejudiced Jews failed 
 utterly to appreciate the meaning of his spir- 
 itual teachings in this respect, and resented his 
 amazing claims with all the venom of their 
 hatred and bigotry, until, finally, there occurred 
 the open rupture that had been so long im- 
 pending. 
 
 I It was at the Feast of Dedication, in the 
 month of December. He had been absent from 
 the city for a short time, in the hope of thus 
 allaying the irritation of his enemies, which 
 had at last become so intense that he was in 
 
 [192]
 
 danger of personal injury at the hands of some The Story of 
 of the more fanatical. He had scarcely entered a Young Man 
 the Temple, however, before he found himself 
 surrounded by a large number of those un- 
 friendly to him. Smarting under their many 
 failures, they were now more determined than 
 ever to effect his downfall. 
 
 They at once sought to enter into a discus- 
 sion with him regarding his alleged claims to 
 the Messiahship. They demanded that he no 
 longer hold them in suspense. Was he the 
 Christ? They insisted on a definite answer. 
 
 I But he refused to comply with their arro- 
 gant demands. He told them that it would be 
 useless to answer them. They had seen his 
 works and had heard his teachings. They needed 
 no other testimony. 
 
 [["The works I do," he continued, "are in- 
 spired of God. In me the Father is revealed ; for 
 the Father and I are one." 
 
 [ J 93]
 
 The Story of ^ In an instant his excitable adversaries burst 
 a Young Man into a cry of rage. "He blasphemes!" they 
 shouted. "He blasphemes! He calls himself 
 God!" and rushing hither and thither in a 
 frenzy of fanaticism they picked up the loose 
 stones that lay scattered about in the vicinity of 
 some recent repairs to one of the Temple walls. 
 [ In their fury they would at once have put 
 him to death, but his imperturbable serenity 
 overawed them for the moment. Their violent 
 outburst had not moved him. He attempted no 
 defense, no remonstrance; but calmly facing 
 the crowd of angry and excited men that 
 pressed about him with arms upraised to beat 
 him down with their deadly missiles, he con- 
 tinued to address them ; and then, fearlessly 
 and defiantly, repeated his astonishing state- 
 ment. 
 
 I It was the finishing stroke.The crowd rushed 
 toward him. The momentary barrier of restraint 
 
 [ J 94]
 
 was swept away. His friends quickly surrounded The Story of 
 him and endeavored to repel the frantic mob. a Toung Man 
 Shouts and imprecations filled the air. "Kill 
 him! Kill him!'* rose on all sides. "The blas- 
 phemer! Stone him! Kill him!" 
 
 But in the tumult and confusion he disap- 
 peared, and escaped from the Temple. 
 
 [195]
 
 T was now clearly evident that he CHAPTER 
 could no longer remain in Jeru- FOURTEEN 
 salem. According to the strict 
 teachings of Judaism he was guilty 
 
 of deliberate blasphemy, and though the offense 
 was not recognized by the civil authorities Jesus 
 knew full well that the fanatical Jews would 
 not hesitate to mete out to him on their own re- 
 sponsibility the penalty prescribed by the law of 
 Moses; that if he again came within their reach 
 they would undoubtedly attempt to stone him. 
 j Accordingly, he fled from the city and from 
 the province, seeking refuge in the neighbor- 
 ing territory of Perea, where, with his ever- 
 faithful apostles, he continued his work. What- 
 ever his trials or adversities, the great purpose 
 of his life was never forgotten. 
 
 [ J 97]
 
 The Story of 1[ With his wonted earnestness he proclaimed 
 a Young Man the Kingdom of God to the people among whom 
 he now came, and was cheered by the success 
 that rewarded his labors. It seemed for the time 
 as though the happy scenes of his early Gali- 
 lean ministry were about to be repeated. Many 
 joined him as disciples, and large numbers of 
 persons frequently crowded about him, eager to 
 listen to his words of hope and salvation. Even 
 the children flocked to him, seeking his bless- 
 ing and delighting in his tender and sympathe- 
 tic love. 
 
 f[ In the midst of these gratifying labors he 
 received the distressing news that his dearly 
 loved friend, Lazarus, of Bethany, was danger- 
 ously ill. The message was sent to him by the 
 sisters. They did not ask him to come, yet he 
 knew they expected him ; that they looked to 
 him, their friend, for comfort and assistance in 
 their affliction.
 
 ^[ His first impulse was to hasten to Bethany c[j ie Sf orv O f 
 at once. But should he forego the labors that at a Youny Man 
 this time hourly claimed his attention ? Should 
 he leave his work in the midst of its exacting 
 duties and when his guiding presence was most 
 necessary ? Should he do this for his friends, his 
 faithful, generous friends of Bethany ? 
 ^[ The answer came from the throne of his lofty 
 nature : Yes, he would go to them. And within 
 two days after the receipt of the sisters' message 
 he had made his preparations and announced 
 his intention to the disciples. 
 ^[ Out of fear for the safety of their master the 
 disciples reminded him that the Jews were 
 seeking his life ; that he could not return to 
 Judea without incurring the greatest risk ; and 
 they urged him to consider the special danger 
 to which he would be exposed should his pres- 
 ence in Bethany become known at Jerusalem. 
 ^[ But he thought not of himself. It mattered 
 
 ['99]
 
 The Story of not to him that he was in danger. He owed a 
 a Toung Man duty to his friends ; that alone was his guiding 
 impulse. And so, regardless of his disciples' per- 
 suasions, he set forth for the village of Bethany. 
 True to their love and devotion, the disciples 
 accompanied him. " If he will go," said they, 
 " let us go also, and die with him." 
 f[ Reaching his destination in safety, he was 
 greeted with sobs and lamentations by the two 
 sisters, who, learning of his approach, had come 
 out of the village to meet him. He had come 
 too late. Lazarus was dead. 
 fj" The sisters were inconsolable in their de- 
 spairing grief. They felt that Lazarus need not 
 have died ; that had Jesus been with them their 
 dear brother would have been spared. In sob- 
 bing accents they recounted his sickness, and 
 their pathetic longing for the comforter and 
 physician who alone could have healed their 
 troubled hearts. 
 
 [200]
 
 I Overcome with sorrow and moved by the The Story of 
 desolation of the heartbroken women, Jesus a Young Man 
 bowed his head and gave vent to his heart's 
 emotion in silent tears. 
 
 Then turning to Mary and Martha he asked 
 them to show him where they had laid his dear 
 friend to rest. Followed by a number of friends 
 and mourners who had come with the sisters 
 from the house, where they had assembled to 
 offer their condolences, Jesus accompanied the 
 two women to the grave. Like most tombs in 
 the limestone regions of Palestine, it was a re- 
 cess cut in the side of a natural cave, and closed 
 by a large stone. 
 
 I Arrived at the spot, Jesus asked that the stone 
 be removed. Evidently he had forgotten the 
 length of time the body had lain in the grave, 
 and Martha hurriedly reminded him that nearly 
 four days had passed since Lazarus was buried. 
 But in words pregnant with mysterious import 
 
 [201]
 
 The Story of Jesus gently insisted that the tomb be opened ; 
 
 a Tounr Man and without further protest his instructions were 
 obeyed. 
 
 ^[ The scene was a desert wilderness ; a spot 
 shut out from the sight of human habitation ; 
 grim and desolate with the overshadowing spirit 
 of death. Here the little group of mourners now 
 gathered. Standing apart in respectful silence 
 they gazed with compassionate interest upon the 
 friend of the departed Lazarus, as he stood with 
 bowed head before the open door of the sep- 
 ulchre. 
 
 f[ The calm of evening brooded upon the touch- 
 ing scene. The ruffling breeze that stole across 
 the distant fields faded to rest amid the shadows 
 of the garden of death. No sound disturbed the 
 stillness save the murmured weeping of the sis- 
 ters. The lips of Jesus moved, but in silence. 
 He was praying. 
 
 f]~ Then, raising his head and gazing into the 
 
 [202]
 
 " He called aloud, in a voice vibrant with divine power: '. Lazarus ! Come forth ! ' " 
 
 Copyright, 1901, by The Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia
 
 gloomy depths of the sepulchre, he called aloud, cj-fo Qf 0rv O f 
 in a voice vibrant with divine power: "Laza- a Young Man 
 rus! Come forth!" 
 
 ^J Overcome with consternation the group of 
 startled men and women drew back, staring 
 at the open grave in speechless expectancy. 
 ^[ " Lazarus ! Come forth ! " 
 ^ The words had scarcely died away when lo ! 
 he that was dead appeared at the entrance of the 
 tomb. 
 
 ^|" The effect of the miracle was overwhelming. 
 The bystanders could not for a moment credit 
 their senses. They stood aghast, motionless, awe- 
 struck. 
 
 ^[ With the return of their faculties some 
 of them came forward trembling, in obedience 
 to the command of Jesus, to loose the grave- 
 clothes from him who again breathed who 
 moved yea, who again spoke to them; spoke 
 to them with the breath of life, with the voice 
 
 [205]
 
 The Story of of flesh and blood with the familiar voice of 
 a Toung Man their friend, their brother Lazarus, Lazarus, 
 alive and well! 
 
 jf Others hastened away, overwrought with ex- 
 citement and eager to spread the marvelous 
 news. Among them were several rabbis, to whom 
 the miracle was a sign of the gravest portent. 
 What could it mean ? Was it possible that this 
 Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Messiah ? When 
 had such a miracle been known? The authorities 
 at Jerusalem must hear of it at once, and toward 
 the Temple the rabbis bent their steps in fever- 
 ish haste. 
 
 if No sooner did the report of the occurrence 
 at Bethany reach the Temple than a council of 
 the chief priests was hurriedly assembled. In- 
 stant and decisive action was necessary. The 
 Galilean must be arrested at once! His popu- 
 larity with the masses would know no bounds 
 as soon as the news of this most astounding 
 
 [206]
 
 miracle became known. The safety of the na- The Story of 
 tion, the peace of the people, demanded his a Young Man 
 immediate suppression.There was but one course 
 to pursue he must be put to death! 
 
 [207]
 
 LL Palestine was aglow with the CHAPTER 
 blush of spring. From field and FIFTEEN 
 garden, from orchard and moun- 
 tain forest rose the soft and per- 
 
 fumed breath of wakening life, while earth and 
 
 
 
 Heaven rang with the music, the hallelujah, of 
 Nature's choristers. The world was astir with 
 hope and with gladness. It was the dawn of the 
 new year; the time of the Passover, the cele- 
 bration of Israel's deliverance. 
 [ Already a large number of pilgrims had 
 reached the Holy City, and companies and 
 caravans from all parts of the country were 
 hourly arriving. On every hand preparations 
 for the great feast were going forward, and the 
 city teemed with busy and joyous life. 
 
 Yet the affairs of the coming festival did not 
 [209]
 
 The Story of alone claim the attention of the people. A matter 
 a Young Man f even greater importance than the Passover 
 was before them. A feeling of expectancy, a 
 subdued excitement, pervaded the air. Men 
 gathered together in groups and engaged in 
 animated conversation. A topic of unusual mo- 
 ment was uppermost in the thoughts of every 
 one. 
 
 f[ Especially did it engage the attention of 
 the Jewish authorities. To them it was a matter 
 of the most serious consequence. It formed the 
 one subject of discussion among them. Would 
 Jesus attend the feast? they inquired one of 
 another. Would he again dare to defy them ? 
 Orders for his arrest had been sent to all parts 
 of the district embraced in the jurisdiction of 
 Jerusalem, and yet it was rumored that he was 
 even now on his way to Jericho, followed by a 
 great multitude. Their fears regarding the effect 
 of his miracle at Bethany had been only too 
 
 [210]
 
 fully realized. He had eluded them in their at- cr^ e $t orv O f 
 tempt to arrest him at the time, and now his a f ouns . 
 name was ringing throughout the country, and 
 the people were ready to acknowledge him as 
 their leader. 
 
 ^ r The excitement of the citizens and the fears 
 of the officials steadily increased. Jesus, the 
 Galilean, had reached the village of Bethany. 
 The wildest rumors filled the air : He was about 
 to enter the city at the head of an army. Thou- 
 sands were rallying to his support. He was the 
 Christ, the Nation's Saviour. The Passover was 
 to be glorified by the final and triumphant de- 
 liverance of Israel. 
 
 fT Look ! Along the highway that swept across 
 the brow of Mt. Olivet and was plainly visible 
 from the Temple porches, came a vast con- 
 course of pilgrims in martial array. An army of 
 men was slowly approaching the city gates. 
 f| In the midst of the advancing throng, and 
 
 [211]
 
 The Story of forming its central figure, was a young man rid- 
 
 a Young Man ing upon an ass. 
 
 ! No longer was it a matter of doubt or suppo- 
 sition: Jesus of Galilee had returned. He was 
 about to enter the city ; not as he had done six 
 months before, at the Feast of Tabernacles, 
 quietly and unobserved, but boldly and trium- 
 phantly, as a leader; as a king. 
 
 The resurrection of Lazarus had become 
 known to the vast army of pilgrims converging 
 upon Jerusalem from the various towns and dis- 
 tricts of Palestine, and had awakened in the 
 people of the provinces their old-time enthu- 
 siasm. Large numbers had at once sought him 
 out and accompanied him from Jericho to Beth- 
 any. Others, coming from various directions, 
 had halted at the village and joined those al- 
 ready there, waiting for him to set forth for 
 Jerusalem, after resting over the Sabbath at the 
 home of his friends; while hundreds who had 
 
 [212]
 
 already reached the city, learning of his near c^fo gfory of 
 approach, had gone out to meet him with joyful a Young Man 
 acclamations and songs of welcome. 
 ff And now, as the multitude of pilgrims drew 
 near to the city and beheld the glittering walls 
 and pillars of the Temple standing in majestic 
 grandeur upon its lofty hill, their hearts over- 
 flowed with fervid emotion, and they broke 
 forth into glad-shouts and hosannas in honor of 
 him who was leading them to the Holy City. 
 With the natural ability of people of the East 
 to improvise, their acclamations soon took a 
 rhythmical and definite form, and ere long the 
 voices of the entire multitude were joined in a 
 glorious psalm of praise and invocation : 
 C" "Give thanks, O Jehovah, to the Son of 
 David ! Blessed be he, the King of Israel, that 
 cometh in the name of Jehovah?" 
 %" Yea, he was their King ! He would restore 
 the power of Israel ! As they sang their enthu- 
 
 [ 2I 3]
 
 The Story of siasm increased. Their voices rose higher and 
 a Young Man more exultant. In the fervency of their emo- 
 tions many of them spread their cloaks upon the 
 ground that Jesus might tread upon them,while 
 others strewed the road with blossoms and ten- 
 der branches cut from the trees along the way. 
 [ Onward moved the imposing procession. It 
 crossed the brook at the foot of Olivet, and, 
 mounting the slope that led to the gate of the 
 city, passed on through the streets toward the 
 Temple. It increased in numbers as it went, 
 hundreds hurrying from every quarter to join it 
 and swell the chorus. The shouts rang louder. 
 The enthusiasm and excitement grew more in- 
 tense every moment. The processionists plucked 
 branches from the palms and olive trees as they 
 passed, and waved them in triumph. The citi- 
 zens of Jerusalem ran to their doors. What was 
 the meaning of this unusual demonstration? 
 What great personage had arrived? 
 
 ["4]
 
 " Who is it?" they asked with eager curiosity. The Story of 
 \ "Jesus of Nazareth!" called back the multi- a Young Man 
 tude in proud and exultant answer. 
 | Amid this scene of inspiring jubilation Jesus 
 alone remained unmoved. In striking contrast 
 to the joyous faces about him his countenance 
 revealed a heart of tender sadness. Again his 
 fellow-men were hailing him as their King. He 
 did not now attempt to undeceive them. It would 
 be useless. He meekly accepted the royal honors 
 they were bestowing upon him. He was their 
 King, their Messiah. Their false conception of 
 his sublime office made him none the less worthy 
 of their homage. 
 
 f Arrived at the Temple, he dismounted and 
 entered. The excited throng of pilgrims who 
 had accompanied him expected an immediate 
 manifestation of his powers as their deliverer. 
 But after a solemn survey of the scene about 
 him he quietly withdrew. The day was drawing 
 
 EsJ
 
 The Story of to a c l se > an d he returned with his disciples to 
 
 a Toung Man Bethany. 
 
 f [ Though the people were sorely disappointed, 
 the excitement and disturbance aroused in every 
 quarter by the day's events were destined to 
 continue; for on each of the following days 
 Monday and Tuesday Jesus again ap- 
 peared in the city. 
 
 f[ To his customary fearlessness there was now 
 added a commanding mastership. Without op- 
 position he drove from the Temple the dealers 
 and money-changers whom he again found pro- 
 faning the Sanctuary. Defying the threats of the 
 authorities and scorning the antagonism of the 
 Jerusalemites, he openly frequented the Tem- 
 ple, and there taught and healed the many who 
 flocked to him; at the same time setting forth 
 more plainly than ever his claims to the Mes- 
 siahship. 
 f[ In vain his enemies endeavored to check him. 
 
 [2.6]
 
 Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, scribes and fjrfc $f orv O f 
 priests, uniting in a common cause, assailed him a Young Man 
 with all the strength of their combined power 
 and influence. In the pomp of official costume 
 and exalted station they set themselves against 
 this simple Galilean, while the multitudes 
 looked on. 
 
 ^T They entered into a keen and prolonged con- 
 troversy with him, putting forward their cham- 
 pions of debate to entangle him in his talk and 
 elicit from him something that would serve to 
 incriminate him before the civil authorities. 
 ff But Jesus was far more than a match for 
 them. Hour by hour he unflinchingly met their 
 attack. Alone and unaided he repelled their 
 treacherous assaults. His straightforwardness 
 put their duplicity to shame, and his knowl- 
 edge and his skill in argument foiled their every 
 attempt to entrap him. 
 
 f[ Then suddenly turning upon them, and as- 
 
 [217]
 
 The Story of suming the aggressive, he gave expression with 
 a Toung Man all the force of his sublime eloquence to the 
 pent-up indignation of a righteous heart; expos- 
 ing their hypocrisy and corruption in words at 
 once so forceful, so incisive, so full of bitter 
 scorn and spirited rebuke, that his proud listeners 
 cringed before him in the consciousness of his 
 overwhelming superiority. 
 [ It was the final and decisive breach between 
 him and the representatives of the nation. He 
 had utterly humiliated them and disgraced 
 them before the people. It was intolerable, un- 
 bearable; and burning with desire for revenge 
 they resolved that nothing should now interfere 
 with their determination to destroy him. 
 
 A council was accordingly held at the palace 
 of Caiaphas, the high priest. Summary measures 
 must be taken for the arrest of the Galilean. His 
 defiance had already been allowed to go too far. 
 He must be brought before the Roman Gov-
 
 Copyright, 1901, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
 
 CAIAPHAS
 
 ernor and charged with some capital offense, (j-fc gf 0rv O f 
 The welfare of the nation, the power and dig- a Young Man 
 nity of the theocracy, demanded his immediate 
 death. 
 
 I But even as they talked they were conscious 
 of their impotence. They were powerless to act. 
 It would be suicidal, it would subvert their very 
 object, should they attempt to lay hold of their 
 enemy in the crowded streets or the Temple 
 courts. The excitable provincials would rise in 
 revolt. Yet, where else could they find him? 
 How would it be possible to take him by 
 stealth ? 
 
 The answer came from a most unexpected 
 source. 
 
 j" One of his own disciples, Judas Iscariot, came 
 to them voluntarily and offered to betray his 
 master. He would let them know when and 
 where he could be found, so that his arrest could 
 be accomplished without interference. 
 
 [221]
 
 The Story of If Such base treachery astonished even these un- 
 
 a Younv Man scrupulous men, yet they did not delay in taking 
 
 advantage of it, and at once paid the man the 
 
 reward he asked thirty shekels: the price of 
 
 a slave. 
 
 ff In common with the rest of the disciples 
 Judas had long been unable to rid himself of the 
 commonly accepted Jewish idea regarding the 
 character of the Messiah. Notwithstanding their 
 master's careful and oft-repeated explanations, 
 these simple-minded men persisted in the belief 
 that the Kingdom of God was in some way a 
 material one, and that upon its establishment 
 they would be rewarded with special honors. 
 fT The refusal of Jesus, however, to avail him- 
 self of the opportunity offered him upon his 
 entrance into the city on Sunday had finally 
 convinced them of the error of their selfish 
 ideas. But, with the exception of Judas, it 
 brought no change in their love and attach- 
 
 [222]
 
 ment for the master. Their lives were dedicated <j*fo S( 0rv O f 
 to him. They would follow wherever he might a Young Man 
 lead. 
 
 fj" To Judas, however, it was a bitter disappoint- 
 ment. His worldly hopes and ambitions were 
 shattered. He felt that he had been wronged; 
 that he had been deceived. For all these months 
 he had patiently endured the dangers and hard- 
 ships that had come to Jesus and his disciples, 
 and now he found that he was to have nothing 
 no substantial remuneration. His sordid nature 
 was filled with resentment, and he forthwith 
 determined to forsake his master and to seek 
 revenge by placing him in the hands of his 
 enemies. 
 
 [223]
 
 
 T was Thursday night the night 
 of the Passover supper. The light 
 of the moon rising over the city 
 shone dimly through the window 
 of a small room in a house in Jerusalem where 
 Jesus and eleven of his disciples were gathered 
 together. Judas was not with them. He had 
 withdrawn earlier in the evening, while they 
 were yet eating, for Jesus and his companions 
 had met at this place to celebrate the paschal 
 supper. 
 
 The meal having been finished, the remain- 
 ing disciples now reclined about the table listen- 
 ing to their master. An unexplainable feeling of 
 sadness cast a shadow over the little group. In 
 the dim and flickering light of the festal lamps 
 they gazed in pensive silence upon the face of 
 
 [225] 
 
 CHAPTER 
 SIXTEEN
 
 The Story of Jesus as he sat in their midst and talked to them. 
 There was a melancholy pathos, a strange mean- 
 ing, in his words to-night which the disciples 
 knew not how to interpret. He spoke as though 
 he were about to leave them; as though they 
 were soon to be separated. They knew not what 
 it meant, yet their hearts were stirred with a 
 vague premonition of impending calamity. 
 Never had he seemed so near, so dear, to them. 
 
 The hours passed by, and it was nearly mid- 
 night ere Jesus and his disciples sang the con- 
 cluding hymn of the holy supper. Passing out 
 of the house and turning their steps in the di- 
 rection of Mount Olivet, Jesus led the way to 
 one of his favorite haunts a small olive orchard 
 called Gethsemane; a place dear to him as one 
 in which he had ofttimes spent the night in 
 sweet communion with the Father. 
 
 Leaving the disciples to themselves, he with- 
 drew to a secluded spot, apart from the sight and 
 
 [226]
 
 hearing of all save One. And there in the still- cffc gfory of 
 ness and solitude of the midnight hour he sank a Young Man 
 upon the ground and buried his face in his 
 hands. The pent-up emotions of a sublime soul 
 overwrought with sorrow broke forth in con- 
 vulsive anguish. In the agony of a tortured and 
 despairing heart he cried aloud to God. His suf- 
 ferings were more than he could bear alone. 
 He knew of the treachery of Judas. He real- 
 ized what it meant. Even now his enemies were 
 preparing to take him. They would put him to 
 death ! The doom that had so long hung over 
 him was about to be fulfilled. But must he die? 
 Must he give up the world, his friends, his work ? 
 No, no ! life was still so full of promise, so full of 
 wondrous possibilities. He was young only 
 thirty-three; he had strength and health; his 
 work was scarcely begun. Life was still before 
 him. But, alas! the world had forsaken him! 
 His fellow-men would put him to death ! All was 
 
 [227]
 
 'The Story of darkness and despair. Oh, for some ray of hope ; 
 
 a Toung Man some word of comfort ! Did not the Father hear 
 him ? Could it be that He,too, had forsaken Him? 
 i But even as he prayed his voice grew softer. 
 A heavenly radiance overspread his counte- 
 nance. A wondrous calm possessed his being. 
 The storm had passed; fears and despairing 
 doubts were dispelled. His soul was at peace. 
 The will of God it was the light, the answer- 
 ing voice, from Heaven. 
 
 [[ Scarcely had he risen when the sound of 
 voices and the tramp of feet reached his ears, 
 and a few moments later a body of men and sol- 
 diers, carrying lanterns and armed with swords 
 and clubs, came upon him. At their head was 
 Judas. Stepping up to Jesus he saluted him with 
 a kiss. It was a prearranged signal, and the next 
 moment the rough crowd surrounded Jesus, and, 
 binding him with cords, hurried away with him 
 toward the city. 
 
 [228]
 
 Copyright, 1901, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
 
 JUDAS
 
 ^Awakened from their slumbers by the tumult, e^Ae Story of 
 the disciples made a hasty attempt to interfere; a Young Man 
 but perceiving themselves outnumbered they 
 fled in terror and bewilderment, leaving their 
 master to his fate. 
 
 ^[ Caiaphas, with a number of the chief priests 
 and other dignitaries, was waiting for him in the 
 council hall of his palace. The minds of his 
 judges were already made up. Their verdict was 
 predetermined, but due formality required that 
 there should at least be a semblance of a trial. 
 Accordingly, a number of witnesses were 
 brought forward and examined as to the teach- 
 ings and claims of the Galilean; but their evi- 
 dence was weak and contradictory. It proved 
 nothing. 
 
 ^[ Chagrined and angered at his failure to estab- 
 lish a formal accusation against Jesus, Caiaphas 
 now turned to the prisoner, determined to in- 
 criminate him by his own words, and solemnly
 
 'The Story of commanded him to answer whether he was the 
 
 a Young Man Messiah, the Son of God. 
 
 ff Drawing himself up to his full height, and 
 looking his proud persecutor squarely in the 
 face, he replied, with all the solemnity of his 
 eloquent voice, "I am." 
 
 f[ Caiaphas had gained his point. With feigned 
 horror he cried out: "Behold, he has spoken 
 blasphemy ! What need have we for further tes- 
 timony?" And forthwith the council convicted 
 him and passed sentence upon him ; condemn- 
 ing him to be turned over to the Roman Gov- 
 ernor in the morning, to be put to death. His 
 persecutors knew full well that the accusation 
 of blasphemy was one that the civil law of the 
 Romans would not recognize, but it would at 
 least serve as a pretext for bringing him before 
 the Governor. 
 
 ff Retiring from the hall, Caiaphas and his as- 
 sociates left Jesus in the hands of the guards, 
 
 [ 2 3 2 1
 
 who gave vent to their coarse feelings by insult- cfhe Story of 
 ing and abusing their helpless prisoner ; spitting a Younv Man 
 upon him, pushing him about from one to an- 
 other, and, with shouts of brutal laughter, call- 
 ing upon him to manifest his miraculous powers 
 by naming those who struck him as they held 
 him blindfolded. 
 
 The sun had scarcely risen when Caiaphas 
 and his associates hurried their prisoner to the 
 palace of Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor. 
 Though the hour was early the news of the 
 arrest of Jesus had already spread throughout 
 the city, and as the court of the Governor was 
 at this time of the year held in the open air, on 
 a raised tribunal in front of the palace, the sur- 
 rounding space was soon filled with a mass of 
 men and women eager to learn the fate of the 
 Galilean. 
 
 *| Caiaphas had hoped that Pilate would accept 
 the finding of the council and carry out its 
 
 [ 2 33]
 
 The Story of wishes without question ; but the Governor in- 
 a Young Man sisted on knowing the charge upon which he 
 was asked to condemn the prisoner to death. 
 
 "He calls himself a king?" came the answer. 
 "He would stir the nation to revolt! " 
 
 1 But taking him aside and questioning him, 
 Pilate soon perceived that the accusation was 
 a false one; that Jesus made no pretensions to 
 an earthly throne, and he forthwith acquitted 
 him. 
 
 1 But the Jews would not accept the decision. 
 They insisted that he had excited the people 
 with seditious teachings, and that he should be 
 treated as an enemy of the state. 
 
 f Fearing to offend the populace, yet realizing 
 that the charges against Jesus were actuated 
 solely by religious hatred, and were not worthy 
 of his official notice, Pilate sought to clear him- 
 self of the dilemma by sending the prisoner to 
 Herod Antipas, who was then in Jerusalem, and 
 
 [ 2 34]
 
 who as the Tetrarch of Galilee had authority to The Story of 
 pass judgment upon a Galilean. His official resi- a * oun g Man 
 dence was not far from the palace, and thither 
 Jesus was taken in rough haste by a guard of 
 soldiers, followed by the clamorous crowd. 
 
 I But Herod was as loath as Pilate to condemn 
 to death a man in whom he could find no guilt. 
 Nevertheless he treated Jesus with the utmost 
 insolence and contempt, and after vainly en- 
 deavoring to elicit some response to his banter- 
 ing questions he had a gorgeous robe thrown 
 upon the shoulders of Jesus, in mockery of royal 
 distinction, and sent him back with his accusers 
 to the Governor. 
 
 [j It was customary at the Passover to set free 
 some one of the state prisoners, upon the appli- 
 cation of the Jews. Pilate now called attention 
 to this custom, hoping that the people would 
 ask for the release of Jesus. But, acting upon 
 the instructions of Caiaphas and the chief priests, 
 
 [235]
 
 The Story of tne crowds called for Barabbas, a Jew con- 
 a Young Man demned to death for taking part in a recent in- 
 surrection. They did not want Jesus. He must 
 die! 
 
 I Pilate endeavored to reason with them. They 
 retorted with further accusations against the 
 prisoner. Pilate expostulated. They defied him ; 
 they reproached him. He appealed to their sense 
 of justice, their pride, their religion; but his 
 words were drowned in a tumult of raging 
 voices. They would not listen; they would not 
 reason. The Galilean must die! Let his blood 
 be upon them upon their children; let the 
 consequences be what they might, he must be 
 put to death! 
 
 Then out of the noise and confusion rose a 
 cry a fierce, outleaping cry, born of the demon 
 spirit of the mob "Crucify him!" 
 ^[ "Yea, crucify him ! Crucify him!" The cry 
 was taken up by the multitude. It was shouted; 
 
 [236]
 
 Copyright, 1901, by The Curtis 
 Publishing Company, Philadelphia 
 
 PONTIUS 
 PILATE
 
 it was yelled ; it was shrieked. It rose to Heaven The Story of 
 in frenzied chorus: "Crucify him! Crucify a Toung Man 
 him!" 
 
 ^[ Irresolute, weak and timid, Pilate was over- 
 borne by the furious will of the populace. Turn- 
 ing to his guards he commanded that Jesus be 
 scourged a punishment preliminary to cruci- 
 fixion. 
 
 ^[ Binding the prisoner's hands to a post the 
 soldiers smote him upon the bare back with 
 braided cords of leather tipped with sharp- 
 pointed bones and lumps of lead; smote him 
 until he fell bleeding and quivering with un- 
 bearable pain. Dragging him into the palace 
 the guards still further abused him with blows 
 and wanton jests; saluting him amid foul and 
 boisterous mirth as " King of the Jews," after 
 placing upon him a scarlet cloak and pressing 
 upon his brow with malicious force a hastily 
 made crown of thorns. 
 
 [ 2 39]
 
 The Story of \ I n this guise Pilate again brought him out 
 a Young Man before the people, vainly hoping that the pun- 
 ishment so unmercifully inflicted upon the pris- 
 oner would satisfy their vengeful feelings.Weak 
 and suffering, yet uttering no word of complaint 
 nor of protest, his hands bound before him, and 
 his pale features stained with the marks of blood, 
 Jesus gazed yearningly upon the mass of up- 
 turned faces before him. Nowhere was there a 
 pitying smile, a sympathetic look. 
 
 His friends had deserted him. Not one had 
 had the courage to come forward in his behalf 
 nor to offer him even the comfort of a friendly 
 presence. Of the thousands who a few days be- 
 fore were greeting him as their king many had 
 renounced their allegiance, out of fear at the 
 news of his arrest ; while others, angered at his 
 failure to realize their expectations, had turned 
 against him and joined his enemies in clamoring 
 for his life. 
 
 [240]
 
 r Fury and sullen animosity alone met his gaze The Story of 
 as he stood now in pathetic helplessness before a Young Man 
 the people, mutely appealing to their mercy. 
 ^["Crucify him! Crucify him!" That alone 
 was their response; that alone was the answer 
 from the lips of his fellow-men his own 
 countrymen, his own brotherhood. 
 
 1 His doom was sealed. Mercy, justice, reason 
 were borne down before the storm of fanaticism 
 and hatred. " Crucify him ! Away with him ! 
 Away with him ! Let the sentence of death be 
 executed! " 
 
 The morning was now well advanced. The 
 whole city was aroused. Jesus, the Galilean, had 
 been condemned to die. 
 
 |j" Surrounded by a military guard Jesus was led 
 through the streets of Jerusalem. A turbulent 
 concourse of men and boys pressed after him 
 with shouts and gesticulations, while from the 
 dense crowds that lined the way on both sides
 
 The Story of came the tumult of thousands of excited voices, 
 a Younv Man mingled with the lamentations of women and 
 the derisive laughter of hardened men as they 
 caught sight of the hapless victim. 
 *[[ Across his shoulders were the heavy beams of 
 a cross, and beneath their cruel weight he moved 
 with feeble, faltering steps; his body bent to a 
 stooping posture, and his fastened hands trem- 
 bling in piteous helplessness. The physical tor- 
 tures he had endured for the past nine hours had 
 robbed him of all strength. Many of his wounds 
 were still bleeding. Every movement intensified 
 his sufferings. His steps became slower and more 
 feeble. The weight of his burden was crushing 
 him to earth. He could bear it no longer. 
 He could go no farther. With a moan he sank 
 upon the ground, exhausted. 
 ^[ With brutal indifference the guards attempted 
 to drag him on, when a man in the crowd inter- 
 ceded. He was at once seized upon and com- 
 
 [242]
 
 "He could go no farther. With a moan he sank upon the ground, exhausted 
 
 Copyright, 1900, by The Curtis Publishing Company, Philadelphia
 
 pelled to carry the cross in punishment for his 77^ Story of 
 sympathy. a Young Man 
 
 Thus relieved, Jesus moved forward with tot- 
 tering steps. The vulgar rabble hooted and j eered. 
 His sufferings excited the merriment of those 
 about him. They taunted him with mocking 
 epithets, and gave expression to their sentiments 
 in coarse and noisy jests that were shouted back 
 and forth through the surging crowd. 
 
 [ Only here and there a pitying face looked on. 
 Standing apart, broken-hearted and crushed 
 with grief, was the gentle and loving Mary. 
 Her agony of spirit was beyond the relief of tears. 
 In mute despair she held out her arms toward 
 the suffering martyr her son, her Jesus! 
 
 ] Grouped about her, and endeavoring in vain 
 to comfort the poor mother, were three or four 
 others. Among them was Mary of Magdala, a 
 young woman who had devotedly followed 
 Jesus from Galilee and had remained true to 
 
 ["45]
 
 The Story of ner revered master in the midst of trials that 
 a Young Man had driven away even the disciples. Yet of the 
 twelve there was one whose faith and courage 
 had not forsaken him. John, he whom Jesus 
 loved most dearly, was now standing with the 
 little group of sorrowing women, gazing with 
 bleeding heart upon his beloved friend, and 
 yearning to comfort and to aid him in this his 
 awful hour of affliction. 
 
 f[ Wearily he climbed the steep road that led to 
 the summit of a hill a short distance beyond the 
 city walls. It was the place of execution. Two 
 criminals had been brought from the palace 
 with him, and they, too, were about to die to 
 be crucified. No mode of punishment was more 
 cruel, more horrible. With arms outstretched 
 and fastened to the cross by nails driven through 
 the hands, and with feet nailed flat against the 
 upright post, the naked victim was left in ago- 
 nizing torment to a slow and hideous death. 
 
 [246]
 
 * * * * * * * The Story of 
 
 a Young Man 
 
 \ Several hours had passed. It was now nearly 
 three o'clock in the afternoon. Three crosses, 
 each with its suffering victim, stood upon the 
 brow of the hill. The one in the centre bore 
 above it a derisive inscription: 
 
 JESUS OF NAZARETH 
 The King of the Jews 
 
 The scorching sun beat down upon his quiver- 
 ing, unprotected body. Unable to move, unable 
 to relieve for an instant the maddening, intoler- 
 able tension, he hung suspended by his out- 
 stretched arms; every muscle writhing with 
 agony; every nerve, every fibre of his being, 
 throbbing and pulsing with excruciating tor- 
 ture. 
 
 I Persons passing by looked up and laughed. 
 For hours the heartless crowds had mocked him 
 and reviled him. Then, tiring of their brutal 
 
 [247]
 
 The Story of sport, they had left him. Other interests drew 
 a Toung Man them elsewhere. The excitement of the morn- 
 ing died away. The incident was forgotten. The 
 people returned to their daily occupations, and 
 the busy life of the world passed on. Jesus, the 
 Galilean, no longer played a part in the drama 
 of human affairs. 
 
 He was dying. His weak and tortured frame 
 quivered with the last pangs of agony. He was 
 alone ; deserted ; forsaken. Alone in the darkness 
 of infinite sorrow ; yielding up his life for the 
 sake of an ungrateful and iniquitous world a 
 sacrifice transcendent, inscrutable. With a great 
 sob his head fell upon his breast. 
 
 I His life's mission was fulfilled. 
 
 \
 
 ARRANGED AND PRINTED FOR 
 L. C. PAGE & COMPANY BT THE 
 HEINTZEMANN PRESS OF BOSTON, 
 MASSACHUSETTS
 
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