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THer STORY' OF
THE-CHILD-THAT
JESUS-TOOK SfS>

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HE'STORY-OF THE- CHILD
THATJESUS-ToOK NEWMAN-SMYTH

Copyright, 1907
by
Luther H. Cary

FOREWORD* )AM to tell the story of
the child that Jesus
took. It is a story of
a life that I think might
have been lived when
Jesus himself was here
with men. We are not
told in the Gospels the
name of the child, nor
do we know just how old he was
when he first saw Jesus and our
interest in his life begins. We know
what Jesus said of the child when
he took him ; we would like also to
know what the child thought about
Jesus. As he grew up, did his life
become different because, when he
was only a child, he had seen Jesus'
face? We may, indeed, have to use our
imaginations somewhat to follow this
narrative concerning one who was
only a boy when Jesus used to come
to the Lake of Galilee ; who became
a man while those disciples were
teaching others how they should fol
low Jesus; and who, many years
after the first disciples were gone,
lived in the new way which was then
first called Christian. But it will not

-FOREWORD-
be impossible to tell this story, be
cause we know enough about those
times to enable us truly to imagine
many things that might have hap
pened long ago in that land where
Jesus lived. I have visited that land ;
and sometimes, when I was following
in Jesus' steps through Galilee, it
was easy to make these Gospel
stories seem as real and present as
though it were all happening before
our eyes, just as it did of old.

f^7J?e-STOR.Y-OF THE-CHILD'THATJESUS-TOOK SfS
CHAPTER I
HIS CHILDHOOD
T is in a house at Caper
naum, near the shore
of the Lake of Galilee,
that it happens. That is
a pleasant place. Some
times, indeed, during
the night the great
winds sweep down
suddenly from the
mountains upon the lake, and toss the
fishermen's boats about until they
are in danger of sinking ; but usually
the days are fair and bright. Rich
villas and large gardens line the
Roman way around that side of
the lake, and where the fishermen
have their smaller homes near the
shore, flowers grow luxuriantly
and great oleander bushes are in
blossom close even to the beach.
It is a glad place for a child to live
and to play in, there by the sea.
This boy's parents are not too poor.

theCHILD-THAT*
Strong, sturdy fishermen, like Zeb
edee, earn a comfortable support for
their families from the lake. The fish
in it are plenty, and sometimes they
make very large catches, and there
is also a good market for them. Cured
fish from that remote lake are some
times found even on the tables of the
wealthy at Rome, who are in the
habit of searching the whole known
world for luxuries and rarities. It is
in one of these houses of the well-to-
do fishermen of Galilee that this child
lives. At the time when our story begins
this boy is old enough to learn a little
and to play out-of-doors with other
boys and girls, just as children may
be seen now playing happily together
in Nazareth, where Jesus was once
a child among other children. He is
old enough to be around, and some
times in the way, perhaps, where the
men are doing things — mending their
nets in the afternoons, or coming in
with their fish in the morning. He
has a boy's natural curiosity to see
, and to hear everything that is taking
place. Otherwise he would not run
as quickly as he can up to that house

"JESUS-TOOK-
a little way from the beach where he
has been playing, when he sees
little company of strangers coming
down towards the shore; and One
among them seems different at first
glance from any one whom he has
ever seen, and he is going before the
others as they enter the house.
When the child, leaving his play
and running hastily up, reaches the
door of that house, he is not content
to stop outside, but finds his way,
boylike, far enough in so that he can
hear and see everything that may
happen. He is not old enough yet to
understand very much, but he looks
and listens, and wonders what it all
may mean. So, as the boy stands
there quietly with his wide-open,
wondering eyes, Jesus can see him
and call him. As he looks about from
one to another, he knows the people
who are there — his own father and
older brothers are among them.
Though he is but a child, he knows
what they are in the habit of doing
and saying. He can imitate their
work in his play ; the children have
their little boats and small nets, and
sometimes catch fish close by the

TH?E CHILD -THAT*
shore. When they have a chance
they get into the large boats which
are lined up on the beach, and paddle
in them as much as they like. All the
common, every-day life and doings
of these people have become familiar
as home to this child. But he sees
that something, wholly unlike any
thing that he has ever known in all
his life before, is now taking place.
Those twelve men — he had counted
them when they went in — do not act
now as they did when he first noticed
them. Then they were talking loudly
to one another in the way as they
were coming towards the house; they
are as quiet as can be now. An awe
seems to have fallen upon them; they
are listening with an eager look in
their eyes, as though they expect
to hear something not like anything
that they have been saying to each
other ; and they gather closer about
that wonderful Stranger, whom at
first glance the boy had noticed is
unlike them all. What will He do ?
What is He about to say ?
The child takes it all in — the Man
looks for a moment upon them all, his
eye resting first upon one and then

"JESUS-TOOK'
upon another ; and on his face there
is an expression so full of grace and
truth that at once it draws the child
and all hearts to him. There is
a moment of silence — one of those
silences that can he felt — and He
speaks. His voice is not loud like
theirs ; his tones are not harsh ; but
there is a strength in their gentleness
which makes itself felt so that they
all obey him ; they call him Master.
The boy hardly knows how it hap
pened; many a time afterwards he
tried to remember it all ; but when
Jesus calls him, forgetting that he is
only a child, whom any one noticing
might put out of the room, he goes
at once, and lets Jesus set him by his
side in the midst of them. The people
are all intently listening now, looking
one moment at him, and then fixing
their gaze again upon the Master,
who is speaking while he holds him.
He is speaking some strange, sweet
words about men becoming as little
children. When it is over, and the
people go out from the house, he
hears them saying to one another, "No
man ever spake like this man," and,
"He is not as one of our scribes."

™ECHILD-THAT"
The child, too, will never forget how
wonderfully unlike every one else
He had seemed to him to be, and
how different His words sounded, al
though he could not understand them.
A little more than half a year has
passed since that day in Capernaum.
It is now the early springtime, after
the rains have been falling, when not
only the gardens about all the villas
are fragrant with flowers, but the
hillsides above are in bloom. One
day the boy sees apparently the same
company of men walking down the
way that leads towards Nazareth.
Now they draw near the same house
by the sea. He is already there by
the door to see them enter ; he recog
nizes their faces, but he notices that
they seem greatly changed. They
had not been disputing loudly among
themselves in the way. They had
come quietly this second time ; they
reminded him more of the One who
on that other day had led them into
the house. But He is not with them
now. This time the boy is not afraid to
run up to them, although children

"JESUS-TOOK'
had sometimes run away in fear
from two of them, who had become
known in that neighborhood as "The
Sons of Thunder." He notices that
there are but eleven of them now.
He wonders what can have become
of the twelfth. He remembers that,
when they came before, one of them
had in his hand a traveler's wallet ;
and he had noticed then how that one
did not seem quite like the rest. He
had a harder face ; his brow, while
he listened, was knit, as though he
was not wholly pleased with what
the Master was saying. He was not
so frank in appearance, nor so out
spoken as the others ; he had walked
along more by himself when they
were disputing in the way. It was
this one of them who had pushed the
child back when he was trying to
slip in among them; and the boy
then had stolen around to the other
side of the room, where Jesus had
seen him and taken him. Nor had it
escaped the notice of the observing
boy that Jesus himself seemed to look
at that man, whom he heard the others
call Judas, with a more searching,
sadder gaze than when he was look-

THE CHILD -THAT
ing upon the others. It is that one
who is not now of their number. As
they approach the house, the men are
walking close together, with heads
bowed as though they were hardly
seeing the things around them. As
they had been journeying, occasion
ally one of them would look up and
speak a word, as though to remind
another of something that they re
membered. The child does not know
it, but all along the way, as they had
returned to Galilee, they had said to
one another at times, "Here our Mas
ter said this to us," and, "Here he
did one of his mighty works."
The child does not know for what
they have come again ; he will go in
to the house and see. He was not
indeed mistaken when he first noticed
that their manner seemed changed.
They appear like different men. One
of them especially, whom they call
John, seems to him to have become
more like the One, whom he can never
forget, who had called him, and put
him by His side. Why has that won
derful One not come with them ? The
boy is eager to ask where he is, and
if he will come again.

'JESUS-TOOK-,
But these eleven have scarcely
spoken a word since they entered the
house. At length one of them, called
Peter, looks out upon the lake, over
which the light of the setting sun is
falling, and says, "I go a fishing."
The others reply, "We also go with
thee." Is that all that they have come
back to Galilee to do ? That is what
other men around Galilee are doing
every night, when the winds are not
too high. Are these men, who have
been with Jesus, to do henceforth only
what all others do ? The boy, when
he hears them saying, as any of the
men might, "We are going a fishing,"
feels more disappointed than he can
tell. When they were there before
with the Master, they had not even
thought of going down to the boats
by the lake, and they had gone away
as though they had other work to do,
following Him.
Although the Master was not with
them when the boy first saw them
coming this second time, he had run
eagerly up to the house, curious to
learn more, and expecting much. But
though they are come just to go fish
ing, and he cannot help being much

™E CHILD -THAT'
disappointed, he does not go away,
but waits in the house to hear whether
something more may not be said.
It is not quite time yet for the fish
ermen along the shore to push their
boats off; and these eleven men will
tarry and rest awhile in the house.
Other people, one after another, begin
to drop in. The child perceives that
something must have happened of
which they cannot bear to speak, and
that it concerns Him who is not with
them ; he does not understand why.
He hardly dares, however, to ask a
question, but with a strange feeling
of dread he keeps still in his place,
listens, and would know; for, child
though he is, there has come into his
heart a great love for the Man who
had noticed him and set him by his
side. The room is filled; hushed
greetings have been given, and some
questions in low tones have been
asked. For strange, incredible ru
mors have reached that village by the
sea. It is said that the Man who, as
they all knew, had done many mighty
works and healed many sick folk ;
who had fed a multitude yonder on
the green grass with only a little

ffTJESUS-TOOK' bread and a few fishes which a lad
had brought — this great prophet
whom they were all preparing to fol
low as a leader who should deliver the
people — has himself been overcome
by his enemies, and has met suddenly
a fearful end ; and all that Israel had
begun to hope for from him is over.
While all are waiting, the disciples
proceed to tell of the things that had
happened in the Holy City, from
which they had just come. As the
boy listens, hardly able to take it all
in, they relate that for some six weeks
they had been with the Master in the
thinly settled country about Ephraim,
where there were none to break in
upon their conversations with him,
and nothing had occurred to make
them afraid. Those, they say, had
been calm, clear, spiritual days with
him in the country solitude and peace.
He had taught them many things
about God, their Father and his, and
concerning this earth, too, for which
God cares — even for its flowers and
the little sparrows in the air ; and he
had taught them also to pray that
God's will may be done on this earth
just as it is done in heaven itself.

•"^CHILD-THAT*
Occasionally, they relate, after the
Master had been walking silently be
fore them, as One who saw unspeak
able things, he would turn to them
and say, "Verily, verily I say unto
you ; ' ' and then some word would
follow as though God had spoken to
him, and he had repeated it to them.
Then he would become silent once
more, going on before them as One
who had many things to say to them,
which he could not tell them yet ; and
they would follow, thinking of his
words, and laying them up in their
memories, so that none of them might
be lost, and questioning also among
themselves what his words might
fully mean.
After those weeks of such compan
ionship with the Master, one never-to-
be-forgotten day, as they were walk
ing through the country, they came
to the way which, as they all knew,
led up to Jerusalem. They had crossed
it and recrossed it several times be
fore during those weeks, and had
taken no special thought of it, although
they had noticed that it was already
well trodden by the feet of bands of
pilgrims who were going up to the

JESUS-TOOK'

feast. But on that day, to their sur
prise, as they were about to pass over
it, without a moment's hesitation and
not speaking to them a word, Jesus
did not cross the path, but turned and
entered it, and set his face towards
Jerusalem. They stopped — some of
them had already crossed the path —
and they observed in his face and in
his whole manner a great determina
tion, as of One who knew God's will
and saw it running straight and sure
as the narrow, rocky path before him,
and who had in himself no other
thought than to do his Father's will;
and they followed him, amazed, in
the way up to Jerusalem.
Oneof theirnumber, namedThomas,
after they had been following him a
little while, speaking under his breath
what had been in all their hearts,
said again, "Let us also go, that we
may die with him." To that they all
agreed. But they did not really think
his enemies could have power over
him to put him to death. But after
they had been some time in the way,
Jesus turned towards them and
spoke ; the words which he uttered
seemed plain, but they thought that

™ECHILD-THAT*
there must be some other meaning
hidden in them, for he said something
concerning his being delivered to his
enemies, and being crucified, and also
on the third day rising again. They
could not think, they did not believe,
that He who seemed to have his life
given to him every day afresh from
God, and who had such power to
heal, could himself die like other men.
Once before, Peter had even dared to
say to him right out what they all
were thinking, " Be it far from thee,
Lord." But when again he had so
spoken as they drew near unto Jeru
salem, they could not declare their
thought to him, because he went be
fore them in such manner as One
walking with God alone; and as they
followed they were afraid. Not un
derstanding what must so soon come
to pass, they had thought that in a
few days he must come to the king
dom, and they were ready to risk any
peril with him. Hence, after a while
they could not help talking among
themselves about the rewards and the
thrones which they, who were about
to brave all for him, might hope to
share with him in his triumph.

JESUS-TOOK'
They did not suppose that he could
have overheard them ; but, as always,
he knew what was in their hearts;
and he paused for a moment and
spoke to them once more, only with
such a look of sadness and infinite
pity as they had never seen before
even in his eyes, assuring them
plainly that he was come to be as a
servant, and to give his life as a ran
som for others, and that whoever
would be greatest in his kingdom
must be as a little child ; even, they
add, as you remember he once said
to us all in this very room, when he
took a little child and set him in the
midst of us.
They continue to narrate in their
order the events which had occurred
in Jerusalem, just as we may now read
of them in the Gospels. They relate
how Jesus had entered the city amid
hosannas ; how he had gone two days
in succession up to the temple, and
there put to silence the rulers and
learned men who thought they could
entangle him in their questions, so
that all the people had said, We never
heard man speak with authority, as
he speaks. But the next day, when

TIiECHILD-THAT
the multitude had seemed won to his
side, and the hour had come when
he might have rallied great bands at
his call, and brave men might have
gained the victory, Jesus at evening-
time looked about the temple, and
then quietly withdrew; and he went
out from the city to a home in Bethany
which he loved. There, although on
account of the excitement of so great
a day the disciples could hardly slum
ber, he had slept. The next morning,
instead of going back to the temple, as
they had surely thought he would do,
he stayed in Bethany, as though he
need have no thought for what he
should do, but could wait for God him
self to do what was next to be done.
The day following, when the time
for the passover was come, towards
evening he had entered the city, and
gone with them unobserved into an
upper chamber which he had bidden
them prepare for him. There he had
even girded himself as a servant and
washed their feet ; and when they
would not permit it, he said that he
did it for an example, for so they
who would be greatest with him
should serve one another.

JESUS-TOOK'
While they were partaking of the
paschal feast, just as at that season
they were wont to do, he had done
another wonderful thing, such as no
other would have thought or dreamed
of doing; for he made it a new feast
with a new meaning, which hence
forth, he said, they were to observe
as the sign or testament of his
sacrifice of himself for them, and of
his presence always with them, doing
it in remembrance of him, until he
shall come again. When the new
supper in his name was over, they
had gone down from the upper cham
ber into the narrow, deserted street,
which was lighted in places by the
moon, but where also the shadows
of the walls made the way for the
most part dark. They had silently
descended into the valley of the brook
Kidron until they entered a garden
of olive-trees. Under the thick boughs
they had fallen asleep, although he
had withdrawn a little from them in
an agony which they could not share.
He had awakened them, and suddenly
they caught sight of a band of sol-
diers and others with torches coming
through the trees. They had been sure

™ECHILD-THAT«
no one had observed them as they
had gone out of the city through the
deep shadows on one side of the moon
lit street; but one of their own number,
whom they had supposed had gone
to do something at Jesus' bidding,
had followed them, and gone back
and told his enemies. They can
hardly bear henceforth to think of
or speak the name of the disciple
who betrayed him. Even at that
moment the Master might have es
caped through the dark trees behind
them, while they would have stood
together and held back the bands
that would take him. But instead of
doing that, he had stepped forward
and given himself up.
The boy, who is listening with tears
in his eyes, wishes that he were a
strong man like Peter, and that he
could have been there to fight for the
Master; he can hardly help crying
out, "Why did you not draw your
swords? " But Peter tells them that
he did do so, and that he smote one of
them, and that Jesus bade him put
his sword back in its scabbard, and
used his own miraculous power, not
to save himself, but only to heal the

'JESUS-TOOK-
wound which Peter had made with
his sword. Peter says it was one of
the hardest things they had to do, to
put their swords back in their scab
bards, when their Lord was taken
from them by force; but they had
learned to do as he commanded.
They proceed to relate, although they
can hardly bear to put it into words,
how Jesus had been falsely tried and
mocked, and then crucified, even as
we read in our Gospels.
The people who have been listening
heart-broken as they heard of the
Lord's last sufferings and death, think
ing that now all has been told, are
about to depart ; but after a brief mo
ment Peter, recovering himself, stands
up, and there is a new light in his eyes,
and in a voice of great cheer that
sounds strangely after such a story of
cruel shame and death, he declares
that this is not all. He lets them know
that he himself sat down to see
the end, when Jesus was condemned
to be crucified. But the end which he
thought had then surely come, was
another wonderful beginning of God's
mighty grace. For on the third day
some of the women had come hastily

THECHILD-THAT*(
to the place where the disciples were,
saying that they had seen the Lord,
He had not himself believed their tale ;
but they were so sure, that he ran to
the tomb where the body of Jesus had
been laid, and indeed it was empty !
Moreover, Mary had met him — it was
in the garden, and the risen One had
called her by her own name, in a
voice which she could not mistake ; if
she had heard it anywhere, by night
or day, she would have known that
it was the Master who called her,
' ' Mary. ' ' They relate other appear
ances of the Lord, some to different
disciples; and twice also he had stood
in the midst of them when they were
together in one place.
After Peter had finished, Thomas
confirms what had been witnessed,
saying that at first he had doubted,
but afterwards he became sure.
Further, they make it known that
they had not returned to Galilee
because they had given up all hope
and meant to be fishermen again,
but because he had told them to go
into Galilee. They say that almost
every step in the way brought back
some memory of him, and they could

JESUS-TOOK-
hardly have borne the sadness and
loss in their return to Galilee along the
same way where they had walked
with him, if only their memory of
him had been all ; but they have his
word that they shall see him again.
Hence to remember him is for them
to have also a great hope and joy; and
they are now come into Galilee, even
as he had told them, to keep an ap
pointment with him. They do not
know indeed how he shall make him
self known to them here, but in some
way they surely shall become aware
of his presence, and then they shall
know what for the rest of their lives
he will have them do.
Those who are listening have many
questions to ask, such as we likewise
often wish to ask ; and some of those
present are doubtful. But the dis
ciples assure them that they cannot
tell more, or explain all that they have
seen and can bear witness to ; we
must all, they insist, wait and learn ;
for they remember how Jesus among
his last words sought to have them
\ understand that after he should de
part from them, they should not be
left without light concerning all the

THECHILD-THAT*
things of his life and will for them,
but that the same Spirit which he had
in himself should be given them to
teach them what to think and to do,
as from time to time they should have
need to know.

"JESUS-TOOK- CHAPTER II
HIS YOUTH
CVERAL years since
that day have passed.
The child that Jesus
took has grown to be a
young man. Strong and
clear-eyed he stands
upon the threshold of a
man's life in the world.
He goes a fishing as his
father does; he can pull as good an
oar as any man of them all ; and he
will be one of the last to make for the
shore when at night the sea is rising
and the wind is blowing hard. But
often while he is in his boat on a still
night under those bright Syrian stars,
he tries to recall the face of Him who
had called him and set him beside
Himself, when he was a little child.
There was another boy, a few years
older than he, who also had been in
that house when Jesus was there.
The two boys had grown up together,
and they go fishing often in the same
boat together. The younger man
asks the other many questions con-

™ECHILD-THAT'
cerning all that he can remember
better, as they talk with one another
of those earlier days. "How did
Jesus look, as you remember him ?
What made him seem so unlike all
the others who came with him? What
do you think of him?" The older
answers : "I remember well all that
happened then ; and what occurred in
that house was as you say. I re
member hearing also some words
which he spake after he had called
you ; how he said something which
seemed to surprise his disciples about
not despising one of the little ones ;
and if a man should do that, and
hurt one of them, it were better that
a great stone from the mill should be
fastened about his neck, and then
that he should be thrown down into
the depths of the sea. I heard him
say, likewise, that there are angels in
heaven to watch over little children,
and he bade the fathers and mothers
to be gentle, thoughtful and kind, even
as their Father in heaven is. I think
that you and I, and many children in
Capernaum, have had pleasanter
homes, and a happier time, because of
what Jesus said and did on that day.

"JESUS-TOOK'
One thing, moreover, I know and re
member, which happened before you
were old enough to understand it.
I was then only a lad, when one day
all the people left their work and their
boats, and hurried away. I caught up
two small fishes and some bread, for
I did not know whither they were all
hastening, and I might need some
thing to eat. When I came to the
place where the mountains yonder
on the other side slope down into a
broad, green field, I found a great
multitude had gathered, and Jesus
was there, standing a little above the
people, so that all might see and hear
him. I can recollect now only some
of his words; but he did not seem
to be blaming them, and telling them
many hard, impossible things which
they must do, if they would be right
eous, as the scribes say they must be.
Instead of that he repeated every now
and then this one word, ' Blessed ' ;
as once before, I have been told, he
had spoken to a multitude. All were
eagerly listening, and many men and
women wept.
"One family I remember well among
them, for they lived then next door to

T^ECHILD-THAT'
our house, and only a few days before,
a child of theirs, with whom I used
to play, had died. His father and
mother seemed to take in every word
that Jesus was saying, and I noticed
that even though their eyes were
filled with tears, once their faces sud
denly lighted up when again he said,
'Blessed' — as if they saw for the
first time something that could make
them happy again. Afterwards I
overheard them saying to each other,
'Is it indeed true that we who mourn
shall be made blessed?' You may
not know that it was to their house
that Jesus found his way when you
saw him ; and I noticed that he
looked a moment at them when he
was speaking about children having
God's angels in heaven to care for
them. They were among the first
in our village to be called Christians,
and they seem to have found some
thing in their hearts to make their
sorrows bright.
"What happened afterwards, when
Jesus had finished speaking to the
people on the hillside, I could not fully
understand. It was growing late, and
the multitude were all hungry, and

JESUS-TOOK'
many of them had far to go. I was
about to eat the bread which I had
taken care to bring, when one of his
disciples saw me, and came and told
me that the Master wanted it all. I
wished to keep it, for I was hungry,
and there was no more than enough
for me ; but while I was hesitating, I
looked up and saw him looking
towards me, and I could not help giv
ing it all, if he seemed to need it. I
think I would do just the same now
with everything I have, if I should see
him again in the same way. Then he
caused them all to sit down on the
grass ; and somehow, I did not under
stand then and I hardly know now
how it happened, they all were fed,
and there was plenty also to spare.
I have often since asked others, who
were older, how it came to pass, but
they could only answer that it was
everywhere said and believed that
this Jesus could do many wonderful
things when he would; only his
mighty acts were always, they said,
done to help some one else, and never
for his own sake. Also they would
answer that he had taught them that
our heavenly Father knows what

™ECHILD-THAT*
things we have need of, and that he
can give us our daily bread, as we
may really require it. Often I have
been puzzled thinking of it, and try
ing better to recollect all that oc
curred. I do not know, but I have
heard repeated often this saying of
his to his own disciples, 'What I do
thou knowest not now ; but thou shalt
know hereafter.' And I suppose that
we must wait to know many of these
wonderful things, which we cannot
now explain,"
After one such conversation, when
the youth had come back from the
night's fishing on the lake questioning
within himself more than ever
whether that was the life Jesus
would have him live, or how he ought
to follow him, he learns that two
of the disciples whom he first
saw with Jesus, have come again to
Capernaum. It is long since any of
them have passed that way, and he
hastens to find them, and to ask them
what they think their Master would
have him do. To his disappointment
they do not ask him to do any great
thing ; they do not wish him to give
up his boats, and to go with them, as

'JESUS-TOOK'
he might have been willing to do. He
would be glad enough if he could be
called to do something daring and
strong, if that were needed for Christ's
sake. But nothing of the kind do
they ask of him. It is for us, they
answer, to show how Jesus has taught
us to live our every-day lives simply
and truly, as Jesus himself lived when
he was with us, doing good, helping
others, forgetting ourselves, and trust
ing God. That, he thinks, is harder
to do, as indeed it is. One thing,
however, he feels deeply as he listens
while these two disciples seek to
show him what it means to be a fol
lower of their Master and Lord. It
is the personal impression which
they make upon him. For they all
seem to him to be very different
men from his early memory of
them ; much more like the One who
seemed to him, when he first saw
him, unlike all others. Something,
some influence of Jesus' spirit, has
changed them into his likeness. He
cannot help asking them what it is.
In their reply to his questioning, he
observes that they have little to say
of Jesus' many mighty works, al-

™ECHILD-THAT-
though they had been witnesses of
them ; but, rather, and as in a
great glow and joy of memory, they
speak of Jesus himself.
They tell him, although they say
that words can never express it,
of the life which they had seen mani
fested in Him, as though God had
come down to earth to show them
in the form of man how the per
fect life may be lived. They said that
He had shown them the Father, and
that is enough for men to know.
And when he asks again, if there
is not something brave and noble for
a man to do in the name of the
Christ, Peter (for he was one of
the two) tells him of the simple
charge which the risen Lord had
given to him the last time that he had
appeared and spoken to him. It was
yonder, he relates, on the shore that
it happened. It was in the early
morn. The day was just breaking
over the hills ; the sea was still ; they
were nearing the shore ; and John,
standing up in the boat, and shading
his eyes that he might look more
clearly into the light, saw One ap
pearing in the holy dawn — and he

'JESUS-TOOK'
knew him! "It is the Lord," he
said. So Peter — describing it very
much as we may see it in the picture
which has been drawn of it in the
last chapter of John's Gospel, as only
one who had seen it could depict it —
said that the Lord's last word to him
was simply that he was to love him,
and to feed his sheep. And that,
henceforth, is to be his life's work
for Christ's sake; and nothing can be
greater than that.
When he was leaving them, for
they were about to go on their way,
they ask him, "Will you, too, be one
of his disciples?" The next night,
as he rests on his oars in the fisher's
boat, resolving that he will try to live
in Christ's way, even as they had
shown him, there comes back to him,
from the memories of his childhood,
more distinctly and fairer than ever
before, the face of Jesus, who had
called him when he was a little child.
In Capernaum, not far from the
house which Jesus had entered, there
was another home where afterwards
his disciples, as they journeyed, were
wont to be refreshed. One of that

™ECHILD-THAT-
household had been too young a girl
at the time when Jesus was there to
remember seeing him. But her par
ents had seen him more than once,
and they had been among the first of
those who believed in him. She her
self, when a little child, had received
a blessing in Christ's name from one
of his disciples, who, passing through
Galilee, had tarried in her home ; for,
before he left, he had taken her in his
arms, and had repeated, while her
parents stood before him, one of Jesus'
own words, "Suffer little children to
come unto me." They were always
finding new meanings in Jesus' re
membered words; and this was one
of them, that parents with their chil
dren, the whole household together,
may belong to the kingdom of heaven,
of which Jesus was always speaking.
From her early childhood her mother
had told her the story of Jesus' life,
as she had heard itf rom eye-witnesses
of him, and she had learned by heart
many of the sayings of the Lord Jesus.
Often, as she had talked with the older
lad whose loaves and fishes Jesus had
blessed, and with that other boy who
was sometimes called "Jesus' child,"

"JESUS-TOOK'
because Jesus had taken him, she
wished that she, too, might have seen
him and remembered his face. But
her mother reminded her of a word,
which, she had heard, Jesus once spake
to one of his own disciples, — ' 'Blessed
are they that have not seen, and yet
have believed." And she had come
to know him, as he would have us
also know him, better than some
others who had seen him when he
walked through Galilee, but who had
been too busy, or too thoughtless
about the best things, to draw with
open hearts near enough to him really
to know him. Indeed, some personal
influence and grace of Jesus seemed,
as early as she could remember, to
have been the atmosphere and sun
shine of her girlhood's home, and it
had pervaded her life almost without
her being conscious of it. Hence, as
she grew to clear, happy woman
hood, the new Christian Way had
been no unfamiliar path, hard for her
to find; it had opened before her at
the gate of her childhood, and she had
only to keep in it, and to follow it on
and on through all the years, even as
in his name she had been taught

THSECHILD-THAT«
It happened in due time that this girl,
now grown to womanhood, and this
boy whose story we are telling, who
had then become a Christian man,
began to live one life together in a
new home of their own. When they
entered it, a thanksgiving to God
followed them, such as their parents
before them had received, according
to their ancient Hebrew custom, when
at the wedding-feast a relative or eld
est friend, if no priest were present,
would say, " Blessed be thou, O Lord
our God, who makest Zion to rejoice
in her children ! Make this couple to
rejoice with joy according to the joy-
ousness which thou gavest to the work
of thy hands in the garden of Eden,"
And other words there were, like
these, in the ancient marriage bene
diction. But besides such thanks
giving to the God of their fathers, a
new and heavenly salutation awaited
them as they entered their home; for
as they crossed its threshold, they
could say to each other, " It was at
Cana of Galilee that the Lord first
?• manifested his glory, and the mem
ory of Jesus is blended henceforth
with the promise of our home,"

f

'JESUS-TOOK- CHAPTER III
HIS MANHOOD

N this home, which was
one of the first to be
known as Christian,
life passes quietly and
happily on. All things
around it remain very
much the same. The
sea is the same, and the
sky above, and the
grassy slopes of the mountain are as
they were when Jesus himself loved
to linger in Galilee. The whole region
indeed may look somewhat poorer ;
there are more bare places where the
trees used to grow ; it is less like one
garden all around that part of thelake ;
and life for the fisherman has become
harder under the cruel taxation of
the Romans. But the people do much
the same things day by day, and
children still play on the beach, as
they did that day when Jesus once
entered the house which still stands
by the sea.
On a pleasant afternoon, when the
fishermen are mending their nets on
the beach, we may find among them

THECHILD-THAT
this man of whom we would know
more. It is the same strong, brawny
fisherman of Galilee, whom we recog
nize ; but when we talk with him we
find that he has become much more
than an ordinary fisherman of Galilee.
For even while his hands are busy
with his nets, he will speak to us of
many things full of interest to him,
which are happening in the wide
world beyond Galilee, for which, he
says, ' ' Christ lived and d ied. " " Have
you seen," we ask, "any of those
eleven disciples of late?" "No," he
replies, "they are called apostles now;
and they have been too eagerly en
gaged in carrying the good news of the
Christ far and wide to come back to
Galilee again even to rest for a day.
Besides, they do not need to revisit
these places which are so sacred and
dear to their memories, where Jesus
himself was once with them. For
now his Spirit is with them in
their thoughts and in their hearts,
just as he promised when he was
about to depart from them. They
carry the Christ with them wher
ever they go, — 'the Christ in us,'
they say,"

{>

JESUS-TOOK-
As we listen, he tells us that re
ports are brought often to Galilee
concerning what the Christ is doing
everywhere throughout the known
world. One of the first believers, a
physician named Luke, declares that
the mighty works which Jesus did
when he was on earth were only the
things which he began to do. And
this, he assures us, is true; for more
wonderful things than he could have
imagined are now being done in his
name. ' ' Some tragic events, ' ' he says,
" have occurred. A young man, who
had been speaking concerning Christ,
was stoned to death; and it is
reported that as he died his face
shone like an angel's. Moreover,
James, who had known Jesus, and
who was a just man, had been put to
death for Christ's sake. But these
and other cruel persecutions have not
prevented many from becoming be
lievers, or those of the 'Way,' as
sometimes they are named ; but more
often now they call themselves breth
ren, or Christians. Sometime since, ' '
so he continues to tell us, " Peter was
in Joppa ; and there he had a remark
able vision, which at first, being a

THE CHILD -THAT
Galilean fisherman like us, he did not
understand, for it seemed to mean
something contrary to all our custom
ary ideas and the traditions of our
fathers ; but while he was thinking
what it might mean, some men from
Caesarea knocked at his door, and he
was taught by the Spirit that far be
yond Judea the Master had sheep for
him to seek and to find, even as he
had said when Peter last saw him
in the morning on the beach. John,
too, has sent word to us all that he
remembered how once Jesus, look
ing far away, had said in his hear
ing, 'Other sheep I have, which are
not of this fold.' And also he had
said that they all are one flock, and
one Shepherd; and there are many
folds. Besides these things, most
remarkable tidings, which at first we
could hardly credit, have recently
been brought concerning one Saul of
Tarsus, a most zealous Pharisee. He
has passed through a most extraor
dinary experience, and come forth an
entirely changed man. He himself
explains it by declaring that he had
seen a vision of Jesus, no more as one
hanging upon a cross, but as the Lord

"JESUS-TOOK-
in glory. To show how completely,
in consequence of it, he has become
a new man, he has even changed his
name, and now calls himself Paul.
Since then he has been gathering
companies of men and women, and
persuading them to own Christ as
Lord among all the Gentiles, preach
ing this gospel in town after town
throughout all the provinces and even
in Rome itself. He has gone in his
preaching far beyond all our expec
tations, for he declares that Christ is
for the whole world ; and the Spirit
seems everywhere to confirm his
gospel." We would listen longer to him, but
it is towards evening, and he breaks
off, saying, "I must go to my work,
and put my boat out again into the
sea ; for Jesus has taught us that to
follow him does not mean to leave
our daily tasks, but to do everything
well in his name."
As we watch him spreading his
nets on the lake until the night shuts
in, we, too, know that following in His
steps need not take any one away
from familiar paths ; but we also
perceive that the daily desire to

TliECHILD-THAT*

live in Christ's new way of living
and loving has made of this man
a new man, large-hearted and whole-
souled, no more a Galilean, but a
Christian.

"JESUS-TOOK' CHAPTER IV
HIS OLD AGE

)NE more scene remains
to be told in the story
i of the life of this first
Christian child. He
has lived to a full old
age in that same house
which once Jesus en
tered. For there was
no other house in
Capernaum like that to him. And
when he could obtain it he made
it his home. At this time the people,
who had been in that room when
Jesus was there, are hardly any of
them living. Indeed, few eye-wit
nesses of Jesus' works are left now.
Among them an expectation had
sprung up that before they all should
die, the Christ would appear again.
But, while they looked for his coming,
the days had lengthened into years,
and most of them had fallen asleep,
and he did not appear. This man,
now old, confesses that it was a
disappointment to their faith, which
led some even to give up their hope,
"Sometimes," he adds, "it troubled

THECHILD-THAT'
me, and I used to wonder why God
in heaven could let the world go on,
just as it had always been, and not
send at once his Christ to us men."
But he would have us understand
that from this first disappointment of
the Christian faith a new and better
hope has sprung up. Believers are
learning that first the gospel must be
preached everywhere. He says, "An
event has happened in my lifetime,
which has led us to open our eyes
and to perceive that Jesus' promise
was larger and farther-looking than
we could have thought. For at last
the whole history of Israel has come
to an end in an awful catastrophe. The
Roman army had camped around
Jerusalem, and at length had suc
ceeded in breaking through its strong
walls, and had cast down the stones
of the temple, even as Jesus had
foretold that it should come to pass.
But letters have been sent by the apos
tles from one company, or church, of
the Christians throughout all this re
gion, which are full of hope and
great cheer. They were bidden by
Peter to keep on loving the Christ,
although they did not see him; they

JESUS-TOOK-
were urged not on any account to
depart from their faith. Peter, more
over, assured them that the Lord does
not tarry without reason, nor does
God forget his promise, for even a
thousand years in God's time are but
as one swiftly passing day, as we
count the time. We are to wait, he
writes, with a quiet patience and a
perfect hope, for sometime the Lord
shall come to take control of all men,
and to make all wrong things right ;
and the end of this world will be in
truth a new beginning, as though the
whole earth and the heavens above
it were made new. Besides," he as
sures us, "it is reported that St. John,
who has become very old, is saying
over and over again to all people whom
he sees, to the fathers, and especially
to the young, such words as these:
'Love one another; God is love; there
is no fear in love' ; and, 'Whenever he
shall appear we shall be like him, for
we shall see him even as he is.' "
Waiting in this sure hope, which
he has received from those disciples
J who had been with Jesus and who
knew him best, he now draws near
the time appointed for him to go

™ECHILD-THAT-
hence. Sometimes in those last days
he was able to go out, when the lake
was calm, with the others in the boat;
and the last time, it was noticed, as
the morning was breaking, he had
looked wistfully up, as though ex
pecting to see something that the
others could not discern on the shore
where once the risen Lord had ap
peared. In his heart he was looking
for the day to dawn when he might
see again the face of Him who had
taken him to himself when he was a
child long years ago.
Now at last the hour has come; he
lies waiting for the end. His eye has
grown dim, and he can hardly recog
nize those around him, who care for
him. In the midst of them, a little
child — one of his own grandchildren
— has stolen in, and is near him. Per
ceiving him, and the others dimly, as
all about him fades, he is become him
self as a child again; but it is another
company that he sees, and One unlike
all others stands beside him now. He
is not afraid. With his inner eye he
is already beholding brighter, happier
things than any of those about him
can perceive; and it all blends and

'JESUS-TOOK'
passes into one vision, in which there
is no yesterday or to-morrow, neither
change, nor shadow of death, but one
dear, abiding reality of love and joy
and peace. To him all other voices are
hushed now, as they were in that
room when he was a child ; it is the
same Jesus who calls him, and takes
him to Himself — and he sees His face !

- EPILOGUE- IUCH is the story, as
^">«nLf? it might well have
»^ A Q been, of the life of the
V^J s^ child that Jesus took.
It seems a long dis
tance as we look back
through the many
years to the time when
Jesus entered the
homes of men, and they first be
came Christians, But the life which
that child, whom Jesus set in the
midst of men, learned to live in his
name, is ever the same simple, true
life ; and we may make the story of
it come true in our lives.

"The Story of the Child that Jesus Took"
has been designed and prepared by
Morgan Shepard Company and
printed by Kenneth Ives
(Inc.), in New York,
March, Nineteen
Hundred and
Seven