some day come into the light of day. Let all who have ears to hear with hear. Take care what you listen to," said Jesus. "The measure you mete will be meted out to you, and more will be added for you. For, to those who have, more will be given; while, from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.'" Parable of the " Jesus also said: Seed growing "This is what the Kingdom of God is likeunobserved. like a man who has scattered seed on the ground, and then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed is shooting up and growing-he knows not how. The ground bears the crop of itself-first the blade, then the ear, and then the full grain in the ear; but, as soon as the crop is ready, immediately he puts in the sickle because harvest has come. Jesus also said: Parable of the 399 "To what can we liken the Kingdom of God? Mustard Seed. Or by what can we illustrate it? Perhaps by the growth of a mustard-seed. This seed, when sown in the ground, though it is smaller than all other seeds, yet, when sown, shoots up, and becomes larger than any other herb, and puts out great branches, so that even the wild birds can roost in its shelter.'" ་ 34 With many such parables Jesus used to speak to the people 33 of his Message, as far as they were able to receive it; and to them he never used to speak except in parables; but in private to his own disciples he explained everything. Jesus stills In the evening of the same day, Jesus said to a Storm. them : "Let us go across." 35 35 So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them, just 36 as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him. A violent squall caine on, and the waves kept dashing into the 37 boat, so that the boat was actually filling. Jesus was in the 38 stern asleep upon the cushion; and the disciples roused him and cried : "Teacher! is it nothing to you that we are lost?" Jesus rose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea: 39 "Hush! Be still!" Then the wind dropped, and a great calm followed. "Why are you so timid?" he exclaimed. no faith yet?" "Have you 40 But they were struck with great awe, and said to one another: 41 "Who can this be that even the wind and the sea obey him?" Cure of a And they came to the other side of the SeaMadman. the country of the Gerasenes; and, as soon as Jesus had got out of the boat, he met a man coming out of 29 Joel 3. 13. 32 Dan. 4. 12. I 2 4 the tombs, who was under the power of a foul spirit, and 3 who made his home in the tombs. No one had ever been able to secure him, even with a chain; for, though he had many times been left secured with fetters and chains, he had snapped the chains and broken the fetters to pieces, and no one could master him. Night and day alike, he was continually shrieking in 5 the tombs and among the hills, and cutting himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed to the ground before him, shrieking out in a loud voice: "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? For God's sake do not torment me!" For Jesus had said: Come out from the man, you foul spirit." And he asked him: "What is your name?" My name," he said, "is Legion, for there are many of us;" and he begged Jesus again and again not to send them away out of that country. There was a large drove of pigs close by, feeding on the hill-side. And the spirits begged Jesus: "Send us into the pigs, that we may take possession of them.' Jesus gave them leave. They came out, and entered into the pigs; and the drove about two thousand in numberrushed down the steep slope into the Sea and were drowned in the Sea. On this the men who tended them ran away, and carried the news to the town, and to the country round; and the people went to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind--the very man who had had the 'Legion' in him—and they were awe-struck. Then those who had seen it related to them all that had happened to the possessed man, as well as about the pigs; upon which they began to beg Jesus to leave their neighbourhood. 6 7 As 18 Jesus was getting into the boat, the possessed man begged him to let him stay with him. But Jesus refused. "Go back to your home, to your own people," he said, "and tell them of all that the Lord has done for you, and how he took pity on you. So the man went, and began to proclaim in the district of the Ten Towns all that Jesus had done for him; and every one was amazed. The Raising 19 20 21 By the time Jesus had re-crossed in the boat to of the the opposite shore, a great number of people had Daughter of gathered to meet him, and were standing by the Jaeirus. Sea. And one of the Presidents of the 22 Synagogue, whose name was Jacirus, came and, as soon as he saw Jesus, threw himself at his feet with repeated entreaties. 23 "My little daughter," he said, "is at the point of death; I beg you to come and place your hands on her, that her life may be spared.” So Jesus went with him. Cure of A great number of people followed Jesus, and kept pressing round him. an afflicted Meanwhile a woman who for twelve years had Woman. suffered from haemorrhage, and undergone much at the hands of many doctors, (spending all she had without obtaining any relief, but, on the contrary, growing worse), heard about Jesus, came behind in the crowd, and touched his cloak. "If I can only touch his clothes," she said, "I shall get well ! " At once the mischief was stopped, and she felt in herself that she was cured of her complaint. Jesus at once became aware of the power that had gone out from him, and, turning round in the crowd, he said : "You see the people pressing round you," exclaimed his disciples, "and yet you say 'Who touched me?"" But Jesus looked about to see who had done it. Then the woman, in fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and threw herself down before him, and told him the whole truth. 66 Go, Daughter," he said, “ your faith has delivered you. But Jesus, overhearing what they were saying, said to the ،، Do not be afraid; only have faith." And he allowed no one to accompany him, except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. Presently they reached the President's house, where Jesus saw a scene of confusion-people weeping and wailing incessantly. "Why this confusion and weeping?" he said on entering. "The little child is not dead ; she is asleep." 40 They began to laugh at him; but he sent them all out, and then, with the child's father and mother and his companions, went into the room where she was lying. Taking her hand, 41 Jesus said to her : "Taleitha, koum !"--which means 'Little girl, I am speaking to you-Rise ! ' The little girl stood up at once, and began to walk about; 42 for she was twelve years old. And, as soon as they saw it, they were overwhelmed with amazement; but Jesus repeatedly 43 cautioned them not to let any one know of it, and told them to give her something to eat. Jesus On leaving that place, Jesus, followed by teaches at his disciples, went to his own part of the Nazareth. country. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the Synagogue; and the people, as they listened, were deeply impressed. I 6 2 "Where did he get this?" they said, "and what is this wisdom that has been given him? and these miracles which he is doing? Is not he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and 3 the brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? And are not his sisters, too, living here among us?" This proved a hindrance to their believing in him; on which 4 "A Prophet is not without honour, except in his own country, and among his own relations, and in his own home. And he could not work any miracle there, beyond placing 5 his hands upon a few infirm persons, and curing them; and he wondered at the want of faith shown by the people. The Mission 6 Jesus went round the villages, one after another, of the twelve teaching. Apostles. He 8 and began to send them out as his Messengers, two and two, and gave them authority over foul spirits. instructed them to take nothing but a staff for the journey -not even bread, or a bag, or pence in their purse; but they were to wear sandals, and not to put on a second coat. "Whenever you go to stay at a house," he said, "remain there till you leave that place; and if a place does not welcome you, or listen to you, as you go out of it shake off the dust that is on the soles of your feet, as a protest against them.” So they set out, and proclaimed the need of repentance. They drove out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were infirm, and cured them. The Death of Now King Herod heard of Jesus; for his name the Baptist. had become well known. People were saying— "John the Baptizer must have risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are active in him." Others again said—“He is Elijah,” and others--" He is a Prophet, like one of the great Prophets. But when Herod heard of him, he said—“The man whom I beheaded—John—he must be risen!" For Herod himself had sent and arrested John, and put him in prison, in chains, to please Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, because Herod had married her. For John had said to Herod 'You have no right to be living with your brother's wife.' So Herodias was incensed against John, and wanted to put him to death, but was unable to do so, because Herod stood in fear of John, knowing him to be an upright and holy man, and protected him. He had listened to John, but still 21 22 23 remained much perplexed, and yet he found pleasure in listening to him. A suitable opportunity, however, occurred when Herod, on his birthday, gave a dinner to his high officials, and his generals, and the foremost men in Galilee. And when his daughter-that is, the daughter of Herodias-came in and danced, she delighted Herod and those who were dining with him. 'Ask me for whatever you like,' the King said to the girl, and I will give it to you'; and he swore to her that he would give her whatever she asked him-up to half his kingdom. The girl went out, and said to her mother 'What must I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptizer,' answered her mother. So she went in as quickly as possible to the King, 25 and made her request. 'I want you,' she said, 'to give me at once, on a dish, the head of John the Baptist.' The King was 26 much distressed; yet, on account of his oath and of the guests at his table, he did not like to refuse her. He immediately 27 despatched one of his bodyguard, with orders to bring John's head. The man went and beheaded John in the prison, and, bringing his head on a dish, gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When John's disciples heard of it, 29 they came and took his body away, and laid it in a tomb. The 28 When the Apostles came back to Jesus, they 30 Return of the told him all that they had done and all that they Apostles. had taught. 66 33 34 Come by yourselves privately to some lonely spot," he said, 31 "and rest for a while "for there were so many people coming and going that they had not time even to eat. So they 32 set off privately in their boat for a lonely spot. And many people saw them going, and recognised them, and from all the towns they flocked together to the place on foot, and got there before them. On getting out of the boat, Jesus saw a great crowd, and his heart was moved at the sight of them, because they were 'like sheep without a shepherd'; and he began to teach them many things. When it grew five thousand late, his disciples came up to him, and said: This is a lonely spot, and it is already late. Send the people away, so that they may go to 36 the farms and villages around and buy themselves something to eat." Jesus feeds by the Lake of Galilee. 35 But Jesus answered: "It is for you to give them something 37 to eat. "Are we to go and buy twenty pounds' worth of bread," they asked, "to give them to eat?" 66 38 "How many loaves have you?" he asked; go, and see. When they had found out, they told him: " Five, and two fishes." Jesus directed them to make all the people take their 39 34 Num. 27. 17. |