"How is it," they asked Jesus, "that our Teachers of the Law say that Elijah has to come first?" "Elijah does indeed come first," answered Jesus, "and reestablish everything; and does not Scripture speak, with regard to the Son of Man, of his undergoing much suffering and being utterly despised? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and people have treated him just as they pleased, as Scripture says of him." Cure of II 12 13 14 When they came to the other disciples, they saw an epileptic a great crowd round them, and some Teachers of Boy. the Law arguing with them. But, as soon as they 15 saw Jesus, all the people, in great astonishment, ran up and greeted him. "What are you arguing about with them?" Jesus asked. 66 Teacher, "answered a man in the crowd, "I brought my son to see you, as he has a dumb spirit in him; and, wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth, and he is pining away. I asked your disciples to drive the spirit out, but they failed." ་་ 16 17 18 O faithless generation!" exclaimed Jesus. "How long 19 must I be with you? how long must I have patience with you? Bring the boy to me. 20 They brought him to Jesus; but no sooner did the boy see him than the spirit threw him into convulsions; and he fell on the ground, and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. "How long has he been like this?" Jesus asked the boy's 21 father. "From his childhood," he answered; "and it has often thrown him into fire and into water to put an end to his life ; but, if you can possibly do anything, take pity on us, and help us!" Why say 'possibly'?" Jesus replied. possible for one who has faith." The boy's father immediately cried out : 22 23 "Everything is 23 24 "I have faith; help my want of faith!" But, when Jesus saw that a crowd was quickly collecting, he 25 rebuked the foul spirit: "Deaf and dumb spirit, it is I who command you. Come out from him and never enter him again." With a loud cry the spirit threw the boy into repeated convul- 26 sions, and then came out from him. The boy looked like a corpse, so that most of them said that he was dead. But Jesus. 27 took his hand, and lifted him; and he stood up. When Jesus 28 had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately: Why could not we drive it out?" A spirit of this kind," he said, "can be driven out only by 29 prayer. 12 Mal. 4. 5-6, Jesus, a second time, foretells his Death. Leaving that place, Jesus and his disciples went 30 on their way through Galilee; but he did not wish any one to know it, for he was instructing 31 his disciples, and telling them "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of his fellow men, and they will put him to death, but, when he has been put to death, he will rise again after three days. But the disciples did not understand his meaning and were afraid to question him. Jesus Capernaum. On Humility. They came to Capernaum. 32 When Jesus 33 teaches at had gone into the house, he asked them: "What were you discussing on the way?" But they were silent; for on the way they had 34 been arguing with one another which was the Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said: 'If any one wishes to be first, he must be last of all, and servant of all." greatest. 35 Then Jesus took a little child, and placed it in the middle of 36 them. Folding it in his arms, he said to them: On Against hindering Others. 66 37 39 Any one who, for the sake of my Name, welcomes even a little child like this is welcoming me, and any one who welcomes me is welcoming not me, but him who sent me as his Messenger. Teacher," said John, we saw a man driving 38 Toleration. out demons by using your name, and we tried to prevent him, because he did not follow us. "None of you must prevent the man,' ," answered Jesus, "for no one will use my name in working a miracle, and yet find it easy to speak evil of me. He who is not against 40 us is for us. If any one gives you a cup of water be- 41 cause you belong to Christ, I tell you, he shall assuredly not lose his reward. And, if any one puts a snare in 42 the way of one of these lowly ones who believe in me, it would be far better for him if he had been thrown into the sea with a great millstone round his neck. If your hand proves a snare to you, cut it off. 43 It would be better for you to enter the Life maimed, than to have both your hands and go into the Pit, into the inextinguishable fire. If your foot proves a snare to you, cut it off. would be better for you to enter the Life lame, than to have both your feet and be thrown into the Pit. If your eye proves 47 a snare to you, tear it out. It would be better for you to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye, than to have both eyes and be thrown into the Pit, where their worm does 48 not die, and the fire is not put out.' For it is by fire that every 49 one will be salted. Salt is good, but, if the salt should 50 lose its saltness, what will you use to season it? You must have salt in yourselves, and live at peace with one another." 31 Hos. 6. 2. 48 Isa. 66. 24. It 45 A Question about Divorce. III. THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM. On leaving that place, Jesus went into the dis- usual, he began teaching them. 66 sees came up and, to test him, asked: It was owing to the hardness of your hearts," said Jesus, that Moses gave you this direction; but, at the beginning of the Creation, God made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and the man and his wife shall become one;' so that they are no longer two, but one. What God himself, Any one who divorces his wife and marries another woman is guilty of adultery against his wife; and, if the woman divorces her husband and marries another man, she is guilty of adultery." Jesus blesses Some of the people were bringing little children little to Jesus, for him to touch them; but the disciples found fault with those who had brought them. When, however, Jesus saw this, he was indignant. Children. "Let the little children come to me," he said, "do not hinder them; for it is to the childlike that the Kingdom of God belongs. I tell you, unless a man receives the Kingdom of God like a child, he will not enter it at all. Then he folded the children in his arms, and, placing his hands on them, gave them his blessing. The Re And, as Jesus was resuming his journey, a man sponsibilities came running up to him, and threw himself on of Wealth. his knees before him. Good Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to gain Immortal Life?" "Why do you call me good? " answered Jesus. "No one is good but God. You know the commandments— Honour 'Do not kill. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not say what is false about others. Do not cheat. thy father and thy mother." 4 Deut. 24. I. 6 Gen. 1. 27. 7 Gen. 2. 24. 19 Deut. 5. 17-20. Teacher,” he replied, “I have observed all these from my 20 childhood." Jesus looked at the man, and his heart went out to him, and he 21 said: "There is still one thing wanting in you; go and sell all that you have, and give to the poor, and you shall have wealth in Heaven; then come and follow me. But the man's face clouded at these words, and he went away distressed, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked round, and said to his disciples : "How hard it will be for men of wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!" The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again : My children, how hard a thing it is to enter the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to get through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God." "Then who can be saved? they exclaimed in the greatest 26 astonishment. Jesus looked at them, and answered: "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for everything is possible with God." But we,' began Peter, followed you.' 27 we left everything and have 28 29 "I tell you," said Jesus, "there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or land, on my account and on account of the Good News, who will not receive a hundred times as much, even now in the 30 present-houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and land—though not without persecutions, and, in the age that is coming, Immortal Life. But many who are first now will then be last, and the last will be first." Jesus, 31 One day, when they were on their way, going up 32 a third time, to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in front of the foretells Apostles, who were filled with misgivings; while his Death. those who were following behind were alarmed. Gathering the Twelve round him once more, Jesus began to tell them what was about to happen to him. "Listen!" he said. "We are going up to Jerusalem; and 33 there the Son of Man will be betrayed to the Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law, and they will condemn him to death, and they will give him up to the Gentiles, who will mock him, 34 spit upon him, and scourge him, and put him to death; and after three days he will rise again." 34 Hos. 6. 2. The Request of James and John. ever we ask." James and John, the two sons of Zebediah, went 35 to Jesus, and said: 'Teacher, we want you to do for us what 36 "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked. "Grant us this," they answered, to sit, one on your right, 37 and the other on your left, when you come in glory.' "You do not know what you are asking," Jesus said to 38 them. "Can you drink the cup that I am to drink? or receive the baptism that I am to receive? "Yes," they answered, we can. 39 "You shall indeed drink the cup that I am to drink," Jesus said, "and receive the baptism that I am to receive, but as to 40 a seat at my right or at my left-that is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." The Dignity On hearing of this, the ten others were at first 41 of Service. very indignant about James and John. Jesus called the ten to him, and said : But 42 "Those who are regarded as ruling among the Gentiles lord it over them, as you know, and their great men oppress them. But among you it is not so. No, whoever wants 43 to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to take the first place among you must be 44 the servant of all; for even the Son of Man came, not to be 45 served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Cure of They came to Jericho. When Jesus 46 blind was going out of the town with his disciples and Bartimaeus. a large crowd, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road-side. Hearing that it 47 was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to call out : 'Jesus, Son of David, take pity on me." Many of the people kept telling him to be quiet; but the 48 man continued to call out all the louder : you." 49 "Get up; he is calling The man threw off his cloak, sprang up, and came to 50 Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" said Jesus, address- 51 ing him. Rabboni," the blind man answered, "I want to recover my sight. "You may go," Jesus said; "your faith has delivered you." 52 Immediately he recovered his sight, and began to follow Jesus along the road. |