CHAPTER VI. THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES, AND THE SUBSEQUENT TRANSACTIONS, UNTIL OUR LORD'S ARRIVAL AT BETHLEHEM, SIX DAYS BEFORE HIS FOURTH PASSOVER. TIME-About Six Months. SECTION 1. The Pharisees inquire of Christ as to the coming of the kingdom of God. His answer as to the coming of the Son of Man. Parables of the importunate widow; and the Pharisee, and publican.— § 2. Christ's visit to Martha and Mary.—§ 3. Christ goeth to the festival of the dedication of the temple; goeth again beyond Jordan, where many believed on him.-§ 4. Raiseth Lazarus from the dead. The chief Priests and Pharisees conspire against him. He retireth into Ephraim with his disciples.-§ 5. Christ beyond Jordan, is followed by multitudes; answereth the Pharisees concerning divorcement; receiveth and blesseth little children.-§ 6. Instructeth the rich young man how to obtain eternal life. Parable of the labourers in the vineyard.-§ 7. Christ on his way to Jerusalem, a third time fortelleth to his disciples his death and resurrection.-§ 8. Teacheth humility to his disciples, by his answer to the ambitious petition of James and John. -§ 9. Christ restoreth blind Bartimeus to his sight. -§ 10. Christ visiteth Zaccheus the publican. Parable of the ten pieces of money.—§ 11. He arriveth at Bethany, six days before the passover.-§ 12. Our Lord's public entry into Jerusalem.-§ 13. Condemneth the unfruitful fig tree, and purgeth the temple.-§ 14. Christ's authority questioned by the chief Priests, Scribes, and Elders; he avoucheth it by his baptism by John. Parables of the vineyard, the two sons, the marriage of the king's son, etc.—§ 15. Insidious questions of the Pharisees, Sadducees, and others, as to paying tribute, the resurrection of the dead, the two great commandments, and how is Christ the son of David?-§ 16. Christ admonisheth the people to follow the good doctrine, and not the example of the Scribes and The coming of the Kingdom of God. 121 Pharisees. A. D. THIRTY-THREE.-JUDEA. Foretelleth the destruction of Jerusalem.-§ 17. Christ, on taking leave of the temple, foretelleth its destruction, and persecution of his disciples. Parables of the ten virgins, and of the five talents. § 18. Christ foretelleth the last judgment. —§ 19. The rulers conspire against Christ. The supper at Bethany; the treachery of Judas, and the preparation for the passover. Section 1*. And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it. And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them. For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation. And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed. In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to take it away: and he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whoso *Luke xvii. 20 to the end. G 122 Parables: the importunate Widow, &c. A. D. THIRTY-THREE.-JUDEA. ever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together. *And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man : and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a Publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this Publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the Publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to * Luke xviii. 1 to 14. Martha and Mary. A. D. THIRTY-THREE. BETHANY. 123 his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall he exalted. § 2*. Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. § 3*. And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name,, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which *Luke x. 38 to the end. + John x. 22 to the end. 124 Christ proves his Mission by his Works. A. D. THIRTY-THREE.-BETHABARA. of those works do ye stone me ? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not: but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the Scripture cannot be broken; say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand, and went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode. And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle but all things that John spake of this man were true. And many believed on him there. § 4*. Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore, his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judea again. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou John xi. 1 to 54. |