The Aquarian Age Gospel of Jesus, the Christ of the Piscean Age: Chapters 121 - 150

Chapter 121

The Christines are in Nazareth. Miriam sings a Christine song of praise. Jesus teaches in the synagogue. He heals a dumb man who is obsessed. The people do not believe in him. The Pharisees call him a tool of Beelzebul. The Christines go to Cana.

IT was a gala day in Nazareth. The people there had met with one accord to celebrate some great event. 2 And Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve, and Mary, mother of the Lord, and Miriam were there. 3 And when the people were assembled in the great hall of the town, the graceful singer, Miriam, stood and sang a song of praise. 4 But few of all the multitude knew who the singer was; but instantly she won all hearts. 5 For many days she sang the songs of Israel, and then she went her way. 6 The Sabbath came and Jesus went into the synagogue. He took the book of Psalms and read: 7 Blest is the man who puts his trust in God, respecting not the proud nor such as turn aside to lies. 8 O lord, my God, the works that thou hast done for us are wonderful; and many are thy thoughts for us; we cannot count them all, 9 Thou dost not call for sacrifice, nor offerings of blood; burnt offerings and offerings for sin thou dost not want; 10 And lo, I come to do thy will, O God, thy law is in my heart, 11 And I have preached the word of righteousness and peace unto the thronging multitudes; I have declared the counsel of my God in full. 12 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and grace. 13 I have not kept thy loving-kindness and thy truth away from men; I have declared them to the multitudes. 14 O Lord, make wide my lips that I may tell thy praise; I do not bring the sacrifice of blood, nor yet burnt offerings for sin. 15 The sacrifices I would bring to thee, O God, are purity in life, a contrite heart, a spirit full of faith and love, and these thou wilt receive. 16 And when he had thus read, he gave the book back to the keeper of the books, and then he said, 17 Upon these ends of earth these messages of God have come. 18 Our people have exalted sacrificial rites and have neglected mercy, justice and the rights of men. 19 You Pharisees, you priests, you scribes, your God surfeited with blood; God does not heed your prayers; you stand before your burning victims; but you stand in vain. 20 Turn you unto the testimonies of the law; reform and turn to God, and you shall live. 21 Let not your altars be accursed again with smoke of innocence. 22 Bring unto God as sacrifice a broken and a contrite heart. 23 Lift from your fellow men the burdens that you have imposed. 24 And if you hearken not, and if you turn not from your evil ways, lo, God will smite this nation with a curse. 25 And when he had thus said he stood aside, and all the people were astonished, and they said, 26 Where did this man get all his knowledge and his power? From whence did all this wisdom come? 27 Is not this Mary's son, whose home is out on Marmion Way? 28 Are not his brothers, Jude and James and Simon, known among our honoured men? Are not his sisters with us here? 29 But they were all offended by the words he spoke. 30 And Jesus said, A prophet has no honour in his native land; he is not well received among his kin; his foes are in his home. 31 And Jesus wrought not many mighty works in Nazareth, because the people had no faith in him. He did not tarry long. 32 But as he passed from thence two blind men followed him and cried, Thou son of David, hear! Have mercy, Lord, and open up our eyes that we may see. 33 And Jesus said, Do you believe that I can open up your eyes and make you see? 34 They said, Yea, Lord, we know that if you speak the Word then we can see. 35 And Jesus touched their eyes and spoke the Word; he said, According to your faith so will it be. 36 And they were blest; they opened up their eyes and saw. 37 And Jesus said, Tell not this thing to any one. 38 But they went forth and told the news through all the land. 39 As Jesus walked along the way a man who was obsessed, and who was dumb, was brought to him. 40 And Jesus spoke the Word; the unclean spirit came out of the man; his tongue was loosed; he spoke; he said, Praise God. 41 The people were amazed; They said, This is a mighty deed; we never saw that done before. 42 The Pharisees were also much amazed; but they cried out and said, 43 You men of Israel, take heed; this Jesus is atool of Beelzebul; he heals the sick and casts the spirits out in Satan's name. 44 But Jesus answered not; he went his way. 45 And with the foreign masters and the twelve he went up to the town where he once turned the water into wine, and tarried certain days.

Chapter 122

The Christines spend seven days in prayer. Jesus gives his charge to the twelve and sends them forth on their apostolic ministry, with instructions to meet him in Capernaum.

THE Christines prayed in silence seven days; then Jesus called the twelve aside and said, 2 Behold, the multitudes have thronged about us everywhere; the people are bewildered; they wander here and there like sheep without a fold. 3 They need a shepherd's care; they want a loving hand to lead them to the light. 4 The grain is ripe; the harvest is abundant, but the harvesters are few. 5 The time is also ripe, and you must go alone through all the villages and towns of Galilee and teach and heal. 6 And then he breathed upon the twelve and said, Receive the Holy Breath. 7 And then he gave them each the Word of power, and said, By this Omnific Word you shall cast spirits out, shall heal the sick and bring the dead to life again. 8 And you shall go not in the way of the Assyrians, nor Greek; you shall not go into Samaria; go only to your brethren of the scattered tribes. 9 And as you go proclaim, The kingdom of Christ has come. 10 You have abundantly received, and freely you shall give. 11 But you must go in faith; provide yourselves no crutch to lean upon. 12 Give all your gold and silver to the poor; take not two coats, nor extra shoes; just take your wands. 13 You are God's husbandmen and he will never suffer you to want. 14 In every place you go search out the men of faith; with them abide until you go from hence. 15 You go for me; you act for me. They who receive and welcome you, receive and welcome me; 16 And they who shut their doors against your face, refuse to welcome me. 17 If you are not received in kindness in a town, bear not away an evil thought; do not resist. 18 An evil thought of any kind will do you harm; will dissipate your power. 19 When you are not received with favour, go your way, for there are multitudes of men who want the light. 20 Behold, I send you forth as sheep among a pack of wolves; and you must be as wise as serpents and as harmless as the doves. 21 In all your language be discreet, for Pharisees and scribes will seek a cause for your arrest in what you say. 22 And they will surely find a way by charges false to bring you into court. 23 And judges will declare that you are guilty of some crime, and sentence you to scourgings and to prison cells. 24 But when you come to stand before the judge, be not afraid; be not disturbed about the way to act, the words to speak. 25 The Holy Breath will guide you in that hour, and give the words that you shall speak. 26 Of this be full assured; It is not you who speaks; it is the Holy Breath that gives the words and moves the lips. 27 The gospel that you preach will not bring peace, but it will stir the multitudes to wrath. 28 The carnal man abhors the truth, and he would give his life to crush the tender plant before the harvest time. 29 And this will bring confusion in the homes that were the homes of stagnant peace. 30 And brother will give brother up to death; the father will stand by and see men execute his child; and in the courts the child will testify against the sire, and gladly see its mother put to death. 31 And men will hate you just because you speak the name of Christ. 32 Thrice blessed is the man who shall be faithful in this coming day of wrath! 33 Go now; when you are persecuted in a place, go seek another place. 34 And when you meet a foe too great for you, behold, the son of man is at your door, and he can speak, and all the hosts of heaven will stand in your defence. 35 But do not hold your present life in great esteem. 36 The time will come when men will take my life; you need not hope to be immune, for they will slay you in the name of God. 37 Men call me Beelzebul and they will call you imps. 38 Be not afraid of what men say and do; they have no power over soul; they may abuse and may destroy the body of the flesh; but that is all. 39 They do not know the God who holds the issues of the soul within his hands, who can destroy the soul. 40 The Christ is king to-day, and men must recognise his power. 41 He who loves not the Christ, which is the love of God, before all else, can never gain the prize of spirit consciousness. 42 and they who love their parents or their children more than they love the Christ can never wear the name of Christ. 43 And he who loves his life more than he loves the Christ cannot please God. 44 And he who clings to life shall lose his life, while he who gives his life for Christ will save his life. 45 When Jesus had thus said he sent the twelve away by twos, and bade them meet him in Capernaum. 46 And they went out through all the towns of Galilee and taught and healed in spirit and in power.

Chapter 123

Jesus gives his final charge to the foreign masters and sends them forth as apostles to the world. He goes alone to Tyre and abides in Rachel's home. Heals an obsessed child. Goes to Sidon and then to the mountains of Lebanon. Visits Mount Hermon, Caesarea-Philippi, Decapolis, Gadara and returns to Capernaum. Receives the twelve, who give an account of their work.

THE Christine master spent a time in prayer and then he called the foreign masters, and he said to them, 2 Behold, I sent the twelve apostles unto Israel, but you are sent to all the world. 3 Our God is one, is Spirit, and is truth, and every man is dear to him. 4 He is the God of every child of India, and the farther east; of Persia, and the farther north; of Greece and Rome and of the farther west; of Egypt and the farther south, and of the mighty lands across the seas, and of the islands of the seas. 5 If God would send the bread of life to one and not to all who have arisen to the consciousness of life and can receive the bread of life, then he would be unjust and that would shake the very throne of heaven. 6 So he has called you from the seven centres of the world, and he has breathed the breath of wisdom and of power into your souls, and now he sends you forth as bearers of the light of life, apostles of the human race. 7 Go on your way, and as you go proclaim the gospel of the Christ. 8 And then he breathed upon the masters and he said, Receive the Holy Breath; and then he gave to each the Word of power. 9 And each went on his way, and every land was blest. 10 Then Jesus went alone across the hills of Galilee and after certain days he reached the coast of Tyre, and in the home of Rachel he abode. 11 He did not advertise his coming for he did not come to teach; he would commune with God where he could see the waters of the Mighty Sea. 12 But Rachel told the news and multitudes of people thronged her home to see the Lord. 13 A Grecian woman of Phenecia came; her daughter was obsessed. She said, 14 O Lord, have mercy on my home! My daughter is obsessed; but this I know, if you will speak the Word she will be free. Thou son of David, hear my prayer! 15 But Rachel said, Good woman, trouble not the Lord. He did not come to Tyre to heal; he came to talk with God beside the sea. 16 And Jesus said, Lo, I was sent not to the Greek, nor to Syro-phenicians; I come just to my people, Israel. 17 And then the woman fell down at his feet and said, Lord, Jesus, I implore that you will save my child. 18 And Jesus said, You know the common proverb well: It is not meet that one should give the children's bread to dogs. 19 And then the woman said, Yea, Jesus, this I know, but dogs may eat the crumbs that fall down from their master's board. 20 And Jesus said, Such faith I have not seen, no, not among the Jews; she is not serf, nor dog. 21 And then he said to her, According to your faith so let it be. 22 The woman went her way and when she came unto her child, lo, she was healed. 23 And Jesus tarried many days in Tyre; and then he went his way and dwelt a time in Sidon by the sea. 24 And then he journeyed on. In Lebanon hills and vales, and in its groves he walked in silent thought. 25 His earthly mission fast was drawing to a close; he sought for strength, and what he sought he found. 26 Mount Hermon stood beyond, and Jesus fain would kneel beside that mountian famed in Hebrew song. 27 And then he stood upon Mount Hermon's lofty peaks, and lifting up his eyes to heaven he talked with God. 28 And masters of the olden times revealed themselves and long they talked about the kingdom of the Christ; 29 about the mighty works that had been done; about the coming conquest of the cross; about the victory over death. 30 Then Jesus journeyed on; he went to Caesarea-Philippi, and in Susanna's home he tarried certain days. 31 And then he went through all Decapolis to give encouragement to those who knew him as the Christ, and to prepare them for the day of Calvary. 32 And then he went to Gadara, and many friends were there, to welcome him. 33 And Chuzas steward of the house of Herod Antipas, was there, and Jesus went aboard the royal ship with him and crossed the sea, and came unto Capernaum. 34 And when the people knew that Jesus was at home they came to welcome him. 35 In just a little while the twelve apostles came and told the master all about their journey over Galilee. 36 They said that by the sacred Word they had done many mighty works; and Jesus said to them, Well done.

The Third Annual Epoch of the Christine Ministry of Jesus

Chapter 124

The Christines cross the sea. Jesus gives to his disciples lessons on secret doctrines. Teaches the people. Feeds five thousand. The disciples start to recross the sea. A storm arises. Jesus, walking on the waters, comes to them. Trial of Peter's faith. Thye land in Gennesaret.

THE twelve apostles now had reached the stage of spirit consciousness, and Jesus could reveal to them the deeper meanings of his mission to the world. 2 Next week the great feast of the Jews would be observed, and Matthew said, Shall we not gird ourselves and go unto Jerusalem? 3 But Jesus said, We will not go up to the feast; the time is short and I have many things to say to you; come you apart into a desert place and rest a while. 4 and then they took their boats and crossed the sea, and came into a desert place near Julius Bethsaida. 5 The people saw them go, and in vast multitudes they followed them. 6 And Jesus had compassion on the anxious throng, and he stood forth and taught them all the day, because they sought a light and were like sheep without a fold. 7 And as the night came on the twelve were doubting what the multitudes would do, and Thomas said, 8 Lord, we are in a desert place; the multitudes have vaught to eat and they are faint from lack of food; what shall we do? 9 And Jesus said, Go to and feed the multitudes. 10 And Judas said, Shall we go down and buy two hundred pennies' worth of bread for them to eat? 11 And Jesus, Go look into our larder and see how many loaves we have. 12 And Andrew said, We have no bread, but we have found a lad who has five barley loaves and two small fish; but this would not be food enough for one in ten. 13 But Jesus said, Command these people all to sit upon the grass in companies of twelve; and they all sat down in companies of twelve. 14 Then Jesus took the loaves and fish, and looking up to heaven he spoke the sacred Word. 15 And then he broke the bread and gave it to the twelve; he also gave the fish unto the twelve, and said, Go to and feed the multitudes. 16 And all the people ate and were refreshed. 17 There were about five thousand men, a company of little ones, and women not a few. 18 And when the people all were filled the master said, 19 Let not a crumb be lost; Go to and gather up the pieces of the bread and fish for others that may want. 20 They gathered up the fragments and they filled twelve baskets full. 21 The people were bewildered by this wondrous act of power; they said, And now we know that Jesus is the prophet that our prophets said would come; and then they said, All hail the king! 22 Whne Jesus heard them say, All hail the king! he called the twelve and bade them take their boats and go before him to the other side; 23 And he went all alone into a mountain pass to pray. 24 The twelve were on the sea and hoped to reach Capernaum in just a little time, when all at once a fearful storm arose, and they were at the mercy of the waves. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night the wind became a whirling wind, and they were filled with fear. 26 And in the blinding storm they saw a form move on the waves; it seemed to be a man, one spoke out and said, It is a ghost, a sign of evil things. 27 But John discerned the form and said, It is the Lord. 28 And then the wind blew not so hard, and Peter, standing inthe midst, exclaimed: 29 My Lord! my Lord! If this be truly you, bid me to come to you upon the waves. 30 The form reached forth his hand and said, Come on. 31 And Peter stepped upon the waves and they were solid as a rock; he walked upon the waves. 32 He walked until he thought within himself, What if the waves should break beneath my feet? 33 And then the waves did break beneath his feet, and he began to sink, and in the fearfulness of soul he cried, O save me, Lord, or I am lost! 34 And Jesus took him by the hand and said, O you of little faith! why did you doubt? And Jesus led the way unto the boat. 35 The storm had spent its force; the winds were still, and they were near the shore, and when they landed they were in the valley of Gennesaret.

Chapter 125

The Christines are welcomed in Gennesaret. Many follow Jesus for the loaves andfish. He tells them of the bread of life. Speaks of his flesh and blood as symbols of the bread and water of life. The people are offended and many of his disciples follow him no more.

THE news soon spread through all the valley of Gennersaret that Jesus and the twelve had come, and many people came to see. 2 They brought their sick and laid them at the master's feet, and all the day he taught and healed. 3 The multitudes upon the other side who had been fed the day before and other multitudes, went down to see the Lord; but when they found him not they sought him in Capernaum. 4 And when they found him not at home, they went on to Gennesaret. They found him there and said, Rabboni, when came you to Gennesaret? 5 And Jesus said, Why are you come across the sea? you came not for the bread of life; 6 You came to gratify your selfish selves; you all were fed the other day across the sea, and you are after more of loaves and fish. 7 The food you ate was nourishment for flesh that soon must pass away. 8 You men of Galilee, seek not for food that perishes, but seek for food that feeds the soul; and, lo, I bring you food from heaven. 9 You ate the flesh of fish, and you were satisfied, and now I bring the flesh of Christ for you to eat that you may live for evermore. 10 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; and then they ate the flesh of quail, and drank the waters of a flowing spring that Moses brought out from the rock; but all of them are dead. 11 The manna and the quail were symbols of the flesh of Christ; the waters of the rock were symbols of the blood. 12 But, lo, the Christ has come; he is the bread of life that God has given to the world. 13 Whoever eats the flesh of Christ and drinks his blood shall never die; and he will hunger nevermore; and he will thirst no more. 14 And they who eat this bread of heaven, and drink these waters from the spring of life cannot be lost; these feed the soul, and purify the life. 15 Behold, for God has said, When man has purified himself I will exalt him to the throne of power. 16 Then Jesus and the twelve went to Capernaum; and Jesus went into the synagogue and taught. 17 And when the Jews, who heard him in Gennesaret, were come they said, 18 This fellow is beside himself. We heard him say, I am the bread of life that comes from heaven; and we all know that he is but a man, the son of man, who came from Nazareth; we know his mother, and his other kin. 19 And Jesus knew their thoughts; he said to them, Why murmur you, and reason thus among yourselves? 20 The Christ is everlasting life; he came from heaven; he has the keys of heaven, and no man enters into heaven except he fills himself with Christ. 21 I came in flesh to do the will of God, and, lo, this flesh and blood are filled with Christ; and so I am the living bread that comes from heaven; 22 And when you eat this flesh and drink this blood you will have everlasting life; and if you will, you may become the bread of life. 23 And many of the people were enraged; they said, How can this man give us his flesh to eat, his blood to drink? 24 And his disciples were aggrieved becaude he said these things, and many turned away and followed him no more. 25 They said, This is a fearful thing for him to say, If you eat not my flesh and drink my blood, you cannot enter into life. 26 They could not comprehend the parable he spoke. 27 And Jesus said, You stumble and you fall before the truth; What will you do when you shall see this flesh and blood transmuted into higher form? 28 What will you say when you shall see the son of man ascending on the clouds of heaven? 29 What will you say when you shall see the son of man sit on the throne of God? 30 The flesh is naught; the spirit is the quickening power. The words I speak are spirit; they are life. 31 When Jesus saw the many who had been so loud in their professions of their faith in him, turn back and go away, he said unto the twelve. 32 Will you desert me inthis hour and go away? 33 But Peter said, Lord, we have no place else to go; you have the words of everlasting life; we know that you are sent to us from God.

Chapter 126

Scribes and Pharisees visit Jesus. They censure him for eating with unwashed hands. He defends his acts and teaches a lesson on hypocrisy. Privately explains to the twelve his public teachings.

A COMPANY of scribes and Pharisees came from Jerusalem to learn wherein the power of Jesus lay. 2 But when they learned that he and his disciples heeded not the custom of the Jews, regarding washing of the hands before they ate, they were amazed. 3 And Jesus said, Hypocrisy is queen among you scribes and Pharisees. Oh you Isaiah wrote: 4 This people honour me with lips; their hearts are far away. In vain they worship me; their doctrines are the dogmas and the creeds of men. 5 You men who pose as men of God, and still reject the laws of God and teach the laws of men, 6 Stand forth and tell when God gave unto the ceremonial laws that you observe; and tell these people how the spirit life is sullied if one washes not before he eats. 7 His critics answered not, and then he said, 8 Hear me, you men of Israel! Defilement is a creature of the heart. The carnal mind lays hold of thought, and makes a monstrous bride; this bride is sin; sin is a creature of the mind. 9 That which defiles a man is not the food he eats. 10 The bread and fish and other things we eat, are simply cups to caryy to the cells of flesh material for the building of the human house, and when their work is done as refuse they are cast away. 11 The life of plant and flesh that goes to build the human house is never food for soul. The spirit does not feed upon the carcasses of animal, or plant. 12 God feeds the soul direct from heaven; the bread of life comes from above. 13 The air we breathe is charged with Holy Breath, and he will may take this Holy Breath. 14 The soul discriminates, and he who wants the life of Christ may breathe it in. According to your faith so let it be. 15 Man is not a part of his abiding place; the house is not the man. 16 The lower world builds up the house of flesh, and keeps it in repair; the higher world provides the bread of spirit life. 17 The loveliest lilies grow from stagnant ponds and filthiest muck. 18 The law of flesh demands that one should keep the body clean. 19 The law of spirit call for purity in thought and word and deed. 20 Now, when the evening came and they were in the house, the twelve had many things to say, and many questions to propound. 21 Nathaniel asked, Was what you said about the house of flesh a parable? If so, what does it mean? 22 And Jesus said, Can you not yet discriminate? Do you not yet perceive that what a man takes in his mouth defiles him not? 23 His food goes not into his soul; it is material for flesh and bone and brawn. 24 To spirit everything is clean. 25 That which defiles a man wells up from carnal thoughts; and carnal thoughts spring from the heart, and generate a host of evil things. 26 From out the heart comes murders, thefts and foolishness. All selfish acts and senual deeds spring from the heart. 27 To eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man. 28 And Peter said, Lord, What you said to-day has grievously offended scribe and Pharisee. 29 And Jesus said, These scribes and Pharisees are not the scions of the tree of life; they are not plants of God; they are the plants of men, and every foreign plant shall be plucked up. 30 Let all these men alone; they are blind guides; they lead a multitude of people who are blind. 31 The leaders and the led together walk; together they will fall into the yawning pits.

Chapter 127

The Christines cross the sea to Decapolis. Jesus finds a retires place where he privately teaches the twelve. They remain three days, then go into a village by the sea.

NOW, Jesus took the twelve and with them crossed the sea at night and came unto the borders of Decapolis, 2 That he might find a secret place where, all alone, he could reveal to them the things to come. 3 They went into a mountain pass and spent three days in prayer. 4 Then Jesus said, Behold, the time is near when I will walk with you in flesh no more. 5 Lo, I have taught that he who counts his life of so much worth that he would give it not in willing sacrifice to save his brother man, is worthy not to enter into life. 6 Lo, I am come as pattern for the sons of men, and I have not refrained from helpfulness. 7 When I had passed the seven tests in Heliopolis, I consecrated life and all I had, to save the world. 8 In the Judean wilderness I fought the strongest foes of men, and there I reaffirmed my consecration to the service of my fellow man. 9 In troubles and intrials I have wavered not; when false accusers came, I answered not. 10 God gave the saving Word to me, and I have often spoken it and healed the sick, drove unclean spirits out, and raised the dead. 11 And I have shown you how to speak the Word; and I have given you the Word; 12 In just a little while we turn our faces toward Jerusalem, and one of you who hear me now will then betray me into wicked hands. 13 The scribes and Pharisees will bring false charges up and hale me into court, and, by consent of Rome, I will be crucified. 14 Then Peter said, My Lord, it shall not be. The Roman soldiers will tread on twelve dead men before they reach our Lord. 15 But Jesus said, A saviour of the world cannot resist. 16 I came to save the world and I have taken up your names before the highest courts of heaven, and you have been confirmed as saviours of the world. 17 And not a name, excepting that of him who shall betray, will ever be disgraced. 18 I go my way, and though my flesh shall pass, my soul will stand beside you all the way to guide and bless. 19 And wicked men will seize you in the streets, and as you kneel in prayer; will charge you with some legal crime, and think they serve their God by putting you to death. 20 But falter not; the load will heavy be, but with the consciousness of duty done, the peace of God will lift the load, dispel the pain and light the way. 21 And we will meet where carnal executioners come not; there we will serve the cruel men, who in their ignorance had tortured us to death. 22 Can we prevent this outrage and this slaughter of our lives? If not we are but creatures of the ebb and flow of carnal things. It would not be a sacrifice of life. 23 But we are masters of the things of time. Lo, we can speak, and all the spirits of the fire, water, earth and air will stand in our defence. 24 We can command and many legions of the angel world would come and strike our enemies to earth. 25 But it is best that not a power of heaven or earth should come to our relief. And it is best that even God should veil his face and seem to hear us not. 26 As I am pattern unto you, so you are patterns for the human race. We show by non-resistance that we give our lives in willing sacrifice for man. 27 But my example will not end with death. My body will be laid within a tomb in which no flesh has lain, symbolic of the purity of life in death. 28 And in the tomb I will remain three days in sweet communion with the Christ, and with my Father-God and Mother-God. 29 And then, symbolic of the ascent of the soul to higher life, my flesh within the tomb will disappear; 30 Will be transmuted into higher form, and, in the presence of you all, I will ascend to God. 31 Then Jesus and the twelve went to a village by the sea.

Chapter 128

Jesus goes at night to a mountain to pray. His disciples and the villagers find him and he teaches them for three days. Feeds four thousand people. The Christines go to Caesarea-Philippi. They consider the personality of Christ. Peter is chosen as apostolic leader.

NOW, in the night while the disciples slept, lo, Jesus rose and went alone into a mountain pass, six miles away, to pray. 2 And in the morning when the twelve awoke they could not find the Lord, and all the people of the village sought, and when the sun had passed its highest point they found him in the mountain pass. 3 And multitudes of people came and brought their sick, and Jesus taught and healed. 4 And when the night came on the people would not go; they slept upon the ground that they might be a-near the Lord. 5 Three days and nights the multitudes remained, and none had aught to eat. 6 And Jesus had compassion and he said, If I should send the multitudes away they might not reach their homes, for they are faint, for some have journeyed many miles. 7 And his disciples said, Where shall we get enough of food to feed them all? There are four thousand men, besides the women and the little ones. 8 And Jesus said, How many loaves have you? 9 They answered, Seven, and some little fish. 10 And Jesus said, Go to, and seat the people as you seated them the other day when all the multitudes were fed, in companies of twelve. 11 And when the people were sat down in companies of twelve the loaves and fish were brought. 12 And Jesus looked to heaven and spoke the Word; and then he broke the seven loaves in little bits, and likewise cut the fish. 13 And every bit of bread became a loaf, and every piece of fish became a fish. 14 The twelve went forth and gave to every one; the people ate and they were filled; and all the fragments that were left were gathered up, and there were seven baskets full. 15 and then the people went their ways, and the twelve took boats and came to Dalmanatha by the sea. 16 Here they remained for many days, and Jesus told the twelve about the inner light that cannot fail; 17 About the kingdom of the Christ within the soul; about the power of faith; about the secret of the resurrection of the dead; about immortal life, and how the living may go forth and help the dead. 18 And then they went into their boats, and came unto the northern coast of Galilee, and in Chorazin where the kin of Thomas lived, they left their boats and journeyed on. 19 They came to Merom, where the crystal waters seem to catch the images of heaven and to reflect the glory of the Lord of hosts. 20 And here they tarried certain days in silent thought. 21 And then they journeyed on, and came into the land of Caesarea-Philippi. 22 And as they walked and talked among themselves, the master said, What do the people say about the son of man? Who do they think I am? 23 And Matthew said, Some say that you are David come again; some say that you are Enoch, Solomon, or Seth. 24 And Andrew said, I heard a ruler of the synagogue exclaim, This man is Jeremiah, for he speaks like Jeremiah wrote. 25 Nathaniel said, The foreign masters who were with us for a time, declared that Jesus is Gautama come again. 26 James said, I think that most the Jews believe you are the reappearance of Elijah on the earth. 27 And John spoke out and said, When we were in Jerusalem I heard a seer exclaim, This Jesus is none other than Melchizedek, the king of peace, who lived about two thousand years ago, and said that he would come again. 28 And Thomas said, The Tetrarch Herod thinks that you are John arisen from the dead; 29 But then his conscience troubles him; the spirit of the murdered John looms up before him in his dreams, and haunts him as a spectre of the night. 30 And Jesus asked, Who do you think I am? 31 And Peter said, You are the Christ, the love of God made manifest to men. 32 And Jesus said, Thrice blessed are you, Simon, Jonas' son. You have declared a truth that God has given you. 33 You are a rock, and you shall be a pillar in the temple of the Lord of hosts. 34 And your confession is the cornerstone of faith, a rock of strength, and on this rock the Church of Christ is built. 35 Against it all the powers of hades and of death cannot prevail. 36 Behold, I give to you the keys to open up the doors of safety for the sons of men. 37 The Holy Breath will come upon you and the ten, and in Jerusalem you shall stand before the nations of the earth, and there proclaim the covenant of God with men. 38 And you shall speak the words of Holy Breath, and whatsoever God requires of men as earnest of their faith in Christ, you shall make known. 39 Then turning to the twelve he said, What you have heard this day tell not to any man. 40 Then Jesus and the twelve went up and were Susanna's guests for many days.

Chapter 129

Jesus teaches the people. He takes Peter, James and John and goes to a high mountain and is transfigured before them.

THE news soon spread that Jesus and the twelve were come, and many people came to see. 2 And Jesus said, Behold, you come to see, but that means naught. If you would have the benedictions of the Christ, take up your and follow me. 3 If you would give your life for selfish self, then you will lose your life. 4 If you will give your life in service of your fellow men, then you will save your life. 5 This life is but a span, a bauble of to-day. There is a life that passes not. 6 Where is your profit if you gain the world and lose your soul? What would you take in payment for your soul? 7 If you would find the spirit life, the life of man in God, then you must walk a narrow way and enter through a narrow gate. 8 The way is Christ, the gate is Christ, and you must come up by the way of Christ. No man comes unto God but by the Christ. 9 The kingdom of the Christ will come; yea, some of you who hear me now will not pass through the gates of death until you see the kingdom come in power. 10 For seven days the master and the twelve remained in Caesarea-Philippi. 11 Then Jesus, taking Peter, James and John, went forth unto a mountain top to pray. 12 And as he prayed a brilliant light appeared; his form became as radiant as a precious stone; 13 His face shone like the sun; his garments seemed as white as snow; the son of man became the son of God. 14 He was transfigured that the men of earth might see the possibilities of man. 15 When first the glory came the three disciples were asleep; a master touched their eyes and said, Awake and see the glory of the Lord. 16 And they awoke, and saw the glory of the Lord; and more, they saw the glory of the heavenly world, for they beheld two men from thence stand forth beside the Lord. 17 And Peter asked the master who awakened them, Who are these men who stand beside the Lord? 18 The master said, These men are Moses and Elijah, who are come that you may know that heaven and earth are one; that masters there and masters here are one. 19 The veil that separates the worlds is but an ether veil. For those who purify their hearts by faith the veil is rolled aside, and they can see and know that death is an illisive thing. 20 And Peter said, Praise God! And then he called to Jesus and he said, My master and my Lord, this is the gate of heaven, andit is well that we remain. 21 May we go down and bring three tents; a tent for you, a tent for Moses, and for Elijah one? But Jesus answered not. 22 And Moses and Elijah talked with Jesus on the mount. They talked about the coming trial of the LOrd; 23 About his death, his rest within the tomb; about the wonders of the resurrection morn; the transmutation of his flesh, and his ascension on the clouds of light; 24 And all symbolic of the path that every man must tread; symbolic of the way the sons of men become the sons of God. 25 The three disciples were amazed, and suddenly the ethers were surcharged with song, and forms as light as air moved all about the mountain top. 26 And then from out the glory of the upper world they heard a voice that said, 27 This is the son of man, my chosen one to manifest the Christ to men. Let all the earth hear him. 28 When the disciples heard the voice they were afraid; they fell upon the ground and prayed. 29 And Jesus came; he touched them and he said, Arise, fear not; lo, I am here. 30 Then they arose, and as they looked about they saw no one; the men had gone. The master only stood with them. 31 As Jesus and the three came from the mountain top they talked about the meaning of the scene, and Jesus told them all; and then he said, 32 Till I have risen from the dead tell not to any one what you have seen. 33 But the disciples could not comprehend the meaning of the words, Till I have risen from the dead. 34 And Jesus told them once again about his death, and rising from the grave; about the kingdom of the soul that was to come in glory and in power. 35 But Peter said, The scribes have taught that e'er the king shall come Elijah must appear. 36 And Jesus said, Elijah has already come; but scribes and Pharisees received him not; 37 And men reviled him, bound him, cast him in a prison cell, and shouted with a fiend's delight to see him die. 38 What men have done to him, that they will do to me. 39 Then the disciples understood that Jesus spoke of John whom Herod slew.

Chapter 130

Jesus and the three disciples return to Caesarea-Philippi. The nine had failed to cure an epileptic child. Jesus heal it and rebukes his disciples for their lack of trust in God. The Christines return to Capernaum.

WHEN Jesus, Peter, James and John were come unto the city's gates a multitude of people thronged the way. 2 The nine apostles who went not with Jesus to the mount, had tried to heal an epileptic child who was obsessed waited for the coming of the Lord. 3 When Jesus came the father of the child knelt down before him and implored his help. 4 He said, My master, I beseech that you will look in pity on my son, my only child; he is an epileptic child and suffers grievously. 5 Sometimes he falls into the fire and is burned; again he falls into the water and is like to drown; and many times a day he falls, he grinds his teeth, the foam pours from his mouth. 6 I took my child to your disciples, and they failed to give relief. 7 And as he spoke a servant brought the child before the Lord (the child spoke not, for he was dumb), and instantly he fell upon the ground, he foamed, he writhed in agony. 8 And Jesus said, How long has he been troubled thus? 9 The father said, From infancy; and we have sought in many lands for help, but found it not; but I believe that you can speak the Word and heal my son. 10 And Jesus said, Faith is the power of God. All things are possible for him who in his heart believes. 11 The father cried, in tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief. 12 And Jesus spoke the Word of power; the epileptic child lay in a swoon; he did not breathe, and all the people said, The child is dead. 13 But Jesus took him by the hand and said: Arise; and he arose and spoke. 14 The people were amazed, and many said, This surely is a man of God, for no such power was ever given to man. 15 Then Jesus and the twelve went to the house, and after they had taken food and been refreshed, the nine disciples said, 16 Lord, why could we not heal this child? We spoke the Word; but even that was powerless. 17 And Jesus said, Your great success in all your former work has made you careless, and you forgot to recognise the power of God. 18 Without the spirit of the Word, the Word is like an idle tale; and you forgot to pray. 19 There is no faith without the prayer of faith. Faith is the wings of prayer; but wings alone fly not. 20 By prayer and faith you can bring down the mountain peaks, and cast them in the sea; the little hills will skip about like lambs at your command. 21 This failure may be well for you. The great lessons that are learned in life come through the failures that are made. 22 As the disciples sat in thoughtful meditation Jesus said, Let these words sink into your hearts: 23 The time has nearly come when you must bear your load alone; that is, without my presence in the flesh. 24 For I will fall into the hands of wicked men, and they will slay me on a mount beyond Bezetha wall. 25 And men will lay my body in a tomb where, by the sacred Word, it will be guarded and preserved three days; then I will rise again. 26 The twelve were sad; they did not understand, and yet they feared to ask him to reveal the meaning of his word. 27 Next day the Christine master and the twelve began their journey of return, and soon were in Capernaum.

Chapter 131

Jesus and Peter pay the half-shekel tax. The disciples contend for the supremacy. Jesus rebukes them. Teaches them many practical lessons. The parable of the good shepherd.

AS Jesus and the twelve were resting in the house, the tax collector came to Peter saying, Man, do Jesus and yourself pay this half-shekel tax? 2 And Peter said, We pay whatever is assessed. 3 And Jesus said, From whom do publicans collect this special tax? from strangers or from native sons? 4 And Peter said, The strangers only are supposed to pay this tax. 5 Then Jesus said, We all are native sons and we are free; but lest we cause contention we will pay the tax; but neither had the shekel wherewithal to pay. 6 And Jesus said, Go to the sea; cast in a hook and catch a fish and you will find within its inner parts a shekel, which take up and pay the tax for you and me. 7 And Peter did as Jesus said; he found the shekel and he paid the tax. 8 Now Jesus heard the twelve dispute among themselves. The spirit of the carnal self was moving in their hearts, and they were questioning among themselves who was the greatest in the sight of God and man. 9 And Jesus said, You men, for shame! The greatest is the servant of the rest. And then he called to him a little child; he took it in his arms and said. 10 The greatest is the little child, and if you would be great at all you must become as is this child in innocence, in truth, in purity in life. 11 Great men scorn not the little things of earth; he who regards and honours such a child, regards and honours me, and he who scorns a child, scorns me. 12 If you would enter through the kingdom gate you must be humble as this little child. 13 Hear me, you men, This child, as every other child, has one to plead its cause before the throne of God. 14 You scorn it at your peril, men, for lo, I say, its counterpart beholds the face of God at every moment, every day. 15 And hear me once again, He who shall cause a little one to stumble and to fall is marked, accursed; and it were better far if he had drowned himself. 16 Behold, offences everywhere! Men find occasions for to sin and fall, and they grow strong by rising when they fall; 17 But woe to him who causes other men to stumble and to fall. 18 Be on your guard, you men of God, lest you constrain another man to fall; beware lest you fall into sinful ways yourselves. 19 Now, if your hands cause you to sin, you better cut them off; for it is better far to have no hands and not be guilty in the sight of God and men, than to be perfect in your form and lose your soul. 20 And if your feet should cause offence, you better cut them off; for it is better far to enter into life without your feet than fall beneath the curse. 21 And if your eyes, or ears, cause you to sin, you better lose them all than lose your soul. 22 Your thoughts and words and deeds will all be tried by fire. 23 Remember that you are the salt of earth; but if you lose the virtues of the salt, you are but refuse in the sight of God. 24 Retain the virtues of the salt of life and be at peace among yourselves. 25 The world is full of men who have not in themselves the salt of life, and they are lost. I come to seek and save the lost. 26 How think you? if a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, will he not leave the ninety and the nine, 27 And go out in the desert ways and mountain tops to seek the one that went astray? 28 Yes, this you know; and if he finds the one that went astray, lo, he is glad, and he rejoices over it far more than over all the ninety and the nine that did not go astray. 29 And so there is rejoicing in the human courts of heaven when one human birth who has gone forth into the ways of sin is found and brought back to the fold; 30 Yea, there is joy, more joy than over all the righteous men who never went astray. 31 And John said, Master, who may seek and save the lost? and who may heal the sick, and cast the demons out of those obsessed? 32 When we were on the way we saw a man who was not one of us cast demons out and heal the sick. 33 He did it by the sacred Word and in the name of Christ? but we forbade him, for he did not walk with us. 34 And Jesus said, You sons of men, do you imagine that you own the powers of God? 35 And do you think that all the world must wait for you to do the works of God? 36 God is not man that he should have a special care for any man, and give him special gifts. 37 Forbid not any man to do the works of God. 38 There is no man who can pronounce the sacred Word, and in the name of Christ restore the sick, and cast the unclean spirits out, who is not child of God. 39 The man of whom you speak is one with us. Whoever gathers in the grain of heaven is one with us. 40 Whoever gives a cup of water in the name of Christ is one with us; so God shall judge.

Chapter 132

Jesus defends a man who has been convicted of stealing bread. The verdict is reversed. The man goes free, and the people supply the needs of his starving family.

A MULTITUDE of people thronged the streets. The officers were on the way to court withone, a man accused of stealing bread. 2 And in a little while the man was brought before the judge to answer to the charge. 3 And Jesus and the twelve were there. The man showed in his face and hands the hard drawn lines of toil and want. 4 A woman richly clad, the accuser of the man, stood forth and said, I caught this man myself: I know him well, for yesterday he came to beg for bread. 5 And when I drove him from my door, he should have known that I would harbour not a man like him; and then to-day he came and took the bread. 6 He is a thief and I demand that he be sent to jail. 7 The servants also testified against the man; he was adjudged a thief, and officers were leading him away. 8 But Jesus standing forth exclaimed, You officers and judge, be not in haste to lead this man away. 9 Is this a land of justice and of right? can you accuse and sentence men to punishment for any crime until they testify themselves? 10 The Roman law will not permit such travesty on right, and I demand that you permit this man to speak. 11 And then the judge recalled the man and said, If you have any tale to tell, say on. 12 In tears the man stood forth and said, I have a wife and little ones and they are perishing for bread, and I have told my story oft, and begged for bread; but none would hear. 13 This morning when I left our cheerless hut in search of work my children cried for bread, and I resolved to feed them or to die. 14 I took the bread, and I appeal to God, Was it a crime? 15 This woman snatched the loaf away and threw it to the dogs, and called the officers and I am here. 16 Good people, do with me whate'er you will, but save my wife and little ones from death. 17 Then Jesus said, Who is the culprit in this case? 18 I charge this woman as a felon in the sight of God. 19 I charge this judge as criminal before the bar of human rights. 20 I charge these servants and these officers as parties to the crime. 21 I charge the people of Capernaum with cruelty and theft, because they heeded not the cries of poverty and want, and have withheld from helpless ones that which is theirs by every law of right; 22 And I appeal unto these people here, and ask, Are not my charges based on righteousness and truth? 23 And every man said, Yes. 24 The accused woman blushed for shame; the judge shrank back in fear; the officers threw off the shackles from the man and ran away. 25 Then Jesus said, Give this man what he needs and let him go and feed his wife and little ones. 26 The people gave abundantly; the man went on his way. 27 And Jesus said, There is no standard law to judge of crime. The facts must all be stated e'er a judgment can be rendered in a case. 28 You men with hearts; go forth and stand where stood this man and answer me, What would you do? 29 The thief thinks every other man a thief and judges him accordingly. 30 The man who judges harshly is the man whose heart is full of crime. 31 The courtesan who keeps her wickedness concealed by what she calls respectability, has not a word of pity for the honest courtesan who claims to be just what she is. 32 I tell you, men, if you would censure not till you are free from sin, the world would soon forget the meaning of the word, accused.

Chapter 133

The twelve go to the feast in Jerusalem, but Jesus remains in Capernaum. He selects seventy disciples, and sends them out to teach and heal. He goes alone to the feast and on his way he heals ten lepers. He teaches in the temple.

THE harvest feast drew near; the twelve went to Jerusalem, but Jesus did not go with them; he tarried in Capernaum. 2 Among the multitudes that followed him were many who went not up to the feast; they were not Jews. 3 And Jesus called three-score-and -ten of these disciples unto him and said, THe kingdom of the Christ is not for Jews alone; it is for every man. 4 Lo, I have chosen twelve to preach the gospel, first unto the Jews; and they are Jews. 5 Twelve is the number of the Jew and seven the number of the all, including every man. 6 God is the ten, the holy Jod. 7 When God and man are multiplied we have three-score-and-ten, the number of the brotherhood of man. 8 And now I send you forth by twos and twos; not to the Jews alone, but unto every nation under heaven; to Greek and to Assyrian; to the Samaritan; to those beyond the seas; to every man. 9 You need not go afar, for men of every land are here and in Samaria. 10 Arise and go your way; but go in faith; and take no gold nor silver in your purse; no extra coat or shoes. 11 Go in the sacred name; trust God and you will never come to want. 12 And let this be your salutation everywhere, Peace be to all; good will to all. 13 And if the son of peace be in the house, the door will open wide and you will enter in; and then the holy peace will rest upon that house. 14 The seventy in twos went forth; they went into Samaria, and as they went they said, Peace be to all; good will to all! 15 Repent and turn from sin, and set your house in order, for a son of man who bears the image of the Christ, will come, and you may see his face. 16 They entered every village of Samaria; they preached in Tyre and in Sidon by the sea. Some went to Crete, and others into Greece, and others went to Gilead and taught. 17 And Jesus, all alone, went to the feast by the Samaria way; and as he went through Sychar on the way, the lepers saw him and a company of ten called from afar and said, 18 Lord Jesus, stay and speak the Word for us that we may be made clean. 19 And Jesus said, Go forth and show yourselves unto the priests. 20 They went, and as they went their leprosy was healed. One of the ten, a native of Samaria, returned to thank the master and to praise the Lord. 21 And Jesus said to him, Lo, ten were cleansed; where are the nine? Arise, and go your way; your faith has made you whole. 22 You have revealed your heart and shown that you are worthy of the power; behold the nine will find again their leprous hands and feet. 23 And Jesus went his way, and while the feast was on he came into Jerusalem, and went into the temple courts. 24 And he rebuked the scribes and Pharisees, the priests and doctors of the law for their hypocrisy and selfishness. 25 The common people were amazed; they said, From whence has come the wisdom of this man? he speaks as speaks a sage. 26 And Jesus said, I did not learn the wisdom of the Holy One within the schools of men; my teaching is not mine; I speak the words of him who sent me here to do his will. 27 If any man would know whereof I speak, lo, he must do the will of God. No man can know except he enters into life and does the will of God. 28 Now, Moses gave the law; but none of you have kept the law; how can you judge the worthiness of any man? 29 Once in these courts I healed a man upon a Sabbath day, and in a rage you sought to take my life; and now because I tell the truth you seek again to take my life. 30 A scribe spoke out and said, You foolish man, you are obsessed; who wants to take your life? 31 The common people said, Is this not Jesus whom the rulers long have sought to kill? and now he comes and teaches in the temple courts. 32 If he is guilty of such monstrous crimes, why do they not take him away in chains? 33 And Jesus said, You all know me, and know from whence I came; but you know not the God who sent me here, whose words I speak. 34 The multitudes again stood forth in his defence; they said, if this is not the Christ whom God has promised to reveal to men, will he do greater works when he shall come than does this man? 35 The Pharisees and ruling priests were angered and they sent their officers to take him e'er he went away. The officers were filled with fear; they seized him not. 36 And Jesus said, lo, I am here but for a little time and then I go my way to him who sent me here to do his will. 37 You seek me now and you can find me now; the time will come when you will seek and will not find, for where I go you cannot come. 38 The people said, Where will he go that men can find him not? Will he go forth to Greece and teach the Greeks? or will he go to Egypt or Assyria to teach? 39 But Jesus answered not; unnoticed by the multitudes he left the temple courts and went his way.

Chapter 134

Jesus teaches in the temple. His words enrage the rulers. Nicodemus defends him. He spends the night in prayer on Mount Olives. Next day he again teaches in the temple. An adultress is brought before him for judgement.

NOW, on the last day of the feast when multitudes were in the courtways, Jesus said, 2 Whoever is athirst may come to me and drink. 3 He who believes in me and in the Christ whom God had sent, may drink the cup of life, and from his inner parts shall streams of living waters flow. 4 The Holy Breath will over-shadow him, and he will breathe the Breath, and speak the words, and live the life. 5 The people were divided in their views concerning him. Some said, This man is prophet of the living God. 6 And others said, He is Messiah whom our prophets said would come. 7 And others said, He cannot be the Christ, for he came down from Galilee; the Christ must come from Bethlehem where David lived. 8 Again the priests and Pharisees sent officers to bring him into court to answer for his life; but when the officers returned and brought him not, 9 The rulers were enraged and said, Why did you not arrest this man and hale him into court? 10 The officers replied, We never heard a man speak like this man speaks. 11 In rage the Pharisees stood forth and said, Have you gone mad? Have you been led astray? Are you disciples of this man? 12 Have any of the rulers, or the Pharisees believed on him? The common people! yes, they may believe; they are accursed; they know not anything. 13 But Nicodemus came before the rulers and he said, Can Jewish judges judge a man and sentence him until they hear his plea? Let Jesus stand before this bar and testify himself. 14 The rulers said, This Jesus is a wily man, and if we suffer him to speak, he will rebuke us face to face, and then the multitudes will laugh and stand in his defence. 15 And then you know, as well as we, that prophets do not come from Galilee. 16 The rulers felt the force of what the officers and Nicodemus said, and they said nothing more. 17 And then the people went their way, each to his home; but Jesus went unto Mount Olives where he spent the night in prayer. 18 BUt in the morning when the sun had scarcely risen, Jesus came again, and many people came to see him in the temple courts, and he sat down and taught the multitudes. 19 The Pharisees and scribes were still alert to find a cause whereby they might condemn him by the words he spoke. 20 The officers had taken in the very act of crime, a courtesan. As Jesus taught, they brought this woman and set her in the midst and said, 21 Rabboni, this vile woman has been taken in adultery. The law of Moses says that such as she shall die, be stoned to death; what do you say should be her punishment? 22 And Jesus stooped and made a figure on the ground and in it placed the a soul, and then he sat in silent thought. 23 And when the priests demanded that he speak, he said, Let him who has no sin stand forth and be the first to cast a stone at her. 24 And then he closed his eyes, and not a word was said. When he arose and saw the woman all alone he said, 25 Where are the men who brought you here? they who accused? 26 The woman said, They all are gone; no one was here who could condemn. 27 And Jesus said, And I condemn you not; go on your way in peace, and sin no more.

Chapter 135

Jesus teaches in the temple. He reveals some of the deeper meanings of the Christine ministry. The rulers are greatly enraged and attempt to stone him, but he disappears.

THE feast was done and Jesus, Peter, James and John were sitting in the temple treasury. 2 The nine had gone back to Capernaum. 3 The people thronged the temple courts and Jesus said, 4 I am the lamp; Christ is the oil of life; the Holy Breath the fire. Behold the light! and he who follows me shall not walk in the dark, but he shall have the light of life. 5 A lawyer said, You witness for yourself, your witness is not true. 6 and Jesus said, If I do witness for myself I speak that which is true, for I know whence I came and where I go. 7 And no one else in flesh can testify for me, for none know whence I came, nor where I go. 8 My works bear witness to the truth I speak. As man I could not speak the words of Holy Breath; and then my Father testifies for me. 9 The lawyer said, Where does your father live? 10 And Jesus said, You know me not or you would know my Father, and if you knew the Father you would know the son, because the Father and the son are one. 11 I go my way and you shall find me not; for where I go you canot come, because you do not know the way. 12 You cannot find the way because your hearts are gross, your ears are dull, your eyes are closed. 13 The light of life cannot shine through the murky veil that you have drawn about your hearts. 14 You do not know the Christ and if the Christ be not within the heart there is no light. 15 I come to manifest the Christ to men and you receive me not, and you will dwell in darkness and in the shadow of the grave till you believe the words I speak. 16 But you will vilify the son of man, and lift him up and laugh to see him die. 17 But then a little light will come and you will know that I am what I am. 18 The people did not comprehend the meaning of the words he spoke. 19 And then he spoke unto the people who believed in him and said, If you abide in Christ, and Christ abide in you, and if you keep my words within your heart, 20 You are the way, you are disciples in the way, and you shall know what is the truth, and truth shall make you free. 21 And still the people did not understand; they said, We are the seed of Abraham and are already free; we never were the slaves of any man; why do you say, We shall be free? 22 And Jesus sadi, Do you not know that every one committing sin is slave of sin? abides in bondage unto sin? 23 If you sin not then you are free; but if you sin in thought, or word, or deed, then you are slaves, and naught but truth can set you free; if you are free through Christ, then you are free indeed. 24 You are the seed of Abraham, and yet you seek to kill me just because I speak the truth of Abraham. 25 You are the children of the flesh of Abraham; but, lo, I say, There is a spiritual Abraham whom you know not. 26 In spirit you are children of your father, and your father is Diabolus; you hang upon his words and do his will. 27 He was a murderer from the first; he cannot tell the truth, and when he tells a lie he speaks his own; he is himself a lie, and he is father of himself. 28 If you were children of my Father-God, then you could hear the words of God; I speak the words of God, but you can bear them not. 29 A Pharisee stood forth and said, This fellow is not one of us he is a curst Samaritan and is obsesed. 30 But Jesus heeded not the words of Pharisee or scribe; he knew that all the people knew he was a Jew. 31 And then he said, Whoever keeps my words shall never die. 32 A lawyer said, And now we know he is obsessed. Our father Abraham is dead; the prophets all are dead, and yet this fellow says, Whoever keeps my words shall never die. 33 Is this man greater than our Father Abraham? Is he above the prophets? and all of them are dead. 34 And Jesus said, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; he saw it and was glad. 35 The lawyer said, You simple man; you are not fifty years of age; have you seen Abraham? 36 And Jesus said, Before the days of Abraham I am. 37 Again the scribes and Pharisees were in a rage; they took up stones to cast at him, but, like a phamtom of the night, he disappeared; the people knew not where he went.

Chapter 136

Jesus teaches in the temple. Relates the parable of the good Samaritan. Goes to Bethany. Teaches in Lazarus' home. Rebukes Martha for her anxiety about the things of this life.

AND Jesus stood again within the temple courts and taught. 2 A master of the law was sent to question him that he might find a cause to censure and accuse him of a crime. 3 He said, Lord, tell me what to do that I may have eternal life? 4 And Jesus said, You know the law; what does it say? 5 The lawyer answered, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, with all your mind, and you shall love your neighbour as yourself. 6 And Jesus said, Lo, you have answered well; this do and you shall live. 7 The lawyer said, My neighbour, who is he? 8 And Jesus said, A man was going from Jerusalem to Jericho, and lo, he met with robbers on the way, who beat him, robbed him of his goods, and left him bleeding by the way. 9 A Pharisee was going down that way; he saw the wounded man; but then he had no time to lose; he passed by on the other side. 10 A Levite came and saw the man; but he was loath to soil his sacerdotal robes, and he passed by. 11 A lawyer on his way to Jericho observed the dying man, and then he said, If I could make a shekel I might help the man; but he has nothing left to give, I have no time for charity; and he passed on. 12 And then a stranger from Samaria came that way; he saw the wounded man; his heart was touched with pity, and he stopped, dismounted from his horse, 13 Revived the man, and placed him on his horse and took him to an inn and charged the keeper of the inn to nurse him back to strength. 14 He gave the keeper all the money that he had and said, Your charges may be more than this, but care for this unfortunate, and when I come again I will pay all; and then he went his way. 15 Now, master of the law, which of these four was neighbour unto him who fell among the thieves? 16 The lawyer said, The man who showed him mercy; he who cared for him. 17 And Jesus said, Go on your way and likewise do, and you shall live. 18 Now, Jesus, Peter, James and John went out to Bethany where Lazarus lived. 19 And Mary sat at Jesus' feet and heard him speak the words of life while Martha served. 20 And Martha called, but Mary would not leave the Lord to help her serve. 21 And Martha said to Jesus, Do you not care that Mary makes me bear the burdens of the serving all the day? I beg that you will bid her help. 22 And Jesus said, You are too anxious, Martha, for your guests; you need not trouble so about the things of life. 23 You grow a-weary by your care for little things and slight the one thing needed most of all. 24 Your sister here has chosen far the better part, a part that none can atke away.

Chapter 137

Jesus and his disciples go into a retired place to pray. Jesus teaches Lazarus how to pray. The model prayer. The value of importunate prayer. Parable of the importunate housewife.

NOW, in the evening Jesus, Peter, James and John, with Lazarus, went out beyond the village gates to pray. And Lazarus said, Teach me to pray. 2 And Jesus said, The prayer I taught the twelve to pray while we were up in Galilee is one acceptable to God; and when you pray just say, 3 Our Father-God who art in heaven; holy is thy name; thy kingdom come; they will be done on earth as it is done in heaven; 4 Give us this day our needed bread; 5 Help us forget the debts that other people owe to us, that all our debts may be discharged; 6 And shield us from the tempter's snares that are too great for us to bear; 7 And when they come give us the strength to overcome. 8 And Jesus said, The answer to your prayer may not appear in fulness in a little time. 9 Be not discouraged; pray again and then again, for God will hear. 10 And then he spoke a parable; he said, A housewife was alone at night and, lo, some guests arrived, and they were hungry, having had no food for all the day. 11 The housewife had no bread, and so at midnight she went forth and called a friend and said, Loan me three loaves of bread, for guests have come, and I have naught for them to eat. 12 The friend replied, Why do you trouble me at midnight hour? My door is shut; my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise to give you bread; to-morrow you can be supplied. 13 The housewife asked again, and then again, and then because she pled, and would not be refused, the friend arose and gave her bread. 14 Behold, I say to you, Ask firmly and you shall receive; seek trustingly and you shall find; knock earnestly, the door will open up. 15 All things are yours, and when you ask, not as a begging man would ask, but as a child, you shall be satisfied. 16 A son may ask his father for a loaf of bread; the father will not give to him a stone; 17 Or he may ask him for a fish; he will not give a crab; or he may ask him for an egg; the father will not give a pebble from the brook. 18 Behold, if men of flesh know how to give abundantly to children of the flesh, will not your heavenly Father give abundantly to you when you shall pray?

Chapter 138

The Christines in Jerusalem. They meet a man blind from birth. Jesus teaches a lesson on the cause of disease and disasters. He heals the blind man.

THE Lord with Peter, James and John were in Jerusalem; it was the Sabbath day. 2 And as they walked along the way they saw a man who could not see; he had been blind from birth. 3 And Peter said, Lord, if disease and imperfections all are caused by sin, who was the sinner in this case? the parents or the man himself? 4 And Jesus said, Afflictions all are partial payments on a debt, or debts, that have been made. 5 There is a law of recompense that never fails, and it is summarised in that true rule of life: 6 Whatsoever man shall do to any other man some other man will do to him. 7 In this we find the meaning of the Jewish law, expressed concisely in the words, Tooth for a tooth; life for a life. 8 He who shall injure any one in thought, or word, or deed, is judged a debtor to the law, and some one else shall, likewise, injure him in thought, or word or deed. 9 And he who shed the blood of any man will come upon the time when his blood shall be shed by man. 10 Affliction is a prison cell in which a man must stay until he pays his debts unless a master sets him free that he may have a better chance to pay his debts. 11 Affliction is a certain sign that one has debts to pay. 12 Behold this man! Once in another life he was a cruel man, and in a cruel way destroyed the eyes of one, a fellow man. 13 The parents of this man once turned their faces on a blind and helpless man, and drove him from their door. 14 Then Peter asked, Do we pay off the debts of other men when by the Word we heal them, drive the unclean spirits out, or rescue them from any form of sore distress? 15 And Jesus said, We cannot pay the debts of any man, but by the Word we may release a man from his afflictions and distress, 16 And make him free, that he may pay the debts he owes, by giving up his life in willing sacrifice for men, or other living things. 17 Behold, we may make free this man that he may better serve the race and pay his debts. 18 Then Jesus called the man and said, Would you be free? would you receive your sight? 19 The man replied, All that I have would I most freely give if I could see. 20 And Jesus took saliva and a bit of clay and make a salve, and put it on the blind man's eyes. 21 He spoke the Word and then he said, Go to Siloam and wash, and as you wash say, Jahhevahe. This do for seven times and you shall see. 22 The man was led unto Siloam; he washed his eyes and spoke the word, and instantly his eyes were opened and he saw. 23 The people who had seen the man for many years sit by the way and beg, were much surprised to see him see. 24 They said, Is not this man the Job that was born blind, who sat beside the way and begged? 25 He heard them talk among themselves; he said, Yes I am he. 26 The people asked, How were you healed? who opened up your eyes? 27 He said, A man whom men call Jesus, made a salve of clay and put it on my eyes, and bade me say a word and wash in Siloam seven times; I did as he commanded me, and now I see. 28 A certain scribe was passing, and he saw the man and heard him say that Jesus, by the Word, had opened up his eyes. 29 He therefore took the man up to the synagogue, and told the story to the priests, who asked the man about the miracle. 30 The man replied, I never saw the light until to-day, for I was blind from birth. 31 This morning as I sat beside Siloam, a man I never knew put on my eyes a salve that people say he made of clay; he bade me say a word and bathe my eyes in water seven times; I did as he commanded and I saw. 32 A lawyer asked the man, Who was it opened up your eyes? 33 The man replied, Some people say, His name is Jesus and that he came from Galilee; but others say, He is the son of God. 34 A Pharisee came up and said, This is the Sabbath day; a man who does a work like this, regarding not the Sabbath day, is not from God. 35 Some of the priests were much amazed and said, A wicked man could never do a miracle like this; he must possess the power of God. And so they strove among themselves. 36 They asked the man, What do you think about this man from Galilee? 37 He said, He is a prophet sent from God. 38 Now, many of the Jews did not believe the man was blind from birth; they said, There is no power to open up the eyes of one born blind. 39 And then they brought the parents of the man before the Pharisees that they might testify. 40 They said, This is our son who was born blind; we do not know how he received his sight; he is of age and he can tell ; ask him. 41 They were afraid to say what they believed, that Jesus is the Christ who came to manifest the power of God, lest they offend the priests and be cast from the synagogue. 42 Again the rulers said, This Jesus is a wicked man. The man who had been healed stood forth again and said, 43 This Jesus may be sinner or be saint, I do not know; but this one thing I know; I once was blind, but now I see. 44 And then the scribes and Pharisees reviled the man and said, You are a follower of this man from Galilee. We follow Moses, but this man, we know him not, and know not whence he is. 45 The man replied, It is a marvel that you know not whence he is, and yet he opened up my eyes. 46 You know that nothing but the power of God can do such things. 47 God hears not sinners pray, and you must know that he is not a wicked man who can employ the power of God. 48 The Pharisees replied, You wretch! you were begotten and were born in sin, and now you try to teach the law to us. And then they cast him from the synagogue.

Chapter 139

Jesus meets and instructs the man who was blind. Unfold the mysteries of the kingdom. The sheepfold. Declares himself the shephard. Goes to the home of Massalian, where he abides ceratin days.

WHEN Jesus heard what had been done and how the priests had cst the man whom he had healed, out of the synagogue he found the man and said to him, 2 Do you believe in God and in the son of God? 3 The man replied, I do believe in God; but who is he, the son of God, of whom you speak? 4 And Jesus said, The son of God is he who speaks to you. 5 The man inquired then, Why do you say, The son of God? Is there but one? 6 And Jesus said, All men are sons of God by birth; God is the Father of the race; but all are not the sons of God by faith. 7 He who attains the victory over self is son of God by faith, and he who speaks to you has overcome, and he is called son of God, because he is the pattern for the sons of men. 8 He who believes and does the will of God is son of God by faith. 9 The man in joy exclaimed, Lord, I believe in God, and in the son of God. 10 And Jesus said, I came to open prison doors, to make the blind to see; but, lo, the Pharisees are blind from birth. 11 And when I put the salve of truth upon their eyes, and bid them go and wash, and speak the sacred Word they will not go; they love the dark. 12 A multitude of people pressed about the Lord, and he stood forth and said, 13 You men of Israel, I say to you, The fold of God is large; its walls are strong, it has a gateway in the east, and he who does not enter by the gate into the fold, but climbs into the fold some other way, is thief and comes to rob. 14 The shepherd of the sheep stands by the gate; he gives the secret sign; he knocks; the watchman opens up the gate. 15 And then the shepherd calls his sheep by name; they hear his voice and follow him; they enter through the gate into the fold. 16 The sheep know not a stranger's voice; they will not follow him; they flee away. 17 The people did not understand the parable that Jesus spoke; and then he said, 18 Christ is the gateway of the fold; I am the shepherd of the sheep, and he who follows me through Christ shall come into the fold where living waters flow, and where rich pastures are. 19 False prophets come and go; they claim to be the shepherds of the sheep; they claim to know the way; but they know not the word of power; the watchman opens not the gate; the sheep heed not their call. 20 The shepherd of the sheep will give his life to save the sheep. 21 A hireling flees to save his life when wolves infest the fold; and then the tender lambs are snatched away, the sheep are scattered everywhere. 22 I am the shepherd of the sheep; I know the sheep of God; they know my voice, as God knows me and I know him. 23 The Father loves me with a deathless love, because I lay my life down for the sheep. 24 I lay my life down when I will, but I may take it up again; for every son of God by faith has power to lay his mortal flesh aside and take it up again. These words I have received from God. 25 Again the people strove among themselves; they were divided in their views concerning Christ. They could not comprehend the words that Jesus spoke. 26 Some said again, He is obsessed, or he is mad; why listen to his words? 27 And others said, His words are not the words of one obsessed. Can unclean spirits open up the eyes of one born blind? 28 Then Jesus left Jerusalem and with Massalian he tarried certain days.

Chapter 140

Jesus and the three disciples return to Capernaum. Jesus receives the report of the seventy. With his disciples he goes through all Galilee encouraging the believers. He heals a woman. Relates the parable of the little seed and the great tree.

THE time had come for the return of the three score and ten whom Jesus sent abroad to preach. 2 And Jesus, Peter, James and John began their journey back to Galilee. 3 They went up through Samaria; they passed through many villages and towns, and everywhere the people thronged theways to see the man the seventy had told about; and Jesus taught and healed the sick. 4 And when they reached Capernaum the seventy were there; and they were filled with joy; they said, 5 The Spirit of the Lord of hosts was with us all the way, and we were filled. 6 The power of the sacred Word was manifest in us; we healed the sick; we caused the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the blind to see. 7 The very devils trembled when we spoke the Word, and they were subject unto us. 8 And Jesus said, As you were going on your way, the heavens were bright with light, the earth was bright, they seemed to meet and be at one; and I beheld, and Satan fell as lightning from the heavens. 9 Behold, for you have power to tread on serpents and on scorpions, and these are symbols of the enemies of men. You are protected in the way of right, and naught can harm. 10 And as you went I heard a master say, Well done. 11 But you may not rejoice because you have the power to heal the sick and make the devils tremble by the Word; for such rejoicing is from carnal self. 12 You may rejoice because the nations of the earth have ears to hear the Word, and eyes to see the glory of the Lord, and hearts to feel the inner breathing of the Holy Breath. 13 And you may well be glad because your names are written in the Book of Life. 14 Then Jesus looked to heaven and said, I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast revealed thyself to babes, and taught them how to light the path and lead the wise to thee. 15 What thou hast given to me, lo, I have given to them, and through the sacred Word I have bestowed on them the understanding heart, 16 That they might know and honour thee through Christ, who was, and is, and evermore shall be. 17 And then he said aside, unto the seventy and twelve, Most blessed are your eyes because you see the things you see; 18 And blessed they are your ears because they hear the things they hear; 19 And blessed are your hearts because you understand. 20 In ages that are gone the wise of earth, the prophets, seers and kings, desired to hear and see and know what you have heard and seen and known; but they had not attained and could not hear, and see and know. 21 And Jesus said again, Lo, I have gone before you many moons, and I have given to you the bread of heaven and the cup of life; 22 Have been your buckler and your stay; but now that you have learned the way, and have the strength to stand alone, behold, I lay my body down and go to him who is the All. 23 In forty days then we will turn our faces towards Jerusalem where I will find the altar of the Lord and give my life in willing sacrifice for men. 24 Let us arise and go through all the coasts of Galilee, and give a salutation of good cheer to all the sons of God by faith. 25 And they arose and went; they entered every town and village on the coast, and everywhere they said, The benedictions of the Christ abide with you for evermore. 26 Now, in a certain town they went up to the synagogue upon the Sabbath day, and Jesus taught. 27 And as he spoke, two men brought on a cot a woman bent near double with disease; she had not risen from her bed for eighteen years without a helping hand. 28 And Jesus laid his hand upon the woman, and he said, Arise, be free from your infirmity. 29 And as he spoke the Word the woman found that she was straight and strong, and she arose and walked and said, Praise God. 30 The ruler of the synagogue was filled with wrath because the healer healed upon the Sabbath day. 31 He did not censure Jesus face to face, but turning to the multitudes he said, 32 You men of Galilee, why do you break the laws of God? There are six days in every week when you may bring the afflicted to be healed. 33 This is the day that God has blessed, the Sabbath day in which men may not work. 34 And Jesus said, You inconsistent scribes and Pharisees! Upon the Sabbath day you take your beasts of burden from their stalls, and lead them forth to eat and drink; is this not work? 35 This daught of your father Abraham, who has been bound for eighteen years, has come in faith to be made free. 36 Now, tell me, men, is it a crime to break her bonds and set her free upon the Sabbath day? 37 The ruler said no more; the people all rejoiced and said, Behold the Christ! 38 And Jesus spoke a parable; he said, The kingdom of the Christ is like a little seed that one put in the ground; 39 It grew and after many years became a mighty tree, and many people rested in its shade, and birds built nests and reared their young among its leafy boughs.

Chapter 141

Jesus speaks words of encouragement. Rebukes an officious Pharisee. Attends a wedding feast. Heals a dropsical man. Rebukes guests who seek chief seats. Relates a parable of a wedding feast.

AND Jesus went into another town upon the coast and spoke good words of cheer to those who followed him. 2 And one stood forth and said, Lord, are there few that enter into life? 3 And Jesus said, The way is rough that leads to life; the gate is narrow and is guarded well; but every one who seeks in faith shall find the way, and they who know the Word may enter in. 4 But many seek the way for selfish gain; they pound upon the gate of life; but it is fast. 5 The watchman from the turret says, I know you not; your speech is that of Ashdod, and your robes are those of sin; depart and go your way. 6 And they will go their way with weeping and with gnashing of the teeth. 7 And they will be enraged when they will be enraged when they see their father Abraham with Isaac, Jacob and the porphets, resting in the kingdom of the Christ, and they themselves debarred. 8 And, lo, I say that men will come from lands afar, from east, from west, from north, from south and sit with me in consciousness of life. 9 Behold, I say, the last shall be the first, the first shall be the last. 10 All men are called unto the kingdom of the Christ; but few are chosen, for the pure in heart alone can see the king. 11 And as he spoke a Pharisee came up and said, You man of Galilee, if you would save your life remain not here; flee instantly, for Herod swears that he will take your life, and even now his officers are seeking you. 12 And Jesus said, Why is it that the Pharisees are so concerned about my life? And then he said unto the man who spoke, 13 Go forth and say to that sly fox, Behold, I heal the sick and cast the unclean spirits out to-day, tomorrow, and the days to come, and then I will attain. 14 Go say to him, I need not fear in Galilee, for I must meet the cruel wrath of men within Jerusalem. 15 And while they tarried in the place a man, a Pharisee, invited Jesus and a few of those who followed him, to dine with him upon the Sabbath day, to celebrate the marriage of his son. 16 Among the guests was one afflicted with a dropsical disease. 17 And Jesus said to those who had been sent to get from his own lips some words by which they might accuse him of a crime, 18 You lawyers and you Pharisees, what do you say about the lawlessness of healing on the Sabbath day? Here is a man, one of your own, and he is sore distressed. 19 Shall I, in God's own strength, say out the healing Word and heal this man? 20 The lawyers and the Pharisees were dumb; they answered not. 21 Then Jesus spoke the healing Word and healed the man and he, rejoicing, went his way. 22 Then Jesus said again unto the lawyers and the Pharisees, Which one of you who has a horse or cow, if it would fall into a pit upon the Sabbath day would fall would not call in his friends to help to draw it out? 23 And not a man could answer, Here am I. 24 As Jesus looked upon the guests who had been bidden to the feast and saw them crowding in to get the highest seats, he said to them, 25 You selfish men, why do you strive to take the highest seats when you are but invited guests? You do not show our host the courtesies of life. 26 When men are bidden to a marriage feast they should sit in the lower seats until the host shall place them where he wills. 27 You may, unbidden, take the highest seat; but then a man more honourable may come and when the host shall bid you rise and take a lower seat that he may honour his more worthy guest, you cannot help but blush for very shame in your humility. 28 But if you take the lowest seat and then are honoured by your host and asked to take a higher seat, you are esteemed an honoured guest. 29 In this event we note a principle in life, That he who would exalt himself shall be abased, and he who humbles low himself shall be exalted in the sight of men. 30 Then Jesus spoke to all the guests; he said, When any one of you would make a feast it should not be for friends, or kindred, or the rich; 31 For they consider such a courtesy loaned out, and they feel called upon to make a greater feast for you, just in the payment of a debt. 32 But when you make a feast invite the poor, the lame, the blind; in this a blessing waits for you, for well you know that you will get naught in return; but in the consciousness of helping those who need, you will be recompensed. 33 And then he spoke a parable; he said, A wealthy man prepared a feast; he sent his servants forth to bit his chosen ones to come; but they desired not to go, and they formed such excuses as they thought would satisfy the would-be host. 34 One said, I have just bought a piece of land, and I must go and prove my title to the land; I pray to be excused. 35 Another said I must go down and prove my ownership in sheep that I have bought; I pray to be excused. 36 Another said, I have been married but a little time and so I cannot go; I beg to be excused. 37 Now, when the servants came and told the man who had prepared the feast that those he had invited would not come, 38 The man ws grieved in heart; and then he sent his servants forth into the streets and alleys of the town to bring up to the feast the poor, the lame, the blind. 39 The servants went abroad and found the poor, the lame, the blind, and brought them in; but there was room for more. 40 The host then sent his men of arms to bring by force the people to his feast; and then the house was full. 41 And God has made a feast for men. Long years ago he sent his servants forth unto the favoured sons of men. They would not hear his call; they came not to the feast. 42 He then sent forth his servants to the strangers and the multitudes; they came, but there is room for more. 43 Behold, for he will send his angels forth with mighty trumpet blast, and men will be compelled to come up to the feast.

Chapter 142

The path of discipleship, its difficulties. The cross and its meaning. The danger of wealth. The young man who loved wealth more than he loved Christ. Parable of the rich man and Lazarus.

NOW, Jesus and the twelve went to another town, and as they entered it they said, Peace be to all; good will to all. 2 A multitude of people followed and the master said to them, Behold, for you are followers for selfish gain. 3 If you would follow me in love, and be disciples of the Holy Breath, and gain at last the crown of life, you must leave all there is of carnal life behind. 4 Be not deceived; stay, men, and count the cost. 5 If one would build a tower, or a home, he first sits down and counts the cost to be assured that he has gold enough to finish it. 6 For well he knows that if he makes a failure of his enterprise he may lose all his wealth, and be the butt of ridicule. 7 And if a king desires to take the kingdom of another king, he calls his trusted men and they consider well their strength; he will not measure arms with one of matchless power. 8 Count well the cost before you start to follow me; it means the giving up of life, and all you have. 9 If you love father, mother, wife, or child, more than love the Christ, you cannot follow me. 10 If you follow wealth or honour more than you love the Christ, you cannot follow me. 11 The paths of carnal life do not run up the mountain side towards the top; they run around the mount of life, and if you go straight to the upper gate of consciousness you cross the paths of carnal life; tread in them not. 12 And this is how men bear the cross; no man can bear another's cross. 13 Take up your cross and follow me through Christ into the path of true discipleship; this is the path that leads to life. 14 This way of life is called the pearl of greatest price, and he who finds it must put all he has beneath his feet. 15 Behold, a man found in a certain field the croppings of a wondrous mine of gold, and he went forth and sold his home and aal he had and bought the field; then he rejoiced in wealth. 16 Now, there were present, scribes and Pharisees of wealth who loved their money, and their bonds and lands, and they laughed loud to scorn what Jesus said. 17 Then Jesus spoke to them and said, You are the men who justify yourselves in sight of men; God knows your wickedness of heart; 18 And you must know, O men, that whatsoever is revered and is exalted by the carnal mind, is an abomination in the sight of God. 19 And Jesus went his way, and as he went a young man ran and knelt down at his feet and said, Good master, tell me what to do that I may have eternal life. 20 And Jesus said, Why do you call me good? No one is truly good but God himself. 21 And God has said, If you would enter into life, keep the Commandments of the law. 22 The young man asked, To which commands did he refer? 23 And Jesus said, You shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not do adulterous things; you shall not falsely testify; 24 and you shall love your God with all your heart, and you shall love your neighbour as yourself. 25 The man replied, These things I have observed from youth; what lack I yet? 26 And Jesus said, One thing you lack; your heart is fixed on things of earth; you are not free. 27 Go forth and sell all that you have, and give your money to the poor, and come follow me, and you shall have eternal life. 28 The man was grieved at what the master said; for he was rich; he hid his face and went in sorrow on his way. 29 And Jesus looked upon the sorrowing man and said, It is so hard for men with hoardedwealth to enter through the door into the kingdom of the soul. 30 And his disciples were amazed at what he said. 31 He answered them and said, I tell you, men, that they who trust in riches cannot trust in God and cannot come into the kingdom of the soul: 32 Yea, it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye than for a man with hoarded wealth to find the way of life. And his disciples said, Who then can find the way? Who can be saved? 33 And Jesus said, The rich may give his gold away; the high may kiss the dust, and God will save. 34 Then Jesus spoke this parable to them: 35 A rich man lived in splendid state; he wore the finest garments men could make; his boards were loaded with the costliest viands of the land. 36 A beggar, blind and lame, whose name was Lazarus, was wont to sit beside the waste gate of this home that he might share with dogs the refuse from the rich man's board. 37 It came to pass that Lazarus died, and angels carried him away unto the bosom of our father Abraham. 38 The rich man also died, and he was buried in a costly tomb; but in the purifying fires he opened up his eyes dissatisfied. 39 He looked and saw the beggar resting peacefully in the bosom of his father Abraham, and in the bitterness of his soul he cried, 40 My father Abraham, look down in mercy on your son; I am tormented in these flames. 41 Send Lazarus, I beseech, that he may give me just a sup of water to cool my parched tongue. 42 But Abraham replied, My son, in mortal life, you had the best things of the earth and Lazarus had the worst, and you would not give him a cup of water there, but drove him from your door. 43 The law must be fulfilled, and Lazarus now is conforted, and you are paying what you owe. 44 Besides, there is a great gulf fixed between your zone and us, and if I would I could not send Lazarus to you, and you cannot come up to us till you have paid your debts. 45 Again the man in anguish said, O father Abraham, I pray, send Lazarus back to earth, and to my father's house, that he may tell my brothers who are yet in life, for I have five of them, about the horrors of this place, lest they come dowm to me and not to you. 46 And Abraham replied, They have the words of Moses and the seers, let them hear them. 47 The man replied, They will not hearken to the written word; bit if a amn would go up from the grave they might believe. 48 But Abraham replied, If they hear not the words of Moses and the seers they would not be persuaded even though one from the dead stood in their midst. 49 And Peter said, Lord, we have left our all to follow you; and what is our reward? 50 And Jesus said, Most verily I say to you, that you who have left all to follow me shall come into a newness of a life hid deep with Christ in God. 51 And you shall sit with me upon the throne of power, and judge with me the tribes of Israel. 52 And he who conquers carnal self, and follows me through Christ shall have a hundred fold of that which is the wealth of life on earth, and in the world to come, eternal life.

Chapter 143

Righteousness in rewards. Jesus relates the parable of the husbandman and the labourers. Makes known the divine law of divorce. The mystery of marriage.

THE Lord was standing by the sea; the multitudes were there and one stood forth and said, 2 Does God bestow rewards as men bestow rewards, for what is done? 3 And Jesus said, Men never know what other men have done, this life is such a seeming life. 4 One man may seem to do a mighty work, and be adjudged by men as worthy of a great reward. 5 Another man may seem to be a failure in the harvest fields of life, and be dishonoured in the face of men. 6 Men do not know the hearts of men; God only knows the hearts of men, and whne the day is done he may reward with life the man who fell beneath the burdens of the day, and turn away the man who was the idol of the hearts of men. 7 And then he spoke a parable; he said, The kingdom of the soul is like a man who had a vast estate, 8 And in the morning time he went down to the market place to search for men to gather in his grain. 9 He found three men, and he agreed to give to each a penny for his service for the day, and sent them to his field. 10 Again he went down to the market place the third hour of the day and found five men in waiting, and he said, Go down into my field and serve, and I will pay you what is right; and they went down and served. 11 He went again; it was the sixth hour of the day, and seven men were waiting at the stand; he sent them to the field to serve. 12 And at the eleventh hour he went again; twelve men stood there in seeming idleness; he said to them, Why stand you here in idleness all day? 13 They said, Because we have no work to do; no man has hired us. 14 And then he sent them to his field to serve. 15 Now, when the evening came the man said to his steward, Call the labourers from the field, and pay them for his services. And all were paid, and each received a penny for his hire. 16 Now, when the twelve, who served but from the eleventh hour, received each one a penny for his hire, the three were sore aggrieved; they said, 17 These twelve have served but one short hour, and now they have an equal share with us who have toiled through the scorching hours of day; should we not have at least two pennies for our hire? 18 The man replied, My friends, I do no wrong to you. Did we mot have a fast agreement when you went to work? Have I not paid in full? 19 What is it unto you if I should pay these men a smaller or a larger sum? Take that which is your own and go your way, for I will give unto the twelve what I will give unto the three, the five, the seven. 20 They did their best and you could do no more than do your best. 21 The hire of man is based upon the intent of the heart. 22 As Jesus taught, a Pharisee came up and said, Lord, is it lawful for a amn to put away his wife? 23 And Jesus said, You ought to know; what says the law? 24 The Pharisee replied, The law provides that man may be divorced, may put away his wife. 25 And Jesus said, The hardness of the hearts of men induced the giver of the law to make provisions such as these; but from the first it was not so. 26 God made a woman for a man, and they were one; and afterwards he said, A man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife; they are no more divided; they are one, one flesh. 27 What God has joined no man can part. 28 Now, when they went up to the house, a man made free to ask again about this matter of divorce. 29 And Jesus said again what to the Pharisee he said; and then he gave the higher law of marriage life: 30 Whoever puts away his wife, except she be a courtesan, and then shall take another wife commits adultery. 31 The woman who shall leave a man, unless he be a libertine and an adulterer, and then becomes the wife of any other man, commits adultery. 32 And Thomas asked, What is adultery? 33 And Jesus said, The man who harbours lustful thoughts, who covets any woman not his wife, is an adulterer. 34 The wife who harbours lustful thoughts, and covets any man who is not wed to her, is not her husband, is a courtesan. 35 Men cannot make a law to bind two hearts. 36 When two are bound in love they have no thought of lust. The woman cannot leave the man; the man has no desire to send his wife away. 37 When men and women harbour lustful thoughts, and covet any other flesh, they are not one, not joined by God. 38 And Philip said, Lord, are there few that God has joined in holy marriage bonds? 39 And Jesus said, God knows the pure in heart; the lustful men and women are but creatures of the lustful self; they cannot be at one; nor can they be at one with God. 40 Nathaniel said, Is it not well that all men should refrain from taking on themselves the marriage vow? 41 And Jesus said, Men are not pure because they are unmarried men. The man who lusts is an adulterer if he has wife or not. 42 And then he said to all, Some things men know by being told, while other things they know not till the gate of consciousness shall open up for them. 43 I speak a mystery that now you cannot understand; but you shall some day understand. 44 A eunuch is a man who does not lust; some men are eunuchs born, some are eunuchs by the power of men, and some are eunuchs by the Holy Breath, who makes them free in God through Christ. 45 He who is able to receive the truth I speak, let him receive.

Chapter 144

The Christines at Tiberius. Jesus speaks on the inner life. Relates the parable of the prodigal son. The resentment of the elder brother.

WHEN they had journeyed through the towns and cities of the land of Galilee, the Lord with his disciples came to Tiberius, and here they met a few who loved the name of Christ. 2 And Jesus told them many things about the inner life; but when the multitudes came up, he spoke a parable; he said, 3 A ceratin man with great possessions had two sons. The youngest son grew tired of life at home and said, 4 My father, pray divide your wealth and give the portion that is mine to me, and I will seek my fortune in another land. 5 The father did as he desired, and with his wealth the young man went into a foreign land. 6 He was a profligate and soon had squandered all his wealth in ways of sin. 7 When nothing else remained for him to do he found employment in the fields to care for swine. 8 And he was hungry, and no one gave him aught to eat, and so he ate the carob pods that he was feeding to the swine. 9 And after many days he found himself and said unto himself, My father is a man of wealth; he has a score of servants who are bountifully fed while I, his son, am starving in the fields among the swine. 10 I do not hope to be received again as son, but I will rise and go straight to my father's house, and I will make confession of my waywardness; 11 And I will say, My father, I am come again; I am profligate, and I have lost my wealth in ways of sin; I am not worthy to be called your son. 12 I do not ask to be received again as son, but let me have a place among your servants, where I may have a shelter from the storms and have enough to eat. 13 And he arose and sought his father's house, and as he came his mother saw him while yet a great way off. 14 (A mother's heart can feel the first faint yearning of a wandering child.) 15 The father came, and hand in hand they walked a-down the way to meet the boy, and there was joy, great joy. 16 The boy tried hard to plead for mercy and a servant's place; but love was all too great to listen to the plea. 17 The door was opened wide; he found a welcome in the mother's heart, and in the father's heart. 18 The father called the servants in, and bade them bring the finest robe for him; the choicest sandals for his feet; a ring of purest gold for him to wear. 19 And then the father said, My servants, go and kill the fatted calf; prepare a feast, for we are glad; 20 Our son we thought was dead is here alive; a treasure that we thought was lost is found. 21 The feast was soon prepared and all were merry, when the eldest son who had been serving in a distant field and knew not that his brother had returned, came home. 22 And when he learned the cause of all the merriment he was offended, and would not go into the house. 23 His father and his mother both besought him tearfully to disregard the waywardness and folly of their son; but he would not; he said, 24 Lo, all these years I have remained at home, have served you every day, have never yet transgressed your most severe commands; 25 And yet you never killed for me a kid, nor made for me a simple feast that I might make merry with my friends; 26 But when your son, this profligate, who has gone forth and squandered half your wealth in ways of sin, comes home, because he could do nothing else, you kill for him the fatted calf and make a wondrous feast. 27 His father said, My son, all that I have is yours and you are ever with us in our joys; 28 And it is well to show our gladness when your brother, who is near and dear to us, and who we thought was dead, returns to us alive. 29 He may have been a profligate; may have consorted with gay courtesans and thieves, yet he is still your brother and our son. 30 Then JEsus said so all might hear; He who has ears to hear, and hearts to understand will comprehend the meaning of this parable. 31 Then Jesus and the twelve came to Capernaum.

Chapter 145

Jesus speaks on the establishment of the Christine kingdom and the future coming of the Lord in power. Exhorts to faithfulness. Parable of the unjust judge. Parable of the Pharisee and the publican.

A COMPANY of Pharisees came up to speak with Jesus and they said, Rabboni, we have heard you say, The kingdom is at hand. 2 We read in Daniel that the God of heaven will form a kingdom, and we ask, Is this the kingdom of the God you speak about? If so, when will it come? 3 And Jesus said, The prophets all have told about this kingdom of the God, and it is just at hand; but men can never see it come. 4 It never can be seen with carnal eyes; it is within. 5 Lo, I have said, and now I say again, None but the pure in heart can see the king, and all the pure in heart are subjects of the king. 6 Reform, and turn away form sin; prepare you, O prepare! the kingdom is at hand. 7 And then he spoke to his disciples and he said, The seasons of the son of man are past. 8 The time will come when you will wish above all else to see again one of these days; but you can see it not. 9 And many men will say, Lo, here is Christ; lo, there is Christ. Be not deceived; go not into their ways. 10 For when the son of man will come again no man need point the way; for as the lightning lights the heavens, so will the son of man light up the heavens and earth. 11 But, lo, I say, that many generations will have come and gone before the son of man shall come in power; but when he comes no one will say, Lo, here is Christ; lo, there. 12 But as it was before the flood in Noah's day, so shall it be. The people ate, they drank,were filled with merriment and sang for joy, 13 And did not know their doom until the ark was done and Noah entered in; but then the flood came on and swept them all away. 14 So, also, in the days of Lot; the people ate and drank; they bought, they sold, they planted and they reaped, they went their ways in sin, and they cared not; 15 But when the righteous Lot went from their city's gates the earth beneath the city shook, and brimstone fires fell from heaven; 16 The gapping jaws of earth flew wide, and swallowed up their homes, their wealth, and they went down to rise no more. 17 So shall it be when comes the son of man in power. 18 I charge you men, as I will charge men then, Seek not to save your wealth, or you will lose your lives. Go forth, and look not back upon the crumbling walls of sin. Do not forget Lot's wife. 19 Whoever tries to save his life will lose his life; whoever freely gives his life in serving life will save his life. 20 Then comes the sifting time. Two men will be in bed; one will be called, the other left; two women will be working side by side; one will be snatched away, the other left. 21 And his disciples said, Explain to us this parable; or is it not a parable? 22 And Jesus said, The wise will understand, for where the bread of heaven is, there you will find the pure in heart; and where the carcass lies will gather all the birds of prey. 23 But lo, I say, before these days will come, the son of man will be betrayed by one of you into the hands of wicked men, and he will give his life for you and all the world. 24 Yea, more; the Holy Breath will come in power and fill you with the wisdom of the just. 25 And you will tell the wondrous story in Judea and in Samaria and in the farther lands of earth. 26 And then to teach that men should pray and never faint, he told this parable: 27 There was a judge who feared not God, nor yet regarded man. 28 There was a widow who oft implored the judge to right her wrongs and to avenge her foes. 29 At first the judge would hear her not, but after many days he said, 30 I fear not God, and I regard not man, yet, lest this widow wear me out by pleading every day I will avenge her on her foes. 31 When the disciples asked the meaning of this parable, the Lord replied, The wise can understand; the foolish have no need to know. 32 And then to teach a lesson unto certain of his followers who trusted in themselves and thought that they were holier than other men, he told this parable: 33 Two men went to the synagogue to pray; one was a Pharisee, the other was a publican. 34 The Pharisee stood forth and prayed thus with himself, O God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, who are extortioners, unjust, adulterers; 35 Not even like this publican. I fast two times a week, and I give tithes of all I get. 36 The publican came not a-near; he would not lift his eyes to heaven, but smote his breast and said, 37 O lord, be merciful to me; I am a sinner in thy sight; I am undone. 38 And now, you men, I say to you, The publican knew how to pray, and he was justified. 39 The Pharisee knew how to talk, but still he went away condemned. 40 Lo, every one who lauds himself himself shall be abased, and he who does not praise himself shall be exalted in the sight of God.

Chapter 146

Last meeting of Jesus with his disciples in Galilee. Miriam sings a song of praise. The song. The Christines begin their journey to Jerusalem. They rest at Enon Springs. The selfish request of the mother of James and John. The Christines reach Jerusalem.

THE work of Jesus in the land of Galilee was done, and he sent forth a message, and the many came from many towns of Galilee; came to receive a benediction from his hand. 2 Among the multitudes who came was Luke, a Syrian from Antioch, a learned physician and a just and upright man. 3 Theophilus, a Grecian senator, a minister of Caesar's court, was also there; and many other men of honour and renown. 4 And Miriam sang: All hail the Day Star form on high! 5 All hail the Christ who ever was, and is and evermore shall be! 6 All hail the darkness of the shadowland! All hail the dawn of peace on earth; good will to men! 7 All hail triumphant king, who grapples with the tyrant Death, who conquers in the fight, and brings to light immortal life for men! 8 All hail the broken cross, the mutilated spear! 9 All hail the triumph of the soul! All hail the empty tomb! 10 All hail to him despised by men, rejected by the multitudes; for he is seated on the throne of power! 11 All hail! for he has called the pure in heart of every clime to sit with him upon the throne of power! 12 All hail, the rending veil! The way into the highest courts of God is open for the sons of men! 13 Rejoice, O men of earth, rejoice, and be exceeding glad! 14 Bring forth the harp and touch its highest strings; bring forth the lute, and sound its sweetest notes! 15 For men who were made low, are high exalted now, and they who walked in darkness and in the vale of death, are risen up and God and man are one for evermore, 16 Allelujah! praise the Lord for evermore. Amen. 17 And Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, 18 My Father-God, let now the benediction of thy love, thy mercy and thy truth rest on these men. 19 The lamp is taken from their midst, and if the inner light be not aflame, lo, they must tread the ways of darkness and of death. 20 And then he said to all, Farewell 21 Then Jesus and his mother, and the twelve, and Miriam and Mary, mother of the two disciples, James and John, 22 And many other loyal souls who loved the Christ, went to Jerusalem, that they might celebrate the Jewish feast. 23 And as they journeyed on their way they came to Enon Springs, near unto Salim where the harbinger once taught. 24 And as they rested by the fountain, Mary, wife of Zebedee, and mother of the two disciples, James and John, came to the master and she said, 25 My Lord, I know the kingdom is about to come, and I would ask this boon: Command that these my sons shall sit with you upon the throne, the one upon the right, the other on the left. 26 And Jesus said to her, You know not what you ask. 27 And then he turned to James and John and said, Are you prepared and are you strong enough to drink the cup that I will drink? 28 They said, Yes, master, we are strong enough to follow where you go. 29 Then Jesus said, You shall indeed drink of my cup; but I am not the judge of who will sit upon my right or my left. 30 The men who live the life and keep the faith will sit upon the throne of power. 31 Now, when the apostles heard the pleadings of the mother for her sons, and knew that James and John were seeking special favours from the Lord, they were indignant and they said, 32 We surely thought that James and John had risen above the selfish self. Who can we trust among the sons of men? 33 And Jesus called the ten apart and said to them, How hard for men to comprehend the nature of the kingdom of the soul! 34 These two disciples do not seem to know that rulership in heaven is not akin to rulership on earth. 35 In all the kingdoms of the world, the men of power, they who exalt themselves, show their authority, and rule with iron rule; 36 But you must know that they who rule the sons of light are they who seek no earthly power, but give their lives in willing sacrifice for men. 37 Whoever would be great must be the minister of all. The highest seat in heaven is at the feet of him who is the lowest man of earth. 38 I had a glory with our Father-God before the worlds were made, and still I come to serve the race of men; to be the minister of men; to give my life for men. 39 And then the Christines journeyed on and came unto Jerusalem.

Chapter 147

Jesus speaks to the people in the temple regarding the messiahship. Rebukes the Jews for treachery. The Jews attempt to stone him, but are prevented by Joseph. The Christines go to Jericho, and later to Bethabara.

NOW, many Jews from Galilee, Judea and Samaria were in Jerusalem and at the feast. 2 The porch of Solomon was filled with scribes and Pharisees and doctors of the law, and Jesus walked with them. 3 A scribe approaching Jesus said, Rabboni, why do you keep the people waiting in suspense? If you are the Messiah that the prophets said would come, will you not tell us now? 4 And Jesus said, Lo, I have told you many times, but you believed me not. 5 No man can do the work that I have done and bring to men the truth as I have brought the truth who did not come from God. 6 What I have done and said are witnesses for me. 7 God calls, and they whose ears have attuned to hear the heavenly voice have heard the call and have believed in me; because God testifies for me. 8 You cannot hear the voice of God, because your ears are closed. You cannot comprehend the works of God, because your hearts are full of self. 9 And you are busybodies, mischief-makers, hypocrites. You take these men whom God has given me into your haunts and try to poison them with sophistries and lies, and think that you will snatch them from the fold of God. 10 I tell you, men, these men are tried and you can snatch not one of them away. 11 My Father who has given them to me is greater than you all, and he and I are one. 12 And then the Jews took stones to throw at him and cried, Now we have heard enough; away with him; let him be stoned. 13 But Joseph, member of the great Sanhedrim of the Jews, was in the porch and he came forth and said, 14 You men of Israel, do nothing rash; throw down those stones; your reason is a better guide than passion in such times as these. 15 You do not know your accusations to be true, and if this man should prove himself to be the Christ, and you should take his life, the wrath of God would rest upon you evermore. 16 And Jesus said to them, Lo, I have healed your sick, have caused your blind to see, your deaf to hear, your lame to walk, and cast out unclean spirits from your friends; 17 For which of these great works would you desire to take my life? 18 The Jews replied, We would not stone you for your works of grace, but for your vile, blasphemous words. You are but man and still you say that you are God. 19 And Jesus said, A prophet of your own said to the sons of men, Lo, you are gods! 20 Now, hark, you men, if he could say that to the men who simply heard the word of God, why should you think that I blaspheme the name of God because I say, I am a son of God? 21 If you believe not what I say you must have faith in what I do, and you should see the Father in these works, and know that I dwell in the Father-God, and that the Father dwells in me. 22 and then again the Jews took stones and would have stoned him in the temple court; but he withdrew himself from sight and left the porch and court and went his way: 23 And with the twelve he went to Jericho, and after certain days they crossed the Jordan and in Bethabara abode for many days.

Chapter 148

Lazarus dies and Jesus and the twelve return to Bethany. The resurrection of Lazarus, which greatly excites the rulers in Jerusalem. The Christines go to the hills of Ephraim, and there abide.

ONE day as Jesus and the twelve were in the silence in a home in Araba a messenger came and said. 2 Lord, Jesus, hear! your friend in Bethany is sick, nigh unto death: his sisters urge that you arise and come in haste. 3 Then turning to the twelve the master said, Lo, Lazarus has gone to sleep, and I must go and waken him. 4 And his disciples said, What need to go of he has gone to sleep; he will awaken by and by? 5 Then Jesus said, It is the sleep of death; for Lazarus is dead. 6 But Jesus did not haste to go; he stayed two days in Araba; and then he said, The hour has come and we must go to Bethany. 7 But his disciples urged him not to go; they said, The Jews are waiting your return that they may take your life. 8 And Jesus said, Men cannot take my life till I have handed unto them my life. 9 And when the time shall come I will myself lay down my life; that time is near, and God knows best; I must arise and go. 10 And Thomas said, Then we will also go; yes, we will offer up our lives and die with him. And they arose and went. 11 Now, Mary, Martha, Ruth and many friends were weeping in their home when one approached and said, The Lord has come; but Mary did not hear the words. 12 But Ruth and Martha heard, and they arose and went to meet the Lord; he waited at the village gate. 13 And when they met the master Martha said, You are too late, for Lazarus is dead; if you had only been with us I know that he would not have died. 14 But even now I know that you have power over death; that by the sacred Word you may cause life to rise from death. 15 And Jesus said, Behold, for Lazarus shall again. 16 And Martha said, I know that he will rise and live again when all the dead shall rise. 17 And Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; he who has faith in me, though he be dead, yet shall he live; 18 And he who is alive, and has a living faith in me, shall never die. Do you believe what I have said? 19 And Martha said, Lord, I believe that you are come to manifest the Christ of God. 20 The Jesus said, Go back and call aside your sister, and my mother and the prophetess and say that I have come; and I will stay here by the gate till they have come to me. 21 And Ruth and Martha did as Jesus bade them do, and in a little while the Marys and the prophetess had met the Lord. 22 And Mary said, Why did you tarry thus? If you had been with us our brother, dear, would not have died. 23 Then Jesus went up to the house and when he saw the heavy grief of all, he was himself stirred up with grief, and said, Where is the tomb in which he lies? 24 They said, Lord, come and see. And Jesus wept. 25 The people said, Behold how Jesus loved this man! 26 And others said, Could not this Lord, who opened up the eyes of one born blind, have saved this man from death? 27 But soon the mourners stood beside the tomb, a sepulchre hewn out of solid rock; a massive stone closed up the door. 28 And Jesus said, Take you away the stone. 29 But Martha said, Lord, is it well? Behold our brother has been dead four days; the body must be in decay, and is it well that we should see it now? 30 The Lord replied, Have you forgotten, Martha, what I said while we were at the village gate? Did I not say that you should see the glory of the Lord? 31 And then they rolled the stone away; the flesh had not decayed; and Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, 32 My Father-God, thou who hast ever heard my prayers, I thank thee now, and that these multitudes may know that thou hast sent me forth, that I am thine and thou art mine, make strong the Word of power. 33 And then he spoke the Word, and in a voice that souls can comprehend, he said, O Lazarus, awake! 34 And Lazarus arose and came out of the tomb. The grave clothes were about him fast, and Jesus said, 35 Loose him and let him go. 36 The people were amazed and multitudes confessed their faith in him. 37 And some went to Jerusalem and told the Pharisees about this resurrection of the dead. 38 The chief priests were confounded, and they said, What shall we do? This man is doing many mighty deeds, and if we do not stay him in his work, all men will look on him as king, and through the Romans he may take the throne, and we will lose our place and power. 39 And then the chief priests and the Pharisees in council met and sought a plan by which they might put him to death. 40 Caiaphas was the high priest then, and he came forth and said, You men of Israel, do you not know the law? 41 Do you not know that in such times as these we may give up one life to save our nation and our laws? 42 Caiaphas did not know that he was prophet, speaking out the words of truth. 43 He did not know the time had come for Jesus to be offered up a sacrifice for every man, for Jew and Greek, and all the world. 44 From that day forth the Jews conferred together every day, maturing plans to put the Lord to death. 45 Now, Jesus and the twelve did not remain in Bethany; but in the hills of Ephraim, upon the borders of Samaria, they found a home, and there abode for many days.

Chapter 149

The Jews gather in Jerusalem to attend the feast. The Christines go to Jericho. Jesus dines with Zaccheus. He relates the parable of the ten talents.

The great passover of the Jews, the feast of spring, was calling every loyal Jew up to Jerusalem. 2 Ten days before the feast the Lord and his disciples left the Ephraim hills and by the Jordan way, went down to Jericho. 3 And as they entered Jericho a wealthy publican came out to see the Lord; but he was small in stature and the throng was great and he could see him not. 4 A tree, a sycamore, stood by the way and he climbed up the tree and found a seat among its boughs. 5 When Jesus came, he saw the man and said, O Zacheus, make haste, come down; I would abide with you to-day. 6 And Zaccheus came down and joyfully received the Lord; but many of the stricter sect called out and said, 7 For shame! he goes to lodge with Zaccheu, the sinner and the publican. 8 But Jesus did not care for what they said; he went his way with Zaccheus, who was a man of faith, and as they talked together Zaccheus said, 9 Lord, I have ever tried to do the right; I give unto the poor half of my goods, and if by any means I wrong a man, I right the wrong by paying him four fold. 10 And Jesus said to him, Your life and faith are known to God, and lo, the benedictions of the Lord of hosts abide with you and all your house. 11 Then Jesus spoke a parable to all; he said, A vassal of an emperor was made a king, and he went to the foreign land to claim his rights and take the kingdom to himself. 12 Before he went he called ten trusted servants and to each he gave a pound and said, 13 Go forth and use these pounds as you have opportunity, that you may gain for me more wealth, And then he went his way. 14 And after many days he came again, and called the ten, demanding a report. 15 The first one came and said, Lord, I have gained nine pounds; you gave me one and here are ten. 16 The king replied, Well done, you faithful man; because you have been faithful in a little thing I judge that you will be a faithful servant in a greater thing; 17 Behold, I make you ruler over nine important cities of my realm. 18 The second came and said,Lord, I have gained for you four pounds; you gave me one, and here are five. 19 The king replied, And you have proven up your faithfulness. Behold, I make you ruler over four important cities of my realm. 20 another came and said, Lord, I have doubled what you gave to me. You gave one pound to me and here are two. 21 The ruler said, And you have proved your faithfulness; Behold, I make you ruler over one important city of my realm. 22 Another came and said, Lord, here is what you gave to me. I knew you were an austere man, oft reaping where you did not sow and I was sore afraid, and so I took the pound you gave to me and hid it in a secret place; and here it is. 23 The king exclaimed, You slothful man! you knew what I required, that I expected every man to do his best. 24 If you were timid and afraid to trust your judgment in the marts of trade, why did you not go forth and put my money out for gain, that I could have my own with interest? 25 Then turning to the steward of his wealth the ruler said, Take you this pound and give it unto him who has by diligence earned nine. 26 For lo, I say, that every one who uses what he has and gains, shall have abundantly; but he who hides away his talent in the earth shall forfeit what he has.

Chapter 150

Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus. With the twelve he goes to Bethany. The multitudes come to welcome him and to speak with Lazarus.

THE Christines started on their way to Bethany, and as they went, while yet in Jericho, they passed a beggar sitting by the way; and he was blind Bartimaeus. 2 And when the beggar heard the multitude pass by he said, What is it that I hear? 3 The people said to him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by. 4 And instantly the man cried out, Lord Jesus, son of David, stay! have mercy on poor blind Bartimaeus! 5 The people said to him, Be quiet; hold your peace. 6 But blind Bartimaeus called again, Thou son of David, hear! have mercy on poor blind Bartiaeus! 7 And Jesus stopped and said, Bring him to me. 8 And then the people brought the blind man to the Lord, and as they brought him up they said, Be cheerful, now, Bartimaeus, the Lord is calling you. 9 And then he threw his cloak aside, and ran to Jesus as he waited by the way. 10 And Jesus said, What will you have, Bartimaeus? 11 The blind man said, Rabboni, open up mine eyes that I may see. 12 And Jesus said, Bartimaeus, look up; receive your sight; your faith has made you whole. 13 And he at once received his sight, and from the fulness of his heart he said, Praise God. 14 And all the people said, Praise God. 15 Then Jesus and the twelve went on to Bethany. It was six days before the feast. 16 And when the people knew that Jesus was in Bethany they came from near and far to see him and to hear him speak. 17 And they were anxious all to talk with Lazarus, whom Jesus had awakened form the dead. 18 Now in Jerusalem the priests and Pharisees were all alert; they said, This Jesus will be at the feast, and we must not permit that he shall slip away again. 19 And they commanded every man to be alert and help to apprehend the Lord that they might take his life.

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