His Life Part 12

And taking the child by the hand, he saith unto her. "Talitha c.u.mi;"

which is, being interpreted, "Damsel, I say unto thee, Arise."

And her spirit returned. And straightway the damsel rose up, and walked: for she was twelve years old. And they were amazed straightway with a great amazement. And he charged them much that no man should know this: and he commanded that something should be given her to eat.

And the fame hereof went forth into all that land.

HEALINGS BY THE WAY.

And as Jesus pa.s.sed by from thence, two blind men followed him, crying out, and saying, "Have mercy on us, thou son of David."

And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, "Believe ye that I am able to do this?"

They say unto him, "Yea, Lord."

Then touched he their eyes, saying, "According to your faith be it done unto you."

And their eyes were opened. And Jesus strictly charged them, saying, "See that no man know it."

But they went forth, and spread abroad his fame in all that land.

And as they went forth, behold, there was brought to him a dumb man possessed with a demon. And when the demon was cast out, the dumb man spake: and the mult.i.tudes marvelled, saying, "It was never so seen in Israel."

But the Pharisees said, "By the prince of the demons casteth he out demons."

WIDER EVANGELIZATION OF GALILEE

A VISIT TO HIS HOME.

And he went out from thence; and he cometh into his own country to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and his disciples follow him.

And when the sabbath was come, he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue, and stood up to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And he opened the book, and found the place where it was written,

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor; He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down: and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.

And he began to say unto them, "To-day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears."

And all bare him witness, and wondered at the words of grace which proceeded out of his mouth: and they said, "Whence hath this man these things?" and, "What is the wisdom that is given unto this man, and what mean such mighty works wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us?" And they were offended in him.

And he said unto them, "Doubtless ye will say unto me this parable, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in thine own country."

And he said, "Verily I say unto you, A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

But of a truth I say unto you, There were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and unto none of them was Elijah sent, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."

And they were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things; and they rose up, and cast him forth out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. But he pa.s.sing through the midst of them went his way.

And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

PREACHING IN THE VILLAGES.

And Jesus went about all the cities and the villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness. But when he saw the mult.i.tudes, he was moved with compa.s.sion for them, because they were distressed and scattered, as sheep not having a shepherd.

Then saith he unto his disciples, "The harvest indeed is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he send forth laborers into his harvest."

THE TWELVE SENT FORTH.

And he calleth unto him his twelve disciples, and began to send them forth by two and two; and he gave them power and authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.

And he charged them, saying, "Go not into any way of the Gentiles, and enter not into any city of the Samaritans: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons: freely ye received, freely give.

"Get you no gold, nor silver, nor bra.s.s in your purses. Take nothing for your journey, save a staff only; no bread, no wallet; neither have two coats, nor shoes, but go shod with sandals: for the laborer is worthy of his food. And into whatsoever city or village ye shall enter, search out who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go forth. And as ye enter into the house, salute it. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, as ye go forth out of that house or that city, shake off the dust from your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.

"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you; yea and before governors and kings shall ye be brought for my sake, for a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, be not anxious how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you.

And brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father his child: and children shall rise up against parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men, for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone through the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

"A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his teacher, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household? Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak ye in the light; and what ye hear in the ear, proclaim upon the house-tops. And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in h.e.l.l. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father: but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven.

"I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what do I desire, if it is already kindled? But I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!

"Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For there shall be from henceforth five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law: and a man's foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that doth not take his cross and follow after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

"He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward: and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward."

And they departed, and went throughout the villages, preaching the gospel, and healing everywhere.

And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

And Jesus departed thence to teach and preach. And wheresoever he entered, into villages, or into cities, or into the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.

At that season Herod the tetrarch heard the report concerning Jesus, and said unto his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore do these powers work in him."

But others said, "It is Elijah." And others said, "It is a prophet, even as one of the prophets."

But Herod, when he heard thereof, said, "John, whom I beheaded, he is risen."

And he sought to see him.

THE CRISIS IN CAPERNAUM