His Life Part 16

And one of the mult.i.tude came to him kneeling, and saying, "Teacher, I beseech thee to look upon my son: for he is mine only child: and behold, he hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever it taketh him, it dasheth him down: and he foameth, and grindeth his teeth, and pineth away: for he is epileptic, and suffereth grievously; for oft-times he falleth into the fire, and oft-times into the water. And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him."

And Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? Bring hither thy son."

And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him grievously; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.

And he asked his father, "How long time is it since this hath come unto him?"

And he said, "From a child. And oft-times it hath cast him both into the fire and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compa.s.sion on us, and help us."

And Jesus said unto him, "If thou canst! All things are possible to him that believeth."

Straightway the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help thou mine unbelief."

And when Jesus saw that a mult.i.tude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him."

And having cried out, and torn him much, he came out: and the boy became as one dead; insomuch that the more part said, "He is dead."

But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose, and Jesus gave him back to his father. And they were all astonished at the majesty of G.o.d.

And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "How is it that we could not cast it out?"

And he said unto them, "This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer. Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, 'Remove hence to yonder place,'

and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

THE TRAINING OF THE TWELVE

THE Pa.s.sION AND RESURRECTION AGAIN FORETOLD.

And they went forth from thence, and pa.s.sed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, "Let these words sink into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered up into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he shall rise again."

But they understood not the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

THE GREATEST DISCIPLE.

And they came to Capernaum: and when he was in the house he asked them, "What were ye reasoning on the way?"

But they held their peace: for they had disputed one with another on the way, who was the greatest.

And he sat down, and called the twelve; and he said unto them, "If any man would be first, he shall be last of all, and servant of all."

And he took a little child, and set him in the midst of them: and taking him in his arms, he said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever receiveth me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me."

John said unto him, "Teacher, we saw one casting out demons in thy name; and we forbade him, because he followed not us."

But Jesus said, "Forbid him not: for there is no man who shall do a mighty work in my name, and be able quickly to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us. For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink, because ye are Christ's, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. But whoso shall cause one of these little ones that believe on me to stumble, it is profitable for him that a great mill-stone should be hanged about his neck, and that he should be sunk in the depth of the sea.

"Woe unto the world because of occasions of stumbling! for it must needs be that the occasions come; but woe to that man through whom the occasion cometh! And if thy hand or thy foot causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life maimed or halt, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire. And if thine eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is good for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the h.e.l.l of fire, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. For every one shall be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if the salt have lost its saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace one with another.

"See that ye despise not one of these little ones: for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven. How think ye? if any man have a hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and go unto the mountains, and seek that which goeth astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth over it more than over the ninety and nine which have not gone astray. Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.

FORGIVENESS.

"And if thy brother sin against thee, go, show him his fault between thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he hear thee not, take with thee one or two more, that at the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may be established. And if he refuse to hear them, tell it unto the church: and if he refuse to hear the church also, let him be unto thee as the Gentile and the publican.

Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I, in the midst of them."

Then came Peter and said to him, "Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times?"

Jesus saith unto him, "I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven. Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make a reckoning with his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, that owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not wherewith to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down and wors.h.i.+pped him, saying, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.' And the lord of that servant, being moved with compa.s.sion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred s.h.i.+llings: and he laid hold on him, and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay what thou owest.' So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay thee.'

And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay that which was due. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, 'Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me: shouldst not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee?' And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due. So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not every one his brother from your hearts."

THE SHEKEL FOR THE TEMPLE.

And they that received the half-shekel came to Peter, and said "Doth not your teacher pay the half-shekel?"

He saith, "Yea."

And when he came into the house, Jesus spake first to him, saying, "What thinkest thou, Simon? the kings of the earth, from whom do they receive toll or tribute? from their sons, or from strangers?"

And when he said, "From strangers," Jesus said unto him, "Therefore, the sons are free. But, lest we cause them to stumble, go thou to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a shekel: that take, and give unto them for me and thee."

=HIS FACE TOWARD JERUSALEM=

THE FINAL DEPARTURE FROM GALILEE

THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

Now the feast of the Jews, the feast of tabernacles, was at hand. His brethren therefore said unto him, "Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may behold thy works which thou doest. For no man doeth anything in secret, and himself seeketh to be known openly.

If thou doest these things, manifest thyself to the world." For even his brethren did not believe on him.

Jesus therefore saith unto them, "My time is not yet come; but your time is always ready. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that its works are evil. Go ye up unto the feast; I go not up yet unto this feast; because my time is not yet fulfilled." And having said these things unto them, he abode still in Galilee.

And it came to pa.s.s, when the days were well-nigh come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he were going to Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, wilt thou that we bid fire to come down from heaven, and consume them?"

But he turned, and rebuked them. And they went to another village.