The Bible Story Part 249

And Jesus said unto him, "Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, even G.o.d. Thou knowest the commandments, Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor thy father and mother."

And he said unto him, "Master, all these things have I observed from my youth." And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said unto him, "One thing thou lackest: go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me." But his countenance fell at the saying, and he went away sorrowful: for he was one that had great possessions.

And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, "With what difficulty shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of G.o.d!"

And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, "Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the {212} kingdom of G.o.d! It is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of G.o.d."

And they were astonished exceedingly, saying unto him, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus looking upon them saith, "With men it is impossible, but not with G.o.d: for all things are possible with G.o.d."

And one of the mult.i.tude said unto him, "Master, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me."

But he said unto him, "Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?" And he said unto them, "Take heed, and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."

_The Story of the Foolish Rich Man_.

Jesus said, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he reasoned within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my harvests?' And he said, 'This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my corn and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry.' But G.o.d said unto him, 'Thou fool, this night is thy soul required of thee; and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?'

"So is he that layeth up treasures for himself, and is not rich toward G.o.d."

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

Map of Palestine showing Jesus' last Journey.

by E. R. Hooker [End ill.u.s.tration]

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XII

THE RAISING OF LAZARUS FROM THE DEAD.

_How the Lord Jesus Showed His Love for His Friends_.

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, of the village of Mary and her sister Martha. The sisters therefore sent unto him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick."

But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of G.o.d, that the Son of G.o.d may be glorified thereby."

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When therefore he heard that he was sick, he abode yet two days in the place where he was. Then after this he saith to the disciples, "Let us go into Judaea again."

The disciples saith unto him, "Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?"

Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If a man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because the light is not in him."

These things spake he: and after this he saith unto them, "Our friend Lazarus is fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep."

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The disciples therefore said unto him, "Lord, if he is fallen asleep, he will recover."

Now Jesus had spoken of his death: but they thought that he spoke of taking rest in sleep.

Then Jesus therefore said unto them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him."

Thomas therefore, who is called Didymus, said unto his fellow-disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

So when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days already. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off; and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary still sat in the house. Martha therefore said unto Jesus, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. And even now I know that, whatsoever thou shalt ask of G.o.d, G.o.d will give thee."

Jesus saith unto her, "Thy brother shall rise again." Martha saith unto him, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus said unto her, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

She saith unto him, "Yea, Lord: I have believed that thou art the Christ, the Son of G.o.d, even he that cometh into the world."

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BETHANY.

The ruins to the right are the traditional house of Mary and Martha From a photograph belonging to Miss Julia W. Snow, and used by her kind permission.

The little town of Bethany, nestling among the hills, was one of the favorite resting places of Jesus. Here he would come when weary of the world and his incessant struggle against evil, and seek the peace and quiet of the home of his friends.

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And when she had said this, she went away, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, "The Master is here, and calleth thee."

And she, when she heard it, arose quickly, and went unto him.

(Now Jesus was not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met him.)

The Jews then which were with her in the house, and were comforting her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up quickly and went out, followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

Mary therefore, when she came where Jesus was, and saw him, fell down at his feet, saying unto him, "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died."

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, "Where have ye laid him?" They say unto him, "Lord, come and see."

Jesus wept. The Jews therefore said, "Behold how he loved him!"

But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of him that was blind, have caused that this man also should not die?"

Jesus therefore again groaning cometh to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus saith, "Take ye away the stone."

Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, "Lord, by this time it will be offensive: for he hath been dead four days."

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