The
Aquarian Gospel of Jesus,
the Christ of the Piscean Age
transcribed by Levi
H. Dowling
SECTION XVII
PE
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. They 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
naught 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 said,
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) When 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 in the
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 and fish.
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 because 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 in this 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.
Of you Isaiah wrote:
4) This people honor 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 men 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 carry 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 who wills 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 sensual deeds spring from the heart.
27) To eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.
28) And Peter said,
Lord, What you said today 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 retired 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 in trials 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 defense.
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 master 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 cross 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 today. 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 illusive 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, and it 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 heals the child 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, and they had failed; the people 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 recognize 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 honors
such a child, regards and honors 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 courts of heaven when one of 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
with one, 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 harbor
not a man like him; and then today 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 defense; 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 adulteress is brought before him for judgment.
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 defense.
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 number of 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 cannot 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 said,
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 Diabolos; 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 hear them not.
29) A Pharisee stood forth and said,
This fellow is not one of us he is a crust Samaritan
and is obsessed.
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 phantom 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 neighbor as yourself.
6) And Jesus said,
Lo, you have answered well; this do and you shall
live.
7) The lawyer said,
My neighbor, 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 neighbor 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 take
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
fullness 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; tomorrow
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?
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 summarized 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 sheds 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.
(note: see Genesis 9:6)
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 made 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 today, 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. Unfolds the mysteries of the kingdom.
The sheepfold. Declares himself the
shepherd. Goes to the home of
Massalian, where he abides ceratin days.
WHEN
Jesus heard what had been done and how the priests had cast 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 the ways 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 honor 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 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 toward 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 daughter 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 see their father Abraham with Isaac,
Jacob and the prophets, 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 today, 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 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 honorable may
come and when the host shall bid you rise and take a lower seat that he may
honor 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 honored by your host and asked
to take a higher seat, you are esteemed an honored 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 bid 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 was 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 favored 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 love wealth or honor 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 all 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
neighbor 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 hoarded wealth 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 comforted, 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
down 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; but if a man
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.
Righteousness in rewards. Jesus relates the parable of the husbandman and the laborers.
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
dishonored in the face of men.
6) Men do not know the hearts of men; God only knows the hearts of men, and
when 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 laborers
from the field, and pay each 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 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 not 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 man 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 harbors lustful thoughts, who covets
any woman not his wife, is an adulterer.
34) The wife who harbors 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 harbor 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 a heart 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 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.