His Life Part 24

And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, "He is gone in to lodge with a man that is a sinner."

And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have wrongfully exacted aught of any man, I restore fourfold."

And Jesus said unto him, "To-day is salvation come to this house, forasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man came to seek and to save that which was lost."

THE PARABLE OF THE POUNDS.

And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of G.o.d was immediately to appear. He said therefore, "A certain n.o.bleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called ten servants of his, and gave them ten pounds, and said unto them, 'Trade ye herewith till I come.' But his citizens hated him, and sent an amba.s.sage after him, saying, 'We will not that this man reign over us.'

"And it came to pa.s.s, when he was come back again, having received the kingdom, that he commanded these servants, unto whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading. And the first came before him, saying, 'Lord, thy pound hath made ten pounds more.' And he said unto him, 'Well done, thou good servant: because thou wast found faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.' And the second came, saying, 'Thy pound, Lord, hath made five pounds.' And he said unto him also, 'Be thou also over five cities.' And another came, saying, 'Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I kept laid up in a napkin: for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that which thou layedst not down, and reapest that which thou didst not sow.' He saith unto him, 'Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I am an austere man, taking up that which I laid not down, and reaping that which I did not sow; then wherefore gavest thou not my money into the bank, and I at my coming should have required it with interest?' And he said unto them that stood by, 'Take away from him the pound, and give it unto him that hath the ten pounds.' And they said unto him, 'Lord, he hath ten pounds.' 'I say unto you, that unto every one that hath shall be given; but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away from him.

But these mine enemies, that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.'"

And when he had thus spoken, he went on before, going up to Jerusalem.

GOING UP TO JERUSALEM.

Now the pa.s.sover of the Jews was at hand: and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the pa.s.sover, to purify themselves. They sought therefore for Jesus, and spake one with another, as they stood in the temple, "What think ye? That he will not come to the feast?"

Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given commandment, that, if any man knew where he was, he should show it, that they might take him.

THE FEAST AT BETHANY.

Jesus therefore six days before the pa.s.sover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus raised from the dead. So they made him a supper there in the house of Simon the leper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at meat with him. Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.

But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples, that should betray him, saith, "Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred shillings, and given to the poor?"

Now this he said, not because he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and having the bag took away what was put therein.

Jesus therefore said, "Suffer her to keep it against the day of my burying. For the poor ye have always with you; but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could; she hath anointed my body beforehand for the burying. And verily I say unto you, Wheresoever the gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, that also which this woman hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her."

The common people therefore of the Jews learned that he was there: and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

=HIS LAST WEEK=

PALM SUNDAY--THE DAY OF TRIUMPH

THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY.

On the morrow when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, "Go your way into the village that is over against you: and straightway as ye enter into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon no man ever yet sat; loose him, and bring him. And if any one say unto you, 'Why do ye this?' say ye, 'The Lord hath need of him'; and straightway he will send him back hither."

Now this is come to pa.s.s, that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken through the prophet, saying,

"Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, Meek, and riding upon an a.s.s, And upon a colt the foal of an a.s.s."

And they went away, and found a colt tied at the door without in the open street: and they loose him. And certain of them that stood there said unto them, "What do ye, loosing the colt?" And they said unto them even as Jesus had said: and they let them go. And they bring the colt unto Jesus, and cast on him their garments; and he sat upon him.

And the most part of the mult.i.tude spread their garments upon the way; and others branches, which they had cut from the fields. And as he was drawing nigh, even at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole mult.i.tude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise G.o.d with a loud voice for all the mighty works which they had seen. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, "Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Blessed is the kingdom that cometh, the kingdom of our father David: Hosanna in the highest."

These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.

The mult.i.tude, therefore, that was with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb, and raised him from the dead, bare witness. For this cause also the mult.i.tude went and met him, for that they heard that he had done this sign.

And some of the Pharisees from the mult.i.tude said unto him, "Teacher, rebuke thy disciples."

And he answered and said, "I tell you that, if these shall hold their peace, the stones will cry out."

And when he drew nigh, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, "If thou hadst known in this day, even thou, the things which belong unto peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, when thine enemies shall cast up a bank about thee, and compa.s.s thee round, and keep thee in on every side, and shall dash thee to the ground, and thy children within thee: and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation."

And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"

And the mult.i.tudes said, "This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."

The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "Behold, how ye prevail nothing; lo, the world is gone after him."

And he entered into Jerusalem, into the temple; and when he had looked round about upon all things, it being now eventide, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

MONDAY--THE DAY OF AUTHORITY

THE CURSING OF THE FIG TREE.

And on the morrow, when they were come out from Bethany, he hungered.

And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find anything thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for it was not the season of figs. And he answered and said unto it, "No man eat fruit from thee henceforward for ever."

And his disciples heard it.

THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE.

And they come to Jerusalem: and he entered into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and them that bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves: and he would not suffer that any man should carry a vessel through the temple. And he taught, and said unto them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?' but ye have made it a den of robbers?"

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the son of David": they were moved with indignation, and said unto him, "Hearest thou what these are saying?"

And Jesus saith unto them, "Yea: did ye never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise'?"

And the chief priests and the scribes and the princ.i.p.al men of the people sought to destroy him: and they could not find what they might do; for the people all hung upon him, listening.