The Bible Story Part 234

Jesus saith unto her, "Go, call thy husband, and come hither."

The woman answered and said unto him, "I have no husband."

Jesus saith unto her, "Thou saidst well, 'I have no husband': for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: this hast thou said truly."

The woman saith unto him, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."

Jesus saith unto her, "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when neither in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, shall ye worship the Father. Ye worship that which ye know not: we worship that which we know: for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshipers. G.o.d is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

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The woman saith unto him, "I know that Messiah cometh (which is called Christ): when he is come, he will declare unto us all things."

Jesus saith unto her, "I that speak unto thee am he." And upon this came his disciples; and they marveled that he was speaking with a woman; yet no man said, "What seekest thou?" or, "Why speakest thou with her?"

So the woman left her waterpot, and went away into the city, and saith to the men, "Come, see a man, who told me all things that ever I did: can this be the Christ?"

They went out of the city, and were coming to him. In the mean while the disciples prayed him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But he said unto them, "I have meat to eat that ye know not."

The disciples therefore said one to another, "Hath any man brought him aught to eat?"

Jesus saith unto them, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to accomplish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh the harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields, that they are white already unto harvest. He that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal; that he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. For herein is the saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye have not labored: others have labored, and ye are entered into their labor."

And from that city many of the Samaritans believed on him because of the word of the woman, who testified, {87} "He told me all things that ever I did." So when the Samaritans came unto him, they besought him to abide with them: and he abode there two days. And many more believed because of his word; and they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of thy speaking: for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world."

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VII

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

(At another time, Jesus, who had been so kindly treated by the Samaritans, told this story to show how everyone ought to treat others kindly. This is how he happened to tell the story):--

A teacher asked Jesus, to test him, what he should do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answered, "What does the law say?"

The teacher replied, "The law says, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy G.o.d with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.'"

And he said unto him, "Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live."

But he, desiring to justify himself, said unto Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

Jesus made answer and said, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho; and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance a certain priest was going down that way: and when he saw him, he pa.s.sed by on the other side. And in like manner a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, pa.s.sed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he was moved with compa.s.sion, and came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on them oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

"INN OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN"

From a photograph taken by Louis L. Tribus, Consulting Engineer and Commissioner of Public Works of the Borough of Richmond, City of New York, and used by his kind permission.

This is the traditional site of the "Inn of the Good Samaritan," on the pilgrim road the "Ascent of Blood," which leads from Jericho to Jerusalem. When taken upwards, a more hot and heavy way it is impossible to conceive--between blistered limestones and rocks, and in front the bare hills piled high, without shadow or verdure. There is no water from Jericho till you reach the roots of the Mount of Olives. Curious red streaks appear from time to time on the stones, and perhaps account for the sanguinary names which attach to the road,--but the crimes committed here make these doubly deserved.

[End ill.u.s.tration]

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And on the morrow he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said, 'Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, I, when I come back again, will repay thee.'

"Which of these three, thinkest thou, proved neighbor unto him that fell among the robbers?"

And he said, "He that showed mercy on him."

And Jesus said unto him, "Go, and do thou likewise."

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VIII

JESUS AND THE KING'S OFFICER

_How the Lord Jesus Went Back to Galilee, and How He Healed the Son of a King's Officer_.

And after the two days in Samaria he went forth from thence into Galilee. For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honor in his own country. So when he came into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

He came therefore again unto Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain king's officer whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said unto him, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will in no wise believe."

The king's officer saith unto him, "Sir, come down ere my child die."

Jesus saith unto him, "Go thy way; thy son liveth." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, saying, that his son lived. So he {93} inquired of them the hour when he began to recover. They said therefore unto him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."

So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said unto him, "Thy son liveth": and himself believed, and his whole house.

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IX

THE CHOOSING OF THE TWELVE DISCIPLES.

_How the Lord Jesus Gathered About Him the Men Who Were to Be His Closest Friends_.