The Gospel Part 10

They came to Jericho. As Jesus pa.s.sed through Jericho with His disciples, many, including blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat begging by the side of the highway. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was going by, he began to cry out, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me. Many told him to be silent, but he cried the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. Jesus stood still. Then He called the blind man to Him and said, Be of good comfort. Rise. I call thee.

Casting away his garment, he rose up and went to Jesus. He said to the man, What shall I do for thee? The blind man said, Lord, that I might receive my sight. Jesus said to him, Go thy way. Thy faith has made thee whole. Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus.

11 They came near Jerusalem, to Bethphage and Bethany. At the mount of Olives, He beckoned to two of His disciples and said, Go into the village opposite here. As soon as ye enter it, ye shall find tied a colt that has never been sat upon. Loose him and bring him here. If a man asks why ye do this, say that the Lord has need of him; and immediately he will send him.

They went to the village and found the colt tied outside the door in a place where two ways met. As they untied him, a man said to them, What are ye doing, loosing the colt? They said to him what Jesus commanded and he let them go.

They brought the colt, cast their garments on him, and Jesus sat upon him. Many people spread their garments in the way. Others cut branches off the trees, and strewed them in the way. Those who went before, and those that followed, cried, Hosanna. Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

Jesus came into Jerusalem and went to the temple. When He had looked around and upon all things, it drew on to the evening. He went out to Bethany with the twelve. The next morning, coming back from Bethany, Jesus was hungry. From a distance, He spotted a fig tree that might offer something to eat. When He got to it, He found nothing but leaves for it was not yet the time for figs. Jesus said to it, No man shall eat the fruit of thee ever again. The disciples heard this.

They came to Jerusalem and Jesus went into the temple. He cast out those who sold and bought in the temple. He overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. He would not allow any man to carry any vessel through the temple. Jesus said to them all, It is written: My house shall be called, by all nations, the house of prayer but ye have made it a den of thieves.

The scribes and chief priests heard this and considered how they might destroy Him. They feared Him because all the people were astonished at His doctrine. When evening came, He went out of the city. The following morning, as they pa.s.sed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. Peter called to Jesus, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursed. It is withered away. Jesus answered, Have faith in G.o.d.

Whosoever shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pa.s.s; he shall have whatsoever he says.

Whatever things ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have anything against anyone, so that your Father which is in heaven may also forgive you your trespa.s.ses. If ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespa.s.ses.

In Jerusalem, as He was walking in the temple, there came to Him the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. They questioned Him and said, By what authority do thou do these things? Who gave thee this authority to do these things?

Jesus answered, I will also ask you a question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or of men? They discussed this among themselves and said, If we say, From heaven; He will say, Why then did ye not believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we must face the people who considered John a prophet. Finally, they answered and said to Jesus, We cannot tell. Jesus then said, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

12 He began to speak to them by parables. A man planted a vineyard. He set a hedge around it. He dug a place for the winevat and built a tower. The man let it out to husbandmen and went into a far country. At the end of the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen to collect the fruit of the vineyard.

The husbandmen caught and beat up the servant. They sent him away empty. The man sent another servant. They cast stones and wounded this servant in the head. They shamefully handled him and sent him away. The man sent another and they killed him as well as many others; beating some, and killing some. Finally, the man sent his only son whom he loved very much. He reasoned, They will respect my son. But the husbandmen said, This is the heir; come, let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours. They took the son, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. What, then, shall the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husbandmen and let out the vineyard to others.

Have ye not read this scripture: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone of the whole foundation. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

The chief priests and elders sought to lay hold of Jesus, but they feared the people. They knew that He had spoken this parable about them. When they left, they sent certain of the Pharisees and Herodians to try to catch Jesus in His words. They asked, Master, we know that thou art true, and regard not the person of men, but teach the way of G.o.d. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give?

Jesus, knowing their hypocrisy, answered, Why test me? Whose image and superscription is on a coin? They said, Caesar's. Jesus replied, Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to G.o.d the things that are G.o.d's. They marvelled at Him.

Then came the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection. They asked, Master, Moses wrote to us, If a man's brother dies and leaves his wife behind him, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up seed to his brother. Now there were seven brethren. The first took a wife and, dying, left no seed. The second took her and, dying, left no seed. The third brother likewise and this through all seven brothers. The seven had her, and left no seed. Last of all the woman died also. In the resurrection. when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be since all the seven had her as wife.

Jesus answered, Ye err because ye know not the scriptures or the power of G.o.d. When they rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage. They are as the angels who are in heaven. And, as touching on the dead and that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how G.o.d spoke to him in the bush and said, I am the G.o.d of Abraham, and the G.o.d of Isaac, and the G.o.d of Jacob? He is not the G.o.d of the dead, but the G.o.d of the living. Ye, therefore, do greatly err.

One of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that Jesus had answered them well, asked, Which is the first commandment of all?

Jesus answered, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel.

The Lord our G.o.d is one Lord. Thou shalt love the Lord thy G.o.d with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. The second is, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these.

The scribe said, Well, Master, thou has said the truth, for there is one G.o.d, and there is no other but Him. To love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love thy neighbour as thyself is worth more than all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices. Jesus saw that he answered discreetly. He said to him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of G.o.d.

After this no man dared ask Him any more questions. While He taught in the temple, Jesus said, How can the scribes say that Christ is the son of David? David himself said: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. If David calls him Lord; how is he, then, his son?

The common people heard Him gladly. He said to them in His teaching, Beware of the scribes, who love to go in flowing robes, and love salutations in the marketplace, and the best seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts. These same devour widows' houses, and, for a pretence, make long prayers. They shall receive greater d.a.m.nation.

Jesus sat over against the treasury and watched how the people cast money into it. Many that were rich cast in large amounts. Then a poor widow walked up and put in two small coins. Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, This poor widow has cast more in than all the rest have cast into the treasury. They gave out of their abundance; but she cast in what she had to live upon.

13 As He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said, Master, see these stones and what buildings are here! Jesus answered, See these great buildings? There shall not be one stone left upon another and not one that shall not be thrown down.

Jesus sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple. Peter, James, John, and Andrew went over to Him and asked, When shall these things happen? What sign will there be when all these things will be fulfilled? Jesus cautioned them and said, Take heed lest any man deceive you. Many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

When ye hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled, for such things must needs be. But the end shall not be yet. First, nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be earthquakes in divers places, and famines and crises. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

But, take heed. They shall deliver you up to councils. In the synagogues ye shall be beaten. Ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. The gospel must first be published among all nations.

When they lead you away and deliver you up, take no thought or plan beforehand what ye shall speak. Whatever ye need to say shall be given you in that hour, for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit.

In that time, brother shall betray brother even unto death; father shall betray his son; and children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death. Ye shall be hated by all men for my name's sake. But he that shall endure to the end shall be saved.

When ye see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not (let him who reads understand), then let those who are in Judaea flee to the mountains. Let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house to take anything out of his house. Let him that is in the field not turn back again to get his garment. And woe to those who are with child. And pray that your flight be not in the winter. Unless the Lord shortened those days, no flesh would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, whom He has chosen, He has shortened the days. For in those days shall be affliction such as was not seen from the beginning of G.o.d's creation to this time.

In the days after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give her light, the stars shall fall, and the powers in the heavens shall be shaken. Then the Son of man will appear in the clouds with great power and in glory. He shall send His angels, and shall gather together His elect from the four winds and from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

So if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ; or, lo, He is there; do not believe him. False Christs and false prophets shall rise and show signs and wonders to seduce, if it be possible, even the elect. But take heed. I have warned you of these things.

Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, ye know that summer is near. In the same way, when ye see these things come to pa.s.s, know that it is near, as close as at the door.

This generation shall not pa.s.s until all these things are done. Heaven and earth shall pa.s.s away, but my words shall not pa.s.s away. But, of the day and the hour, no man knows, no, not the angels in heaven or the Son, but the Father only knows. Take heed. Watch and pray. Ye know not when the time is.

For the Son of Man is like a man taking a distant journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, a.s.signed each his work, and left the porter to watch. Therefore, ye watch also for ye know not when the master of the house will come - during evening, or at midnight, or at the break of dawn, or in daylight. Therefore, be alert lest, in His coming suddenly, He find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all, Watch.

14 The feast of the pa.s.sover and of unleavened bread was in two days. The chief priests and the scribes considered how they might take Him by craft and put Him to death. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people.

Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper. As He sat at dinner, a woman came to Him carrying an alabaster box of very precious ointment of spikenard. She broke the container and anointed Jesus' head with the oil.

Some of the others at the table became indignant and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made? It might have been sold for a great price and the money given to the poor. And they murmured against her. But Jesus said, Let her alone. Why trouble her? She has done a good work.

Ye have the poor with you always, and, whenever ye will, ye may do them good; but me ye have not always. She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint my body for burying. Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the world, this that she has done shall also be told.

Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to arrange to betray Jesus to them. They were glad to hear of his offer and promised to give him money. Then Judas schemed about how he might conveniently betray Him.

On the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the pa.s.sover lamb, His disciples said to Jesus, Where shall we go to prepare that thou may eat the pa.s.sover? He sent two of His disciples into the city.

He told them, There you shall meet a man bearing a pitcher of water.

Follow him. Wherever he shall go in, say to the good man of the house, The Master wants to know where the guestchamber is where He shall eat the pa.s.sover with His disciples. This man will show you a large upper room that is furnished and prepared. Make ready for us there.

The two disciples went into the city and found all as Jesus had said to them. They made ready the pa.s.sover. In the evening Jesus came with the disciples. As they sat and ate, Jesus said, One of you who eats with me shall betray me. They began to be sorrowful, and, one by one, ask Him, Is it I? Is it I?

Jesus answered, It is one of the twelve that dips with me in the dish.

The Son of man indeed goes as it is written of Him: But woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! Better were it for that man if he had never been born.

As they ate, Jesus took bread and blessed it. He broke it and gave it to them. He said, Take and eat. This is my body. Then He took the cup and, when He had given thanks, He gave it to them. They all drank from it. And He said to them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of G.o.d.

After they had sung a hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.

Jesus said, Ye shall all be offended because of me this night for it is written: I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.

But, after that, I am risen and I will go before you into Galilee.

Peter said, Although all shall be offended, I will not. Jesus said to him, This day, even this night, before the c.o.c.k crows twice, thou shall deny me thrice. But Peter spoke the more vehemently, I will not deny you in any way, even if it means I should die. Likewise, they all said the same.