The Life of Jesus of Nazareth Part 5

1-3, 44). Baffled in his first effort to win his people, this journey back from the region of the holy city must have been one of no little sadness for Jesus. Some urgency for haste led him by the direct road through despised Samaria. A seemingly chance conversation with a woman at Jacob's well, where he was resting at noonday, gave him an opportunity for ministry which was more ingenuously received than any which he had been able to render in Judea; and to this woman he declared himself even more plainly than to Nicodemus, and preached to her that spiritual idea of worship which he had sought to enforce by cleansing Jerusalem's temple.

Samaria was so isolated from all Jewish interest that Jesus felt no need for reserve in this "strange" land. The few days spent there must have been peculiarly welcome to his heart, fresh from rejection in Judea.

122. One reason why he wished to hasten from Judea seems to have been his knowledge of the hostile movement which was making against John the Baptist. Either before or soon after Jesus started for Galilee Herod had arrested John, ostensibly as a measure of public safety owing to John's undue popularity (Jos. Ant. xviii. 5. 2). Herod may have been encouraged to take this step by the hostility of the Pharisees to the plain-spoken prophet of the desert (see John iv. 1-3). The fourth gospel leaves its readers to infer that the imprisonment took place somewhere about this time (compare iii. 24 and v. 35), while the other gospels unite in giving this arrest as the occasion for Jesus' withdrawal into Galilee.

123. Arrived in Galilee, Jesus seems to have returned to his home at Nazareth, while his disciples went back to their customary occupations, until he summoned them again to join him in a new ministry (see sect.

125). John a.s.signs to this time the cure of a n.o.bleman's son. The father sought out Jesus at Cana, having left his son sick at Capernaum. At first Jesus apparently repelled his approach, even as he had dealt with seekers after marvels at Jerusalem; but on hearing the father's cry of need and trust, he at once spoke the word of healing. This event is in so many ways a duplicate of the cure of a centurion's servant recorded in Matthew and Luke, that to many it seems but another version of the same incident.

Considering the variations in the story reported by Matthew and Luke, it is clearly not possible to prove that John tells of a different case. Yet the simple fact of similarity of some details in two events should not exclude the possibility of their still being quite distinct. The reception which Jesus gave the two requests for help is very different, and the case reported in John is in keeping with the att.i.tude of Jesus before he began his new ministry in Galilee. On his arrival in Galilee he wished to avoid a mere wonder faith begotten of the enthusiasm he excited in Jerusalem, yet this wish yielded at once when a genuine need sought relief at his hands.

124. The apparent result of this first activity in Judea was disappointment and failure. He had won no considerable following in the capital. He had definitely excited the jealousy and opposition of the leading men of his nation. Even such popular enthusiasm as had followed his mighty works was of a sort that Jesus could not encourage. The situation in Judea had at length become so nearly untenable that he decided to withdraw into seclusion in Galilee, where, as a prophet, he could be "without honor." He had gone to Jerusalem eager to begin there, where G.o.d should have had readiest service, the ministry of the kingdom of G.o.d. Challenge, cold criticism, and superficial faith were the results. A new beginning must be made on other lines in other places. Meanwhile Jesus retired to his home and his followers to theirs.

Outline of Events in the Galilean Ministry (Chapters III. And IV.)

The imprisonment of John and the withdrawal of Jesus into Galilee--Matt. iv. 12-17; Mark i. 14, 15; Luke iv. 14, 15.

Removal from Nazareth to Capernaum--Matt. iv. 13-16; Luke iv. 31.

The call of Simon and Andrew, James and John--Matt. iv. 18-22; Mark i.

16-20; Luke v. 1-11.

First work in Capernaum--Matt. viii. 14-17; Mark i. 21-34; Luke iv.

31-41.

First circuit of Galilee--Matt. iv. 23; viii. 2-4; Mark i. 35-45; Luke iv. 42-44; v. 12-16.

Cure of a paralytic in Capernaum--Matt. ix. 2-8; Mark ii. 1-12; Luke v.

17-26.

The call of Matthew--Matt. ix. 9-13; Mark ii. 13-17; Luke v. 27-32.

? The question about fasting--Matt ix. 14-17; Mark ii. 18-22; Luke v.

33-39 (see sects. 47; A 54).

? Sabbath cure at Jerusalem at the unnamed feast--John v. 1-47 (see sect. A 53).

? The Sabbath controversy in the Galilean grain fields--Matt. xii. 1-8; Mark ii. 23-28; Luke vi. 1-5 (see sects. 47; A 54).

? Another Sabbath controversy: cure of a withered hand--Matt. xii.

9-14; Mark iii. 1-6; Luke vi. 6-11 (see sects. 47; A 54).

Jesus followed by mult.i.tudes from all parts--Matt. iv. 23-25; xii.

15-21; Mark iii. 7-12; Luke vi. 17-19.

The choosing of the twelve--Matt. x. 2-4; Mark iii. 13-19; Luke vi.

12-19.

The sermon on the mount--Matt. v. 1 to viii. 1; Luke vi. 20 to vii. 1 (see sect. A 55).

The cure of a centurion's servant--Matt. viii. 5-13; Luke vii. 1-10; John iv. 46-54.

The restoration of the widow's son at Nain--Luke vii. 11-17.

The message from John in prison--Matt. xi. 2-19; Luke vii. 18-35.

The anointing of Jesus by a sinful woman--Luke vii. 36-50.

The companions of Jesus on his second circuit of Galilee--Luke viii.

1-3.

Cure of a demoniac in Capernaum and blasphemy by the Pharisees--Matt.

xii. 22-45; Mark iii. 19^a-30; Luke xi. 14-36.

The true kindred of Jesus--Matt. xii. 46-50; Mark iii. 31-35; Luke viii. 19-21.

The parables by the sea--Matt. xiii. 1-53; Mark iv. 1-34; Luke viii.

4-18 (see sect. A 56).

The tempest stilled--Matt. viii. 18, 23-27; Mark iv. 35-41; Luke viii.

22-25.

Cure of the Gadarene demoniac--Matt. viii. 28-34; Mark v. 1-20; Luke viii. 26-39.

The restoration of the daughter of Jairus and cure of an invalid woman--Matt. ix. 1, 18-26; Mark v. 21-43; Luke viii. 40-56.

Cure of blind and dumb--Matt. ix. 27-34.

Rejection at Nazareth--Matt. xiii. 54-58; Mark vi. 1-6^a; Luke iv.

16-30 (see sect. A 52).

Third circuit of Galilee--Matt. ix. 35; Mark vi. 6^b.

The mission of the twelve--Matt. ix. 36 to xi. 1; Mark vi. 7-13; Luke ix. 1-6 (see sect. A 57).

The death of John the Baptist--Matt. xiv. 1-12; Mark vi. 14-29; Luke ix. 7-9.

Withdrawal of Jesus across the sea and feeding of the five thousand--Matt. xiv. 13-23; Mark vi. 30-46; Luke ix. 10-17; John vi.

1-15.

Return to Capernaum, Jesus walking on the water--Matt. xiv. 24-36; Mark vi. 47-56; John vi. 16-21.

Teaching about the Bread of Life in the synagogue at Capernaum--John vi. 22-71 (see sect. A 59).

Controversy concerning tradition: handwashing, etc.--Matt. xv. 1-20; Mark vii. 1-23.

Withdrawal to regions of Tyre and Sidon: the Syrophnician woman's daughter--Matt. xv. 21-28; Mark vii. 24-30.

Return through Decapolis--Matt. xv. 29-31; Mark vii. 31-37.

? The feeding of the four thousand--Matt. xv. 32-38; Mark viii. 1-9 (see sect. A 58).