THE WIDOW OF NAIN.

THE CENTURION.—Matt. viii. 8.

Once Jesus went to the city of Nain. His disciples went with him. Many people followed him. As he reached the city gate he met a funeral procession. It was a long procession, for the young man who was dead had been his mother’s only son, and she was a widow. The people were very sorry for her. Jesus, when he saw her, felt very sorry for her, too. He spoke to her. He said, “Weep not.” Then he went towards the frame on which the dead body was laid, and touched it; and the men who were carrying it stood still, and Jesus spoke to the dead. He said, “Young man, I say unto thee, arise.” Immediately the dead man sat up and spoke to Jesus; and Jesus called his mother to him. This wonderful thing made the people afraid; they said, “A great prophet has come among us.” And they praised God for sending him. This story was told all over the country, and for many miles around. When the people came together they said, “Have you heard how that poor widow who lives in Nain had her son given back to her after he was dead?”

JESUS RAISETH THE WIDOW’S SON.—Luke vii. 14-15.

Jesus was invited to dine with a man named Simon. While at table, a poor woman came in and poured sweet-smelling ointment over the feet of Jesus, weeping so that she washed his feet with her tears. Simon did not like this, for the woman was very wicked. He thought if Jesus were a prophet he would know what sort of a woman this was, and would not allow her to touch him. Jesus saw these thoughts in his heart, and told him he had something to say to him. Then he told him this story: “There was once a man who was owed by two men; one owed him five hundred pence, and the other fifty. Both were poor, having nothing with which to pay their debt. The good man knowing this, forgave them both. Tell me, which of them will love him most?”

“Why,” said Simon, “I suppose the one who owed the most.”

“Yes,” said Jesus, “that is true. Simon, do you see this poor woman? You gave me no water to wash my feet, but she has washed them with her tears, and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but she continues to kiss my feet. You did not even anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet. Now I tell you this: her sins which are many, are forgiven, for she loves me very much. If people feel that they have but little to be forgiven, they have but little love.” Then he spoke to the woman; he said: “Your sins are forgiven.” Those who were sitting with him at table began to say among themselves, “Why, who is this man who can forgive sins?” Jesus spoke again to the woman; he said: “Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”

MARY MAGDALEN ANOINTING THE FEET OF JESUS.—Luke vii. 38.

Seventy people were sent out in many directions to tell the people of the Lord Jesus. They had blessed meetings. They came back filled with joy. They told Jesus that they had found even devils who had to obey their words when they spoke in his name. Jesus told them that he had long known that Satan would be subject to him. Also he promised them that nothing should hurt them in their work, neither that serpent Satan, nor any of his helpers. But he reminded them, that though they had such great power given them, there was something better than that for them to rejoice over forever: that their names were written in heaven. Then Jesus, with great joy in his heart, thanked God that he had hidden many things from the worldly-wise and the selfishly prudent, and had made them known to the humble-hearted who were willing to be like little children and learn of him. He reminded his disciples that no man knew about the mysteries of God, but that all things were delivered to him, and that no one could understand the Father unless he made him plain to their hearts. And he said to those disciples aside, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see; many prophets and kings desired to see them, but were not permitted.”

AND WHEN YE COME INTO AN HOUSE, SALUTE IT.—Matt. x. 12.

A lawyer once asked Jesus who was his neighbor, and Jesus told him this story:—“Once a man went from Jerusalem to Jericho, and on the road he met a party of thieves. They stripped his clothes from him; they wounded him, and at last went away, leaving him lying half dead. A little while after a certain minister passed that way; he saw the man, but he crossed the street and went on. Then there came a Levite; he stopped and looked at the poor man, and then he too crossed the street and went on his way. Then there came a Samaritan; he stopped and looked at the poor man, and his heart was filled with pity. The man was nothing to him, not even one of his own nation; but he bound up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them to soothe the pain; then he lifted the man to his own horse and took him to a place where he could be cared for. In the morning before he went on his journey, he took from his pocket some money, and gave it to the host, and asked him to have the sick man taken care of. If he had to spend money, when he came that way again he would pay the bill.”

“Now,” said Jesus, “which of these three people do you think treated the poor man like a neighbor?”

“Why,” said the lawyer, “the one who took care of him.”

“Then,” said Jesus, “see that you follow his example.”

THE GOOD SAMARITAN.—Luke x. 33.

At one time when Jesus was with his disciples they asked him to teach them to pray. Having talked with them about the Lord’s Prayer, he illustrated prayer by the following:

Said he: “Suppose you had a friend to whom you should go one night at midnight, and ask him to lend you three loaves of bread, for a friend had arrived unexpectedly, and you had nothing for him. Suppose he should answer, ‘Don’t trouble me; I’ve shut my house for the night, and my children and I are in bed; I can’t get up and attend to you.’ Now I tell you, though he wouldn’t attend to you on account of friendship, yet if you persist in urging your need he will get up and give you what you want. Now I say to you: ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you. Every one that asks shall receive; he who seeks shall find; to him who knocks it shall be opened. Suppose your son asks for a piece of bread, would you give him a stone? Suppose he asks for a fish, would you give him a serpent? If he ask for an egg, would you give him a scorpion? Now, if you with evil hearts and ignorant minds, yet know enough to take care of your children and give them proper things, don’t you suppose that your Heavenly Father knows what you need, and will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

SECRET PRAYER.—Matt. vi. 6.

Jesus had been talking about the loving care of the Heavenly Father, and one of the listeners interrupted him with a request that he would talk to his brother and get him to divide equally between them the property that had been left. Jesus asked him who he thought made him a judge, or a divider over them; and then, by the story he told them, he showed the covetous thought that was in the man’s heart. He reminded them that the important thing in a man’s life was not to have a great deal of property. Said he: “There was a certain man who grew rich; his harvests were so great that he wondered what he should do with all his grain. At last he decided to pull down his barns and build larger ones, and then say to his soul, ‘Soul, you have plenty of food, enough to last you many years; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.’ But just then God spoke to him; He said, ‘Foolish man, this night your soul shall be called to leave the body; then who will have all these things which you have provided?’—Now,” said Jesus, “the man who plans for himself, laying up treasures for himself, and has none of the riches that God could give him, is like this poor, foolish man in the story.” Then He turned to His disciples and told them that living meant more than simply keeping the body alive and clothed.

CONSIDER THE LILIES HOW THEY GROW.—Luke xii. 27.

Jesus was traveling through the cities and villages on his way to Jerusalem, teaching as he went. One day a man asked him if many would be saved. He said all must strive to enter in at the straight gate, for many would try some other way and would not get in. He said, “It was like a feast spread for guests; and when once the master of the house had closed the door, no more could get in. Those who stood outside saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us,’ would only be answered with ‘I don’t know you.’ They might answer, ‘We have eaten and drank with you, and you have taught in our streets,’ for some of these people who would not follow Jesus had sat at table with him and heard his teachings. But he said the answer to any such would be, ‘I don’t know you; go away, you are wicked people.’—Then,” said Jesus, “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth;” Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob would be inside, but those who would not come to him by the right way would be thrust out. People from every quarter shall come together and sit down in God’s kingdom. The Gentiles, who were the last to hear the good news, shall be among the first in heaven, and some of the Jews (God’s dear people who would not love Him) will not get in.

JESUS EATETH WITH PUBLICANS AND SINNERS.—Mark ii. 16.

One Sabbath-day Jesus was taking dinner at the house of a Pharisee. He talked with the people at the table about humility of manner at the great feasts which were given in those days. Then one of the company said to him, “Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.” I do not think he meant heaven, but rather the kingdom that he hoped the Messiah would set up on the earth. Jesus answered him in the form of a story about a man who made a great supper, sending out many invitations. When everything was ready he sent for his guests to come, and every one of them sent an excuse. One said he had bought a piece of ground and must go and see it, and begged to be excused; another said he had bought five yoke of oxen, and was going to prove them; another said he had just been married and couldn’t come. When the servant came back and told his master he was angry. He told his servants to go out quickly through the streets and bring all the lame people, and the blind people, and the poor people of every sort. So the servant did as he was told; but he said to his master, “There is room yet.” So the master told him to go out in the highways and hedges, and coax people to come to the supper, and fill the house, for none of those who were first invited should be allowed to taste of the supper.

JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES ON THE ROAD TO CÆSAREA.—Mark viii. 27.

Jesus once, in teaching the people, told this story: “A man had two sons; the younger of them asked his father to give him the part of the property that would finally belong to him. So the father divided his wealth between them. A few days after that the younger son went a long journey, taking all his money with him; but he wasted it in wild and foolish living. When it was all gone there came a great famine to that country, and the foolish young man had nothing to live on. He went looking for work, and a man hired him to take care of swine. He was so hungry that he was willing to eat the husks that the swine had for food; and no one gave anything to him. Then he began to think of his home, and to remember how his father’s servants had plenty to eat, and here he was starving! Then he said, ‘I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am not worthy to be called your son; let me be one of your hired servants.’ So he went on his journey home. When he was yet a great way from the house, his father saw him and ran out to meet him, and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I am not worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said, ‘bring the best clothes in the house for him to wear, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and have the fatted calf killed, and make a feast, and let us eat and drink and be merry; for my son was the same to me as dead, and now he is alive again; he was lost, but now he is found.’ And they were merry.”

RETURN OF THE PRODIGAL SON.—Luke xv. 20.

In order to explain to his disciples that there were two worlds for souls, Jesus once told them this story:—“There was a rich man who wore elegant clothing and lived richly every day. There was a poor, sick beggar, named Lazarus, lying at his gate. He wanted the crumbs which were left from the rich man’s table. His body was full of sores, and the dogs used to come and lick them. One day this poor man died, but God sent his angels and carried him to heaven. Then the rich man died, and was buried. His soul went to hell. One day, while he was in that place of pain and torment, he looked up, and away off he saw heaven, and Lazarus the beggar was there, with his head on Abraham’s bosom. He called to him: ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said: ‘Son, remember that while you were living you had plenty of good things, while Lazarus suffered at your gate. Now he is happy, and you are suffering. And, besides, there is a great gulf between you and us, so that if we wanted to come to you we could not; neither can you come here from that place.’ Then the rich man said, ‘I pray you send him to my father’s house to tell my five brothers about this dreadful place, so they need not come here.’ But Abraham said, ‘Why, they have the story of that place. Moses wrote about it, and the Prophets wrote about it; let them read it.’ But the rich man said, ‘O, Father Abraham, if one went back to them from the dead, they would repent.’ ‘No,’ said Abraham, ‘if they will not believe God’s own word, as Moses and the Prophets wrote it in the Bible, neither would they believe if one went to them from the dead.’”

LAZARUS AT THE RICH MAN’S DOOR.—Luke xvi. 19.

One day Jesus, on his journey to Jerusalem, passed through a village in Samaria. He saw ten men who had the leprosy; they kept away from all other people, as the law obliged them to. But when they saw Jesus, they called out with loud voices, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Jesus said to them, “Go show yourselves to the priest.” This was what people who were cured of leprosy were obliged to do before they could go among the people. The priest had to give them a certificate to say that they were cured. As these ten men turned to go to the priest, as Jesus had told them, suddenly they found that they were well. One of them, as soon as he found it out, turned back and followed after Jesus, and when he reached him he bowed down at his feet, thanking him and praising God. He was from a Samaritan village; not one of the Lord’s chosen people, but a Gentile. Jesus said to him, “Didn’t I cure ten men? Where are the nine? Not one of them came back to thank me, except this Samaritan.” Then he said to the kneeling man, “Arise, and go on your way; your faith hath made you whole.”

JESUS CURING THE TEN LEPERS.—Luke xvii. 14.

When Jesus was on earth he met some people who thought that they were perfect, and they despised other people. One day he told them this story: “There were two men who went to the temple one day to pray. One of them was a Pharisee, the other a publican. The Pharisee said, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this man beside me. I fast twice in the week, and I give a tenth of all that I have.’ Then the publican prayed: he did not even go close to the holy place: he kept his eyes on the ground, and he struck his breast, which was a sign of deep humility, as he said, ‘God be merciful to me, a sinner’—I tell you,” said Jesus, “that man went back to his home justified, rather than the other, for every one who thinks too well of himself must be humbled; but those who are humble God will exalt.”

The rest of the story is about some very little children being brought to Jesus. His disciples tried to have them sent away, for they did not understand Jesus; but he called the little ones to him and said: “Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Truly I say to you, that any one who will not receive the kingdom of heaven with the faith of a little child shall never enter there.”

THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN.—Luke xviii. 10.

There was a man named Zaccheus, a rich man, a tax-gatherer, who wanted very much to see Jesus. One day, when Jesus was passing through the city of Jericho, Zaccheus, who was a small man and could not see over the heads of the crowd who were following Jesus, ran ahead of them and climbed into a sycamore tree. When Jesus reached the tree he looked up and said, “Zaccheus, make haste and come down; I want to go to your house to-day.” Then Zaccheus hurried down and joyfully took Jesus home with him. But the people murmured about it; they said, “He has gone to visit a wicked man.” Then Zaccheus talked with Jesus; he said to him, “Lord, I mean to give the half of all my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man wrongfully, I will give him back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “This day is salvation come to your house. You are a Jew, a son of Abraham; you shall have the promised gift.”

Jesus, one day, talking with his disciples, said to them: “Take care that you are not deceived. There will be many coming in my name, saying, ‘I am Christ, and the end is near;’ but don’t follow after them. When you hear of wars and disturbances, don’t be frightened; these things must first come, but the end is not at once. Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be great earthquakes, and famines, and pestilences, and fearful sights; and great signs shall there be from heaven: and before these come, people will persecute you, and put you in prisons, and you shall be brought before kings and rulers, for my name’s sake. And you will have a chance to testify for me; but you need not plan what you shall say, for I will give you words that your enemies can neither answer nor resist. You will be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death; and you will be hated by men for my sake; but not a hair of your head shall perish. Be patient to the end, and your souls shall be saved. When you see Jerusalem surrounded with armies, then know that desolation is near. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let them which are in the midst of it depart out, and let not them which are in the countries enter thereinto.”

JESUS FORETELLS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE.—Matt. xxiv. 2.

It was the evening before Jesus was to be crucified that these things happened which are in our lesson to-day. Jesus sent Peter and John to make ready the supper, that they might eat it together. He said to them: “When you get to the city of Jerusalem, a man will meet you, carrying a pitcher of water; follow him and stop at the same house. Tell the man of the house that the Master told you to ask him where the guest-chamber was in which he could eat the Passover with his disciples. He will show you a large upper room, furnished. In that room make all things ready.” It all happened just as he said, and they prepared the supper. When Jesus and the twelve disciples sat down he said to them, “I have longed to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, for I will not eat of it any more until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then he took up the cup and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves, for I say unto you, I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God shall come.” And he took bread and gave thanks, and gave the bread to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” After supper he took the cup and passed it to them, saying, “This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”

THE LAST SUPPER.—Matt. xxvi. 26.

At the place which is called Calvary, our Lord was crucified, and on the cross with him hung two thieves, one on each side. The soldiers divided his clothes among them, casting lots which should have them. He prayed for them all; he said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” The people and the rulers stood about him, looking at him and mocking. They said, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is Christ, the chosen one of God.” And the soldiers also mocked him, offering him vinegar to drink, and saying to him, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.” Then they wrote on a tablet in Greek, and in Latin, and in Hebrew, “This is the King of the Jews,” and hung it over the cross. One of the thieves joined in the mocking, saying, “If you are Christ, save yourself and us;” but the other thief reproved him, asking him if he did not fear God, since they were suffering the same punishment. “They,” he said, “deserved their punishment, but the other had done nothing wrong.” Then he spoke directly to Jesus: he said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” And instantly Jesus answered him in these words, “Verily I say unto you, To-day shalt thou dwell with me in Paradise.” These things happened about twelve o’clock. From that time until three o’clock the earth was dark; the sun hid away. When Jesus cried out with a loud voice, he said, “It is finished;” and then, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit;” and having said this, he died. Just then the veil which had always hidden the inner temple split in two from top to bottom.

THE CRUCIFIXION.—John xix. 25.

The third day after Jesus was buried, two of his friends walked to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. As they walked along they talked together about the sad things that had lately happened. At that moment Jesus himself came along and joined them, but they did not know him. He asked them what it was they were talking about, and why they were so sad. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him if he was a stranger in Jerusalem that he had not heard the strange, sad news. He asked them, “What news?” And Cleopas answered: “Why, about Jesus of Nazareth; he was a mighty prophet; his words and his deeds were wonderful; but our rulers condemned him to death and crucified him. We hoped that he was the one who was to redeem the people of Israel; but this is the third day since these things were done. Some women who were at the grave this morning, told us a strange story; they say his body is not there, and that they saw angels who said that he was alive; and some of our friends went to the grave and found that it was as the women said, but they did not see him.” Then Jesus said to them: “O what foolish people. How slow you are to believe all that the prophets wrote about this! Did they not tell that Christ must suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” Then he began with the books that Moses wrote, and explained what he and the other writers had said about Christ. When they drew near to Emmaus the stranger acted as though he was going further, but they begged him to stop with them, as the day was nearly gone. So he stopped with them, and as they sat down to the table together, suddenly something opened their eyes to know that it was Jesus who sat with them. He took some bread and blessed it, and gave them some. Then he vanished out of their sight.

JESUS AND THE DISCIPLES AT EMMAUS.—Luke xxiv. 30.

The disciples and friends of Jesus were together talking of him and of the wonderful story that he had risen, when he appeared to them again and talked with them. He reminded them that the things which had happened were the very ones which he had foretold, and which were told in the Bible would happen. Then he explained the Bible to them and gave them wisdom to understand what he said. He showed them how it was written that Christ would come, and suffer and die, and rise again on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sin should be preached to all people, beginning at Jerusalem. Then he told them they were the witnesses that all these things had taken place. Then he assured them that he would send to them that which the Father had promised they should have, and they were to wait in Jerusalem until God sent them a special power.

The last story that we have of the life of Jesus on earth was when he led his disciples out to Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, blessed them, and was parted from them and carried up into Heaven. Then the disciples worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and now they could be found continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.

JESUS APPEARS TO HIS DISCIPLES.—Luke xxiv. 30.

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