SLEEPING BEAUTY OF THE DESERTOn the twenty-eighth day, about eleven o'clock P. M., weary from the long day journey, I dined again on tea and toast, and with my boots on dropped on my cot, just for a moment; and seemingly before the moment had passed the morning sun peeped in and awoke me from my sweet dream of home. I awoke Jona, and while the camp still slumbered we ascended a rise of ground to gaze on that silent form of grandeurs which lay before us, full twenty miles away. As far as the eye could penetrate, north and south, the Syrian highlands, long known as the haunt of the most ferocious Bedouins, loomed up, where about in the center, seemingly imbedded in the glistening cliff, lay the ruins of the once proud city of Tadmor, the queen of the desert. For, while Nineveh and Babylon at their best were old gray monks, Tadmor, in the days of David, with her stately granite columns from the Nile, coquetted with the morning sun like a maiden in her teens.Breakfast again of tea and toast, when Jona and I, with a guard of twelve horsemen, started for a run over the hilly plain which lay between us and the ruins, leaving the wives and other luggage to come along with the caravan, which would reach Tadmor some time before next morning. Before starting I promised our escorts a piece of silver each if we should reach the ruins in an hour.The morning was bright and the ride was inspiring, but very tame compared to the wild ride at Nazzip, for weran steadily on over the sand-drifted desert, while the sweat on the horses' necks soon worked into a foam; and although the distance was nearer twenty-five than twenty miles, we reined up to the temple of the sun in about ninety minutes, when I gave two pieces of silver to each, for which they carried me in their arms through the ancient archway where there were once swinging gates nearly sixty feet in height, through which Solomon had many times passed. Then they lugged me to the market and coaxed me to buy them a camel bone for soup, which I did, on the promise that I was to have some of the soup, but I forgot to come around on time.i293RUINS OF TADMOR, WHERE I BADE FAREWELL TO JONA, HIS FAVORITE, AND THE GRATEFUL FATIMA.THE ABANDONED CASTLEJona, as I expected, found the castle, but no relative in Tadmor; nor anyone who had ever heard who built or occupied the Fort-Castle on the rocks overlooking the city. I then questioned him again as to whether there had ever been such a family tradition concerning Mary Magdalene as he had related, to which he stoutly maintained there had been, and that Mary Magdalene, the fair Galilean Goddess whose life was interwoven into the family of Jesus of Nazareth, had once been a bright feature in the traditional tree of the Rechabites, but when or by whom it was introduced he did not know.With Jona's plat of the ancient ruins, we passed up through the once beautiful city, where the immense granite columns from Egypt still stand single, in groups and in lines, retaining their caps, crowns and arches.As described by Jona, we found upon the hill which overlooks the city the once elegant rock castle, surrounded by a deep water channel quarried from the solid rock, as before described, but, apparently, no one had lived there for ages.Then, by following his plat west of the city proper, we found ancient family tombs as he had described, but the receptacles for the dead, four tiers high, were empty, save as a retreat for bats and owls. Still we found no documents concerning Jesus, and Jona's journey to Tadmor with his two wives was, as far as Jesus and the Goddess of Galilee were concerned, a complete failure.Unless his many evenings spent with me, relating the disjointed traditional reminiscences concerning Mary Magdalene, satisfies others as it does me of the heroic, unremitting zeal of woman when clouds of sorrow overshadow the day.In parting from my Bedouin friends I shook hands with the three, and got one more good squeeze from Jona's disobedient Fatima. Then, according to Oriental custom, Jona hugged and kissed me. Females of the desert who are not Mohammedans are accustomed to kiss at will, the same as the men do. Jona was a kind-hearted, truthful old Arab. His wife's affection for me was pure desire for soul liberty, like a bird confined in a cage while other birds play in the trees.MARY MAGDALENEWhile the orb of day is kissing a fond adieu to the Syrina highland which overlooks the great city Tandmor with its two million inhabitants, two sojourners from the far East, with their usual escort, turn in beside the fast flowing stream of hot water which still gushed forth from under the once beautiful city of the desert.The fleet and pack animals gently kneel to be relieved of their burden, for even the patient ships of the desert become weary on their long journeys over the trackless, sand blown wilds.Long after the hum of the city had ceased and the silence above had thrown its dark mantle over the sleeping face of nature, we sat by the babbling brook discussing the strange report, which for nearly two years had been heralded from the vine clad hills of Canaan, to the effect that one Jesus of Nazareth, a carpenter, was imbued with spiritual power to the extent that he was healing all manner of diseases, and of late had raised a damsel twelve years old from the dead.Next day, while crossing the Desert of Hor, we could see Tandmor when twenty miles away, and on the fifth day we reached Palestine. The evening we arrived at Capernaum we found the west shore of the Sea of Galilee from the ford of the Jordan north to the hot springs of Tiberias, south, as well as the western hillside, literally strewn with groups of wise men from different partsof the world, together with the high and low of the Hebrew clan.As Magdala and Capernaum seemed to be the center of attraction, we staked our tent near, and soon learned that Jesus, the Wonderful, was a guest of one Simon, a fisherman, while his kindred were being cared for by relatives and friends of the family.Scribes from the South and far East were comparing notes and discussing His latest miracle of stilling the tempest, of which there was an abundance of proof that the storm, which was raging on Galilee, had subsided almost immediately, but as to Jesus having been the cause, there was a diversity of opinion. Many thought Jesus was mad or beside himself, while others said, "Has not God, in all ages past, at times, awakened the people in mysterious ways?"Others, among whom were the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem, declared him to be possessed with the devil, through which he healed the sick, fed the hungry and stilled the waves; and still others declared that his teachings were exclusively spiritual, and not materialistic.i299MARY MAGDALENE. THE HEROIC MAID OF GALILEE.DINA OF ENDORWhile a group of fishermen, who occupied a large black tent, were enlisting followers to the cause and one, called Peter, was exhorting the throng, a woman of the Hebrew tongue was overheard talking to a group of strangers, to whom she said: "I am from Endor, my name is Dina and I have been floating in this great religious wave for more than a year; and I am truly convinced that God, through Jesus, is visiting His people, but why does Jesus not avoid those strangers who are noting down every word He says, to carry home. Another thing seems strange to me, that Jesus, who is from a nice family, should tolerate rascals who never wore a square inch of decency on their hides. Just look at Simon, the old fisherman; that broad shouldered man talking now, whom Jesus named Peter, who was and I suppose is a liar and a toper, whom no one has ever accused of dealing honestly. Then there is Mary Magdalene, who, with her wealthy Aunt Susanna, lives just up there on the hillside. Some say she is a relative of Jesus, perhaps that is because her hair is light, for some of the breed to whom Jesus belongs have auburn hair. But oh, isn't she a diamond in the rough? Why, that maid is a bewitching beauty, graceful as a swan, sometimes as soft as the summer breeze and at other times wilder than a tornado. She was brought up with or near the family of Joseph of Nazareth, came here when about a dozen years old and took the name of Magdalene. Ibelieve, from what I hear, that if that girl faced the Devil he would back down, and yet she has more true admirers, staunch friends, than any maid in Galilee. In fact I, even though I never speak to her, like her myself; but how Jesus, as the Son of God, can bunch her faults and forgive them in one batch, is a puzzle to me.""Why is she called a sinner?" inquired a tall man in a red shirt which came down to his heels."Oh, Jesus says we are all sinners in a certain sense; I suppose he would say she will some day bridle her tongue, but she never will. You see, she has no respect for the customs and rites of the Pharisees, so I suppose it was the orthodox who branded her a sinner, but I have heard that the sisters of Jesus like her, and that of late she has come down from her perch wonderfully.""Do the people actually believe the child of Jarius was dead, or was she possessed by demons?" broke in a keen-eyed observer with a quill over his ear."Oh, I don't know. The people are clamoring for miracles. Magdalene says the resurrection Jesus preaches does not refer to the body. Everyone thought the child was dead, but Jesus said she was not. He talks so much in parable it is hard to understand him. I have listened to Jesus almost every day for nearly two years, he all the time talking about death, and still I and all his friends are confounded as to whether he means death of the body or a state of sin-death, from which condition he can raise those who are naturally dead in sin. I think the report of his having raised that child is what has brought so many here of late, but if I understand Jesus—hush, do you see that tent right here beside us? Those people just came in at dark. James says they are from Tadmor, a sect of scribes once called Rechabites. See,they are noting down every word I say, so I'm glad I haven't said much. Just see old Peter swing his arms and preach; from here, where one cannot hear a word, he would pass for quite a respectable man, yet I heard that when he used to peddle fish all the attractive women turned from him, but he never bothered me, and Jesse, my husband, says it is no wonder, but I tell him if I am not pretty I know enough to keep my mouth shut. Magdalene sums up Peter the quaintest; she says she always manages to get on the side of his cock eye so he cannot wink at her."James and John, the two brothers who are with Jesus, are fine fellows, in fact I have heard that John wants to marry Magdalene. James, the brother of Jesus, is a man to be admired, in fact all the brothers and sisters of Jesus seem to take after their mother, who, all the folks say, is a bright creature; but the father, Joseph—well, he is dead, and while I never heard a word against him, I should say that his lineage from David was his chief attraction. Jesus, they say, was the real head of the family from the time he was a boy, but I do not think he worked at the carpenter trade very much. At an early age he served at the feet of the noted scribes and priests, through which he virtually became a support of the family, for, as an instructor, he was unequaled. Even at the Sanhedrim his opinion had weight until he took this religious turn, when his former friends became his enemies.""How could Jesus have tolerated the doings of those he now so bitterly opposes?" inquired a bystander."Oh, I do not know, possibly he was studying their real character and now he hits them on their sore spots, but it—there—there—comes Jesus now, that tall man,come close so you can hear him and you will believe every word he says. Oh there, they are sending us out so they can be alone—dear me, let us meet again tomorrow so I can tell you a little of the news; but as I said, I am not a woman who says much and seldom express my opinion."THE HOME OF MAGDALENE"Magdalene, why are you so restless, and why gazing so intently at the stormy sea; has anything crossed your path, dear?""Oh, Aunt Susanna, I was just watching the tumbling waves of Old Galilee and I envy them the peace they enjoy, for soon they will lie down to sleep, but there is no rest for your poor, wayward Magdalene.""You are not bad, Mary, your beauty has made you gay and your vanity presses hard upon your virtue, but you have never stooped. All you require is time and patience.""Time, why I am twenty-two gone and I doubt if twenty-two million of years would mellow me down to your soft nature. Often I try to be mild and keep my promise so often made to Jesus, and first I know I am facing all kinds of difficulties with a rebuff and then I am too proud to own up that I am sorry.""Did you hear Jesus talk in the synagogue today?""Yes, I was there this morning and that is why I am so upset. You know I was ever with him and his sisters, especially Ruth, until I came to you, but since he began to preach I have avoided him. Well, he caught me this morning and spoke so kindly that I felt the old child-love coming back. Seeing so many of my Nazareth friends and Jesus talking so strangely I began to cry and might have joined them had not Simon, our old fish peddler, approached me and began hinting at my waywardnessand talking about miracles. Then I flared up and said, 'Really, Peter (that is what they call him now), you do not say you have repented—if you have, and it goes deep enough to make you give honest weight on fish, I should say Jesus has performed a miracle, indeed.' Then he broke in by saying, 'Maggie,' but I checked him on the spot and said, 'Call me Magdalene. I am no little girl, I am a lady.' Then he kind of twisted his jaw as he used to when he cried, 'Fish—fish,' and asked if I was sure, and I told him he had better keep on seeking shelter against the day of wrath to come. Then as Jesus came near the anger seemed to leave me and I could have knelt and kissed his feet.""Whose feet, Mary?""Whose do you suppose?" Then the proud girl bit her lip in scorn.A moment silence, and Aunty continued, "What do you think of Jesus?""Why, really, I do not know what to think; probably I am not as good a judge as one who has not known him for he was always ready to help Ruth and me out of our embarrassing predicaments, of which there were many, for you know Ruth and I were hand in hand in mischief. One day she and I—say Aunty, there comes John, what do you suppose he wants?"JOHN AND MAGDALENEAunt Susanna fluttered some at John's approach, for, although a daily playmate with Magdalene, he seldom appeared in their garden now. "I am glad to see you, John. You used to run in, when a boy, and why do you not come oftener now?"John laughingly replied, while greeting Magdalene, "Since I have become so big that Lena cannot box me around handy, I thought the enjoyment of my presence, especially for her—""Now, John," broke in Magdalene, as she solidly planked herself on the couch beside him, "First, you've been here more than forty times since that evening, and next, did you not deserve a good box on your ear when you tied the straw to our dog's tail?""I was just playing Sampson.""How did you like my playing Sampson, when I boxed your ears?""I just enjoyed it.""You did not; if you had you would not remember it.""I did.""Now, John," said the peaceful aunty, "you must confine yourself to the truth; you know I have always held you up as a model young man.""John," said Magdalene, as she touched him on the shoulder.John turned, and looking her quizzically in the face,said, "Do you remember, Lena, that the trouble that day all ended with you and I eating bread and honey and then your going part way home with me, hugging and kissing me all the way. Now do you wonder at my enjoyment?"She smilingly replied, "What a pity it is that handsome boys grow up to be such ugly men. Just play you are a boy again and set fire to the dog's tail once more. I dare you to do it.""Oh, Lena," he said, as he turned the conversation, "do you buy your fish of Simon yet?"Springing to her feet, her eyes sparkling, she said, "Honestly, John, I would rather go to hell with you than to heaven with old Simon."John looked admiringly at the stately figure before him, as he calmly said, "Why, Lena."After time for reflection, Magdalene again seated herself beside him, dropping her head on his shoulder weeping, and while Aunt Susanna came and kissed away the tears, she with difficulty continued, "If you only knew how I hated some people, without cause, and loved others who do not love me, you would pity me. Old Peter has his virtues and I know it."After the storm had passed, Magdalene laughingly inquired, "Now, John, did you actually come over to see Aunty, or did you come to see me?"John declared it was both, but the business end of the call was bread. Then it was soon arranged that Aunt Susanna should furnish ten loaves each day as long as the followers of Jesus remained at the Lake."His apparent communion with God," continued John, "has so startled the world that many are coming out of curiosity. Tomorrow, being Sabbath, he will preach inthe synagogue and we hope the spies from Jerusalem will not interfere.""Truly, John," inquired Aunt Susanna, "do you believe in him? Magdalene, answer the door call."RUTHAunt Susanna and John listened that they might recognize the voice when Magdalene exclaimed, "Oh, Ruth—Ruth, you dear sweet girl, why did you keep me waiting so long?" And Ruth after embracing Magdalene ran and kissed Aunt Susanna and then with a low courtsey begged John to pardon her rudeness, for which John complied and said, "I saw you with your folks today, but I did not dare approach for you all looked so nervous that I feared a break-down."Ruth turned a distant glance as the large tears trickled down her cheeks, when Magdalene placed her fair arm around the waist of her life-long friend, softly saying, "Do not weep, Ruth, everybody loves you," to which the sad girl replied, "We do all feel so strange; no one thought it would ever come to this.""Ruth," began Aunt Susanna, "anxiety will make you all sick; now be calm and let me plan. You and Magdalene must enter the garden while it is twilight, and Magdalene do not fail to show her the baby birds in the lilac bushes. You, John, however much you wish, cannot go with them, for I have a duty for you. While I light the fire for hot cakes and honey you must run down to Capernaum and bring Jesus, his mother and all the family up here to dine, and stop with us until morning. Ruth will sleep with Magdalene, her mother with me and Jesus on the couch. We have heaps of rugs so others can lie down where they please. If you like, John, you can stay also, for I know you like to be with Jesus.""Really, Aunt Susanna," broke in Ruth, "I have been here so much.""Now, Ruth, not a word from you. During the time Magdalene has lived with me, I do not think you have made her what might be called ten good visits, and Magdalene has been to Nazareth about forty times. Besides, everytime she comes home I hear nothing but Ruth, Ruth, so I conclude she is at your home most of the time.""Aunt Susanna," said John, as he raised to go."John," ejaculated Magdalene as she seized him by the arm, "You're not going until you have seen our garden; it will not hinder you three minutes."John did not seem anxious to release himself from her grasp, but responded, "I must obey your Aunty's command." Then turning to Aunty he continued, "Please do not bake the cakes until I return, for I think they are all fixed for the night. Jesus is stopping with Peter's wife's mother and—""Peter," exclaimed Magdalene, as she turned her saucy nose to one side and elevated her chin."Ruth," said John, as arm in arm with the two girls they turned to the garden, "can you abide Magdalene without obeying her commands?"Ruth seeming to forget her troubles, laughingly replied, "Oh, I see your predicament, John, but you know the wise do control the weak."Then as Magdalene let go his arm and squared herself saucily before him in the attitude of wisdom, she said, "Now, John, own up that you wish you had not asked Ruth that question," to which John mumbled something about all girls being alike, at which Magdalene again flared up and accused him of not being capable of appreciating select company, and then they all laughed.DARKNESS OVER GALILEEJohn has returned home; Jesus is asleep in the home of Simon's mother-in-law; Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her children, save Jesus and Ruth, are sleeping under their little open tent shelter on the pebbled beach. Every lodging in Tiberias, Magdala, Bethsaida and Capernaum is occupied by strangers, while more than ten thousand souls overcome by fatigue have tonight lopped down in groups here and there upon the shore of the renowned inland lake, the Sea of Galilee.The evening star has disappeared beyond the western hills, while spangled Orion and the Pleiades sisters seem lingering as though to look down in silent pity on slumbering old Nazareth, whose religious zealots have thrust out in bitter scorn the man whose lamp of light will shine upon the mysterious way called Death, when other lights have all grown dim.It is now after midnight. Ruth and Magdalene are in fond embrace, while Aunt Susanna on a reclining divan amid a profusion of pretty rugs and bolstering pillows is plying questions to Ruth concerning her brother, Jesus."Ruth, how long has it been since your brother began to talk this way?""Really, Aunt, I cannot say. He has practically been the head of our family since before father died. He always seemed to know if a sick person was going to get well, but, of course, as Lena knows, he said and did many things that we did not notice then, which look strangeto us now. I remember one time when we were small we all went over to Saffuriyeh to spend the day with mother's folks, and while going over, he said to us that we must all be kind to grandpa for we would never see him again, and he did die in a few days.""Did he ever call himself the son of God?""Oh, no, we never thought of such a thing, but he often spoke of God as my father instead of our father. The first time we noticed anything unusual was when he, with a lot of other men, went to the Jordan, near Jerusalem, to be baptized by a man named John. When they returned home, he was preaching different from what he used to preach. Of course, as mother says, he may have had divine aid all along and not told us, nor even understood it himself.""Did your mother love him better than she did you younger children?""Certainly she did. You do not think she would like gusts of emotion like Lena and me as well as she did a fatherly man like Jesus. Why, Aunt Susanna, everyone loved Jesus until that old bigoted gang of priests got after him.""I wish I was God," broke in Magdalene, "wouldn't I jerk those priests out of their phylactery garments and put them to grinding in the mill? I should say everyone does love Jesus, he won my heart when I was 6 years old, and I would love him yet if he would shake up old Peter.""Why, Magdalene.""Oh, Aunty, you know I do not mean just what I say, but let me go on with my story of love. One afternoon when we were all up on the commons, they gotup a race between me and Delila, from the spring. You know, Ruth, I was swift,—awful swift.""And you are fleetly still," chimed in Aunt Susanna."Oh, yes, Ruth, she refers to a race about two years ago when someone brought in a Greek courier to run with me and I showed him my heels before a crowd of over two thousand people. Now I will begin back on my love story: One afternoon when we were all up on the commons, they got up a race between Delila and me. She was an inch taller and a year older than I. So well do I remember when we were waiting for the signal and I was so confident of winning, but we had not gone far before I discovered I had my match. If we had had twenty steps more to run I would have won, but as it was they all cried Delila—Delila, when Jesus caught me up in his arms and said, 'Now, Mary (you know he always calls me Mary), would you not rather be called the sweetest girl than the faster runner?' Then, after he had wiped the tears and gotten me to laughing, he said, 'I want you to do something for me, will you?' and I said, 'Yes, you know I will, what is it?' 'I want you to go over to Delila and say, "When my legs get as long as yours I will race you again."' 'I will not,' said I. Then he turned and looked the other way, but I shook his hand and said, 'Do you hear me? I say I will not go near the old thing.' Then he turned and spoke as he often spake, 'Why, Mary.' I stood a moment and then dropped my elevated chin, let go of his hand and ran to Delila and told her just what he told me to, and she laughingly said, 'You would have won anyhow if you had not stumbled at the start.' So we began talking and both went back to Jesus, who bought us a piece of melon, and he laughed when weate it by one taking a bite and then the other, until it was gone.""Do you know," inquired Ruth, "that Delila has married that rich man who had been a leper and they are living in Bethany, near Jerusalem? Jesus told me only a few days ago about two sisters in Bethany, Mary and Martha, who are relatives of Simon and live near him with their brother Lazarus. Simon has a beautiful home, where our folks, when at Jerusalem, go over and stay nights. Joseph of Aramathaea and Nicodemus are often there, they help Jesus in many ways, always giving him money and a place to stay. Jesus said he is going back to Jerusalem again, but mother and all of us are trying to persuade him not to do so. If he does, and we all go, will you both go with us? Mother wants to know.""I think we will," replied Aunt Susanna, and so they talked on until the golden dawn awoke the little songsters, who sang the three to sleep on the hillside by the sea."Do you know, Lena," said Ruth, as they were walking in the twilight, "that mother thinks I had better not go to Jerusalem. She says only she and James will follow Jesus, for if we all go the rabbis may burn our home.""I have heard that, Ruth, for some time. Some influence caused me to think that way, but I did not mention it. Say, Ruth, why do people call me a sinner and say I am possessed with devils?""Why, Lena, they call Jesus the same. That is an epithet applied to all who do not conform to the orthodox faith. Jesus says everybody is tempted by devils and that God, through Him, casts them out. You know you have never allied yourself to any faith.""Do you think that is necessary, Ruth?""You can see," she replied, hesitatingly, "that Jesusapproves of that course. Kneeling and kissing the feet is considered an open confession. Have you ever spoken to Jesus about it?""Yes, I have, and he seemed to avoid me by asking if I loved those who did not love me, and you know I can never love Peter." The sad girl looked upon the ground in a brown study, and then continued: "Is that which one cannot control sinful?"Ruth did not reply and Magdalene bit her lip nervously as she murmured, "Oh, if I could only get rid of this temper of mine. So long have I loved Jesus, and I know he loves poor me and wants to forgive my sins. Am I one of those whom he talked about the other day? Will he be ashamed of me when he comes into his kingdom?" Mary Magdalene turned her gaze. Her soul was wandering far away into the future. She was thinking of the day, not so far distant, when her earthly eyes would be closed to those familiar Galilean hills. The storm was fast gathering, her poor heart was aching, but still she stood aloof, trying to suppress the love she should impart. Ruth took in the situation and placing her arm around the troubled maid turned the conversation and talked softly of what might take place tomorrow.As the morning sun gleamed from over the Syrian desert, touching the hilltops, the song birds in the olive orchards and oak groves began chiming their sinless melodies, regardless of the throng, now stirring themselves and lighting fires here and there in the great camp around the renowned Sea of Galilee.Facing the camp stood the quaint old temple of Capernaum, in which Jesus had been teaching for several days. Probably the sun never rose on a more curious throng than those who lodged in open air, under blankets, andin tents along the western shore, while Jesus lingered in and about Capernaum. Healing the sick and casting out devils had been practiced by all nations and tribes since the advent of tradition, but when sojourners from Mesopotamia, Syria, and Egypt returned home to announce that a man in Galilee had for two years been preaching that he as the Savior of the world had come from God to heal the sick, cure the deaf and blind, cast out devils and raise the dead, wise men began to gather in Galilee until now an immense throng were gathered near the childhood home of Jesus.A group of large, broad, bullet-headed men from Nineveh, who styled themselves the descendants of Jona, had just arrived. Their roomy camel-hair knee breeches and dawn-like smile betokened that their object was information and not criticism.Pharaoh's land was represented by a small caravan of Egyptians attired in professional habits, who had chosen quarters near a group of Persian cameleers, whose very equipment, both of man and beast, seemed to blend in soft Oriental shades. The peculiarity of these two groups of doctors was that while listening attentively they expressed no opinion.Groups of scribes, Turks, Persians, Arabs and Indians were closely noting all events connected with Jesus and his followers, but took no part in the discussions of the Jews, who everywhere nervously discussed the effect of his teachings.The scribes, Pharisees and priests who disdainfully ignored his claim, were worried that so many of their people were following him, especially as the edict had gone forth that any one who professed Jesus to be the Christ should be expelled from the synagogue.SURPRISE FOR THE PHARISEESWhen evening came, a rich Pharisee, knowing that Jesus was having no time to either eat or sleep, and he himself desirous to hear and see him, invited him to his spacious apartments to dine, where he had assembled his friends. As Jesus approached the entrance, Ruth and Magdalene ran spat upon him, when he, taking Magdalene by the hand, smiled and said, "Mary." Then kissed Ruth and passed in as Simon's guest.The recognition of Magdalene had been noticed by Simon and a dark scowl knit his brow, as he mentally connected her with sinful episodes, and thinking Ruth must be a sister of Jesus, he wondered how she tolerated the fearless maid with whom she was associating.Washing feet and fondling hair was a mark of great respect, often paid to illustrious guests, but Simon, knowing Jesus to be weary and hungry, waived all ceremonies, as he bade them sit for the sumptuous repast.After the guests had entered and darkness had dispersed the throng outside, Ruth and Magdalene walked back and forth in front of the entrance, which was a curtained arch through a high wall into a canopy-covered, miniature garden, decked with a profusion of soft rugs on divans with lace-embroidered coverings.As the interesting Jewess walked back and forth, Ruth engaging her in low tones, she, Magdalene, turned quickly and contrary to all customs of her race and times, unceremoniouslytossed back the drapery and stood before the assembly.Dead silence reigned, as the Pharisees gazed upon the bold intruder. A scarf of veil-like appearance hung carelessly over her head of abundant auburn hair rambling over her shoulders, while from a neat dark habit which enclosed her erect form protruded her shapely arms and one extended foot protected by an adorned slipper.Jesus glanced recognition, which encouraged her, and then turned his eyes upon Simon, which seemed to rivit him to the spot, as Magdalene approached with angelic grace and kneeling before Jesus began weeping and kissing his feet.Simon's disdainful look blended into sympathy as he gazed upon the famous beauty, while he hesitated as though he would lay his hand upon her head. Jesus bowed to his impulsive friend, as he called her by the name she bore when a child, and then turning to his host, said, "Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.""Say on, Master.""There was a certain creditor who had two debtors, the one owed 500 pence and the other 50, and when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both; tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most?""I suppose the one whom he forgave most," was Simon's answer."Thou has rightly judged," and turning to Magdalene, he said, "Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears. Thou gavest me no kiss, but she hath not ceased to kiss my feet, wherefore I say unto thee, her sins are forgiven," and turning to her he said, "Thy faith hath saved thee."Magdalene softly passed out through the curtain way while Simon would gladly have had her remain, and now to her the stars shone more bright than ever before, Ruth's embrace was more dear, while her hatred for poor penitent Peter was quietly passing away.COUNCIL OF THE DISCIPLESWhen they arrived at the apostle's tent, Magdalene, in her impulsive manner, ran to Peter, and placing her hand on his shoulder, for a long time engaged him in earnest conversation. No one was more pleased than Peter, whom she had scorned for years, and he was glad to forget all and forgive the dashing maid whom he had often designated as Tornado Mag of Galilee.After the evening meal, which the women had prepared and practically provided, reports were received and commented upon. Thomas overheard a priest declare that if Jesus had blasphemed, he ought to be put to death at once, while John had learned that the Ninevites and Rechabites had declared that God had come to his own, and many of the like for or against were received. All of this James, the brother of Jesus, received coolly and assured them that it would require time for the tumult and confusion to subside, during which time all should deport themselves in an exemplary manner and prepare for the worst, "for," he continued, "in times of old, God often called those He loves, to tread the thorny path, but it must be that the afflicions of our momentary existence cannot be compared with the joys of Eternity. Jesus, you know, has often told us, 'My Kingdom is not of this world,' and true it is that the real life lies beyond this scene of continued death.""James, James," cried Peter, "are we to reap no earthly benefit from this course?""Truly, truly, Peter, if we live the spotless life which Jesus lives our rewards will be great, but God's plan——""Can I speak?" interrupted Ruth, as she raised to her feet."Certainly, certainly," was the reply, as all turned to listen, for the scene was unusual."I do not comprehend the ideas of brother James as I wish I did, but if this work is of God, and His mysterious plan is that we shall suffer defeat in this, our day, in order that the coming generations may rejoice"——"Hear! Hear," cried John, and the men all chimed in "Hear! Hear!" except Peter, who seemed to think that a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush, as he cried:"The Kingdom of Galilee is good enough for me; Ruth may be willing to suffer for the unborn and I am no more afraid of death than she is, but my motto has always been, 'Let everyone die for themselves,' therefore I think the maid from Nazareth is out of order."Peter's self-preservation speech rather upset the maiden's zeal and she came back at him thoughtlessly. "You better make peace with your mother-in-law before you assume to thwart the plans of the Almighty," to which Peter winked his bad eye, but could think of no reply appropriate for the occasion.TURN OF THE TIDEMonths have passed and again we find Jesus at the home of Peter's mother-in-law in Capernaum. Magdalene and Ruth are serving the women who are lodging at the home of Aunt Susanna. The homes of John, Philip and Matthew are all overcrowded, for the Lord's earthly career is now at its zenith, but tomorrow the doubtful will return home, the venomous will conspire to destroy, while the faithful will try to induce Jesus not to go down to Jerusalem.The next day Jesus, standing in the synagogue, cried, "I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. I came down from Heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me, and this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life."Then the multitude murmured and said: "Why does this man disdain signs and wonders and yet says he came down from Heaven? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James and Joses, and Simon and Judas, and his sisters, are they not all with us?"Continuing, Jesus said: "No man can come to me, except the Father who sent me, draw him; not that any many hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life. My flesh is meat,indeed, and my blood is drink, indeed. Doth this offend you? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you are spirit and are life."Then many of his disciples, when they heard it, said: "This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" and from that time many went back and walked no more with him.MAGDALENE'S HEROIC PLEAEvening lowers its dark mantel over the faithful, as they gather at the home of Aunt Susanna again to discuss and consider the conditions."Where is Jesus?" his mother inquired."He is walking on the shore," replied John. "He requested to be alone."Trembling and pale, Mary, the mother of Jesus, stood and looked down upon the Galilean shore as she murmured, "Oh, how peaceful." Then closing her eyes she continued, "Oh, that this generation was passed." Then Magdalene assisted her to a divan and was whispering softly to her, when James came and caressed her gray locks as he said, "Mother, kiss Magdalene; she is lovely, isn't she?""I," responded Magdalene, "am nothing but a briar," to which James replied, "Roses grow on briars."Around and in Aunt Susanna's home a great crowd of men and women had assembled when Thomas stood up and began, "A strange problem lies before us for solution this day. For more than two years we have followed Jesus and listened to his teachings. We had understood that God, through Jesus, was doing this work. Today the aspect is changed, for he tells us he came forth from God to do God's will. This implies a consciousness of existence in a place he calls Heaven, before he came among men. Some of his most ardent admirers now believe he is beside himself. If such isthe case, we ought to persuade him not to go up to Jerusalem to the feast of the Passover.""Does his sermon on the mount portray derangement of the mind?" broke in Matthew, as he produced a bundle of parchment and began reading: "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.""That is exactly the point," said John. "Either we must deny all, or admit his version of the source of his power. If you observe closely you will find his intimacy with God includes more than faith; it corresponds closely to acquaintance. Notice what he said today, 'Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God.' Then knowing that we could not understand, he followed by saying, 'He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.' The knowledge he possesses we cannot comprehend, and knowing this he simply requires faith."Judas Iscariot, the burly disciple from Beersheba, now arose and after admitting his faith in the Master's claim, began to lay stress on the fact that as so many were falling away, it might be better for all to abandon the cause until such time as Jesus could pacify the Scribes and Pharisees by admitting their prescribed authority.While Judas continued, two men were overheard conversing in an undertone as they looked in at the audience."Do you see that young woman there facing Judas? That is Mary Magdalene.""Really, is that so! I have heard so much about her. I wish I could hear her speak or sing.""Do not worry, you will hear her. See her bite her lip! There is a storm brewing in her soul, and I pity old Jude when she gets the floor.""Does she believe in Jesus?""Believe! I should say she does; she exhorts every evening. That elderly woman beside her is Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the one with her hand on Magdalene's shoulder is Ruth, one of his sisters. Honestly, those two maids have done more thus far to convince the public than all of his sleepy disciples.""She does not look like the tornado of Galilee.""Tornado, nothing! Why, her folks lived near us before she came over here, and I do not believe she ever told a lie in her life, but she has an interesting way of enforcing her opinion. There! There! she has the floor now! Listen!""You, Judas Iscariot," she began, "virtually admit that you have faith in Jesus as to his sanity and that he is the Christ which was to come into the world, and still, for fear of apparent consequences, you advise abandonment. All lives and careers undergo encouraging and discouraging events, today the world enfolds you in her loving arms, tomorrow the cruel cold shoulder is turned, and experience teaches that the rebuff sometimes falls on the worthy, for the world often goes agog. Truly, the multitude is disappearing, thousands will return home on account of this 'Bread-of-life' sermon today, for they do not understand that evolution requires time; that large bodies move slowly. They may be blameless, but you—you, Judas Iscariot—you who have been with him more than two years, are you yet befogged, or are you a coward? Did you today think that Jesus intended to convey the idea that God was a baker and had sent a loaf of bread down to Capernaum, and that he, Jesus, was the loaf? I know you did not. I hope I do not understand you. I hope you are true. I cannot imagine atraitor among us. Oh, how my heart aches. See how low the lights burn tonight! All seems so far away."At this juncture she scowled and looked downwards as though collecting her thoughts, and then continued: "You know that the priests at Jerusalem dread Jesus, thinking that his teachings, if not impeded, will revolutionize the religious world and for this reason they favor a ransom to have him out of the way. Inasmuch as you are aware of this, you can imagine my surprise when today I overheard you with the others say to Jesus, 'Depart then and go into Judaea.'" As she quoted his words she hesitated, biting her lip nervously, then as though a thought struck her, she raised her head smilingly and continued, as she turned from Judas to the audience:"In the upper corner of our garden nearby, one can see an old cactus. Some one sowed the seed from which it sprang before any one of us was born. I used to try to twist and break it when I first came here, for it seemed to cast no blossoms and bear no fruit. Other plants and shrubs blossomed, yielded their fruit, but the old cactus seemed just to live and that was all. One day, as some of you know, Ruth was here and we discovered a bud on it, called the gardener, who decided it was a century plant which might blossom soon, but it did not. Evening after evening all the neighbors came to behold the wonderful blossom which was expected to come forth from the seed sown nearly one hundred years ago. It was so slow that we became discouraged, but at last one evening, when we all stood around, the gardener applied warm water to the roots and in a few moments the largest and most beautiful blossom known to the Orient came forth, and think of it, dear friends, more than fifty years after the one who sowed the seed had gone to his long home."Today the seed of life is being sown in the hilly land of Old Canaan, the buds are promise, blossoms peace and fruit everlasting life. As through summer and winter, sunshine and rain, the old cactus came forth, so through joy and sadness, bitterness and despair, the tree of life may put forth. When we think of the thorny path over which good souls before us have traveled, we ought to trust in providence, for God is with us and knows it all."God's mysterious guide oft leads us where we would not go, but never where we cannot stay. He plans our course, he knows it all and some bright morn he will reveal. Abraham did not know, when he was called from home to spend his years among these hills, that when the frost of time had turned him pale, the angels would appear. Hagar, wandering in the wilds of Beersheba, did not think that God knew all of her troubles, and would not let her perish with her child. Moses did not know when he fled across the desert wilds oft looking back in fear, that his fair Zipporah would meet him at the well. When Ruth looked, for the last time, on the scenes of her childhood, and turned from the hills of Moab, to follow Naomi in the plain path of duty, she did not know that God had called her to become the mother of the most illustrious family in the world. All these, my friends, were blessings in disguise."Neither does the seed sown mature so quickly. The seed here sown in Galilee these days may bear little fruit in our generation, even for hundreds or thousands of years, but some sweet day, when the storms of life are over, and the followers of our Lord join hands to spread the gospel of the "Bread-of-life" as we have heard today,like the sleepy cactus, it will blossom forth in all lands."At this point Jesus and James stepped in, unobserved by her, while she continued: "The storm is upon us now. I hear the distant billows roar. This night to you who hesitate may be the turn of the tide throughout an endless Eternity, so bare your bosoms to the storm and look only to the beacon lights, if dimly you may discern them."Earth life is but a fleeting shadow, soon past. I know my name will never appear on the records of this great struggle, no one will ever weep at the tomb of Mary Magdalene, but what for aye the morrow. Can you all meet me there?"Did you who beheld Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration a few days ago think he had just come from his grave on Mount Nebo, where he had been sleeping fifteen hundred years? If you did, I hope God will wink at your ignorance, but you did not, no—no. The real spiritual, personal Moses did not die, he has lived, he does live, he will live, and you and I will just begin to live when these poor eyes will cease to weep, when this poor heart will ache no more and these soft hands are cold in clay."Is this struggle a sacrifice or a privilege? Oh, friends, the day will come when the world will envy us who lived in these dark days, and walked and talked and sang with the real Savior of the world, the son of the living God."The last words seemed to thrill the throng with emotion, but the climax was only reached when Magdalene fainted into the arms of John and Ruth, who bore her gently away.
SLEEPING BEAUTY OF THE DESERTOn the twenty-eighth day, about eleven o'clock P. M., weary from the long day journey, I dined again on tea and toast, and with my boots on dropped on my cot, just for a moment; and seemingly before the moment had passed the morning sun peeped in and awoke me from my sweet dream of home. I awoke Jona, and while the camp still slumbered we ascended a rise of ground to gaze on that silent form of grandeurs which lay before us, full twenty miles away. As far as the eye could penetrate, north and south, the Syrian highlands, long known as the haunt of the most ferocious Bedouins, loomed up, where about in the center, seemingly imbedded in the glistening cliff, lay the ruins of the once proud city of Tadmor, the queen of the desert. For, while Nineveh and Babylon at their best were old gray monks, Tadmor, in the days of David, with her stately granite columns from the Nile, coquetted with the morning sun like a maiden in her teens.Breakfast again of tea and toast, when Jona and I, with a guard of twelve horsemen, started for a run over the hilly plain which lay between us and the ruins, leaving the wives and other luggage to come along with the caravan, which would reach Tadmor some time before next morning. Before starting I promised our escorts a piece of silver each if we should reach the ruins in an hour.The morning was bright and the ride was inspiring, but very tame compared to the wild ride at Nazzip, for weran steadily on over the sand-drifted desert, while the sweat on the horses' necks soon worked into a foam; and although the distance was nearer twenty-five than twenty miles, we reined up to the temple of the sun in about ninety minutes, when I gave two pieces of silver to each, for which they carried me in their arms through the ancient archway where there were once swinging gates nearly sixty feet in height, through which Solomon had many times passed. Then they lugged me to the market and coaxed me to buy them a camel bone for soup, which I did, on the promise that I was to have some of the soup, but I forgot to come around on time.i293RUINS OF TADMOR, WHERE I BADE FAREWELL TO JONA, HIS FAVORITE, AND THE GRATEFUL FATIMA.
On the twenty-eighth day, about eleven o'clock P. M., weary from the long day journey, I dined again on tea and toast, and with my boots on dropped on my cot, just for a moment; and seemingly before the moment had passed the morning sun peeped in and awoke me from my sweet dream of home. I awoke Jona, and while the camp still slumbered we ascended a rise of ground to gaze on that silent form of grandeurs which lay before us, full twenty miles away. As far as the eye could penetrate, north and south, the Syrian highlands, long known as the haunt of the most ferocious Bedouins, loomed up, where about in the center, seemingly imbedded in the glistening cliff, lay the ruins of the once proud city of Tadmor, the queen of the desert. For, while Nineveh and Babylon at their best were old gray monks, Tadmor, in the days of David, with her stately granite columns from the Nile, coquetted with the morning sun like a maiden in her teens.
Breakfast again of tea and toast, when Jona and I, with a guard of twelve horsemen, started for a run over the hilly plain which lay between us and the ruins, leaving the wives and other luggage to come along with the caravan, which would reach Tadmor some time before next morning. Before starting I promised our escorts a piece of silver each if we should reach the ruins in an hour.
The morning was bright and the ride was inspiring, but very tame compared to the wild ride at Nazzip, for weran steadily on over the sand-drifted desert, while the sweat on the horses' necks soon worked into a foam; and although the distance was nearer twenty-five than twenty miles, we reined up to the temple of the sun in about ninety minutes, when I gave two pieces of silver to each, for which they carried me in their arms through the ancient archway where there were once swinging gates nearly sixty feet in height, through which Solomon had many times passed. Then they lugged me to the market and coaxed me to buy them a camel bone for soup, which I did, on the promise that I was to have some of the soup, but I forgot to come around on time.
i293
RUINS OF TADMOR, WHERE I BADE FAREWELL TO JONA, HIS FAVORITE, AND THE GRATEFUL FATIMA.
RUINS OF TADMOR, WHERE I BADE FAREWELL TO JONA, HIS FAVORITE, AND THE GRATEFUL FATIMA.
RUINS OF TADMOR, WHERE I BADE FAREWELL TO JONA, HIS FAVORITE, AND THE GRATEFUL FATIMA.
THE ABANDONED CASTLEJona, as I expected, found the castle, but no relative in Tadmor; nor anyone who had ever heard who built or occupied the Fort-Castle on the rocks overlooking the city. I then questioned him again as to whether there had ever been such a family tradition concerning Mary Magdalene as he had related, to which he stoutly maintained there had been, and that Mary Magdalene, the fair Galilean Goddess whose life was interwoven into the family of Jesus of Nazareth, had once been a bright feature in the traditional tree of the Rechabites, but when or by whom it was introduced he did not know.With Jona's plat of the ancient ruins, we passed up through the once beautiful city, where the immense granite columns from Egypt still stand single, in groups and in lines, retaining their caps, crowns and arches.As described by Jona, we found upon the hill which overlooks the city the once elegant rock castle, surrounded by a deep water channel quarried from the solid rock, as before described, but, apparently, no one had lived there for ages.Then, by following his plat west of the city proper, we found ancient family tombs as he had described, but the receptacles for the dead, four tiers high, were empty, save as a retreat for bats and owls. Still we found no documents concerning Jesus, and Jona's journey to Tadmor with his two wives was, as far as Jesus and the Goddess of Galilee were concerned, a complete failure.Unless his many evenings spent with me, relating the disjointed traditional reminiscences concerning Mary Magdalene, satisfies others as it does me of the heroic, unremitting zeal of woman when clouds of sorrow overshadow the day.In parting from my Bedouin friends I shook hands with the three, and got one more good squeeze from Jona's disobedient Fatima. Then, according to Oriental custom, Jona hugged and kissed me. Females of the desert who are not Mohammedans are accustomed to kiss at will, the same as the men do. Jona was a kind-hearted, truthful old Arab. His wife's affection for me was pure desire for soul liberty, like a bird confined in a cage while other birds play in the trees.
Jona, as I expected, found the castle, but no relative in Tadmor; nor anyone who had ever heard who built or occupied the Fort-Castle on the rocks overlooking the city. I then questioned him again as to whether there had ever been such a family tradition concerning Mary Magdalene as he had related, to which he stoutly maintained there had been, and that Mary Magdalene, the fair Galilean Goddess whose life was interwoven into the family of Jesus of Nazareth, had once been a bright feature in the traditional tree of the Rechabites, but when or by whom it was introduced he did not know.
With Jona's plat of the ancient ruins, we passed up through the once beautiful city, where the immense granite columns from Egypt still stand single, in groups and in lines, retaining their caps, crowns and arches.
As described by Jona, we found upon the hill which overlooks the city the once elegant rock castle, surrounded by a deep water channel quarried from the solid rock, as before described, but, apparently, no one had lived there for ages.
Then, by following his plat west of the city proper, we found ancient family tombs as he had described, but the receptacles for the dead, four tiers high, were empty, save as a retreat for bats and owls. Still we found no documents concerning Jesus, and Jona's journey to Tadmor with his two wives was, as far as Jesus and the Goddess of Galilee were concerned, a complete failure.Unless his many evenings spent with me, relating the disjointed traditional reminiscences concerning Mary Magdalene, satisfies others as it does me of the heroic, unremitting zeal of woman when clouds of sorrow overshadow the day.
In parting from my Bedouin friends I shook hands with the three, and got one more good squeeze from Jona's disobedient Fatima. Then, according to Oriental custom, Jona hugged and kissed me. Females of the desert who are not Mohammedans are accustomed to kiss at will, the same as the men do. Jona was a kind-hearted, truthful old Arab. His wife's affection for me was pure desire for soul liberty, like a bird confined in a cage while other birds play in the trees.
MARY MAGDALENEWhile the orb of day is kissing a fond adieu to the Syrina highland which overlooks the great city Tandmor with its two million inhabitants, two sojourners from the far East, with their usual escort, turn in beside the fast flowing stream of hot water which still gushed forth from under the once beautiful city of the desert.The fleet and pack animals gently kneel to be relieved of their burden, for even the patient ships of the desert become weary on their long journeys over the trackless, sand blown wilds.Long after the hum of the city had ceased and the silence above had thrown its dark mantle over the sleeping face of nature, we sat by the babbling brook discussing the strange report, which for nearly two years had been heralded from the vine clad hills of Canaan, to the effect that one Jesus of Nazareth, a carpenter, was imbued with spiritual power to the extent that he was healing all manner of diseases, and of late had raised a damsel twelve years old from the dead.Next day, while crossing the Desert of Hor, we could see Tandmor when twenty miles away, and on the fifth day we reached Palestine. The evening we arrived at Capernaum we found the west shore of the Sea of Galilee from the ford of the Jordan north to the hot springs of Tiberias, south, as well as the western hillside, literally strewn with groups of wise men from different partsof the world, together with the high and low of the Hebrew clan.As Magdala and Capernaum seemed to be the center of attraction, we staked our tent near, and soon learned that Jesus, the Wonderful, was a guest of one Simon, a fisherman, while his kindred were being cared for by relatives and friends of the family.Scribes from the South and far East were comparing notes and discussing His latest miracle of stilling the tempest, of which there was an abundance of proof that the storm, which was raging on Galilee, had subsided almost immediately, but as to Jesus having been the cause, there was a diversity of opinion. Many thought Jesus was mad or beside himself, while others said, "Has not God, in all ages past, at times, awakened the people in mysterious ways?"Others, among whom were the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem, declared him to be possessed with the devil, through which he healed the sick, fed the hungry and stilled the waves; and still others declared that his teachings were exclusively spiritual, and not materialistic.i299MARY MAGDALENE. THE HEROIC MAID OF GALILEE.
While the orb of day is kissing a fond adieu to the Syrina highland which overlooks the great city Tandmor with its two million inhabitants, two sojourners from the far East, with their usual escort, turn in beside the fast flowing stream of hot water which still gushed forth from under the once beautiful city of the desert.
The fleet and pack animals gently kneel to be relieved of their burden, for even the patient ships of the desert become weary on their long journeys over the trackless, sand blown wilds.
Long after the hum of the city had ceased and the silence above had thrown its dark mantle over the sleeping face of nature, we sat by the babbling brook discussing the strange report, which for nearly two years had been heralded from the vine clad hills of Canaan, to the effect that one Jesus of Nazareth, a carpenter, was imbued with spiritual power to the extent that he was healing all manner of diseases, and of late had raised a damsel twelve years old from the dead.
Next day, while crossing the Desert of Hor, we could see Tandmor when twenty miles away, and on the fifth day we reached Palestine. The evening we arrived at Capernaum we found the west shore of the Sea of Galilee from the ford of the Jordan north to the hot springs of Tiberias, south, as well as the western hillside, literally strewn with groups of wise men from different partsof the world, together with the high and low of the Hebrew clan.
As Magdala and Capernaum seemed to be the center of attraction, we staked our tent near, and soon learned that Jesus, the Wonderful, was a guest of one Simon, a fisherman, while his kindred were being cared for by relatives and friends of the family.
Scribes from the South and far East were comparing notes and discussing His latest miracle of stilling the tempest, of which there was an abundance of proof that the storm, which was raging on Galilee, had subsided almost immediately, but as to Jesus having been the cause, there was a diversity of opinion. Many thought Jesus was mad or beside himself, while others said, "Has not God, in all ages past, at times, awakened the people in mysterious ways?"
Others, among whom were the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem, declared him to be possessed with the devil, through which he healed the sick, fed the hungry and stilled the waves; and still others declared that his teachings were exclusively spiritual, and not materialistic.
i299
MARY MAGDALENE. THE HEROIC MAID OF GALILEE.
MARY MAGDALENE. THE HEROIC MAID OF GALILEE.
MARY MAGDALENE. THE HEROIC MAID OF GALILEE.
DINA OF ENDORWhile a group of fishermen, who occupied a large black tent, were enlisting followers to the cause and one, called Peter, was exhorting the throng, a woman of the Hebrew tongue was overheard talking to a group of strangers, to whom she said: "I am from Endor, my name is Dina and I have been floating in this great religious wave for more than a year; and I am truly convinced that God, through Jesus, is visiting His people, but why does Jesus not avoid those strangers who are noting down every word He says, to carry home. Another thing seems strange to me, that Jesus, who is from a nice family, should tolerate rascals who never wore a square inch of decency on their hides. Just look at Simon, the old fisherman; that broad shouldered man talking now, whom Jesus named Peter, who was and I suppose is a liar and a toper, whom no one has ever accused of dealing honestly. Then there is Mary Magdalene, who, with her wealthy Aunt Susanna, lives just up there on the hillside. Some say she is a relative of Jesus, perhaps that is because her hair is light, for some of the breed to whom Jesus belongs have auburn hair. But oh, isn't she a diamond in the rough? Why, that maid is a bewitching beauty, graceful as a swan, sometimes as soft as the summer breeze and at other times wilder than a tornado. She was brought up with or near the family of Joseph of Nazareth, came here when about a dozen years old and took the name of Magdalene. Ibelieve, from what I hear, that if that girl faced the Devil he would back down, and yet she has more true admirers, staunch friends, than any maid in Galilee. In fact I, even though I never speak to her, like her myself; but how Jesus, as the Son of God, can bunch her faults and forgive them in one batch, is a puzzle to me.""Why is she called a sinner?" inquired a tall man in a red shirt which came down to his heels."Oh, Jesus says we are all sinners in a certain sense; I suppose he would say she will some day bridle her tongue, but she never will. You see, she has no respect for the customs and rites of the Pharisees, so I suppose it was the orthodox who branded her a sinner, but I have heard that the sisters of Jesus like her, and that of late she has come down from her perch wonderfully.""Do the people actually believe the child of Jarius was dead, or was she possessed by demons?" broke in a keen-eyed observer with a quill over his ear."Oh, I don't know. The people are clamoring for miracles. Magdalene says the resurrection Jesus preaches does not refer to the body. Everyone thought the child was dead, but Jesus said she was not. He talks so much in parable it is hard to understand him. I have listened to Jesus almost every day for nearly two years, he all the time talking about death, and still I and all his friends are confounded as to whether he means death of the body or a state of sin-death, from which condition he can raise those who are naturally dead in sin. I think the report of his having raised that child is what has brought so many here of late, but if I understand Jesus—hush, do you see that tent right here beside us? Those people just came in at dark. James says they are from Tadmor, a sect of scribes once called Rechabites. See,they are noting down every word I say, so I'm glad I haven't said much. Just see old Peter swing his arms and preach; from here, where one cannot hear a word, he would pass for quite a respectable man, yet I heard that when he used to peddle fish all the attractive women turned from him, but he never bothered me, and Jesse, my husband, says it is no wonder, but I tell him if I am not pretty I know enough to keep my mouth shut. Magdalene sums up Peter the quaintest; she says she always manages to get on the side of his cock eye so he cannot wink at her."James and John, the two brothers who are with Jesus, are fine fellows, in fact I have heard that John wants to marry Magdalene. James, the brother of Jesus, is a man to be admired, in fact all the brothers and sisters of Jesus seem to take after their mother, who, all the folks say, is a bright creature; but the father, Joseph—well, he is dead, and while I never heard a word against him, I should say that his lineage from David was his chief attraction. Jesus, they say, was the real head of the family from the time he was a boy, but I do not think he worked at the carpenter trade very much. At an early age he served at the feet of the noted scribes and priests, through which he virtually became a support of the family, for, as an instructor, he was unequaled. Even at the Sanhedrim his opinion had weight until he took this religious turn, when his former friends became his enemies.""How could Jesus have tolerated the doings of those he now so bitterly opposes?" inquired a bystander."Oh, I do not know, possibly he was studying their real character and now he hits them on their sore spots, but it—there—there—comes Jesus now, that tall man,come close so you can hear him and you will believe every word he says. Oh there, they are sending us out so they can be alone—dear me, let us meet again tomorrow so I can tell you a little of the news; but as I said, I am not a woman who says much and seldom express my opinion."
While a group of fishermen, who occupied a large black tent, were enlisting followers to the cause and one, called Peter, was exhorting the throng, a woman of the Hebrew tongue was overheard talking to a group of strangers, to whom she said: "I am from Endor, my name is Dina and I have been floating in this great religious wave for more than a year; and I am truly convinced that God, through Jesus, is visiting His people, but why does Jesus not avoid those strangers who are noting down every word He says, to carry home. Another thing seems strange to me, that Jesus, who is from a nice family, should tolerate rascals who never wore a square inch of decency on their hides. Just look at Simon, the old fisherman; that broad shouldered man talking now, whom Jesus named Peter, who was and I suppose is a liar and a toper, whom no one has ever accused of dealing honestly. Then there is Mary Magdalene, who, with her wealthy Aunt Susanna, lives just up there on the hillside. Some say she is a relative of Jesus, perhaps that is because her hair is light, for some of the breed to whom Jesus belongs have auburn hair. But oh, isn't she a diamond in the rough? Why, that maid is a bewitching beauty, graceful as a swan, sometimes as soft as the summer breeze and at other times wilder than a tornado. She was brought up with or near the family of Joseph of Nazareth, came here when about a dozen years old and took the name of Magdalene. Ibelieve, from what I hear, that if that girl faced the Devil he would back down, and yet she has more true admirers, staunch friends, than any maid in Galilee. In fact I, even though I never speak to her, like her myself; but how Jesus, as the Son of God, can bunch her faults and forgive them in one batch, is a puzzle to me."
"Why is she called a sinner?" inquired a tall man in a red shirt which came down to his heels.
"Oh, Jesus says we are all sinners in a certain sense; I suppose he would say she will some day bridle her tongue, but she never will. You see, she has no respect for the customs and rites of the Pharisees, so I suppose it was the orthodox who branded her a sinner, but I have heard that the sisters of Jesus like her, and that of late she has come down from her perch wonderfully."
"Do the people actually believe the child of Jarius was dead, or was she possessed by demons?" broke in a keen-eyed observer with a quill over his ear.
"Oh, I don't know. The people are clamoring for miracles. Magdalene says the resurrection Jesus preaches does not refer to the body. Everyone thought the child was dead, but Jesus said she was not. He talks so much in parable it is hard to understand him. I have listened to Jesus almost every day for nearly two years, he all the time talking about death, and still I and all his friends are confounded as to whether he means death of the body or a state of sin-death, from which condition he can raise those who are naturally dead in sin. I think the report of his having raised that child is what has brought so many here of late, but if I understand Jesus—hush, do you see that tent right here beside us? Those people just came in at dark. James says they are from Tadmor, a sect of scribes once called Rechabites. See,they are noting down every word I say, so I'm glad I haven't said much. Just see old Peter swing his arms and preach; from here, where one cannot hear a word, he would pass for quite a respectable man, yet I heard that when he used to peddle fish all the attractive women turned from him, but he never bothered me, and Jesse, my husband, says it is no wonder, but I tell him if I am not pretty I know enough to keep my mouth shut. Magdalene sums up Peter the quaintest; she says she always manages to get on the side of his cock eye so he cannot wink at her.
"James and John, the two brothers who are with Jesus, are fine fellows, in fact I have heard that John wants to marry Magdalene. James, the brother of Jesus, is a man to be admired, in fact all the brothers and sisters of Jesus seem to take after their mother, who, all the folks say, is a bright creature; but the father, Joseph—well, he is dead, and while I never heard a word against him, I should say that his lineage from David was his chief attraction. Jesus, they say, was the real head of the family from the time he was a boy, but I do not think he worked at the carpenter trade very much. At an early age he served at the feet of the noted scribes and priests, through which he virtually became a support of the family, for, as an instructor, he was unequaled. Even at the Sanhedrim his opinion had weight until he took this religious turn, when his former friends became his enemies."
"How could Jesus have tolerated the doings of those he now so bitterly opposes?" inquired a bystander.
"Oh, I do not know, possibly he was studying their real character and now he hits them on their sore spots, but it—there—there—comes Jesus now, that tall man,come close so you can hear him and you will believe every word he says. Oh there, they are sending us out so they can be alone—dear me, let us meet again tomorrow so I can tell you a little of the news; but as I said, I am not a woman who says much and seldom express my opinion."
THE HOME OF MAGDALENE"Magdalene, why are you so restless, and why gazing so intently at the stormy sea; has anything crossed your path, dear?""Oh, Aunt Susanna, I was just watching the tumbling waves of Old Galilee and I envy them the peace they enjoy, for soon they will lie down to sleep, but there is no rest for your poor, wayward Magdalene.""You are not bad, Mary, your beauty has made you gay and your vanity presses hard upon your virtue, but you have never stooped. All you require is time and patience.""Time, why I am twenty-two gone and I doubt if twenty-two million of years would mellow me down to your soft nature. Often I try to be mild and keep my promise so often made to Jesus, and first I know I am facing all kinds of difficulties with a rebuff and then I am too proud to own up that I am sorry.""Did you hear Jesus talk in the synagogue today?""Yes, I was there this morning and that is why I am so upset. You know I was ever with him and his sisters, especially Ruth, until I came to you, but since he began to preach I have avoided him. Well, he caught me this morning and spoke so kindly that I felt the old child-love coming back. Seeing so many of my Nazareth friends and Jesus talking so strangely I began to cry and might have joined them had not Simon, our old fish peddler, approached me and began hinting at my waywardnessand talking about miracles. Then I flared up and said, 'Really, Peter (that is what they call him now), you do not say you have repented—if you have, and it goes deep enough to make you give honest weight on fish, I should say Jesus has performed a miracle, indeed.' Then he broke in by saying, 'Maggie,' but I checked him on the spot and said, 'Call me Magdalene. I am no little girl, I am a lady.' Then he kind of twisted his jaw as he used to when he cried, 'Fish—fish,' and asked if I was sure, and I told him he had better keep on seeking shelter against the day of wrath to come. Then as Jesus came near the anger seemed to leave me and I could have knelt and kissed his feet.""Whose feet, Mary?""Whose do you suppose?" Then the proud girl bit her lip in scorn.A moment silence, and Aunty continued, "What do you think of Jesus?""Why, really, I do not know what to think; probably I am not as good a judge as one who has not known him for he was always ready to help Ruth and me out of our embarrassing predicaments, of which there were many, for you know Ruth and I were hand in hand in mischief. One day she and I—say Aunty, there comes John, what do you suppose he wants?"
"Magdalene, why are you so restless, and why gazing so intently at the stormy sea; has anything crossed your path, dear?"
"Oh, Aunt Susanna, I was just watching the tumbling waves of Old Galilee and I envy them the peace they enjoy, for soon they will lie down to sleep, but there is no rest for your poor, wayward Magdalene."
"You are not bad, Mary, your beauty has made you gay and your vanity presses hard upon your virtue, but you have never stooped. All you require is time and patience."
"Time, why I am twenty-two gone and I doubt if twenty-two million of years would mellow me down to your soft nature. Often I try to be mild and keep my promise so often made to Jesus, and first I know I am facing all kinds of difficulties with a rebuff and then I am too proud to own up that I am sorry."
"Did you hear Jesus talk in the synagogue today?"
"Yes, I was there this morning and that is why I am so upset. You know I was ever with him and his sisters, especially Ruth, until I came to you, but since he began to preach I have avoided him. Well, he caught me this morning and spoke so kindly that I felt the old child-love coming back. Seeing so many of my Nazareth friends and Jesus talking so strangely I began to cry and might have joined them had not Simon, our old fish peddler, approached me and began hinting at my waywardnessand talking about miracles. Then I flared up and said, 'Really, Peter (that is what they call him now), you do not say you have repented—if you have, and it goes deep enough to make you give honest weight on fish, I should say Jesus has performed a miracle, indeed.' Then he broke in by saying, 'Maggie,' but I checked him on the spot and said, 'Call me Magdalene. I am no little girl, I am a lady.' Then he kind of twisted his jaw as he used to when he cried, 'Fish—fish,' and asked if I was sure, and I told him he had better keep on seeking shelter against the day of wrath to come. Then as Jesus came near the anger seemed to leave me and I could have knelt and kissed his feet."
"Whose feet, Mary?"
"Whose do you suppose?" Then the proud girl bit her lip in scorn.
A moment silence, and Aunty continued, "What do you think of Jesus?"
"Why, really, I do not know what to think; probably I am not as good a judge as one who has not known him for he was always ready to help Ruth and me out of our embarrassing predicaments, of which there were many, for you know Ruth and I were hand in hand in mischief. One day she and I—say Aunty, there comes John, what do you suppose he wants?"
JOHN AND MAGDALENEAunt Susanna fluttered some at John's approach, for, although a daily playmate with Magdalene, he seldom appeared in their garden now. "I am glad to see you, John. You used to run in, when a boy, and why do you not come oftener now?"John laughingly replied, while greeting Magdalene, "Since I have become so big that Lena cannot box me around handy, I thought the enjoyment of my presence, especially for her—""Now, John," broke in Magdalene, as she solidly planked herself on the couch beside him, "First, you've been here more than forty times since that evening, and next, did you not deserve a good box on your ear when you tied the straw to our dog's tail?""I was just playing Sampson.""How did you like my playing Sampson, when I boxed your ears?""I just enjoyed it.""You did not; if you had you would not remember it.""I did.""Now, John," said the peaceful aunty, "you must confine yourself to the truth; you know I have always held you up as a model young man.""John," said Magdalene, as she touched him on the shoulder.John turned, and looking her quizzically in the face,said, "Do you remember, Lena, that the trouble that day all ended with you and I eating bread and honey and then your going part way home with me, hugging and kissing me all the way. Now do you wonder at my enjoyment?"She smilingly replied, "What a pity it is that handsome boys grow up to be such ugly men. Just play you are a boy again and set fire to the dog's tail once more. I dare you to do it.""Oh, Lena," he said, as he turned the conversation, "do you buy your fish of Simon yet?"Springing to her feet, her eyes sparkling, she said, "Honestly, John, I would rather go to hell with you than to heaven with old Simon."John looked admiringly at the stately figure before him, as he calmly said, "Why, Lena."After time for reflection, Magdalene again seated herself beside him, dropping her head on his shoulder weeping, and while Aunt Susanna came and kissed away the tears, she with difficulty continued, "If you only knew how I hated some people, without cause, and loved others who do not love me, you would pity me. Old Peter has his virtues and I know it."After the storm had passed, Magdalene laughingly inquired, "Now, John, did you actually come over to see Aunty, or did you come to see me?"John declared it was both, but the business end of the call was bread. Then it was soon arranged that Aunt Susanna should furnish ten loaves each day as long as the followers of Jesus remained at the Lake."His apparent communion with God," continued John, "has so startled the world that many are coming out of curiosity. Tomorrow, being Sabbath, he will preach inthe synagogue and we hope the spies from Jerusalem will not interfere.""Truly, John," inquired Aunt Susanna, "do you believe in him? Magdalene, answer the door call."
Aunt Susanna fluttered some at John's approach, for, although a daily playmate with Magdalene, he seldom appeared in their garden now. "I am glad to see you, John. You used to run in, when a boy, and why do you not come oftener now?"
John laughingly replied, while greeting Magdalene, "Since I have become so big that Lena cannot box me around handy, I thought the enjoyment of my presence, especially for her—"
"Now, John," broke in Magdalene, as she solidly planked herself on the couch beside him, "First, you've been here more than forty times since that evening, and next, did you not deserve a good box on your ear when you tied the straw to our dog's tail?"
"I was just playing Sampson."
"How did you like my playing Sampson, when I boxed your ears?"
"I just enjoyed it."
"You did not; if you had you would not remember it."
"I did."
"Now, John," said the peaceful aunty, "you must confine yourself to the truth; you know I have always held you up as a model young man."
"John," said Magdalene, as she touched him on the shoulder.
John turned, and looking her quizzically in the face,said, "Do you remember, Lena, that the trouble that day all ended with you and I eating bread and honey and then your going part way home with me, hugging and kissing me all the way. Now do you wonder at my enjoyment?"
She smilingly replied, "What a pity it is that handsome boys grow up to be such ugly men. Just play you are a boy again and set fire to the dog's tail once more. I dare you to do it."
"Oh, Lena," he said, as he turned the conversation, "do you buy your fish of Simon yet?"
Springing to her feet, her eyes sparkling, she said, "Honestly, John, I would rather go to hell with you than to heaven with old Simon."
John looked admiringly at the stately figure before him, as he calmly said, "Why, Lena."
After time for reflection, Magdalene again seated herself beside him, dropping her head on his shoulder weeping, and while Aunt Susanna came and kissed away the tears, she with difficulty continued, "If you only knew how I hated some people, without cause, and loved others who do not love me, you would pity me. Old Peter has his virtues and I know it."
After the storm had passed, Magdalene laughingly inquired, "Now, John, did you actually come over to see Aunty, or did you come to see me?"
John declared it was both, but the business end of the call was bread. Then it was soon arranged that Aunt Susanna should furnish ten loaves each day as long as the followers of Jesus remained at the Lake.
"His apparent communion with God," continued John, "has so startled the world that many are coming out of curiosity. Tomorrow, being Sabbath, he will preach inthe synagogue and we hope the spies from Jerusalem will not interfere."
"Truly, John," inquired Aunt Susanna, "do you believe in him? Magdalene, answer the door call."
RUTHAunt Susanna and John listened that they might recognize the voice when Magdalene exclaimed, "Oh, Ruth—Ruth, you dear sweet girl, why did you keep me waiting so long?" And Ruth after embracing Magdalene ran and kissed Aunt Susanna and then with a low courtsey begged John to pardon her rudeness, for which John complied and said, "I saw you with your folks today, but I did not dare approach for you all looked so nervous that I feared a break-down."Ruth turned a distant glance as the large tears trickled down her cheeks, when Magdalene placed her fair arm around the waist of her life-long friend, softly saying, "Do not weep, Ruth, everybody loves you," to which the sad girl replied, "We do all feel so strange; no one thought it would ever come to this.""Ruth," began Aunt Susanna, "anxiety will make you all sick; now be calm and let me plan. You and Magdalene must enter the garden while it is twilight, and Magdalene do not fail to show her the baby birds in the lilac bushes. You, John, however much you wish, cannot go with them, for I have a duty for you. While I light the fire for hot cakes and honey you must run down to Capernaum and bring Jesus, his mother and all the family up here to dine, and stop with us until morning. Ruth will sleep with Magdalene, her mother with me and Jesus on the couch. We have heaps of rugs so others can lie down where they please. If you like, John, you can stay also, for I know you like to be with Jesus.""Really, Aunt Susanna," broke in Ruth, "I have been here so much.""Now, Ruth, not a word from you. During the time Magdalene has lived with me, I do not think you have made her what might be called ten good visits, and Magdalene has been to Nazareth about forty times. Besides, everytime she comes home I hear nothing but Ruth, Ruth, so I conclude she is at your home most of the time.""Aunt Susanna," said John, as he raised to go."John," ejaculated Magdalene as she seized him by the arm, "You're not going until you have seen our garden; it will not hinder you three minutes."John did not seem anxious to release himself from her grasp, but responded, "I must obey your Aunty's command." Then turning to Aunty he continued, "Please do not bake the cakes until I return, for I think they are all fixed for the night. Jesus is stopping with Peter's wife's mother and—""Peter," exclaimed Magdalene, as she turned her saucy nose to one side and elevated her chin."Ruth," said John, as arm in arm with the two girls they turned to the garden, "can you abide Magdalene without obeying her commands?"Ruth seeming to forget her troubles, laughingly replied, "Oh, I see your predicament, John, but you know the wise do control the weak."Then as Magdalene let go his arm and squared herself saucily before him in the attitude of wisdom, she said, "Now, John, own up that you wish you had not asked Ruth that question," to which John mumbled something about all girls being alike, at which Magdalene again flared up and accused him of not being capable of appreciating select company, and then they all laughed.
Aunt Susanna and John listened that they might recognize the voice when Magdalene exclaimed, "Oh, Ruth—Ruth, you dear sweet girl, why did you keep me waiting so long?" And Ruth after embracing Magdalene ran and kissed Aunt Susanna and then with a low courtsey begged John to pardon her rudeness, for which John complied and said, "I saw you with your folks today, but I did not dare approach for you all looked so nervous that I feared a break-down."
Ruth turned a distant glance as the large tears trickled down her cheeks, when Magdalene placed her fair arm around the waist of her life-long friend, softly saying, "Do not weep, Ruth, everybody loves you," to which the sad girl replied, "We do all feel so strange; no one thought it would ever come to this."
"Ruth," began Aunt Susanna, "anxiety will make you all sick; now be calm and let me plan. You and Magdalene must enter the garden while it is twilight, and Magdalene do not fail to show her the baby birds in the lilac bushes. You, John, however much you wish, cannot go with them, for I have a duty for you. While I light the fire for hot cakes and honey you must run down to Capernaum and bring Jesus, his mother and all the family up here to dine, and stop with us until morning. Ruth will sleep with Magdalene, her mother with me and Jesus on the couch. We have heaps of rugs so others can lie down where they please. If you like, John, you can stay also, for I know you like to be with Jesus."
"Really, Aunt Susanna," broke in Ruth, "I have been here so much."
"Now, Ruth, not a word from you. During the time Magdalene has lived with me, I do not think you have made her what might be called ten good visits, and Magdalene has been to Nazareth about forty times. Besides, everytime she comes home I hear nothing but Ruth, Ruth, so I conclude she is at your home most of the time."
"Aunt Susanna," said John, as he raised to go.
"John," ejaculated Magdalene as she seized him by the arm, "You're not going until you have seen our garden; it will not hinder you three minutes."
John did not seem anxious to release himself from her grasp, but responded, "I must obey your Aunty's command." Then turning to Aunty he continued, "Please do not bake the cakes until I return, for I think they are all fixed for the night. Jesus is stopping with Peter's wife's mother and—"
"Peter," exclaimed Magdalene, as she turned her saucy nose to one side and elevated her chin.
"Ruth," said John, as arm in arm with the two girls they turned to the garden, "can you abide Magdalene without obeying her commands?"
Ruth seeming to forget her troubles, laughingly replied, "Oh, I see your predicament, John, but you know the wise do control the weak."
Then as Magdalene let go his arm and squared herself saucily before him in the attitude of wisdom, she said, "Now, John, own up that you wish you had not asked Ruth that question," to which John mumbled something about all girls being alike, at which Magdalene again flared up and accused him of not being capable of appreciating select company, and then they all laughed.
DARKNESS OVER GALILEEJohn has returned home; Jesus is asleep in the home of Simon's mother-in-law; Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her children, save Jesus and Ruth, are sleeping under their little open tent shelter on the pebbled beach. Every lodging in Tiberias, Magdala, Bethsaida and Capernaum is occupied by strangers, while more than ten thousand souls overcome by fatigue have tonight lopped down in groups here and there upon the shore of the renowned inland lake, the Sea of Galilee.The evening star has disappeared beyond the western hills, while spangled Orion and the Pleiades sisters seem lingering as though to look down in silent pity on slumbering old Nazareth, whose religious zealots have thrust out in bitter scorn the man whose lamp of light will shine upon the mysterious way called Death, when other lights have all grown dim.It is now after midnight. Ruth and Magdalene are in fond embrace, while Aunt Susanna on a reclining divan amid a profusion of pretty rugs and bolstering pillows is plying questions to Ruth concerning her brother, Jesus."Ruth, how long has it been since your brother began to talk this way?""Really, Aunt, I cannot say. He has practically been the head of our family since before father died. He always seemed to know if a sick person was going to get well, but, of course, as Lena knows, he said and did many things that we did not notice then, which look strangeto us now. I remember one time when we were small we all went over to Saffuriyeh to spend the day with mother's folks, and while going over, he said to us that we must all be kind to grandpa for we would never see him again, and he did die in a few days.""Did he ever call himself the son of God?""Oh, no, we never thought of such a thing, but he often spoke of God as my father instead of our father. The first time we noticed anything unusual was when he, with a lot of other men, went to the Jordan, near Jerusalem, to be baptized by a man named John. When they returned home, he was preaching different from what he used to preach. Of course, as mother says, he may have had divine aid all along and not told us, nor even understood it himself.""Did your mother love him better than she did you younger children?""Certainly she did. You do not think she would like gusts of emotion like Lena and me as well as she did a fatherly man like Jesus. Why, Aunt Susanna, everyone loved Jesus until that old bigoted gang of priests got after him.""I wish I was God," broke in Magdalene, "wouldn't I jerk those priests out of their phylactery garments and put them to grinding in the mill? I should say everyone does love Jesus, he won my heart when I was 6 years old, and I would love him yet if he would shake up old Peter.""Why, Magdalene.""Oh, Aunty, you know I do not mean just what I say, but let me go on with my story of love. One afternoon when we were all up on the commons, they gotup a race between me and Delila, from the spring. You know, Ruth, I was swift,—awful swift.""And you are fleetly still," chimed in Aunt Susanna."Oh, yes, Ruth, she refers to a race about two years ago when someone brought in a Greek courier to run with me and I showed him my heels before a crowd of over two thousand people. Now I will begin back on my love story: One afternoon when we were all up on the commons, they got up a race between Delila and me. She was an inch taller and a year older than I. So well do I remember when we were waiting for the signal and I was so confident of winning, but we had not gone far before I discovered I had my match. If we had had twenty steps more to run I would have won, but as it was they all cried Delila—Delila, when Jesus caught me up in his arms and said, 'Now, Mary (you know he always calls me Mary), would you not rather be called the sweetest girl than the faster runner?' Then, after he had wiped the tears and gotten me to laughing, he said, 'I want you to do something for me, will you?' and I said, 'Yes, you know I will, what is it?' 'I want you to go over to Delila and say, "When my legs get as long as yours I will race you again."' 'I will not,' said I. Then he turned and looked the other way, but I shook his hand and said, 'Do you hear me? I say I will not go near the old thing.' Then he turned and spoke as he often spake, 'Why, Mary.' I stood a moment and then dropped my elevated chin, let go of his hand and ran to Delila and told her just what he told me to, and she laughingly said, 'You would have won anyhow if you had not stumbled at the start.' So we began talking and both went back to Jesus, who bought us a piece of melon, and he laughed when weate it by one taking a bite and then the other, until it was gone.""Do you know," inquired Ruth, "that Delila has married that rich man who had been a leper and they are living in Bethany, near Jerusalem? Jesus told me only a few days ago about two sisters in Bethany, Mary and Martha, who are relatives of Simon and live near him with their brother Lazarus. Simon has a beautiful home, where our folks, when at Jerusalem, go over and stay nights. Joseph of Aramathaea and Nicodemus are often there, they help Jesus in many ways, always giving him money and a place to stay. Jesus said he is going back to Jerusalem again, but mother and all of us are trying to persuade him not to do so. If he does, and we all go, will you both go with us? Mother wants to know.""I think we will," replied Aunt Susanna, and so they talked on until the golden dawn awoke the little songsters, who sang the three to sleep on the hillside by the sea."Do you know, Lena," said Ruth, as they were walking in the twilight, "that mother thinks I had better not go to Jerusalem. She says only she and James will follow Jesus, for if we all go the rabbis may burn our home.""I have heard that, Ruth, for some time. Some influence caused me to think that way, but I did not mention it. Say, Ruth, why do people call me a sinner and say I am possessed with devils?""Why, Lena, they call Jesus the same. That is an epithet applied to all who do not conform to the orthodox faith. Jesus says everybody is tempted by devils and that God, through Him, casts them out. You know you have never allied yourself to any faith.""Do you think that is necessary, Ruth?""You can see," she replied, hesitatingly, "that Jesusapproves of that course. Kneeling and kissing the feet is considered an open confession. Have you ever spoken to Jesus about it?""Yes, I have, and he seemed to avoid me by asking if I loved those who did not love me, and you know I can never love Peter." The sad girl looked upon the ground in a brown study, and then continued: "Is that which one cannot control sinful?"Ruth did not reply and Magdalene bit her lip nervously as she murmured, "Oh, if I could only get rid of this temper of mine. So long have I loved Jesus, and I know he loves poor me and wants to forgive my sins. Am I one of those whom he talked about the other day? Will he be ashamed of me when he comes into his kingdom?" Mary Magdalene turned her gaze. Her soul was wandering far away into the future. She was thinking of the day, not so far distant, when her earthly eyes would be closed to those familiar Galilean hills. The storm was fast gathering, her poor heart was aching, but still she stood aloof, trying to suppress the love she should impart. Ruth took in the situation and placing her arm around the troubled maid turned the conversation and talked softly of what might take place tomorrow.As the morning sun gleamed from over the Syrian desert, touching the hilltops, the song birds in the olive orchards and oak groves began chiming their sinless melodies, regardless of the throng, now stirring themselves and lighting fires here and there in the great camp around the renowned Sea of Galilee.Facing the camp stood the quaint old temple of Capernaum, in which Jesus had been teaching for several days. Probably the sun never rose on a more curious throng than those who lodged in open air, under blankets, andin tents along the western shore, while Jesus lingered in and about Capernaum. Healing the sick and casting out devils had been practiced by all nations and tribes since the advent of tradition, but when sojourners from Mesopotamia, Syria, and Egypt returned home to announce that a man in Galilee had for two years been preaching that he as the Savior of the world had come from God to heal the sick, cure the deaf and blind, cast out devils and raise the dead, wise men began to gather in Galilee until now an immense throng were gathered near the childhood home of Jesus.A group of large, broad, bullet-headed men from Nineveh, who styled themselves the descendants of Jona, had just arrived. Their roomy camel-hair knee breeches and dawn-like smile betokened that their object was information and not criticism.Pharaoh's land was represented by a small caravan of Egyptians attired in professional habits, who had chosen quarters near a group of Persian cameleers, whose very equipment, both of man and beast, seemed to blend in soft Oriental shades. The peculiarity of these two groups of doctors was that while listening attentively they expressed no opinion.Groups of scribes, Turks, Persians, Arabs and Indians were closely noting all events connected with Jesus and his followers, but took no part in the discussions of the Jews, who everywhere nervously discussed the effect of his teachings.The scribes, Pharisees and priests who disdainfully ignored his claim, were worried that so many of their people were following him, especially as the edict had gone forth that any one who professed Jesus to be the Christ should be expelled from the synagogue.
John has returned home; Jesus is asleep in the home of Simon's mother-in-law; Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her children, save Jesus and Ruth, are sleeping under their little open tent shelter on the pebbled beach. Every lodging in Tiberias, Magdala, Bethsaida and Capernaum is occupied by strangers, while more than ten thousand souls overcome by fatigue have tonight lopped down in groups here and there upon the shore of the renowned inland lake, the Sea of Galilee.
The evening star has disappeared beyond the western hills, while spangled Orion and the Pleiades sisters seem lingering as though to look down in silent pity on slumbering old Nazareth, whose religious zealots have thrust out in bitter scorn the man whose lamp of light will shine upon the mysterious way called Death, when other lights have all grown dim.
It is now after midnight. Ruth and Magdalene are in fond embrace, while Aunt Susanna on a reclining divan amid a profusion of pretty rugs and bolstering pillows is plying questions to Ruth concerning her brother, Jesus.
"Ruth, how long has it been since your brother began to talk this way?"
"Really, Aunt, I cannot say. He has practically been the head of our family since before father died. He always seemed to know if a sick person was going to get well, but, of course, as Lena knows, he said and did many things that we did not notice then, which look strangeto us now. I remember one time when we were small we all went over to Saffuriyeh to spend the day with mother's folks, and while going over, he said to us that we must all be kind to grandpa for we would never see him again, and he did die in a few days."
"Did he ever call himself the son of God?"
"Oh, no, we never thought of such a thing, but he often spoke of God as my father instead of our father. The first time we noticed anything unusual was when he, with a lot of other men, went to the Jordan, near Jerusalem, to be baptized by a man named John. When they returned home, he was preaching different from what he used to preach. Of course, as mother says, he may have had divine aid all along and not told us, nor even understood it himself."
"Did your mother love him better than she did you younger children?"
"Certainly she did. You do not think she would like gusts of emotion like Lena and me as well as she did a fatherly man like Jesus. Why, Aunt Susanna, everyone loved Jesus until that old bigoted gang of priests got after him."
"I wish I was God," broke in Magdalene, "wouldn't I jerk those priests out of their phylactery garments and put them to grinding in the mill? I should say everyone does love Jesus, he won my heart when I was 6 years old, and I would love him yet if he would shake up old Peter."
"Why, Magdalene."
"Oh, Aunty, you know I do not mean just what I say, but let me go on with my story of love. One afternoon when we were all up on the commons, they gotup a race between me and Delila, from the spring. You know, Ruth, I was swift,—awful swift."
"And you are fleetly still," chimed in Aunt Susanna.
"Oh, yes, Ruth, she refers to a race about two years ago when someone brought in a Greek courier to run with me and I showed him my heels before a crowd of over two thousand people. Now I will begin back on my love story: One afternoon when we were all up on the commons, they got up a race between Delila and me. She was an inch taller and a year older than I. So well do I remember when we were waiting for the signal and I was so confident of winning, but we had not gone far before I discovered I had my match. If we had had twenty steps more to run I would have won, but as it was they all cried Delila—Delila, when Jesus caught me up in his arms and said, 'Now, Mary (you know he always calls me Mary), would you not rather be called the sweetest girl than the faster runner?' Then, after he had wiped the tears and gotten me to laughing, he said, 'I want you to do something for me, will you?' and I said, 'Yes, you know I will, what is it?' 'I want you to go over to Delila and say, "When my legs get as long as yours I will race you again."' 'I will not,' said I. Then he turned and looked the other way, but I shook his hand and said, 'Do you hear me? I say I will not go near the old thing.' Then he turned and spoke as he often spake, 'Why, Mary.' I stood a moment and then dropped my elevated chin, let go of his hand and ran to Delila and told her just what he told me to, and she laughingly said, 'You would have won anyhow if you had not stumbled at the start.' So we began talking and both went back to Jesus, who bought us a piece of melon, and he laughed when weate it by one taking a bite and then the other, until it was gone."
"Do you know," inquired Ruth, "that Delila has married that rich man who had been a leper and they are living in Bethany, near Jerusalem? Jesus told me only a few days ago about two sisters in Bethany, Mary and Martha, who are relatives of Simon and live near him with their brother Lazarus. Simon has a beautiful home, where our folks, when at Jerusalem, go over and stay nights. Joseph of Aramathaea and Nicodemus are often there, they help Jesus in many ways, always giving him money and a place to stay. Jesus said he is going back to Jerusalem again, but mother and all of us are trying to persuade him not to do so. If he does, and we all go, will you both go with us? Mother wants to know."
"I think we will," replied Aunt Susanna, and so they talked on until the golden dawn awoke the little songsters, who sang the three to sleep on the hillside by the sea.
"Do you know, Lena," said Ruth, as they were walking in the twilight, "that mother thinks I had better not go to Jerusalem. She says only she and James will follow Jesus, for if we all go the rabbis may burn our home."
"I have heard that, Ruth, for some time. Some influence caused me to think that way, but I did not mention it. Say, Ruth, why do people call me a sinner and say I am possessed with devils?"
"Why, Lena, they call Jesus the same. That is an epithet applied to all who do not conform to the orthodox faith. Jesus says everybody is tempted by devils and that God, through Him, casts them out. You know you have never allied yourself to any faith."
"Do you think that is necessary, Ruth?"
"You can see," she replied, hesitatingly, "that Jesusapproves of that course. Kneeling and kissing the feet is considered an open confession. Have you ever spoken to Jesus about it?"
"Yes, I have, and he seemed to avoid me by asking if I loved those who did not love me, and you know I can never love Peter." The sad girl looked upon the ground in a brown study, and then continued: "Is that which one cannot control sinful?"
Ruth did not reply and Magdalene bit her lip nervously as she murmured, "Oh, if I could only get rid of this temper of mine. So long have I loved Jesus, and I know he loves poor me and wants to forgive my sins. Am I one of those whom he talked about the other day? Will he be ashamed of me when he comes into his kingdom?" Mary Magdalene turned her gaze. Her soul was wandering far away into the future. She was thinking of the day, not so far distant, when her earthly eyes would be closed to those familiar Galilean hills. The storm was fast gathering, her poor heart was aching, but still she stood aloof, trying to suppress the love she should impart. Ruth took in the situation and placing her arm around the troubled maid turned the conversation and talked softly of what might take place tomorrow.
As the morning sun gleamed from over the Syrian desert, touching the hilltops, the song birds in the olive orchards and oak groves began chiming their sinless melodies, regardless of the throng, now stirring themselves and lighting fires here and there in the great camp around the renowned Sea of Galilee.
Facing the camp stood the quaint old temple of Capernaum, in which Jesus had been teaching for several days. Probably the sun never rose on a more curious throng than those who lodged in open air, under blankets, andin tents along the western shore, while Jesus lingered in and about Capernaum. Healing the sick and casting out devils had been practiced by all nations and tribes since the advent of tradition, but when sojourners from Mesopotamia, Syria, and Egypt returned home to announce that a man in Galilee had for two years been preaching that he as the Savior of the world had come from God to heal the sick, cure the deaf and blind, cast out devils and raise the dead, wise men began to gather in Galilee until now an immense throng were gathered near the childhood home of Jesus.
A group of large, broad, bullet-headed men from Nineveh, who styled themselves the descendants of Jona, had just arrived. Their roomy camel-hair knee breeches and dawn-like smile betokened that their object was information and not criticism.
Pharaoh's land was represented by a small caravan of Egyptians attired in professional habits, who had chosen quarters near a group of Persian cameleers, whose very equipment, both of man and beast, seemed to blend in soft Oriental shades. The peculiarity of these two groups of doctors was that while listening attentively they expressed no opinion.
Groups of scribes, Turks, Persians, Arabs and Indians were closely noting all events connected with Jesus and his followers, but took no part in the discussions of the Jews, who everywhere nervously discussed the effect of his teachings.
The scribes, Pharisees and priests who disdainfully ignored his claim, were worried that so many of their people were following him, especially as the edict had gone forth that any one who professed Jesus to be the Christ should be expelled from the synagogue.
SURPRISE FOR THE PHARISEESWhen evening came, a rich Pharisee, knowing that Jesus was having no time to either eat or sleep, and he himself desirous to hear and see him, invited him to his spacious apartments to dine, where he had assembled his friends. As Jesus approached the entrance, Ruth and Magdalene ran spat upon him, when he, taking Magdalene by the hand, smiled and said, "Mary." Then kissed Ruth and passed in as Simon's guest.The recognition of Magdalene had been noticed by Simon and a dark scowl knit his brow, as he mentally connected her with sinful episodes, and thinking Ruth must be a sister of Jesus, he wondered how she tolerated the fearless maid with whom she was associating.Washing feet and fondling hair was a mark of great respect, often paid to illustrious guests, but Simon, knowing Jesus to be weary and hungry, waived all ceremonies, as he bade them sit for the sumptuous repast.After the guests had entered and darkness had dispersed the throng outside, Ruth and Magdalene walked back and forth in front of the entrance, which was a curtained arch through a high wall into a canopy-covered, miniature garden, decked with a profusion of soft rugs on divans with lace-embroidered coverings.As the interesting Jewess walked back and forth, Ruth engaging her in low tones, she, Magdalene, turned quickly and contrary to all customs of her race and times, unceremoniouslytossed back the drapery and stood before the assembly.Dead silence reigned, as the Pharisees gazed upon the bold intruder. A scarf of veil-like appearance hung carelessly over her head of abundant auburn hair rambling over her shoulders, while from a neat dark habit which enclosed her erect form protruded her shapely arms and one extended foot protected by an adorned slipper.Jesus glanced recognition, which encouraged her, and then turned his eyes upon Simon, which seemed to rivit him to the spot, as Magdalene approached with angelic grace and kneeling before Jesus began weeping and kissing his feet.Simon's disdainful look blended into sympathy as he gazed upon the famous beauty, while he hesitated as though he would lay his hand upon her head. Jesus bowed to his impulsive friend, as he called her by the name she bore when a child, and then turning to his host, said, "Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee.""Say on, Master.""There was a certain creditor who had two debtors, the one owed 500 pence and the other 50, and when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both; tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most?""I suppose the one whom he forgave most," was Simon's answer."Thou has rightly judged," and turning to Magdalene, he said, "Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears. Thou gavest me no kiss, but she hath not ceased to kiss my feet, wherefore I say unto thee, her sins are forgiven," and turning to her he said, "Thy faith hath saved thee."Magdalene softly passed out through the curtain way while Simon would gladly have had her remain, and now to her the stars shone more bright than ever before, Ruth's embrace was more dear, while her hatred for poor penitent Peter was quietly passing away.
When evening came, a rich Pharisee, knowing that Jesus was having no time to either eat or sleep, and he himself desirous to hear and see him, invited him to his spacious apartments to dine, where he had assembled his friends. As Jesus approached the entrance, Ruth and Magdalene ran spat upon him, when he, taking Magdalene by the hand, smiled and said, "Mary." Then kissed Ruth and passed in as Simon's guest.
The recognition of Magdalene had been noticed by Simon and a dark scowl knit his brow, as he mentally connected her with sinful episodes, and thinking Ruth must be a sister of Jesus, he wondered how she tolerated the fearless maid with whom she was associating.
Washing feet and fondling hair was a mark of great respect, often paid to illustrious guests, but Simon, knowing Jesus to be weary and hungry, waived all ceremonies, as he bade them sit for the sumptuous repast.
After the guests had entered and darkness had dispersed the throng outside, Ruth and Magdalene walked back and forth in front of the entrance, which was a curtained arch through a high wall into a canopy-covered, miniature garden, decked with a profusion of soft rugs on divans with lace-embroidered coverings.
As the interesting Jewess walked back and forth, Ruth engaging her in low tones, she, Magdalene, turned quickly and contrary to all customs of her race and times, unceremoniouslytossed back the drapery and stood before the assembly.
Dead silence reigned, as the Pharisees gazed upon the bold intruder. A scarf of veil-like appearance hung carelessly over her head of abundant auburn hair rambling over her shoulders, while from a neat dark habit which enclosed her erect form protruded her shapely arms and one extended foot protected by an adorned slipper.
Jesus glanced recognition, which encouraged her, and then turned his eyes upon Simon, which seemed to rivit him to the spot, as Magdalene approached with angelic grace and kneeling before Jesus began weeping and kissing his feet.
Simon's disdainful look blended into sympathy as he gazed upon the famous beauty, while he hesitated as though he would lay his hand upon her head. Jesus bowed to his impulsive friend, as he called her by the name she bore when a child, and then turning to his host, said, "Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee."
"Say on, Master."
"There was a certain creditor who had two debtors, the one owed 500 pence and the other 50, and when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both; tell me, therefore, which of them will love him most?"
"I suppose the one whom he forgave most," was Simon's answer.
"Thou has rightly judged," and turning to Magdalene, he said, "Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet, but she hath washed my feet with tears. Thou gavest me no kiss, but she hath not ceased to kiss my feet, wherefore I say unto thee, her sins are forgiven," and turning to her he said, "Thy faith hath saved thee."
Magdalene softly passed out through the curtain way while Simon would gladly have had her remain, and now to her the stars shone more bright than ever before, Ruth's embrace was more dear, while her hatred for poor penitent Peter was quietly passing away.
COUNCIL OF THE DISCIPLESWhen they arrived at the apostle's tent, Magdalene, in her impulsive manner, ran to Peter, and placing her hand on his shoulder, for a long time engaged him in earnest conversation. No one was more pleased than Peter, whom she had scorned for years, and he was glad to forget all and forgive the dashing maid whom he had often designated as Tornado Mag of Galilee.After the evening meal, which the women had prepared and practically provided, reports were received and commented upon. Thomas overheard a priest declare that if Jesus had blasphemed, he ought to be put to death at once, while John had learned that the Ninevites and Rechabites had declared that God had come to his own, and many of the like for or against were received. All of this James, the brother of Jesus, received coolly and assured them that it would require time for the tumult and confusion to subside, during which time all should deport themselves in an exemplary manner and prepare for the worst, "for," he continued, "in times of old, God often called those He loves, to tread the thorny path, but it must be that the afflicions of our momentary existence cannot be compared with the joys of Eternity. Jesus, you know, has often told us, 'My Kingdom is not of this world,' and true it is that the real life lies beyond this scene of continued death.""James, James," cried Peter, "are we to reap no earthly benefit from this course?""Truly, truly, Peter, if we live the spotless life which Jesus lives our rewards will be great, but God's plan——""Can I speak?" interrupted Ruth, as she raised to her feet."Certainly, certainly," was the reply, as all turned to listen, for the scene was unusual."I do not comprehend the ideas of brother James as I wish I did, but if this work is of God, and His mysterious plan is that we shall suffer defeat in this, our day, in order that the coming generations may rejoice"——"Hear! Hear," cried John, and the men all chimed in "Hear! Hear!" except Peter, who seemed to think that a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush, as he cried:"The Kingdom of Galilee is good enough for me; Ruth may be willing to suffer for the unborn and I am no more afraid of death than she is, but my motto has always been, 'Let everyone die for themselves,' therefore I think the maid from Nazareth is out of order."Peter's self-preservation speech rather upset the maiden's zeal and she came back at him thoughtlessly. "You better make peace with your mother-in-law before you assume to thwart the plans of the Almighty," to which Peter winked his bad eye, but could think of no reply appropriate for the occasion.
When they arrived at the apostle's tent, Magdalene, in her impulsive manner, ran to Peter, and placing her hand on his shoulder, for a long time engaged him in earnest conversation. No one was more pleased than Peter, whom she had scorned for years, and he was glad to forget all and forgive the dashing maid whom he had often designated as Tornado Mag of Galilee.
After the evening meal, which the women had prepared and practically provided, reports were received and commented upon. Thomas overheard a priest declare that if Jesus had blasphemed, he ought to be put to death at once, while John had learned that the Ninevites and Rechabites had declared that God had come to his own, and many of the like for or against were received. All of this James, the brother of Jesus, received coolly and assured them that it would require time for the tumult and confusion to subside, during which time all should deport themselves in an exemplary manner and prepare for the worst, "for," he continued, "in times of old, God often called those He loves, to tread the thorny path, but it must be that the afflicions of our momentary existence cannot be compared with the joys of Eternity. Jesus, you know, has often told us, 'My Kingdom is not of this world,' and true it is that the real life lies beyond this scene of continued death."
"James, James," cried Peter, "are we to reap no earthly benefit from this course?"
"Truly, truly, Peter, if we live the spotless life which Jesus lives our rewards will be great, but God's plan——"
"Can I speak?" interrupted Ruth, as she raised to her feet.
"Certainly, certainly," was the reply, as all turned to listen, for the scene was unusual.
"I do not comprehend the ideas of brother James as I wish I did, but if this work is of God, and His mysterious plan is that we shall suffer defeat in this, our day, in order that the coming generations may rejoice"——
"Hear! Hear," cried John, and the men all chimed in "Hear! Hear!" except Peter, who seemed to think that a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush, as he cried:
"The Kingdom of Galilee is good enough for me; Ruth may be willing to suffer for the unborn and I am no more afraid of death than she is, but my motto has always been, 'Let everyone die for themselves,' therefore I think the maid from Nazareth is out of order."
Peter's self-preservation speech rather upset the maiden's zeal and she came back at him thoughtlessly. "You better make peace with your mother-in-law before you assume to thwart the plans of the Almighty," to which Peter winked his bad eye, but could think of no reply appropriate for the occasion.
TURN OF THE TIDEMonths have passed and again we find Jesus at the home of Peter's mother-in-law in Capernaum. Magdalene and Ruth are serving the women who are lodging at the home of Aunt Susanna. The homes of John, Philip and Matthew are all overcrowded, for the Lord's earthly career is now at its zenith, but tomorrow the doubtful will return home, the venomous will conspire to destroy, while the faithful will try to induce Jesus not to go down to Jerusalem.The next day Jesus, standing in the synagogue, cried, "I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. I came down from Heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me, and this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life."Then the multitude murmured and said: "Why does this man disdain signs and wonders and yet says he came down from Heaven? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James and Joses, and Simon and Judas, and his sisters, are they not all with us?"Continuing, Jesus said: "No man can come to me, except the Father who sent me, draw him; not that any many hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life. My flesh is meat,indeed, and my blood is drink, indeed. Doth this offend you? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you are spirit and are life."Then many of his disciples, when they heard it, said: "This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" and from that time many went back and walked no more with him.
Months have passed and again we find Jesus at the home of Peter's mother-in-law in Capernaum. Magdalene and Ruth are serving the women who are lodging at the home of Aunt Susanna. The homes of John, Philip and Matthew are all overcrowded, for the Lord's earthly career is now at its zenith, but tomorrow the doubtful will return home, the venomous will conspire to destroy, while the faithful will try to induce Jesus not to go down to Jerusalem.
The next day Jesus, standing in the synagogue, cried, "I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. I came down from Heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me, and this is the will of Him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life."
Then the multitude murmured and said: "Why does this man disdain signs and wonders and yet says he came down from Heaven? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James and Joses, and Simon and Judas, and his sisters, are they not all with us?"
Continuing, Jesus said: "No man can come to me, except the Father who sent me, draw him; not that any many hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life. My flesh is meat,indeed, and my blood is drink, indeed. Doth this offend you? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you are spirit and are life."
Then many of his disciples, when they heard it, said: "This is an hard saying; who can hear it?" and from that time many went back and walked no more with him.
MAGDALENE'S HEROIC PLEAEvening lowers its dark mantel over the faithful, as they gather at the home of Aunt Susanna again to discuss and consider the conditions."Where is Jesus?" his mother inquired."He is walking on the shore," replied John. "He requested to be alone."Trembling and pale, Mary, the mother of Jesus, stood and looked down upon the Galilean shore as she murmured, "Oh, how peaceful." Then closing her eyes she continued, "Oh, that this generation was passed." Then Magdalene assisted her to a divan and was whispering softly to her, when James came and caressed her gray locks as he said, "Mother, kiss Magdalene; she is lovely, isn't she?""I," responded Magdalene, "am nothing but a briar," to which James replied, "Roses grow on briars."Around and in Aunt Susanna's home a great crowd of men and women had assembled when Thomas stood up and began, "A strange problem lies before us for solution this day. For more than two years we have followed Jesus and listened to his teachings. We had understood that God, through Jesus, was doing this work. Today the aspect is changed, for he tells us he came forth from God to do God's will. This implies a consciousness of existence in a place he calls Heaven, before he came among men. Some of his most ardent admirers now believe he is beside himself. If such isthe case, we ought to persuade him not to go up to Jerusalem to the feast of the Passover.""Does his sermon on the mount portray derangement of the mind?" broke in Matthew, as he produced a bundle of parchment and began reading: "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.""That is exactly the point," said John. "Either we must deny all, or admit his version of the source of his power. If you observe closely you will find his intimacy with God includes more than faith; it corresponds closely to acquaintance. Notice what he said today, 'Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God.' Then knowing that we could not understand, he followed by saying, 'He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.' The knowledge he possesses we cannot comprehend, and knowing this he simply requires faith."Judas Iscariot, the burly disciple from Beersheba, now arose and after admitting his faith in the Master's claim, began to lay stress on the fact that as so many were falling away, it might be better for all to abandon the cause until such time as Jesus could pacify the Scribes and Pharisees by admitting their prescribed authority.While Judas continued, two men were overheard conversing in an undertone as they looked in at the audience."Do you see that young woman there facing Judas? That is Mary Magdalene.""Really, is that so! I have heard so much about her. I wish I could hear her speak or sing.""Do not worry, you will hear her. See her bite her lip! There is a storm brewing in her soul, and I pity old Jude when she gets the floor.""Does she believe in Jesus?""Believe! I should say she does; she exhorts every evening. That elderly woman beside her is Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the one with her hand on Magdalene's shoulder is Ruth, one of his sisters. Honestly, those two maids have done more thus far to convince the public than all of his sleepy disciples.""She does not look like the tornado of Galilee.""Tornado, nothing! Why, her folks lived near us before she came over here, and I do not believe she ever told a lie in her life, but she has an interesting way of enforcing her opinion. There! There! she has the floor now! Listen!""You, Judas Iscariot," she began, "virtually admit that you have faith in Jesus as to his sanity and that he is the Christ which was to come into the world, and still, for fear of apparent consequences, you advise abandonment. All lives and careers undergo encouraging and discouraging events, today the world enfolds you in her loving arms, tomorrow the cruel cold shoulder is turned, and experience teaches that the rebuff sometimes falls on the worthy, for the world often goes agog. Truly, the multitude is disappearing, thousands will return home on account of this 'Bread-of-life' sermon today, for they do not understand that evolution requires time; that large bodies move slowly. They may be blameless, but you—you, Judas Iscariot—you who have been with him more than two years, are you yet befogged, or are you a coward? Did you today think that Jesus intended to convey the idea that God was a baker and had sent a loaf of bread down to Capernaum, and that he, Jesus, was the loaf? I know you did not. I hope I do not understand you. I hope you are true. I cannot imagine atraitor among us. Oh, how my heart aches. See how low the lights burn tonight! All seems so far away."At this juncture she scowled and looked downwards as though collecting her thoughts, and then continued: "You know that the priests at Jerusalem dread Jesus, thinking that his teachings, if not impeded, will revolutionize the religious world and for this reason they favor a ransom to have him out of the way. Inasmuch as you are aware of this, you can imagine my surprise when today I overheard you with the others say to Jesus, 'Depart then and go into Judaea.'" As she quoted his words she hesitated, biting her lip nervously, then as though a thought struck her, she raised her head smilingly and continued, as she turned from Judas to the audience:"In the upper corner of our garden nearby, one can see an old cactus. Some one sowed the seed from which it sprang before any one of us was born. I used to try to twist and break it when I first came here, for it seemed to cast no blossoms and bear no fruit. Other plants and shrubs blossomed, yielded their fruit, but the old cactus seemed just to live and that was all. One day, as some of you know, Ruth was here and we discovered a bud on it, called the gardener, who decided it was a century plant which might blossom soon, but it did not. Evening after evening all the neighbors came to behold the wonderful blossom which was expected to come forth from the seed sown nearly one hundred years ago. It was so slow that we became discouraged, but at last one evening, when we all stood around, the gardener applied warm water to the roots and in a few moments the largest and most beautiful blossom known to the Orient came forth, and think of it, dear friends, more than fifty years after the one who sowed the seed had gone to his long home."Today the seed of life is being sown in the hilly land of Old Canaan, the buds are promise, blossoms peace and fruit everlasting life. As through summer and winter, sunshine and rain, the old cactus came forth, so through joy and sadness, bitterness and despair, the tree of life may put forth. When we think of the thorny path over which good souls before us have traveled, we ought to trust in providence, for God is with us and knows it all."God's mysterious guide oft leads us where we would not go, but never where we cannot stay. He plans our course, he knows it all and some bright morn he will reveal. Abraham did not know, when he was called from home to spend his years among these hills, that when the frost of time had turned him pale, the angels would appear. Hagar, wandering in the wilds of Beersheba, did not think that God knew all of her troubles, and would not let her perish with her child. Moses did not know when he fled across the desert wilds oft looking back in fear, that his fair Zipporah would meet him at the well. When Ruth looked, for the last time, on the scenes of her childhood, and turned from the hills of Moab, to follow Naomi in the plain path of duty, she did not know that God had called her to become the mother of the most illustrious family in the world. All these, my friends, were blessings in disguise."Neither does the seed sown mature so quickly. The seed here sown in Galilee these days may bear little fruit in our generation, even for hundreds or thousands of years, but some sweet day, when the storms of life are over, and the followers of our Lord join hands to spread the gospel of the "Bread-of-life" as we have heard today,like the sleepy cactus, it will blossom forth in all lands."At this point Jesus and James stepped in, unobserved by her, while she continued: "The storm is upon us now. I hear the distant billows roar. This night to you who hesitate may be the turn of the tide throughout an endless Eternity, so bare your bosoms to the storm and look only to the beacon lights, if dimly you may discern them."Earth life is but a fleeting shadow, soon past. I know my name will never appear on the records of this great struggle, no one will ever weep at the tomb of Mary Magdalene, but what for aye the morrow. Can you all meet me there?"Did you who beheld Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration a few days ago think he had just come from his grave on Mount Nebo, where he had been sleeping fifteen hundred years? If you did, I hope God will wink at your ignorance, but you did not, no—no. The real spiritual, personal Moses did not die, he has lived, he does live, he will live, and you and I will just begin to live when these poor eyes will cease to weep, when this poor heart will ache no more and these soft hands are cold in clay."Is this struggle a sacrifice or a privilege? Oh, friends, the day will come when the world will envy us who lived in these dark days, and walked and talked and sang with the real Savior of the world, the son of the living God."The last words seemed to thrill the throng with emotion, but the climax was only reached when Magdalene fainted into the arms of John and Ruth, who bore her gently away.
Evening lowers its dark mantel over the faithful, as they gather at the home of Aunt Susanna again to discuss and consider the conditions.
"Where is Jesus?" his mother inquired.
"He is walking on the shore," replied John. "He requested to be alone."
Trembling and pale, Mary, the mother of Jesus, stood and looked down upon the Galilean shore as she murmured, "Oh, how peaceful." Then closing her eyes she continued, "Oh, that this generation was passed." Then Magdalene assisted her to a divan and was whispering softly to her, when James came and caressed her gray locks as he said, "Mother, kiss Magdalene; she is lovely, isn't she?"
"I," responded Magdalene, "am nothing but a briar," to which James replied, "Roses grow on briars."
Around and in Aunt Susanna's home a great crowd of men and women had assembled when Thomas stood up and began, "A strange problem lies before us for solution this day. For more than two years we have followed Jesus and listened to his teachings. We had understood that God, through Jesus, was doing this work. Today the aspect is changed, for he tells us he came forth from God to do God's will. This implies a consciousness of existence in a place he calls Heaven, before he came among men. Some of his most ardent admirers now believe he is beside himself. If such isthe case, we ought to persuade him not to go up to Jerusalem to the feast of the Passover."
"Does his sermon on the mount portray derangement of the mind?" broke in Matthew, as he produced a bundle of parchment and began reading: "A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit."
"That is exactly the point," said John. "Either we must deny all, or admit his version of the source of his power. If you observe closely you will find his intimacy with God includes more than faith; it corresponds closely to acquaintance. Notice what he said today, 'Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God.' Then knowing that we could not understand, he followed by saying, 'He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.' The knowledge he possesses we cannot comprehend, and knowing this he simply requires faith."
Judas Iscariot, the burly disciple from Beersheba, now arose and after admitting his faith in the Master's claim, began to lay stress on the fact that as so many were falling away, it might be better for all to abandon the cause until such time as Jesus could pacify the Scribes and Pharisees by admitting their prescribed authority.
While Judas continued, two men were overheard conversing in an undertone as they looked in at the audience.
"Do you see that young woman there facing Judas? That is Mary Magdalene."
"Really, is that so! I have heard so much about her. I wish I could hear her speak or sing."
"Do not worry, you will hear her. See her bite her lip! There is a storm brewing in her soul, and I pity old Jude when she gets the floor."
"Does she believe in Jesus?"
"Believe! I should say she does; she exhorts every evening. That elderly woman beside her is Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the one with her hand on Magdalene's shoulder is Ruth, one of his sisters. Honestly, those two maids have done more thus far to convince the public than all of his sleepy disciples."
"She does not look like the tornado of Galilee."
"Tornado, nothing! Why, her folks lived near us before she came over here, and I do not believe she ever told a lie in her life, but she has an interesting way of enforcing her opinion. There! There! she has the floor now! Listen!"
"You, Judas Iscariot," she began, "virtually admit that you have faith in Jesus as to his sanity and that he is the Christ which was to come into the world, and still, for fear of apparent consequences, you advise abandonment. All lives and careers undergo encouraging and discouraging events, today the world enfolds you in her loving arms, tomorrow the cruel cold shoulder is turned, and experience teaches that the rebuff sometimes falls on the worthy, for the world often goes agog. Truly, the multitude is disappearing, thousands will return home on account of this 'Bread-of-life' sermon today, for they do not understand that evolution requires time; that large bodies move slowly. They may be blameless, but you—you, Judas Iscariot—you who have been with him more than two years, are you yet befogged, or are you a coward? Did you today think that Jesus intended to convey the idea that God was a baker and had sent a loaf of bread down to Capernaum, and that he, Jesus, was the loaf? I know you did not. I hope I do not understand you. I hope you are true. I cannot imagine atraitor among us. Oh, how my heart aches. See how low the lights burn tonight! All seems so far away."
At this juncture she scowled and looked downwards as though collecting her thoughts, and then continued: "You know that the priests at Jerusalem dread Jesus, thinking that his teachings, if not impeded, will revolutionize the religious world and for this reason they favor a ransom to have him out of the way. Inasmuch as you are aware of this, you can imagine my surprise when today I overheard you with the others say to Jesus, 'Depart then and go into Judaea.'" As she quoted his words she hesitated, biting her lip nervously, then as though a thought struck her, she raised her head smilingly and continued, as she turned from Judas to the audience:
"In the upper corner of our garden nearby, one can see an old cactus. Some one sowed the seed from which it sprang before any one of us was born. I used to try to twist and break it when I first came here, for it seemed to cast no blossoms and bear no fruit. Other plants and shrubs blossomed, yielded their fruit, but the old cactus seemed just to live and that was all. One day, as some of you know, Ruth was here and we discovered a bud on it, called the gardener, who decided it was a century plant which might blossom soon, but it did not. Evening after evening all the neighbors came to behold the wonderful blossom which was expected to come forth from the seed sown nearly one hundred years ago. It was so slow that we became discouraged, but at last one evening, when we all stood around, the gardener applied warm water to the roots and in a few moments the largest and most beautiful blossom known to the Orient came forth, and think of it, dear friends, more than fifty years after the one who sowed the seed had gone to his long home.
"Today the seed of life is being sown in the hilly land of Old Canaan, the buds are promise, blossoms peace and fruit everlasting life. As through summer and winter, sunshine and rain, the old cactus came forth, so through joy and sadness, bitterness and despair, the tree of life may put forth. When we think of the thorny path over which good souls before us have traveled, we ought to trust in providence, for God is with us and knows it all.
"God's mysterious guide oft leads us where we would not go, but never where we cannot stay. He plans our course, he knows it all and some bright morn he will reveal. Abraham did not know, when he was called from home to spend his years among these hills, that when the frost of time had turned him pale, the angels would appear. Hagar, wandering in the wilds of Beersheba, did not think that God knew all of her troubles, and would not let her perish with her child. Moses did not know when he fled across the desert wilds oft looking back in fear, that his fair Zipporah would meet him at the well. When Ruth looked, for the last time, on the scenes of her childhood, and turned from the hills of Moab, to follow Naomi in the plain path of duty, she did not know that God had called her to become the mother of the most illustrious family in the world. All these, my friends, were blessings in disguise.
"Neither does the seed sown mature so quickly. The seed here sown in Galilee these days may bear little fruit in our generation, even for hundreds or thousands of years, but some sweet day, when the storms of life are over, and the followers of our Lord join hands to spread the gospel of the "Bread-of-life" as we have heard today,like the sleepy cactus, it will blossom forth in all lands."
At this point Jesus and James stepped in, unobserved by her, while she continued: "The storm is upon us now. I hear the distant billows roar. This night to you who hesitate may be the turn of the tide throughout an endless Eternity, so bare your bosoms to the storm and look only to the beacon lights, if dimly you may discern them.
"Earth life is but a fleeting shadow, soon past. I know my name will never appear on the records of this great struggle, no one will ever weep at the tomb of Mary Magdalene, but what for aye the morrow. Can you all meet me there?
"Did you who beheld Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration a few days ago think he had just come from his grave on Mount Nebo, where he had been sleeping fifteen hundred years? If you did, I hope God will wink at your ignorance, but you did not, no—no. The real spiritual, personal Moses did not die, he has lived, he does live, he will live, and you and I will just begin to live when these poor eyes will cease to weep, when this poor heart will ache no more and these soft hands are cold in clay.
"Is this struggle a sacrifice or a privilege? Oh, friends, the day will come when the world will envy us who lived in these dark days, and walked and talked and sang with the real Savior of the world, the son of the living God."
The last words seemed to thrill the throng with emotion, but the climax was only reached when Magdalene fainted into the arms of John and Ruth, who bore her gently away.