CHAPTER 150.

Jesus heals blind Bartimæus. With the twelve he goes to Bethany. The multitudes come to welcome him and to speak with Lazarus.

TheChristines started on their way to Bethany, and as they went, while yet in Jericho, they passed a beggar sitting by the way; and he was blind Bartimæus.

2And when the beggar heard the multitude pass by he said, What is it that I hear?

3The people said to him, Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.

4And instantly the man cried out, Lord Jesus, son of David, stay! have mercy on poor blind Bartimæus!

5The people said to him, Be quiet; hold your peace.

6But blind Bartimæus called again, Thou son of David, hear! have mercy on poor blind Bartimæus!

7And Jesus stopped and said, Bring him to me.

8And then the people brought the blind man to the Lord, and as they brought him up they said, Be cheerful now, Bartimæus, the Lord is calling you.

9And then he threw his cloak aside, and ran to Jesus as he waited by the way.

10And Jesus said, What will you have, Bartimæus?

11The blind man said, Rabboni, open up mine eyes that I may see.

12And Jesus said, Bartimæus, look up; receive your sight; your faith has made you whole.

13And he at once received his sight, and from the fullness of his heart he said, Praise God.

14And all the people said, Praise God.

15Then Jesus and the twelve went on to Bethany. It was six days before the feast.

16And when the people knew that Jesus was in Bethany they came from near and far to see him and to hear him speak.

17And they were anxious all to talk with Lazarus, whom Jesus had awakened from the dead.

18Now in Jerusalem the priests and Pharisees were all alert; they said, This Jesus will be at the feast, and we must not permit that he shall slip away again.

19And they commanded every man to be alert and help to apprehend the Lord that they might take his life.

Jesus teaches in the synagogue. Makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The multitudes, with the children, sing his praises, and say, Hosanna to the king! The Christines return to Bethany.

Itwas the day before the Sabbath day, the eighth day of the Jewish Nasan month, that Jesus came to Bethany.

2And on the Sabbath day he went up to the synagogue and taught.

3And on the morning of the first day of the week, the Sunday of the week, he called his twelve apostles unto him and said,

4This day we go up to Jerusalem; be not afraid; my time has not yet come.

5Now, two of you may go unto the village of Bethphage, and you will find an ass tied to a tree, and you will see a little colt near by.

6Untie the ass and bring her here to me. If any one inquires why you take the ass, just say, The master has a need of her; and then the owner will come on with you.

7And the disciples went as Jesus bade them go; they found the ass and colt a-near an open door; and when they would untie the ass the owner said, Why would you take the ass away?

8And the disciples said, The master has a need of her; and then the owner said, ’Tis well.

9And then they brought the animal, and on her put their coats, and Jesus sat upon the ass and rode into Jerusalem.

10And multitudes of people came and filled the way, and his disciples praised the Lord and said,

11Thrice blessed is the king who in the name of God is come! All glory be to God, and peace on earth; good will to men!

12And many spread their garments in the way, and some tore branches from the trees, and cast them in the way.

13And many children came with garlands of sweet flowers and placed them on the Lord, or strewed them in the way, and said, All hail the king! Long live the king!

14The throne of David shall be built again. Hosanna to the Lord of hosts!

15Among the throng were Pharisees, who said to Jesus as he passed, Rebuke this noisy throng; it is a shame for them to cry thus in the street.

16The Lord replied, I tell you, men, if these should hold their peace the very stones would cry aloud.

17And then the Pharisees conferred among themselves; they said, Our threats are idle words. Behold, for all the world is following him.

18As Jesus drew a-near Jerusalem he paused and wept, and said, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the holy city of the Jews! yours was the glory of the Lord; but you have cast the Lord away.

19Your eyes are closed, you cannot see the king; the kingdom of the Lord of heaven and earth has come; you comprehend it not.

20Behold, the day will come when armies from afar will cast a bank about your way; will compass you about, and hem you in on every side;

21Will dash you to the ground and slay you and your children in the streets.

22And of your holy temple, and of your palaces and walls, they will not leave a stone upon a stone, because today you spurn the offers of the God of heaven.

23When Jesus and the multitude had come into Jerusalem, excitement reigned, and people asked, Who is this man?

24The multitude replied, This is the king, the prophet, priest of God; this is the man from Galilee.

25But Jesus tarried not; he went directly to the temple porch, and it was filled with people pressing hard to see the king.

26The sick, the halt, the lame, the blind were there, and Jesus paused, and laid his hands on them and healed them by the sacred Word.

27The temple and the temple courts were filled with childrenpraising God. They said, Hosanna to the king! The son of David is the king! All hail the king! Praise God!

28The Pharisees were filled with anger when they heard the children sing. They said to Jesus, Hear you what the children say?

29And Jesus said, I hear; but have you never read the words of our own bard who said,

30Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise!

31And when the evening came the Lord and his disciples went again to Bethany.

Jesus rebukes a barren fig tree. Drives the merchants out of the temple. Teaches the people. Returns to Bethany.

Nextday, the Monday of the week, the master with the twelve, went to Jerusalem.

2And as they passed along the way they saw a fig tree full of leaves without a sign of fruit.

3And Jesus spoke unto the tree; he said, You useless cumberer of the ground; you fig tree fair to look upon, but a delusive thing.

4You take from earth and air the food that fruitful trees should have.

5Go back to earth and be yourself the food for other trees to eat.

6When Jesus had thus spoken to the tree he went his way.

7And when he reached the temple, lo, the rooms were filled with petty merchants selling doves and animals, and other things, for sacrifice; the temple was a mart of trade.

8And Jesus was indignant at the sight, and said, You men of Israel, for shame! This is supposed to be the house of prayer; but it is now a den of thieves. Remove this plunder from this holy place.

9The merchants only laughed and said, We are protected in our trade by those who bear the rule; we will not go.

10Then Jesus made a scourge of cords, as he did once before, and rushed among the merchantmen, threw all their money on the floor;

11Threw wide the cages of the doves, and cut the cords that held the bleating lambs and set them free.

12And then he drove the merchants from the place, and with a clean, new broom he swept the floors.

13Chief priests and scribes were filled with wrath, but feared to touch or even to rebuke the Lord, for all the people stood in his defense.

14And Jesus taught the people all day long and healed a multitude of those diseased,

15And when the evening came he went again to Bethany.

The Christines go to Jerusalem. They note the withered fig tree; its symbolic meaning. Jesus teaches in the temple. Is censured by the priests. Relates a parable of a rich man’s feast.

OnTuesday, early in the day, the master and the twelve went to Jerusalem.

2And as they went the twelve observed the tree to which the Lord had talked the day before, and lo, the leaves were withered, just as if they had been scorched with fire.

3And Peter said, Lord, see thetree! Its leaves are withered and the tree seems dead.

4And Jesus said, So shall it be with those who bear no fruit. When God shall call them up to give account, lo, he will breathe upon them, and their leaves, their empty words, will wither and decay.

5God will not let the fruitless trees of life encumber ground, and he will pluck them up and cast them all away.

6Now, you can demonstrate the power of God. Have faith in God, and you can bid the mountains to depart, and they will crumble at your feet;

7And you may talk to wind and wave, and they will hear, and will obey what you command.

8God hears the prayer of faith and when you ask in faith you shall receive.

9You must not ask amiss; God will not hear the prayer of any man who comes to him with blood of other men upon his hands.

10And he who harbors envious thoughts, and does not love his fellow men, may pray forever unto God, and he will hear him not.

11God can do nothing more for men than they would do for other men.

12And Jesus walked again within the temple courts.

13The priests and scribes were much emboldened by the council of Caiaphas and the other men in power, and so they came to Jesus and they said,

14Who gave you the authority to do as you have done? Why did you drive the merchants from the temple yesterday?

15And Jesus answered them and said, If you will answer what I ask, then I will answer you; Was John, the harbinger, a man of God, or was he a seditious man?

16The scribes and Pharisees were loath to answer him; they reasoned thus among themselves:

17If we shall say, John was a prophet sent from God, then he will say,

18John testified for me, that I am son of God; why do you not believe his words?

19If we should say, John was a bold, seditious man, the people will be angered, for they think he was a prophet of the living God.

20And so they answered Jesus and they said, We do not know; we cannot tell.

21Then Jesus said, If you will tell me not, then I will tell you not who gave me power to drive the robbers from the house of God.

22And then he spoke a parable to them; he said, A man once made a feast inviting all the rich and honored people of the land.

23But when they came, they found the door into the banquet hall was low, and they could enter not except they bowed their heads and fell down on their knees.

24These people would not bow their heads and fall down on their knees, and so they went away; they went not to the feast.

25And then the man sent forth his messengers to bid the common folks, and those of low estate, to come and feast with him.

26These people gladly came; they bowed their heads and fell down on their knees, and came into the banquet hall and it was full, and every one rejoiced.

27And then the master said, Behold, you priests and scribes, and Pharisees! the Lord of heaven and earth has spread a sumptuous feast, and you were bidden first of all;

28But you have found the door into the banquet hall so low that you must bow your heads and fall down on your knees to enter in, and you have scorned the king who made the feast, refused to bow your heads and fall down on your knees, and you have gone your way;

29But now God calls again; the common folks and those of low estate have come in multitudes, have entered in unto the feast and all rejoice.

30I tell you, men, that publicans and courtesans go through the gates into the kingdom of the God of heaven, and you are left without.

31John came to you in righteousness; he brought the truth, but you believed him not.

32But publicans and courtesans believed, and were baptized and now have entered in unto the feast.

33I tell you now, as I have told you many times, The many have been called, but chosen are the few.

Jesus teaches in the temple court. The parable of the householder and wicked husbandmen. Parable of the marriage feast and the guest without a wedding robe.

Themultitudes would hear what Jesus had to say, and so they built a platform in the temple court, and Jesus stood upon the place and taught. He spoke in parables; he said,

2A man possessed a vast estate; he planted out a vineyard, placed a hedge about it, built a tower, installed the press for making wine.

3He placed his vineyard in the hands of husbandmen and then he journeyed to a distant land.

4Now, in the vintage time the man sent forth a servant to receive and bring to him his portion of the fruitage of the vines.

5The husbandmen came forth and beat the man; laid forty lashes on his back and cast him out beyond the vineyard gate.

6And then the owner sent another man to bring to him his own. The husbandmen laid hold of him and sorely wounded him and cast him from the vineyard, leaving him half dead beside the way.

7The owner sent another man to bring to him his own. The husbandmen seized hold of him and with a javelin they pierced his heart; then buried him beyond the hedge.

8The owner was aggrieved. He thought within himself, What shall I do? and then he said, This will I do. My only son is here, and I will send him to the husbandmen,

9They surely will respect my son and send me what is mine.

10He sent his son; the husbandmen took counsel with themselves; they said, This is the only heir to all this wealth, and if we take his life the vast inheritance is ours.

11They took his life and cast him out beyond the vineyard hedge.

12The days will come; the owner will return to reckon with the husbandmen, and he will seize them every one, and cast them into scorching fires where they shall stay until they pay the debts they owe.

13And he will place his vineyard in the care of honest men.

14Then turning to the priests and scribes he said, Did not your prophets say,

15The stone the builders cast away became the capstone of the arch?

16You men who pose as men of God, as husbandmen, lo, you havestoned and killed the messengers of God, his prophets and his seers, and now you seek to slay his son.

17I tell you men, the kingdom shall be snatched away from you, and shall be given unto people who are not a people now, and to a nation that is not a nation now.

18And men whose speech you cannot understand, will stand between the living and the dead, and show the way to life.

19The chief priests and the Pharisees were deeply moved with anger when they heard this parable, and would have seized the Lord and done him harm, but they were sore afraid; they feared the multitude.

20And Jesus spoke another parable; he said, The kingdom is alike a certain king who made a feast in honor of the marriage of his son.

21He sent his servants forth to call the people who had been invited to the feast.

22The servants called; but then the people would not come.

23And then the king sent other messengers abroad to say, Behold, my tables now are spread; my oxen and my fatlings are prepared.

24The choicest viands and the richest wines are on my boards; come to the marriage feast.

25The people laughed and treated with disdain his call, and went their way, one to his farm, another to his merchandise;

26And others seized the servants of the king; abused them shamefully; and some of them they killed.

27And then the king sent forth his soldiery who slew the murderers and burned their towns.

28And then the king sent other servants forth; to them he said, Go to the corners of the streets, the partings of the ways, and to the marts of trade and say,

29Whoever will may come up to the marriage feast.

30The servants went their way and called; and lo, the banquet hall was filled with guests.

31But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man who had not on a wedding robe; he called to him and said,

32Friend, why are you here without a wedding robe? Would you dishonor thus my son?

33The man was dumb; he answered not.

34And then the king said to his guards, Take you this man and bind him hand and foot and cast him out into the darkness of the night.

35The many have been called, but none are chosen to be guests who have not clad themselves in wedding robes.

Jesus recognizes the justice of paying secular taxes. He teaches a lesson on family relationships in the life beyond. The greatest of the commandments is comprised in love. He warns his disciples against the hypocrisy of scribes and Pharisees.

AsJesus spoke, the Pharisees came up to question him; they thought to criminate him by what he said.

2A strict Herodian spoke and said, My Lord, you are a man of truth; you show the way to God, and you do not regard the personality of men;

3Tell us, what do you think; should we, who are the seed of Abraham, pay tribute unto Cæsar? or should we not?

4And Jesus knew his wickedness of heart and said, Why do youcome to tempt me thus? Show me the tribute money that you speak about.

5The man brought forth a piece of coin on which an image was engraved.

6And Jesus said, Whose image and whose name is on this coin?

7The man replied, ’Tis Cæsar’s image and his name.

8And Jesus said, Give unto Cæsar that which is Cæsar’s own; but give to God the things of God.

9And they who heard him said, He answers well.

10And then a Sadducee, who thinks there is no resurrection of the dead, came up and said, Rabboni, Moses wrote that if a married man shall die, and have no child, his widow shall become his brother’s wife.

11Now, there were seven brothers and the eldest had a wife; he died and had no child; a brother took his widow for his wife, and then he died;

12And every brother had this woman for his wife; in course of time the woman died;

13Now which will have this woman for a wife in the resurrection day?

14And Jesus said, Here in this plane of life men marry just to gratify their selfish selfs, or to perpetuate the race; but in the world to come, and in the resurrection day, men do not take upon themselves the marriage vows,

15But, like the angels and the other sons of God, they form not unions for the pleasure of the self, nor to perpetuate the race.

16Death does not mean the end of life. The grave is not the goal of men, no more than is the earth the goal of seeds.

17Life is the consequence of death. The seed may seem to die, but from its grave the tree arises into life.

18So man may seem to die, but he lives on, and from the grave he springs up into life.

19If you could comprehend the word that Moses spoke about the burning bush that burned and still was not consumed, then you would know that death cannot destroy the life.

20And Moses said that God is God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel.

21God is not God of dead men’s bones, but of the living man.

22I tell you, men, man goes down to the grave, but he will rise again and manifest the life;

23For every life is hid with Christ in God, and man shall live while God shall live.

24The Pharisees and scribes who heard the Lord, exclaimed, He speaks the truth; and they were glad to have the Sadducees discomfited.

25And then an honest scribe came forth and said to Jesus, Lord, you speak as one whom God has sent, and may I ask,

26Which is the greatest and the first of the Commandments of the Law?

27And Jesus said, The first is: Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul, with all your strength;

28And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

29These are the greatest of the ten, and on them hang the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms.

30The scribe replied, My soul gives witness that you speak the truth, for love fulfills the law, andfar transcends burnt offerings and sacrifice.

31And Jesus said to him, Lo, you have solved a mystery; you are within the kingdom and the kingdom is in you.

32To his disciples Jesus spoke, and all the people heard; he said, Beware you of the scribes and Pharisees who pride themselves in wearing long and richly decorated robes,

33And love to be saluted in the market place, and seek the highest seats at feasts, and take the hard-earned wages of the poor to satisfy their carnal selves, and pray in public, long and loud.

34These are the wolves who clothe themselves to look like sheep.

35And then he said to all, The scribes and Pharisees are placed by law in Moses’ seat, and by the law they may interpret law;

36So what they bid you do, that do; but do not imitate their deeds.

37They say the things that Moses taught; they do the things of Beelzebul.

38They talk of mercy, yet they bind on human shoulders burdens grievous to bear.

39They talk of helpfulness, and yet they put not forth the slightest helpful efforts for their brother man.

40They make a show of doing things, and yet they do not anything but show their gaudy robes, and broad phylacteries, and smile when people call them honored masters of the law.

41They strut about and show their pride when people call them father, so and so.

42Hear, now, you men, Call no man father here. The God of heaven and earth, and he alone, is Father of the race of men.

43Christ is the hierarch, the high, exalted master of the sons of men.

44If you would be exalted, sit down at the master’s feet and serve. He is the greatest man who serves the best.

The scribes and Pharisees are angered. Jesus rebukes them for their hypocrisy. He laments over Jerusalem. The widow’s mite. Jesus delivers his farewell address to the people in the temple.

Thescribes and Pharisees were wild with rage; and Jesus said,

2Woe unto you, you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! you stand within the way; you block the door; you will not go into the kingdom and you turn aside the pure in heart who are about to enter in.

3Woe unto you, you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! you compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he has been made he is a son of hell, just like yourselves.

4Woe unto you who call yourselves the guides of men! and you are guides, blind guides;

5For you pay tithes of cummin, mint and dill, and leave undone the weightier matters of the law; of judgment, justice, faith.

6You filter out the gnats before you drink; but then you swallow camels and the like.

7Woe unto you, you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! you clean and scour the outside of the cup, while it is full of filth, extortion and excess.

8Go to and clean the inside of the cup, and then the poisonousfumes will not defile the outside of the cup.

9Woe unto you, you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! you are yourselves like whitewashed sepulchres; your outer garbs are beautiful, but you are full of dead men’s bones.

10You seem to men to be divine; but in your hearts you nourish lust, hypocrisies and vile iniquities.

11Woe unto you, you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! you build and then adorn the tombs of holy men of old and say,

12If we had lived when these men lived, we would have guarded them, would not have acted as our fathers did, when they maltreated them and put them to the sword.

13But you are sons of them who slew the holy men, and you are not a whit more just than they.

14Go forth and fill the measure of your fathers who were steeped in crime.

15You are the offsprings of the vipers, and how can you be but serpents of the dust?

16God now has sent again to you his prophets and his seers, his wise men and his holy men, and you will scourge them in your synagogues, and stone them in the streets, and nail them to the cross.

17Woe unto you! for on your heads will come the blood of all the holy men who have been slain upon the earth,

18From righteous Abel down to Zacharias, son of Barachias, who was slain within the Holy Place before the altar of the Lord.

19Behold, I say that these things all shall come upon this nation and the people of Jerusalem.

20And Jesus looked about and said, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou cruel city of Jerusalem, that slays the prophets in the streets and kills the holy men whom God has sent to you!

21Lo, I would oft have gathered you as children to the fold of God; but you would not.

22You have rejected God, and now your house is desolate, and you shall see me not again till you can say,

23Thrice blessed is the son of man who comes as son of God.

24Then Jesus went and sat beside the treasury and watched the people as they paid their tithes.

25The rich men came and gave of their abundance; and then he saw a poor but loyal widow come and put a farthing in the treasure box.

26And then he said to his disciples who were standing by, Behold, for this poor widow who has put a farthing in the treasury has done more than they all;

27For she has given all she had; the rich have given just a little share of what they have.

28A company of Grecian Jews were at the feast, and they met Philip, who could talk with them, and said, Sir, we would see the Lord, this Jesus, who is called the Christ.

29And Philip led the way, and brought them to the Christ.

30And Jesus said, The hour has come; the son of man is ready to be glorified, and it cannot be otherwise.

31Except a grain of wheat fall into earth and die it can be nothing but a grain of wheat; but if it die it lives again, and from its grave a hundred grains of wheat arise.

32My soul is troubled now; What shall I say? And then he cast his eyes to heaven and said,

33My Father-God, I would not ask to be relieved of all the burdensI must bear; I only ask for grace and strength to bear the burdens whatso’er they be,

34This is the hour for which I came to earth. O Father, glorify thy name!

35And then the place was lighted with a light more brilliant than the noonday sun; the people stood a-back; they were afraid.

36And then a voice that seemed to come from heaven said,

37I have both glorified my name and yours, and I will honor them again.

38The people heard the voice, and some exclaimed, Behold, a distant thunder! Others said, An angel spoke to him.

39But Jesus said, This voice was not for me; it was for you, that you might know that I am come from God.

40Now is the judgment of the world at hand; the prince of darkness shall be manifest and go unto his own.

41The son of man will now be lifted up from earth, and he will draw all men unto himself.

42The people said, The law declares that Christ abides forever more. How can you say, The son of man will now be lifted up? Who is the son of man?

43And Jesus said to them, The light is shining now; walk in the light while you still have the light.

44The darkness comes; but he who walks in darkness cannot find the way.

45Again I say, Walk in the light while you still have the light, that men may know that you are sons of light.

46And Jesus stood out in the temple porch, and made his last appeal unto the multitudes; he said,

47He who believes in me, believes in God who sent me forth to do his will, and he who sees me now beholds my Father-God.

48Behold, I came a light unto the world; he who believes in me shall walk in light, the light of life.

49You men who hear me now, If you believe me not, I judge you not.

50I am not come to judge the world, but I am come to save the world.

51God is the only judge of men; but what I speak will stand against you in the day when God will judge the world;

52For from myself I do not speak; I speak the words that God has given me to speak.

53And then he said, Jerusalem, with all your glory and your crimes, Farewell.

The Christines upon Mount Olives. Jesus prophecies the destruction of Jerusalem, and of terrible disasters that will mark the conclusion of the age. He exhorts his disciples to faithfulness.

ThenJesus with the twelve went forth and sat upon Mount Olives, just beyond the city’s gate.

2And his disciples said, Behold the wondrous city of Jerusalem! its homes are all so beautiful! its temples and its shrines are clothed in such magnificence!

3And Jesus said, The city is the glory of my people, Israel, but, lo, the time will come when every stone will be cast down, and it will be a hiss and byword for the nations of the earth.

4And the disciples asked, When will this desolation come?

5And Jesus said, This round of human life will not be full until thearmies of the conqueror will thunder at her gates, and they will enter in, and blood will flow like water through the streets.

6And all the precious furnishings of temple, court and palaces will be destroyed, or carried off to deck the palaces and courts of kings.

7Behold, these days are not at hand. Before they come, lo, you shall be maltreated by the scribes and Pharisees, the high priests and the doctors of the law.

8Without a cause you will be haled into the courts; you will be stoned; you will be beaten in the synagogues; will stand condemned before the rulers of this world, and governors and kings will sentence you to death.

9But you will falter not, and you will testify for truth and righteousness.

10And in these hours be anxious not about your speech; you need not think of what to say;

11For, lo, the Holy Breath will overshadow you and give you words to say.

12But then the carnage will go on, and men will think that they are pleasing God by killing you, and nations far and near will hate you for the sake of Christ.

13And men will stir up evil thoughts among your kin, and they will hate you and will give you up to die.

14And brothers will be false to brothers; fathers will stand forth and testify against their own, and children will drive parents to the funeral pile.

15When you shall hear the Roman eagle screaming in the air, and see his legions streaming o’er the plain, then know the desolation of Jerusalem is near.

16Then let the wise wait not, but flee. Let him who is upon his house wait not to enter in the house to gather up his wealth, but let him flee.

17And he who labors in the field must not return, but leave his all to save his life.

18And woe to mothers with their little children in that day; none shall escape the sword.

19The tribulation of these days cannot be told in words, for such has never been since God created man upon the earth.

20The conqueror will carry many of the sons of Abraham away as captives into foreign lands, and they who know not Israel’s God will tread the highways of Jerusalem until the anti-Jewish times have been fulfilled.

21But when the people have been punished for their crimes, the tribulation days will end; but lo, the time will come when all the world will rise, like gladiators in a ring, and fight just for the sake of shedding blood.

22And men will reason not; they will not see, nor care to see a cause for carnage, desolation, thefts; for they will war with friend or foe.

23The very air will seem surcharged with smoke of death; and pestilence will follow close upon the sword.

24And signs that men have never seen will then appear in heaven and earth; in sun, and moon, and stars.

25The seas will roar, and sounds will come from heaven that men can never comprehend, and these will bring distress of nations with perplexity.

26Hearts of the strongest men will faint in fear, in expectation ofthe coming of more frightful things upon the earth.

27But while the conflicts rage on land and sea, the Prince of Peace will stand above the clouds of heaven and say again:

28Peace, peace on earth; good will to men; and every man will throw away his sword, and nations will learn war no more.

29And then the man who bears the pitcher will walk forth across an arc of heaven; the sign and signet of the son of man will stand forth in the eastern sky.

30The wise will then lift up their heads and know that the redemption of the earth is near.

31Before these days shall come, behold, false Christs and poor deluded prophets will arise in many lands.

32And they will show forth signs, and do a multitude of mighty works; and they will lead astray the many who are not wise; and many of the wise will be deceived.

33And now I tell you once again, When men shall say, The Christ is in the wilderness, go you not forth.

34And if they say, The Christ is in the secret place, believe it not; for when he comes the world will know that he has come.

35For as the morning light comes from the east and shines unto the west; so shall be the coming of the age and son of man.

36The wicked of the earth will weep when they shall see the son of man come down upon the clouds of heaven, in power.

37Take heed you, O take heed, for you know not the hour nor the day when comes the son of man.

38Let not your hearts be overcharged with sensuous things, nor with the cares of life, lest that day come and find you unprepared.

39Keep watch at every season of the year; and pray that you may meet the Lord with joy and not with grief.

40Before these days shall come our Father-God will send his messengers abroad, yea, to the corners of the earth, and they will say,

41Prepare you, O prepare; the Prince of Peace shall come, and now is coming on the clouds of heaven.

42When Jesus had thus said, he went with his disciples back to Bethany.

Jesus and the twelve at prayer in Olivet. Jesus reveals to his disciples the deeper meanings of secret doctrines. He tells them what to teach the people. Relates a number of parables. They return to Bethany.

Themorning of the Wednesday of the week was come, and Jesus with the twelve went out to Olivet to pray; and they were lost in prayer for seven hours.

2Then Jesus called the twelve close to his side and said, This day the curtain parts and we will step beyond the veil into the secret courts of God.

3And Jesus opened up to them the meaning of the hidden way, and of the Holy Breath, and of the light that cannot fail.

4He told them all about the Book of Life, the Rolls of Graphael, the Book of God’s Remembrance where all the thoughts and words of men are written down.

5He did not speak aloud to them; he told the secrets of the masters in an undertone, and when he spoke the name of God there was a silence in the courts of heaven forhalf an hour, for angels spoke with bated breath.

6And Jesus said, These things may not be spoken out aloud; they never may be written down; they are the messages of Silenceland; they are the Breathings of the inner heart of God.

7And then the master taught the twelve the lessons they should teach to other men. He sometimes taught in parables; he said,

8You call to mind the words of yesterday about the coming of the son of man. Now, you shall teach to other men what I have spoken and am speaking unto you;

9Teach them to pray and not to faint; to be prepared at every moment of the day, for when they least expect him, then the Lord will come.

10A man went to a distant land and left his house and all his wealth in care of servants; five to guard his house and five to guard his barns and herds.

11The servants waited long for his return, but he came not, and they grew careless in their work; some spent their time in revelings and drunkenness, and some slept at their posts.

12And night by night the robbers came and carried off the wealth from house and barn, and drove away the choicest of the herds.

13And when they knew that much of all the wealth that they were left to guard had been purloined, they said,

14We cannot be to blame; if we had known the day and hour when our lord would come again we would have guarded well his wealth, and suffered not the thieves to carry it away; he surely is at fault because he told us not.

15But after many days the lord returned, and when he knew that thieves had robbed him of his wealth, he called his servants and he said to them,

16Because you have neglected what was given you to do, have spent your time in revelings and sleep, behold you all are debtors unto me.

17What I have lost by your neglect, you owe to me. And then he gave them heavy tasks to do, and bound them to their posts with chains, where they remained till they had paid for all the goods their lord had lost through their neglect.

18Another man locked up his wealth and went to sleep, and in the night time robbers came, unlocked his doors, and when they saw no guard, they entered in and carried off his wealth.

19And when the man awoke and found his doors ajar and all his treasures gone, he said, If I had known the hour when the thieves would come I would have been on guard.

20Beware, my friends, beware! and be prepared at every hour, and if your Lord shall come at midnight or at dawn, it matters not, for he will find you ready to receive.

21And then, behold, a marriage was announced, and virgins, ten of them, were set apart to meet the bridegroom when he came.

22The virgins clothed themselves in proper garbs, and took their lamps and sat in waiting for the watch to say, Behold, the bridegroom comes!

23Now, five were wise; they filled their lamps with oil; and five were foolish, for they carried empty lamps.

24The groom came not at theexpected time; the virgins were a-weary with their watch and slept.

25At midnight came the cry, Behold, the bridegroom comes!

26The virgins rose; the wise ones quickly trimmed their lamps and went forth ready to receive the groom.

27The foolish virgins said, We have no oil, our lamps burn not.

28They sought to borrow from the wise, who said, We have no oil to spare; Go to the merchantmen and buy and fill your lamps and then come forth to meet the groom.

29But while they went to purchase oil, the bridegroom came; the virgins who were ready with their lamps all trimmed went with him to the marriage feast.

30And when the foolish virgins came the door was shut, and though they knocked and called aloud, the door was opened not.

31The master of the feast exclaimed, I know you not! and in disgrace the virgins went their way.

32Again I say to you, and you shall say to them who follow you,

33Be ready every moment of the day and night, because when you expect him not, the Lord will come.

34Behold, when he will come with all his messengers of light, the Book of Life, and that of Records, shall be opened up—the books in which the thoughts and words and deeds are written down.

35And every one can read the records he has written for himself, and he will know his doom before the judge shall speak, and this will be the sifting time.

36According to their records men will find their own.

37The judge is Righteousness, the king of all the earth, and he will separate the multitudes as shepherds separate the sheep and goats.

38The sheep will find their places on the right, the goats upon the left, and every man will know his place.

39And then the judge will say, to those upon the right, You blessed of the Father-God, come unto your inheritance, which was prepared for you from times of old.

40You have been servants of the race; and I was hungry and you gave me bread; was thirsty and you gave me drink; was naked and you gave me clothes;

41Was sick, you ministered to me; and was in prison and you came to me with words of cheer; I was a stranger and in your homes I found a home.

42Then will the righteous say, When did we see you hungry, thirsty, sick, imprisoned or a stranger at our gates and ministered to you?

43And then the judge will say, You served the sons of men, and whatsoever you have done for these, that you have done for me.

44The judge will say to those upon the left, Depart from me; you have not served the sons of men.

45I was hungry and you gave me naught to eat; was thirsty and you gave me naught to drink; I was a stranger and you drove me from your door; I was imprisoned and was sick, you did not minister to me.

46Then these will say, When did we thus neglect to care for you? When did we see you hungry, thirsty, sick, a stranger or in prison and did not minister to you?

47And then the judge will say, Your life was full of self; you served the self and not your fellow man,and when you slighted one of these, you slighted and neglected me.

48Then will the righteous have the kingdom and the power, and they who are unrighteous shall go forth to pay their debts, to suffer all that men have suffered at their hands.

49They who have ears to hear and hearts to understand will comprehend these parables.

50When he had finished all these parables he said, You know that in two days the great passover feast will come, and lo, the son of man will be betrayed into the hands of wicked men.

51And he will give his life upon the cross, and men will know that he, the son of man, is son of God.

52Then Jesus and the twelve returned to Bethany.

The Christines attend a feast in Simon’s house. Mary anoints the master with a costly balm, and Judas and others rebuked her for profligacy. Jesus defends her. The rulers of the Jews employ Ananias to arrest Jesus. Ananias bribes Judas to aid him.

Bar-Simon,who was once a leper and was cleansed by Jesus by the sacred Word, abode in Bethany.

2In honor of the Christine Lord he gave a feast, and Lazarus was among the guests, and Ruth and Martha served.

3And as the guests reclined about the table, Mary took a cruse of rich perfume and poured it out on Jesus’ head and feet.

4And then she knelt and with her hair she wiped his feet; the odor of the rich perfume filled all the room.

5Now, Judas, always looking at the selfish side of life, exclaimed, For shame! why did you waste that costly perfume thus?

6We might have sold it for three hundred pence, and had the money to supply our wants and feed the poor.

7(Now, Judas was the treasurer, and carried all the money of the Christine band.)

8And others said, Why, Mary, what a profligate you are! you should not throw such wealth away.

9But Jesus said, You men, be still; let her alone; you know not what you say.

10The poor are with you constantly; at any time you can administer to them; but I will not be with you long.

11And Mary knows the sadness of the coming days; she has anointed me beforehand for my burial.

12The gospel of the Christ will everywhere be preached, and he who tells the story of the Christ will tell about this day; and what was done by Mary at this hour will be a sweet memorial to her wherever men abide.

13And when the feast was over Jesus went with Lazarus to his home.

14Now, in Jerusalem the priests and Pharisees were busy with their plans to seize the Lord and take his life.

15The high priest called in counsel all the wisest men and said, This deed must be accomplished in a secret way.

16He must be taken when the multitudes are not a-near, else we may cause a war; the common people may stand forth in his defense and thus pollute this sacred place with human blood.

17And what we do, that we must do before the great day of the feast.

18And Ananias said, I have a plan that will succeed. The twelve with Jesus every day go forth alone to pray;

19And we will find their trysting place; then we can seize the man and bring him here without the knowledge of the multitudes.

20I know one of the twelve, a man who worships wealth, and for a sum I think that he will lead the way to where the man is wont to pray.

21And then Caiaphas said, If you will lead the way and bribe the man of whom you speak, to aid in seizing Jesus in a secret place, then we will give to you a hundred silver pieces for your hire.

22And Ananias said, ’Tis well.

23And then he went to Bethany and found the twelve at Simon’s house, and calling Judas to the side he said,

24If you would care to make a sum of money for yourself hear me:

25The high priest and the other rulers in Jerusalem would like to talk with Jesus when alone, that they may know about his claims;

26And if he proves himself to be the Christ, lo, they will stand in his defense.

27Now, if you will but lead the way to where your master is tomorrow night that they may send a priest to talk with him alone, there is a sum of silver, thirty pieces, that the priests will give to you.

28And Judas reasoned with himself; he said, It surely may be well to give the Lord a chance to tell the priests about his claims when he is all alone.

29And if the priests would do him harm he has the power to disappear and go his way as he has done before; and thirty pieces is a goodly sum.

30And so he said to Ananias, I will lead the way, and by a kiss make known which person is the Lord.

Jesus and the twelve eat the passover alone in Nicodemus’ house. Jesus washes the disciples’ feet. Judas leaves the table and goes forth to betray the Lord. Jesus teaches the eleven. He institutes the Lord’s supper.

OnThursday morning Jesus called to him the twelve disciples, and he said to them, This is God’s remembrance day, and we will eat the pascal supper all alone.

2And then he said to Peter, James and John, Go now into Jerusalem and there prepare the pasch.

3And the disciples said, Where would you have us go to find the place where we may have the feast prepared?

4And Jesus said, Go by the fountain gate and you will see a man who has a pitcher in his hand. Speak unto him and say: This is the first day of unleavened bread;

5The Lord would have you set apart your banquet hall where he may eat his last passover with the twelve.

6Fear not to speak; the manwhom you will see is Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, and yet a man of God.

7And the disciples went and found the man as Jesus said, and Nicodemus hastened to his home; the banquet hall, an upper room, was set apart, the supper was prepared.

8Now, in the afternoon the Lord and his disciples went up to Jerusalem and found the feast in readiness.

9And when the hour had come to eat the feast, the twelve began to strive among themselves, each anxious to secure the honored seats.

10And Jesus said, My friends, would you contend for self just as the shadows of this night of gloom comes on?

11There is no honored seat at heaven’s feast except for him who humbly takes the lowest seat.

12And then the Lord arose and took a basin full of water and a towel, and bowing down, he washed the feet of all the twelve and dried them with the towel.

13He breathed upon them and he said, And may these feet walk in the ways of righteousness forevermore.

14He came to Peter and was about to wash his feet, and Peter said, Lord, would you wash my feet?

15And Jesus said, You do not comprehend the meaning of the thing I do, but you will comprehend.

16And Peter said, My master, no, you shall not stoop to wash my feet.

17And Jesus said, My friend, if I wash not your feet you have no part with me.

18And Peter said, Then, O my Lord, wash both my feet, my hands, my head.

19And Jesus said to him, He who has taken first his bath is clean, and has no need to wash, except his feet.

20The feet are truly symbols of the understanding of the man, and he who would be clean must, in the living stream of life, wash well his understanding every day.

21Then Jesus sat with his disciples at the table of the feast and said, Behold the lesson of the hour:

22You call me master; such I am. If, then, your Lord and master kneel and wash your feet, should you not wash each other’s feet and thus show forth your willingness to serve?

23You know these things, and if you do them, blessed thrice are you.

24And then he said, This is an hour when I can truly praise the name of God, for I have greatly wished to eat with you this feast before I pass the veil;

25For I will eat it not again until anew I eat it with you in the kingdom of our Father-God.

26And then they sung the Hebrew song of praise that Jews were wont to sing before the feast.

27And then they ate the pasch and as they ate, the master said, Behold, for one of you will turn away this night and will betray me into wicked hands.

28And the disciples were amazed at what he said; they looked into each other’s face in wonderment; they all exclaimed, Lord, is it I?

29And Peter said to John, who sat beside the Lord, To whom does he refer?

30And John put forth his hand and touched the master’s hand and said, Which one of us is so depraved as to betray his Lord?

31And Judas said, Lord, is it I?

32And Jesus said, He is the one who now has put his hand with mine into the dish. They looked, and Judas’ hand was with the hand of Jesus in the dish.

33And Jesus said, The prophets cannot fail; the son of man must be betrayed, but woe to him who shall betray his Lord.

34And from the table Judas rose at once; his hour had come.

35And Jesus said to him, Do quickly what you are to do. And Judas went his way.

36And when the pasch was done the Lord with the eleven sat a while in silent thought.

37Then Jesus took a loaf of bread that had been broken not and said, This loaf is symbol of my body, and the bread is symbol of the bread of life;

38And as I break this loaf, so shall my flesh be broken as a pattern for the sons of men; for men must freely give their bodies up in willing sacrifice for other men.

39And as you eat this bread, so shall you eat the bread of life, and never die. And then he gave to each a piece of bread to eat.

40And then he took a cup of wine and said, Blood is the life; this is the life-blood of the grape; it is the symbol of the life of him who gives his life for men.

41And as you drink this wine, if you shall drink in faith, you drink the life of Christ.

42And then he supped and passed the cup, and the disciples supped; and Jesus said, This is the feast of life, the great passover of the son of man, the Supper of the Lord, and you shall often eat the bread and drink the wine.

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