16 Then taking them up in his arms, and laying his hands upon them, he blessed them. Lu. 18; 18. 17 As he went out into the road, one came running to him, who, Matt. 19. 16. kneeling, asked him: Good teacher, what must I do to inherit 18 eternal life? Jesus answered: Why callest thou me good? Ex. 20; 12. 19 God alone is good. Thou knowest the commandments: do Deut. 5: 16. not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not give false testimony; do no injury; honor thy father 20 and mother. The other replied: Rabbi, I have observed all 21 these from my childhood. Jesus, looking upon him, loved him, and said to him: In one thing, nevertheless, thou art deficient. Go, sell all that thou hast, and give the price to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; then come and follow me, 22 carrying the cross. But he was troubled at this answer, and went away sorrowful; for he had great possessions. 28 Lu. 18; 24. Then Jesus looking around him, said to his disciples: How Matt. 19; 23. difficult it is for the wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! 24 The disciples were astonished at his words: but Jesus resuming the discourse, said: Children, how difficult is it for them who 25 confide in wealth, to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a 26 rich man to enter the kingdom of God. At this they were still more amazed, and said one to another: Who then can be 28 Lu. 18; 28. 27 saved? Jesus looking upon them said: To men it is impossible, but not to God: for to God all things are possible. Then Peter took occasion to say: As for us, we have forsa- Matt. 19; 27. 29 ken all and followed thee. Jesus answering, said: Verily I say unto you, there is none who shall have forsaken his house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or 30 lands, for my sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive now in this world a hundred-fold, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions, and in Lu. 13: 30. 31 the future state eternal life. But many shall be first who are last, and last who are first. SECTION VI.-THE ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. Lu. 18; 31. 32 AS they were on the road to Jerusalem, Jesus walking Matt. 20; 17. before them, a panic seized them, and they followed him with terror. Then taking the twelve aside, he told them again what 33 would befal him. Behold, sayeth he, we are going to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man shall be delivered to the chief priests, who will condemn him to die, and consign him to the 34 Gentiles; who will mock him, and scourge him, and spit upon him, and kill him; but the third day he shall rise again. Matt. 20; 20. 35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, accosted him, saying: Rabbi, we beg thou wouldst grant us what we propose 36 to ask. He said to them: What would ye have me grant 37 you? They answered: That when thou shalt have attained thy glory, one of us may sit at thy right hand and the other 38 at thy left. Jesus replied: Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink such a cup as I am to drink; and undergo an immer39 sion like that which I must undergo? They answered, we can. Jesus said unto them: Ye shall indeed drink such a cup as I am to drink; and undergo an immersion like that which I must 40 undergo; but to sit at my right hand, and at my left, I cannot give, unless to those for whom it is appointed. Matt. 20; 24. 41 Lu. 22:24. Phil. 2; 7. The ten hearing this, conceived indignation against James 42 and John. But Jesus having called them together, said to them: Ye know that those who are accounted the princes of the nations domineer over them; and their great ones exercise 43 their authority upon them: but it must not be so amongst you. On the contrary, whosoever would be great amongst 44 you, shall be your servant; and whosoever would be the chief, 45 shall be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. Matt. 20: 29. 46 Lu.18: 35. Matt. 21: 1. Then they came to Jericho. Afterwards, as he was departing thence, with his disciples and a great crowd, blind Barti47 meus son of Timeus, who sat by the way-side begging, hearing that it was Jesus the Nazarine, cried, saying: Jesus, thou Son 48 of David, have pity upon me. Many charged him to be silent, but he cried still the louder : Son of David, have pity upon 49 me. Jesus stopping, ordered them to call him. Accordingly they called the blind man, saying to him: Take courage, arise, 50 he calleth thee. Then throwing down his mantle, he sprang 51 up, and went to Jesus. Jesus addressing him, said: What dost thou wish me to do for thee? Rabboni, answered the blind 52 man, to give me my sight. Jesus said to him: Go; thy faith hath cured thee. Immediately he recovered his sight, and followed Jesus in the way. XI. As they approached Jerusalem, being come as far as Bethphage and Bethany, near the mount of Olives, he sent two of 2 his disciples, and said to them: Go into the village over against you, and just as ye enter it, ye will find a colt tied, whereon no 3 man ever rode; loose him, and bring him. And if any body ask you, 'Wherefore do ye this?' say, 'The master need4 eth him,' and he will instantly send him hither. Accordingly they went, and finding the colt tied before a door, where two 5 ways met, they loosed him. Some of the people present said 6 to them: Wherefore loose ye the colt? They having answer ed as Jesus had commanded them, were allowed to take 7 him. Accordingly they brought the colt to Jesus, whereon Jo. 12: 12. 8 having laid their mantles, Jesus sat upon him. And many spread their mantles in the way; others cut down sprays from 9 the trees, and strewed them in the way. And they who went before, and they who followed, shouted, saying: Hosanna!* Ps. 118: 25. blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Happy 10 be the approaching reign of our father David. Hosannat in 11 the highest heaven.' In this manner Jesus entered Jerusalem and the temple; where, after surveying every thing around, it being late, he departed with the twelve to Bethany. 12 On the morrow, when he left Bethany, he was hungry; and Matt. 21: 18. 13 observing a fig-tree at a distance, full of leaves, went to look for fruit on it, for the fig-harvest was not yet. And being 14 come, he found nothing but leaves. Thereupon Jesus said to it: Henceforth let never man eat fruit of thee. And his disciples heard him. 15 Jo. 2: 14. Being returned to Jerusalem, Jesus went into the temple, and Matt. 21: 12. drove out them who sold and them who bought in the temple, Lu. 19: 45. and overturned the tables of the money-changers, and the stalls 16 of them who sold doves; and would suffer nobody to carry ves17 sels through the temple. He also taught them, saying: Is it not written, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for Isa. 56: 7. 18 all nations? but ye have made it a den of robbers. And the scribes and the chief priests hearing this, sought means to destroy him; for they dreaded him, because all the multitude 19 admired his doctrine. And in the evening he went out of the city. 20 Next morning, as they returned, they saw that the fig-tree 21 was dried up from the root. Peter recollecting, said to him: Rabbi, behold the fig-tree which thou hast devoted, already 22 withered. Jesus answered: Have faith in God. For verily 23 I say unto you, Whoever shall say to this mountain, 'Be lifted and thrown into the sea,' and shall not in the least doubt, but shall believe that what he saith shall happen; whatever he 24 shall command shall be done for him: for which reason I assure you, that what things soever ye pray for, if ye believe that ye shall obtain them, they shall be yours. 25 Jer. 7: 11. Matt. 21: 20. And when ye pray, forgive, if ye have matter of complaint Matt. 6: 14. against any; that your Father who is in heaven may also forgive 26 you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your trespasses. 27 Matt 18: 35. Lu. 20: 1. Again they arrived at Jerusalem, and as he was walking in Matt. 21: 23. the temple, the chief priests, the scribes and the elders, came * Save now I pray. + Jehovah. VOL. II. 23 Save now I pray. 28 and said to him: By what authority dost thou these things? 29 and who empowered thee to do them? Jesus answering them, said unto them: I also have a question to ask; answer me, 30 and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the title which John had to baptize, from heaven, or from men? Matt. 14:5. 31 answer me. Then they argued thus among themselves: If we say, From heaven; he will reply, Why then did ye not be32 lieve him? But if we say, from men; we are in danger from the people, who are all convinced that John was a prophet.' 33 They therefore answering, said to Jesus, We cannot tell. Jesus replied: Neither tell you by what authority I do these things. Matt. 21; 33. XII. Then addressing them in parables, he said: A man planted a vineyard, and hedged it about, and dug a place for the winevat, and built a tower, and having farmed it out, went abroad. 2 The season being come, he sent a servant to the husbandmen, 3 to receive his portion of the fruits of the vineyard. But they 4 seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty. Again, he sent to them another servant, whom they wounded in the head 5 with stones, and sent back with disgrace. Again, he sent another, whom they killed: and of many more that he sent, some 6 they beat and some they killed. At last, having an only son, whom he loved, he sent him also to them; for he said, they 7 will reverence my son.' But those husbandmen said among themselves,' This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the 8 inheritance will be our own.' Then they laid hold on him, and, 9 having thrust him out of the vineyard, killed him. What, therefore, will the proprietor of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husbandmen, and give the vineyard to others. Ps. 118; 22. 10 Have ye not read this passage of Scripture: A stone which the 11 builders rejected, is made the head of the corner. This the Lord hath performed, and we behold it with admiration.' 12 And they would fain have seized him, but were afraid of the multitude; for they knew that he spake the parable against them. Acts 4: 11. 1 Pet. 2: 6. Matt. 22; 15. 13 SECTION VII.-THE PROPHECY ON MOUNT OLIVET. THEN the chief priests, the scribes and the elders, leaving Jesus, went away, and sent to him certain Pharisees and Hero14 dians, to catch him in his words. These coming up, said to him: Rabbi, we know that thou art upright, and standest in awe of none; for thou respectest not the persons of men, but teachest the way of God faithfully. Is it lawful to give tribute 15 to Cæsar, or not? Shall we give? or shall we not give? He, perceiving their artifice, answered: Why would ye entangle 16 me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it. When they had brought it, he asked them: Whose is this image and in17 scription? They answered Cæsar's. Jesus replied: Render to Cæsar that which is Cæsar's, and to God that which is God's. And they wondered at him. 18 Lu. 20; 27. Acts 23: 8. Deut. 25: 5. Then came Sadducees to him, who say that there is no fu- Matt. 22: 23. 19 ture life, and proposed this question: Rabbi, Moses hath enacted, that if a man's brother die, survived by a wife without children, he shall marry the widow, and raise issue to his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dy21 ing, left no issue. The second married her, and died; neither 22 left he any issue; so did also the third. Thus all seven mar23 ried her, and left no issue. Last of all the woman also died. At the resurrection, therefore, when they are risen, to which of the seven will she belong; for she hath been wife to them 24 all? Jesus answering, said unto them: is not this the source of your error, your not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of 25 God? For there will be neither marrying, nor giving in mar riage, among them who rise from the dead. They will then 26 resemble the heavenly messengers. But as to the dead, that Ex. 3; 6. they are raised, have ye not read in the book of Moses, how God spoke to him in the bush, saying: 'I am the God of Abra27 ham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?' God is not a God of the dead, but of the living. Therefore ye greatly err. 6 This is the Matt. 22: 35. Lu. 10; 25. 28 A scribe who had heard them dispute, perceiving the justness of his reply, came to him and proposed this question: 29 Which is the chief commandment of all? Jesus answered, The chief of all the commandments is, Hearken, Israel, the 30 Lord* is our God: the Lord* is one;' and, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, 31 and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.' first commandment. The second resembleth it: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' There is no commandment Lev. 19; 18. 32 greater than these. The scribe replied: Truly, Rabbi, thou 33 hast answered well. There is one God, and only one; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the spirit, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as one's self, is more than all burnt-offerings and sacrifices. 34 Jesus observing how pertinently he had answered, said to him: Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. After that, nobody ventured to put questions to him. * Jehovah. |