Mar. 9. 23. 1 Thess. 5. 17. 34 whosoever shall throw it away, shall preserve it. I tell you, there will be two men that night in one bed; one will be seizMatt. 24. 40. 35 ed, and the other will escape. Two women will be grinding 36 together; one will be seized, and the other will escape. [Two men will be in the field; one will be seized, and the other will Matt. 24. 28. 37 escape.] Then they asked him: Where, Master? He answered: Where the body is, the eagles will be assembled. XVIII. He also showed them, by a parable, that they ought to 2 persist in prayer without growing weary. In a certain city, said he, there was a judge, who neither feared God, nor re3 garded man. And there was a widow in that city who came 4 to him, saying, 'Do me justice on my adversary. For some time he refused: but afterwards he argued thus with himself, 5 Although I neither fear God nor regard man, yet, because this widow importuneth me, I will judge her cause, lest she 6 come perpetually and plague me.' Mark, said the Lord, what 7 the unjust judge determined. And will not God avenge his ch. 14. 11. Matt. 23. 12. elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he linger in their 8 cause? I assure you, he will suddenly avenge them. Nevertheless, when the son of Man cometh, will he find this belief in the land? 9 Then addressing some who were conceited of themselves as being righteous, and despised others, he proposed this example: 10 Two men went up to the temple to pray; one a Pharisee, 11 the other a publican. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: O God, I thank thee that I am not as other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice a-week. I give tithes of all that I possess. But 13 the publican, standing at a distance, and not daring so much as to lift up his eyes to heaven, smote upon his breast, and cried, 14 God be merciful to me a sinner.' I assure you that this man returned home, more approved than the other: for whoever exalteth himself, shall be humbled; but whoever humbleth himself, shall be exalted. Matt. 19. 13, 15 : Then they presented babes to him, that he might touch them the disciples observing it, rebuked those who brought 16 them. But Jesus calling them to him, said: Permit the children to come unto me, and do not forbid them for of such 17 is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever will not receive the kingdom of God as a child, shall never enter it. Matt. 19. 16. 18 Mar. 10. 17. : THEN a certain ruler asked him, saying: Good teacher, 19 what good shall I do to obtain eternal life? Jesus answered: Ex. 20. 12. 20 Why callest thou me good? God alone is good. Thou knowest the commandments. Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not give a false testimony; Deut: 5. 16. 21 honor thy father and thy mother. He replied: All these I 22 have observed from my childhood. Hearing this, Jesus said to him Yet in one thing thou art deficient: sell all that thou hast, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in 23 heaven: then come and follow me. When he heard this, he was exceedingly sorrowful, for he was very rich. 24 Mar. 10. 22. Jesus perceiving that he was very sorrowful, said: How diffi- Matt. 19. 23. cult will it be for men of opulence to enter the kingdom of 25 God! It is easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eye, 26 than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. The hear27 ers said: Who then can be saved? Jesus answered: Things impossible to men are possible to God. 28 Mar. 10. 28. Then Peter said; Lo! we have forsaken all, and followed Matt. 19. 2729 thee. Jesus answered: Verily I say unto you, that there is none who shall have forsaken his house, or parents, or brothers, or wife, or children, on account of the kingdom of God; 30 who shall not receive manifold more in return in this world, and in the future, eternal life. 31 Mar. 10. 32.. Then Jesus taking the twelve aside, said to them: We are Matt. 20. 17. now going to Jerusalem, where all that the prophets have writ32 ten shall be accomplished on the Son of Man. For he shall be delivered to the Gentiles, and ridiculed and insulted and spit33 ted on. And after scourging, they will kill him, and he shall 34 rise again the third day. But they understood none of these things this discourse was hidden from them; they did not comprehend its meaning. 35 Mar. 10. 46 When he came near Jericho, a blind man, who sat by the Matt. 20: 29% 36 way-side begging, hearing the crowd pass by, inquired what 37 was the matter. And being told that Jesus the Nazarene was 38 passing by, he immediately cried, saying: Jesus, Son of Da39 vid, have pity upon me. They who went before, charged him to be silent but he cried still the louder: Son of David, have 40 pity upon me. Jesus stopped, and commanded them to bring 41 the man to him. And when he was nigh, he asked him, say42 ing What dost thou wish me to do for thee? He answered: Master, to give me sight. And Jesus said to him: Receive 43 thy sight; thy faith hath cured thee. Instantly he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people saw it, and praised God. XIX. When Jesus had entered, and was passing through Jericho, 2 behold a man named Zaccheus, a rich man, and chief of the 3 publicans, endeavored to see what sort of person he was, but 4 could not for the press, being of a low stature. Therefore running before, he climbed up into a sycamore to see him, having 5 observed that he was going that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and seeing him, said: Zaccheus, make haste and come down, for to-day I must abide at thy 6 house. And he made haste, and came down, and received him 7 joyfully. When the multitude perceived this, they said, mur8 muring: He is gone to be entertained by a sinner. But Zaccheus presenting himself before Jesus, said: Master, the half of my goods I will give to the poor; and if in aught I have wrong9 ed any man, I will restore fourfold. And Jesus said concerning him To-day is salvation come to this house, inasmuch as Matt. 18. 11. 10 he is also a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man is come to seek and recover that which was lost. 11 : As the people were attentive, he added this parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and they fancied the reign of God 12 would immediately commence : A certain nobleman went abroad to procure for himself the royalty, and then return; 13 and having called ten of his servants, and delivered to them ten 14 pounds, he said, 'Improve these till I return.' Now his citizens hated him; and sending an embassy after him, protested,' We 15 will not have this man for our king.' When he returned, vested with royal power, he commanded those servants to be called to whom he had committed the money, that he might 16 know what every one had gained. Then came the first, and 17 said, My Lord, thy pound* hath gained ten pounds.' He answered, Well done, good, servant; because thou hast been faithful in a very small matter, receive thou the government of 18 ten cities.' And the second who came said, 'My Lord, thy 19 pound hath gained five pounds.' He answered, Be thou too 20 governor of five cities.' Another came, saying, 'My Lord, 21 here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin; for I was afraid of thee, because thou art a hard master: thou exactest what thou didst not give, and reapest what thou didst not 22 sow.' He answered, 'Out of thine own mouth, thou malig nant servant, I will condemn thee. Didst thou know that I am 23 a hard master, exacting what I did not give, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didst not thou put my money into the bank, that at my return I might have received it with 24 interest?' Then he said to his attendants,' Take the pound Matt. 13. 12. 25 from him, and give it to him who hath ten pounds.' They anMar. 4. 25. 26 swered,' My Lord, he hath ten pounds.' He replied, ' I tell & 25. 29. ch. 8. 18. you, that to every one who hath, more shall be given; but from 27 him who hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken. But as for those mine enemies, who would not have me for their king; bring them hither, and slay them in my presence.' * Probably about 16 dollars. SECTION XII.-THE ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. Mar. 11. 1. 28 AFTER this discourse Jesus walked foremost, travelling Matt. 21. 1. 29 towards Jerusalem. When he approached Bethphage and Bethany, near the mountain called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying: Go to yonder village, wherein, as ye enter, ye will find a colt tied on which no man ever rode; loose 31 him and bring him. If any one ask why ye loose him, ye shall 32 answer, Because the Master needeth him.' Accordingly they who received this order, went and found every thing as he had 33 told them. As they were loosing the colt, the owners said to 34 them: Why loose ye the colt? They answered, The Mas- Jo. 12. 14. 35 ter needeth him. So they brought him to Jesus, and having 36 thrown their mantles upon the colt, set Jesus thereon. As he went, the people spread their mantles in the way before him. 37 When he was so near as the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God in loud acclamations, for all the miracles which they had seen, say38 ing: Blessed be the King who cometh in the name of the 39 Lord; peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven.' Upon this some Pharisees in the crowd said to him: Rabbi, 40 rebuke thy disciples. He answered: I tell you that, if these were silent, the stones would cry out. 41 When he came near and beheld the city, he wept over it, 42 saying: O that thou hadst considered, at least in this thy day, the things which concern thy peace! But now they are hid43 den from thine eyes: For the days are coming upon thee when thine enemies will surround thee with a rampart, and en44 close thee, and shut thee up on every side, and will level thee ch. 21. 6. with the ground, and thy children, and will not leave thee one Matt. 24. 2. stone upon another, because thou didst not consider the time when thou wast visited. 45 Mar. 13. 2. Afterwards he went into the temple, and drove out thence Matt. 21. 12 46 those who sold and those who bought therein, saying to them: Matt. 11. 15. It is written, My house is a house of prayer, but ye have made Isa. 56: 7. it a den of robbers.' 47 And he taught daily in the temple, while the chief priests and scribes, and the persons of principal note, sought his destruc48 tion, but could not devise how to effect it; for all the people heard him with the greatest attention. Jer. 7. 11. Mar. 11. 28. XX. One of those days, as he was teaching the people in the Matt. 21. 23. temple, and publishing the good tidings, the chief priests and 2 the scribes, with the elders, came upon him, saying: Tell us by what authority thou dost these things, or who is he that em3 powered thee? He answering, said unto them: I also have a Matt. 21. 23. 4 question to put to you. Tell me then, Was the title which 5 John had to baptize, from heaven or from men? But they reasoned thus with themselves, If we say, 'From heaven,' he 6 will reply, Why then did ye not believe him?' And if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us; for they are 7 persuaded that John was a prophet. They therefore answered, 8 that they could not tell whence. Jesus replied: Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 9 Then he spake to the people this parable: A man planted a vineyard, and farmed it out, and having travelled, continued 10 long abroad. The season being come, he sent a servant to the husbandmen, to receive of the produce of the vineyard; but 11 they beat him, and sent him back empty. Afterwards, he sent another servant, whom they, having beaten and used him 12 shamefully, also sent away empty. He, afterwards, dispatched a third to them. Him likewise they wounded and drove away. 13 Then the proprietor of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; they will surely reverence him, 14 when they see him.' But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned thus among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, 15 let us kill him, that the inheritance may be our own.' And having thrust him out of the vineyard, they killed him. What, 16 therefore, will the proprietor of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those husbandmen, and give the vineyard to others. And some of his hearers said: God forbid. Matt. 21. 42. 17 Ps. 118. 22. Jesus, looking on them, said: What meaneth that expression of Scripture, "A stone which the builders rejected is made 1 Pet. 2. 6. 18 the head of the corner. Whosoever shall fall upon that stone, shall be bruised; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will crush 19 him to pieces." At that time the chief priests and the scribes, knowing that he had spoken this parable against them, would have laid hands on him, but feared the people. Matt. 22. 15. 30 And they watched him, and set spies upon him, instructing them to personate conscientious men, and surprise him in his words, that they might consign him to the power and authority 21 of the procurator. These accosted him with this question: Rabbi, we know that thou speakest and teachest uprightly, and that, without respect of persons, thou faithfully recommend22 est the way of God. Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Cæsar 23 or not? He perceiving their subtlety, answered: Why would 24 ye inveigle me? Show me a denarius. Whose image and in25 scription hath it? They answered: Cæsar's. He replied: Render, therefore, to Cæsar that which is Cæsar's, and to 26 God that which is God's. Thus they could not surprise him in his discourses before the people; wherefore, admiring his answer, they kept silence. |