33 sented to him. The demon being expelled, the dumb spake, and the people wondered, saying: Nothing like this was ever 34 seen in Israel. But the Pharisees said: He expelleth the de- Mar. 3: 22. mons by the prince of the demons. 35 SECTION V.-THE CHARGE TO THE APOSTLES. THEN Jesus went through all the cities and villages, teach- Mar. 6. 6. ing in their synagogues, and proclaiming the glad tidings of the ch. 13: 29. reign, and curing every disease and every malady among the 36 people. But when he saw the multitudes he had compassion Mar. 6. 34. upon them, because they were scattered and exposed, like at 37 flock without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples: The Lu. 10. 2. 38 harvest is plentiful, but the reapers are few: entreat, therefore, Lu. 9. 1. the Lord of the harvest, that he would send laborers to reap it. X. And having called to him his twelve disciples, he gave them Mar. 3, 13. power to expel unclean spirits, and cure diseases and maladies Lu. 6. 13. 2 of every kind. Now these are the names of the twelve apostles. The first Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother, 3 James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the publican, James son 4 of Alpheus, and Lebbeus surnamed Thaddeus, Simon the Ca5 naanite, and Judas Iscariot, he who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus commissioned, instructing them, and saying: Lu. 10. 9. Go not away to the Gentiles, nor enter a Samaritan city; Acts 13. 46. 6 but go directly to the lost sheep of the stock of Israel. And as 7 ye go, proclaim, saying, "The reign of heaven approacheth.' 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, expel demons; freely ye have 9 received, freely give. Put not gold, or silver, or brass in your Mar. 6. 8. 10 girdles; carry no scrip, no spare coats, shoes, or staves; for Lu. 10. 7. the workman is worthy of his maintenance. 11 Lu. 9. 3. Tim. 5. 18 And whatever city or village ye enter, inquire what person of worth dwelleth there; and abide with him until ye leave 12 the place. When ye enter the house, salute the family. If 13 the family be worthy, the peace ye wish them shall come upon them if they be not worthy, it shall rebound upon yourselves. 14 Wheresoever they will not receive you, nor regard your words, in departing that house, or city, shake the dust off your feet. 15 Verily I say unto you, the condition of Sodom and Gomorrha Acts 15.51. shall be more tolerable on the day of judgment, than the condition of that city. 16 Behold! I send you forth as sheep amidst wolves. Be, Lu. 10.3 therefore, prudent as the serpents, and harmless as the doves. * Missionaries. ch. 9. Lu. 12. 11. 17 But be upon your guard with men; for they will deliver you 18 to councils, and scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors and kings on my account, to bear Mar. 13. 11. 19 testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, be not anxious, how, or what we shall speak; for what ye should speak, shall be suggested to you in that moment. 20 For it shall not be ye that shall speak; but the Spirit of my 21 Father who will speak by you. Then the brother will consign the brother to death; and the father the child; and children 22 will arise against their parents, and procure their death. And for my name ye shall be hated universally. But the man who persevereth to the end, shall be saved. Lu. 21. 16. Lu. 6. 40. Jo. 13. 16. & 15. 20. Mar. 4. 22. Lu. 8. 17. & 12. 2. Lu. 12. 8. & 9. 26. Mar. 8. 38. 2 Tim. 2. 12. Lu. 12. 51. Lu. 14. 26. ch. 16. 24. Mar. 8. 34. Jo. 12. 25. Lu. 9. 23. & 17.33. 23 Therefore, when they persecute you in one city, flee to another, for verily I say unto you, ye shall not have gone through the cities of Israel, ere the Son of Man be come. 24 A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his 25 master. It is enough for the disciple to be as his teacher, and for the servant to be as his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call his domestics? 26 Therefore fear them not; for there is nothing hidden that shall not be detected; nothing secret that shall not be known. 27 What I tell you in the dark, publish in the light; and what is 28 whispered in your ear, proclaim from the house-tops. And fear not them who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul; fear 29 rather him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny ?* Yet neither of them falleth 30 to the ground without the will of your Father. Nay, the very 31 hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not then, ye are 32 much more valuable than many sparrows. Whosoever, therefore, shall acknowledge me before men, him will I also ac33 knowledge before my Father who is in heaven. But whosoever shall disown me before men, him will I also disown before my Father who is in heaven. 34 Think not that I am come to bring peace to the earth. I 35 came, not to bring peace, but a sword. For I am come to make dissension betwixt father and son, betwixt mother and 36 daughter, betwixt mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, so that a man's enemies will be found in his own family. He who 37 loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. He who loveth son or daughter more than me, is not wor38 thy of me. He who will not take his cross and follow me, is 39 not worthy of me. He who preserveth his life, shall lose it; but he who loseth his life, on my account, shall preserve it. * Assarion, value three farthings sterling. 40 Jo. 13. 20. He that receiveth you, receiveth me; and he that receiveth Lu. 10. 16. 41 me, receiveth him who sent me. He that receiveth a prophet, because he is a prophet, shall obtain a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man, because he is a righteous 42 man, shall obtain a righteous man's reward and whosoever shall give any of these little ones, because he is my disciple, were it but a cup of cold water to drink; verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward. XI. WHEN Jesus had made an end of instructing his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and give warning in the cities. Mar. 9. 41. SECTION VI.-THE CHARACTER OF THE TIMES. 2 Lu. 7. 18. Isa. 35. 5. NOW John having heard in prison of the works of the Mes3 siah, sent two of his disciples, who asked him ; Art thou he that 4 cometh, or must we expect another? Jesus answering, said unto them: Go and relate to John what ye have heard and seen. 5 The blind are made to see, the lame to walk, the deaf to hear; lepers are cleansed; the dead are raised; and good news is Isa. 61. 3. 6 brought to the poor: and happy is he to whom I shall not prove a stumbling-block. 7 When they were departed, Jesus said to the people concern- Lu. 7. 24. 8 ing John what went ye out into the wilderness to behold? A reed shaken by the wind? But what went ye to see? A man effeminately dressed? It is kings' palaces [not deserts] that 9 such frequent. What then went ye to see? A prophet? Yea, 10 I tell you, and something superior to a prophet: For this is he concerning whom it is written, "Behold I send mine angel be- Mal. 3. 1. 11 fore thee, who shall prepare thy way." Verily I say unto you, Mar. 1. 2. among those born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist. Yet the least in the reign of heaven, 12 shall be greater than he. From the first appearing of John the Lu. 16. 16 Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is invaded, and inva13 ders take possession by force. For till John appeared, all the 14 prophets and the Law were your instructors; and if ye will 15 bear to be told it, this is the Elijah that was to come. ever hath ears to hear, let him hear. 16 But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like boys in the market-place to whom their play-fellows complain, say17 ing, "We have played to you upon the pipe, but ye have not Who- Mal. 4. 5. danced; we have sung mournful songs to you, but ye have not 18 lamented.' For John came abstaining from meat and drink, 19 and they say, ' He hath a demon; the Son of Man came using meat and drink, and they say, 'He is a lover of banquets and Lu. 7.31. Lu. 10. 13. Lu. 10. 21. Jo. 3. 35. ch. 6. 46. & 10. 15. Jer. 6. 16. 1 Jo. 5. 3. Mar. 2. 23. 1 Sam. 21. 1. Lev. 24. 5. Hos. 6. 6. ch. 9. 13. Mar. 3. 1. 20 wine, a companion of publicans and sinners.' But wisdom is justified by her children. Then he began to reproach the cities wherein most of his 21 miracles had been performed, because they repented not: Wo unto thee, Chorazin, wo unto thee Bethsaida; for if the miracles which have been performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they had repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 Know, therefore, that the condition of Tyre and Sidon, on the 23 day of judgment, shall be more tolerable than yours. And thou Capernaum, which hast been exalted to heaven, shalt be brought down to hades; for if the miracles which have been performed in thee had been performed in Sodom, it had remained until 24 now. Know, therefore, that the condition of Sodom, on the day of judgment, shall be more tolerable than thine. 25 On that occasion Jesus said: I adore thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth; because having hidden these things from sages and the learned, thou hast revealed them to babes : 26 Yes, Father, because such is thy pleasure. My Father hath 27 imparted every thing to me; and none knoweth the Son, ex cept the Father; neither knoweth any one the Father, except 28 the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. Come unto me all ye who toil and are burdened; and I will relieve you. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and be taught by me, for I am meek 30 and condescending; and your souls shall find relief. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. * XII. AT that time, as Jesus was walking through the corn on the Sabbath, his disciples, being hungry, began to pluck the 2 ears of corn, and eat them. The Pharisees observing this, said to him: Lo thy disciples are doing what it is not lawful to 3 do on the Sabbath. He answered: Have ye not read what 4 David did and his attendants, when they were hungry? how he entered the tabernacle of God, and ate the loaves of the presence, which it was not lawful for him or his attendants to eat, 5 but solely for the priests? Or have ye not learned from the Law, that the priests in the temple violate the rest to be ob6 served on Sabbaths and are nevertheless blameless? Now I 7 affirm that something greater that the temple is here. But had ye known what this meaneth, "I require humanity and not sa8 crifice," ye would not have condemned the guiltless: For the Son of Man is master of the Sabbath. 9 Leaving that place, he went into their synagogue, and found a man there whose hand was blasted. They asked Jesus, with a design to accuse him: Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath? * With us Saturday, or rather from Friday at sun-set, to Saturday at sun-set, for so the Jews reckoned. 11 He answered, what man is there amongst you, who having one sheep, if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold on it, 12 and lift it out? And doth not a man greatly excel a sheep? It 13 is lawful, therefore, to do good on the Sabbath. Then he said to the man: Stretch out thy hand. And as he stretched it out, 14 it became sound like the other. But the Pharisees went out, and concerted against Jesus to destroy him. 15 Jesus knowing this departed, and being followed by a vast multitude healed all their sick, enjoining them not to discover 16 him. Thus the word of the prophet Isaiah was verified, "Be- Isa. 42. 1. 18 hold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul delighteth: I will cause my Spirit to abide upon him, and 19 he shall give laws to the nations; he will not contend, nor cla20 mor, nor make his voice be heard in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break; and a dimly burning taper he will not 21 quench, till he render his laws victorious. Nations also shall trust in his name." 22 Then was brought to him a demoniac dumb and blind; and 23 he cured him, insomuch that he both spake and saw. And all the people said with amazement: Is this the son of David? ch. 9. 34. 24 But the Pharisees hearing them said: This man expelleth de- Mar. 3. 29. 25 mons only by Beelzebub, prince of the demons. But Jesus know 31 Lu. 11. 15. Lu. 12. 10. ing their surmises, said to them: By civil dissensions any kingdom may be desolated; and no city or family, where such dis26 sensions are, can subsist. Now if Satan expel Satan, his king27 dom is torn by civil dissensions; how can it then subsist? Besides, if I expel demons by Beelzebub; by whom do your 28 sons expel them? Wherefore they shall be your judges. But if I expel demons by the Spirit of God, the reign of God hath 29 overtaken you. For how can one enter the strong one's house, Isa. 49. 24. and plunder his goods, unless he first overpower the strong one? 30 Then indeed he may plunder his house. He who is not for me, is against me: and he who gathereth not with me, scattereth. Wherefore I say unto you, though every other sin and de- Mar. 3. 28. traction in men is pardonable, their detraction from the Spirit is 1 Jo. 5. 16. 32 unpardonable for whosoever shall inveigh against the Son of Man may obtain pardon; but whosoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit shall never be pardoned, either in the present state 33 or in the future. Either call the tree good, and its fruit good; or call the tree bad, and its fruit bad for we distinguish the tree by the fruit. Offspring of vipers, how can ye that are evil 35 speak good things, since it is out of the fulness of the heart that the mouth speaketh? The good man out of his good treasure produceth good things; the bad man out of his bad treasure 1 Cor. 1. 22. 36 produceth bad things. Be assured, however, that of every per- ch. 16. 1. V nicious word which men shall utter, they shall give an account VOL. I. 70 Lu. 6.45. |