The History of Christianity - John S. C. Abbott (bookstand for reading .txt) 📗

Not far from the scene of this miracle was the small city of Gergasa. The report soon reached its streets. An immense multitude, “the whole city,” flocked out “to see what was done.” They found the man, whose maniacal fury had been the terror of the whole community, sitting calm and peaceful, “in his right mind,” conversing with Jesus. But they mourned the loss of the swine. Still they stood in such fear of the power of Jesus, that they did not dare to molest him, but, with one accord, entreated him to depart out of their coasts. Jesus responded to their wishes by re-entering the ship, and returning to the other side of the lake. The grateful man, who had been thus miraculously delivered from the most awful doom, begged for permission to accompany him; but Jesus withheld his consent, saying,—

“Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.”14

Upon the return of Jesus to Capernaum, he was received very cordially by the people; for they had missed him, and mourned even his short absence. The busy life of Jesus, in preaching his gospel, and in enforcing his authority by miraculous deeds of beneficence, seems to have engrossed every moment of his time.

Immediately upon his return to Capernaum, we find him surrounded by an immense concourse of people, drawn together by the novelty and the charm of his teachings. While he was addressing them, Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, came, and, falling upon his knees at the feet of Jesus, earnestly entreated him to save his little daughter, who was lying at the point of death. “Come, I pray thee,” said he, “and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live.”

Jesus accompanied him to his house: his disciples and the crowd followed. While on his way through the streets, a woman, afflicted by a distressing disease, which, according to the law, was pronounced unclean, and was deemed incurable, stealthily pressed her way through the crowd, and, striving to avoid observation, touched the hem of his garment; for she said within herself, “If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.”

The result cannot be more impressively told than in the words of the evangelist: “And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. And, when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”

While this scene was transpiring, a messenger came from the house of Jairus to inform him that his daughter was dead, and that, consequently, all hope was at an end. But Jesus spoke words of encouragement to the grief-stricken father, saying, “Be not afraid: only believe.” They repaired to the house. The members of the bereaved family were giving utterance to their grief by loud weeping and wailing. Jesus gently reproved them, intimating that he would awake her from the sleep of death, by saying, “The maid is not dead, but sleepeth.” This assertion only excited the derision of the unbelieving group who had gathered around the corpse.

He ordered all to leave the death-chamber. Then, entering with the father and mother of the child, he took the lifeless hand in his own, and said, “Damsel, arise!” Immediately the glowing blood of health rushed through her veins; and the daughter of twelve years rose from her couch, to be encircled in the arms of her amazed and grateful parents.

Thus wonder after wonder greeted the ears of the astonished citizens of Capernaum. Returning from the house of Jairus to the dwelling, probably the house of Peter, which he made his temporary home while in Capernaum, he was followed by two blind men, who incessantly exclaimed, “Thou son of David, have mercy on us!” For some unexplained reason, Jesus paid no apparent heed to their cry. But, when he entered the house, the blind were permitted by the multitude to crowd their way in also. Jesus then, turning to them, said, “Believe ye that I am able to do this?” They replied, “Yea, Lord.” Then he touched their eyes, and said, “According to your faith be it unto you.” We know not why Jesus should have enjoined it upon these blind men, as he did upon the parents of the maiden restored to life, not to proclaim the miracle abroad. It seems impossible that such astounding events, occurring in a crowded city, in broad day, could be concealed, or that any advantage could be derived from their concealment.

Jesus returned to Nazareth; but his reception by his fellow-townsmen was not cordial. Though he performed some miracles, and taught in their synagogue with such wisdom and authority as astonished them, still they rather sneeringly remarked,—

“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? Whence, then, hath this man all these things?”

Jesus seems to have been discouraged by this unbelieving spirit on their part; for he soon left them, after healing a few of their sick, saying in a proverbial phrase, “A prophet is not without honor save in his own country and in his own house.”

Leaving Nazareth, he again set out upon a tour through the cities and villages of Galilee, “teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.”15 The material and the spiritual wants of the people deeply oppressed his spirit. “He was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd.” In view of this moral desolation, he called his twelve chosen apostles around him, and said to them,—

“The harvest truly is plenteous; but the laborers are few. Pray ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.”

He then, having endowed them with miraculous powers that they might cast out devils and cure diseases, sent them forth two and two “to preach the kingdom of God.” In preparation for the privations and toils before them, he addressed them in the following memorable words:—

“Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And, as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils. Freely have ye received; freely give. Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses, nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves; for the workman is worthy of his meat.

“And, into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence. And, when ye enter into a house, salute it. And, if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; but, if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye, therefore, wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But, when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak; for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

“And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child; and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake; but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But, when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another; for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come.16

“The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household! Fear them not, therefore; for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and hid that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in the light; and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the house-tops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

“Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not, therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. Whosoever, therefore, shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven; but whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

“Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.

“He that receiveth you receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth Him that sent me. He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones17 a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, He shall in no wise lose his reward.”

Thus commissioned to an enterprise of toil, poverty, deprivation, and suffering, these apostles of Jesus went forth to preach the gospel of Christ throughout the land. Jesus also