The Illustrated Bible Story Book -- New Testament [Green ed.] 0486468356, 9780486468358

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GREEN EDITION

N E W* fl $ TAME N T

I L1US TRAT ED

A read-along set that makes the Bible come alive Introducing kids to the Bible is twice the fun in this delight¬ ful book and CD set. The mag¬ nificent storybook depicts Jesus’ life, from his humble birth to the miracles he worked, the par¬ ables he told, and the message he shared. The forty-one stories in¬ clude “The Escape,” “Wine and Water,” and “Lazarus.” Others tell about the miracle of loaves and fishes, the Good Samaritan, and more. Colorful illustrations and a CD recording of eleven of the most engaging Gospel tales make this gift edition a treasure for all ages to share.

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THERE IN THE COURTYARD OF THE INN THE SHEPHERDS FOUND THE INFANT JESUS

Page 23

THE ILLUSTRATED

BIBLE STORY BOOK NEW TESTAMENT

Stories retold for children by

Seymour Loveland With an Introduction by

Katharine Lee Bates Illustrated by

Milo winter

Dover publications, Inc. MlNEOLA, NEW YORK

Planet Friendly Publishing s/ Made in the United States >/ Printed on Recycled Paper GREEN EDITION

, Learn moreatwww.greenedition.org

At Dover Publications we're committed to producing books in an earth-friendly manner and to helping our customers make greener choices. Manufacturing books in the United States ensures compliance with strict environmental laws and eliminates the need for international freight shipping, a major contributor to global air pollution.

And printing on recycled paper helps minimize our consumption of trees, water and fossil fuels. The text of The Illustrated Bible Story Book—New Testament was printed on paper made with 10% post-consumer waste, and the cover was printed on paper made with 10% post-consumer waste. According to Environmental Defense's Paper Calculator, by using this innovative paper instead of conventional papers, we achieved the following environmental benefits: Trees Saved: 12 • Air Emissions Eliminated: 1,017 pounds Water Saved: 4,184 gallons • Solid Waste Eliminated: 542 pounds For more information on our environmental practices, please visit us online at www.doverpublications.com/green

Copyright Copyright © 1925 by Rand McNally & Company. Reproduced with permission. CD content copyright © 2008 by Dover Publications, Inc. All rights reserved.

Bibliographical Note The Illustrated Bible Story Book—New Testament, first published by Dover Publications, Inc., in 2008, is reproduced from the work first published by Rand McNally & Company, Chicago and New York, in 1925. This edition includes a new audio recording to accompany the text.

International Standard Book Number ISBN-13: 978-0-486-46835-8 ISBN-10: 0-486-46835-6 Audio recording produced by Blane & DeRosa Productions, Inc.

Manufactured in the United States of America Dover Publications, Inc., 31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, N.Y. 11501

THE ILLUSTRATED

BIBLE STORY BOOK NEW TESTAMENT

Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018 with funding from Kahle/Austin Foundation

https://archive.org/details/illustratedbibleOOOOIove

T

THE INTRODUCTION

HE life of Jesus Christ, related with supreme dignity and surpassing beauty in the gospels, cannot be told too often. In this book of New Testament stories the life of Christ is set forth in simple language for young children. The four gospels tell mainly about the manhood of Jesus: how He journeyed from place to place with His little group of disciples, healing the sick, preaching the Word of God. Jesus was Himself the Word, for God is Love and the life of Christ was Love. I wish that we might have had one gospel more, written by Mary, to tell us of the clinging child, the eager boy, the earnest youth who was the light of the carpenter’s home in Nazareth. The longing to know more of those early years has been so great that simple people, centuries ago, caught at floating legends that we no longer credit: how Jesus, at play with other children, molding clay into images of donkeys and cows and dogs, fashioned little sparrows that flew at his command; how when old Joseph, who, the story said, “was not very skilful at his carpenter’s trade,” would find he had made a door too wide or a shelf too long, Jesus would touch the timber and instantly door or shelf “became as Joseph would have it”; how one day Jesus’ playfellows “spread their garments on the ground for Him to sit on, and having made a crown of flowers, put it upon His head and stood on His right and left as the guards of a king. And if anyone happened to pass by, they took him by force and said, ‘Come hither, and worship the King, that you may have a prosperous journey.’” Though these tales are only the fancies of wistful hearts, not the memories of those who had seen that blessed childhood, yet even in these there is at least a grain of truth. We know from what Jesus said and did that He cared for all living creatures and especially for birds; we are sure that His young hands always were quick to help, and we can easily understand that the little Nazarenes would make Him the center of their games. Devout old painters liked to picture the carpenter’s shop: Joseph busy with his saw and Mary sitting by, her sewing fallen to her knee while her look dwelt tenderly on the Holy Child as He gathered up the chips and shavings, with a flutter-winged cluster of cherubs doing their best to aid. Is there any surer way to make the boyhood of Jesus more real and vivid to us? Yes, from pictures and books about the Holy Land and from visiting these scenes of Jesus’ youth, we can see something of what He saw; from brief men¬ tions in the New Testament we can learn a little of the family life; and from Christ’s own references to features of the landscape and the happenings of the 7

neighborhood so familiar to Him, we can glean yet more.

So together let us in

imagination go, as pilgrims for hundreds and hundreds of years have gone, by sea, by land, in dream, in prayer, to Nazareth. Palestine is in size but a small strip of the earth. through it from top to bottom in three hours.

An express train could run

It consists, from west to east of a

coast lying beside the blue Mediterranean, a low coast broken only by the long, level lift of Mount Carmel; then of a range of hills running north and south, on one of whose slopes Nazareth is built; then of the Jordan valley widening out into the Sea of Galilee; and, finally, a bordering table-land.

The four divisions, in the time of

Christ, were Galilee to the north, then Samaria in the center, farthest to the south, Judea, and Perea which included all the region lying east of the Jordan and south of the Jabbok. Nazareth is now a large town, as Syrian towns go, sweeping well up the hill¬ side, its white,

flat-roofed

houses gleaming out from fig trees and olive groves.

Under Roman rule it probably was even larger, an important “city,” as the New Testament always terms it,

among two hundred towns and villages of Galilee

where people lived in such close quarters that Jesus may early have learned to slip away into the hills for quiet thought.

The house was probably built of stone,

as the houses of Nazareth are today, and may have had, like some of these, a garden inclosed by a cactus hedge.

Joseph almost certainly was a mason as well

as a carpenter, for the builders of his time worked in stone more than in wood. Perhaps his son was taught to carve in marble. a boy, may have known the joy of the artist.

One likes to think that Jesus, as At every hour He knew the thrill

of beauty, and often would have climbed “unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built” for the wonderful view reaching from the purples of Mount Carmel to the dazzling snows of Mount Hermon. If Joseph had his workshop at home, his house, its square outlines softened by blossoming vines like the close-pressing houses of his neighbors, may possibly have had two stories.

A Jew of a proud old family descended from King David, Joseph

was by no means ashamed of being a workingman, for the Hebrew commanded that every boy be taught a trade. As one of their rabbis wrote: “Labor honors the laborer.” On a summer morning, the little household would be early astir. On the flat roof, whose low parapet guarded a restless child from a fall, Jesus would have been sleeping snugly wrapt in a gay-colored quilted coverlet, not unlike our “puffs” or “comforters.”

From the open housetop, before His eyes had closed

in a tired boy’s sound slumber, Jesus would have seen the same moon and stars, the same trooping constellations, that keep watch over us today, and on waking He would have looked on the fresh rose of dawn, lifting His heart to the joy of a new day.

He would have been happy in the color and fragrance of the 8

hour and would have had a gentle smile tor the doves resting on the parapet, unafraid as He stepped near. Then quite naturally Jesus would have risen, taken up his light bed and carried it down the ladder-stair to the large living-room below. Here the family quilts were each neatly rolled up and tucked away on a low bench that ran against the walls nearly all the way around the room. On this ledge were arranged such few articles as even the simplest housekeeping needs—clay pots and bowls and a lamp shaped like a saucer with the wick floating on the surface of the olive oil. On either side of the door stood a tall, slim water jar. In a corner of the room was a great wooden chest, painted in some bright design, holding the family treasures — scrolls of the Law and the Prophets, finely woven robes and other choice raiment. In another corner of the room might be seen a broad stool, colored as gaily as the chest, and here and there were great clay vessels for the storing of grain and vegetables, wicker baskets of fruit, and a pile of palm-leaf mats, which, spread upon the floor or upon the bench, gave the parents easier couches. Jesus, indeed, liked best of all, when the night was warm, to sleep out on the hills, rolled in his loose Galilean coat. By the time the washing and prayers, required by the Jewish rule, were finished, and Joseph had come in from his workshop — or come up, if the livingroom formed a second floor — Mary was placing on the painted stool, now drawn out into the open space, a tray bearing thin rounds of new bread and a large bowl of rice, into which Joseph and any guests, sitting on their heels in eastern fashion, around the low stool, dipped their hands in turn. For Mary had risen first of all the household and, one of the red water jars gracefully balanced on her erect head, had tripped down the stony road to the town spring — now called Lady Mary’s Fountain — for water. Perhaps, too, she, with the help of a neighbor, another Mother in Israel, had been grinding corn at her hand-mill, lightly kneading the moistened meal, and then baking the dough, spread into these thin layers, in the neighborhood oven. Breakfast over, water would be brought for the washing of fingers, and Joseph would give his son the task for the day. If he bade Jesus help him in the shop, we may be sure that many a passer-by lingered in the open door to hear the strange, wise talk of the bright-faced young apprentice sitting on the floor and working away with plane or drill on the flat board that served as carpenter’s bench. But if it were a holiday, how gladly Jesus went out on one of His long rambles! He could walk to Mount Tabor in two hours, to the Sea of Galilee in five. And all the way He was noting where the foxes had their holes and the birds of the air their nests, delighting in the scarlet splendor of the wild lilies — “even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these’’—watching the life of 9

vineyard and threshing floor and market place. He would meet shepherds leading their flocks through green pastures, gathering the lambs in their arms and carrying them in their bosom. He would pause to hear the pipers, on the road to some grand wedding, playing a tune for the dancing children who frolicked after them. He would follow the bees to find where they hid their honeycomb. He would stand to see the sower scattering his seed, a fisherman letting down his net, a hen gather¬ ing her chickens under her wings. And all these common things had deep and beautiful meaning for Him, the more common the more divine, as if His Father in Heaven were, through them, giving Him a message. Mary often felt that she did not understand when her star-eyed son told her of the thoughts that had come to Him from the fields and hills, “but His mother kept all these sayings in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Katharine Lee Bates

io

THE CONTENTS THE COMING OF THE KING

page

A Wonderful Message. Mary. The Story the Star Told. The Star and the Magi. Wicked King Herod. The Escape. In the Temple. Locusts and Wild Honey. King and Herald.

15 18 21 23 26 29 32 37 40

THE EARLY WORK OF JESUS Wine and Water. Bethesda—House of Mercy. Through the Roof. Her Only Son. Touching the Hem. Supper Time. Afraid. My Neighbor. Lost and Found. The Grateful Stranger. The Other Brother.

47 48 50 53 55 58 61 64 66 69 72

JESUS’ LATER WORK The Master’s Blessing. 79 Lazarus. 81 Sons of Thunder. 84 At the House of Martha.. 87 Behold Your King!. 89 House of Prayer. 93 A Great Gift. 95 A Sad Supper. 97 Thirty Pieces of Silver. 99 The Friend Who Was Afraid.102 Calvary.105

SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS When the Promise Was Kept.Ill Breakfast by the Sea.114 Many Tongues.U 7 Lying and Losing.U 9 One of the Seven.02 The Great Missionary.124 A Strange Table.128 Prison Doors.131 Shipwrecked.03 The City of the Great King.137

II

THE COMING OF THE KING

STANDING NEAR THE TEMPLE ALTAR, ZACHARIAS SAW THE ANGEL GABRIEL

BIBLE STORY BOOK A WONDERFUL MESSAGE It was a beautiful evening.

The

of those big gates was so large and

sun had put on his scarlet robe and

heavy that it would have taken forty

was all ready to say good night to

children, all pushing at once, to open

the world.

it.

His rays, like long, slen¬

This great brass gate must have

der fingers, reached out over the sky

dazzled the people’s eyes when the

as though flinging a farewell to all

sun shone on it.

the little folks before he slipped so

Beautiful Gate.

far out of sight that no one could find him until morning. blue

heavens

one

twinkled merrily.

brave

The people who belonged to this

Up in the

church did not want everybody to

little star

come

Perhaps if stars

could speak we might have

They called it the

two

heard

inside strong

of

it,

stone

they

walls

Inside these walls,

built

around

it.

but outside the

“ Cheer up, children,

church

I’m going to be with you until the

prayed.

sun comes back."

inside of the church because he had

this one

say,

most

of

the

people

Zacharias, the priest, went

something very important to do there.

What do you suppose the star saw as it flashed and sparkled?

itself,

so

At

A beauti¬

twilight,

just

as

the

first

star

ful church on top of a high hill in

peeped out of the blue sky, he must

a beautiful city.

This church was

throw some sweet-smelling powders,

called the Temple, and the city was

called incense, on the hot coals that

Jerusalem.

burned on the golden altar.

Everything was so lovely

that if you had walked through the

was

great silver and gold gates and into

not even

the temple courts, you might have

a noise.

thought you were in fairyland.

his heart instead of with his lips.

One 15

the

silent time when

This

a chatterbox

nobody,

child, made

Everyone was praying with

What make!

a smoke the Zacharias

cleared away.

Of course Zacharias should have

incense did

waited

until

known that Gabriel brought happy

it

tidings.

Then how he must

This angel never brought

have rubbed his eyes in surprise, and

anything but good news to people.

stared at the golden altar!

He was

There was one thing the old priest

sure no one had been near the altar

and his wife wanted more than any¬

when he threw on the incense!

But

thing

now some one was beside it.

He

had heard no one come in.

else

in

the

world,

and that

was a little child of their own.

How

The

message Gabriel brought

Zacharias

could the visitor have come there?

and

was

Zacharias

was sure his visitor was

“You shall have a son and his name

an angel.

Only a messenger of God

shall

his

wife

Elizabeth,

be John.”

this:

But Gabriel told

could come in so quietly and look so

Zacharias even more than this.

kindly.

little John was to be a wonderful

When

Zacharias saw

the

The

angel in the temple he must have been

child.

frightened, for when Gabriel spoke

happy.

he told him he need have no fear

man he was to tell the people to get

and said, “ I bring you good news.”

ready for the

He was to make many people When

he

grew

to

be

a

King, for now their

real King was coming. You remember how the Hebrews asked

Samuel to make

Saul

king,

and

poor king

Saul was. had

had

what

a very

their

Since then the Hebrews a great

many kings, but

only three of them had been good ones.

Now

they

were

watching

for the perfect King that God had promised

to

send

them.

Gabriel

told Zacharias that the King would soon be here. When we are going to have guests we get ready for them.

What a task

Mother has cleaning the rooms, dust¬ ing and straightening the furniture, and SILENTLY ZACHARIAS MOTIONED TO THE WAITING PEOPLE TO GO HOME

cooking

good

company to eat! 16

things

for the

John, the little boy

he motioned to the waiting people to go home.

Then slowly he walked

through the Beautiful Gate and down to his own small house.

Can’t you

see these two old people,

Elizabeth

and

sat

Zacharias,

as

they

beside each other?

close

The lamplight

shone on Elizabeth’s white hair while she watched what her husband wrote on

a tablet.

wonderful

He

was

message

brought him.

writing the

Gabriel

had

He could not speak,

for not since the angel’s visit had Zacharias been able to say a word. But I know that he was happy, for Gabriel

had said his promised

was

be

to

the

herald

son

who should

announce the coming of the

King.

THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL GATE WALKED ZACHARIAS

who was coming to

Zacharias and

Elizabeth,

had grown to

be

a

when

man

was

he

going

to

tell

the

people to get ready for the expected King.

He was not going to tell them

to build

a

great

palace

for

him.

John was coming before the King came so that body

he

could

tell

to prepare for him.

going to tell

the

people

every¬

He was to

make

their hearts ready to love the King when

He came.

That is a much

better way to get ready for company than dusting rooms, cleaning furni¬ ture, and preparing food. Out of the church and into the outer court went Zacharias.

ZACHARIAS WRITING GABRIEL’S WONDERFUL MESSAGE ON A TABLET FOR ELIZABETH

Silently 17

no farther.

MARY The king.

Hebrews

the

wanted

a

ruined

them.

worked

hard

but

poor

each year

and

crippled sat

Bad kings had

The

roadside

until they died.

good

One like David would have

suited them best.

Then they dropped by

ging.

people

lay

in

the

dust

The blind and the

beside

Perhaps

the

road

there

beg¬

would

be

whole days when they had nothing

grew

to eat.

You would be very likely

poorer and poorer, because the kings

to see a small

took away from them almost every¬

street snatching a bone from a half-

thing they had, to make their own

starved

dog, each

palaces

bit

food

In the

richer

the

and

more beautiful.

Oriental

country where

Hebrews

lived,

no

one

of

girl or boy in the

a

trying

rich

to

get

neighbor

a

had

thrown away.

cared

In

all

the

land

there

were

no

for the poor or those who were ill.

doctors and no nurses for little sick

If you had walked through a street

babies.

in one of the cities in this land when

and no clean white beds.

Jesus lived there,

looking mothers held their suffering

you

would have

There

were

no

hospitals

Weary, sad-

seen many things that would have

children

while

they

made you sorry.

begged for something to eat.

But

Homeless

sick

people

staggered

in

their

arms

no one paid any attention.

along the road until they could go

In that

country no one loved the unhappy and hungry people.

They had been

forgotten. There were other people in this country who were not rich, but who had homes and enough to eat. of

these

people

were

would remember them. He had promised King.

sure

Some God

And He did.

to send them a

This one would be different

from any king they had ever had. He would love every one of them. He would make well all those who were ill.

He would make the wicked

wish to be good, and the unhappy people glad.

BLIND AND CRIPPLED BEGGARS SAT BY THE WAYSIDE

18

MARY FEEDING THE DOVES IN THE COURTYARD

When God speaks, people cannot

Think of the sweetest and dearest

hear Him unless they are ready to

face you ever saw.

listen.

smile always made your heart glad.

Zacharias,

the

priest,

had

A face whose

been ready, and so he had seen and

Such a

face must have been

heard Gabriel, God’s messenger.

Mary’s.

A happy little maid who

In

like

all the land of the Hebrews there was

could talk with God’s angel, Gabriel,

only one other person who was ready

must have had a sweet face, always

to listen to a messenger from God.

cheery and full of sunshine.

Who

sure everyone who looked at her felt

do

you

was?

Anyone

have

told you.

suppose in It

that

person

Nazareth was a

could

happier.

humble

You will want to know how Mary to guess.

When she talked or sang,

even the singing of the birds did not

Jewish maiden named Mary. looked, I am sure.

I am

sound sweeter.

We can be sure that

Mary

kind

had

a

heart, gentle,

winning ways, a helpful spirit and

We shall have

loved

Now shut your eyes and

let us make a picture of Mary for

not

ourselves.

able

I’m sure you can see her. 19

everybody.

bring good people.

God’s angels do news

to

disagree¬

one thing we can be certain; when he came he found Mary busy. never calls his

tasks

lazy people, only

to

God

hie

those

gives

who

are

willing to work. Into the court of came Gabriel.

Mary’s house

“ Hail, thou that art

highly favored, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art

thou

among

women,”

was his greeting. Mary looked up at him in astonish¬ ment.

Did the stranger think she

was a princess?

Such

a greeting

was given only to the rich and power¬ ful.

And Mary was neither.

What

could this beautiful stranger mean? Then Gabriel spoke again.

THE ANGEL GABRIEL BRINGS GOD’S WONDERFUL MESSAGE TO MARY

King is coming.

Mary must often have felt sorry

here.

“The

He will soon be

You have found favor with

for those who were ill and poor. I

God, and a little child who is to be

am certain that

a tiny sick

the great King will be given to you.”

baby felt better because Mary had

Into Mary’s heart there came a

cared for it.

many

great gladness.

When she prayed, I

know she asked God to hurry and

mother

send

Through her, God would remember

the

promised

people besides

King.

Many

Mary were praying

of

She was to be the

the

promised

and bless His people.

King.

The child

for the coming of the great King.

that He was going to place in her

Mary really believed that God heard

arms would love all people and help

her prayer and would answer. But I fear the other people said in their

them in all their troubles.

hearts, “We will pray about it, but

“ Henceforth

God will not hear us.” And of course

call me blessed”!

God did not hear that kind of prayer.

for her people and God had heard.

wonder

We do not know whether it was

Her

in the evening or in the morning that Gabriel visited Mary.

son

that

she all

Jesus

people because Son of God.

But of 20

sang

Do you

with

generations

joy, shall

She had prayed would He

was

save also

His the

THE STORY THE STAR TOLD What do we see at night that we cannot

see

stars, of

in

the daytime?

course.

How

The

black

the

nights would be without our friends, the stars!

When I was little I liked

to think that

the stars

were

little

people with dresses of different colors. Some stars wear pretty yellow dresses, others white or blue, and still others red or green. One

night a star twinkled and

beckoned as if it wanted to speak to me.

I thought it wished to tell

me a story.

WHEN THE SHEPHERDS LOOKED UP RIGHT BESIDE THEM THEY SAW AN ANGEL IN SHINING GARMENTS

The story I think the star wanted to tell me that night is a beautiful

watch was sure he heard music.

story.

I’m sure the little star knew all

looked up at the stars and called to

about it because when all the won¬

his companions to come and watch

derful things in the story happened

them.

the star was dancing and twinkling

though they were alive with happi¬

in the sky just as it was that night

ness.

I thought it wanted to tell it to me.

shepherds that the angel of the Lord

And this is the story it told:

was coming to them with some won¬

“One

evening,

long,

long ago,

He

They glowed and sparkled as They were trying to tell the

derful news.

the stars were all shining brightly.

“And

sure

enough,

when

the

They were trying their best to give

shepherds looked up, there they saw,

light to a few shepherds who were

in shining garments, the angel stand¬

keeping

ing right

night

sheep on a country.

watches

hillside in

over

their

a

hungry

wolf

His

face

shone with such a wonderful light

a far-away

If the stars had not shone

so brightly

beside them.

it made glow.

might

everything on the hillside

At first the shepherds were

have come and carried off a sheep

frightened.

or a lamb.

kind and when he spoke to them

Suddenly a shepherd on 21

But the angel looked so

his voice rang out so clear and so sweet that they all knew he came bringing them good news.

Then the

watching shepherds crowded close to the angel to hear the story he had to tell them. “‘To-night/ the angel said unto theny ‘is the most wonderful night since

the

world

was

made.

there is born to you in

For

Bethlehem

this day, a little Child a Savior who is Christ the Lord.’ “Then

the

music the shepherds

heard grew louder and clearer.

It

was a song, and a great company of angels was singing it. There were so many of them the shepherds could not count them.

AS THE SHEPHERDS JOURNEYED HOMEWARD THEY SANG THE SONG THE ANGELS SANG

This was the song

the angels sang as they floated away toward the stars: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace good will toward men.’ “After the light had

faded and

the song had ended, the shepherds did

not

wait

a

moment.

They

were in a hurry to get to Bethlehem and see the little Christ Child. they started on

their

their haste they may

journey.

Off In

have run all

the way. “The courtyard crowded

with

of the inn was

people.

Tired

chil¬

dren were sleeping on the stone floor. Sleepy donkeys and camels nodded TIRED CHILDREN WERE SLEEPING ON THE FLOOR AND SLEEPY DONKEYS AND CAMELS WERE NODDING

and blinked at the shepherds. 22

How

THE STAR AND THE MAGI

could the shepherds hope to find a tiny baby in the midst of such a great crowd? But the angel had told

little

Years and years ago, when people

Christ Child was here, and of course

had no clocks to tell them the time

they would find him.

and no maps to guide them when

did.

the

shepherds

Lying

manger, an

on

that

some

inclosed

the

And so they straw place

in in

a

they traveled, they watched the stars.

the

These twinkling little friends in the sky never made a mistake in the

courtyard of the inn, was the little child Jesus. His mother and father

time and always knew exactly where

were with him.

they were going.

“We will follow

“The shepherds stood very still as

the stars,” the people said when start¬

they looked down upon the tiny baby. Perhaps they were listening

ing on a journey, and the friendly stars always showed them the way they should go.

again to the angels’ song. Then one by one they tiptoed quietly out of the courtyard. And as they went

Some Wise Men in the East, called the Magi, spent every night

slowly back to the green hillside far¬

watching the stars.

Their big, wise

away, they sang the song they had

books — scrolls — had told them that a

heard the angels sing.” Then the little star hid itself behind a fleecy cloud and I knew the story was ended. But soon a single bright beam, like a- long slender finger, gleamed through the cloud, and then a starry face appeared. “O little star,” I said, “I have heard that story before. It is in the Bible.” Then the star twinkled and danced as though it were laughing at me. “I, too, have heard all the Bible stories,” said the little star.

“And

I have seen them all, for I have been in the sky ever since the world was made.”

THEIR SCROLLS TOLD THE MAGI OF A BRIGHT NEW STAR

23

THE MAGI ON THEIR WAY TO JERUSALEM

new star, very bright and beautiful,

might flash a welcome to the waiting

was coming.

Wise Men.

The

Magi intended

At last the star appeared, and then

to start on a long journey when it appeared.

Where?

the great city of Hebrew land. were they going? had

told

them

the Magi started off on their long

To Jerusalem,

journey toward Jerusalem.

Why

Their wise books that

a

How far

they traveled and how long it took

wonderful

them to reach that distant city no

thing would happen in the Hebrew

one knows.

country while the new star was in

have

the sky. A great King was to be born

passed through the gates to the city

in Israel, and this beautiful star was

of Jerusalem.

the sign that would tell the Magi when the King had come.

Weary men they must

been

as

their

tired

camels

Straight to the palace of wicked

Would

King Herod they went.

“We have

it peep over the hilltops in the early

seen in the East a wonderful star,”

morning, or would it rise out of the

they

East as they watched at midnight?

brings good news of a Child bom

Perhaps just

to be the King of the Jews.”

as the sun’s

last

ray

had said good night, its first beams

told

Herod, “the star

was troubled. 24

which Herod

He did not want to

hear of any other king in his country.

throw all other kingdoms and whose

“Tell

us where we

rule would have no end.

King,

for we have come to honor

can

find

this

wicked has to die, and Herod knew

Him,” the Magi said to Herod.

that

Wicked King Herod was badly frightened at their message. strangers from the

East

been

could

he

do

called

the

to

keep

lawyers

and

priests to his palace. demanded,

it? the

ace. Through the gates of Jerusalem

Herod

and down the rocky road they and

chief

their camels traveled.

heard

come

brought

from

they

Magi

deserts,

instead

of glad. Herod was troubled.

These

welcomed

the

worried

was

who

journeyed

were

people

were strangers from the East

king’s

they

own

men

people of the the

His

No wel¬

waiting for the Christ Child.

Judea,”

news

They were

going toward Bethlehem.

answered. court

If the Magi would only tell

What

“where do our writings

When the

wicked

they turned away from Herod’s pal¬

“Tell me,” he

Bethlehem of

very, very

The Magi must have felt sad as

say Christ is to be born?” “In

a

he would surely destroy him.

The king did

not want to lose his throne.

was

him where he could find that Child,

watching the stars and had learned the story they told.

he

man.

These

had

Everything

Him.

over

They

mountains,

had

crossed

and forded rivers that they

might

bring to the

King

their

rich

little new-born

gifts.

But

their

hearts were cheered, for high in the

He called

the Magi to him secretly and said,

heavens rode the glowing star.

“Tell me when you first saw this star.”

only in the East, but here, it still

Men as wise as the Magi

was guiding them.

could

With

Not

the star

easily see that the wicked king was

before them there could be no room

afraid.

The king could not deceive

in their hearts for anything but joy.

them.

When he told them that he,

too, wanted to

At

last the Wise

Men

the little town of Bethlehem.

go and worship the Jews, they must

brightly

shining star

hung

have known his words were not true.

heavens

above

as

new

King of the

Herod

was

afraid

of

the

reached

little

them

The in the

they

rode

softly through the silent streets.

The

Child the Wise Men had come to

Magi stopped at a house.

see.

been a little one, but I know it was

He

really

believed that this

It must have

little Child was Christ—the Christ

clean

whose kingdom was going to over¬

do where there is a great deal of love. 25

and looked as homes always

WICKED KING HEROD “ Go away, go away, you can’t play with

us!”

I

heard

a shrill

voice

shout under my window. “What can

the matter be?”

wondered as I looked outside.

I

One

sulky-looking little fellow was hang¬ ing

over

the

fence

watching

boys at play in the yard.

the

“Boys,”

I asked, “why don’t you let Willie in the game?

He looks lonely.”

“He doesn’t play fair. have

him,”

Then

I

little

We won’t

Dick

answered.

went back to the story

I was writing, the one about wicked

THE MAGI BOWED LOW BEFORE THE CHILD JESUS AS HE LAY ASLEEP IN HIS MOTHER’S ARMS

King Herod.

King

Herod

didn’t

In they went and found the little

play fair, either.

Child Jesus, and His mother, Mary.

one.

It may be that the real King of the

pretended

Jews lay asleep in His mother’s arms

the Magi told him about the baby

when the Magi entered. They bowed

born

low before Him.

As Mary watched,

all the time he was plotting to kill

the Magi spread before her the gifts

the Child as soon as he could find

they had

Him.

brought for the Child-

gold, rich spices, and sweet-smelling incense.

And now the Wise these

students

of

No one could trust him. to

“King

be of

very the

glad

He when

Jews.”

And

Herod wanted to be a great king.

Men

He hoped that some day he would

were ready to return to the East. But

He cheated every¬

be

the stars

as

great

as

Solomon.

Herod

was dreadfully afraid that some one

believed that God spoke to them in

might

and

take

dreams.

his kingdom away from him.

Do

A dream had warned them

want to

be

king

that the Child Jesus was in danger

you wonder that he trembled with

from Herod.

They believed it was

fear when the Magi told him that

God speaking, so they went back to

a new King of the Jews had been

their own country by another road

born?

that did not lead through Jerusalem.

one would interfere with him that 26

Herod was so afraid some¬

he even put his wife to death and ordered three of his own sons killed. He thought they might be cheating him.

But

people

to

while he

was

find

if

cheating him,

out

watching they

were

all the time he was

cheating others. Herod was ill when the Magi—the Wi se Men him. he

from the East—visited

He really was dying, although

did not

know it.

No one can

be well and happy who is as wicked as Herod was, and does the dread¬ ful

things

he

did.

The

unhappy

king must have watched every day expecting

to

see

the

Magi

again.

HEROD STRAINED HIS EYES AFTER THE RIDER OF EVERY CAMEL HE SAW IN THE STREETS

He may even have hoped that these to

wise men would be foolish enough

bring

the

little

back with them.

Christ Child

Herod no doubt

strained his eyes after the rider of every

camel

streets

of

that

he

saw

Jerusalem.

in

the

“Surely

the

Magi will come today, surely they will

be

here

today,”

Herod

must

have said to himself as he opened his eyes each morning. But no Magi came.

Their camels

were skimming across the hot desert sands

on

country

their in

way

the

to

East.

their No

second

visit did these Wise Men pay wicked Herod. while

told them in UNHAPPY KING HEROD WAITING FOR THE MAGI TO RETURN

to 27

the

For God was watch¬

ing over the baby Jesus, night,

own

the

Magi

and one slept,

He

a dream to go back

their own country

another way.

do.

The king was so angry everyone who

saw him ran away in

As Herod lay dying, a number

of little children in Bethlehem were

terror.

H ow dared these Magi treat a king

put to death

by

his orders.

as if they had no respect for him?

savage king had all the little boys

When they did not come you cannot

who were two years old and younger

imagine how angry he was, and what

destroyed.

a terrible thing he planned to do.

mothers!

Think

of

The

those

sad

There may not have been

Herod knew now that he co uld

many of them, but a dozen women

live only a few months, perhaps only

crying over their little dead babies

a few weeks, longer.

is enough to make our hearts ache.

must

do

once.

something

He and

felt

do

he

it

Jesus, the Child who was

at

born

“King of the Jews,” was not among

He suffered terribly, but that

did not make him any kinder, nor

the

did it make him feel sorry that he

King Herod lay dying in his palace,

had

Mary

been

so

wicked.

Instead,

he

murdered and

children.

Joseph

were

While hurrying

thought if he must die, he would

away to Egypt with their precious

make

Child.

die.

a

number

of

other

people

“Those

Magi

have fooled me.”

think

they traveled

they

Child as he

kill

arms.

little

new-born

shown

brightly

toward

safety.

Sun¬

beams kissed the tiny hands of the

And I am sure

he added under his breath, “I will that

sun

upon the little family of three as

Herod must have said to his

friends,

The

King of

lay asleep in

Mary’s

The same sun shot its golden

the Jews if I have to kill all the

rays

little boys in Bethlehem.”

Herod

and touched

as

lay dead in the palace.

And that was what he tried to

28

he

into the room

of the wicked his cruel

face

THE ESCAPE Let us go back a little and see what

had

happened

house

in

Bethlehem.

in

the

little

Near

it

we

shall see some kneeling camels blink¬ ing sleepdy as they chew their cud. It is a beautiful night, with many bright stars flashing in the sky.

Just

above

one

the

little

house

hangs

especially brilliant star like a great electric light held high in the heavens. Suppose we peep inside the house. Everything is so quiet the people who live there must all be asleep.

We will

tiptoe quietly through the door and look around.

But there’s no use in

looking for chairs to sit on.

People

ONE OF THE MAGI STOPS TO WHISPER SOMETHING TO JOSEPH AS HE STEPS OUTSIDE THE DOOR

in the country where the little house stands never use chairs.

There when

She

is holding

her

little

son, the

the people are tired and want to rest

promised King.

they squat on their heels or sit on

looking man, who must be Joseph,

the floor.

her husband.

There

are

some

lamps on a stand. say

they

handles.

were

queer-looking saucers

Then perhaps we may

see some strange-looking men saying

You and I would only

Beside her is a kind¬

good-by to Joseph.

These men surely

do not belong either in

with

or in Jerusalem.

The lamps are filled with

Bethlehem

No, of course not,

oil and bits of something that looks

for they are the Magi from the East

like cotton

who

are

floating in the oil.

have

brought

the infant Jesus.

The people in the house are wide

rich

gifts

to

One of the Magi

awake instead of being asleep as we

stops to whisper something to Joseph

had thought.

as he steps outside the door.

What

do you suppose he is saying?

Prob¬

Suppose we watch to

see what they are doing.

A mother

is holding a dear little baby folded

ably he is telling Joseph that Herod

close in her arms.

wishes to visit the Child Jesus.

Why, it is Mary,

knows that no good will

the maiden who talked with Gabriel! 29

Joseph come of

No doubt why

he

Mary anxiously asked

thought

so.

I

can

hear

Joseph answer, “An angel from God warned me in a dream to flee into Egypt with you and the Child.

I

think they must have gone that very night. Just outside of Bethlehem was an inn,

called

travelers

a

khan,

stopped

Egypt.

The

where

on

little

their town

many

way

to

made

a

good halting place for people and caravans

making

a

long

journey.

Here their camels, asses, horses, and other animals could be watered and fed,

and

the

could rest.

travelers

themselves

Joseph may have gone

to the khan to see about buying a

THE WISE MEN MOUNT THEIR SLEEPY CAMELS AND RIDE SILENTLY AWAY

camel for the journey to Egypt, for to

he was in a great hurry to be off.

Bethlehem, he will come to do the

He wanted to go the quickest way

baby harm.

possible,

such

a visit.

If

Herod

comes

Herod.

tinkle as they go strutting down the

In

Now,

must

lose

no

were to save the Child from King

How

the shells around the camels’ necks narrow street!

they

time in leaving Bethlehem if they

The Wise Men mount their sleepy camels and ride silently away.

for

their visitors

those

days

the

best

way to

travel quickly was on a dromedary.

gone, Joseph and Mary will soon be

These

asleep.

were trained for speed.

The whispered message of

swift,

one-humped

camels

They never

the Wise Man made Joseph uneasy.

carried

I can

We might call a dromedary a “lim¬

almost see

him

turning on his hard bed.

tossing and Suddenly

baggage,

ited express.”

only

passengers.

Because that was the

he leaped to his feet and awakened

swiftest way to go, I think the little

Mary.

“We must start at once for

family must have traveled on a drome¬

Egypt!

The Child’s life is in dan¬

dary

ger from Herocl.”

when

Herod. 30

they

fled

from

King

It was a long journey to

Egypt.

An ass would have grown tired, and it

would

have

been

thirsty

much

oftener than Joseph could have found water for it.

But dromedaries could

go for days without water or food. Another splendid thing was that they could run

hour after hour without

growing tired. and

Mary,

No, I am sure Joseph

with

the

Child

Jesus,

did not wait for a caravan or travel on an ass, but started out that night on a dromedary. On and on they hurried to reach Egypt and safety.

Had the soldiers

of King Herod come to Bethlehem in the morning they would have seen only

a

tiny

speck

-I—1

moving rapidly

ON AND ON HURRY JOSEPH AND MARY WITH JESUS

across the distant plain.

Little would

they have suspected that what they saw disappearing in the distance was the Child they had come to destroy. It

was

hot

in

Egypt

and

very

uncomfortable, and Joseph and Mary were anxious to go back home.

They

did not have long to wait.

In a

few months news reached them that Herod had died.

Now that the cruel

king had gone, they thought the child Jesus would be safe. Another dream

came

to

Joseph

in which an angel told him he might return to Israel with Mary and the Child.

And Joseph went at once.

How happy Mary and Joseph must have felt as they journeyed, thinking

A DROMEDARY AND ITS MASTER

31

that soon again,

they would

in

the

little

IN THE TEMPLE

be at home house.

But

they could not go back to Bethle¬ hem.

Why?

A

Because Herod’s son,

long procession was winding

slowly through mountain paths and

a man as wicked as his father, was

across broad, grassy plains.

now ruler over Judea.

ing

Bethlehem,

you know, is in Judea.

chattering

Another son of Herod was ruling in

Galil ee.

camels,

This son was

women,

little

children,

and

together

not so

keen

donkeys,

gaily

dressed

solemn-faced

were

Snarl¬

men

journeying

all

toward

wicked as his father and his brother.

Jerusalem.

So to Nazareth, a pretty little town

so many animals that I doubt if you

in

Galilee,

and

her

and

Joseph

Joseph

little

Son.

Behind

them

carried

Mary

could count them all.

Here

Mary

frightened

eyes,

and

kids

had lived before

they

frisky

followed

Cattle with

skipping were

lambs,

driven

into

went to Bethlehem, and here I am

line when they stopped by the way-

sure

side for a nibble of grass or a juicy

they

lived

happily.

People

whose hearts are as full of love as

thistle.

theirs were can never be unhappy

sion

no matter where they may live.

yearly journey to Jerusalem to keep

The people in this proces¬

were

Hebrews

making

the Passover in the temple.

their Every

family must sacrifice a lamb on the temple altar.

Some people wished

to give more than so

they

brought

a single

with

lamb,

them

cattle

and kids. Imagine

how

crowded

city of Jerusalem was thousands

of

the

big

when these

strangers

visited

it!

Every house with an extra bed or a spare

room

was

welcome a guest. one

willing to

there

still

was

made

ready

to

But with every¬

entertain not

a visitor,

enough

room

inside the walls of Jerusalem to care for all those who came. BRINGING WATER FROM THE WELL IN THE LITTLE TOWN OF NAZARETH

people 32

who

could

find

Did the no

place

CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE

to stay

turn

home?

No

it.

around indeed,

They

and

go

not

unstrapped

a

back

bit

their

of

tents

from the backs of their camels, set them up in the valley outside the city

walls,

and

at

once

began

housekeeping. Had

you

looked

over

the

city

walls you might have thought a big army was camped around Jerusalem. But

all

these

peaceful

you

frightened

a

people

looked

wouldn’t bit.

have

Some

so

been

one

who

wrote a book about these times said that

often

people

more

than

journeyed to

two

million

Jerusalem

the feast of the Passover.

for

That is

A CAMP OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM

a

greater

live

in

number of

any

of

people

our

cities

than

except

in the very largest,

such

York

We shall

or

Chicago.

as

New not

try to count all the caravans in the long

line

or watch them

as

finally reach the city gates.

they Sup¬

pose we look only at the one from Nazareth. Some of the people in the cara¬ van from

Nazareth

found

a

home

in Jerusalem during the week of the feast

of the

Joseph

Passover.

were

among

Mary those

and who

found a stopping place in the city. With them was their son, the boy J esus. and A SCENE IN THE STREETS OF JERUSALEM DURING THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER

He this

Jerusalem. 34

was twelve was

his

first

years visit

old, to

When some of you children visit

of the day, it was a “day’s journey”

a big town, what do you do first,

to the people in it.

and where do you want to go?

sometimes called only two or three

a picture show, haps

to

a

To

I suppose, or per¬

candy

shop,

or

to

druggist’s for an ice-cream cone.

hours

a

At

Thus the people

travel a “day’s journey.” the

little

town

of

Beeroth

In

(el Bireh) is a fine spring of water.

Jerusalem there were gay shops and

Perhaps the caravan that is on its

fine

way

bazaars

articles

where

were

sold.

many But

curious

only

spot in all the wonderful the

little

to visit.

twelve-year-old

one

Nazareth will

camp there,

because it is the best stopping place

city did lad

to

for travelers who are

wish

Sure enough, the

going

caravan

there.

halts at

His parents had told Him

Beeroth.

Mary and Joseph miss their

about the great temple which King

son and

go from

Herod

hoping to find Him.

had

built.

They

had

told

friend to friend He is not with

Him how all the people were look¬

any of the caravans.

ing for a king who would save them

that He must still be in Jerusalem,

from all their suffering.

so back to the city they hurry.

wished

to

go

only

to

This boy the

temple

because he knew that it was God’s house. Soon the week of the ended. had

Passover

All the animals the people

brought

with

sacrificed upon

the

them

had

altar.

been

Friends

who met only once a year at these feasts

were saying good-by.

Then

the gates of Jerusalem were opened wide,

and

caravan

after

caravan,

on the homeward way, moved slowly down the rocky hillside to the plains below. Caravans had a habit of starting out on a journey late in the after¬ noon and stopping at the first well or spring they reached.

Whether a

caravan traveled all day or rested most

FIND THEIR SON

35

They

think

for God.

Three long, anxious days they try

But this boy is on God’s

to find Jesus.

Finally they go back

side, every one of the lawyers and

to the temple.

And there they find

priests He met in the temple could

him.

He

is

sitting

tell that.

grave

men

who

asking answers

them

among

taught

many

the

at

“ Son, why hast thou thus dealt

He

The

astonished

dom of the boy.

Law,

questions.

questions, too.

lawyers are

the

the

with

us?”

his

mother

asks

him.

wise

“Behold thy father and I sought thee

wis¬

sorrowing.”

His clear, truthful

Mary

and

Joseph

were

greatly

eyes looking into theirs must make

astonished to find their son

them ashamed of some of their acts

temple talking so wisely with the

and

teachers.

thoughts.

Flerod

chose

the

priests, and he did not always choose honest ones. to

Herod’s

liked

only

people who worked for them. did

not

The lad was surprised that they

All those who belonged family

like

anyone

who

in the

should have looked for him so long.

the

They worked

Where

should

to

him?

find

his

parents

Surely

expect

they

should

know he would be in the temple. So Jesus said to his mother: “Flow is it that ye sought me?

Did ye

not know that I must be about my Father’s business?” But

Fie was only

old, just a loved told parents.

twelve

years

boy, and the Law He Flim

He must obey his

And so He left the great

temple and went back to Nazareth with them.

As they traveled home¬

ward under the friendly stars, Mary wondered

in

words

wisdom

of

spoken. arm

She

around

her may the

heart the

over

the

Child

had

have slight

put

her

figure

of

the sweet-faced boy as He walked beside her.

He was her

from His eyes shone the “SON, WHY HAST THOU DEALT THUS WITH US?” ASKED MARY

the Son of God. 36

son, spirit

but of

LOCUSTS AND WILD HONEY How many of you little people

on, let us step right across the United

like to be tumbled out of bed for

States. Then let us lift our feet high

a morning walk so early that the

and take another step and we’re over

sun hasn’t yet chased all the darkness

the big ocean.

out of the sky?

I’m going to ask

and we’ll find ourselves right where

those little folks who like tramping

we want to be, near the shore of

in the cool, dewy morning to take a

the Dead Sea.

walk, with me.

It is just a “pretend”

One more long step

It is a lonely place.

No people

walk, of course, but you and I know

live here.

very well what good times we can

to like it.

Above is the sky, and

have just pretending.

everywhere

are

Put

on

your

boots.

No,

those common school shoes! boots, I mean.

and

not

bare

and

those

a

rocks. few

only

Grass

trees

grow

are

along

the courses of the streams emptying

We wear fairy boots

when we pretend.

bushes

here, but

Fairy

Even animals don’t seem

into the lake.

With our boots 37

Everywhere else the

rocks and the waves of the sea will tell it to us: “There was once a man who lived in this wilderness.

He wore queer

clothes — only a coarse camel’s hair shirt, and a rough hair mantle over his shoulders.

Sometimes he must have

been very cold, especially at night as he lay asleep in

his tent.

His

long hair fell over his shoulders and often blew in his eyes, very much as

Elijah’s

did.

He

was

always

up early and out of his tent before the sun said good morning to the earth. “Watch!

Can’t

you

coming down that hill ?

see

him

He thrusts

his staff into the holes between the rocks.

When

that

long staff digs

OUT IN THE WILDERNESS JOHN WAS UP EARLY AND OUT OF HIS TENT

deep into the holes there is a whirr

ground is scorched and bare, baked

of tiny wings and an angry buzzing.

as hard as clay marbles by the sun’s

The bees think him a meddlesome

heat.

fellow when he helps himself to the

You can’t get cool by drink¬

ing from the lake nor by bathing

honey they had stored

in its clear, beautiful green waters.

rocks.

Some people call

arm as it carries a dripping bit of

for it

it the Salt Sea,

is saltier than the salt you

use on your table.

the

Look at the man’s long, lean

honey to his mouth.

As for bathing!

among

making

his

breakfast

He must be of it.

But

You would bob up and down on

what can those queer-looking things

the waters like a rubber ball.

be

No

he

is

eating

with

drowning in the Salt, or Dead, Sea.

Oh, those are locusts!

The waters hold you up instead of

in

pulling

them a great dainty.

you down.

Even

though

this place is not liked, it has a wonder¬

this

part

the

honey?

The people

of the country think

“The man’s name is John.

ful story to tell, and we have come

angel

here to listen to it.

he was born.

If we listen, the 38

gave

him that name

An

before

His father Zacharias

and his mother Elizabeth were very

the whole

happy because of him.

would have seen nothing but

hate

and

and

His parents

were very old when

he was born,

and they were surprised when a son

lad.

must

Why?

have

fear,

wretched

been

a

strange

city.

But, like Elijah, he went only

to tell the people they were wicked

this wilderness better than big towns

and must do better.

or cities.

ing

H ere in this lonely place

all

the

he played and grew to be a man.

King.

There was too much noise in cities

Him

out

for him.

work

would

Like Elijah, he preferred

people time.

quarreled

in

so

of

King they expected

send

God

was already among them.

to

the

hearts

of

the

no

John was

his herald, sent beforehand

to

people

pre¬ to

receive their King. “Oh, the country was so wicked and the people in it were so cruel! Poor people had no chance at all. If a person was ill, there was nothing to do but die.

No one cared for

those who suffered.

There were a

number of temples and many differ¬ ent gods—the kind of gods people were afraid of and no one Even

the

loved.

Hebrews who had been

taught to worship the true God had almost

forgotten

Him.

There did

not seem to be any love or sympa¬ thy anywhere.

the

coming

to

the

people,

be over—but

John’s that

is

rocks are silent

have

told

their

now, since story.

The

waves rippling on the seashore have

He was getting ready to tell kind

pare

they

the

the people that the great and

for

As soon as he had pointed

The

cities where much

time

He was watch¬

another story.’’

to be alone and think about God live

poverty,

“Sometimes John did go into the

Because he always liked

rather than to

land you

dreadful suffering.

was promised them. “He

length of the

If you had traveled 39

more

to tell

us.

Suppose

we

KING AND HERALD One gray

summer

dawn,

morning

the

sun’s

as

the

messenger,

was creeping silently over the hot city, I heard the noise of chattering tongues and the patter of feet under my window.

Where were the owners

of those feet going so early in the morning?

And why were they in

such a hurry?

They were going to

the lake, of course, for a dip in its cool waters before the scorching sun came and

up.

All

big,

my

these ears

people,

told

me,

little were

happy. Then

I

shut my eyes and with

my mind saw another lake with a long, winding, yellow river flowing

JOHN THE BAPTIST RETURNING TO THE WILDERNESS WHERE HE COULD BE ALONE WITH GOD

into

step back again to our own country. Church bells are ringing.

it.

Crowds

of

people

were

Happy

children are skipping along to Sun¬ day

school.

Sick

little

folks

are

being cared for by sweet-faced nurses in sunny hospitals.

Tired animals

are being groomed and fed instead of being kicked and beaten. seems to be everywhere. these changes

Love

And all

came about because

John the Baptist taught the people to be sorry for and ashamed of their sins.

He pointed out to them the

One who was their King, and he was sage

not afraid to deliver the God

had

sent

to

the

mes¬ world

by him.

IN THE CROWD WERE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES

40

hurrying

down

to

that

lake,

but they did not look happy.

too, This

second picture I saw with my eyes closed was not fierce rays of

a pretty one. the sun had

The burned

up nearly everything bordering the bank

of

the

yellow

river.

Even

the ground looked as though it had been baked. eyes.

Suppose you shut your

Then perhaps you too can see

the picture just as I saw it.

Bare,

bleak-looking hills like stern, grim¬ faced soldiers stand guard at side of the yellow river.

each

Keep your

eyes closed while we all watch with our minds that long procession wretched,

unhappy people

as

of

they L

come pouring down the steep moun¬

TO THE LAKE WENT OLD MEN WITH STAFFS AND SOLDIERS WITH SWORDS AND SHINING HELMETS

tain sides: There goes a Pharisee wrapping his

greedy

tax-gatherers

holding

him.

their purses with long, lean fingers.

some

Rich men on camels, and old men

one he believes not quite so good as

with staffs in their hands are hurry¬

himself.

ing

He

cloak more closely about

and

is

afraid

he

will

touch

Why is he here?

He has

looking

beggar

goes

the river, all of them

anxious to get there.

come to listen to a great preacher. Can you guess who it is?

toward

A sick-

Why

are such crowds

going to

this desolate and lonely place?

stumbling

We

slowly along and is rudely shoved

can see no houses, nor even tents.

to one side by a sneering Sadducee.

Even the trees have given up trying

Scribes

carefully

to

the

sun¬

Surely all these people are on the

A spot on their white

way to see something or some one.

pick

in

their

baked plain.

silken way

robes

through

live

in

gowns seems worse to them than the

Yes,

hearts of stone they carry in their

of the

breasts.

coming to see.

We see here soldiers with

man

shining spears and glittering helmets, 41

there,

this

standing on

river,

we

desolate

saw

is the

man

region.

the

brink

they are

He looks like the eating

his

breakfast

of locusts and honey!

I

am

John

sure

some one.

it is John the Baptist. Everyone seems interested. can to

he be saying? them

about

seems

trees,

be

waiting

So do the people.

talking

King.

telling

the riverside the King comes.

and

for All

of them are looking for the promised

What

He is

to

While

they

wait

there

by He

them that an unfruitful tree is use¬

doesn’t look a bit like one, and so

less and ought to be cut down and

no one but John knows Him.

The

burned.

people

from

The Baptist says that all

see

only

a

stranger

wicked people, like unfruitful trees,

Nazareth, whose father,

are good for nothing.

a carpenter.

Pharisee one

scowl.

another

because

if

Scribe and

Are

they

king!

asking

the

good to

to

show that

for their sins. and

they

are

wishes

Show

by

out

of

being

this

eyes

kindly

seem to

man

a

To

Galilean,

see

like one of themselves.

sorry

“Wash all the bad

wicked

hearts.

people

thoughts in one’s mind,

He urges the people to be bap¬

is

Why, kings have rich purple

whose

others ? tized

strange

robes and wear golden crowns!

John means them,

they do so little

This

Joseph,

the

very

looks just The Stran¬

ger is not even rich, for instead of riding he walks.

your

Jesus, the Nazarene, has come to

baptized

that you intend to stop sinning,” is

be baptized by John.

John’s word to the people.

no doubt are thinking that no King

"Stop

The people

wanting to cheat people when you

would come to see John.

collect taxes, and take

them

sign shall they know that this simple

only what they owe,” John tells the

Galilean is really the expected King?

tax

John, the herald of the King, will

collector.

To

the

from

soldier

he

By what

says, “Be kinder, tell the truth about

tell them.

And he does.

others,

the

of

and

don’t

your wages.”

grumble

about

But John doesn’t pay

pointing to

scoffing

them

Sadducee.

children

of

They pretend to

He

vipers. be,

oh,

calls

John’s

Why? so

given.

very,

the

great

says, by

message

has

been

He has opened the way for

King.

The

are

was the great

not

the

love

good as some of

John

Jesus as He walks

very good, and many of them half so

God!”

the riverside.

much attention to the proud Pharisee and

Lamb

“Behold

all

the

“Lamb

King who

of

God”

came to

people in the

world,

poor people they have shut up in

and, by loving them, to save them

prison.

from their sins. 42

JESUS HAS COME DOWN TO THE JORDAN TO BE BAPTIZED BY JOHN

A CHILD’S GIFT

A CHRISTMAS CAROL The

Christ-child

lay

on

Mary’s

All bring the Christ child presents:

lap,

The poorest does his part;

His hair was like a light.

And I, who am so little,

(O weary, weary were the world,

Give to Him my heart.

But here is all aright.)

— Katharine Lee Bates

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s breast, His hair was like a star. (O

stern

and

cunning

are

GLAD TIDINGS OF the

kings,

GREAT JOY

But here the true hearts are.) While shepherds watched their flocks The Christ-child

lay on Mary’s heart,

by night,

His hair was like a fire.

All seated, on the ground,

(O weary, weary is the world,

The angel of the Lord came down,

But here the world’s desire.)

And glory shone around.

The Christ-child stood at Mary’s knee,

“Fear not,” said he, for mighty dread

His hair was like a crown,

Had seized their troubled mind;

And all the flowers looked up at Him,

“Glad tidings of great joy I bring

And all the stars looked down.

To you and all mankind.

— Gilbert K. Chesterton

A CHRISTMAS FOLK-SONG

“To you, in David’s town, this day Is born of David’s line

The Little Jesus came to town;

A Saviour who is Christ the Lord;

The wind blew up, the wind blew down;

And this shall be the sign:

Out in the street the wind was bold; Now who would house Him from the cold?

“The heavenly babe you there shall find To human view display’d,

Then opened wide a stable door, Fair were the rushes on the floor; The Ox put forth a horned head:

All meanly wrapped in swathing bands, And in a manger laid.”

“Come, little Lord, here make Thy bed.’’

Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith Appear’d a shining throng

Uprose the sheep were folded near:

Of angels praising God, who thus

“Thou Lamb of God, come, enter here.’’

Address’d their joyful song:

He entered there to rush and reed, Who was the Lamb of God indeed.

“All Glory be to God on high, The Little Jesus came to town;

And to the earth be peace;

With ox and sheep He laid Him down;

Good will henceforth from Heav’n to men

Peace to the byre, peace to the fold, For that they housed Him from the cold!

Begin and never cease.”

—Lizette Woodworth Reese

— Nathan Tate

44

THE EARLY WORK OF JESUS

“DRAW NOW,” JESUS COMMANDS THE SERVANTS, “AND BEAR UNTO THE RULER OF THE FEAST.”

WINE AND WATER

peep

inside

the

bride’s

room

you

would think you were looking at a How would you all like to go to a wedding?

Would you not like to

be in the procession? a lamp?

snowbank.

You

might

walk

all

around this bank of white to find

Can you carry

the bride’s face.

There is no use in your

of no use.

But it would be

No one, not even the

trying to join this wedding procession

bridegroom, can get a glimpse of her

unless

face until

you

carry

one.

No!

No!

after the marriage feast.

Don’t try to carry the tall piano lamp,

Her great white veil covers her all

nor reach for the big one that stands

over from top to toe.

on the table.

Go up into your great¬

Weddings in this strange country

grandmother’s attic and perhaps you

of Palestine are at night.

will find hidden away in her chests

why

something in

must carry lights.

a light.

which you can carry

Yes, that deep old bronze

the

guests

missing the

in

That is

the

procession

No fear of our

bridegroom’s house

as

saucer with a handle will do nicely.

we

Fill it with oil and let a wick float

Lighted lanterns will be strung across

in it.

the street and swing back and forth

Now you are ready.

The

procession

There will shouting.

be

will

be noisy.

come

back

with

the

bride!

before his house.

music, singing, and

No one will ever forget the wed¬

The more noise you can

ding to which I have asked you to

make the better.

If you make a great

go.

A Guest has been invited who

deal of noise, the bridegroom will feel

loves to help all people.

sure you are enjoying his wedding.

what their trouble may be, He will

Now start.

procession

always help them out of it. mother and His disciples.

The last to appear are the bride¬

I do not

doubt that He laughs and talks with

All of them

go to' the bride’s house.

He sits

among the merry throng with His

Then follow the torchbear-

groom and his friends. will

is ready to

First come the band and the

singers. ers.

the

No matter

all

She

of them.

Since

in

there is always a wish

His to

heart

help,

I

will be waiting for this merry com¬

am sure everyone who comes near

pany, she and her bridesmaids.

Him

The bridegroom is coming to take

is

helped

and

because He is there.

feels

better

We know who

her to his own home, where he will

that

give a splendid feast to all the com¬

Beside Him is Mary, His mother.

pany.

kindly Guest is.

It is Jesus.

In the midst of the merrymaking

If you should be allowed to 47

something

dreadful

happens.

BETHESDA— HOUSE OF MERCY

In

Palestine people think it a misfortune for the wine to give out before the guests have had their feast.

If I should say “swimming pool,”

Mary is feast.

how many of you little folks, espe¬

“ They have no more wine,” she whis¬

cially you boys, would prick up your

pers to Jesus.

ears and listen?

watching the steward of the

Him?

But why does she tell

and gray would dance and sparkle,

The bridegroom is the one

to supply the wine.

for the owners of those eyes know

Plow can Jesus,

who is only a guest, help them out

how delicious

of

cool water.

their

trouble?

We

shall

Eyes of black, blue,

see.

is a

plunge

to lie near a great

jars.

and never be able to get

says to the servants. “Draw now,” He

He

And they obey.

feast,”

pleased wine. are

as

he

must

America and the ocean into a strange

is the “ruler the

country. large

delicious

Six jars of this rich wine now

waiting

for the

guests.

into it?

ones we used when we stepped across

be very much

tastes

of water

Put on those fairy boots again, the

bear unto the ruler of the feast.” of the

pool

No fun in that, is there?

commands, “and

The steward, who

the

But how would you like

Standing near Him are some empty “Fill them with water,”

in

Now come with me to a

pool

country.

Only

of

water

in

that

same

Around the pool there are

five big porches with marble pillars.

a moment before the jars held spark¬

Lying

ling water.

Now they are brimming

wretched people.

with wine.

The steward praises the

ill.

about

the

pillars

are

some

They are poor and

See that feeble old man groping

bridegroom for keeping his best wine

for a pillar against which he may

until the end of the feast.

lean.

Neither

He must be blind!

A ragged,

he nor the bridegroom knows how

crippled boy is hobbling along on

the wine came there.

crutches.

What can they want here?

Do

suppose

But the ser¬

vants who put water into

the

jars

you

they

come

here

and drew out wine know, and I am

because

sure they will tell all their friends

to the parks on a hot summer day?

about it.

Perhaps that is one of the reasons.

The Guest from Galilee

has done this wonder.

No one there

suspects that He is King. Because

one

who

helps

But there is another reason.

Why? others

it is cooler, just as we go

Some¬

times the water in the pool is shal¬

is

low and at other times it is deep.

not the people’s idea of a king.

Whenever the 48

water

changes

and

becomes deep all these people rush into it. of

Why ?

Bethesda,

changed,

is

Because this pool

after

the

supposed

water

has

cure

the

to

first person who steps into it. think of that

poor blind man and

crippled boy!

How

the way in ?

But

can they find

No one in this country

cares about them.

Who will

help

the feeble ones who have no friends? Across

the

porch

and

between

the pillars comes One whose eyes are always looking for those people whom ears

everyone

will

hear

calling for help.

else the

forgets.

His

weakest

voice

Who can He be?

“Jesus of Nazareth passeth by,” the people will

tell you.

JESUS AND THE MAN WHO WAS HEALED AT THE POOL OF BETHESDA

And as He

goes by He leaves health and joy. Of course Jesus will stop beside the most

miserable

of

all

these

poor

people gathered about the pool. One poor fellow has been ill so long that during his illness you would have had time to grow from a baby into a man.

Just think of it!

“Do you wish to be well?” Jesus asks him. “Yes,” answers the man,

“but

I

cannot get into the pool quickly and somebody always gets in ahead of me.” H ow

pitiful!

That

poor

man,

with his shrunken arms and twisted feet, and his weak body, is too feeble to do anything but lie quietly near “DO YOU WISH TO BE WELL?

the

JESUS ASKED THE MAN

49

pool.

Every

time

the

water

changed

he

hoped

that

THROUGH THE ROOF

someone

would be kind and help him into the pooh

Who lives in the house next door

How glad he must be to

hear the voice of Jesus saying to him,

to

“Arise, take up thy bed, and walk.”

little

Imagine his astonishment as his weak

one with little children in it.

back straightens and grows strong.

I was a small girl, I can remember

The twisted feet are whole and step

thinking that people who lived in

firmly upon the ground.

houses without children were stupid.

up

a

well

bed in

man

and

his. arms.

He stands gathers

his

you?

Is

it

house?

a I

big

house

hope

it

is

to

hard a task as you might think, for

take

your

his bed is only a* rug of wool

marbles, walk up the steps,

or

sheepskin. the

visit

them,

best

you

doll

or

probably a

on the door, and go in.

porches

and

are

and publicans.

forth

priests,

bag

pose, when you went visiting, there

Pharisees,

was such a crowd around the door

Doctors of the law

that

you

could

not

get

into

Bethesda is

There!

people

I’ll have to put my hands over my

as

in

ears,

much

parks.

Rich and poor, young and

they

do

our

and boys pass the pool. is

only

“Go

all be shouting

home,

of

course,

at

and

come some other day.”

Yet among One

for you’ll

once,

old, tired mothers, and happy girls there

the

place where

gather,

all

knock

among

house. What would you do?

them

of

But sup¬

and busy merchants also are there. a

big

If your little friends next door ask you

back

a

a

When

That is not so

Passing

or

In

who

the

came to help.

our

country

proper

thing

that to

would

be

But

in

do.

Palestine, where Jesus lived, people

Suppose when

we step back to

sometimes did strange things when

our own country we bring back with

they wanted to see Him.

us some of the water of Bethesda!

could find no other way, they even

No, not the. real water, of course!

came into a house through the roof!

But a little spot in our hearts warm

Watch

that

little

house

If they

in

the

with love for people and the wish

narrow city street.

to help them.

there is a wedding or a party going

Bethesda, you know,

means “House of Mercy.”

And it

on in it.

You may think

People are packed so close

was by this pool of “mercy” that

together by the doorway that no late

the

comer can enter.

sick

man

heard the voice

of

Jesus.

are 50

Even the windows

filled with people, looking out

Along the street come four men. They

walk

slowly

and

carefully.

They are carrying a bed on which lies

a

man

who

has

palsy.

That

is, he can move only with the help of other people. for

himself.

door. and

He can do nothing

The

men

reach

the

Will the crowd stand aside let

the

four

men

their helpless friend?

pass

with

No, they are

so anxious to get help for themselves that

I don’t believe they even see

the helpless man on the bed.

Door¬

way and windows are packed with people. and to

CARRYING A MAN SICK OF THE PALSY TO JESUS TO ASK FOR HELP

at

the

crowds

pushing

and

Not

here get

to

are

one more can five

Jesus

to

men ask

enter,

who

need

for

help.

strug¬

gling to get inside the house. Jesus

is

in

that

little

house.

People for miles around have heard that He is there and have come to see Him. hurry should

Through the street they

toward turn

the and

house. look

round you would see

If

you

round

and

people com¬

ing from every direction.

Scribes,

Pharisees, and rulers are there.

As

usual they are finding fault because Jesus helps wicked people as well as good ones. and the ill, all

The poor, the rich, have

Jesus for something.

come to ask And not one

among them offers Him anything in DOWN THROUGH THE ROOF THE MEN LOWER THE HELPLESS MAN

return. 51

Will

they

turn

tunately

Surely not.

For¬

friends on the roof peering through

one

the hole they have made, anxiously

There are steps leading

watching what is happening in the

house

is

only

up to the flat roof.

The four men

carry

the

the

Can’t you see those four

come

this

story high.

he rests.

and

some other day?

back

bed

up

begin to tear up the

steps

roof.

room below?

and

Isn’t that a strange way of seeking

Don’t

help—just

to

open

the

roof

and

frown and say that is not the right

place the helpless man directly

way

front of Jesus?

to

treat

a

neighbor’s

house.

in

The four men are

Those little houses in Palestine are

so sure that Jesus will cure the man

not built as ours are, and often the

the instant He sees him, that they do

roofs can easily be torn apart and

not even think it necessary to speak.

as easily put together again.

Jesus is pleased with their faith in

The house we are watching must

Him.

We all like to be trusted, and

have such a roof, for not one of the

all of us are hurt, just as Jesus must

crowd, not even the owner, seems to

have been, by unkind words such as

notice that a hole is being made in

the Scribes and Pharisees were always

it.

speaking about Him.

When the roof is opened, down,

down the four men lower the helpless man.

Right

at

the feet

of

Jesus

Jesus

rewards

helpless He

man

says

the

and

to

faith

his

him,

of

the

friends,

for

“Take

up

your

bed and walk.’’ Up man.

springs

the

once

helpless

He throws his bed, which is

only blankets, over his shoulder and walks briskly toward the door.

No

need of going up through the roof to get out.

The crowd is so aston¬

ished to see the once helpless man walking,

that

the

doorway

to

pass

out

it

melts

and

away

from

allows

the

man

join

his

four

and

friends who are waiting outside for him. can

THROWING HIS BED OVER HIS SHOULDER THE ONCE HELPLESS MAN WALKED OUT OF THE DOOR

As the men walk away you hear the

crowd

saying,

“We

never saw anything like this before.’’ 5^

'

-. .y

"w

___ _

-

±**±1^*.

HER ONLY SON Tap,

tap,

tap!

“What

is

that?

Sometimes they tear their clothes and

Some one must be knocking at my

lie with their faces on the ground.

door,” you say.

We know something sad has happened

Yes, it is I, come

to take you for another walk through

to this woman.

the country of Palestine.

she walks along!

we see today?

What shall

Another procession.

How her feet drag as And her shoulders

are bent as though under a heavy load.

The

A kind-hearted neighbor has an arm

all

around her and is trying to help her.

Some are crying.

If you and I look carefully at this

Through the narrow and often dirty

procession, we shall find out where it is

streets of the

going and why the people are so sad.

No, not a wedding this time. people

in

this

procession

walking slowly.

are

little town

of

Nain

In our own country you have seen sick

they move toward the city gate.

people

See that poor woman dressed all in black. have

put

stretchers.

Her hair looks as if she

had forgotten to comb it. ashes

on

her

Palestine when people

are

so

to

the

hospitals on

Something that looks like

a stretcher is being carried by some

She must head.

carried

men in the procession.

In

There is a

young man lying on it, but he is not

un¬

happy that no one can comfort them,

ill.

they

friends are carrying him out of the

cover their

heads with ashes. 53

He

died

last

night,

and

his

but the sound of their voices tells us they are happy.

In the midst of

the crowd is a noble figure in white. The

multitudes

that follow

crowd

about Him and His disciples.

The

sun touches His hair as if in bless¬ ing, and sheds a glorious light on all who follow Him.

The sad pro¬

cession of black-robed mourners meets the company of people who are light¬ hearted

and

people

may

cheery. not

These

even

see

happy

the

sad

mother, or if they do see her they probably are saying,

“ Why should

we

no

stop?

We

have

friends

in

this funeral train, and the young man THIS UNHAPPY MOTHER, A WIDOW OF NAIN, HAS LOST HER ONLY SON

city to the rocks in the valley.

is not a relative of ours.” But One among this lively group

In

caves among these rocks are placed the

will not move on.

bodies of people who die in Palestine.

path

of

the

sad

He stops in the procession.

The

The sad procession reaches the city gate and passes on toward the valley. The

poor woman is wringing her

hands in grief.

The lad whose body

lies on the bier or stretcher was her only son, and she is a widow.

Per¬

haps there is no one left who will be kind to her and see that she does not starve.

She may lose the little one-

room house in which she and her son have lived.

She has no money to

pay the taxes or the rent.

She may

have to beg the rest of her life. Coming up the path toward the city we see a very different crowd of people.

All of them are excited,

THE MOTHER REJOICING THAT HER SON IS ALIVE

54

TOUCHING THE HEM

stretcher-bearers and the mother, look¬ ing

up,

see

Jesus

standing

there.

Some people in the procession have

Come

with me

to the

seashore,

heard that He heals people who are

little people.

ill.

buckets and shovels for a play on

The young man’s mother may

be thinking.

“Oh, if He had only

the

been here before my boy died!” halts.

You

for them.

Jesus touches the stretcher as the procession

sand.

No,- don’t take your will

have

no

use

The seaside you and I

will visit is in Palestine, and already

The young man

there is so

large

a

crowd on

the

I have no

beach that it is a wonder some of

doubt that even the disciples of Jesus

the people are not pushed into the

wonder why He stops a funeral

water.

is dead, the people say.

on

Among the number on the

the

valley.

beach are many people who are ill.

Jesus is sorry for the mother.

When

All of them, weak and strong, are

He is sorry for people He always

waiting to welcome some one com¬

does something to help them.

ing toward them in a boat.

its

way

to

a

tomb

in

His

One

words make people who hear them

little fellow is holding tight to his

live and become well.

mother’s

“Weep not,”

He says to the sad mother. brings

a

blessing when

as

they

both

stand

with their feet in the water.

Then

“Mother, do you think Jesus will

laying upon the bier His hand, which always

hand

make

it

my crooked

back

straight?”

he asks her.

touches anyone, He says to the young

“Yes, dear,” his

man, “ I say unto thee, arise.”

mother replies.

The closed eyes open.

Into the

“Jesus helps all who need Him, and

pale cheeks color comes.

The boy

He will see that you need Him.”

I should like to

So that is why such great num¬

have heard the first words he spoke

bers of people are waiting for the

when

approaching boat.

sits up and speaks. Jesus

mother. I’m sure.

gave him back to his

They were

happy

Jesus and some

of His disciples are in it.

words,

this

Do you suppose that as

multitude

have come

Jesus.

recognized the face of the King?

to ask Him to cure either themselves

them

have come

or some friend or relative they have

The little procession, now a glad one

of

to meet

he looked into the face of Jesus, he

one, turns back into the city.

Many

All in

brought

Every¬

with

them.

Each

person

is anxious to reach the water’s edge

is happy and is saying in his

and

heart, “God is surely with us.” 55

be

the

first

one

to

speak to

loves all of them and enjoys giving good things to them. See

that

proud

Pharisee

scorn¬

fully drawing around him his rich robe with its wide hem and silken fringe!

He is afraid that some one

whom he thinks not quite so good as himself, might touch him. the

people

another!

push

I

and

How

crowd

one

hope the mothers have

left their babies at home, for they surely

would

be

crushed

frantic

efforts

all

are

in

the

making

to

reach the boat. Suddenly

the

crowd

separates

and a path is made straight through it toward the boat.

PETER SHOVED THE BOAT AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE ON THE SHORE

Jesus.

important it

And each in his haste and

eagerness

to

be

neighbors

and

first

joggles

shoves

his

his

boat

rich

be

ruler

coming. who

wishes

elbows

his path steps

hastily

aside

the

shore.

Jesus.

people

and only you can help her.”

it.

How

can

the

Master hear when all of them speak so

quietly when Him?

shoving

the

shore,

so

ciples

can

away

from

they

boat

away

Jesus

sit

in

the

Peter

Many in the

multitude follow them.

is

Watch!

Following the people is

from

the

a woman.

How pale and weak she

His

dis¬

is!

and it

“My little daughter is dying

to the ruler’s house.

rudely push

Look!

that

let

Off Jesus and His disciples start

And how can He stand

against

to

“Come with me,” the ruler begs

There is a mighty rush of anxious

at once?

to

him pass. touches

toward

Yes,

speak with Jesus, and everyone in

into their sides. The

is a

must

Somebody very

comfortably,

anxious

rabble.

She

is

ill,

and

often

leans

upon

the arm of a friend who

with

her.

She

isn’t

as

is

important

Jesus heals all who come to Him.

as the ruler, and the people do not

He never seems to grow tired.

step

I

think it must be because He really

aside

Jesus. 56

to

let

her pass

toward

But she needs His help as

much

as

the

great

ruler’s

little

daughter. Will push H er

she

be

strong

enough

to

her way through that crowd ? friend

thinks

not,

and

urges

her to go home and wait until some other day.

“Tomorrow there

may

not be so big a crowd,” her friend says. “ I must reach Him today, I shall reach Him today,” the woman replies. “For twelve long years I have been ill,” she adds.

“ I have spent all my

money trying to get well, and have only grown worse.” “If you have been ill for so long you

surely

more

can

before

wait

asking

a

Jesus

few

days

to

help

“IF I MAY ONLY TOUCH THE BORDER OF HIS ROBE I SHALL BE CURED,” THOUGHT THE WOMAN

you,” said the friend again urging

she feels the strength and glow of

her to go home.

health.

“No,

it

Only a slight touch by a feeble

will be today,” replies the woman

hand on the hem of His garment,

earnestly.

but

On

no,

she

doubting shall

it

must

presses

and

companion

reach

Him,

be

today,

leaves

behind. I

shall

her

it

causes

ask who

“I

Jesus

touched

to

Him.

pause He

and turns

around and sees the happy woman.

reach

He

speaks

to

her,

and

she

tells

Him,” she is thinking as she moves

Him of her many years of suffering,

unsteadily through the mass of hurry¬

and how she has been healed just

ing people.

by touching the

She is close, so close

hem

of

His

gar¬

to the Master that her feeble fingers

ment.

rest for an

in Him, and I can see a shade of

instant on the hem of

His flowing robe.

Few people have such trust

sadness in the eyes of Jesus as He

“If I may only

touch the border of His robe I shall

looks kindly upon the woman.

be

thinking.

sweet, clear voice is saying to her,

She has touched the hem and turns

“Daughter, go in peace, your faith

to

has made you well.”

cured,” she

has been

go away, for through her body 57

His

SUPPER TIME

crowded almost into the

water by

the eager people who pushed and Let us go to a wonderful picnic.

shoved one another as they tried to

The biggest picnic you ever attended

reach Jesus where He stood on the

was not half so large as the one we

shore.

shall pretend to visit this afternoon.

“We have had no time to eat or

When you and I go to picnics we

rest,” said the disciples at last.

carry baskets filled with good things to eat.

“We will go into a quiet place and rest,” Jesus answered.

We look for a tree under

whose spreading branches we may eat our lunch. thing tastes! be

hungry

Into a boat they climbed, and rowed

My, how good every¬

across

Mother knew we would when

she

filled those

But

the

They could

hillside, and that is what they did.

pretending to visit we should nothing

to

were

eat.

When Jesus and His disciples came

have

to the spot, they found a multitude

Plenty of

there — large

of people waiting for them there.

ones —

How disappointed the tired disci¬

some made of ropes twisted together,

ples must have been!

all smelling of fish,

they

empty.

and every one

Imagine going to a picnic

with empty baskets!

hearty welcome.

“What a queer

Perhaps

for

help

ing.

selves

were

so

Never

when tired.

them¬

But

Jesus

smiled.

and

hand in friendly welcome.

like

since

has

it.

The

there

been

picnic

made

they

before had there been one like it, never

it

some of them cross to hear the people asking

What a strange picnic!

I don’t believe

gave the hungry multitude a

picnic!” some little folks are think¬

another

people

walk around the lake to the lonely

At the wonderful picnic we are

baskets

lake.

wouldn’t be left behind.

baskets.

found

the

was

see

a

He must have held out his mother

bringing

her

I

can blind

on a lonely hillside near a lake in

baby to Him for healing.

Palestine,

where

is a cripple dragging himself along

poor people had no friends and many

the ground, asking that he might be

sick

made to walk.

them.

that

people Only

sad

had

no

Jesus

country one felt

to sorry

help for

were

carried

There

Some of the people on

stretchers.

They

them, and always gave the people

held out their shriveled arms toward

exactly what they needed.

Jesus, the only friend who had ever

That is why on the day of the

shown

picnic Jesus and His disciples were

pity

them all. 58

for them.

He healed

JESUS FEEDING FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE

cost too much.” It would have cost them two hundred shillings, and that means about thirty-four dollars of our money. The sun was slipping out of sight, and soon darkness would begin to settle over the valley. probably

were

Sleepy babies

crying,

and

other

little folks were teasing their mothers to

hurry

home

so

they

could

eat

their bowls of porridge. But

Jesus

people home.

would

not

send the

He intended to feed

them and to fill their empty baskets. “How much food is there here?” asked Jesus of the disciples.

A MOTHER BRINGING HER BLIND BABY TO JESUS

and see.”

FOR HEALING

“Five loaves and two fish are all

The sun turned scarlet and long shadows

began

to

creep

“Go

over

we can find,” replied the disciples.

the

Why didn’t all those

“ Bring them to me, and ask the

hungry people hurry home and buy

people to sit down,” commanded Jesus.

something to eat before the shops

The disciples obeyed, probably won¬

grassy hillside.

in town were closed?

dering how Jesus was going to feed

We know that was what the dis¬

five thousand people with five round

ciples thought, for they asked Jesus

cakes of bread and two small fish.

to send the people away, as night

Jesus took the bread and fish and

was near.

blessed them and gave thanks.

“The people are tired, and many of them have come a long way. cannot

send

them

away

watching

people

and

the

The

disciples

I

too, perhaps, were thinking, “ How

hungry.

could one be thankful with so little

Give ye them to eat,” said Jesus.

to eat and so many to feed?”

As

“How can we feed all these hun¬

they watched Jesus break the bread

gry people when we have nothing to

and fish into pieces, their eyes must

give them?” asked the disciples.

have opened wider and

they added, “If

And

we went to town

wider, for

the more He broke them the bigger

and bought food for them it would

grew the piles of food. 6o

The

disciples

the people

all

were

busy giving

they could eat. Per¬

haps for some it was the first time they had ever had enough for sup¬ per. In Jesus’ hands the loaves and fishes kept

increasing as

them into pieces.

he

broke

And those empty

baskets the people had brought with them

came

in

handy,

for

twelve

baskets full of bread and fish were left after the people had had enough. Then down the steep, lonely hill¬ side the people walked, busily talk¬ ing together as they went.

Perhaps

a woman is telling her neighbor that she believes Jesus is the promised King.

AFRAID

Others are whispering among

themselves.

H ow the wind did blow!

“ This is of a truth the

It sent

the fisher boy’s cap spinning along

Prophet that cometh into the world.”

the

beach

and

nearly

Pharisee’s long robe.

tore off the

The sea tossed

up and down, for all the waves, little and big, were having a great frolic with

the

wind.

Even

the

moon

smiling down upon the lively waves did not make the sea seem any calmer. You and I would have preferred to

stay

on

land

on

such a night.

But rough as the sea was, some men seemed anxious to venture out upon it.

They were Jesus’ disciples.

He

had told them to cross to the other side of the lake, and thus get away from the crowd.

Late that afternoon,

with only five loaves and two small THE PEOPLE WENT HOME CARRYING BASKETS FILLED

fish they, at Jesus’ command had fed

WITH BREAD AND FISH

61

five thousand people.

toward a lonely hillside.

Now all had

No one

had enough to eat and it was grow¬

would care to follow Him into the

ing dark, yet the people did not want

mountains

to go home.

night.

Since they could not

on

such

a

disagreeable

How cold and dreary it must

stay there all night, Jesus had said

have been!

to His disciples, “Get into your boat

place where Jesus could pray without

and row across the lake.

being disturbed.

I will send

the people away.”

But

it

was

the only

The moon hurried along its nightly path across the sky

I have often wondered how Jesus

as

if

it

were

managed to get that great throng of

anxious to get away from the angry

people to leave Him and go to their

wind.

homes.

behind the hills.

But they finally did go home.

At

last

it

dropped

The morning stars

Perhaps it was chilly along the shore

had begun to twinkle when

and the wind blew too strong for

ceased praying

them.

the

Or they may have remem¬

lake.

down

and

There,

Jesus

looked toward tossed

about

in

bered that at home there were other

their little boat, were His disciples.

people who were ill whom to-morrow

Although they rowed with all their

they could bring to Jesus to be healed.

strength, their boat did not seem to

At

last

Jesus

was

alone.

He

move far through those rocking waters.

turned from the shore and walked

The wind blew them back, and it was not easy for the disciples to pull against it. Wild winds and waves did not hinder Jesus.

He saw that His dis¬

ciples needed Him and off He started to help them. for Him.

There was no boat

His disciples had taken

the only one.

Out on the stormy

sea Jesus stepped and walked toward the tossing boat. The

disciples

must

have

been

watching the shore, for they saw H im coming.

At first they did not know

Him, and they were badly frightened. Never before had they seen anyone walking on the sea.

JESUS PRAYING ON THE LONELY HILLSIDE

62

I suppose some

then

of

course

he

began

Jesus

to

He

called

to

and

Jesus

stretched

to

sink.

save

him,

out His hand

and caught him. Do you think Jesus said, “Peter, it was foolish for you to try to walk on

the

water.

Y ou

should

have

known that you could not do it” ? No, indeed!

Jesus never discouraged

people in that way.

Instead, Jesus

must have looked sad when He said to

Peter,

“You

have

little

faith.

Why were you afraid?” Then both of them stepped into OUT ON THE STORMY SEA JESUS STEPPED

the boat.

The wind died down and

of them dropped their oars from fright

the stormy waves grew quiet.

and crouched down

in the bottom

golden rays of the rising sun flashed

Their fear soon left

across the lake as at last the little

for they heard a well-known

boat came safely to land, and Jesus

of the boat. them,

voice calling out to them, “It is I;

and His disciples were at home.

be not afraid.” While every one of the disciples knew that voice belonged to Jesus, Peter was the first to answer.

But

Peter usually did speak first.

He

said to Jesus, “If it is you, tell me to walk on the water to meet you.” And Jesus answered, “Come.” Out of the boat Peter scrambled and stepped bravely

upon the sea.

He walked forward easily, so easily, indeed, that

he had time to notice

how strong the wind was and how madly moment of

the

the

waters

he storm

raged.

noticed he

the

was

But

the

wildness

afraid,

The

and

THE LITTLE BOAT CAME SAFELY TO LAND

63

: msasmam

MY NEIGHBOR by

How many of you little people have neighbors?

All

of you, of course.

the

roadside

lonely travelers.

and

pounce

upon

It is best to leave

“The little girl across the street and

all our valuables behind us.

the boy next door are our neighbors,”

carry nothing that will tempt a thief.

you say.

We shall

Palestine, the country where

Now we are ready and off we start.

Jesus lived, and where you and I have

Soon the road turns into a solitary

been visiting so

many

place where we can see nothing but

people in it, and of course many of

high rock walls around us and the

these people were neighbors.

blue sky overhead.

often, had

But would you believe it?

There

This must be the place.

Yes, I

lived a lawyer in Palestine who did

am sure this is the very spot where

not know who his neighbors were, and

a Hebrew traveling all

he asked Jesus to tell him.

Jerusalem to

Suppose we journey today down

by thieves.

Jericho

alone from

was

attacked

His clothes were torn off

the steep, rocky road that leads from

him and his money was stolen.

Jerusalem to Jericho.

cruel thieves beat the poor man and

go together.

We shall all

It is safer than travel¬

left him lying by the roadside.

The Sup¬

ing alone, for the road is rough and

pose we sit here in this cool cave

dangerous.

and eat our lunch while I tell you

Many wild beasts prowl

about, and robbers hide in the caves

what happened next. 64

The wounded Hebrew lay groan¬

And he probably added as he dis¬

ing' where he had been left to die.

appeared down the road, “I should

Surely

his

be foolish to stay in this dangerous

groans and come to help him.

At

spot just to help a stranger.”

last a priest came slowly along.

He

some

one

would

hear

Nightfall was near.

Cold winds

was on the opposite side of the road

began to blow through the valley.

from

H ow

the

man.

the moans helpless

and

man.

The looked Did

to the side of the No!

priest

heard

toward

the

cross

over

he

the

injured

shivered!

man

must

have

He heard the howl of a

wolf in the

distance.

The savage

injured traveler?

beast was waiting for darkness, when

The priest looked at the man

he would creep up and tear the man

carefully, then drew his robe more

in pieces.

closely around him and passed by on the way to Jericho. did

Then the last rays of the setting

Why was he so

cruel?

He

not think

he

cruel.

He only thought as he went

sun shone upon a donkey and

was

rider.

neighbors.

He is a stranger to me.

in the

afternoon a

along, and I

am sure

the

Samaritan on his back was whistling. The Samaritan saw the wounded man.

Why should I stop to help him?” Late

The little animal was trotting

merrily

onward, “That man is not one of my

his

Levite,

He

jumped

off,

reined

in

his

and

ran to

donkey,

the

man’s

or teacher, came hurrying along the

side.

road.

anxious to get' out

man lying at his feet was a Hebrew.

of that desolate valley before night¬

The Samaritans and Hebrews hated

time.

each

He was

He paused when he reached

the wounded Hebrew. was interested.

The Samaritan saw that the

other,

and never

other neighbor.

The Levite

the side of the man, who was now

forgot

nearly dead.

was a Hebrew.

He looked

closely at

“This

him, then shook his head and turned away without offering any help. man

lying

in

the

road

and I

The

was

that

the

not

each

But this Samaritan

had so much love

He crossed over to

called

the

in his heart he

man

wounded

lying

there

man needs help

can give it to him,” thought

Samaritan.

So he helped the

another teacher, neither was he one

Hebrew on the donkey, and walked

of

beside

the

Levite’s

neighbors.

growing late and a

place

know

of

the

safety teacher

“It

is

inn.

I must hurry to and was

shelter,”

him All

until

they

reached

an

night he stayed with the

man and cared for him. In the morn¬

I

ing

thinking. 65

he left

some

money with the

LOST AND FOUND Poor little dog! the moment at

my

I

I knew he was lost

heard him whining

heels.

I

spoke

to the small stray, doggie, doggie! me

saying,

“ Come

Come home with

and you shall

to eat.”

coaxingly

have

something

But he would not follow.

He only sat still, cocking his head on

one

Some

side

as he

people

do

looked not

language, but I do.

at

me.

know

dog

So I understood

that, as he thumped his tail on the walk, he was saying, “‘Doggie’ isn’t THE SAMARITAN GAVE THE LANDLORD SOME MONEY AND ASKED HIM TO CARE FOR THE HEBREW

my name. Along

landlord and asked him to take care

I can’t go with you.” came

a

boy

whistling.

of the Hebrew until he was able to

He called to the dog, “Here, Fido,

go home.

Fido!”

Now

that

the

story

is

Still the dog did not stir.

A little girl came sorrowfully down

finished,

we will start back again over the

the road.

road

the

which

Jerusalem.

runs The

from

Jericho

rocks

no

to

dog

Frisk!”

longer

Then her eyes fell upon and At

she

called,

once

the

“Frisk,

small

dog

look lonely, and the stones seem to

bounded into her arms with delight.

smile.

So

the

How can they help it, since

glowing

sunlight

of

love

and

for

“Frisk” he

did

was not

the

dog’s

intend to

name, follow

anyone home until he heard it.

one’s neighbor has touched them all?

The little girl and her dog made

“Who is my neighbor?” the lawyer asked, and Jesus answered by telling

me think of a Bible story.

There

him the story I have told you.

are other animals besides dogs that know their names and will

follow

we can help, some one who needs

only when they

called.

us,” every child’s voice is answering.

In Palestine there are many, many

“Why, our neighbor is some one

Yes,

you

are

lawyer thought

right.

the

same

And

the

sheep.

thing as

The shepherds who care for

them know all

he turned away from Jesus.

hear them

the sheep in their

flocks and call each one by its name. 66

Let

us

visit

a

sheepfold

on

sunny hillside in Palestine. is

only

one

narrow

There

door

in

rough stone wall of the fold. shall

we

do

if

the

door

a the

What is shut?

Some small boy will answer, “Climb over

the

top.”

Impossible!

The

tops of the walls are covered with tree branches, prickly brambles, and sharp thorns. to steal over.

Even a wolf coming

a lamb doesn’t dare jump

Only

a

half-starved

lion

or

leopard will leap over the wall and risk getting torn on those thorns. There!

The door of the sheepfold

opens and out comes the shepherd. NOW AND THEN THE SHEPHERD STOPS AND CALLS SOFTLY TO A STRAYING LAMB

His rough sheepskin mantle is thrown over his shoulders.

As the day is

he will turn his mantle inside out

hot,

fleece

outside.

and wear the woolly side next to him.

Tonight, if he sleeps on the hillside,

He carries a sling, a queer-looking

he

wears

the

wallet filled with coarse food, and a long crook or staff. One

by

through

one

the

shepherd.

the

gate

He

sheep

and

knows

come

follow where

the there

is a fine pasture filled with tempting grass.

A sparkling stream of cool

water

gurgles

green field. pasture.

its

way

across

It is a long way to that

The

sheep

will

have

travel

through

a

lonesome,

valley

before

they

reach

the

the

shepherd

goes

it.

before

to

rocky But them.

Now and then he calls a straying lamb, and the lamb hears and trots ONE BY ONE THE SHEEP FOLLOW THE SHEPHERD THROUGH THE GATE

obediently after him. 67

The

shepherd

eyes.

Beside

must

that

have

sharp

Again they pass safely through the

of

water

rocky valley.

pool

The

among the rocks a savage leopard

gatekeeper opens

the

door

may be hiding, or a wolf may be

of the sheepfold when he sees them

watching to see at what moment it

coming.

can run off with some foolish lamb

the open door with

that lingers behind the flock.

One by one, the

The

The

shepherd

stands

by

his rod raised.

sheep and lambs

shepherd must watch for these wild

pass under the rod and through the

beasts and drive them away.

gate into the fold.

Hear the shep¬

herd

sheep

But last.

the And

pasture my! oh,

is

reached

my!

what

frolic the lambs are having!

at a

counting

the

as

they

pass in, “Ninety-seven, ninety-eight,

They

ninety-nine —

then he

drops

his

kick up their heels and skip about

rod and exclaims, “Only ninety-nine

as though they were happy children.

sheep!

At last the shepherd looks at the sky and calls to his sheep.

I1

One must be lost.

I had a

hundred with me this morning.”

They are

Do you suppose

a long way from home and the fold.

sheep

It is late afternoon, and a storm is

have

coming.

that is enough”?

Off they move homeward.

doesn’t

he says, “One

count

ninety-nine

for

much.

the

fold,

and

Indeed not!

At

in

I

once he does what we all do when we

lose

something.

We

go

out

and hunt for it until we find it. Off

the

darkness

shepherd

and

storm,

goes

in

the

calling

the

missing sheep by name as he feels his

way

He stops. his ear.

along

the

rough

A faint “ba-a-a” reaches The lost sheep must have

taken shelter in some cave the rocks.

valley.

among

The shepherd follows the

sound of its voice.

Yes, there it is,

looking out from between the rocks, and crying “ba-a-a”

every

time

it

hears its name called.

The shepherd

seizes it, throws it across his shoul¬ THE SHEPHERD SEIZED THE LOST SHEEP, THREW IT ACROSS HIS SHOULDERS AND STARTED FOR THE FOLD

ders, 68

and

starts

for the

sheepfold.

■

He cannot afford to lose one of his sheep. and

To the shepherd each sheep

each

little

lamb

is

valuable

and important. As soon as the shepherd reaches the

fold

friends

safety

together,

found my

in

my

he

crying,

sheep!

sheep!”

calls

I

And

“I

have

have

his

his

found

friends

are

glad and rejoice with him. Jesus He

liked to watch the sheep.

knew

that

a

good

shepherd

loves each one of his flock.

So one

day when the Scribes and Pharisees complained talked and said,

the

Master

ate with sinners,

THE GRATEFUL STRANGER

Jesus

“The shepherd hunts the lost

sheep,

not

the fold. are

because

ill

those

that

are

safe

in

Poor, wretched man, standing alone

Sinners and people who

on the shore and watching a great

are like lost sheep.

They

ship sail out to sea!

On that ship

are the ones who need to be helped,

are his wife, his children, and nearly

and they are the

all

ones

I

came to

help.”

his

hide

The scornful

proud

Pharisee

and

the

in

the

Pie

ships

ashore again.

“ We are better

anywhere.

No

ship

other people,” they said, and

him.

they

even

land on its shores.

prayers. been

God

so

in

their

How angry they must have

when

Jesus

told

them

tried

to

hold,

but

an

No one wanted him

than

told

had

officer had found him and put him

Scribe did not spend any

time helping others.

friends.

of

that

No

the

country

country

would

would

carry

let

him

Even the people in

which

he

was

born shut the doors of their houses

God is like a good shepherd hunt¬

in his face.

ing for his lost sheep, and that God

and

rejoices more

Then why would no one take him?

over dl people made

had

He was a good man

money

to

pay

his

fare.

He was a leper.

well and wicked people made good

Leprosy

than over all the people who think

One

themselves perfect and strong. 69

who

is has

a

horrible

it might

disease. better

be

THE SAMARITAN PRAISED GOD AND FELL AT JESUS’ FEET SO GRATEFUL WAS HE TO BE WELL

dead.

stopping near cities and little towns

People who have leprosy are

called lepers, and there were many

to

of them

inside the city walls.

lived.

in

No

touch

Palestine

when

Jesus

one

ever

would

else

a chair a leper had sat

or a dish he had used.

beg.

Never did

they

venture

When night

came and the city gates were closed

on

I suppose they crept into some caves

Every time

among the rocks for shelter.

These

anyone passed, the lepers had to cry

ten men had just heard some won¬

out “Unclean, unclean,” for no one

derful

was allowed to go near them.

them that a great Healer was travel¬

They

news.

Some

one had told

had to leave their friends and their

ing through the country,

homes.

H e could cure them.

They had so little to eat I

and that

It was hard

know they were often ill with hunger.

for the lepers to believe this, but a

A few filthy rags covered their poor

friend said that

suffering bodies.

Teacher

Can you imagine

anything worse than being a leper? always

kept

close

the

had dead.

seen

this

Perhaps

this friend had once been a leper

In Palestine there were ten lepers who

raise

he

himself and had been cured.

together.

Every one of the ten was

They wandered about the country,

watching 70

for

the

Teacher.

now “He

surely will come our way some time,”

And off they went, hurrying to reach

they

the priests.

must

In

the

they

all

that they were clean would they be

God would

allowed to come inside the city or

send the great Healer to them soon.

to mingle again with their friends.

There

As they

cheerless

have

thought.

caves

at

night

must have prayed that was

one

of them,

at least,

Not until a priest said

ran,

every

man

of

them

who surely prayed God to help him

found that he was “clean,” for the

and

loathsome

to

him.

send

Jesus

the

Healer

to

The poor fellow was a stran¬

ger, a Samaritan. these

One turned back.

The Jews hated

Samaritans.

Would

leprosy had been

stranger, the

Jesus,

cured.

He was the

Samaritan.

God had

heard his prayer and he was grate¬

who was a Jew, cure a Samaritan?

ful.

Do

until he had thanked Jesus for his

you

suppose

that question? did not.

the

leper

No, I

Why?

am

asked

sure he

He would not go to the priests

healing.

Because he knew

Nine of Jesus’ own people

had passed on without a word.

But

that Jesus never asked who people

this stranger praised God with a loud

were

voice and fell at Jesus’ feet, so grate¬

nor

from

where

they

came.

Did they need His help?

That was

the question Jesus asked.

Everyone

ful was he to be well again. “Where are the nine?” Jesus asked him.

who asked His help received it. How eagerly the ten lepers must

“Among the ten that were

healed,”

He

added,

“ is

only

this

have watched every group of people

stranger grateful?”

He must have

that passed along the road to the city

reached forth His hand and touched

gate!

And when Jesus and His dis¬

the man kneeling at His feet, as He

ciples finally came, I can almost hear

said, “Arise, thy faith hath made thee

the call of the ten as they cried out:

whole.” The nine lepers ran on to visit

“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” And the Master heard their voices,

the priests.

although

well again, and that was all.

off.”

the

They

Him.

lepers

did

not

“stood dare

afar

They were glad to be

they came from

go near

the

temple, what

do you suppose they did?

Some stern soldier or pitiless

When

No doubt

Pharisee would have had them pun¬

they ran to tell their friends of their

ished

wonderful

for coming too

close to the

and

the priests,”

show

yourselves

Jesus

answered them.

But what of the

Samaritan stranger?

throng of people around the city gate. “ Go

cure.

I think he must

have followed Jesus and learned from

unto

Him how to help others. 71

THE OTHER BROTHER

“Little Walter has been hobbling o around

answered Ted.

Ted’s only answer was

to

an impatient jerk of his shoulders. Ted.

He

thought he

had

he

told

his

mother,

near

fault,”

“Mother told him not

that

rickety

platform,

and he hurt

himself.”

you sorry that Walter is well and at home again ? ”

think it’s too mean for any¬

thing,”

hospital

“O Ted!” exclaimed Mother, “are

been badly treated and was cross. “I

go

but he did,

Everyone in the . house was happy except

a

“Well, that was his own

asked his sister as she

passed him.

in

said Sister.

“Not outdoors this beauti¬

ful day?’’

crutches

while you have been out playing,”

Ted lay curled up in a corner of the sofa.

on

“ I

“for

never

had

a

pony,”

replied

Ted, paying no attention to Mother’s

Dad to give Walter that new pony.

question.

I’m older, I ought to have had it.”

it to me.” “You make me think of the other

“Why, Teddy boy!” answered his mother, “we are all so happy because little

brother

can

walk again

“ Dad ought to have given

brother,” said Mother.

and

“What other brother ?” asked Ted.

be strong like other boys that Dad

“A

gave him the pony just for joy.”

boy that

many

years

lived

ago,

in

who

Palestine

was

angry

because his father gave his younger brother a present.” “Tell me about him,” begged Ted. “ Some were

very

men good

who were

thought

they

angry

with

Jesus because He helped bad people just as quickly as He helped good people.

So Jesus told a story to these

people, who thought they always did exactly right.” “Was it about the other brother?” asked Ted. “Yes,”

answered

Mother,

“and

you may tell me which of the two brothers in the story you like better.

THE OTHER BROTHER WHO LIVED IN PALESTINE

72

the

“The two brothers had everything

The younger brother must have been

weakly yielded to them when they tempted him to do evil things. But he found listening to pleasant words from his wicked companions much

a jolly, lovable little fellow.

more agreeable than listening to his

they needed to make them happy, because their father was very rich. Perhaps

his father called him ‘ Sunshine’ as

brother’s faultfinding at home.

he whistled cheerily around the house. He was a

“Yet money

can’t

last

forever,

favorite with his play¬

especially when one throws it away

mates, for he was generous and shared his good things with them. “But the other brother! No doubt

on foolish and wicked things as did this younger brother. When his

he always obeyed his parents and

any more rich gifts for his compan¬

his teachers, but he had a sour, surly

ions.

way of speaking and acting, and he

as soon as he needed their help.

surely was stingy. I think he never shared his pleasures with anyone, and was afraid his father was not giving him all he deserved. I can

had no money to buy food, and he was in a strange country. Very often

hear him finding fault all the time

and he was glad to find even this

and pointing out all that was bad

work.

money was gone, he could not buy Of course they deserted him He

he was hungry. A farmer who kept many pigs needed a swineherd, He need not starve, because

in everything and everyone. “When the boys grew to be men, their habits had not changed. The boy who loved people and a good time wanted to leave home. I am not surprised that he asked his father to give him his share of their wealth, and to let him go away and visit other countries. “ I am sorry to say, however, that this happy, generous young man was not wise. I think he enjoyed hav¬ ing people call him a ‘good fellow.’ It was easy for his friends to coax his money away from him. All they had to do was to flatter him. He

HE WASTED HIS MONEY WITH FOOLISH FRIENDS

73

“Then the father went out to tell

he could eat some of the food that

the elder son the good news about

was given him to feed the pigs.

his brother.

“ I can see the young man stand¬ ing

in

swine.

the

midst

of

his

herd

son doing?

of

was the

elder

Sulking in a corner of

the field, angry as he could be.

H is fine linen mantle and

rich sandals are gone.

What

‘I’ve

stayed at home and worked and done

He is rag¬ He has

right, but you never gave me a party

no friends, for in that country every¬

for my friends,’ he said to his father.

one despises a swineherd.

‘ Now as soon as this fellow who has

ged, cold, and oh, so dirty!

companions

are

those

His only filthy

pigs.

wasted his money and done wickedly

He throws himself upon the ground

comes home you have a great feast

with a bitter ciy when he thinks of

for him.’

his father and his beautiful home.

“ I can hear the astonished father

Not long does he lie there, however.

reply, ‘Why, my son, you could have

Suddenly he

had a party any time.

jumps

up

and

leaps

over the wall of the swine yard.

As

All that I

have is yours to use whenever you

he runs I can hear him shout, ‘I’m

want it.

going home to my father and tell

thought dead is alive and at home

him how foolish and wicked I have

again, and we should rejoice.’

been!

I had rather be at home as

“‘Well, I shall not welcome him,’

one of my father’s servants than stay

answered the other brother.

in this country.’

“The father returned to the house

“ But when he was still a long way from home his father met him. sorrowed

because

I

of joy and feasting, leaving his elder

‘My

dear, dear son!’ his father cried. have

But your brother whom we

son alone and unhappy outside in

‘I

the darkness.”

thought

Ted jumped from the sofa as he

you were dead, and now you have

heard the clatter of hoofs approach¬

come back to me alive.’

ing the house.

“With arms about each other they walked home.

dow just in time, to wave his hand

Then the house was

lighted with many lamps.

He ran to the win¬

at the pale little fellow dashing past

The father

on his pony.

What if Walter

had

gave a great party to welcome his

been hurt because he was disobedi¬

son

ent?

home.

beautiful

In sandals

silken the

robes young

and man

again.

Ted was glad that he was well “I’m not the other brother,

and his guests danced and enjoyed

Mother!”

the rich feast and gay music.

toward the door. 74

he

shouted

as

he

ran,

RAGGED, HUNGRY, COLD AND LONELY, THE SWINEHERD STOOD THINKING LONGINGLY OF HIS OLD HOME

TWO LITTLE SONS

A CHILD'S PRAYER

Little Christ was good, and lay Sleeping, smiling in the hay; Never made the cows’ round eyes Open wider at His cries; Never when the night was dim, Startled guardian Seraphim, Who above Him in the beams Kept their watch round His white dreams: Let the rustling brown mice creep Undisturbed about His sleep.

Little Jesus, wast Thou shy Once, and just so small as I? And what did it feel like to be Out of Heaven, and just like me? I should think that I would cry For my house all made of sky; I would look about the air, And wonder where my angels were. Hadst Thou ever any toys Like us little girls and boys? Didst Thou kneel at night to pray, And didst Thou join Thy hands, this way? And did they tire, sometimes, being young? And make the prayer seem very long? And dost Thou like it best, that we Should join our hands to pray to Thee? (I used to think, before I knew, The prayer not said unless we do.) And did Thy Mother at the night Kiss Thee, and fold the clothes in right? And didst Thou feel quite good in bed, Kissed, and sweet, and Thy prayers said?

Yet if it had not been so — Had He been like one I know, Fought with little fumbling hands, Kicked inside His swaddling bands, Puckered wilful crimsoning face — Mary Mother, full of grace, At that little naughty thing, Still had been a-worshiping. -NANCY CAMPBELL

THE LITTLE SHEEP OF BETHLEHEM

Thou canst not have forgotten all That it feels like to be small: And Thou know’st I cannot pray To Thee in my father’s way — Take me by the hand and walk, And listen to my baby-talk. To Thy Father show my prayer (He will look, Thou art so fair), And say: “O Father, I, Thy Son, Bring the prayer of a little one.” And He will smile, that children’s tongue Has not changed since Thou wast young!

The little sheep of Bethlehem Were not afraid that night, When suddenly the gentle skies Grew strange with song, and bright; When swift their shepherds went away And left them, small and still, All huddled in a woolly heap Upon a lonely hill. A peace was on the earth that night, Oh, very wide and deep; Perhaps they knew they need not fear; Those blessed little sheep.

—Abridged from Francis Thompson

— Elizabeth Thornton Turner

76

JESUS’ LATER WORK

THE MASTER’S BLESSING Suppose in

we

take

Palestine.

see many

another

None

children

the

disciples

could

looking woman. walk

“Everyone must love Him,” many

just

of them exclaim together.

big

“ Not so,” says a sad-faced woman.

enough to toddle, others so tiny they

“ Our

must be carried.

Pharisees hate Him.

Along the country

rulers

and

the

priests

they even plan to kill

They

when He reaches Jerusalem.”

clothes,

dressed

in

their

little

and

bodies no doubt with oil.

their faces

best and

“Kill

have been rubbed

ever

The people in this country

mothers

as though afraid. them.

hang back

going?

are

they

a

all

disciples

have

little

Jesus

of gold.

people

the tried

woman

answers.

for their

king, but

He wants to live among

His people and make them happy. If you and I

says to another.

this

our

group

of

keep on following happy

children

we

shall soon come to a village.

children,” adds a quiet little woman. “Jesus loves everyone.

our

Him

does not care for palaces or crowns

He goes to Jerusalem,” one mother at

done?”

every one of them knows that He

“He surely will pass this way as

not look

call

once

dark-eyed

to

whom they lovingly call “Master.”

may

He

Many of that group would like

To see the Great Teacher,

“But He

has

to seize Him and make Him king,”

Others walk so fast

Where

What

Christ, and

they have to drag their little children after

Master

J esus, the best friend we

had!

“His

much better than a dip in water. timid

the

ask many shocked mothers.

of Palestine think a rub with oil is Some

and

Eve been told

roads they come with their mothers. are

cure

him, but Jesus did,” adds a happy-

As we go we shall

little

of

Ahead

He surely

of

us

goes

a

Pharisee.

must love little children,” replies a

Watch him stoop to shake the dust

happy mother as she

from his robe as a small boy runs

hurries along

past him.

with her four little ones.

on his face that he thinks children

Some of these women look sad.

should

What can be the matter? “My

little

girl

was

ill

with

running

a

with

our

sick

at

around

home and

“There! There!

“ My husband waited one day by mountain

stay

and

not

kicking

be up

dust on people’s clothes.

fever and Jesus healed her,” says one. the

I can see by the frown

Don’t

you

see

the Master?” cries an excited mother.

boy. 79

make a great deal of it.

They seem

unable to do anything quietly. The disciples

are angry.

They

do not wish Jesus to be interrupted. “What

do

you

want

ask the women.

here ?”

they

They seem cross

and do not speak kindly. “We have brought our children here for the Master to bless them,” the mothers answer. “What

nonsense!”

I

can

some of those disciples say. you know the

hear

“Don’t

Master is too busy

to be bothered with children?” See

those

poor,

disappointed

women turn to go away. many of them

A MOTHER BRINGING HER CHILDREN TO JESUS SO THAT HE MAY BLESS THEM

“Where is He? but

Where is Jesus?”

all day to get just one blessing for their babies.

His disciples

around Him.

are

all

How can we get to

Him?” asks a sad-faced woman.

that

He

children to

may

look determined. will Jesus

bless I

laid

His

They

heads

asked. have

was

And refused

all

the them

the

angry this!

can see the women’s eyes grow

sad.

know they all hands

curly

hands

But only for a moment are they They

hear

a

voice

telling

them to stay, to bring their children

not willingly turn back until has

the

His

sad and their shoulders droop.

Jesus so

them.

on

I

big sisters have walked many miles to bring the

Master as He lays

disciples

Many of these mothers and

A simple prayer from

the

women

“We must get to Him,” they all agree.

tramped with

blistered feet along the dusty roads

eagerly asks another. “Yes,

have

Perhaps

to Him.

upon

Jesus

each little head.

is

calling

them

the little ones to Him.

to

bring

I can see

Such noisy chattering the disciples

Him take the babies in His arms.

hear as the group of children draws

Softly He strokes the heads of the

near!

small

The

people

of

Palestine

seem to enjoy noise, for they always

over 80

boys Him

and as

girls

tiny

tots

who

climb

the

world

LAZARUS

over will do with people who they know love them. Around

this

little

group

stand

A

pretty

path

the astonished disciples, the scornful

hillside.

rulers, and

flash

and

were

laughing

What!

the

interrupt

sneering Pharisees. their

wise

words

The

runs

small

sparkle

stones

as

at

along

the

in

it

though

they

great

gray

the

w ith Jesus just to please a lot of

rocks that rise above each side of

foolish mothers and their children!

the path.

Gardens gay with flowers

Of course they don’t say such things

cover

hillside,

aloud, but I can see by their faces

walls hang tree branches laden with

that this is what they are thinking.

delicious fruit.

Jesus knows what they are think¬ ing.

and

over

their

As you pass by, the

trees seem to call out, “Come, pick

I see Him rise with a chubby

little child in H is arms.

the

my fruit, and eat.”

If you and I

He holds

really were walking along that path

the little one out toward the people

the day on which our story begins,

and says,

we’d

come unto

“Let

the

little

me,

for

the

children Kingdom

surely

answer,

“Thank you,

pretty trees, we’ll gladly taste your

of Heaven is like little children.”

fruit.” Thirteen men are slowly climbing the hillside along the path.

Who

are the men, and in what country is

this

hillside?

They

are

Jesus

and His apostles, and this is Galilee, the only place where the Master is safe

from

talking to

enemies.

earnestly

Jesus

John.

His

I

All

together.

are

Close

walk

Peter,

James,

and

think

Peter is saying to

his brother Andrew, “How fortunate we

were

to

escape

from

Judea!”

The last time they were there the ungrateful

Judeans

had

tried

to

stone the Master. Judas shakes the moneybag which he

carries.

He

probably

is

glad

the Judeans did not try to steal his 81

and puffing from his long run the messenger makes known his errand. “Lazarus, whom you love dearly, is ill, and his sisters have sent me to tell you.” Lazarus

lives with

Martha and Judea.

his

Mary, in

sisters,

Bethany of

“Will Jesus dare go back to

Judea?” question His apostles. The messenger waits expectantly. Surely Jesus will Bethany. return

go with

him to

But no, Jesus bids him

alone

while

He

and

the

apostles walk on to a small village among the hills. Two days pass by.

startles the twelve apostles by say¬

JUDAS SHAKES THE MONEY BAG AND SO LONG AS THAT IS SAFE HE IS HAPPY

gold.

So

long as that

ing, “We must go back to Judea.” I

moneybag

can hear Peter anxiously

try¬

ing to persuade Jesus not to return

is safe, Judas is happy. John and James are frowning as they follow Jesus.

Then Jesus

there.

The other apostles all join

Neither of them

Peter in urging the Master to keep

can understand why the Master will

away from the Judeans, who wish

not permit them to call down fire

to kill Him.

from heaven and burn to ashes His

“Lazarus

cruel enemies.

hurry

to

dead,”

Jesus

tells

them, “and I go to help him.” I can see all the apostles shake

Following them up the path is another man.

is

their heads as they wonder how it

He seems in a great

reach

Jesus.

I

is

should

possible

to

great cloud of dust he raises as he

Teacher.

races along.

He is determined to go, they follow a

message

He

call and waits for the man.

So when

love

they

their

see

that

H im back into Judea.

for Jesus!”

Two days it takes to make the

he shouts as he comes near. Jesus stops when

they

after

he

have

But

Lazarus

think he might almost choke in the

“I

is dead.

help

journey

hears the Panting

to

Bethany.

Martha

is

waiting for Jesus as He nears the 82

pretty village. she

tells

“You are too late,”

Jesus.

“My

brother

has

been dead four days.” “Let me see where you have laid him,”

Jesus

her sister

says.

Then

she

and

Mary take Him to their

brother’s tomb. There are many people crowding around the tomb. who and

have

come

Martha.

They are friends to

The

Mary

friends whisper

among themselves. asking one

console

I can hear them

another,

“If

this

man

who opened the eyes of the blind loved

Lazarus,

then

why

did

He

let him die?” Mary and Martha, thinking Jesus

LAZARUS HEARD JESUS’ VOICE CALLING HIM AND CAME FORTH FROM THE TOMB

has come too late to help them, are weeping

bitterly.

The people

sorry for the sisters. that

Jesus

might

Jesus.

are

helped

is

hushed.

I

believe that even the wind stopped

They all feel have

Every voice

playing

if

with

that

it is too late.

bee humming in the sunshine crept

stands

for

an

instant

with

He

walks

quietly

quiet.

hands

mouth of the tomb.

to

the

And

The

the

voice

“Lazarus,

A heavy stone

stillness. stone

away!”

that of

come The

bird

calling, broke the

man

in

the

silence of his tomb hears that loved

Jesus

and

comes

ing near by.

been

dead,

and

forth. now

he

He is

has alive

and well.

Why open the

Great is the

grave when Lazarus has been dead

rejoicing

of

Mary

and Martha as they walk with their

But willing hands roll

away the stone.

Jesus

young

voice

four days?

little

forth!”

commands the men who are stand¬ Martha objects.

the

stopped its song to listen.

rests against it. “Roll

That the

into the heart of a flower and was

clasped and face uplifted in prayer. Then

rustle.

so

they

He

not

leaves

only He had come sooner, but now But Jesus, too, is sorrowful.

should

the

brother away from the empty tomb.

All are watching 83

SONS OF THUNDER “I

want

to

be

first.

I

won’t

these children a story than to write

play unless I can be first,” declared

one

a

window,

them saying, “ If you’ll stop quarrel¬

where some children were playing.

ing, I’ll come and tell you a story.”

shrill “I’m

voice the

under

eldest,

my

I

ought to

first,” shouted a boy as he

soldier,”

I

They

were

playing

as I

I was right. soldier,

and

soldier,

so

that

one

and

I

needs

to is

a

a

story.

All

pair of

ears,

could see that each one of

“Two I

Thunder,’

story

about?”

they

brothers, called who

lived

in

‘Sons of Palestine

with Jesus.” “Can thunder have sons?”

my desk went pencils and I

listening

the grass.

small girl. paper.

is

asked, as we all seated ourselves on

ought to be captain,” chimed in a Into

one

“What’s the

captain,” the eldest boy told me. a

to

my small listeners had a pair.

“I’m the biggest, I ought to be father’s

called

No captains are necessary when

each one wanted to be captain.

“ My

I

placed

thought,

looked out upon them.

So

“We will, we will!” they shouted.

believe those little folks are

playing

them.

be

himself at the head of the line. “I

for

thought it better to

“ No, of course not.

tell

When one

is a son of thunder, it means he is 84

brave, and often that he is warlike.

wonderful to be rulers,

John and James, disciples of Jesus,

being hunted like refugees!

were very impatient and quick about everything

they

wanted

do things

to

did.

They that

often

angered

“James and

Jesus.

Like

wanted

to

all

Salome,

I can hear

highest places in the

Master’s

the

brothers

kingdom.

their

enemies.

we will ask Jesus for them.’

Once they begged Jesus to command

of

her exclaim, ‘ My sons, you deserve the

kill

told

their mother, about it.

the other disciples and that grieved soldiers,

John

instead

I will go with you and

“The

brothers

nodded.

They

fire to come down from heaven and

were as sure as their mother that the

destroy a Samaritan village, because

best places in the kingdom should

the people would not let Jesus and

be given to them.

H is disciples lodge there.

Of course

about the other disciples, each one of

and rebuked the

whom no doubt was thinking that he

Jesus

said

‘No,’

They forgot all

himself deserved the highest honor.

two angry brothers. “ It was a tiresome journey from

“‘Will

Galilee to Jerusalem, especially so

us?’

when one must walk all the way,

they,

as did Jesus and the disciples.

the Master.

“On this journey Jesus had been telling them some wonderful news. All the disciples were greatly excited

the

you

do

brothers

with

their

something

for

asked

Jesus,

as

mother,

came

to

“‘What do you wish?’ answered Jesus. “Up

spoke

Salome

before

her

about it, especially James and John.

sons could answer.

Jesus had told them that

He was

promise that you will give the best

What

places in your kingdom to my sons.

soon

to

pleased

have the

a

kingdom.

disciples

most

was

to

hear that each one of them was to have

a

throne

all

to

himself

and

‘ I want you to

Let them sit next to you, one on your right, the other on your left.’ “What could Jesus reply?

rule over part of the Hebrew people.

were

All had left their homes to follow

each one wanted to sit on the right

the Master.

or left hand of

They wandered about

the country with Him, often driven Do

from the cities and

you

wonder

that

when

being stoned. Jesus

them

twelve

disciples.

There

No

doubt

Jesus, but none of

except James and John

had

dared ask Him for the honor. “Then

Jesus

said, ‘The

places

promised them thrones in His king¬

in My kingdom are not given away.

dom

Whoever wants a place there must

they

were

delighted?

How

earn

it.’

Then

He added as

He

turned to the brothers, ‘Are you able to work for what you want?’ “‘Yes, we are willing- and able,’ replied the brothers. ‘“Then you shall have the work to do,’ Jesus told them. “There the two brothers showed that they were true sons of thunder, for

work

did

not

frighten

them.

They did not whine because Jesus said He could not give them what they desired, but they must earn it. “Did they win like real soldiers? Yes,

for

kingdom

they

learned

did

not

that

mean

Jesus’ golden

JAMES AND JOHN SPENT THEIR LIVES IN BLESSING OTHERS AND DOING KINDLY DEEDS

thrones and purple robes, as the disci¬ ples thought at first.

loving thoughts

His kingdom

I

which was to conquer and rule the whole world, was to be built up by

and

kindly

deeds.

wonder if Salome was satisfied! “After Jesus left them to work

alone, the two brothers spent their lives in blessing others.

Never did

John again ask to have fire consume his enemies.

Instead he told them

love was the law of the kingdom.” When my story was finished the eldest boy said, “ That fellow next to you is a Boy Scout. he

does

something

to

Every day help

some¬

body.” “He

should

added the small

be girl

our

captain,”

whose

father

was a soldier. “ Let him have the first place,” all

the

children

deserves it.”

SALOME, THE MOTHER OF JAMES AND JOHN

86

exclaimed.

“He

AT THE HOUSE OF MARTHA What do you suppose is happen¬ ing in that large house on the hill¬ side? are

From every direction people

hurrying toward

it.

A party?

Yes, a great supper is being given by

Mary and Martha in

Jesus.

He and H is

honor of

disciples

are

on their way to Jerusalem to keep the in

Passover.

They have

stopped

Bethany of Judea, where

Mary

and Martha live. Here come a number of scowling Pharisees.

They have been invited

to the supper, but are angry about it.

Then

home?

why don’t they

They

Martha’s

are

brother,

curious

stay

see

are joyfully happy over exactly the

Some¬

same thing. What can it be? Listen!

to

Lazarus.

“WE SURELY MUST GET RID OF THIS NAZARENE,” SAID ONE PHARISEE TO ANOTHER

at

“We

thing very strange has happened to the young

man,

and they

do

must

put

an

end to

the

wonders this man Jesus is working,”

not

one Pharisee says to another.

understand it. gar¬

The other replies, “All the people

ments are picking their way care¬

will be following Him if we do not

fully

stop them.”

Scribes

along

swishing silken the

road

leading

to

they

“Since Jesus raised Lazarus from

look — scribe, ruler, priest, and

the dead,” a scribe remarks with a

Martha’s all

in

Pharisee!

house.

How

cross

sneer,

I should think they’d be

H im every day.”

ashamed to carry such sullen faces

“We must surely get rid of this

to a joyous supper party.

Nazarene,” they all agree.

Other guests who seem glad and gay

are

coming.

rich

and

see

Lazarus.

Big

poor, all

“more people are following

and

“Why

little,

not

kill

Lazarus

also?”

some of them ask.

are anxious

to

Pharisees

are

These wicked people are angry

bitterly angry, while the other people

because Jesus is loved by those who

The

87

celebrate this wonderful event, and to honor the Friend who gave their brother back to them.

All of their

friends and many strangers have been invited.

Mary

and

Martha

must

have thought, as they prepared for their guests, “All these people will see Lazarus and will believe in Jesus.” And that is just

what

priest

and

ruler, scribe and Pharisee think, and that is the reason they are all

so

angry about the supper as they enter Martha’s house. The sun peeps through the lattice windows, and his golden light falls upon

chievous

THE HEAD OF JESUS

ill,

and by the poor and the

unhappy.

long

table

the guests recline.

MARY POURING THE PRECIOUS OINTMENT OVER

are

a

around which Perhaps a mis¬

sunbeam creeps

into the

eyes of a Pharisee and blinds him for

When Jesus raised Lazarus

a

moment.

from the dead, Pharisee and priest

matter.

decided to put an end to Him and

he saw anyway.

to His wonderful works.

be blind.

From the

hour in which they learned of that

But

it

does

not

He would not believe what So he may as well

The guests look with awe upon

empty tomb or gazed spitefully after

Lazarus.

Lazarus walking through the town

among themselves and saying, “Can

with his sisters, the

it

Pharisees and

be

I

can

possible

hear them talking that

this

cheerful

priests began to plan some way in

young man who is eating and drink¬

which they could destroy the Master.

ing

Why?

in his tomb?”

Because the people would

with

us

today once lay dead When the eyes of

follow one who was kind to them

the guests rest upon Jesus, who has

and loved them.

done

Jesus loved them

this,

I

know

that

some

of

and helped them in all their troubles.

them are thinking, “ Surely this man

Three months have passed since

Jesus must be the promised King.”

Jesus restored Lazarus to life.

Mary

Slowly the sun changes from gold

and Martha are giving a supper to

to scarlet. 88

His long red rays reach

BEHOLD YOUR KING!

across the sky as though they were waving

good

night

to

the

earth.

The day awoke with a smile as

The soft light falls upon the head

the sun

of Jesus at the table.

out of

woman is

Who is the

standing behind Him?

Mary,

Lazarus’

younger

It

on

sister.

chased the its eyes.

leaf and

and stirring.

filled with precious ointment.

happy

When

she breaks it over the head of Jesus

perfume.

have of

costly

wickedly Judas.

thrown

day,”

at

“Today is a happy, sang

Martha’s

found

Today

every

bird and

her

house, with

Jesus

and

start for Jerusalem to

It is money

away,”

into

it

must

Mary

and

Lazarus, up and ready for a journey.

oint¬

ment!” some of the guests exclaim. “Worse than that.

flower and stole

When the sun said “ Good morn¬

His

ing!”

a waste

Sunbeams danced

blossom and blade of grass.

hair, the room is filled with fragrant “What

shadows

people’s houses bidding them be up

In her hand she has a beautiful flask

and pours the ointment upon

night

His

apostles

make

ready

for the Passover.

declares

Down the road I can see a little

“The ointment should have

band of

been sold and the money spent for

people

waiting

for them.

the poor.” But the grateful

heart of

Mary

pleases Jesus, and He smiles kindly upon her.

“ It was kind of her to

do this for me,” He tells the guests. Honored guests very

often were

anointed with oil by their hosts.

Oil

was poured on the heads of kings when they were crowned.

Among

the people gathered round Martha’s table are there only two who wish to do anything for Jesus?

Is it only

the sisters, Mary and Martha, who honor the One who has blessed them all?

Perhaps

Mary,

as she

stood

behind Jesus and poured the oint¬ ment on

His head, meant to say,

MARY AND MARTHA WITH LAZARUS GOING TO JERUSALEM FOR THE PASSOVER

“This is the King!” 89

The eyes of all rest lovingly upon

outer cloak and threw it

the

roadway.

One who is in the center of

the group. an ass.

“The Master is coming this way,”

It is Jesus, sitting upon

exclaimed

“Now we are ready to start,”

a

man

as

he

shout many voices, and off they all

mantle across the road.

walk toward Jerusalem.

like a Samaritan.

flung his He looked

Perhaps he was

the grateful leper healed by Jesus.

Jesus, as He journeys, is joined by throngs of people.

upon the

Lazarus

Like Himself,

casts

his

silken,

gold-

all are on their way to Jerusalem.

embroidered robe before the ass upon

Among

which Jesus sits.

the

multitude that crowds

As he does so I

about the Master I can see people

hear him say to the multitude, “We

who once were lame or palsied walk¬

do these things to honor kings, and

ing briskly along.

so we do them for Jesus.”

A strong, well

Slow progress can Jesus and His

man greets a neighbor who does not turn away from him.

A month ago

apostles make, for people from north,

no one would go near this same man

south, east, and west keep coming

because

and

of

his

leprosy.

Eyes

are

crowding about

Him.

Many

there that once were blind, but now

wave palm branches as they walk,

see and enjoy the sunlight.

while others strew leaves and flowers

Rich

and

poor

asses and on multitude

on

camels and

along His pathway.

hearts springs a song of thanksgiving

foot move in a great

toward

the

city.

Now

to their Friend and Helper.

and then a Roman soldier on horse¬

Their shouts of joy are answered

back, with shield and spear glittering

by

in the sunshine, dashes past the long

people

line

Jerusalem.

of

people.

There

are

From grateful

little

the

cries

of

coming

another

toward

host

them

of

from

As they approach they

children flitting in and out among

cry, “Blessed is the King, the King

the crowd like so many gay-colored

of Israel!”

butterflies.

Again the throngs with

I

can see a little boy

Jesus lift up their voices, shouting,

and girl pull

their mother’s gown

“Blessed

excitedly and hear them say to her,

be

also scribes,

day He talked with the

rulers.

many

others,

children!”

unfastened

that

In that joyous throng there

we passed Him, just as He did the

with

kingdom

is

coming! ”

“Mother! Jesus smiled at us when

The mother nodded happily.

the

She,

Pharisees, priests,

are and

They, too, are journeying to

Jerusalem to keep the feast of the

her

Passover. 90

But

not

one

word

of

ONE MOTHER, UNFASTENING HER OUTER CLOAK, THREW IT IN THE PATHWAY OF THE MASTER

They probably are thinking of the Pharisees

who

a

few days

before

told Jesus to get out of the country because Herod wished to kill Him. I know they all are saying in their hearts, “It

is

not

Herod, but the

Pharisees and priests who would like to destroy the Master.” On the people move, until they come

within

sight

Jesus halts.

of

Jerusalem.

For a moment the host

around Him is quiet.

The beautiful

Holy City lies before Him.

In the

midst of the city stands the temple, H is

Father’s

house

He

loves

so

dearly'. Jesus does not smile. His eyes are filled with tears.

He stretches

“JESUS A KING!” THE PEOPLE SNEER

out H is arms toward the city as a praise

do

they

speak.

“Jesus

king!” I can hear them sneer.

a

mother stretches out her hand to her

“A

little one, and says, “Why will you

king wearing a golden crown who

destroy the

will

most? O Jerusalem! You know not

make

war

and

conquer

our

how to have peace.

enemies is what we want!”

Again

these Pharisees so greatly that one of rudely

crowd you

and

hear

saying?”

pushes reaches

what

through Jesus.

the

Therefore your

multitude

toward Jerusalem.

the

moves on

They march to

the walls of the city.

“Do

your disciples are

he asks Jesus.

love you

enemies shall destroy you.”

The shouts of the multitude anger them

friends who

The great

gates are open wide to admit pilgrims.

He prob¬

the

Among them is the King.

ably shakes his fist in the Master’s

Through the archway He rides, but

face as he adds, “Tell your disciples

none

to stop

loving

their shouts of praise!”

“The stones would give praise if

recognize

Him

disciples

and

except His

His

apostles.

“This man, say the people of Jeru¬

the people did not,” Jesus replies.

salem,

The faces of the apostles walking

is

the

prophet

Nazareth of Galilee.”

close to Jesus grow serious and sad.

ciples shout, 92

Jesus

from

But the dis¬

“ Behold your King!”

HOUSE OF PRAYER When your mother buys meat for your dinner where does she get it? “At

the

answer.

market,

of

course,”

you

And if she wishes a pretty

canary to sing in her window, she will

go

to

the

Butcher shops

bird

and

store

for it.

bird stores

are

the proper places to buy beef and birds. I

You will be surprised when

tell you that once upon a time

people sold animals in their churches. And the church I am going to tell you about, in which such things were done,

was

neither old nor useless,

but new and very beautiful.

From

MONEY CHANGERS IN THE COURTS OF THE TEMPLE

different countries, even from

those

in Jerusalem had brought with them

far across the sea, visit this

people came to

wonderful

church.

You

from their own country. Into this beautiful temple

may have seen a picture of it, for it

Jesus and His disciples.

was the great temple in Jerusalem.

the

The temple was surrounded by a

temple.

It

was

came

He loved

God’s

house.

H e came there to pray and to teach.

number of beautiful paved courts or

The

yards.

could

and the blind followed Jesus always.

hear oxen lowing, sheep bleating, and

They never gave their kind Friend

doves cooing.

any

In these

courts

one

They made so much

sick

rest.

and

the poor, the lame

Before

the

sun was up

noise I’m sure the priests inside the

in the morning and

temple could hardly hear themselves

they kept coming to Him for help.

speak when they taught the people.

Through the temple courts passed

Around the courts, were men sit¬

Jesus and the people who followed

ting at small tables changing money.

Him.

Piles

merchants

of

gold,

silver,

and

coins lay on these little tables.

copper

making

The

late

The noise and buying and

change

must

at

night

shouting of selling and have

made

men at the tables were changing into

Jesus’ face grow stern as He listened.

Jewish coin, the money that strangers

No doubt the merchants looked at 93

Him and laughed.

crowded out to make room for cattle

What did they

and money changers!

care if the temple was God’s house? These men buying and selling in

Do you wonder that Jesus knotted

the temple knew that Jesus loved it.

a whip of strong cords and drove

They knew

them

He would use it only

for healing and prayer.

all

out of

the

temple?

He

There they

must have opened the gates of the

sat, impudently watching Jesus and

courts and turned the oxen and sheep

His

into

disciples.

The

eyes of these

the

valley.

The

dove

cotes

buyers and sellers as they looked at

in the courts were torn down.

Jesus, must

have said, “You can’t

Jesus, H is Father’s house was not a

stop us, even if you don’t like what

place for cattle pens and dove cages.

we are doing.”

Jesus overturned

Did Jesus stop to ask whose task

tables.

all

the

To

money

What a clattering there must

it was to take care of the temple

have

courts?

coins rolled out on the temple pave¬

No, this beautiful

was H is Father’s house. built for prayer. as a shelter God

It had been

ments !

God intended it

to

help

and

gold

and

greedy

Pharisee

silver

eyes

must

of

have

glittered with hate as the coins rolled

And these people

wanted

as the

H ow the

publican

for all who were ill,

poor, or unhappy. whom

temple

been

out of sight!

were

“You

have

made this temple a

den of thieves instead of a house of prayer,” said Jesus to the men who bought and sold in it.

He would not

stand quietly by while His Father’s house was being wrongly used. After these traders had been cast out of the courts, I can see Jesus and His disciples in the temple.

There

they will pray, and the sick people who

followed

Him will be cured.

While Jesus is blessing the people in the temple, very different things are

happening

and

lawyer,

angry. OUT OF HIS FATHER’S HOUSE JESUS DROVE ALL THE TRADERS AND MONEY CHANGERS

outside.

priest

and

Pharisee ruler

are

They are planning to destroy

Jesus and put an end to His work. 94

A GREAT GIFT

was left.

He nodded his head cheer¬

fully as he thought, “I’ve still some¬ Johnny had two shiny silver dimes

thing left for myself.”

which he jingled in his pocket as he walked to Sunday school.

Mary,

Uncle

had

so

almost little

ashamed give,

slipped

her

the

box.

Then

her

nickel

hand last night because for a whole

pocket was empty.

week he had not mis-spelled a single word in his lesson.

she

to

Nat had dropped them into Johnny's

into

that

Dear little girl and dear little boy!

Those two dimes

They did not know it, but by their

meant two picture shows or four ice¬

acts they really were telling a Bible

cream cones.

story.

Which should it be?

Before Johnny had decided, cousin

Mary

ran

up

ing, “See Johnny! nickel.

Mother

to

him

his

hear the Bible story which Johnny

say¬

and Mary acted without knowing it. Now

I have a whole

gave it to me

at the

for

you

going

to

do

five

would

pep'mints,”

by

entered

side

the

the

two

children

Sunday-school

room

and sat quietly listening while their teacher told them about a far-away country where some poor little chil¬ dren were dying of hunger. a box was passed around,

Then and all

the children dropped money into it. Johnny silver into

watched

dimes the

slip

box.

one of

his shiny

through

How

fine

the it

slit

made

him feel to be giving ten pennies to help buy food for starving chil¬ dren!

He thrust his hand into his

pocket

and

felt

of the

dime

be

Jerusalem.

We

needed to reach around

one of them.

“ I jus’ love choc’late

pep’mints.” Side

in

several pairs of short arms like yours

choc’late

she answered.

temple

pretend that we are

roof rests upon pillars so large that

with

it?” asked Johnny. “Buy

we’ll

are walking in a great hall whose

wiping the supper dishes last night.” “What

I’m sure you would like to

that 95

Some of these pillars

THE PHARISEE AND THE POOR WIDOW DROPPING OFFERINGS IN THE TREASURY BOXES OF THE TEMPLE

have great boxes fastened to them.

and praised him for his generosity.

What are these boxes for? Wait a

The

moment and watch closely.

everybody to know how wealthy and

There

comes

a

Pharisee.

scribes

and

generous they are.

He

Pharisees

want

Some even have

pulls a bag from his bosom and takes

a bell rung just before they say their

out a handful of money and into one

public prayers or give alms.

of the boxes lets fall some jingling gold pieces.

Jesus

Each box is labeled.

is

in

the

temple,

sitting

close to the treasury boxes.

Peter,

The box into which the Pharisee

Judas,

dropped his money is labeled, “For

with Him.

the

his bag of money out of his bosom

poor.”

“How

generous

that

and the

other apostles

are

Judas, I am sure, takes

Pharisee must be!” you are think¬

and wonders when

ing.

his

full and heavy as the bags of those

bosom is twice as much money as

two rich rulers coming through the

he slipped into the treasury box.

temple

We

Yes, but

hear

a

in the

swishing

bag in

of

silken

courts.

wondering why

it

will

be

Peter,

I

Jesus

stays on

as

know, is in

garments and looking around see a

Jerusalem when the rulers, scribes,

scribe approach a box and put in

and Pharisees are planning to kill

more gold.

Him.

He watches to see how

many people noticed his large gift

“Jesus,” Peter thinks, “ would

be much safer in Galilee.” 96

Hark!

A baby is crying!

Yes,

A SAD SUPPER

it is snuggled close in its mother’s arms, as she walks timidly toward one

Did your mother ever tell

you

of the treasury boxes, the one with

to sit up straight at the table and

the label, “For the

not get under it by slipping down

temple.”

where is her money bag? none.

She

is a

But

in

She has

your

chair?

she did.

poor widow who

I’m

almost

sure

Mine did when I was a

loves the temple and wants to put

little

something into its treasury. A single

didn’t like to sit up when they ate.

copper coin in her fingers is all the

They drew wide couches close

money she has.

their low

She worked hard

girl.

In

Palestine

table

people to

and lay down

on

for it, although it is worth less than

them.

one of our pennies.

to have their heads and hands next

With a happy

They were careful, though,

to the table.

smile she slips her bit of money into

Tonight I want you to go with

the box, then turns and goes quickly

me to a supper in Palestine.

out of the temple.

There

will be no little girls or boys there.

Judas and the other disciples are praising the people who have given

We

shall

much, although they still have left

All

of

a great deal more than

they

recline

they gave.

see

them

thirteen are

at

men

looking

the

only.

sad

table.

as

No,

I

But Jesus does not praise the scribes

am mistaken, one of them does not

and Pharisees who gave large sums

look

of gold.

He says that the greatest

happy as he carelessly jingles some

gift put into the treasury that after¬

silver pieces which lie in the bag

noon was

he carries.

the

widow’s mite — that

simple copper coin—all She has

given all her

she

had.

living

and

sad.

These and

That

man

thirteen

His

even

men

twelve

seems

are

Jesus

apostles.

The

must work hard if she needs more

apostles are sad because Jesus has

money.

told

I

can

see

Judas

frown.

that

this

is

the

last

supper they will ever eat together.

He does not like to have the woman

“Tonight I am going to be taken

praised when she gave so little.

away from you by wicked men who

You and I know why Jesus praised her.

them

will kill me,” Jesus said.

She cheerfully gave all that

“ But we are here,” the apostles

she had. And now you know how it was that Johnny and Mary acted

must have answered.

“We will not

a Bible story without knowing it.

let

the

97

the

priests

and

Pharisees

find you.

If they do not find you

they cannot hurt you.” Jesus’ face, always full of love for everyone, tonight was white and sad. He seemed to be suffering as He answered the apostles, “ One of my own friends who is eating with me at this table is going to show the priests

and

Pharisees

where

they

may find me and how to seize me.” “One of us!” the shocked apos¬ tles all answered.

Even the apostle

with the moneybag shook his head as

if

he

could

not

believe

it.

Then each one of them anxiously asked, “Lord, is it I?” “ It is one of you at the table,” Jesus

replied.

The

apostle

the bag seemed uneasy.

with JESUS TELLING HIS APOSTLES THAT THIS IS THE LAST SUPPER THEY WILL EVER EAT TOGETHER

No doubt

he was afraid to raise his eyes and look at Jesus. Sad sorry

as as

was were

this supper, all

of

them

and that

Jesus was going to be taken away from

them,

dispute

the

apostles

together.

And

you think the dispute

began

to

what

do

was about?

They were quarreling over which one of them was going to be the most important.

Each one of them

was sure he ought to be greatest. Jesus did not say anything but He

did

something.

Pie

quietly

rose

from the table, put some water in a basin, and wrapped a towel around JESUS WASHING THE FEET OF ONE OF THE APOSTLES

His 98

waist.

Then

He

washed the

feet of His twelve apostles. their feet dirty?

Were

Certainly not.

Palestine washing

a

THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER

In

person’s

feet

meant that you loved him and wanted to do something for him. “Why

in which they keep their pennies?

do you wash our feet?”

asked Peter.

And

how

often

I

want

are not

to

show

you

counted!

helping any one

by quarreling about who shall first,” replied Jesus.

be

“I came into

Judas, one of Jesus’ apos¬

tles, always carried a bag of money. Whenever

Jesus

sent

Judas

is the only reason you are

was

their

just

to

help — that

in the is,

to

I believe all the apostles except Judas were ashamed that they had quarreled.

But

Judas

carried

bag with the money in was

sure

that

the

most

it, and

the

heavy

of

His

out

to

banker.

buy A

it.

Judas

heavy

bag

bag

made

Judas

happy,

because he loved money. Watch

him

stalking

along

the

road angrily swinging his bag back and forth!

he

any

meant one with lots of money in it. A

serve — all people who need it.”

or

apostles needed anything, they always

the world to help people, and that world,

those pennies are

poured out on the table just to be

“Because that you

How many little folks have bags

He is angry with Jesus.

important

of them all was the man with the money. When table

Jesus

came

back to

the

He dipped a piece of bread

in some oil and handed it to Judas. “ Do

quickly

what you

are going

to do,” He said to him. Up jumped Judas from the table and

hurried

away.

Probably

the

other apostles wondered why Judas didn’t wait and go with them to the garden,

for

with them.

he

always

had

gone

Judas did intend to go

to the garden of Gethsemane that same night, but not with Jesus and the apostles.

JUDAS, ANGRY WITH JESUS HURRIES TO THE GARDEN

99

JUDAS STRETCHED FORTH HIS HANDS GREEDILY, AND THE PRIEST PUT INTO THEM THIRTY SHINY SILVER PIECES

Yesterday Jesus overturned the money

“No, but it would have been in

tables in the temple and the money

my bag, for Jesus and His disciples

rolled away and was lost.

give me all their money to carry,”

“ Some

of that money should be in my bag,” thought Judas.

answered Judas.

“My bag should be

The

chief

priests

are

glad that

full, not nearly empty,” he tells a

Judas is angry with Jesus.

Pharisee walking beside him.

he will listen to them if they offer

Perhaps

“Why?” asked the Pharisee.

him money.

“Because

and he stops to talk with them.

day

before

yesterday

So they call to him “I

Jesus let a woman empty a whole

don’t

box of expensive1 ointment on His

people all the time, the way Jesus

head.

does.

sell

He should have told her to it and give Him the money,”

Judas answered.

want to be giving things

to

I want to get something for

myself,”

I

can

hear Judas tell the

wicked men who hate Jesus.

“But it wouldn’t have been your

“Will

money,” said the Pharisee.

you

help

us

to

Jesus?” the chief priests ask.

IOO

arrest

“I

will

if you pay me enough

for it,” Judas answers. stretched

forth

his

Judas cared.

Then Judas

hands

For those silver pieces

he had sold Jesus to the men who

greedily,

meant to kill Him.

I’m sure that

and the priests put into them thirty

night the rulers, the mob, and Judas

shiny silver pieces.

skulked in the shadows of trees and

Judas is happy, for now his bag is heavy.

rocks as they walked to the garden.

He thinks he has fooled

Judas opened the garden gate and

the priests and Pharisees, for Judas

greeted Jesus with a kiss.

feels sure these wicked men cannot

seized

hurt Jesus.

Instead of trying to

He remembers the time

Jesus

and

led

The mob

Him

away.

get away,

as

Jesus fed five thousand people with

Judas expected, Jesus allowed

only two fishes

brutal mob to beat and abuse Him.

bread.

and five loaves of

He thinks of the time Jesus

Judas

waited

until

the

Jesus

was

walked on the water and quieted the

condemned to death.

wind by just speaking to it, and he

He save Himself?

remembers when He brought Lazarus

they

up out of his tomb.

“If Jesus can

have kept muttering to himself, and

do

He

I am sure he added, “I sold Him

all

these

things

can

save

Himself,” Judas no doubt thought.

for

“Wait until night comes, then I

will

be

there

alone

pieces

Jesus,”

he

of silver,

must

but

I

When morning came Judas took his bag and went to see the priests

“Jesus

with

thirty

hurt

I did not think

thought He could get away.”

will lead you to Gethsemane,” Judas told the priests and rulers.

could

“Why doesn’t

and

His

rulers.

Inside

out

he

turned

apostles and it will be easy for you

the bag, and the silver pieces fell

to take Him,” he added.

jingling at the feet of the priests.

“How

are

Jesus in the

we

going

to

“ I do not want your money,” he told

know

them.

dark?” the Pharisees

“Arrest the person I kiss,”

“We

Judas

don’t

care

replied the rulers.

answered.

to

take

it.

moon

came

up

about

that,”

“We hate Him

and we are going to kill Him.”

The sun slipped away from the The

was wicked

Jesus never has done any wrong.”

asked Judas.

earth.

“ I

Miserable, unhappy Judas!

over

How

the hills and showered silver moon¬

he hated those thirty pieces of silver

beams over everything.

now!

But

the

silver

in

the

And he must have hated him¬

self, too, for he went out and hanged

bag was

himself.

the only kind of silver for which IOI

THE FRIEND WHO WAS AFRAID

off by themselves asleep under the

The moon was playing hide and

watch with Him in this garden called

seek

with

the

clouds.

First

one

olive trees. Jesus had asked His disciples to Gethsemane.

“We surely will,” all

little cloud and then another darted

of them

a fleecy finger into the moon’s face.

added, “You say that wicked men

But the moon would not stay hidden.

are coming tonight to take you away

It sailed so fast and so high it left

from us, and that they will kill you.

the saucy clouds behind, and made

But I will not let them.”

the stars stop twinkling and disappear.

rest of the disciples had said, “We

High in the

answered, and

Peter

had

And the

heavens the moon

will all stay with you and help you.”

smiled down upon a beautiful garden

Jesus had smiled very sadly, as He

filled with olive trees, and threw a

answered, “You think now that you

shower of silvery

love me, but tonight all of you are

moonbeams over

a man kneeling in the garden. man was Jesus. alone.

If you

The

going to run away and leave me.”

But He was not had looked closely

you would have seen the disciples

“Not I,” said Peter.

“The others

may run away, but I shall stay with you

even

though

the

priests

and

the Pharisees put me in prison and kill me.” What fine, brave words!

But they

did not make Jesus happy. He looked at

Peter

as though

He

felt sorry

for him and said, “This very night, Peter, before the cock crows, you will

have

denied three times that

you know me.” “Never!” replied Peter.

“I am

ready to die for you.” Perhaps Peter was saying to himself, “When the cock crows! midnight.

Why, it is now nearly I

can’t forget Jesus in

just a few hours.” A dark cloud crept slowly toward JESUS AT PRAYER IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

the moon and 102

threw a black veil

Then off to the high priest’s house the mob carried Jesus.

If He had

looked around He would have seen only people who

hated Him — the

scribes, the proud Pharisees, and the rulers.

Of those disciples who had

promised to stay with Him, all but one had run away, just as Jesus had said they would.

Where was Peter?

Surely he did not run away!

No,

you can see him following the mob, but he

is so far behind that none

of the mob can see him.

He skulks

along in the shadow of the rocks and trees. Jesus, tired and cold, was hurried into the high priest’s house.

THROUGH THE GATE CAME A MOB OF ANGRY MEN

over its face.

Jesus rose from the

ground and wakened His disciples.

No one

offered Him a seat or asked Him to come near the fire.

He had to

They had forgotten that they came to the garden to watch with Him. Jumping up, the disciples saw, com¬ ing through the garden gate, a mob of

angry

men

carrying

clubs, and swords.

lanterns,

When some of

them seized Jesus roughly and tried to

tie

H is

hands

together,

Peter

bravely drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant. “Put up your sword,” Jesus said to Peter. Then what do you did?

think Jesus

He stretched forth His bound

hands and healed the bleeding ear. Jesus always clid kind deeds, even to the people who abused Him.

JESUS IN THE HOUSE OF THE HIGH PRIEST

103

A young maiden pointed at Peter and said,

“You are a disciple of

this Nazarene, Jesus.’’ “ I am not.

I don’t even

know

whom you are talking about,’’ Peter replied angrily.

Then see him try

to slip out of the room!

But it was

useless. A man met Peter at the door and said,

“I

saw

you

in

the

garden

tonight with Jesus.” Peter was so angry he wanted to strike the man.

“You did not, for I

was not there.

I do not know the

man of whom you speak,” he said, pushing his way through the door. Outside there was a maid watch¬ “I DO NOT KNOW THE MAN OF WHOM YOU SPEAK,” SAID PETER

ing.

stand while the horrible mob spat

are a disciple of Jesus.” Peter must have clenched his fists

upon Him, struck Him in the face, and tore

His

clothing

nearly

off.

as he replied, “ I tell you I do not

Peter sat comfortably by the fire warming his hands.

She, too, called to Peter, “You

know this Jesus.”

He must have

As

he

spoke,

the

long,

shrill

wondered why Jesus did not fight

call of the cock rang out.

H is enemies, and said to himself,

three

“Jesus

three times Peter had denied know¬

has

the

power

these wicked people.

to

destroy

Why doesn’t

He do it and save Flimself?”

o’clock

ing the

in

Master.

the

It was

morning

Peter heard

and and

Do

remembered what Jesus had told him.

Peter began to doubt

Don’t you suppose he clapped his

the power of Jesus because He would

hands over his ears to shut out the

not strike back?

Poor

sound and rushed into the darkness?

He was so badly frightened

The moon had slipped from the

you suppose

Peter!

I fear so.

he forgot Jesus had told His disci¬

sky.

ples, that after He was crucified and

a chilly mist.

Peter shivered, but

buried, He should rise from the tomb

not with fear.

He was ashamed of

and see and talk with them again.

himself, and oh, so sorry! 104

There was nothing to see but

CALVARY The day was The

sun

had

dark and gloomy. hid

ashamed

to

shine,

wonder.

Even

his face as and

a ball

I

if

do

not

of fire

like

our sun would try not to look upon the awful things that were happening in Jerusalem that day. Along a narrow street came a pro¬ cession.

No, it was not a procession,

but a howling, shrieking mob.

Men

were hurling ugly words and stones at

a prisoner

who

was

through the city gates. was Jesus.

Many weeping women

women

prisoner.

led

The prisoner

were following the mob. these

being

spoke

Some of

kindly

to

the THE MOB WITH JESUS IN THEIR MIDST MOVED SLOWLY THROUGH THE CITY GATES

Perhaps they offered Him

a cup of cold water, or a cloth with

governor wanted to kill Jesus.

which

did they want to kill Him?

He

could wipe

stained face.

His

blood¬

No doubt these faith¬

the

ful women were roughly torn away their

and

They He

armies,

wanted and

fine

kings

palaces,

that

their enemies by wicked wars.

them.

taught

He healed them when they

how

to

rule

by

big

conquered

loved people and had been kind to were ill.

called

king,” the rulers said.

to the ground. no laws.

Him

“We will not have that kind of

fury savagely threw them

Jesus had broken

loved

Because

Him “King” and “Christ.”

from Jesus by priest and scribe, who in

people

Why

Jesus

love,

and

therefore priest and ruler hated Him.*

He made blind eyes see,

lame feet walk, and sorrowful people

People

happy

were

in their hearts forget how to love.

different people after they had talked

That was the trouble with the priests

with Jesus.

and

again.

Even

sinners

He always made it seem

who

rulers.

have

They

hate

and

anger

had hated their

easier to be good than to be wicked.

enemies for so long that I believe

But

if you could have taken out their

priest,

scribe,

Pharisee,

and 105

hearts and looked at them, you would

the best Friend the people ever had.

have found them

Outside the walls of the city, then

black

with

hate

on toward Golgotha, the procession

and hard as stone. On moved the procession until it

went.

The cross was thrown upon

was outside the walls of Jerusalem.

the ground and Jesus was stretched

Across the shoulders of Jesus lay a

upon

cross.

Him to the cross, they raised it to

It was large, and much too

heavy for Him to carry.

He bent

low to the ground under the burden. Finally Then who

Jesus

the was

stumbled

After they

Him hang there by His hands

until He died. The

hands

of

Jesus

that

stopped a

man

blessed little children, that had fed

passing

and

him

the hungry, that had lovingly touched

made

the loathsome leper, and had made

upon

Jesus’

head.

His

the blind to see, now were bleeding from the sharp nails which fastened them

and

always had hurried

back was

bleeding from

the lashes of stout whips.

But scribe

to

those

the

who

to the side

needed His

been driven through them.

suffering.

The man they hated was to be cru¬ cified, and they were glad.

nothing wrong,”

“He has done

rulers,

“Crucify Him!

had

shouted,

Crucify Him!”

many people had said. Pharisee.

shouted

spike which

King of the Jews.”

had

Pilate had writ¬

ten it and had it placed there. All

“But Jesus is king of the Jews,” so,”

were

On the cross above Jesus’ head

Pilate said.

But the ignorant people, led by savage

of

was the title, “Jesus of Nazareth, the

Pilate, the governor, had wanted to set Jesus free.

great

help

aloud

His

a

The feet that

torn

as they saw

by

cross.

and Pharisee, priest and ruler laughed

“ Not

had

soldiers

forehead was covered with scratches,

their

fastened

fell.

The soldiers had placed a crown

His

had

and

bear the cross. of thorns

let

it.

morning the sun

hiding.

had

been

The clouds had been grow¬

ing blacker

and

blacker

until

by

noon it was dark as night.

Not a

leaf moved, not a bird sang.

When

men act like savages and wild beasts, scribe

and

“We have no king but

Caesar.” So Jesus was given to the men

it

is

not

surprising

things happen. king, we will

that

strange

“Hate must be our not

have love,” the

rulers said in their hearts.

And so

who hated Him. This dreadful band

the One who loved them best they

of cruel rulers was allowed to destroy

crucified. io 6

THE PROCESSION MOVING SLOWLY ON ITS WAY TO GOLGOTHA

THE MASTER

“The Master has come over Jordan,” Said Hannah, the mother, one day; “ He is healing the people who throng Him, With a touch of His finger, they say. And now I shall carry the children, Little Rachel and Samuel and John, I shall carry the baby Esther, For the Lord to look upon.”

And the heavy heart of the mother Was lifted all earth-care above, As He laid His hands on the brothers, And blessed them with tenderest love; As He said of the babes in His bosom, “Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.” And strength for all duty and trial That hour to her spirit was given. •—Julia. Gill

THE NAZARENE

The father looked at her kindly, But he shook his head and smiled, “Now, who but a doting mother Would think of a thing so wild?”

He told us everything he could About the lilies, and the way The shepherds carry home the lambs Within their arms at close of day; How we within our Shepherd’s fold Are ever safely housed and fed, And all who walk with tender Love Like little lambs are gently led.

“Nay, do not hinder me, Nathan, I feel such a burden of care, If I carry it to the Master, Perhaps I shall leave it there. If He lay His hand on the children, My heart will be lighter, I know, For a blessing for ever and ever Will follow them as they go.”

E’en as a hen beneath her wings Shelters her tiny trembling brood, He would have gathered in his arms The world had they but understood. He spoke to all the humble folk And told them just such lovely things,— Of how the Father guards and guides Even the sparrow’s drooping wings.

So over the hills of Judah, Along by the vine-rows green, With Esther asleep on her bosom, And Rachel her brothers between; ’Mong people who hung on His teaching, Or waited His touch and His word, Through rows of proud Pharisees list’nmg, She passed to the feet of our Lord.

He told them of a son who left His home and wandered hungering, And who on turning back had met Such joy and happy welcoming. He told them Love is ever Love, And falls on all like gentle rain; He told them everything he could, Then turned and blessed, and blessed again.

“Now, why shouldst thou hinder the Master,” Said Peter, “with children like these?” Then Christ said, “Forbid not the children; Permit them to come unto Me”; And He took in His arms little Esther, And Rachel He sat on His knee.

— Marion Susan Campbell

108

SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS

THE WOMEN WHO CAME TO THE TOMB WITH FLASKS OF OINTMENT AND BOXES OF SPICES FOUND IT OPEN AND EMPTY

WHEN THE PROMISE WAS KEPT

Why? before

Because,

only

His death,

a

few

days

Jesus

had

told

them that, even if they killed Him, Who is up first in the morning? The birds, of course.

in three days He would rise again

Long before

out of His tomb.

our sleepy eyes are open, the birds are

flitting

about

in

our

On

gardens

the

women

toiled

up

the

steep, stony path, all of them won¬

and calling to one another.

dering how they could get past the

One morning long, long ago, so

guard

of soldiers

and

who

would

early that only the birds were awake,

roll away the great stone from the

some

door of the tomb.

women

were

walking

up

stony path toward a garden.

a

Each

to

the

garden.

one of them carried a flask of oint¬

thing was!

ment or a box of costly spices.

happy

In

Soon they came How

quiet

every¬

Not a sound except the

song

of

a

little

bird,

glad

that garden someone they loved was

that the morning was so near.

buried,

gray mist was beginning to disap¬

not in the earth, but in

rocky cave. faces

a

These women had sad

because

Jesus,

lay in that tomb.

their

pear behind pink clouds.

friend,

They had watched

that

face we

to

get

and

rustled

as

The women stood still.

in the garden. are

danced

if

it

were saying “good morning” to them.

they knew exactly where to find it how

The wind

was whispering merrily to the leaves

when He had been laid in it, and

“But

The

into

was

a

look

of

On each

astonishment.

Not a soldier was in sight.

Some

the tomb to leave our spices?” one

swords may have been lying on the

woman asked.

ground, perhaps a helmet or even a shield had been dropped.

“A great stone closes the open¬

“The soldiers who were here must

ing,” another said.

have left

“Yes,” they all added, “and the

in a hurry,” the women

chief priests and the Pharisees have

probably were thinking.

set a guard of soldiers around it!”

frightened these stern men?

Those

silly

Pharisees!

priests

and

The

foolish

women

the tomb.

As if a guard of soldiers

moved

What had on

toward

Their tear-dimmed eyes

and a heavy stone sealed tight could

opened wide.

keep Jesus in the tomb!

their boxes of spices, so surprised

The priests

and Pharisees themselves were afraid

were they.

they

had

could

not

keep

Him

there. hi

Perhaps they dropped Now they knew what

frightened

the

soldiers

away.

had shown them all that no wicked thing or person could kill Him. “Go tell the disciples that He is alive,”

said

the

stranger with

the

shining face. Down the steep hillside flew the happy women.

They ran until they

reached Jerusalem and the house in which the disciples sat. “The tomb is empty! dead,

He

has

Jesus is not

risen!”

joyously exclaimed.

the

women

But the disciples

would not believe them. Out in the country, a long way from the garden and its tomb, two sorrowing men were walking. now afternoon. seemed

“JESUS IS NOT DEAD, HE HAS RISEN FROM THE TOMB !’’

The

tomb

was

wide

open.

The

more

frisky kids

It was

The sun had never golden.

frolicked

Lambs in

the

and

fields.

heavy stone had been rolled away

Even surly camels must have had a

and

twinkle in their eyes as they passed

the

strong

seal

which

had

fastened it to the opening of the

the men.

cave

never noticed how happy everything

was

broken.

They

stooped

But these

down and looked inside the tomb.

seemed

It

thoughts were so sad

was

empty.

No,

there

in

the

light.

He

H e is alive

live,

and

because

lived,

gloomy.

“Jesus

day, and now it is late in the after¬ noon.”

was going to

He

own

told us He would rise on the third

Jesus had told His disciples and He

and

The other spoke, saying,

and is risen, just as He told you.” the people that

their

happened.”

spoke to them saying, “Why do you come here to find Jesus?

because

of the men, “and as yet nothing has

The

women thought him an angel.

be,

“This is the third day,” said one

darkness stood someone whose face shone like a wonderful

to

two travelers

Both shook their heads in

sorrowful disappointment.

they

A third

man, a Stranger, joined them.

To

should live.

H is words were true.

Him the two travelers began to tell

His promise

had

their grief.

been

kept.

He II2

“Jesus of Nazareth, a great prophet, was crucified last Friday.

showed them

His

hands and His

We had

feet pierced and torn by the nails

hoped He was the one who would

which had fastened Him to the cross.

save

Israel,” the two travelers told

“I am alive,” Jesus told them.

this Stranger who had joined them.

at last the disciples believed.

As the

men talked,

grew lighter.

their

hearts

Perhaps they began to

They were no longer sad.

And Every

one of them now wanted to go out

notice how lovely the day was, and to

and

be cheered by the gay-colored flowers

that Christ had overcome death.

along the roadside.

The

had wonderful eyes.

tell

the

people

everywhere

Stranger

Then one sunny day as they stood

They seemed to

together on a hillside, a cloud came

see the thoughts in the men’s minds.

up and hid the Master.

And His smile was kind and loving.

cloud

How did it happen that He had not

alone.

heard of the cruel act on Calvary?

them

passed,

the

When the

disciples

were

Now, what He had taught was

living

in

their

hearts.

the

When Jesus left them His disci¬

Stranger talked to them about the

ples must have remembered what He

Scriptures.

once had told them: that the will of

The

Christ, of

two

men

listened

as

Then as He spoke about

slowly

Calvary

that

awful

disappeared,

saw a tomb open,

picture

and

and the

God is that man should live forever.

they

Master

they loved walk forth. “Why didn’t we recognize Him while

He was

talking

to

us

and

know that He was Jesus?” the two men asked after the left them.

Stranger had

Like the women, they

also ran to tell the disciples not to grieve any more, for Jesus was alive. And what

about those disciples

who would not believe? these

witnesses

that Jesus lived. for

they still

With all doubted

Why is.it so hard

people to believe good news?

Then one day Jesus came to them as they sat together in a room.

He

ONE SUNNY DAY A CLOUD CAME UP AND IIID THE MASTER. THEN THE DISCIPLES WERE ALONE

BREAKFAST BY THE SEA Very

know

each one of them was saying in his heart, “Oh, if only Jesus were here!”

early that the day had not changed

someone over on the shore waiting

its raiment of misty gray for its gay

for them.

“Who can it be?” they

sunny

fish¬

asked

another.

All

feared

in

night

the

I

Much to their surprise, they saw

robe,

in

of them say.

so

ing

early

hear some

seven

the

men

Sea of

they

had

morning,

were

Galilee.

one

some

Roman

Perhaps

they

soldier

was

been out in their

watching for them, or that a scribe

boats and not a single fish had come

was waiting to arrest them because

near their

they had been with Jesus.

net.

No

wonder

were tired and discouraged!

they They

had

no

right

probably were cold also, for morn¬

many

things

ing fogs do not make warm wraps.

these

last

Jesus

had

done

ful things in

many

Galilee.

wonder¬

The seven

to

arrest

had

few

them,

been

days

had a right to do.

A scribe but

done

that

no

in one

Jesus had been

wickedly put to death.

The apostles

fishermen out on the sea had seen

did not expect any better treatment

those wonders, for they were Jesus’

from the rulers than their

apostles.

had received.

“And now everything has

ended,” they must have been think¬ ing.

“ Cruel

men

have

crucified

the Master, and He has been laid in the tomb.” was but

empty

To be sure, the tomb and

He was

Jesus

had

risen,

not there with them

Slowly they approached the shore. Hark!

A voice they love is calling

to them. “H ave you anything to eat?”

“Not a thing,” was the disciples’ answer.

not understand it.

and caught nothing.”

said,

us

and

go fishing,” the

seven

Peter had

apostles

started to the Sea of Gahlee.

had Good

it

asked.

as He used to be, and they could “Let

Master

“We have fished all night

“Your net is on the wrong side of the boat,” replied the voice on the shore.

“ Throw it over on the

fishermen though they all were, not

right side and you will find plenty

one among them had been able to

of fish.”

catch even a single fish during the long night. “We

might

On the

other side

the net was thrown. as

well

go ashore.

There’s nothing here for us,” I can

into the sea

it

sank.

of the

boat

Down, down I

think

it

must almost have pulled the apostles

THE NET NEARLY BROKE, SO HEAVY WAS IT WITH FISH

in

after

broke, so

it,

for

heavy

the was

net it

nearly

with

fish.

At last all were together on the shore.

Jesus had everything ready

The apostles gazed wonderingly at

for them.

one another.

All began to suspect

chilly after that long, lonely night

that the figure waiting for them on

on the water, so He had a fine fire

the beach was Jesus.

of burning coals waiting for them.

“ It

is

the

John to Peter.

Master,”

whispered

Eagerly the apostles

Breakfast

He knew they must feel

was

ready,

and broiled fish.

also.

Bread

How happy those

pushed the boat forward, dragging

apostles must have been as they sat

after them the great net filled with

around the fire on the beach talking

fish.

with Jesus!

But Peter could not wait for

the boat to land.

crucified,

Hastily he tied

could

the

sea.

carry

His him

strong ashore

but

had been cruelly

had

come

back

to

them as He had promised.

on his outer coat and cast himself into

He

I

limbs of

much

can the

dark

quicker than the boat. 115

see

the

morning

sea

and

golden creep

make

sunshine

across every

the wave

Bethany.

Lazarus with

Martha may meet

Mary and

Him there and

give Him a joyous greeting.

The

cruel cross, the dark tomb no longer cause them sorrow. come them. Him.

Jesus has over¬

They could not hurt

He has promised His disci¬

ples the

same

power.

Will

the

Master

climbs

they

use it? Slowly

rough, steep hillside. remain behind.

The people

Only eleven apos¬

tles are following now. with

the

Seven ate

Jesus on the seashore.

The

other four joined the happy group as they journeyed toward Bethany. Jesus is far ahead. He has reached the “I HAVE TAUGHT YOU TO BE FISHERS OF MEN,” JESUS SAID TO THE APOSTLES

sparkle in the light.

top.

eleven.

But the danc¬

He

turns

to

bless

the

Upon His face I know there

rested a holy

smile

of

tenderness

ing waters shone no brighter than

for His “friends,” as He called the

the happy faces of the apostles as

apostles.

they listened to Jesus.

look upon Him.

“ I have taught you to be fishers of men,” He said.

“ I cannot stay

liant.

They lifted their eyes to The light is bril¬

For a moment it dazzles them.

Then slowly

across

the

mountain

with you much longer, but I expect

top a fleecy cloud floats between the

you to go out into all the world and

apostles and Jesus.

teach people everywhere what I have

from their sight.

taught

you, and do

the

He is hidden

wondrous

The cloud passes by and is gone.

works that I have shown you how

The apostles look again at the spot

to do.”

where Jesus stood, but

Many people are gathered on the seashore the

and

Master

gaze risen

in

wonder

from

on

His tomb.

there.

He is

not

They know in their hearts

that He has left them and now they must do

their work alone.

They

Some follow Jesus and His apostles

can do it, for the Master has shown

as

them the way.

they walk

toward

a

hill

near

MANY TONGUES

They must have met scowling scribes and

Was

it

tricky

Pharisees

who

mocked

evening or was it morn¬

them, saying, “We have killed their

ing when the apostles said good-by

master, we shall hear no more from

to Jesus on the hillside?

them.”

I like to

The chief priests talking on

think it was nearing twilight, when

the street corners no doubt were plan¬

the clouds were beginning to put on

ning to turn out of the synagogue

their pretty gay-colored dresses just

everyone who

before the sun slipped out of sight

band of ignorant people won’t dis¬

behind the hills.

turb us again,” the chief priests and

From red to pink,

from gold to green and then to pale gray, the clouds changed. star shone in the sky,

A bright

and a mist

loved Jesus.

“This

scribes probably said. The

apostles

and

Jesus’

friends kept together.

other

A house in

crept slowly up from the valley. Not

Jerusalem sheltered them from their

until

enemies,

a moonbeam told the people

who meant to

kill

them

that night had come did any one of

if ever they mentioned the name of

them

Jesus.

turn

away

and

homes in Jerusalem.

go

to

their

Every one. of

the disciples, the women

who fol¬

For

ten

days

and

nights

this little group of people remained together and prayed.

They were so

lowed Jesus, and perhaps some little children He

had

blessed

stumbled

down the darkening path toward the lights of the city. “We shall

have to do our own

work now,’’ some apostles must have said.

Perhaps a few were ashamed

because they had been selfish and had asked

Jesus

to

do their work

instead of doing it themselves. you know

any girls

or

boys

Do who

are like these apostles, always asking mother or teacher to do their hard work

for

them?

Sometimes small

fingers are lazy ones. Quietly through the noisy streets of

Jerusalem

the

apostles

walked.

THE ENEMIES OF JESUS ARE PLANNING TO KILL HIS APOSTLES

quiet no one knew they were pray¬ ing.

The people outside liked noisy

prayers.

They

thought

the

more

noise one made the better one prayed. At last,

early

one morning,

all

the apostles heard a sound like that made and

by then

a

strong,

upon

the

rushing head

wind,

of each

“These men from Galilee have been to our schools. can

they

speak

so

who thought they had killed Jesus ‘were

frightened

when

were.

apostles saw

heard

I am sure they

Instead of a few people in

Palestine hearing about Jesus, now

everyone in Jerusalem knew about it,

the whole world was going to know

because all those upon whom the light

of Him.

shone

thought they had silenced the disci¬

able

light.

the

they

But soon

were

the

but

different

Do you suppose that the people

and

one

many

have asked.

the apostles talking ?

No

Then how

languages?” priests and scribes must

apostle there rested a light, brilliant beautiful.

never

to

speak

many

Rich rulers and Pharisees

tongues — that means they were able

ples’ tongues

to

different

How terribly disappointed and badly

Every lonely stranger in

frightened they must have been as

Jerusalem heard the language of his

they listened to the apostles telling

own country spoken by the apostles.

the story of Jesus in every language

speak

languages.

and

understand

under

the

by crucifying Jesus.

sun, and

to

people

of

so many different countries! The strangers in Jerusalem were glad to hear what the apostles had to tell

them.

instead

of a

praying

When

night

few faithful

together

on

a

came,

apostles housetop,

there were thousands of people who had heard the story of Christ and H is wonderful works. For a time, the people stayed with the disciples but soon all of them were bursting with the good news. Apostles, were

disciples,

hurrying

to

and

strangers

different

lands

carrying with them the glad tidings UPON THE HEAD OF EACH APOSTLE RESTED A LIGHT

Jesus had brought them.

LYING AND LOSING Harriet was going to give away her

little

gray

dress.

She

had

grown so big the past year that the gray dress was now a tight squeeze for her. and

She held it up to the light

lovingly

fingered

rainbow braid.

She

its

rows

of

admired that

rainbow braid and the gray buttons splashed

with

gay

colors.

“Why

should I give away the braid and buttons?”

Harriet

asked

herself.

And then added, “ Mother can use them on another dress for me.” She shrugged her small shoulders as

she

thought,

“I

promised

my

Sunday-school teacher I would give

BARNABAS BRINGS PETER A BIG BAG FULL OF MONEY

her a whole dress for the Christmas

was to send away.

box

girls’

was held up for them all to admire.

Well, it will be a

A soft, warm sweater and wool cap

whole dress even without the braid

to match were packed away in the

and

box.

she

is

sending

orphan asylum. buttons.

to

Besides,

the

braid

and

buttons never kept anyone warm.” So down she sat and with sharp scissors

slashed

bow braid.

away

at

the

rain¬

What did it matter if

her clumsy fingers sometimes made a

hole

dress?

in

the

Snip,

soft snip,

wool off

of

the

came

the

Then some handkerchiefs on

whose

borders

butterflies

went

uneasy

she

thing all

A pretty kimono

as laid

its

danced in.

Harriet

noticed

away

buttons

gay-colored

in and

that

that

grew every¬

box

had

trimming

on.

The teacher held up a dress, an unsightly object.

the

braid

this dress can fasten the back with

had been torn or cut away.

The

pins,” thought Harriet.

back was buttonless, and the pretty

buttons.

“The little girl who gets

their

to

teacher

their

Christmas for the

ugly

holes where

collar

snipped

offerings

which

had

box

had removed the top button.

The next day a dozen small girls brought

were

In the gray skirt

she

with

slipped

the

scissors

when

Harriet

Many people, big and little, act Bible

stories

without

knowing

it.

Harriet did. Suppose you and I pay another make-believe

visit

to

Palestine.

What do you suppose we shall see this time? looking

A great group of happypeople

crowding

around

Peter and the other apostles. shall

see

a

man

named

We

Barnabas

pushing his way through the crowd. At last he reaches Peter and hands him a big bag full of money. “ I sold my rich fields this morn¬ ing,”

I

can

hear

Barnabas

say.

“Here is all the money that they brought.

dress

is

this?”

it

and

use

it

for

those in our company who are in

ANANIAS, HIDING BEHIND A ROCK, EMPTIES HALF OF THE MONEY IN THE POUCH OF HIS BELT

“Whose

Take

need.” More people are coming, each one

asked

bringing something to the apostles.

the teacher. “Mine,” answered Harriet.

“We

“It

don’t

want

to

own

any¬

is too small for me, so I’m giving

thing ourselves, we wish to share all

it

we have with others,” they said.

away to some poor

little

girl.”

Who

“But Harriet, all of the dress is

were

those

“others”

that

these generous people were talking

not here,” said the teacher.

about?

“ Y es, it is,” replied Harriet, but

Everyone who believed in

she hung her head, ashamed to meet the

Jesus

eyes of her teacher or her classmates.

In the days of the apostles not a

“Harriet, no one asked you for

single Christian ever went hungry,

box

a

dress,

one

that

some

Look!

There comes a man who

poor little girl would be happy to

doesn’t

wear.

This

to

can

the

wear.

It is not whole.

You have

feet

hurt him,

dress

is

not

fit

“Christian.”

cold, or friendless.

your dress, but you offered to give the

and was called

ruined it with your scissors.”

seem

a

matter

when he walks. 120

bit be?

happy.

What

Perhaps

his

for he hesitates so He has a big bag

with some money in it.

It doesn’t

look fat like the other bags given to

Peter.

It is lank and

lean, as

though it were hungry and wanted more

to

fill

That man emptied pouch

it.

Ah,

I

know!

hid behind a rock and

half

the

concealed

money in

his

into

belt.

a At

last he reaches Peter and throws the half-filled bag at his feet.

I don’t

think Peter is pleased. “ There is the price of my farm,” said

Ananias,

the

man

with

the

lean bag. I can see Peter’s look of surprise as

he

lifts

the

lean

bag.

Then

I know he said to the man, “Your great farm so rich and filled with fine cattle was sold sum!” head

He must as

he

for this small

have

looked

“YOU ARE TRYING TO CHEAT GOD,” PETER SAID

shaken

squarely

“No one asked you to sell your

his

farm,

into

the

neither money

have

you

asked

received

for

for

replied

have kept back part of the price.”

part of the price, you are trying to cheat God, not us.

Can you hear Ananias answering

with frightened eyes at the apostles

I can see Peter look sorrowfully

and the crowd around them.

“ Lied

company

to

Those

told

awful words thundered in his ears.

Ananias as he hands back the in

that

knew

Ananias

had

not

truth. he

sum. that

the

have sold it

And

I

company

believe knew

for a that

Peter feel

had

knocking

He had deceived

no one but himself.

in

said.

his heart

against his side.

large

everyone

God,”

He could

His land was valuable and

must

You have lied

Ananias, white with terror, gazed

in the bag is all I got for it.”

Everyone

back

to God, not to men.”

almost in a whisper? “The money

bag.

“By keeping

it,”

the eyes of Ananias, adding, “You

at

Peter.

we

Ananias

had

brought an offering in God’s name

Ananias

never would have sold it unless he

and

had received a big sum for it.

Peter 121

had

lied

would

when not

he

take

gave it.

it.

God,

ONE OF THE SEVEN Philip

had

Jerusalem.

been

Scribes

turned and

out

of

Pharisees

were determined that he should not teach any more people about Jesus. The

apostles

were

sorry

to

lose

Philip because he was such a help to them.

He with six other good

men looked after the poor widows and little children who called them¬ selves

Christians,

and

kept

them

from starving. The

Christians

abused.

were

dreadfully

Many of them were turned

out of their homes and had to live in caves.

hide in the tombs among the rocks.

FEAR STOPPED THE BEATING OF ANANIAS’ HEART AND HE DROPPED AT THE FEET OF THE APOSTLES

whose

word

is

truth,

would not accept it. word

was

Ananias

of

Sometimes they had to

course

Not another able

to

utter.

His tongue, dry and stiff with fear, refused to move. to God!”

“You have lied

Again those words rang

through his mind. something, H is

fear

Lying to save

he had lost everything. stopped

the

beating

of

his heart and he dropped down at the apostles’ feet — dead. Ananias

had

sold

his

property

for the benefit of others, but greedily kept back part of the price. Harriet

do

cutting

off

she

ruined

any its the

better braid pretty

Did

when

and

by

buttons

gray

dress SOMETIMES THE PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS HAD TO LIVE IN CAVES

she was giving away? 122

They were stoned, whipped, burned, and even thrown to savage lions to be torn in pieces. But for some

reason

could

not

the

which

their

understand,

Christians

were

enemies

the

more

abused

the

larger and more powerful grew the company of people who followed the apostles. “Why can’t we keep them still?” asked

ruler,

priest,

and

Pharisee.

“ Nothing frightens them,” said a scribe. “What are we going to do about it?

Soon

the

whole

world

will

be running after them and become Christians,” said all of them. Because

the

rich

rulers

hated BESIDE THE ROAD PHILIP SAW A MAN SITTING IN A CHARIOT BUSILY ENGAGED IN READING

everyone who spoke of Jesus, they had driven Philip out of Jerusalem.

chariot reading.

Foolish

good

stop his horses and begin to read out

sense they had! By making Philip leave the city they only gave him a splendid opportunity to tell the

here in the hot sun!” Philip must have thought. When he studied he

rulers,

how

little

“ How strange to

usually went up on the roof and sat in the shade. He moved closer to the chariot.

story of Jesus and his works to many other cities and to a great many more

the wilderness near Jerusalem, Philip

The man who was reading had a puzzled look on his face. “ Surely something must be troubling him greatly. I wonder if I can help him?” thought Philip. The man began to read aloud. “ Do you understand what you

saw a handsome chariot drawn by

are reading?” asked Philip politely.

beautiful horses standing by the road¬

“ I do not,” answered the man.

people. Philip’s eyes were always busily watching. No matter where he was, his eyes were sure to discover some¬ one he could talk to about Jesus. One day when he was walking in

side.

A man was sitting

in

“Can you help me?”

the 123

Philip climbed into the

THE GREAT MISSIONARY

chariot

and looked over the man’s shoulder. “Why, that is a chapter from our Scripture!”

he

exclaimed.

Let us watch another procession.

“This

man must love the writings which

This is not a long one.

tell about God.

a few people traveling together on

He will surely want

their

donkeys.

the story as the man chirruped to his

line

of

horses and the chariot rolled along

along the road

on its journey to

Damascus.

to hear about Jesus.”

So Philip told

Ethiopia, where

There

them

It is only they go,

picking

their

a

way

from Jerusalem to

All of them seem to be

in a great hurry, especially one man

the man lived. He

who as he goes angrily shoves some

was a member of the queen’s house¬

letters into the pocket of his mantle.

hold and a powerful leader.

This man is Paul.

The man was very, very rich.

Many,

He has asked

many people obeyed his commands.

the high priest to permit him to go

“You must baptize me,” said the

to Damascus to arrest every person

man to Philip, “for I want to be a

who

Christian.”

people the truth.

Philip’s for joy.

heart

must

have

sung

His enemies in Jerusalem

believes

that

Jesus

taught

When he started

on his errand Paul really felt very savage

about

the

matter.

While

no doubt were rubbing their hands

in Jerusalem

Paul

had beaten the

in glee,

Philip was

“People

the

Way,”

among

Christians were first called, and had

thinking that

unhappily

wandering to

speak

again

the

tombs

afraid

of

Jesus.

They would probably have

seen that magnificent chariot rapidly

He

carrying

men

his home.

Ethiopian Soon

be

A dreadful thing happened just before

ruler toward

the

put to death.

their teeth with rage, could they have powerful

as

even ordered some of them to

opened wide their eyes, and gnashed

the

of

his

Paul

saw

a

drag

started howling the

to

Damascus.

mob of

disciple

cruel

Stephen

through the streets and stone him

great country and its people would

to death outside the city.

hear the wonderful message Philip

not

had brought him about Jesus.

He even helped the men by hold-

His

try

to

stop

their

Paul did wickedness.

enemies had made this possible by

ing

driving Philip the preacher out of

while they threw the stones.

Jerusalem.

intended 124

their

long, to

flowing

destroy

every

mantles Paul person

PAUL, BLINDED BY THE WONDERFUL LIGHT, BEING LED TO DAMASCUS BY HIS COMPANIONS

we can’t catch these people in the synagogue we wdl drag them out of their houses,” said Paul. He heard the hoofs of his donkey pattering on the ground.

An eagle

screamed above him, and the hoarse call of a vulture made him shiver. It was noon, the sun

was

bright.

Why should Paul shiver?

Surely

he could not feel cold in the hot sun!

I

believe

was thinking him

half

He

must

“That who spoke the name of Jesus.

If

know what

about,

ashamed have

Stephen OFTEN PEOPLE WHO FOLLOWED THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS WERE PUT IN CHAINS

I

and

and of

been

his

made errand.

thinking

saying

man

it

he

himself,

felt

kindly

even toward the men who

abused

him,

people

while

Stephen

to

of

I

am

cursing

he found any people in Damascus

who never did me any harm, and

who followed Jesus, he expected to

swearing to injure them.”

put

suppose that if Paul compared him¬

chains

on

them

and

bring

them back with him to Jerusalem.

self

Men and women, and perhaps even

ashamed

children,

did.

he would put

in

prison.

with

Stephen of

Suddenly

How brave Paul felt as he and

it

himself? Paul

put

Do you

made I

him

think his

it

hands

his friends rode through the country

before his eyes.

to

than the noonday sun shone around

Damascus!

must

have

How

sat

upon

straight his

he

him.

donkey!

A light brighter

It blinded him and he

fell

He whipped the little animal into

to the ground.

a

voice saying, “Why do you perse¬

gallop,

reach we

so

anxious

Damascus!

was

he

“Hurry,

have no time to lose,”

to

cute me?”

hurry, I

Then he heard a

can

And Paul

almost hear Paul call to his men.

you, Lord?”

cried out, “ Who

He must have been far ahead of

“I am Jesus,” was the reply.

them,

Paul arose.

for

Paul

never

hung

back

when he had anything to do.

“If

are

The light had been

so bright that it made the daylight 126

seem like darkness. see,

and

his

astonished

He could not

companions

they

could

were

not

in

so

the

And

afraid of anything. hearts

speak.

are

filled

Paul

wasn’t

People whose

with

love

forget

how to be afraid.

They led Paul the rest of the way

A

to Damascus. Paul was changed.

vision.

few days after Paul

Damascus

In the vision

his

sight

was

reached restored.

Jesus had told him that he was to

Then he walked into the synagogue

be an apostle to the Gentiles.

and began to tell people that Jesus

people

must

be

taught

loves everybody.

that

All

was Christ, the Son of God.

God

Until

Jesus was a Jew,

Paul was an old man he

but his religion was for every kind

sailed over seas and traveled through

of people under the sun.

Paul was

many strange countries, healing the

to carry this good news into every

sick and preaching the good news

country.

that God is love, and that Jesus is

Not one of the disciples

was able to do this work as well as

His beloved Son.

Paul did it.

not know it,

The disciples believed

While Paul did

he was

Christ’s

first

Jesus came to be king of the Jews.

missionary in far away lands carry¬

But after Paul had talked with Jesus

ing the gospel to the whole world.

on the way to

Damascus,

he saw

that Jesus came to help all people. I

believe

when

the

he

words

prayed

for

of

Stephen

his

enemies

helped Paul to see that Jesus was more than

king of the Jews.

He

realized that Christ came to be Lord of

the

whole

earth,

because

He

taught that love was for all people. Paul was quick about everything. No one ever had to wait for him. I

am sure when something had to

be done “Just

he never said to anyone,

wait

a

minute.”

That

was

one of the reasons he made such a good apostle. The great hate in Paul changed to great love after his talk with Jesus 127

A STRANGE TABLE

up little tents on them where they can

dream

All of you, I know. at

night

when

asleep, while others dream

in

are

housetop where he could be alone

the

and quiet. While Peter was praying a strange

daytime, awake, with their eyes wide open.

Peter

wanted to pray, so he went to the

Some

they

in the daytime and

sleep comfortably at night.

How many of you little folks have dreams?

keep cool

Most dreams are foolish, but

thing happened.

He thought he saw

once in a while a dream tells us

the heavens above him open and a

something important, something that

great vessel

we should

up at the four corners come slowly

really

remember.

Big

folks and little folks have strange

down to

dreams.

the

The apostle Peter had one,

like a sheet

him until

roof.

he

eyes or

tell you about it.

sure he was awake.

And when do you think the dream came to him?

sun was at its brightest. the

way

the

dream

Peter was very hungry.

came to him.

This was

came

pinched

Not

about.

a bit,

prised.

He lived in

rubbed

himself to

awake when the

At noonday when the

it rested upon

Perhaps

and it was so very odd that I must

gathered

dream, or vision,

Was he frightened?

only very greatly sur¬

If

the

sheet

had

away

breezes give one a big appetite, it’s

to

if

not surprising that by noontime he

But it was not empty.

was

is the odd part of the story.

girls and boys

see

and

gone

downstairs

dinner was

now

sheet was full of animals.

in a hurry for their dinner.

of beasts

When Peter was so hungry, and

fish.

what do you think

thought.

He

Surely a

and

The

All kinds creeping

“Not a fish!”

Peter must have

“And I am a fisherman,

and used to eating fish.”

hungry man could find nothing to eat on the roof.

birds

here

things were in it, but not a single

dinner was not yet ready for him, went up on the housetop.

and

ready.

And

who come trooping home from school

he did?

been

empty, perhaps he would then have turned

hungry as

make

He was wide

a house by the seashore, and as salt

as

his

Here was plenty of meat waiting

But in Palestine,

to be killed and eaten.

where people live so differently from

not go hungry.

us, they do things that seem queer

move.

to you and me.

Many of the houses

prise

have flat roofs.

People sometimes set

He and

He need

But Peter did not

only looked with sur¬ displeasure

at

sheet filled with animals. 128

the

big

A WONDERFUL VISION OR DREAM CAME TO PETER AS HE WAS ALONE ON THE HOUSETOP PRAYING

“ Rise, you. “I “The

Peter,

here

is

food

for

before Peter.

Each time the Voice

Kill and eat,” said a Voice.

begged

to

cannot,” replied sheet

is

the

apostle.

turned

of

unclean

anything unclean.”

full

animals that are not fit to eat.

I

never

is

touch

anything

that

H is works.

They

What right

have

you to say that something God has

away saying, “ I

Peter listened to the Voice which him, but still

he

Peter

never eat

he was wise as to one thing: “What can it mean?”

dream.

I can hear

Peter say as he came slowly down from the roof. below.

All day and all night they

had traveled to find

would

let down before him.

the men asked the doorkeeper. “I

this strange vessel, or sheet, filled animals

was

drawn

up

to

am

Peter,”

129

live

here?”

answered

the

apostle when he saw the men wait¬ ing at the door.

heaven and as many times let down

Peter,

“Does

Simon,

Three times

called

him.

not touch the animals in the sheet

with

He

Three men were waiting for him

made is unfit to eat or touch?” to

but

began to think about this

“God made these animals.

spoke

eat,

If Peter was foolish about eating

unclean.” are

him

Then I am sure

he thought to

himself, “What can

these people who are Gentiles want with me who am a Jew? are

Gentiles

heathen, and are common and

unclean.

We Jews do not associate

with them.” “Will you come home with us?” the men asked Peter. “Why do you ask me?” replied Peter. never

“You know that we Jews have

anything

to

do

with

the heathen.” “We

wish

to

know

about

the

truths you teach,” replied the men. “ Cornelius, our master, has sent for you.

He

and

all

his

household

wish to learn about the true God.” NOW PETER KNOWS THE MEANING OF HIS DREAM

Now Peter knew the meaning of that strange dream, or vision, upon the housetop.

God loves every one

of His children.

To Him each girl

or boy, man or woman, is a treasure to

be

treated

with

respect

and

loving kindness. “ I cannot call any people com¬ mon and unclean,” thought Peter to himself,

“for

I

know

God

made

them all.” The door.

men

stood

Very likely

waiting

at the

Peter stretched

forth both his

hands in

a cordial

welcome

said,

shall

and

“I

be

glad to go with you, for the mes¬ sage THE GENTILES WISHING TO LEARN ABOUT GOD ARE ASKING PETER TO GO HOME WITH THEM

I

can

all people.” 130

bring

to you

is for

PRISON DOORS Peter

was

in

prison.

He must

have been very uncomfortable, for his hands and feet were bound with chains and he was sleeping between two soldiers.

What had he done?

Nothing, except to tell the people the story of Jesus. were so glad to of

them

And the people

hear it that many

stopped

listening

to

the

scribes and Pharisees and would not give any more money to the syna¬ gogues.

Instead, they hid in caves

and

secret

in

rooms

where

they

could feel safe while they listened to Peter and the other apostles as they told them about Jesus.

who

Every day more and more people came

to

church

hear

that

Peter.

told

about

PETER ASLEEP ON THE COLD STONE FLOOR OF THE PRISON

hated

the

followers of Jesus

and the new church called Christian.

The

new

They probably expected to see the

Jesus

was

people

running

back to the syna¬

rapidly growing so large that scribes

gogue to ask the rulers not to kill

and

them because they had

Pharisees,

priests

were frightened.

and

rulers

“What shall we

Peter.

listened to

But the rulers were disap¬

do to stop their talking?” they had

pointed.

asked

scowled as they saw some rich dis¬

each other as

they saw the

following

and

crowds apostles. will

Peter

“Perhaps

King

the

Herod

help us,” said the rulers and

Pharisees among themselves. “If their

it

pleases you

telling

that

I

story

will

ciples

carrying

gold

money

in

bags

of Jesus,”

their

and to

silver

give

to

Peter for the new church! Let

stop

And how they must have

us

watch

Peter

as

he lies

asleep on the cold stone floor of the prison.

His jailers no doubt were

Herod said to the Jews who hated

wishing Herod would kill Peter so

the apostles.

they could go back to their warm,

and

put

So Herod killed James

Peter

in

prison.

But

Herod’s cruelty didn’t help the Jews

light

homes.

I

know

Peter must

have smiled in his sleep, for he knew

me.”

The

light

which

awakened

Peter had put his two jailers to sleep. “Come with me,” said the friend that Peter called an angel. Past the first and second guards went

Peter and his shining guide.

No one noticed them. that guided

Did the light

Peter make blind the

soldiers who guarded the prison? think so.

On the two walked.

I

The

heavy iron gate of the prison opened noiselessly of itself to let Peter and his guide pass through. as quietly closed.

But

Then

it

Peter and

his guide were free and walking in the city street. When Peter turned to thank the

THE CHAINS FELL FROM PETER’S HANDS AND FEET

every was

member of the awake

and

one who had

new church

praying

for

led

him out of the

prison, the shining figure was gone.

him.

And their prayers were heard and

He

answered.

near but some dim torches carried by

How?

Watch!

standing beside wake up.

Some

when

morning

came

time, for

Herod

had

decided to put Peter to death as he

or dreaming?” he asked himself.

had James.

“ Rise quickly,” the shining figure

Softly

said, and added, “Fasten your san¬ dals and put on your cloak.” chains

was

“ Now I know my visitor

He was saved just in

“Am I awake

The

light

me from Herod,” thought Peter.

Peter, astonished, opened

Peter obeyed.

no

was a messenger of God sent to save

one

Peter tells him to

his eyes and stared.

alone, and

watchmen.

Suddenly the dark, damp prison grew brilliantly light.

was

streets

Peter glided through the

of

Jerusalem.

reached a friend’s house.

fell

At

last

he

Rap! rap!

from his hands and feet as though

What a noise his knuckles must have

they had rotted with rust.

“ It must

made as they beat upon the door!

be a vision,” Peter thought. “ Surely

Were his friends glad to see him?

no one is strong enough to pass all

Surely.

the prison guards and come to help

first his friends would not believe it 132

But do you know that at

SHIPWRECKED A

group

of

angry

men

were

standing in front of the synagogue. Priest and Pharisee, scribe and ruler were shaking their fists and some= times shrieking aloud in rage. “We

must

stop

this man

Paul

from preaching,” hissed a Pharisee. “Only ignorant people and the poor listen to the preaching fisher¬ men

who

were

Jesus’

apostles,”

listens

to

declared a scribe. “But He

is

everyone educated

and

is

a

Paul. Roman

citizen,” added a high priest. “Why,

would

you

believe

even the king asked Paul the other

PETER’S FRIENDS THINK THEY SEE A VISION

was Peter standing in the doorway?

day to tell him about Jesus!”

They thought they saw a vision. “Tell all the disciples that I have escaped. been

Their prayers for me have

answered,” Peter said to his

friends. them,

But he could not stay with

for he

knew when morning

came Herod would send his soldiers after him. the

So out Peter went into

darkness

and

found

a

place

where he was safe from the cruelty and hatred of ruler and Pharisee. Did

Peter

stop

talking

about

Jesus after his escape from prison? Never!

He

talked

all

the

more.

Once he had kept still because he was afraid.

it,

Now the apostle who

once had denied that he knew Jesus, PAUL STANDING BEFORE THE KING TELLING HIM ABOUT JESUS AND HIS WORKS

became the first to declare His name. 133

'The

ruler

who

spoke

the

The apostles and other disciples

last

words clenched his fist as he spoke.

at last believed that

He, with the others, was afraid so

earnest, and they welcomed him as

many people would be running to

an apostle of Christ.

hear

more than any of them because he

Paul

that

no

one

would

be

left to go to the synagogue.

Paul

was

in

He could do

could reach more people.

“ Let us send him away from our

The Jews who would not listen,

country or kill him,” they all said.

had Paul arrested and brought be¬

Paul was having a hard time of it.

fore the

king.

Ever since that ride to

Damascus

demanded.

when

he

had

met

and

talked

head.

Jesus

in

a vision,

the

Jews

sought to kill him. thought

really the he

had

him

an

enemy

were afraid of

the emperor. whether

and

this

man

who

asked

I

I will let him decide

am right

or

wrong

in

preaching Jesus.” So off he started.

about Jesus. can

done?”

the king of Paul.

meant what he said when he talked “How

you

his

I wish to go to Italy and talk to

believe

friend

have

shook

and

apostles at first didn’t their

king

they

“Nothing,” answered Paul, “but

Even

honestly

him,”

Now

him.

was

The

“What

Once they had

trusted him as their friend. they

to

“Kill

once

But how do

you suppose he went?

In a ship,

of

you

course,

but

not

as

or

I

imprisoned the Christians and put

would

many of them to death, now preach

able to walk about the decks and

Jesus?” many of the apostles had

enjoy ourselves.

asked.

so,

But

nothing

discouraged

He went

right

traveling

all

on over

Paul.

preaching the

for

and

country.

looked

him

and

company

of

he

people

the

the

ship

the

sturdy

world

would

hear

about

Paul were allowed to speak. this was what scribe and

whole

Jesus

went

winds

H is

the

free,

as

a

prisoner,

if

And

off

Pharisee,

waves

and

gathered

priest and ruler feared.

it

sailed.

never

It

would

Italy, the sea was so rough

Great

Soon

be

Paul could not do

as though

who believed in Jesus and practiced teachings.

would

The ship sailed and reach

little

We

guarded by Roman soldiers.

Everywhere he went he left behind a

go.

towered

and

swept

little

sailed in

were

ship on.

the

sky

so

fierce.

high over

above it,

shook

but them

Black

clouds

and

blotted

out the sun by day and the stars 134

by night. the

Huge waves driven by

fierce

sides

as

winds lashed though

they

the

ship’s

wanted

to

not

go

any

farther,”

said

Paul, “the voyage is too dangerous. You

may

lose

your

ship

and

all

its freight.” to him. He was in a hurry to get Italy for the

was

its

helpless.

passengers,

and

also

jaws. So

The

were

badly

the

fright¬

winter.

Far,

away

from

the

sheltering

sailed

the

ship.

Boom!

“We are lost!” all of them cried. “Not

far

shore

so,”

ship

and

but

every

saved.

But the captain would not listen to

boat

between

ened.

send it to the bottom. “ Do

crushed

its

said freight

man

on

Paul.

“Your

will

be

board

will

be

Last night in a vision God

told me so.” “ Let us throw over an anchor,” said one of the sailors.

This was

done, then up it was drawn.

Swish!

lost,

Down

nearly

again into the sea it was cast, but

tore the brave little boat to pieces.

not so far did it sink, for the ship

The captain

was nearing land.

Crash!

Wind

the

teeth

the

vessel

and

wave

had sailed

of a mighty was

like

a

right into

“Put off the lifeboat and let us

storm, and tiny

save ourselves,” said the sailors.

shell 135

we will

“If they 1 eave the ship without

to reach the shore!”

us you cannot be saved,” declared

“ Be quick, jump overboard, every¬

Paul to the chief captain.

one that can swim, and make for

“We will kill the prisoners lest they try

to escape,” answered

the shore!” shouted soldier and ship

the

captain.

soldiers. “The

have to swim if we want

prisoners

shall

not

the

be

killed, they shall go with us,” said the chief captain. and loved him.

“The others must try for

shore

on

boards

or

broken

pieces of the ship.”

He knew Paul

The

He was not going

morning

fog

like

a

gray

blanket hung over the sea and the

to allow any harm to come to him.

sinking ship.

The ship was slowly breaking to

could be

Away in the distance

seen

a faint

shore

line.

pieces as the waves beat against it.

All were asking themselves whether

All

the men could make it before their

the

freight

had

been

thrown

into the sea to allow the ship

to

strength

float. Then

left

them.

One

by

one

the men hurled themselves into the a sailor

cried

out,

the lifeboat has drifted away!

“See,

angry waves.

Now

but

Paul

It was a long swim,

and every

came safely to shore. shivering

they

one

of them

Dripping and

thankfully

stepped

upon land once more.

Paul

a

a

fire

for

them.

Not

built

prisoner

tried to run away. Did

Paul

get

to

Rome?

He

surely did, and for two years there in his own house he told the story of Jesus.

Paul’s enemies had not

closed his mouth as they had hoped. Instead

they

had

helped

him

to

carry his message to other countries and

to

tempest stop

his

tongue

many

people.

and

angry sea

tongue.

silenced

Storm

and

could

not

Never until

it

was had

his told

to all the civilized world the story of its King, the Christ.

PAUL BUILDING A FIRE FOR THE SHIPWRECKED MEN 136

THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING Astonished, I looked out over the lake.

Only a few minutes before

I had seen nothing but water. now!

I

took

off

my

But

glasses and

rubbed

my eyes, to see what ailed

them.

Not a thing was the matter

with them, and yet I was very sure my eyes were not telling stories.

Why?

me true

Because coming out

of the water and resting on the blue waves I could see a city with streets and houses. moving

People and carts were

along the roads.

“Oh,

a

mirage!” I said to myself as the city

POOR AND HOMELESS PEOPLE IN PALESTINE

slowly faded away and nothing was

tigers.

to be seen but the blue waters of the

and mothers loved Christ were killed.

lake.

While it lasted

mirage

John, one of the apostles, was not

Some people

a bit frightened by these cruel deeds.

see things with their minds instead

He felt sure that some time all the

of their eyes, and call them visions.

world would be Christian.

I have always thought a vision was

little island of Patmos, in the sea far

something like a mirage.

west of Palestine, John had a won¬

looked like a real city.

the

Even babies whose fathers

We really

On the

do see what we are looking at, even

derful vision.

though it isn’t there.

and a new earth where everything

He saw a new heaven

In the country of Palestine, where

was just as God wanted it to be.

it was so hard for poor people to

Suppose you and I have another

live, because no one tried to make

walk together.

them

things as they ought to be.

things

happy,

some

happened.

very Here

dreadful wicked

picture

Let us try to see

is a sad one.

My first

It is a hot

rulers and bad priests were trying

summer day.

to kill the people who loved Jesus.

dusty and crowded with people.

Some were burned

crawl over the rubbish heaps piled

to

death,

and

The city streets are

high near the sidewalks.

many were fed to hungry lions and 137

Flies

Little sick

babies are crying

for

milk

which

would

their mothers cannot buy. and another takes its place.

a

the

street

the

Christ

ruled,

he

city that

seemed to

come

Perhaps at the

very time he saw the vision of that heavenly city,

On both sides of pretty white

new

down from heaven ?

It is

but the streets are

wide and clean.

when

said it was like a new Jerusalem—.

Like a mirage the picture fades the same city,

be

the shrieks

houses

he may have

heard

and screams of

angry

in their new coats of paint, look as

people

if

streets of the old city of Jerusalem.

they were

smiling.

There

are

stoning

Christians

no ash heaps or rubbish anywhere.

I

Are there any sick children?

was sure to be

a

Wicked

never

in that big brick building.

Yes, Let us

like to feel that he things

in

the

knew there

new

Jerusalem. last.

You

go softly up the steps and peep into

and I believe that everything really

a room.

good comes to stay with us.

Many small beds are in

And

it, each one so clean that it looks

that is what John knew and saw

like a snowdrift.

and that is what he told us.

being

rocked,

Sick babies are

fed, and

cared

for

In “The City of the Great King,”

by kind nurses. What can have happened to make such a change in a city?

I know.

the New Jerusalem, all

the people

are

hearts

kind

because their

filled with love.

Some of Christ’s love has come into

lose

the hearts of the people.

And,

Wherever

anything best

are

There no one can

or be

sick

of all, in that

or

die.

city

no

That

is

H is love goes, old and wicked places

one will ever be afraid.

are made over into new and good

the kind of city God makes.

ones. Hungry boys and girls, ragged

Do you know we can help build

and dirty, become clean and sweet,

“The City of the Great King” by

and sit down to tables covered with

being

good things to eat.

who needs us?

love

of

Jesus

always hunting

in

People with the their

hearts are

kind,

by

helping

I must tell you the

name of the city.

for lonesome folks

No, you needn’t

hold up your hands.

It isn’t the

so that they can make them happy.

city built

No

you are thinking about.

one is sobbing or crying, for

with bricks and mortar

selfishness and everything else that

of

is wicked

like any other city.

have gone away to stay.

Do you wonder that when

the

the

Great

Christianity. 1:3 8

“The City

King” is

all loving deeds, and

apostle saw how beautiful the world

everyone

not

built

Its stones are its name is

FAR AWAY FROM PALESTINE ON THE LITTLE ISLAND OF PATMOS IN THE SEA, JOHN HAD A WONDERFUL VISION HE SAW A NEW HEAVEN AND A NEW EARTH

A LITTLE CHILD’S HYMN

TWENTY-THIRD PSALM

Thou that once, on mother’s knee, Wert a little one like me, When I wake or go to bed, Lay Thy hands about my head; Let me feel Thee very near; Jesus Christ, our Saviour dear.

The God of love my Shepherd is, And He that doth me feed, While He is mine, and I am His, What can I want or need? He leads me to the tender grass, Where I both feed and rest; Then to the streams that gently pass: In both I have the best. Or if I stray, He doth convert, And bring my mind in frame; And all this not for my desert, But for His holy name. Yea, in Death’s shady black abode Well may I walk, not fear; For Thou art with me, and Thy rod To guide, Thy staff to bear. Nay, Thou dost make me sit and dine Ev’n in my enemies’ sight; My head with oil, my cup with wine Runs over day and night. Surely Thy sweet and wondrous love Shall measure all my days; And as it never shall remove, So neither shall my praise.

Be beside me in the light, Close by me through all the night; Make me gentle, kind, and true, Do what mother bids me do; Help and cheer me when I fret, And forgive when I forget. Once wert Thou in cradle laid, Baby bright in manger-shade, With the oxen and the cows, And the lambs outside the house: Now Thou art above the sky; Canst Thou hear a baby cry? Thou Since Thou Jesus Thou Wert

art nearer when we pray, Thou art so far away; my little hymn wilt hear, Christ, our Saviour dear, that once, on mother’s knee, a little one like me.

— George Herbert

LIRST CHRISTMAS SONG

— Francis Turner Palgrave

In the fields with their flocks abiding, They lay on the dewy ground, And glimmering under the starlight The sheep lay white around. When the light of the Lord streamed o’er them, And lo! from the heavens above An angel leaned from the glory, And sang his song of love. He sang that first sweet Christmas The song that shall never cease — Glory to God in the highest, On earth good will and peace.

WESLEY’S HYMN

Loving Jesus, meek and mild, Look upon a little child! Make me gentle as Thou art, Come and live within my heart. Take my childish hand in Thine, Guide these little feet of mine. So shall all my happy days Sing their pleasant song of praise; And the world shall always see Christ, the holy Child, in me! — Abridged

— An old Carol

140

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