صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.-Matthew VII. 28, 29.

THE CENTURION'S SERVANT.

THE Lord came down from the mountain where He had spoken the Blessings, and came to Capernaum. There were soldiers in the city, placed there by Herod whom the Romans had made ruler of Galilee. He was a son of the Herod who was king in Jerusalem when the Lord was born. The leader of the soldiers was a centurion, which means the commander of a hundred men. A servant of the centurion who was dear

[graphic][merged small]

unto him was sick and ready to die; sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. The centurion heard of the Lord and believed that He could help him. He knew how he himself obeyed his commander, and how his soldiers and his servants obeyed him. Here was one who could command diseases and be obeyed.

But the Jews despised those who were not Jews. Remember their feeling towards the Samaritans. We learned of it when we read of the Lord's talking with the woman of Sama

ria at Jacob's well.

The centurion felt unworthy to go to the Lord, but sent to Him some of the old and honored Jews, asking for His help. And the Lord gave it, for all who seek His help are equally His children.

Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.

And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die. And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant. And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this: for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.— Luke VII. 1-10.

THE WIDOW'S SON.

IF If you look at the map of Palestine you see one break in the even shore of the country, where Mount Carmel projects into the sea. Just above Mount Carmel is the beautiful green plain of Esdraelon which reaches far into the country. On its northern side are the hills of Galilee; on its eastern border are three mountains, Tabor, Little Hermon, and Gilboa. Between these mountains branches of the plain reach eastward to the Jordan. The people of Nazareth looked down upon this plain from the hill above their town. They crossed it in journeying from Nazareth towards Jerusalem. It is a rich meadow, and in the old time beautiful farms were there and busy towns.

The Lord with many of His disciples was passing through the part of the plain which lies between Little Hermon and Mount Tabor. They came to Nain, a small town at the foot

of Little Hermon, looking northward towards the higher mountain. No doubt there was a wall about the town and an

[merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic]

pity for the poor widow by turning to go with her to the grave. No doubt the usual loud cries of grief were heard. They did not know about the other world into which we awaken when we die, and where we live forever. It seemed to them that the young man's life. was ended. How sad they must have been!

The Lord pitied them; but He knows that when one dies he only falls asleep, and that he soon awakens into the other world where his home is ready, and where kind angels are waiting to welcome him. The Lord showed the people that He has power to raise us from the sleep of death, by awakening the widow's son to life in this world. See the Lord taking the young man by the hand;

[graphic]

(Hofmann: B. Benda, Lausanne; Wm. H. Rau, Phila.) Raising the widow's son.

see the happy mother and the glad faces of all his friends as the young man sat up and began to speak. It is a picture of what the Lord does for every one of us. When we die

the Lord raises us up, and our friends come about us, glad to welcome us. We should remember what the Lord did at the gate of Nain, when we hear people say that any one has died.

And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people. Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not. And he came and touched the bier: and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise. And he that was dead Mount Tabor, from Nain. sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother. And there came a fear on all: and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That God hath visited his people. And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judæa, and throughout all the region round about.Luke VII. 11-17.

[graphic]

THE MESSENGERS OF JOHN.

WE all remember John the Baptist who came to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. We remember how the angel in the temple foretold his coming; how he was born in the hill country of Judæa, and how his father wrote, "His name is John." We remember how he lived in the deserts, and how he taught repentance and baptized at the Jordan. The Lord came and was baptized, and John said of Him, "Behold the Lamb of God!" But we read that "Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.' The Herod who did this was the one that we learned of when we read about the centurion in Capernaum. It was Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee and of Peræa, a district east of Jordan, a son of the Herod who was king in Jerusalem when the Lord was born.

The old historian Josephus tells us that John was imprisoned in the castle of Machærus, which was a stronghold among the mountains east of the Dead Sea. The mountains here are very rough and wild. There are deep gorges between them, with walls of black and many-colored rocks. On one of the steepest and roughest of the mountains, a strong fortress had been built, defended by high towers. Parts of the walls are still standing, and under the fortress are dungeon cells cut in the rock.

From the towers of the fortress and the palace there was a wide view over the wild mountains near at hand, across the Dead Sea and the Jordan valley, over the wilderness of Judæa to Hebron and Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Perhaps John may have seen from his prison the Jordan where he had baptized, and the wilderness where he had lived as a young man, and his first home in the hill country of Judæa. Far in the northwest were the hills of Galilee where the Lord was living and teaching, and doing His wonderful works of healing. John had disciples, faithful men who followed him and learned from him. They came and went from the prison and brought word of the Lord, and of the wonderful works that He was doing.

[graphic]

(Photograph by Putnam Cady.)

Tiberias and Sea of Galilee.

And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things. And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? And in that same hour he

« السابقةمتابعة »