As we passed through the country to Capernaum, we began to tell the people
everywhere that Jesus had now determined to go up to Jerusalem at the head
of his followers, and that the time of Redemption was at hand. But Jesus
forbade us; for he would not that any man should know that he was passing
through. Howbeit, even though we were silent, the rumour of his journey
was everywhere noised abroad, so that he could not be hid. Many therefore
left their ploughs, and their fishing‐boats, and their trades, and
followed with us: or, if they followed not, they appointed to be with us
at the next Passover when we went up to the Holy City. For it was already
the month called Adar, so that it wanted no more than four or five weeks
to the Passover.
Now certain youths and striplings followed us, not deliberately, nor with
forethought, but because they were ever unstable and ever seeking after
new things. Them therefore Jesus warned to go back to their homes, telling
them that they had not counted the cost of the journey. Others were fain
to have come with us; but their friends sought by all means to prevent
them, telling them what cruelties the Romans had wrought upon their
fathers and kinsfolk in former times; how some had been sold for slaves,
some slain with the sword, some crucified; and with many tears sisters
besought their brothers, and mothers their children, not to go up to
Jerusalem, nor to bring them down with sorrow to the grave. Now Jesus did
not call upon such as these to come to him; but if they were minded to
come, he bade them remember that they must above all things trust in him
and love him; yea, he said that they must love him better than houses, or
lands, or kinsfolk.
Hence also it came to pass that in a certain village he spake words which
have been a stumblingblock to many. For so it was that a certain young man
of that village had come forth to meet Jesus; and after he had saluted
him, the young man had promised to follow in his army, and to serve him
even to the death. Howbeit he besought Jesus that he would suffer him
first to go and bid farewell to his father and mother. Now Jesus looked on
him, and perceived that he was as a reed that bendeth with the wind. So he
said unto him that he must not go: “For,” said he, “he that putteth his
hand to the plough and looketh back, is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”
Thereupon the face of the young man fell and he became very sad; yet he
obeyed Jesus, for that day, and followed him; but on the morrow he
secretly departed for to bid his parents farewell, meaning shortly to
return to Jesus. So when Jesus passed through the village wherein the
young man abode, behold, the young man was even then coming forth from the
door of his home. But his mother ran behind him, and caught him by the
cloak, and embracing him besought him again and again not to go with
Jesus. Thus she constrained him. But Jesus, looking back on the youth,
said, “Verily he that hateth not his father and his mother cannot be my
disciple.”
Already, even at the beginning of our march, when we first departed from
Hermon, there had arisen a questioning among us, who should have the chief
places in the New Kingdom. For now, within one month, we looked to see the
Romans cast out of Jerusalem, the Holy City and Temple purified, and the
throne of the Redeemer established. This done, it seemed to us that Syria
would be portioned out to several princes or governors; Galilee to one,
Samaria to another, Peræa to a third; after the manner of the Romans,
whose custom it is to divide their dominions among many princes. So we
disputed among ourselves who should have the best provinces. Judas, as
being ever foremost in all actions, claimed a principal share; but the
others also were not backward. Thus we disputed as we walked behind Jesus,
being now nigh to Capernaum; and so it was that, in the heat of our
disputing, we knew not that Jesus was standing still, waiting till we
should overtake him. Therefore we walked on, still disputing, with clamour
and much anger, till, lo, Jesus was in the midst of us. He looked
sorrowfully on us, but said nothing for that time, and we were all
straightway silent.
But in the evening, when we were all together in the house, Jesus called
us to him, holding a little child by the hand; and when we were gathered
round him, he set the little one in the midst of us, and said that we had
forgotten his former saying, how that no man could enter the Kingdom
unless he became as a little child. Then he added these words, “Whosoever
shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the
Kingdom of Heaven.” Then said Judas, “Whoso hath wrought much, shall he
not receive much? and whoso hath wrought little, shall he not receive
little? And is not the Master of the work faithful, who will pay us the
wage of our work?”
For an instant Jesus was silent, looking at Judas as though perchance he
had not heard his words aright. Then he answered that in the New Kingdom
there was no difference of reward; for the least were to be as the
greatest. At the same time he placed his hand on the head of the little
one and said, “Whoso shall receive one such little child in my name
receiveth me, and whosoever shall receive me receiveth not me, but Him
that sent me.” He also spake a certain parable to us, as if to shew that
the reward in the kingdom is not by way of price but rather by way of a
free gift, coming from the Father, as cometh the rain from heaven, and
sufficing for all them which receive it; even as the lord of an estate,
out of the kindness of his heart, might give unto all his labourers the
same wage (and that sufficing for their needs), even though some of the
labourers might perchance be hired later than the rest.
Judas had withdrawn himself before Jesus began this parable. For he was
greatly abashed, though Jesus had not rebuked him by name. But Jesus
seemed saddened by our disputing, and by our hardness of heart in that we
understood him not. Notwithstanding he was still cheerful and gentle
according to his wont. For albeit he saw close before his feet the
darkness of the valley of death, yet, above and beyond the valley of death
was the hill of life, which (at that time) he seemed to see and to
describe, even as if he had traversed and measured it out with a measuring
reed. Notwithstanding for our sakes he seemed sometimes to be in
meditation and sorrow, as though, when he had reached Paradise, he should
look back upon us left behind and alone.
When we went forth from before the face of Jesus, we found Judas chafing
much at his repulse (for so he termed it), and asking how it was possible
that in any kingdom there should be no degrees of rank or honour? For
some, he said, must needs be near the throne, others far off; and some
courtiers; but others tillers of the land and artificers. To us there
seemed much reason in the sayings of Judas, though we liked not that he
should pay so little deference to our Master. John also himself confessed
that he understood not how it should be otherwise than Judas had said.
“Notwithstanding,” said he, “if Jesus should see fit not to give us power
and wealth in the New Kingdom, we must none the less be content, and not
lust after the table of kings; for our table is greater than their table,
and our crown greater than their crown, and faithful is our taskmaster who
will pay us the wage of our work.”
The words of John did not please the most of the disciples; who said that
it would not be fit that Jesus should give power and wealth to other
servants and courtiers, and should neglect them that had borne the burden
of the first persecutions, who were now to bear the brunt of the conflict
at Jerusalem. So they went away still disputing among themselves. Then,
when we were alone, I asked Nathanael whether he thought that Jesus had
any certain plans how to take Jerusalem or how to drive out the Romans.
But Nathanael answered that it seemed to him that Jesus had no such
certain plans. Then said I, “Wherefore then goeth he up to Jerusalem?”
“Because,” replied Nathanael, “thus much hath been revealed to him that he
must needs go up to Jerusalem, there to be glorified and lifted up. But as
to the manner and time thereof, he saith nothing. Yea, and I have heard
him speak as if he himself knew not these things, but they are known to
the Father alone.”
At this time Jesus began to speak more often than before of a certain day
of wrath in store for Israel; and, as David on Araunah’s threshing‐floor
saw the sword between heaven and earth, even so did Jesus discern a sword
of the Lord; howbeit not stayed, as David saw it, but uplifted and in act
to strike. Sometimes he spake as if he himself were to wield this flaming
sword; but evermore, beyond the fire and the sword, he discerned the glory
of the Kingdom of God; and he spake as if the Kingdom could not come
except the fire should first be kindled, and he must needs kindle it
himself. Therefore once, when Jonathan the son of Ezra said to him that he
was accused of his enemies the Pharisees as if he would fain set all
Israel on fire, he replied, “The nearer to me the nearer to the fire; but
the further from me, the further from the Kingdom.”(10)
Seeing this flaming sword ever before him, Jesus none the less continued
to speak of his death. This perplexed us not a little. For at one time he
would say that his enemies would be slain with the sword; or destroyed as
tares are destroyed with fire; and yet, on the other hand, he repeated
again and again that he should die at the hands of his enemies in
Jerusalem. Howbeit of the evil prophecy we his disciples took small heed,
but gave our minds to the prophecies of good things. For he spake much of
being “perfected,” and of being “glorified,” and how he should be “lifted
up” or “raised up” in Jerusalem. Moreover, Jesus was wont to use the word
“dead” of them that were in the deep waters of sin; as when he said that
“The dead should bury their own dead;” and again, when he said that “The
son of man hath power to quicken the dead.” Oftentimes also he spake in
the same way of raising up the dead, as when he told the disciples of John
the son of Zachariah that “the dead are raised up.” Hence it came to pass
that, if we heeded at all his words touching his death, we were assured
that he meant to say only this, that he should be for some days struggling
with Satan, and not at once overcoming, but as it were in darkness and in
the shadow and depth of death; but that in two or three days he should be
raised up and triumph over Satan.
In this belief we were much confirmed by our Master’s constancy and
stoutness of heart. For on the second day after we had returned to
Capernaum, Eliezer the son of Arak, with others of the Pharisees, came to
Jesus where he was seated in the midst of his disciples, and making as if
they were reconciled to Jesus, they bade him flee from Galilee lest Herod
should slay him. But this they did, not out of love to Jesus, but hoping
to rid the city of him, and partly desiring to discredit him with the
disciples, as if Jesus once more would go into exile for to avoid strife.
But Jesus made an exceeding bold answer, and said that the Pharisees were
to tell that fox (for so he called Herod) that he would go on his way to
Jerusalem not through fear of him, nor in haste, like unto a fugitive, but
healing and teaching as he went, both to‐day and to‐morrow; and on the
third day (for the journey was a journey of three days for a strong man,
according to the common saying) he said that he should be perfected, even
in Jerusalem. Moreover, when Eliezer, nothing abashed, dissembled still
further, and bade Jesus take heed lest he should perish even as the
Galileans, whom Pilate had slain, Jesus answered that to be slain did not
argue that the men slain were sinners above the rest; and then he added
that another sword (which they saw not) was near at hand to smite them
also themselves, if they repented not.
This gladdened our hearts and made us eager for the journey: and when on
the morrow we went up from Capernaum, journeying towards Samaria, there
was not one in our band that was fainthearted nor desirous to return. Now
at that time there were about three hundred following Jesus. But the
greater part of our friends, as we understood, were not to go with us, but
to meet us at the going in to Jerusalem, or at some place nigh unto
Jerusalem.
When we were come to a certain village in the road (the name of the
village is Beth‐Gader) where a man journeying towards Jerusalem from
Samaria leaveth the Lake of Gennesareth behind him and seeth it no more,
then it came to pass that our Master turned him round to look his last
upon Capernaum, and Bethsaida, and Chorazin, and upon all the cities of
the Lake, wherein he had taught and wrought. And he stood and gazed a long
time, and cried out that it should be ill for those cities in the day of
Judgment; for if the mighty deeds that had been wrought there, had been
wrought in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented a long while ago in
sackcloth and ashes. But when he saw Capernaum, and the fields thereof,
and the gardens which compass it round, all bright with the greenness of
spring, and the lake, still and peaceful, whereon were fishing‐boats and
ships innumerable, then he lifted up his voice and prophesied evil against
the place, saying, “Thou also, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven,
shalt be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works which have been
done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained unto this
day.” Then spake he to us, saying, that it should be more tolerable for
the land of Sodom in the Day of Judgment than for that city. When he had
said these words, he turned his back upon Capernaum and upon all the
country of the lake; and he departed and saw it no more.