_Jesus and Peter pay the half-shekel tax. The disciples contend
for the supremacy. Jesus rebukes them. Teaches them many
practical lessons. The parable of the good shepherd._
As Jesus and the twelve were resting in the house, the tax collector
came to Peter saying, Man, do Jesus and yourself pay this half-shekel
tax?
2 And Peter said, We pay whatever is assessed.
3 And Jesus said, From whom do publicans collect this special tax?
from strangers or from native sons?
4 And Peter said, The strangers only are supposed to pay this tax.
5 Then Jesus said, We all are native sons and we are free; but lest
we cause contention we will pay the tax; but neither had the shekel
wherewithal to pay.
6 And Jesus said, Go to the sea; cast in a hook and catch a fish and
you will find within its inner parts a shekel, which take up and pay
the tax for you and me.
7 And Peter did as Jesus said; he found the shekel and he paid the tax.
8 Now Jesus heard the twelve dispute among themselves. The spirit of
the carnal self was moving in their hearts, and they were questioning
among themselves who was the greatest in the sight of God and man.
9 And Jesus said, You men, for shame! the greatest is the servant of
the rest. And then he called to him a little child; he took it in his
arms and said,
10 The greatest is the little child, and if you would be great at all
you must become as is this child in innocence, in truth, in purity in
life.
11 Great men scorn not the little things of earth; he who regards and
honors such a child, regards and honors me, and he who scorns a child,
scorn me.
12 If you would enter through the kingdom gate you must be humble as
this little child.
13 Hear me, you men, This child, as every other child, has one to
plead its cause before the throne of God.
14 You scorn it at your peril, men, for lo, I say, its counterpart
beholds the face of God at every moment, every day.
15 And hear me once again, He who shall cause a little one to stumble
and to fall is marked, accursed; and it were better far if he had
drowned himself.
16 Behold, offenses everywhere! Men find occasions for to sin and
fall, and they grow strong by rising when they fall;
17 But woe to him who causes other men to stumble and to fall.
18 Be on your guard, you men of God, lest you constrain another man to
fall; beware lest you fall into sinful ways yourselves.
19 Now, if your hands cause you to sin, you better cut them off; for
it is better far to have no hands and not be guilty in the sight of
God and men, than to be perfect in your form and lose your soul.
20 And if your feet should cause offense, you better cut them off;
for it is better far to enter into life without your feet than fall
beneath the curse.
21 And if your eyes, or ears, cause you to sin, you better lose them
all than lose your soul.
22 Your thoughts and words and deeds will all be tried by fire.
23 Remember that you are the salt of earth; but if you lose the
virtues of the salt, you are but refuse in the sight of God.
24 Retain the virtues of the salt of life and be at peace among
yourselves.
25 The world is full of men who have not in themselves the salt of
life, and they are lost. I come to seek and save the lost.
26 How think you? if a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them
has gone astray, will he not leave the ninety and the nine,
27 And go out in the desert ways and mountain tops to seek the one
that went astray?
28 Yes, this you know; and if he finds the one that went astray, lo,
he is glad, and he rejoices over it far more than over all the ninety
and the nine that did not go astray.
29 And so there is rejoicing in the courts of heaven when one of human
birth who has gone forth into the ways of sin is found and brought
back to the fold;
30 Yea, there is joy, more joy than over all the righteous men who
never went astray.
31 And John said, Master, who may seek and save the lost? and who may
heal the sick, and cast the demons out of those obsessed?
32 When we were on the way we saw a man who was not one of us, cast
demons out and heal the sick.
33 He did it by the sacred Word and in the name of Christ; but we
forbade him, for he did not walk with us.
34 And Jesus said, You sons of men, do you imagine that you own the
powers of God?
35 And do you think that all the world must wait for you to do the
works of God?
36 God is not man that he should have a special care for any man, and
give him special gifts.
37 Forbid not any man to do the works of God.
38 There is no man who can pronounce the sacred Word, and in the name
of Christ restore the sick, and cast the unclean spirits out, who is
not child of God.
39 The man of whom you speak is one with us. Whoever gathers in the
grain of heaven is one with us.
40 Whoever gives a cup of water in the name of Christ is one with us;
so God shall judge.