AFTER MOST of those who were going up to Jerusalem for the Feast of
Tents had left Capernaum, Jesus began his journey with his disciples.
All who saw him going toward Jerusalem, and even his disciples, thought
that now he was surely on his way to take his throne and rule the people
as king of Israel.
Just as they were starting, a man who was one of the teachers of the law
came to Jesus and said:
"Master, I will follow you wherever you may go." He thought that by
following Jesus he might have some high place in his kingdom. But Jesus
saw that this man was following him only for gain. He said to him:
"You will gain nothing by following me. The foxes have holes, and the
wild birds have their nests; but the Son of Man has not a place where he
can lay his head."
To another man, Jesus said, "Follow me!" The man answered, "First let me
go and bury my father."
Jesus said to this man, "Let those who are dead bury their dead; but do
you go and spread everywhere the news of the kingdom of God."
Jesus meant by this that such matters as the burial of the dead could be
cared for by others, even though they did not have a knowledge of the
truth which gives life; but Jesus wanted this man to go at once and
preach his gospel.
There was another man who said to Jesus, "I will follow you; but let me
first go and say 'good-bye' to my friends at my home."
"Whoever looks back," answered Jesus, "after he has put his hand to the
plough is of no use for the kingdom of God."
For his work Jesus wanted men who were single-hearted, giving up all,
that they might follow and serve him.
On this journey to Jerusalem Jesus did not take the road down the Jordan
valley, the way usually followed. He made up his mind this time to go
through Samaria, perhaps because he did not wish to have a crowd of
people with him, and few of the Jews went to Jerusalem by way of
Samaria.
As he drew near a Samaritan village, he sent some of his disciples to
find in it a lodging place. But the Samaritan people would not allow
Jesus and his disciples to come into their village, because they saw
that they were Jews on their way to Jerusalem. The Samaritans and the
Jews hated each other and would not show kindness to one another.
James and John, two of the disciples, were exceedingly angry at these
people, who would shut out their Master. They said to him:
"Lord, shall we call down fire from heaven, as the prophet Elijah did,
and burn up that wicked village?"
But Jesus said to them, "Your spirit is not right. I did not come to
destroy the lives of men, but to save them. Let us go to some other
village."
While he was still on the border of Galilee and Samaria, as he was going
into a village, he met ten men who had the terrible disease of leprosy.
They stood at a distance, for lepers were not allowed to come near
people; and they cried aloud, saying:
"Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"
"Go," answered Jesus, "and show yourselves to the priests."
In the Temple was a room where a man went who had any disease like
leprosy, with a breaking out upon his skin. At this room he was kept for
a time; and if it was found that his disease was not leprosy, after
certain offerings and washings, he was allowed to go home and be among
men. These men started for their Temple; those who were Jews for the
Temple in Jerusalem, any that were Samaritans for their Temple on Mount
Gerizim, near the city of Shechem. As they went, and by going showed
their faith in Jesus, they found all at once that their leprosy was gone
and they were entirely well.
Nine of these ten men, after they were cured, went on their way toward
the Temple. But one of them, when he found that he was a leper no
longer, stopped with a loud voice praised God; and ran to Jesus' feet
and fell on his face before him, giving him thanks for his cure. This
man was a Samaritan.
"Were there not ten men cured?" said Jesus. "But where are the nine? Was
there only one to turn back and give thanks to God, and that one a
stranger?"
And Jesus said to this grateful Samaritan, "Rise up, and go your way;
your faith has made you well."
[Illustration: The priest and the Levite walked past on the other side,
but the Samaritan felt a pity for the poor man lying in the road and
came down and poured oil on his wounds and bandaged them.]
The Scribe's Question; and Mary's Choice