AFTER THE Feast of Tents Jesus stayed near Jerusalem, making his home in
Bethany, for nearly two months, until another feast came, the Feast of
the Dedication of the Temple. About two hundred years before that time,
the Temple had been held by enemies, who had stopped the services, had
set up images in the building and had done many things to make it vile.
At last the enemies were driven away; and then the Jews made the Temple
clean again, destroyed the images and began once more the regular
service. After this, every year they kept the day of the reopening of
the Temple as "The Feast of the Dedication." At this feast the Temple
was lighted up every night very brightly, and on that account the feast
was also called "The Feast of Lights."
During the days of his stay, Jesus went often to the Temple and sat down
in a room called "The Court of the Women," because on one side of it was
a gallery where the women worshipped, looking down on the services at
the altar. It was also called "The Treasury" on account of the
gift-boxes on its walls, where people dropped in their money for the
poor and for the support of the Temple. In this court, which was very
large, and open to the sky, without a roof, the Jewish teachers held
their classes for the study of the law; and many came to Jesus to listen
to his words.
[Illustration: Jesus replied to the accusers of the sinful woman: "Let
the one among you who has never done wrong throw the first stone at
her."]
One morning the teaching of Jesus was interrupted by a noise in the
court. Some of the scribes and Pharisees, who were enemies of Jesus,
planned to get him into trouble with the Roman rulers. They came,
dragging in a poor woman who had done a wicked deed; and bringing her
forward directly in front of Jesus.
"Teacher," they said, "this woman was caught in a wicked act. Now, Moses
in the law commands that any person committing that crime shall be
stoned to death; but what do you say should be done with her?"
Jesus very well knew that they had brought this question to him hoping,
whatever he said, to make trouble for him. If he should say, "Let her go
free," they would declare that Jesus was a breaker of the law and cared
nothing for crimes. If, on the other hand, he said, "Let her be
punished," they could say to the Roman rulers, "This man is acting as a
judge and claims to be the King of Israel;" and this might cause the
Romans to put him to death. So, whatever Jesus might say, they could
find some reason to accuse him.
But Jesus seemed to pay no attention to their words. He stooped down,
and began to write with his finger on the floor. But as they kept on
asking him the same question, finally he rose up, looked his enemies
full in the face, and said:
"Let the one among you who has never done wrong throw the first stone at
her."
Then he stooped down again and continued writing with his finger. They
stood silent for some time and then began quietly to go away, the oldest
men first and the younger men later. After a while, Jesus looked up and
saw the woman standing alone before him. He rose up and said:
"Woman, where are those men? Does no man say that you are guilty?"
She answered him, "No man, Lord."
Jesus said to her, "Neither do I call you guilty. Go away, and never sin
again."
Then Jesus went on with his teaching, which had been stopped by the
bringing in of the woman by his enemies. He said:
"I am the light of the whole world. He who follows me and obeys my words
will not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
Many other things Jesus said to the people at that time; and some of
those who heard him began to believe that he was a teacher come from
God. To those who believed, he said:
"If you stand faithful to my words, you are truly my followers; and you
shall understand the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
[Illustration: "I am the light of the whole world. He who follows me and
obeys my words will not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of
life"]
"What do you mean by those words, 'You shall be made free'?" said the
people. "We are sprung from Abraham, and have never been slaves. How can
we be made free?"
"In very truth, I tell you," answered Jesus, "every one who sins is a
slave. Now the slave does not stay in the home always, but the son
stays, for it is his home, and he has a right to be there. So, if the
Son of the heavenly Father sets you free from sin, you will be free
indeed."
As Jesus went on speaking, the people who listened became very angry. At
last he said:
"Your great father Abraham longed to see the day when I should come to
the earth; and he saw it coming, and it made him glad."
"Why," the Jews said, "you are not fifty years old, and do you say that
Abraham saw you?"
"I tell you truly," answered Jesus, "before Abraham was born, I was
living!"
At this, they picked up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself
from them and left the Temple.
[Illustration: The so-called tower of David in Jerusalem]
The Blind Man at the Pool of Siloam