GOOD WORDS AND GOOD WORKS.
THERE was at Ca-per-na-um a chief who had charge of five score Ro-man
troops. And one of his men, who was dear to him, was so sick that he was
like to die. When the chief heard that Je-sus was there he sent some of
his friends down to ask him to make the sick man well. Those who brought
the word to Je-sus were Jews, and they spoke a good word for the chief,
who had been kind to them.
Then Je-sus went with them. But as they drew near the chief's house he
sent some more friends out to tell Je-sus that he had not gone down to
him him-self, for he was not good e-nough. And now he sent word that he
was not good e-nough for Je-sus to come in-to his house. But if Je-sus
would speak the word, he was sure that the sick man would get well.
For I stand at the head of my troops, said the chief, and say to this
one, Go, and he goes; and to that one, Come, and he comes; and to a
third, Do this, and he does it.
And he knew that if he could do this Je-sus could do more, and bid all
the ills leave the sick man at the sound of his voice.
[Illustration: CHRIST AND THE CEN-TU-RI-ON.]
When Je-sus heard these words he was a-mazed, and said to those who were
with him, I have found no one who has such faith in me as this Ro-man.
And I tell you that at the last day those who have had faith in me shall
come from all lands, and have a place near God's throne; while the Jews,
who will not put their trust in me, will be shut out.
And when the friends of the chief went back they found the sick man made
well.
The next day Je-sus went to the town of Nain. And a great crowd went
with him. And as they came near the gate of the town they saw a dead man
brought out to be borne to his grave. He was all the son his mo-ther
had, and her friends stood near her and wept with her.
When Je-sus saw her grief his heart was sad, and he said, Weep not.
[Illustration: THE WID-OW'S SON BROUGHT TO LIFE.]
And he came up to the bier on which the dead lay, and those who bore it
stood still. Then Je-sus said, Young man, I say to thee a-rise.
And he that was dead sat up and spoke. And Je-sus gave him to his
mo-ther. And a great fear came on all who saw it, and they gave praise
to God, and said that a great proph-et had been raised up in their
midst.
In old times those who lived in the East did not wear shoes such as we
do. They wore light soles, or san-dals, which were bound on their feet
with straps, and thrown off as soon as they came in-to the house. Then
wa-ter was brought for them to wash their feet.
Much oil was used in those lands, and is to this day. It was put on the
hair to keep it moist, and on the skin to make it soft and smooth. This
oil, when some-what hard, was called oint-ment, and was kept in a box,
and had a nice smell.
Now a Phar-i-see, whose name was Si-mon, asked Je-sus to his house. And
Je-sus went there, and they sat down to eat. And a wo-man of the town,
who had led a life of sin, when she heard that Je-sus was there, came in
with a box of oint-ment and bowed down at his feet.
She was full of shame, for her sins had been great, and she had come to
Je-sus to ask him to for-give her and help her to lead a new life.
She wept, and washed the feet of Je-sus with her tears, and wiped them
with the hairs of her head. And she kissed his feet, and rubbed them
with the oint-ment she had brought, and which had cost her a high price.
When the Phar-i-see saw it he said to him-self, If this man had come
from God he would know what kind of a wo-man this is, and would send her
out of his sight.
Je-sus, who knew his every thought, said to him, Si-mon, I have
some-thing to say to thee.
[Illustration: WASH-ING HANDS IN THE EAST.]
And he said, My lord, say on.
Then Je-sus said, Two men were in debt to a rich man. One owed him a
great deal, while the oth-er owed him but a small sum. But they were
both so poor that they could not pay him, and he told them to think no
more of the debt, for it would be the same as if they had paid all they
owed. Tell me now which one of these would love him the most.
The Phar-i-see said, I should think that he to whom he for-gave the
most.
Je-sus said to him, That is true.
And he turned to the wo-man and said to Si-mon, See'st thou this wo-man?
I came to thy house, and thou didst bring me no wa-ter to wash my feet,
but she hath washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with the hairs
of her head. Thou didst give me no kiss, but this wo-man, since the time
I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst
not an-oint, but she has poured her oint-ment on my feet. So I say to
thee that her sins, though so great, will be all wiped out, for she has
loved me much.
And he said to the wo-man, Thy faith has saved thee; go back to thy home
in peace.
From this place Je-sus went on through all the large and small towns,
and told the good news that God had sent his Son in-to the world to save
men from their sins. And the twelve were with him.
Je-sus might have been rich, for all the world was his; but he chose to
be poor, and to bear all the ills of life for our sakes, that we might
be drawn to him, and be saved from our sins. Good wo-men, whom he had
cured, gave him such things as he had need of, and he did not lack for
food or friends.
Je-sus spoke at times in a strange way. He would take scenes from real
life and paint them, as it were, with words, so that they were plain to
all. These talks were meant to teach great truths that would lodge in
the mind, and stand out like scenes of real life. They were to take them
home with them, and keep them in their thoughts from day to day.
One of these talks was of a rich man who had large fields and
vine-yards. And when it was time for the crops to come in, the rich man
found that his barns would not hold them.
And he said, What shall I do? for I have no room where I can put my
fruits. This will I do: I will pull down my small barns and build large
ones, and there will I store all my goods. And I will say to my-self,
Thou hast much goods laid up that will last thee for years and years;
take thine ease, eat, drink, and be of good cheer.
But God said to him, Thou fool, this night thou shalt die. Then who
shall have those things which thou hast laid up for years to come?
This was to teach us that it is of no use for men to lay up great wealth
in this world, for they will have to leave it all when they die. And it
is a sin for a rich man to spend all that he owns on him-self, to live
at his ease, and to eat and drink, as if there were no poor in the
world, and no God to serve.
Je-sus told the twelve not to fret be-cause they were poor, or to have
the least fear that they might want for food, or for clothes to wear.
Think of the birds, he said. They do not sow seed in the fields, nor
reap grain and lay it up for use in time of need. They have no
store-house or barn, yet they have all the food they want, for God feeds
them and takes care of them. And if he does so much for the birds, how
much more will he do for you?
Look at the flow-ers. See how they grow. They do not work, or spin the
thread to weave in-to cloth as men must do, and yet I say to you that
King Sol-o-mon did not wear such rich robes as theirs. If then God gives
such fine clothes to that which grows in the field like grass, and which
in a day or two is burnt up, how much more will he clothe you, though ye
are so loth to trust him. So do not fret lest you shall want for things
to eat, and to drink, and to wear; for God knows that ye have need of
these things, and if ye seek first to do his will, he will give all
these things to you.