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Teacher
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SECTION XVI
AIN
The Second Annual Epoch of the Christine Ministry of Jesus
(first third | second third | last third)
Chapter 113
In answer to a question of Lamaas Jesus teaches a lesson on the reign of peace and the way to it through antagonisms. The signs of the times. Guidance of the Holy Breath. The Christines go to Bethsaida.
1. Now, after they had dined, the guests and Jesus all were in a spacious hall in Mary's home.
2. And then Lamaas said, Pray, tell us Lord, is this the dawn of peace?
3. Have we come forth unto the time when men will war no more?
4. Are you, indeed, the Prince of Peace that holy men said would come?
5. And Jesus said, Peace reigns to-day; it is the peace of death.
6. A stagnant pool abides in peace. When waters cease to move they soon are ladened with the seeds of death; corruption dwells in every drop.
7. The living waters always leap and skip about like lambs in spring.
8. The nations are corrupt; they sleep within the arms of death and they must be aroused before it is too late.
9. In life we find antagonists at work. God sent me here to stir unto its depths the waters of the sea of life.
10. Peace follows strife; I come to slay this peace of death. The prince of peace must first be prince of strife.
11. This leaven of truth which I have brought to men will stir the demons up, and nations, cities, families will be at war within themselves.
12. The five that have been dwelling in a home of peace will be divided now, and two shall war with three;
13. The son will stand against his sire; the mother and the daughter will contend; yea, strife will reign in every home.
14. The self and greed and doubt will rage into a fever heat, and then, because of me, the earth will be baptised in human blood.
15. But right is king; and when the smoke is cleared away the nations will learn war no more; the Prince of Peace will come to reign.
16. Behold, the signs of what I say are in the sky; but men can see them not.
17. When men behold a cloud rise in the west they say, A shower of rain will come, and so it does; and when the wind blows from the south they say, The weather will be hot; and it is so.
18. Lo, men can read the signs of earth and sky, but they cannot discern the signs of Holy Breath; but you shall know.
19. The storm of wrath comes on; the carnal man will seek a cause to hale you into court, and cast you into prison cells.
20. And when these times shall come let wisdom guide; do not resent. Resentment makes more strong the wrath of evil men.
21. There is a little sense of justice and of mercy in the vilest men of earth.
22. By taking heed to what you do and say and trusting in the guidance of the Holy Breath, you may inspire this sense to grow.
23. You thus may make the wrath of men to praise the Lord.
24. The Christines went their way, and came unto Bethsaida and taught.
Chapter 114
A great storm on the sea destroys many lives. Jesus makes an appeal for aid, and the people give with a generous hand. In answer to a lawyer's question, Jesus gives the philosophy of disasters.
1. As Jesus taught, a man stood forth and said, Rabboni, may I speak?
2. And Jesus said, Say on. And then the man spoke out and said,
3. A storm upon the sea last night wrecked many fishing boats, and scores of men went down to death, and lo, their wives and children are in need;
4. What can be done to help them in their sore distress?
5. And Jesus said, A worthy plea. You men of Galilee, take heed. We may not bring again to live these men, but we can succour those who looked to them for daily bread.
6. You stewards of the wealth of God, an opportunity has come; unlock your vaults; bring forth your hoarded gold; bestow it with a lavish hand.
7. This wealth was laid aside for just times as these; when it was needed not, lo, it was yours to guard;
8. But now it is not yours, for it belongs to those who are in want, and if you give it not you simply bring upon your heads the wrath of God.
9. It is not charity to give to those who need; it is but honesty; it is but giving men their own.
10. Then Jesus turned to Judas, one of the twelve, who was the treasurer of the band, and said,
11. Bring forth our treasure box; the money is not ours now; turn every farthing to the help of those in such distress.
12. Now, Judas did not wish to give the money all to those in want, and so he talked with Peter, James and John.
13. He said, Lo, I will save a certain part and give the rest; that surely is enough for us, for we are strangers to the ones in want; we do not even know their names.
14. But Peter said, Why, Judas, man, how do you dare to think to trifle with the strength of right?
15. The Lord has spoken true; this wealth does not belong to us in face of this distress, and to refuse to give it is to steal.
16. You need not fear; we will not come to want.
17. Then Judas opened up the treasure box and gave the money all.
18. And there was gold and silver, food, and raiment in abundance for the needs of the bereaved.
19. A lawyer said, Rabboni, if God rules the worlds and all that in them is, did he not bring about this storm? did he not slay these men?
20. Has he not brought this sore distress upon these people here? and was it done to punish them for crimes?
21. And we remember well when once a band of earnest Jews from Galilee were in Jerusalem, and ata feast and were, for fancied crimes against the Roman law,
22. Cut down within the very temple court by Pontius Pilate; and their blood became their sacrifice. 23 Did God bring on this slaughter all because these men were doubly vile?
24. And then we bring to mind that once a tower called Siloam, graced the defences of Jerusalem, and, seemingly, without a cause it tottered and it fell to earth and eighteen men were killed.
25. Were these men vile? and were they slain as punishment for some great crime?
26. And Jesus said, We cannot look upon a single span of life and judge of anything.
27. There is a law that men must recognise: Result depends on cause.
28. Men are not motes to float about within the air of one short life, and then be lost in nothingness.
29. They are undying parts of the eternal whole that come and go, lo, many times into the air of earth and of the great beyond, just to unfold the God-like self.
30. A cause may be a part of one brief life; results may not be noted till another life.
31. The cause of your results cannot be found within my life, nor can the cause of my results be found in yours.
32. I cannot reap except I sow and I must reap whate'er I sow,
33. The law of all eternities is known to master minds:
34. Whatever men do unto other men the judge and executioner will do to them.
35. We do not note the execution of this law among the sons of men.
36. We note the weak dishonoured, trampled on and slain by those men call the strong.
37. We note that men with woodlike heads are seated in the chairs of state;
38. Are kings and judges, senators and priests, while men with giant intellects are scavengers about the streets.
39. We note that women with a moiety of common sense, and not a whit of any other kind, are painted up and dressed as queens,
40. Becoming ladies of the courts of puppet kings, because they have the form of something beautiful; while God'd own daughters are their slaves, or serve as common labourers in the field.
41. The sense of justice cries aloud: This is a travesty on right.
42. So when men see no further than one little span of life it is no wonder that they say, There is no God, or if there is a God he is a tyrant and should die.
43. If you would judge aright of human life, you must arise and stand upon the crest of time and note the thoughts and deeds of men as they have come up through the ages past;
44. For we must know that man is not a creature made of clay to turn again to clay and disappear.
45. He is a part of the eternal whole. There never was a time when he was not; a time will never come when he will not exist.
46. And now we look; the men who now are slaves were tyrants once; the men who now are tyrants have been slaves.
47. The men who suffer now once stood aloft and shouted with a fiend's delight while others suffered at their hands.
48. And men are sick, and halt, and lame, and blind because they once transgressed the laws of perfect life, and every law of God must be fulfilled.
49. Man may escape the punishment that seems but due for his mis-doings in this life; but every deed and word and thought has its own metes and bounds,
50. Is cause, and has its own results, and if a wrong be done, the doer of the wrong must make it right.
51. And when the wrongs have all been righted then will man arise and be at one with God.
Chapter 115
Jesus teaches by the sea. He relates the parable of the sower. Tells why he teaches in parables. Explains the parable of the sower. Relates the parable of the wheat and tares.
1. And Jesus stood beside the sea and taught; the multitudes pressed close upon him and he went into a boat that was near by and put a little ways from shore, and then he spoke in parables; he said,
2. Behold, a sower took his seed and went into his field to sow.
3. With lavish hand he scattered forth the seed and some fell in the hardened paths that men had made,
4. And soon were crushed beneath the feet of other men; and birds came down and carried all the seeds away.
5. Some seed fell on rocky ground where there was little soil; they grew and soon the blades appeared and promised much;
6. But then there was no depth of soil, no chance for nourishment, and in the heat of noonday sun they withered up and died.
7. Some seed fell where thistles grew, and found no earth in which to grow and they were lost;
8. But other seed found lodgement in the rich and tender soil and grew apace, and in the harvest it was found that some brought forth a hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.
9. They who have ears to hear may hear; they who hearts to understand may know.
10. Now, his disciples were beside him in the boat, and Thomas asked, Why do you speak in parables?
11. And Jesus said, My words, like every master's words, are dual in their sense.
12. To you who know the language of the soul, my words have meanings far too deep for other men to comprehend.
13. The other sense of what I say is all the multitude can understand; these words are food for them; the inner thoughts are food for you.
14. Let every one reach forth and take the food that he is ready to receive.
15. And then he spoke that all might hear; he said, Hear you the meaning of the parable:
16. Men hear my words and understand them not, and then the carnal self purloins the seed, and not a sign of spirit life appears.
17. This is the seed that fell within the beaten paths of men.
18. And others hear the words of life, and with a fiery zeal receive them all; they seem to comprehend the truth and promise well;
19. But troubles come; discouragements arise; there is no depth of thought; their good intentions wither up and die.
20. These are the seeds that fell in stony ground.
21. And others hear the words of truth and seem to know their worth; but love of pleasure, reputation, wealth and fame fill all the soil; the seeds are nourished not and they are lost.
22. These are the seeds that fell among the thistles and the thorns.
23. But others hear the words of truth and comprehend them well; they sink down deep into their souls; they live the holy life and all the world is blest.
24. These are the seeds that fell in fertile soil, that brought forth fruit abundantly.
25. You men of Galilee, take heed to how you hear and how you cultivate your fields; for if you slight the offers of this day, the sower may not come to you again in this or in the age to come.
26. Then Jesus spoke another parable; he said:
27. Then kingdom I may liken to a field in which a man sowed precious seed;
28. But while he slept an evil one went forth and sowed a measure full of darnel seed; then went his way.
29. The soil was good, and so the wheat and darnel grew; and when the servants saw the tares among the wheat, they found the owner of the field and said,
30. You surely sowed good seed; from whence these tares?
31. The owner said, Some evil one out has sown the seed of tares.
32. The servants said, Shall we go out and pull up by the roots the tares and burn them in the fire?
33. The owner said, No, that would not be well. The wheat and tares grow close together in the soil, and while you pull the tares you would destroy the wheat.
34. So we will let them grow together till the harvest time. Then to the reapers I will say,
35. Go forth and gather up the tares and bind them up and burn them in the fire, and gather all the wheat into my barns.
36. When he had spoken thus, he left the boat and went up to the house, and his disciples followed him.
Chapter 116
The Christines are in Philip's home. Jesus interprets the parable of the wheat and tares. He explains the unfoldment of the kingdom by parables: the good seed; the growth of the tree; the leaven; the hidden treasure. He goes to a mountain to pray.
1. The Christines were in Philip's home and Peter said to Jesus, Lord, will you explain to us the meaning of the parables you spoke to-day? The one about the wheat and tares, especially?
2. And Jesus said, God's kingdom is a duality; it has an outer and an inner form.
3. As seen by man it is composed of men, of those who make confession of the name of Christ.
4. For various reasons various people crowd this outer kingdom of our God.
5. The inner kingdom is the kingdom of the soul, the kingdom of the pure in heart.
6. The outer kingdom I may well explain in parables. Behold, for I have seen you cast a great net out into the sea,
7. And when you hauled it in, lo, it was full of every kind of fish, some good, some bad, some great, some small; and I have seen you save the good and throw the bad away.
8. This outer kingdom is the net, and every kind of man is caught; but in the sorting day the bad will all be cast away, the good reserved.
9. Hear, then, the meaning of the parable of the wheat and tares:
10. The sower is the son of man; the field, the world; the good seed are the children of the light; the tares, the children of the dark; the enemy, the carnal self; the harvest day, the closing of the age; the reapers are the messengers of God.
11. The reckoning day will come to every man; then will the tares be gathered up, and cast into the fire and be burned.
12. Then will the good shine forth as suns in the kingdom of the soul.
13. And Philip said, Must men and women suffer in the flames because they have not found the way of life?
14. And Jesus said, The fire purifies. The chemist throws into the fire the ores that hold all kinds of dross.
15. The useless metal seems to be consumed; but not a grain of gold is lost.
16. There is no man that has not in him gold that cannot be destroyed. The evil things of men are all consumed in fire; the gold survives.
17. The inner kingdom of the soul I may explain in parables:
18. The son of man goes forth and scatters seeds of truth; God waters well the soil; the seeds show life and grow; first comes the blade, and then the stalk, and then the ear, and then the full wheat in the ear.
19. The harvest comes and, lo, the reapers bear the ripened sheaves into the garner of the Lord.
20. Again, this kingdom of the soul is like a little seed that men may plant in fertile soil.
21. (A thousand of these seeds would scarcely be a shekel's weight.)
22. The tiny seed begins to grow; it pushes through the earth, and after years of growth it is a mighty tree and birds rest in its leafy bowers and men find refuge 'neath its sheltering boughs from sun and storm.
23. Again, the truth, the spirit of the kingdom of the soul, is like a ball of leaven that a woman hid in measures, three, of flour and in a little time the whole was leavened.
24. Again, the kingdom of the soul is like a treasure hidden in a field which one has found, and straightway goes his way and sells all that he has and buys the field.
25. When Jesus had thus said he went alone into a mountain pass near by to pray.
Chapter 117
A royal feast is held in Machaerus. John, the harbinger, is beheaded. His body is buried in Hebron. His disciples mourn. The Christines cross the sea in the night. Jesus calms a raging storm.
1. A royal feast was held in honour of the birthday of the tetrarch in fortified Machaerus, east of the Bitter Sea.
2. The tetrarch, Herod, and his wife, Herodias, together with Salome were there; and all the men and women of the royal court were there.
3. And when the feast was done, lo, all the guests and courtiers were drunk with wine; they danced and leaped about like children in their play.
4. Salome, daughter of Herodias, came in and danced before the king. The beauty of her form, her grace and winning ways entranced the silly Herod, then half drunk with wine.
5. He called the maiden to his side and said, Salome, you have won my heart, and you may ask and I will give you anything you wish.
6. The maiden ran in childish glee and told her mother what the ruler said.
7. Her mother said, Go back and say, Give me the head of John, the harbinger.
8. The maiden ran and told the ruler what she wished.
9. And Herod called his trusty executioner and said to him, Go to the tower and tell the keeper that by my authority you come to execute the prisoner known as John.
10. The man went forth and in a little while returned and on a platter bore the lifeless head of John, and Herod offered it unto the maiden in the presence of the guests.
11. The maiden stood aloof; her innocence was outraged when she saw the bloody gift, and she would touch it not.
12. Her mother, steeped and hardened well in crime, came up and took the head and held it up before the guests and said,
13. This is the fate of every man who dares to scorn, or criticise, the acts of him who reigns.
14. The drunken rabble gazed upon the gruesome sight with fiendish joy.
15. The head was taken back unto the tower. The body had been given unto holy men who had been friends of John; they placed it in a burial case and carried it away.
16. They bore it to the Jordan, which they crossed just at the ford where John first preached the word;
17. And through the passes of the Judean hills they carried it.
18. They reached the sacred grounds near Hebron, where the bodies of the parents of the harbinger lay in their tombs;
19. And there they buried it; and then they went their way.
20. Now, when the news reached Galilee that John was dead the people met to sing the sonnets of the dead.
21. And Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve took ship to cross the sea of Galilee.
22. A scribe, a faithful friend of John, stood by the sea; he called to Jesus and hesaid, Rabboni, let me follow where you go.
23. And Jesus said, You seek a safe retreat from evil men. There is no safety for your life with me;
24. For evil men will take my life as they have taken John's.
25. The foxes of the earth have safe retreats; the birds have nests secure among the hidden rocks, but I have not a place where I may lay my head and rest secure.
26. Then an apostle said, Lord, suffer me to tarry here a while, that I may take my father, who is dead, and lay him in the tomb.
27. But Jesus said, The dead can care for those who die; the living wait for those who live; come, follow me.
28. The evening came; three boats put out to sea and Jesus rested in the foremost boat; he slept.
29. A storm came on; the boats were tossed about like toys upon the sea.
30. The waters swept the decks; the hardy boatmen were afraid lest all be lost.
31. And Thomas found the master fast asleep; he called, and Jesus woke.
32. And Thomas said, Behold the storm! have you no care for us? The boats are going down.
33. And Jesus stood; he raised his hand; he talked unto the spirits of the winds and waves as men would talk with men.
34. And, lo, the winds blew not; the waves came tremblingly and kissed his feet; the sea was calm.
35. And then he said, You men of faith, where is your faith? for you can speak and winds and waves will hear and will obey.
36. And the disciples were amazed. They said, Who is this man that even winds and waves obey his voice?
Chapter 118
The Christines are in Gadara. Jesus casts a legion of unclean spirits out of a man. The spirits go into vicious animals which run into the sea, and are drowned. The people are in fear and request Jesus to leave their coast. With his disciples, he returns to Capernaum.
1. The morning came; the Christines landed in the country of the Geracenes.
2. They went to Gadara, chief city of the Peracans, and here for certain days they tarried and they taught.
3. Now, legends hold that Gadara is sacred to the dead, and all the hills about are known as holy ground.
4. These are the burial grounds of all the regions round about; the hills are full of tombs; and many dead from Galilee are here entombed.
5. Now, spirits of the lately dead that cannot rise to higher planes, remain about the tombs that hold the flesh and bones of what was once their mortal homes.
6. They sometimes take possession of the living, whom they torture in a hundred ways.
7. And all through Gadara were men obsessed, and there was no one strong enough to bring relief.
8. That they might meet these hidden foes and learn the way to dispossess the evil ones the master took the foreign masters and the twelve into the tombs.
9. And as they neared the gates they met a man obsessed. A legion of the unclean ones were in this man, and they had made him strong;
10. And none could bind him down, no, not with chains; for he could break the stoutest chains, and go his way.
11. Now, unclean spirits cannot live in light; they revel in the dark.
12. When Jesus came he brought the light of life, and all the evil spirits were disturbed.
13. The leader of the legion in the man called out, Thou Jesus, thou Immanuel, we beg that thou wilt not consign us to the depths. Torment us not before our time.
14. And Jesus said, What is your number and your name?
15. The evil spirit said, Our name is legion, and our number is the number of the beast.
16. And Jesus spoke; and with a voice that shook the very hills, he said, Come forth; possess this man no more.
17. Now, all the hills were filled with unclean animals that fed, and carried forth and spread the plague among the people of the land.
18. And when the evil spirits begged that they might not be driven forth without a home, the master said,
19. Go forth and take possession of the unclean quadrupeds.
20. And they, and all the evil spirits of the tombs went forth and took possession of the breeders of the plague,
21. Which, wild with rage, ran down the steeps into the sea, and all were drowned.
22. And all the land was freed of the contagion, and the unclean spirits came no more.
23. But when the people saw the mighty works that Jesus did they were alarmed. They said,
24. If he can free the country of the plague, and drive the unclean spirits out, he is a man of such transendent power that he can devastate our land at will.
25. And then they came and prayed that he would not remain in Gadara.
26. And Jesus did not tarry longer there, and with the other masters and the twelve, he went aboard the boats to go away.
27. The man who had been rescued from the unclean legion stood upon the shore and said, Lord let me go with you.
28. But Jesus said, It is not well; go forth unto your home and tell the news that men may know what man can do when he is tuned with God.
29. And then the man went forth through all Decapolis and told the news.
30. The Christines sailed away, re-crossed the sea and came again into Capernaum.
Chapter 119
The people of Capernaum welcome Jesus. Matthew gives a feast. The Pharisees rebuke Jesus for eating with sinners. He tells them that he is sent to save sinners. He gives lessons on fasting and on the philosophy of good and evil.
1. The news soon spread through all the land that Jesus was at home and then the people came in throngs to welcome him.
2. And Matthew, one of the twelve, a man of wealth, whose home was in Capernaum, spread forth a sumptuous feast, and Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve, and people of all shades of thought, were guests.
3. And when the Pharisees observed that Jesus sat and ate with publicans and those of ill repute they said,
4. For shame! This man who claims to be man of God, consorts with publicans and courtesans and with the common herd of men. For shame!
5. When Jesus knew their thoughts he said, They who are well cannot be healed; the pure need not be saved.
6. They who are well are whole; they who are pure are saved.
7. They who love justice and do right need not repent; I came not unto them, but to the sinner I am come.
8. A band of John's disciples who had heard that John was dead were wearing badges for their dead;
9. Were fasting and were praying in their hearts, which when the Pharisees observed they came to Jesus and they said,
10. Why fast the followers of John and your disciples do not fast?
11. And Jesus said, Lo, you are masters of the law; you ought to know; perhaps you will make known your knowledge to these men.
12. What are the benefits derived from fasts? The Pharisees were mute; they answered not.
13. Then Jesus said, The vital force of men depends on what they eat and drink.
14. Is spirit-life the stronger when the vital force is weak? Is sainthood reached by starving, self imposed?
15. A glutton is a sinner in the sight of God, and he is not a saint who makes himself a weakling and unfitted for the heavy tasks of life by scorning to make use of God's own means of strength.
16. Lo, John is dead, and his devoted followers are fasting in their grief.
17. Their love for him impels them on to show respect, for they have thought, and have been taught that it is sin to lightly treat the memory of the dead.
18. To them it is a sin, and it is well that they should fast.
19. When men defy their consciences and listen not to what they say, the heart is grieved and they become unfitted for the work of life; and thus they sin.
20. The conscience may be taught. One man may do in conscience what another cannot do.
21. What is a sin for me to do may not be sin for you to do. The place you occupy upon the way of life determines what is sin.
22. There is no changeless law of good; for good and evil both are judged by other things.
23. One man may fast and in his deep sincerity of heart is blest.
24. Another man may fast and in the faithlessness of such a task imposed is cursed.
25. You cannot make a bed to fit the form of every man. If you can make a bed to fit yourself you have done well.
26. Why should these men who follow me resort to fasting, or to anything that would impair their strength? They need it all to serve the race.
27. The time will come when God will let you have your way, and you will do to me what Herod did to John;
28. And in the awfulness of that sad hour these men will fast.
29. They who have ears to hear may hear; they who have hearts to feel may understand.
Chapter 120
Nicodemus is at the feast. He asks Jesus, Cannot the Christine religion be introduced more successfully by reforming the Jewish service? Jesus answers in the negative and gives his reasons. Jesus heals a woman with hemorrhages. Heals Jairus' daughter. Disappears when the people would worship him.
1. Now, Nicodemus, who once came to Jesus in the night to learn the way of life, was one among the guests.
2. And standing forth he said, Rabboni, it is true that Jewish laws and Jewish practices do not agree.
3. The priesthood needs to be reformed; the rulers should become more merciful and kind; the lawyers should become more just; the common people should not bear such loads.
4. But could we not gain these reforms and not destroy the service of the Jews?
5. Could you not harmonise your mighty work with that of Pharisee and scribe? Might not the priesthood be a benefit to your divine philosophy?
6. But Jesus said, You cannot put new wine in ancient skins, for when it purfies itself, lo, it expands; the ancient bottles cannot bear the strain; they burst, and all the wine is lost.
7. Men do not mend a worn-out garment with a piece of cloth unworn, which cannot yield to suit the fabric, weak with age, and then a greater rent appears.
8. Old wine may be preserved in ancient skins; but new wine calls for bottles new.
9. This spirit-truth I bring is to this generation new, and if we put it in the ancient skins of Jewish forms, lo, it will all be lost.
10. It must expand; the ancient bottles cannot yield and they would burst.
11. Behold the kingdom of the Christ! it is as old as God himself, and yet it is as new as morning sun; it only can contain the truth of God.
12. And as he spoke a ruler of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came in and bowed at Jesus' feet and said,
13. My master, hear my prayer! My child is very sick, I fear that she will die; but this I know that if you will but come and speak the Word my child will live.
14. (She was an only child, a girl twelve years of age.)
15. And Jesus tarried not; he went out with the man, and many people followed them.
16. And as they went a woman who had been plagued with hemorrhage for many years, had been a subject of experiment of doctors near and far, and all had said, She cannot live, rose from her bed and rushed out in the way as Jesus passed.
17. She said within herself, If I can touch his garment, then I know I will be well.
18. She touched him, and at once the bleeding ceased and she was well.
19. And Jesus felt that healing power had gone from him, and speaking to the multitude, he said,
20. Who was it touched my coat?
21. And Peter said, No one can tell; the multitudes are pressing you; a score of people may have touched your coat.
22. But Jesus said, Some one in faith, with healing thought, did touch my coat, for healing virtues have gone forth from me.
23. And when the woman knew that what she did was known, she came and knelt at Jesus' feet and told it all.
24. And Jesus said, Your faith has made you whole, go on your way in peace.
25. Now, as he spoke, a servant from the home of Jairus came and said, My master, Jairus, trouble not the Lord to come; your child is dead.
26. But Jesus said, Jairus, man of faith, do not permit your faith to waver in this trying hour.
27. What is it that the servant said? The child is dead? Lo, what is death?
28. It is the passing of the soul out of the house of flesh.
29. Man is the master of the soul and of its house. When man has risen up from doubt and fear, lo, he can cleanse the empty house and bring the tenant back again.
30. Then taking with him Peter, James and John, Jairus and the mother of the child, he went into the chamber of the dead.
31. And when the doors were closed against the multitude, he spoke a word that souls can understand, and then he took the maiden by the hand and said,
32. Talith cumi, child, arise! The maiden's soul returned and she arose and asked for food.
33. And all the people of the city were amazed, and many would have worshipped Jesus as a God.
34. But, like a phantom of the night, he disappeared and went his way.
Chapter 121
The Christines are in Nazareth. Miriam sings a Christine song of praise. Jesus teaches in the synagogue. He heals a dumb man who is obsessed. The people do not believe in him. The Pharisees call him a tool of Beelzebul. The Christines go to Cana.
1. It was a gala day in Nazareth. The people there had met with one accord to celebrate some great event.
2. And Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve, and Mary, mother of the Lord, and Miriam were there.
3. And when the people were assembled in the great hall of the town, the graceful singer, Miriam, stood and sang a song of praise.
4. But few of all the multitude knew who the singer was; but instantly she won all hearts.
5. For many days she sang the songs of Israel, and then she went her way.
6. The Sabbath came and Jesus went into the synagogue. He took the book of Psalms and read:
7. Blest is the man who puts his trust in God, respecting not the proud nor such as turn aside to lies.
8. O lord, my God, the works that thou hast done for us are wonderful; and many are thy thoughts for us; we cannot count them all,
9. Thou dost not call for sacrifice, nor offerings of blood; burnt offerings and offerings for sin thou dost not want;
10. And lo, I come to do thy will, O God, thy law is in my heart,
11. And I have preached the word of righteousness and peace unto the thronging multitudes; I have declared the counsel of my God in full.
12. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and grace.
13. I have not kept thy loving-kindness and thy truth away from men; I have declared them to the multitudes.
14. O Lord, make wide my lips that I may tell thy praise; I do not bring the sacrifice of blood, nor yet burnt offerings for sin.
15. The sacrifices I would bring to thee, O God, are purity in life, a contrite heart, a spirit full of faith and love, and these thou wilt receive.
16. And when he had thus read, he gave the book back to the keeper of the books, and then he said,
17. Upon these ends of earth these messages of God have come.
18. Our people have exalted sacrificial rites and have neglected mercy, justice and the rights of men.
19. You Pharisees, you priests, you scribes, your God surfeited with blood; God does not heed your prayers; you stand before your burning victims; but you stand in vain.
20. Turn you unto the testimonies of the law; reform and turn to God, and you shall live.
21. Let not your altars be accursed again with smoke of innocence.
22. Bring unto God as sacrifice a broken and a contrite heart.
23. Lift from your fellow men the burdens that you have imposed.
24. And if you hearken not, and if you turn not from your evil ways, lo, God will smite this nation with a curse.
25. And when he had thus said he stood aside, and all the people were astonished, and they said,
26. Where did this man get all his knowledge and his power? From whence did all this wisdom come?
27. Is not this Mary's son, whose home is out on Marmion Way?
28. Are not his brothers, Jude and James and Simon, known among our honoured men? Are not his sisters with us here?
29. But they were all offended by the words he spoke.
30. And Jesus said, A prophet has no honour in his native land; he is not well received among his kin; his foes are in his home.
31. And Jesus wrought not many mighty works in Nazareth, because the people had no faith in him. He did not tarry long.
32. But as he passed from thence two blind men followed him and cried, Thou son of David, hear! Have mercy, Lord, and open up our eyes that we may see.
33. And Jesus said, Do you believe that I can open up your eyes and make you see?
34. They said, Yea, Lord, we know that if you speak the Word then we can see.
35. And Jesus touched their eyes and spoke the Word; he said, According to your faith so will it be.
36. And they were blest; they opened up their eyes and saw.
37. And Jesus said, Tell not this thing to any one.
38. But they went forth and told the news through all the land.
39. As Jesus walked along the way a man who was obsessed, and who was dumb, was brought to him.
40. And Jesus spoke the Word; the unclean spirit came out of the man; his tongue was loosed; he spoke; he said, Praise God.
41. The people were amazed; They said, This is a mighty deed; we never saw that done before.
42. The Pharisees were also much amazed; but they cried out and said,
43. You men of Israel, take heed; this Jesus is atool of Beelzebul; he heals the sick and casts the spirits out in Satan's name.
44. But Jesus answered not; he went his way.
45. And with the foreign masters and the twelve he went up to the town where he once turned the water into wine, and tarried certain days.
Chapter 122
The Christines spend seven days in prayer. Jesus gives his charge to the twelve and sends them forth on their apostolic ministry, with instructions to meet him in Capernaum.
1. The Christines prayed in silence seven days; then Jesus called the twelve aside and said,
2. Behold, the multitudes have thronged about us everywhere; the people are bewildered; they wander here and there like sheep without a fold.
3. They need a shepherd's care; they want a loving hand to lead them to the light.
4. The grain is ripe; the harvest is abundant, but the harvesters are few.
5. The time is also ripe, and you must go alone through all the villages and towns of Galilee and teach and heal.
6. And then he breathed upon the twelve and said, Receive the Holy Breath.
7. And then he gave them each the Word of power, and said, By this Omnific Word you shall cast spirits out, shall heal the sick and bring the dead to life again.
8. And you shall go not in the way of the Assyrians, nor Greek; you shall not go into Samaria; go only to your brethren of the scattered tribes.
9. And as you go proclaim, The kingdom of Christ has come.
10. You have abundantly received, and freely you shall give.
11. But you must go in faith; provide yourselves no crutch to lean upon.
12. Give all your gold and silver to the poor; take not two coats, nor extra shoes; just take your wands.
13. You are God's husbandmen and he will never suffer you to want.
14. In every place you go search out the men of faith; with them abide until you go from hence.
15. You go for me; you act for me. They who receive and welcome you, receive and welcome me;
16. And they who shut their doors against your face, refuse to welcome me.
17. If you are not received in kindness in a town, bear not away an evil thought; do not resist.
18. An evil thought of any kind will do you harm; will dissipate your power.
19. When you are not received with favour, go your way, for there are multitudes of men who want the light.
20. Behold, I send you forth as sheep among a pack of wolves; and you must be as wise as serpents and as harmless as the doves.
21. In all your language be discreet, for Pharisees and scribes will seek a cause for your arrest in what you say.
22. And they will surely find a way by charges false to bring you into court.
23. And judges will declare that you are guilty of some crime, and sentence you to scourgings and to prison cells.
24. But when you come to stand before the judge, be not afraid; be not disturbed about the way to act, the words to speak.
25. The Holy Breath will guide you in that hour, and give the words that you shall speak.
26. Of this be full assured; It is not you who speaks; it is the Holy Breath that gives the words and moves the lips.
27. The gospel that you preach will not bring peace, but it will stir the multitudes to wrath.
28. The carnal man abhors the truth, and he would give his life to crush the tender plant before the harvest time.
29. And this will bring confusion in the homes that were the homes of stagnant peace.
30. And brother will give brother up to death; the father will stand by and see men execute his child; and in the courts the child will testify against the sire, and gladly see its mother put to death.
31. And men will hate you just because you speak the name of Christ.
32. Thrice blessed is the man who shall be faithful in this coming day of wrath!
33. Go now; when you are persecuted in a place, go seek another place.
34. And when you meet a foe too great for you, behold, the son of man is at your door, and he can speak, and all the hosts of heaven will stand in your defence.
35. But do not hold your present life in great esteem.
36. The time will come when men will take my life; you need not hope to be immune, for they will slay you in the name of God.
37. Men call me Beelzebul and they will call you imps.
38. Be not afraid of what men say and do; they have no power over soul; they may abuse and may destroy the body of the flesh; but that is all.
39. They do not know the God who holds the issues of the soul within his hands, who can destroy the soul.
40. The Christ is king to-day, and men must recognise his power.
41. He who loves not the Christ, which is the love of God, before all else, can never gain the prize of spirit consciousness.
42. and they who love their parents or their children more than they love the Christ can never wear the name of Christ.
43. And he who loves his life more than he loves the Christ cannot please God.
44. And he who clings to life shall lose his life, while he who gives his life for Christ will save his life.
45. When Jesus had thus said he sent the twelve away by twos, and bade them meet him in Capernaum.
46. And they went out through all the towns of Galilee and taught and healed in spirit and in power.
Chapter 123
Jesus gives his final charge to the foreign masters and sends them forth as apostles to the world. He goes alone to Tyre and abides in Rachel's home. Heals an obsessed child. Goes to Sidon and then to the mountains of Lebanon. Visits Mount Hermon, Caesarea-Philippi, Decapolis, Gadara and returns to Capernaum. Receives the twelve, who give an account of their work.
1. The Christine master spent a time in prayer and then he called the foreign masters, and he said to them,
2. Behold, I sent the twelve apostles unto Israel, but you are sent to all the world.
3. Our God is one, is Spirit, and is truth, and every man is dear to him.
4. He is the God of every child of India, and the farther east; of Persia, and the farther north; of Greece and Rome and of the farther west; of Egypt and the farther south, and of the mighty lands across the seas, and of the islands of the seas.
5. If God would send the bread of life to one and not to all who have arisen to the consciousness of life and can receive the bread of life, then he would be unjust and that would shake the very throne of heaven.
6. So he has called you from the seven centres of the world, and he has breathed the breath of wisdom and of power into your souls, and now he sends you forth as bearers of the light of life, apostles of the human race.
7. Go on your way, and as you go proclaim the gospel of the Christ.
8. And then he breathed upon the masters and he said, Receive the Holy Breath; and then he gave to each the Word of power.
9. And each went on his way, and every land was blest.
10. Then Jesus went alone across the hills of Galilee and after certain days he reached the coast of Tyre, and in the home of Rachel he abode.
11. He did not advertise his coming for he did not come to teach; he would commune with God where he could see the waters of the Mighty Sea.
12. But Rachel told the news and multitudes of people thronged her home to see the Lord.
13. A Grecian woman of Phenecia came; her daughter was obsessed. She said,
14. O Lord, have mercy on my home! My daughter is obsessed; but this I know, if you will speak the Word she will be free. Thou son of David, hear my prayer!
15. But Rachel said, Good woman, trouble not the Lord. He did not come to Tyre to heal; he came to talk with God beside the sea.
16. And Jesus said, Lo, I was sent not to the Greek, nor to Syro-phenicians; I come just to my people, Israel.
17. And then the woman fell down at his feet and said, Lord, Jesus, I implore that you will save my child.
18. And Jesus said, You know the common proverb well: It is not meet that one should give the children's bread to dogs.
19. And then the woman said, Yea, Jesus, this I know, but dogs may eat the crumbs that fall down from their master's board.
20. And Jesus said, Such faith I have not seen, no, not among the Jews; she is not serf, nor dog.
21. And then he said to her, According to your faith so let it be.
22. The woman went her way and when she came unto her child, lo, she was healed.
23. And Jesus tarried many days in Tyre; and then he went his way and dwelt a time in Sidon by the sea.
24. And then he journeyed on. In Lebanon hills and vales, and in its groves he walked in silent thought.
25. His earthly mission fast was drawing to a close; he sought for strength, and what he sought he found.
26. Mount Hermon stood beyond, and Jesus fain would kneel beside that mountian famed in Hebrew song.
27. And then he stood upon Mount Hermon's lofty peaks, and lifting up his eyes to heaven he talked with God.
28. And masters of the olden times revealed themselves and long they talked about the kingdom of the Christ;
29. about the mighty works that had been done; about the coming conquest of the cross; about the victory over death.
30. Then Jesus journeyed on; he went to Caesarea-Philippi, and in Susanna's home he tarried certain days.
31. And then he went through all Decapolis to give encouragement to those who knew him as the Christ, and to prepare them for the day of Calvary.
32. And then he went to Gadara, and many friends were there, to welcome him.
33. And Chuzas steward of the house of Herod Antipas, was there, and Jesus went aboard the royal ship with him and crossed the sea, and came unto Capernaum.
34. And when the people knew that Jesus was at home they came to welcome him.
35. In just a little while the twelve apostles came and told the master all about their journey over Galilee.
36. They said that by the sacred Word they had done many mighty works; and Jesus said to them, Well done.
AIN
The Second Annual Epoch of the Christine Ministry of Jesus
(first third | second third | last third)
Chapter 113
In answer to a question of Lamaas Jesus teaches a lesson on the reign of peace and the way to it through antagonisms. The signs of the times. Guidance of the Holy Breath. The Christines go to Bethsaida.
1. Now, after they had dined, the guests and Jesus all were in a spacious hall in Mary's home.
2. And then Lamaas said, Pray, tell us Lord, is this the dawn of peace?
3. Have we come forth unto the time when men will war no more?
4. Are you, indeed, the Prince of Peace that holy men said would come?
5. And Jesus said, Peace reigns to-day; it is the peace of death.
6. A stagnant pool abides in peace. When waters cease to move they soon are ladened with the seeds of death; corruption dwells in every drop.
7. The living waters always leap and skip about like lambs in spring.
8. The nations are corrupt; they sleep within the arms of death and they must be aroused before it is too late.
9. In life we find antagonists at work. God sent me here to stir unto its depths the waters of the sea of life.
10. Peace follows strife; I come to slay this peace of death. The prince of peace must first be prince of strife.
11. This leaven of truth which I have brought to men will stir the demons up, and nations, cities, families will be at war within themselves.
12. The five that have been dwelling in a home of peace will be divided now, and two shall war with three;
13. The son will stand against his sire; the mother and the daughter will contend; yea, strife will reign in every home.
14. The self and greed and doubt will rage into a fever heat, and then, because of me, the earth will be baptised in human blood.
15. But right is king; and when the smoke is cleared away the nations will learn war no more; the Prince of Peace will come to reign.
16. Behold, the signs of what I say are in the sky; but men can see them not.
17. When men behold a cloud rise in the west they say, A shower of rain will come, and so it does; and when the wind blows from the south they say, The weather will be hot; and it is so.
18. Lo, men can read the signs of earth and sky, but they cannot discern the signs of Holy Breath; but you shall know.
19. The storm of wrath comes on; the carnal man will seek a cause to hale you into court, and cast you into prison cells.
20. And when these times shall come let wisdom guide; do not resent. Resentment makes more strong the wrath of evil men.
21. There is a little sense of justice and of mercy in the vilest men of earth.
22. By taking heed to what you do and say and trusting in the guidance of the Holy Breath, you may inspire this sense to grow.
23. You thus may make the wrath of men to praise the Lord.
24. The Christines went their way, and came unto Bethsaida and taught.
Chapter 114
A great storm on the sea destroys many lives. Jesus makes an appeal for aid, and the people give with a generous hand. In answer to a lawyer's question, Jesus gives the philosophy of disasters.
1. As Jesus taught, a man stood forth and said, Rabboni, may I speak?
2. And Jesus said, Say on. And then the man spoke out and said,
3. A storm upon the sea last night wrecked many fishing boats, and scores of men went down to death, and lo, their wives and children are in need;
4. What can be done to help them in their sore distress?
5. And Jesus said, A worthy plea. You men of Galilee, take heed. We may not bring again to live these men, but we can succour those who looked to them for daily bread.
6. You stewards of the wealth of God, an opportunity has come; unlock your vaults; bring forth your hoarded gold; bestow it with a lavish hand.
7. This wealth was laid aside for just times as these; when it was needed not, lo, it was yours to guard;
8. But now it is not yours, for it belongs to those who are in want, and if you give it not you simply bring upon your heads the wrath of God.
9. It is not charity to give to those who need; it is but honesty; it is but giving men their own.
10. Then Jesus turned to Judas, one of the twelve, who was the treasurer of the band, and said,
11. Bring forth our treasure box; the money is not ours now; turn every farthing to the help of those in such distress.
12. Now, Judas did not wish to give the money all to those in want, and so he talked with Peter, James and John.
13. He said, Lo, I will save a certain part and give the rest; that surely is enough for us, for we are strangers to the ones in want; we do not even know their names.
14. But Peter said, Why, Judas, man, how do you dare to think to trifle with the strength of right?
15. The Lord has spoken true; this wealth does not belong to us in face of this distress, and to refuse to give it is to steal.
16. You need not fear; we will not come to want.
17. Then Judas opened up the treasure box and gave the money all.
18. And there was gold and silver, food, and raiment in abundance for the needs of the bereaved.
19. A lawyer said, Rabboni, if God rules the worlds and all that in them is, did he not bring about this storm? did he not slay these men?
20. Has he not brought this sore distress upon these people here? and was it done to punish them for crimes?
21. And we remember well when once a band of earnest Jews from Galilee were in Jerusalem, and ata feast and were, for fancied crimes against the Roman law,
22. Cut down within the very temple court by Pontius Pilate; and their blood became their sacrifice. 23 Did God bring on this slaughter all because these men were doubly vile?
24. And then we bring to mind that once a tower called Siloam, graced the defences of Jerusalem, and, seemingly, without a cause it tottered and it fell to earth and eighteen men were killed.
25. Were these men vile? and were they slain as punishment for some great crime?
26. And Jesus said, We cannot look upon a single span of life and judge of anything.
27. There is a law that men must recognise: Result depends on cause.
28. Men are not motes to float about within the air of one short life, and then be lost in nothingness.
29. They are undying parts of the eternal whole that come and go, lo, many times into the air of earth and of the great beyond, just to unfold the God-like self.
30. A cause may be a part of one brief life; results may not be noted till another life.
31. The cause of your results cannot be found within my life, nor can the cause of my results be found in yours.
32. I cannot reap except I sow and I must reap whate'er I sow,
33. The law of all eternities is known to master minds:
34. Whatever men do unto other men the judge and executioner will do to them.
35. We do not note the execution of this law among the sons of men.
36. We note the weak dishonoured, trampled on and slain by those men call the strong.
37. We note that men with woodlike heads are seated in the chairs of state;
38. Are kings and judges, senators and priests, while men with giant intellects are scavengers about the streets.
39. We note that women with a moiety of common sense, and not a whit of any other kind, are painted up and dressed as queens,
40. Becoming ladies of the courts of puppet kings, because they have the form of something beautiful; while God'd own daughters are their slaves, or serve as common labourers in the field.
41. The sense of justice cries aloud: This is a travesty on right.
42. So when men see no further than one little span of life it is no wonder that they say, There is no God, or if there is a God he is a tyrant and should die.
43. If you would judge aright of human life, you must arise and stand upon the crest of time and note the thoughts and deeds of men as they have come up through the ages past;
44. For we must know that man is not a creature made of clay to turn again to clay and disappear.
45. He is a part of the eternal whole. There never was a time when he was not; a time will never come when he will not exist.
46. And now we look; the men who now are slaves were tyrants once; the men who now are tyrants have been slaves.
47. The men who suffer now once stood aloft and shouted with a fiend's delight while others suffered at their hands.
48. And men are sick, and halt, and lame, and blind because they once transgressed the laws of perfect life, and every law of God must be fulfilled.
49. Man may escape the punishment that seems but due for his mis-doings in this life; but every deed and word and thought has its own metes and bounds,
50. Is cause, and has its own results, and if a wrong be done, the doer of the wrong must make it right.
51. And when the wrongs have all been righted then will man arise and be at one with God.
Chapter 115
Jesus teaches by the sea. He relates the parable of the sower. Tells why he teaches in parables. Explains the parable of the sower. Relates the parable of the wheat and tares.
1. And Jesus stood beside the sea and taught; the multitudes pressed close upon him and he went into a boat that was near by and put a little ways from shore, and then he spoke in parables; he said,
2. Behold, a sower took his seed and went into his field to sow.
3. With lavish hand he scattered forth the seed and some fell in the hardened paths that men had made,
4. And soon were crushed beneath the feet of other men; and birds came down and carried all the seeds away.
5. Some seed fell on rocky ground where there was little soil; they grew and soon the blades appeared and promised much;
6. But then there was no depth of soil, no chance for nourishment, and in the heat of noonday sun they withered up and died.
7. Some seed fell where thistles grew, and found no earth in which to grow and they were lost;
8. But other seed found lodgement in the rich and tender soil and grew apace, and in the harvest it was found that some brought forth a hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.
9. They who have ears to hear may hear; they who hearts to understand may know.
10. Now, his disciples were beside him in the boat, and Thomas asked, Why do you speak in parables?
11. And Jesus said, My words, like every master's words, are dual in their sense.
12. To you who know the language of the soul, my words have meanings far too deep for other men to comprehend.
13. The other sense of what I say is all the multitude can understand; these words are food for them; the inner thoughts are food for you.
14. Let every one reach forth and take the food that he is ready to receive.
15. And then he spoke that all might hear; he said, Hear you the meaning of the parable:
16. Men hear my words and understand them not, and then the carnal self purloins the seed, and not a sign of spirit life appears.
17. This is the seed that fell within the beaten paths of men.
18. And others hear the words of life, and with a fiery zeal receive them all; they seem to comprehend the truth and promise well;
19. But troubles come; discouragements arise; there is no depth of thought; their good intentions wither up and die.
20. These are the seeds that fell in stony ground.
21. And others hear the words of truth and seem to know their worth; but love of pleasure, reputation, wealth and fame fill all the soil; the seeds are nourished not and they are lost.
22. These are the seeds that fell among the thistles and the thorns.
23. But others hear the words of truth and comprehend them well; they sink down deep into their souls; they live the holy life and all the world is blest.
24. These are the seeds that fell in fertile soil, that brought forth fruit abundantly.
25. You men of Galilee, take heed to how you hear and how you cultivate your fields; for if you slight the offers of this day, the sower may not come to you again in this or in the age to come.
26. Then Jesus spoke another parable; he said:
27. Then kingdom I may liken to a field in which a man sowed precious seed;
28. But while he slept an evil one went forth and sowed a measure full of darnel seed; then went his way.
29. The soil was good, and so the wheat and darnel grew; and when the servants saw the tares among the wheat, they found the owner of the field and said,
30. You surely sowed good seed; from whence these tares?
31. The owner said, Some evil one out has sown the seed of tares.
32. The servants said, Shall we go out and pull up by the roots the tares and burn them in the fire?
33. The owner said, No, that would not be well. The wheat and tares grow close together in the soil, and while you pull the tares you would destroy the wheat.
34. So we will let them grow together till the harvest time. Then to the reapers I will say,
35. Go forth and gather up the tares and bind them up and burn them in the fire, and gather all the wheat into my barns.
36. When he had spoken thus, he left the boat and went up to the house, and his disciples followed him.
Chapter 116
The Christines are in Philip's home. Jesus interprets the parable of the wheat and tares. He explains the unfoldment of the kingdom by parables: the good seed; the growth of the tree; the leaven; the hidden treasure. He goes to a mountain to pray.
1. The Christines were in Philip's home and Peter said to Jesus, Lord, will you explain to us the meaning of the parables you spoke to-day? The one about the wheat and tares, especially?
2. And Jesus said, God's kingdom is a duality; it has an outer and an inner form.
3. As seen by man it is composed of men, of those who make confession of the name of Christ.
4. For various reasons various people crowd this outer kingdom of our God.
5. The inner kingdom is the kingdom of the soul, the kingdom of the pure in heart.
6. The outer kingdom I may well explain in parables. Behold, for I have seen you cast a great net out into the sea,
7. And when you hauled it in, lo, it was full of every kind of fish, some good, some bad, some great, some small; and I have seen you save the good and throw the bad away.
8. This outer kingdom is the net, and every kind of man is caught; but in the sorting day the bad will all be cast away, the good reserved.
9. Hear, then, the meaning of the parable of the wheat and tares:
10. The sower is the son of man; the field, the world; the good seed are the children of the light; the tares, the children of the dark; the enemy, the carnal self; the harvest day, the closing of the age; the reapers are the messengers of God.
11. The reckoning day will come to every man; then will the tares be gathered up, and cast into the fire and be burned.
12. Then will the good shine forth as suns in the kingdom of the soul.
13. And Philip said, Must men and women suffer in the flames because they have not found the way of life?
14. And Jesus said, The fire purifies. The chemist throws into the fire the ores that hold all kinds of dross.
15. The useless metal seems to be consumed; but not a grain of gold is lost.
16. There is no man that has not in him gold that cannot be destroyed. The evil things of men are all consumed in fire; the gold survives.
17. The inner kingdom of the soul I may explain in parables:
18. The son of man goes forth and scatters seeds of truth; God waters well the soil; the seeds show life and grow; first comes the blade, and then the stalk, and then the ear, and then the full wheat in the ear.
19. The harvest comes and, lo, the reapers bear the ripened sheaves into the garner of the Lord.
20. Again, this kingdom of the soul is like a little seed that men may plant in fertile soil.
21. (A thousand of these seeds would scarcely be a shekel's weight.)
22. The tiny seed begins to grow; it pushes through the earth, and after years of growth it is a mighty tree and birds rest in its leafy bowers and men find refuge 'neath its sheltering boughs from sun and storm.
23. Again, the truth, the spirit of the kingdom of the soul, is like a ball of leaven that a woman hid in measures, three, of flour and in a little time the whole was leavened.
24. Again, the kingdom of the soul is like a treasure hidden in a field which one has found, and straightway goes his way and sells all that he has and buys the field.
25. When Jesus had thus said he went alone into a mountain pass near by to pray.
Chapter 117
A royal feast is held in Machaerus. John, the harbinger, is beheaded. His body is buried in Hebron. His disciples mourn. The Christines cross the sea in the night. Jesus calms a raging storm.
1. A royal feast was held in honour of the birthday of the tetrarch in fortified Machaerus, east of the Bitter Sea.
2. The tetrarch, Herod, and his wife, Herodias, together with Salome were there; and all the men and women of the royal court were there.
3. And when the feast was done, lo, all the guests and courtiers were drunk with wine; they danced and leaped about like children in their play.
4. Salome, daughter of Herodias, came in and danced before the king. The beauty of her form, her grace and winning ways entranced the silly Herod, then half drunk with wine.
5. He called the maiden to his side and said, Salome, you have won my heart, and you may ask and I will give you anything you wish.
6. The maiden ran in childish glee and told her mother what the ruler said.
7. Her mother said, Go back and say, Give me the head of John, the harbinger.
8. The maiden ran and told the ruler what she wished.
9. And Herod called his trusty executioner and said to him, Go to the tower and tell the keeper that by my authority you come to execute the prisoner known as John.
10. The man went forth and in a little while returned and on a platter bore the lifeless head of John, and Herod offered it unto the maiden in the presence of the guests.
11. The maiden stood aloof; her innocence was outraged when she saw the bloody gift, and she would touch it not.
12. Her mother, steeped and hardened well in crime, came up and took the head and held it up before the guests and said,
13. This is the fate of every man who dares to scorn, or criticise, the acts of him who reigns.
14. The drunken rabble gazed upon the gruesome sight with fiendish joy.
15. The head was taken back unto the tower. The body had been given unto holy men who had been friends of John; they placed it in a burial case and carried it away.
16. They bore it to the Jordan, which they crossed just at the ford where John first preached the word;
17. And through the passes of the Judean hills they carried it.
18. They reached the sacred grounds near Hebron, where the bodies of the parents of the harbinger lay in their tombs;
19. And there they buried it; and then they went their way.
20. Now, when the news reached Galilee that John was dead the people met to sing the sonnets of the dead.
21. And Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve took ship to cross the sea of Galilee.
22. A scribe, a faithful friend of John, stood by the sea; he called to Jesus and hesaid, Rabboni, let me follow where you go.
23. And Jesus said, You seek a safe retreat from evil men. There is no safety for your life with me;
24. For evil men will take my life as they have taken John's.
25. The foxes of the earth have safe retreats; the birds have nests secure among the hidden rocks, but I have not a place where I may lay my head and rest secure.
26. Then an apostle said, Lord, suffer me to tarry here a while, that I may take my father, who is dead, and lay him in the tomb.
27. But Jesus said, The dead can care for those who die; the living wait for those who live; come, follow me.
28. The evening came; three boats put out to sea and Jesus rested in the foremost boat; he slept.
29. A storm came on; the boats were tossed about like toys upon the sea.
30. The waters swept the decks; the hardy boatmen were afraid lest all be lost.
31. And Thomas found the master fast asleep; he called, and Jesus woke.
32. And Thomas said, Behold the storm! have you no care for us? The boats are going down.
33. And Jesus stood; he raised his hand; he talked unto the spirits of the winds and waves as men would talk with men.
34. And, lo, the winds blew not; the waves came tremblingly and kissed his feet; the sea was calm.
35. And then he said, You men of faith, where is your faith? for you can speak and winds and waves will hear and will obey.
36. And the disciples were amazed. They said, Who is this man that even winds and waves obey his voice?
Chapter 118
The Christines are in Gadara. Jesus casts a legion of unclean spirits out of a man. The spirits go into vicious animals which run into the sea, and are drowned. The people are in fear and request Jesus to leave their coast. With his disciples, he returns to Capernaum.
1. The morning came; the Christines landed in the country of the Geracenes.
2. They went to Gadara, chief city of the Peracans, and here for certain days they tarried and they taught.
3. Now, legends hold that Gadara is sacred to the dead, and all the hills about are known as holy ground.
4. These are the burial grounds of all the regions round about; the hills are full of tombs; and many dead from Galilee are here entombed.
5. Now, spirits of the lately dead that cannot rise to higher planes, remain about the tombs that hold the flesh and bones of what was once their mortal homes.
6. They sometimes take possession of the living, whom they torture in a hundred ways.
7. And all through Gadara were men obsessed, and there was no one strong enough to bring relief.
8. That they might meet these hidden foes and learn the way to dispossess the evil ones the master took the foreign masters and the twelve into the tombs.
9. And as they neared the gates they met a man obsessed. A legion of the unclean ones were in this man, and they had made him strong;
10. And none could bind him down, no, not with chains; for he could break the stoutest chains, and go his way.
11. Now, unclean spirits cannot live in light; they revel in the dark.
12. When Jesus came he brought the light of life, and all the evil spirits were disturbed.
13. The leader of the legion in the man called out, Thou Jesus, thou Immanuel, we beg that thou wilt not consign us to the depths. Torment us not before our time.
14. And Jesus said, What is your number and your name?
15. The evil spirit said, Our name is legion, and our number is the number of the beast.
16. And Jesus spoke; and with a voice that shook the very hills, he said, Come forth; possess this man no more.
17. Now, all the hills were filled with unclean animals that fed, and carried forth and spread the plague among the people of the land.
18. And when the evil spirits begged that they might not be driven forth without a home, the master said,
19. Go forth and take possession of the unclean quadrupeds.
20. And they, and all the evil spirits of the tombs went forth and took possession of the breeders of the plague,
21. Which, wild with rage, ran down the steeps into the sea, and all were drowned.
22. And all the land was freed of the contagion, and the unclean spirits came no more.
23. But when the people saw the mighty works that Jesus did they were alarmed. They said,
24. If he can free the country of the plague, and drive the unclean spirits out, he is a man of such transendent power that he can devastate our land at will.
25. And then they came and prayed that he would not remain in Gadara.
26. And Jesus did not tarry longer there, and with the other masters and the twelve, he went aboard the boats to go away.
27. The man who had been rescued from the unclean legion stood upon the shore and said, Lord let me go with you.
28. But Jesus said, It is not well; go forth unto your home and tell the news that men may know what man can do when he is tuned with God.
29. And then the man went forth through all Decapolis and told the news.
30. The Christines sailed away, re-crossed the sea and came again into Capernaum.
Chapter 119
The people of Capernaum welcome Jesus. Matthew gives a feast. The Pharisees rebuke Jesus for eating with sinners. He tells them that he is sent to save sinners. He gives lessons on fasting and on the philosophy of good and evil.
1. The news soon spread through all the land that Jesus was at home and then the people came in throngs to welcome him.
2. And Matthew, one of the twelve, a man of wealth, whose home was in Capernaum, spread forth a sumptuous feast, and Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve, and people of all shades of thought, were guests.
3. And when the Pharisees observed that Jesus sat and ate with publicans and those of ill repute they said,
4. For shame! This man who claims to be man of God, consorts with publicans and courtesans and with the common herd of men. For shame!
5. When Jesus knew their thoughts he said, They who are well cannot be healed; the pure need not be saved.
6. They who are well are whole; they who are pure are saved.
7. They who love justice and do right need not repent; I came not unto them, but to the sinner I am come.
8. A band of John's disciples who had heard that John was dead were wearing badges for their dead;
9. Were fasting and were praying in their hearts, which when the Pharisees observed they came to Jesus and they said,
10. Why fast the followers of John and your disciples do not fast?
11. And Jesus said, Lo, you are masters of the law; you ought to know; perhaps you will make known your knowledge to these men.
12. What are the benefits derived from fasts? The Pharisees were mute; they answered not.
13. Then Jesus said, The vital force of men depends on what they eat and drink.
14. Is spirit-life the stronger when the vital force is weak? Is sainthood reached by starving, self imposed?
15. A glutton is a sinner in the sight of God, and he is not a saint who makes himself a weakling and unfitted for the heavy tasks of life by scorning to make use of God's own means of strength.
16. Lo, John is dead, and his devoted followers are fasting in their grief.
17. Their love for him impels them on to show respect, for they have thought, and have been taught that it is sin to lightly treat the memory of the dead.
18. To them it is a sin, and it is well that they should fast.
19. When men defy their consciences and listen not to what they say, the heart is grieved and they become unfitted for the work of life; and thus they sin.
20. The conscience may be taught. One man may do in conscience what another cannot do.
21. What is a sin for me to do may not be sin for you to do. The place you occupy upon the way of life determines what is sin.
22. There is no changeless law of good; for good and evil both are judged by other things.
23. One man may fast and in his deep sincerity of heart is blest.
24. Another man may fast and in the faithlessness of such a task imposed is cursed.
25. You cannot make a bed to fit the form of every man. If you can make a bed to fit yourself you have done well.
26. Why should these men who follow me resort to fasting, or to anything that would impair their strength? They need it all to serve the race.
27. The time will come when God will let you have your way, and you will do to me what Herod did to John;
28. And in the awfulness of that sad hour these men will fast.
29. They who have ears to hear may hear; they who have hearts to feel may understand.
Chapter 120
Nicodemus is at the feast. He asks Jesus, Cannot the Christine religion be introduced more successfully by reforming the Jewish service? Jesus answers in the negative and gives his reasons. Jesus heals a woman with hemorrhages. Heals Jairus' daughter. Disappears when the people would worship him.
1. Now, Nicodemus, who once came to Jesus in the night to learn the way of life, was one among the guests.
2. And standing forth he said, Rabboni, it is true that Jewish laws and Jewish practices do not agree.
3. The priesthood needs to be reformed; the rulers should become more merciful and kind; the lawyers should become more just; the common people should not bear such loads.
4. But could we not gain these reforms and not destroy the service of the Jews?
5. Could you not harmonise your mighty work with that of Pharisee and scribe? Might not the priesthood be a benefit to your divine philosophy?
6. But Jesus said, You cannot put new wine in ancient skins, for when it purfies itself, lo, it expands; the ancient bottles cannot bear the strain; they burst, and all the wine is lost.
7. Men do not mend a worn-out garment with a piece of cloth unworn, which cannot yield to suit the fabric, weak with age, and then a greater rent appears.
8. Old wine may be preserved in ancient skins; but new wine calls for bottles new.
9. This spirit-truth I bring is to this generation new, and if we put it in the ancient skins of Jewish forms, lo, it will all be lost.
10. It must expand; the ancient bottles cannot yield and they would burst.
11. Behold the kingdom of the Christ! it is as old as God himself, and yet it is as new as morning sun; it only can contain the truth of God.
12. And as he spoke a ruler of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came in and bowed at Jesus' feet and said,
13. My master, hear my prayer! My child is very sick, I fear that she will die; but this I know that if you will but come and speak the Word my child will live.
14. (She was an only child, a girl twelve years of age.)
15. And Jesus tarried not; he went out with the man, and many people followed them.
16. And as they went a woman who had been plagued with hemorrhage for many years, had been a subject of experiment of doctors near and far, and all had said, She cannot live, rose from her bed and rushed out in the way as Jesus passed.
17. She said within herself, If I can touch his garment, then I know I will be well.
18. She touched him, and at once the bleeding ceased and she was well.
19. And Jesus felt that healing power had gone from him, and speaking to the multitude, he said,
20. Who was it touched my coat?
21. And Peter said, No one can tell; the multitudes are pressing you; a score of people may have touched your coat.
22. But Jesus said, Some one in faith, with healing thought, did touch my coat, for healing virtues have gone forth from me.
23. And when the woman knew that what she did was known, she came and knelt at Jesus' feet and told it all.
24. And Jesus said, Your faith has made you whole, go on your way in peace.
25. Now, as he spoke, a servant from the home of Jairus came and said, My master, Jairus, trouble not the Lord to come; your child is dead.
26. But Jesus said, Jairus, man of faith, do not permit your faith to waver in this trying hour.
27. What is it that the servant said? The child is dead? Lo, what is death?
28. It is the passing of the soul out of the house of flesh.
29. Man is the master of the soul and of its house. When man has risen up from doubt and fear, lo, he can cleanse the empty house and bring the tenant back again.
30. Then taking with him Peter, James and John, Jairus and the mother of the child, he went into the chamber of the dead.
31. And when the doors were closed against the multitude, he spoke a word that souls can understand, and then he took the maiden by the hand and said,
32. Talith cumi, child, arise! The maiden's soul returned and she arose and asked for food.
33. And all the people of the city were amazed, and many would have worshipped Jesus as a God.
34. But, like a phantom of the night, he disappeared and went his way.
Chapter 121
The Christines are in Nazareth. Miriam sings a Christine song of praise. Jesus teaches in the synagogue. He heals a dumb man who is obsessed. The people do not believe in him. The Pharisees call him a tool of Beelzebul. The Christines go to Cana.
1. It was a gala day in Nazareth. The people there had met with one accord to celebrate some great event.
2. And Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve, and Mary, mother of the Lord, and Miriam were there.
3. And when the people were assembled in the great hall of the town, the graceful singer, Miriam, stood and sang a song of praise.
4. But few of all the multitude knew who the singer was; but instantly she won all hearts.
5. For many days she sang the songs of Israel, and then she went her way.
6. The Sabbath came and Jesus went into the synagogue. He took the book of Psalms and read:
7. Blest is the man who puts his trust in God, respecting not the proud nor such as turn aside to lies.
8. O lord, my God, the works that thou hast done for us are wonderful; and many are thy thoughts for us; we cannot count them all,
9. Thou dost not call for sacrifice, nor offerings of blood; burnt offerings and offerings for sin thou dost not want;
10. And lo, I come to do thy will, O God, thy law is in my heart,
11. And I have preached the word of righteousness and peace unto the thronging multitudes; I have declared the counsel of my God in full.
12. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and grace.
13. I have not kept thy loving-kindness and thy truth away from men; I have declared them to the multitudes.
14. O Lord, make wide my lips that I may tell thy praise; I do not bring the sacrifice of blood, nor yet burnt offerings for sin.
15. The sacrifices I would bring to thee, O God, are purity in life, a contrite heart, a spirit full of faith and love, and these thou wilt receive.
16. And when he had thus read, he gave the book back to the keeper of the books, and then he said,
17. Upon these ends of earth these messages of God have come.
18. Our people have exalted sacrificial rites and have neglected mercy, justice and the rights of men.
19. You Pharisees, you priests, you scribes, your God surfeited with blood; God does not heed your prayers; you stand before your burning victims; but you stand in vain.
20. Turn you unto the testimonies of the law; reform and turn to God, and you shall live.
21. Let not your altars be accursed again with smoke of innocence.
22. Bring unto God as sacrifice a broken and a contrite heart.
23. Lift from your fellow men the burdens that you have imposed.
24. And if you hearken not, and if you turn not from your evil ways, lo, God will smite this nation with a curse.
25. And when he had thus said he stood aside, and all the people were astonished, and they said,
26. Where did this man get all his knowledge and his power? From whence did all this wisdom come?
27. Is not this Mary's son, whose home is out on Marmion Way?
28. Are not his brothers, Jude and James and Simon, known among our honoured men? Are not his sisters with us here?
29. But they were all offended by the words he spoke.
30. And Jesus said, A prophet has no honour in his native land; he is not well received among his kin; his foes are in his home.
31. And Jesus wrought not many mighty works in Nazareth, because the people had no faith in him. He did not tarry long.
32. But as he passed from thence two blind men followed him and cried, Thou son of David, hear! Have mercy, Lord, and open up our eyes that we may see.
33. And Jesus said, Do you believe that I can open up your eyes and make you see?
34. They said, Yea, Lord, we know that if you speak the Word then we can see.
35. And Jesus touched their eyes and spoke the Word; he said, According to your faith so will it be.
36. And they were blest; they opened up their eyes and saw.
37. And Jesus said, Tell not this thing to any one.
38. But they went forth and told the news through all the land.
39. As Jesus walked along the way a man who was obsessed, and who was dumb, was brought to him.
40. And Jesus spoke the Word; the unclean spirit came out of the man; his tongue was loosed; he spoke; he said, Praise God.
41. The people were amazed; They said, This is a mighty deed; we never saw that done before.
42. The Pharisees were also much amazed; but they cried out and said,
43. You men of Israel, take heed; this Jesus is atool of Beelzebul; he heals the sick and casts the spirits out in Satan's name.
44. But Jesus answered not; he went his way.
45. And with the foreign masters and the twelve he went up to the town where he once turned the water into wine, and tarried certain days.
Chapter 122
The Christines spend seven days in prayer. Jesus gives his charge to the twelve and sends them forth on their apostolic ministry, with instructions to meet him in Capernaum.
1. The Christines prayed in silence seven days; then Jesus called the twelve aside and said,
2. Behold, the multitudes have thronged about us everywhere; the people are bewildered; they wander here and there like sheep without a fold.
3. They need a shepherd's care; they want a loving hand to lead them to the light.
4. The grain is ripe; the harvest is abundant, but the harvesters are few.
5. The time is also ripe, and you must go alone through all the villages and towns of Galilee and teach and heal.
6. And then he breathed upon the twelve and said, Receive the Holy Breath.
7. And then he gave them each the Word of power, and said, By this Omnific Word you shall cast spirits out, shall heal the sick and bring the dead to life again.
8. And you shall go not in the way of the Assyrians, nor Greek; you shall not go into Samaria; go only to your brethren of the scattered tribes.
9. And as you go proclaim, The kingdom of Christ has come.
10. You have abundantly received, and freely you shall give.
11. But you must go in faith; provide yourselves no crutch to lean upon.
12. Give all your gold and silver to the poor; take not two coats, nor extra shoes; just take your wands.
13. You are God's husbandmen and he will never suffer you to want.
14. In every place you go search out the men of faith; with them abide until you go from hence.
15. You go for me; you act for me. They who receive and welcome you, receive and welcome me;
16. And they who shut their doors against your face, refuse to welcome me.
17. If you are not received in kindness in a town, bear not away an evil thought; do not resist.
18. An evil thought of any kind will do you harm; will dissipate your power.
19. When you are not received with favour, go your way, for there are multitudes of men who want the light.
20. Behold, I send you forth as sheep among a pack of wolves; and you must be as wise as serpents and as harmless as the doves.
21. In all your language be discreet, for Pharisees and scribes will seek a cause for your arrest in what you say.
22. And they will surely find a way by charges false to bring you into court.
23. And judges will declare that you are guilty of some crime, and sentence you to scourgings and to prison cells.
24. But when you come to stand before the judge, be not afraid; be not disturbed about the way to act, the words to speak.
25. The Holy Breath will guide you in that hour, and give the words that you shall speak.
26. Of this be full assured; It is not you who speaks; it is the Holy Breath that gives the words and moves the lips.
27. The gospel that you preach will not bring peace, but it will stir the multitudes to wrath.
28. The carnal man abhors the truth, and he would give his life to crush the tender plant before the harvest time.
29. And this will bring confusion in the homes that were the homes of stagnant peace.
30. And brother will give brother up to death; the father will stand by and see men execute his child; and in the courts the child will testify against the sire, and gladly see its mother put to death.
31. And men will hate you just because you speak the name of Christ.
32. Thrice blessed is the man who shall be faithful in this coming day of wrath!
33. Go now; when you are persecuted in a place, go seek another place.
34. And when you meet a foe too great for you, behold, the son of man is at your door, and he can speak, and all the hosts of heaven will stand in your defence.
35. But do not hold your present life in great esteem.
36. The time will come when men will take my life; you need not hope to be immune, for they will slay you in the name of God.
37. Men call me Beelzebul and they will call you imps.
38. Be not afraid of what men say and do; they have no power over soul; they may abuse and may destroy the body of the flesh; but that is all.
39. They do not know the God who holds the issues of the soul within his hands, who can destroy the soul.
40. The Christ is king to-day, and men must recognise his power.
41. He who loves not the Christ, which is the love of God, before all else, can never gain the prize of spirit consciousness.
42. and they who love their parents or their children more than they love the Christ can never wear the name of Christ.
43. And he who loves his life more than he loves the Christ cannot please God.
44. And he who clings to life shall lose his life, while he who gives his life for Christ will save his life.
45. When Jesus had thus said he sent the twelve away by twos, and bade them meet him in Capernaum.
46. And they went out through all the towns of Galilee and taught and healed in spirit and in power.
Chapter 123
Jesus gives his final charge to the foreign masters and sends them forth as apostles to the world. He goes alone to Tyre and abides in Rachel's home. Heals an obsessed child. Goes to Sidon and then to the mountains of Lebanon. Visits Mount Hermon, Caesarea-Philippi, Decapolis, Gadara and returns to Capernaum. Receives the twelve, who give an account of their work.
1. The Christine master spent a time in prayer and then he called the foreign masters, and he said to them,
2. Behold, I sent the twelve apostles unto Israel, but you are sent to all the world.
3. Our God is one, is Spirit, and is truth, and every man is dear to him.
4. He is the God of every child of India, and the farther east; of Persia, and the farther north; of Greece and Rome and of the farther west; of Egypt and the farther south, and of the mighty lands across the seas, and of the islands of the seas.
5. If God would send the bread of life to one and not to all who have arisen to the consciousness of life and can receive the bread of life, then he would be unjust and that would shake the very throne of heaven.
6. So he has called you from the seven centres of the world, and he has breathed the breath of wisdom and of power into your souls, and now he sends you forth as bearers of the light of life, apostles of the human race.
7. Go on your way, and as you go proclaim the gospel of the Christ.
8. And then he breathed upon the masters and he said, Receive the Holy Breath; and then he gave to each the Word of power.
9. And each went on his way, and every land was blest.
10. Then Jesus went alone across the hills of Galilee and after certain days he reached the coast of Tyre, and in the home of Rachel he abode.
11. He did not advertise his coming for he did not come to teach; he would commune with God where he could see the waters of the Mighty Sea.
12. But Rachel told the news and multitudes of people thronged her home to see the Lord.
13. A Grecian woman of Phenecia came; her daughter was obsessed. She said,
14. O Lord, have mercy on my home! My daughter is obsessed; but this I know, if you will speak the Word she will be free. Thou son of David, hear my prayer!
15. But Rachel said, Good woman, trouble not the Lord. He did not come to Tyre to heal; he came to talk with God beside the sea.
16. And Jesus said, Lo, I was sent not to the Greek, nor to Syro-phenicians; I come just to my people, Israel.
17. And then the woman fell down at his feet and said, Lord, Jesus, I implore that you will save my child.
18. And Jesus said, You know the common proverb well: It is not meet that one should give the children's bread to dogs.
19. And then the woman said, Yea, Jesus, this I know, but dogs may eat the crumbs that fall down from their master's board.
20. And Jesus said, Such faith I have not seen, no, not among the Jews; she is not serf, nor dog.
21. And then he said to her, According to your faith so let it be.
22. The woman went her way and when she came unto her child, lo, she was healed.
23. And Jesus tarried many days in Tyre; and then he went his way and dwelt a time in Sidon by the sea.
24. And then he journeyed on. In Lebanon hills and vales, and in its groves he walked in silent thought.
25. His earthly mission fast was drawing to a close; he sought for strength, and what he sought he found.
26. Mount Hermon stood beyond, and Jesus fain would kneel beside that mountian famed in Hebrew song.
27. And then he stood upon Mount Hermon's lofty peaks, and lifting up his eyes to heaven he talked with God.
28. And masters of the olden times revealed themselves and long they talked about the kingdom of the Christ;
29. about the mighty works that had been done; about the coming conquest of the cross; about the victory over death.
30. Then Jesus journeyed on; he went to Caesarea-Philippi, and in Susanna's home he tarried certain days.
31. And then he went through all Decapolis to give encouragement to those who knew him as the Christ, and to prepare them for the day of Calvary.
32. And then he went to Gadara, and many friends were there, to welcome him.
33. And Chuzas steward of the house of Herod Antipas, was there, and Jesus went aboard the royal ship with him and crossed the sea, and came unto Capernaum.
34. And when the people knew that Jesus was at home they came to welcome him.
35. In just a little while the twelve apostles came and told the master all about their journey over Galilee.
36. They said that by the sacred Word they had done many mighty works; and Jesus said to them, Well done.