44 36. THE PARALYTIC FORGIVEN. A ND when he entered again into Capernaum after some days, it came to pass The Paralytic Forgiven. on one of those days that he was teaching. Matt. 9: 2-8. And it was noised that he was in the house. Mark 2: 1-12. And there were Pharisees and doctors of the Luke 5: 17-26. law sitting by, who were come out of every village of Galilee and Judæa and Jerusalem: and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, no, not even about the door; and he spake the word unto them. And behold, men brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed, borne of four; and they sought to bring him in, and to lay him before him. And when they could not come nigh him for the crowd, they went up to the house-top, and uncovered the roof where he was; and when they had broken it up they let down the bed whereon the sick of the palsy lay, through the tiles, into the midst before Jesus. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Man, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee. And behold, certain of the scribes and Pharisees sitting there began to reason within themselves, saying, Why doth this man thus speak? He blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins but God alone? And straightway Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, answered and said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? Wherefore think ye evil? Whether is easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins are forgiven thee, or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath authority on earth to forgive sins, (he said to the sick of the palsy) I say unto thee, Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thy house. And immediately he rose up, and straightway took up the bed whereon he lay, and went forth before them all, and departed to his house glorifying God. And amazement took hold on all, and when the multitudes saw it they glorified A FEAST AT JERUSALEM; BETHESDA. 45 God, who had given such power unto men; and they were filled with fear, saying, We have seen strange things to-day; we never saw it on this fashion. 37. Matthew Levi Matt. 9: 9. Mark 2: 13. 14. A ND after these things, as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a publican named Levi, the son of Alpheus, called Matthew, sitting at the place of toll; and said unto him, Follow me. And he forsook all, and arose and followed him. And he went forth again by the seaside; and all the multitudes resorted unto him, and he taught them. Luke 5: 27, 28. 38. at Jerusalem; A FTER these things there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jeru salem, Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a multitude of them that were sick, blind, halt, withered. And a certain man was there, who had been thirty and eight years in his infirmity. When Jesus saw him lying, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wouldest thou be made whole? The sick man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Arise, take up thy bed, and walk. And straightway the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked. Now it was the sabbath on that day. So the Jews said unto him that was cured, It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed. But he answered them, He that made me whole, the same said unto me, Take up thy bed, and walk. They asked him, Who is the man that said unto thee, Take up thy bed, and walk? But he that was 46 A FEAST AT JERUSALEM; BETHESDA. healed knew not who it was: for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a multitude being in the place. Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee. The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole. And for this cause did the Jews persecute Jesus, because he did these things on the sabbath. But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh even until now, and I work. For this cause therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only brake the sabbath, but also called God his own Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth and greater works than these will he shew him, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son also quickeneth whom he will. For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son; that all may honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father who sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son also to have life in himself: and he gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the : A FEAST AT JERUSALEM; BETHESDA. 47 tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment. I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous: because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true, there is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness unto the truth. But the witness which I receive is not from man: howbeit I say these things, that ye may be saved. He was the lamp that burneth and shineth and ye were willing to rejoice for a season in his light. But the witness which I have is greater than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father who sent me, he hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life: and these are they which bear witness of me; and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life. I receive not glory from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in yourselves. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, who receive glory one of another, and the glory that cometh from the only God ye seek not? Think not that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, on whom ye have set your hope. For if ye believed Moses, ye would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? 48 39. Sabbath Lessons. Matt. 12: 1-21. Mark 2: 233: 6. Luke 6: 1-II. A SABBATH LESSONS. T that season it came to pass that Jesus was going on the sabbath day through the cornfields; and his disciples were an hungered, and began as they went to pluck ears of corn and to eat, rubbing them in their hands. But certain of the Pharisees when they saw it, said unto him, Behold why do thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath? But Jesus said unto them, Have ye never read even this, what David did when he had need and was an hungered, and they that were with him; how he entered into the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests, and gave also to them that were with him? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless? But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath so that the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath. And he departed thence, and it came to pass on another sabbath that he entered again into their synagogue and taught. And there was a man there who had his right hand withered. And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might find how to accuse him. But he knew their thoughts; and he said to the man that had his hand withered, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? And Jesus said to them, I ask you, Is it lawful on the sabbath to do good or to do harm? to save a life or to destroy it? What man shall there be of you, that shall have one sheep, The Man with the Withered Hand. |