Map of our Savi.m.'.s 'ITavels clurin- the second more public \ ear of his Ministry.
the cure with a profanation of the day, and thus drew from Jesus a public vindication of his mission and an exposure of their inconsistency (John v, 1-47). As he was preparing to return to Galilee, on the Sabbath ensu- ing the Paschal week (Saturday, April 19, A.D. 27), his disciples chanced to pluck, as strangers were privileged to do (Deut. xxiii, 25), a few of the ripe heads from the standing barley, through which they were at the time passing, in order to allay their hunger; and this being captiously alleged by some Pharisee by-standers as a fresh violation of the sacred day, Jesus took occasion to rebuke their over-scrupulousness as being confuted by the example of David (1 Sam. xxi, 1-6), the practice of the priests themselves (Numb, xxviii, 9-19), and the tenor of Scripture (Hos. vi, G; compare 1 Sam. xv, 22), and, at the same time, to point out the true design of the Sabbath (q. v.), namely, man's own benefit (Matt, xii, 1-8, and parallels). On an ensuing Sabbath (prob, Saturday, April 26, A.D. 27), entering the synagogue (apiiarontly of Capernaum), he once more excited the same odium by curing a man whose right hand was paKicd; but his opponents, who had been watching the (ippdri unity, were silenced by his appeal to the philan- tliropy of the act, yet the}' thenceforth began to plot his destruction (jMark iii, 1-6, and parallels). Ketiring to the Sea of Galilee, he addressed the multitudes who thronged here from all quarters, and curetl the sick and (hemoniacs among them (Mark iii, 7-12; ^latt. xii, 17- 21, and parallels). After a night spent in prayer on a
j mountain in the vicinity,- he now chose twelve persons from among his followers to be his constant attendants and future witnesses to his career (Luke vi, 12-16, and parallels). See Apostle. Then, descending to a par- tial plain, he cured the diseased aiiKnig tlio assembled multitude (Luke vi, 17-19), and, scatiiii; himself upon an eminence, he proceeded to deliver bis memorable sermon exhibiting the spirituality of the Gospel in opposition to the formalism of the prevalent theology (Matt, v, 1- 12; Luke vi, 24-26; Matt, v, 17-24, 27-30, 33-48; vi,
^ 1-8, 16-18 ; vii, 1-5, 12, 15-18, 20, 21, 24-27 ; viii, 1, and parallel passages ; prob. jMay, A.D. 27). See Sermon ox THE Mount. On his return to Capernaum, Jesus, at the instance of the Jewish elders, cured the son of a modest and pious centurion, who, although a Gentile, had built the village synagogue, and whose faith in the power of Jesus to restore by his mere word tlie distant invalid excited the liveliest interest in the mind of Je- sus himself (Luke vii, 1-10, and parallel). The ensuing day, passing near Nain, he met a large procession issu- ing from the village for the interment of the only son of
j a widow, and, commiserating her double bereavement, he restored the youth instantly to life, to the astonish- ment of the beholders (Luke vii, 11-17). John the Bap- tist, hearing while in prison of these miracles, sent two messengers to Jesus to obtain more ex)ilicit assurance from his own lips as to the ^Mossinli, which he seemed so slow plainly to avow; but, insicul nf rcluniiiig a di- rect answer, Jesus proceeded t<i iHiLnni additiciiial mira- cles in their presence, and then referred them to the Scripture prophecies (Isa. Ixi, 1 ; xxxv,5,6) of these dis- tinctive marks of the Messianic age; but as soon as the messengers had departed, he eulogized the character of John, altliough the introducer of an wra less favored than tlie ])eriod of Jesus himself, and concluded by se- vere denunciations of the cities (especially Caiicniaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida) which had continued impeni- tent under his own preaching (Luke vii, 18 ;!.'); :Matt. xi, 20-24 ; and parallels). About this time, a Pharisee invited him one day to dine with him, but, while he was reclining at the table, a female notorious for her immo- rality came |)eiHtently behind him and bedewed with her tears Ids unsandaled feet extended beyond the couch, then wiped them with her hair, and finally affectionate- ly anointed them with ointment brought for that pur- pose, while the host scarcely restraineel his surprise that Jesus should suffer this familiarity ; but, in a pointed parable of two debtors released from ilisbimilar amounts,
JESUS CHRIST
891
JESUS CHRIST
Rmnsdfthc s\n,^Mjiu it K* i i/t li ( lioiazm^ Photogiaph 51 ol the ' Pale&mio J.xpioi \ti()n Pmul )
Jesus at once justified the love of the woman and re- buked the sordiduess of the host, who had Jieglccted these offices of respect, and then confirmed the woman's trembling hopes of pardon for her past sins (Luke vii, 36-50). He next set out on his second tour of Galilee (summer of A.D. 27"), accompanied by several grateful females who bore his expenses (Luke viii, 1-3). No sooner had he returned to Capernaum (jjrob. Oct. A.D. 27) than such crowds reassembled at his house that his friends sought to restrain what they deemed his exces- sive enthusiasm to address them, while the jealous hi- erarchy from Jerusalem, who were present, scrupled not to attribute to collusion with Satan the cure of a blind and dumb dcemoniac which he wrought. But, refuting this absurd cavil (since his act was directly in opposi- tion to diabolical influences), he denounced it as an un- pardonable crime against the Holy Spirit, who was the agent, and proceeded to characterize the rancor of heart that had prompted it ; then, after refusing to gratify the curiosity of one of his enemies, who interrupted him by demanding some celestial portent in confirmation of his claims (for he declared no further miracle should be granted to them except his eventual resurrection, which he compared to the restoration of Jonah from the maw of the fish), he contrasted the obduracy of the genera- tion that heard him with the penitence of the Ninevites and the eagerness of the queen of Sheba to listen to far inferior wisdom, and closed by comparing their aggra- vated condition to that of a relapsed d;emoniac (!Mark iii, 10-21; IMatt, xii, 22-45; and parallels). A woman present pronounced his mother happj' in having such a son, but he declared those rather happy who obeyed his teaching (Luke xi, 27). At that moment, being inform- ed of the approach of his relatives, and their inability to reach him through the crowd, he avowed his faithful followers to be dearer than his earthly kindred (Matt, xii, 4()-oO, and iiarallels). A Pharisee (q. v.) present in- vited him to dinner, but, on his evincing surprise that his guest did not perform the ablutions customary before eating, Jesus inveighed against the absurd and hypocrit- ical zeal of the sect concerning externals, while they neglected the essentials of piety; and when a devotee | of the law [see Lawyer] complained of the sweeping : character of these charges, he denounced the selfish and I ruinous casuistrj'of this class likewise vvith such severi- ty that the whole party determined to entraj) him, if possible, into some unguarded expression against the religious or civil power (Luke xi, 37-42, 44-46, 52-54, | and parallel). See Scribe. On his way home he con- I tinued to address the immense concourse, first against j the hypocrisy which he had just witnessed, and then — j taking occasion from the demand of a person jiresent j that he would use his authority to compel his brother [ to settle their father's estate witli him, wliicli he refused [ on the ground of its irrelevancy to his sacred functions I — he proceeded to discourse on the necessity and pro- | priety of trust in divine Providence for our temporal wants, illustrating Ibis (hity by the parablo of the sud- ;