CHAPTER 83.
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Levi
Jesus teaches the people of Sychar. Casts a wicked spirit out of one obsessed. Sends the spirit to its own place. Heals many people. The priests are disturbed by the presence of Jesus in Sychar, but he speaks to them and wins their favor.
In Sychar Jesus taught the people in the market place.
2 A man obsessed was brought to him. The wicked spirit that possessed the man was full of violence and lust, and often threw his victim to the ground.
3 And Jesus spoke aloud and said, Base spirit, loose your hold upon the vitals of this man, and go back to your own.
4 And then the spirit begged that he might go into the body of a dog that stood near by.
5 But Jesus said, Why harm the helpless dog? Its life is just as dear to it as mine to me.
6 It is not yours to throw the burden of your sin on any living thing.
7 By your own deeds and evil thoughts you have brought all these perils on yourself. You have hard problems to be solved; but you must solve them for yourself.
8 By thus obsessing man you make your own conditions doubly sad. Go back into your own domain; refrain from harming anything, and, by and by, you will, yourself, be free.
9 The wicked spirit left the man and went unto his own. The man looked up in thankfulness and said, Praise God.
10 And many of the people brought their sick, and Jesus spoke the Word, and they were healed.
11 The ruler of the synagogue, and all the priests were much disturbed when told that Jesus from Jerusalem was preaching in the town.
12 They thought that he had come to proselyte and stir up strife among Samaritans.
13 And so they sent an officer to bring him to the synagogue that he might give a reason for his presence in the town.
14 But Jesus said to him who came, Go back and tell the priests and ruler of the synagogue that I am not engaged in crime.
15 I come to bind up broken hearts, to heal the sick, and cast the evil spirits out of those obsessed.
16 Tell them, their prophets spoke of me; that I am come to break no law, but to fulfil the highest law.
17 The man returned and told the priests and ruler of the synagogue what Jesus said,
18 The ruler was amazed, and with the priests went to the market place where Jesus was.
19 And when he saw them, Jesus said, Behold the honored men of all Samaria! the men ordained to lead the people in the way of right.
20 And I am come to help, and not to hinder in their work.
21 There are two classes of the sons of men; they who would build the human race upon the sure foundation stones of justice, truth, equality and right,
22 And they who would destroy the holy temple where the Spirit dwells and bring their fellows down to beggary and crime.
23 The holy brotherhood of right must stand united in the stirring conflicts of the hour.
24 No matter whether they be Jews, Samaritans, Assyrians or Greeks, they must tramp down beneath their feet all strife, all discord, jealousy and hate, and demonstrate the brotherhood of man.
25 Then to the ruler of the synagogue he spoke: he said, United in the cause of right we stand; divided we will fall.
26 And then he took the ruler by the hand; a love light filled their souls; and all the people were amazed.