CHAPTER 103.
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Levi
The Christines in Jesus’ home. Jesus teaches the twelve and the foreign masters every morning. Jesus receives messengers from John, the harbinger, and sends him words of encouragement. He eulogizes the character of John.
The home of Jesus was a school where in the early morning hours the twelve apostles and the foreign priests were taught the secret things of God.
2 And there were present priests from China, India and from Babylon; from Persia, Egypt and from Greece,
3 Who came to sit at Jesus’ feet to learn the wisdom that he brought to men, that they might teach their people how to live the holy life.
4 And Jesus taught them how to teach; he told them of the trials of the way, and how to make these trials serve the race.
5 He taught them how to live the holy life that they might conquer death;
6 He taught them what the end of mortal life will be, when man has reached the consciousness that he and God are one.
7 The after midday hours were given to the multitudes who came to learn the way of life and to be healed; and many did believe and were baptized.
8 Now, in his prison by the Bitter Sea the harbinger had heard of all the mighty works that Jesus did.
9 His prison life was hard, and he was sore distressed, and he began to doubt.
10 And to himself he said, I wonder if this Jesus is the Christ of whom the prophets wrote!
11 Was I mistaken in my work? Was I, indeed, one sent from God to pave the way for him who shall redeem our people, Israel?
12 And then he sent some of his friends, who came to see him in his prison cell, up to Capernaum that they might learn about this man, and bring him word.
13 The men found Jesus in his home, and said, Behold the harbinger sent us to ask, Are you the Christ? or is he yet to come?
14 But Jesus answered not; he simply bade the men to tarry certain days that they might see and hear.
15 They saw him heal the sick, and cause the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the blind to see;
16 They saw him cast the evil spirits out of those obsessed; they saw him raise the dead.
17 They heard him preach the gospel to the poor.
18 Then Jesus said to them, Go on your way; return to John and tell him all that you have seen and heard; then he will know. They went their way.
19 The multitudes were there, and Jesus said to them, Once you were crowding Jordan’s fords; you filled the wilderness.
20 What did you go to see? The trees of Juda, and the flowers of Heth? Or did you go to see a man in kingly garb? Or did you go to see a prophet and a seer?
21 I tell you, men, you know not whom you saw. A prophet? Yea, and more; a messenger whom God had sent to pave the way for what you see and hear this day.
22 Among the men of earth a greater man has never lived than John.
23 Behold I say, This man whom Herod bound in chains and cast into a prison cell, is God’s Elijah come again to earth.
24 Elijah, who did not pass the gates of death, whose body of this flesh was changed, and he awoke in Paradise.
25 When John came forth and preached the gospel of repentance for the cleansing of the soul, the common folks believed and were baptized.
26 The lawyers and the Pharisees accepted not the teachings of this man; were not baptized.
27 Behold, neglected opportunities will never come again.
28 Behold, the people are unstable as the waters of the sea; they seek to be excused from righteousness.
29 John came and ate no bread, and drank no wine. He lived the simplest life apart from men, and people said, He is obsessed.
30 Another comes who eats and drinks and lives in homes like other men, and people say, He is a glutton, an inebriate, a friend of publicans and those who sin.
31 Woe unto you, you cities of the vale of Galilee, where all the mighty works of God are done! Woe to Chorazan and Bethsaida!
32 If half the mighty works that have been done in you were done in Tyre and in Sidon they would have long ago repented of their sins, and sought the way of right.
33 And when the judgment day shall come, lo, Tyre and Sidon will be called more worthy than will you,
34 Because they slighted not their gifts, while you have thrown away the pearl of greatest price.
35 Woe unto you Capernaum! Behold, you are exalted now, but you shall be abased;
36 For if the mighty works that have been done in you had but been done within the cities of the plain—of Sodom and Zeboim—they would have heard and turned to God; would not have been destroyed.
37 They perished in their ignorance; they had no light; but you have heard; you have the evidence.
38 The light of life has shown above your hills and all the shores of Galilee have been ablaze with light;
39 The glory of the Lord has shown in every street and synagogue and home; but you have spurned the light.