CHAPTER 121.
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Levi
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.
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 forth and sung 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 sung 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 is 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 honored 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 honor 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.