Jesus said unto them, "If ye were blind, ye would have no sin: but now ye say, "We see:" your sin remaineth."
THE GOOD SHEPHERD.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers."
This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Jesus therefore said unto them again, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep. He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf s.n.a.t.c.heth them, and scattereth them; he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me, even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice: and they shall become one flock, one shepherd. Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No one taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment received I from my Father."
There arose a division again among the Jews because of these words.
And many of them said, "He hath a demon, and is mad; why hear ye him?"
Others said, "These are not the sayings of one possessed with a demon.
Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"
JESUS AT THE FEAST OF DEDICATION.
And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem; it was winter; and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon"s porch. The Jews therefore came round about him, and said unto him, "How long dost thou hold us in suspense? If thou art the Christ, tell us plainly."
Jesus answered them, "I told you, and ye believe not; the works that I do in my Father"s name, these bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall s.n.a.t.c.h them out of my hand. My Father, who hath given them unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to s.n.a.t.c.h them out of the Father"s hand. I and the Father are one."
The Jews took up stones again to stone him.
Jesus answered them, "Many good works have I showed you from the Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?"
The Jews answered him, "For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself G.o.d."
Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, "I said, Ye are G.o.ds?" If he called them G.o.ds, unto whom the word of G.o.d came (and the scripture cannot be broken), say ye of him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, "Thou blasphemest;" because I said, "I am the Son of G.o.d?" If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."
They sought again to take him: and he went forth out of their hand.
RENEWED MINISTRY IN PEREA
JESUS AND THE PHARISEES.
And he went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was at the first baptizing; and there he abode. And many came unto him; and they said, "John indeed did no sign: but all things whatsoever John spake of this man were true." And many believed on him there.
Now a Pharisee asketh him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat. And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first bathed himself before dinner.
And the Lord said unto him, "Now ye the Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter; but your inward part is full of extortion and wickedness. Ye foolish ones, did not he that made the outside make the inside also? But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, all things are clean unto you."
And when he was come out from thence, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press upon him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things; laying wait for him, to catch something out of his mouth.
In the meantime, when the many thousands of the mult.i.tude were gathered together, insomuch that they trod one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, "Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. But there is nothing covered up, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known."
WARNING AGAINST COVETOUSNESS.
And one out of the mult.i.tude said unto him, "Teacher, bid my brother divide the inheritance with me."
But he said unto him, "Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?"
And he said unto them, "Take heed and keep yourselves from all covetousness: for a man"s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."
And he spake a parable unto them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully; and he reasoned within himself, saying, "What shall I do, because I have not where to bestow my fruits?" And he said, "This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, "Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, be merry."" But G.o.d said unto him, "Thou foolish one, this night is thy soul required of thee: and the things which thou hast prepared, whose shall they be?" So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward G.o.d."
THE FALL OF THE TOWER.
Now there were some present at that very season who told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered and said unto them, "Think ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they have suffered these things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all in like manner perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and killed them, think ye that they were offenders above all the men that dwell in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
And he spake this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit thereon, and found none. And he said unto the vinedresser, "Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why doth it also c.u.mber the ground." And he answering saith unto him, "Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: and if it bear fruit thenceforth, well; but if not, thou shalt cut it down.""
THE USES OF THE SABBATH.
And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the sabbath day. And behold, a woman that had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years; and she was bowed together, and could in no wise lift herself up. And when Jesus saw her, he called her, and said to her, "Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity."
And he laid his hands upon her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified G.o.d.
And the ruler of the synagogue, being moved with indignation because Jesus had healed on the sabbath, answered and said to the mult.i.tude, "There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the day of the sabbath."
But the Lord answered him and said, "Ye hypocrites, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his a.s.s from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound, lo, these eighteen years, to have been loosed from this bond on the day of the sabbath?"
And as he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame: and all the mult.i.tude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by him.
A QUESTION OF SALVATION.
And he went on his way through cities and villages, teaching, and journeying on unto Jerusalem. And one said unto him, "Lord, are they few that are saved?"
And he said unto them, "Strive to enter in by the narrow door: for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying, "Lord, open to us," and he shall answer and say to you, "I know you not whence ye are"; then shall ye begin to say, "We did eat and drink in thy presence, and thou didst teach in our streets"; and he shall say, "I tell you, I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity." There shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of G.o.d, and yourselves cast forth without.
And they shall come from the east and west, and from the north and south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of G.o.d. And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last."
A MESSAGE TO HEROD.
In that very hour there came certain Pharisees, saying to him, "Get thee out, and go hence: for Herod would fain kill thee."
And he said unto them, "Go and say to that fox, "Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I am perfected." Nevertheless I must go on my way to-day and to-morrow and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem."