And Jesus said unto them, "Can ye make the sons of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come; and when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then will they fast in those days."
And he spake also a parable unto them: "No man rendeth a piece from a new garment and putteth it upon an old garment; else he will rend the new, and also the piece from the new will not agree with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old wine-skins; else the new wine will burst the skins, and itself will be spilled, and the skins will perish. But new wine must be put into fresh wine-skins. And no man having drunk old wine desireth new; for he saith, The old is good."
A SABBATH HEALING IN JERUSALEM.
After these things there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a mult.i.tude of them that were sick, blind, halt, withered. And a certain man was there, who had been thirty and eight years in his infirmity. When Jesus saw him lying, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, "Wouldest thou be made whole?"
The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me."
Jesus saith unto him, "Arise, take up thy bed, and walk."
And straightway the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked.
Now it was the sabbath on that day.
So the Jews said unto him that was cured, "It is the sabbath, and it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed."
But he answered them, "He that made me whole, the same said unto me, "Take up thy bed, and walk.""
They asked him, "Who is the man that said unto thee, "Take up thy bed, and walk"?"
But he that was healed knew not who it was; for Jesus had conveyed himself away, a mult.i.tude being in the place. Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, "Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee."
The man went away, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole. And for this cause the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did these things on the sabbath.
But Jesus answered them, "My Father worketh even until now, and I work."
For this cause therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only brake the sabbath, but also called G.o.d his own Father, making himself equal with G.o.d.
Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him all things that himself doeth: and greater works than these will he show him, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth the dead and giveth them life, even so the Son also giveth life to whom he will.
For neither doth the Father judge any man, but he hath given all judgment unto the Son; that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father that sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath pa.s.sed out of death into life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of G.o.d; and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the Son also to have life in himself: and he gave him authority to execute judgment, because he is a son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.
"I can of myself do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is righteous; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. It is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye have sent unto John, and he hath borne witness unto the truth. But the witness which I receive is not from man: howbeit I say these things, that ye may be saved. He was the lamp that burneth and shineth; and ye were willing to rejoice for a season in his light. But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father that sent me, he hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he sent, him ye believe not.
"Ye search the scriptures, because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me; and ye will not come to me, that ye may have life. I receive not glory from men.
But I know you, that ye have not the love of G.o.d in yourselves. I am come in my Father"s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, who receive glory one of another, and the glory that cometh from the only G.o.d ye seek not? Think not that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, on whom ye have set your hope. For if ye believed Moses, ye would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"
PLUCKING GRAIN ON THE SABBATH.
At that season Jesus went on the sabbath day through the grainfields; and his disciples were hungry and began to pluck ears and to eat, rubbing them in their hands.
But the Pharisees, when they saw it, said unto him, "Behold, thy disciples do that which it is not lawful to do upon the sabbath."
But he said unto them, "Have ye not read what David did, when he had need and was hungry, and they that were with him: how he entered into the house of G.o.d, and ate the s...o...b..ead, which it was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them that were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, that on the sabbath day the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are guiltless? But I say unto you, that one greater than the temple is here. But if ye had known what this meaneth, "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice," ye would not have condemned the guiltless."
And he said unto them, "The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: so that the Son of man is lord even of the sabbath."
MANY CALLED AND FEW CHOSEN
A MULt.i.tUDE OF DISCIPLES.
And the report of him went forth into all Syria: and they brought unto him all that were sick, holden with divers diseases and torments, possessed with demons, and epileptic, and palsied; and he healed them.
And Jesus with his disciples withdrew to the sea: and a great mult.i.tude from Galilee followed; and from Judaea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and beyond the Jordan, and about Tyre and Sidon, a great mult.i.tude, hearing what great things he did, came unto him.
And he spake to his disciples, that a little boat should wait on him because of the crowd, lest they should throng him: for he had healed many; insomuch that as many as had plagues pressed upon him that they might touch him: for power came forth from him, and healed them all.
And the unclean spirits, whensoever they beheld him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, "Thou art the Son of G.o.d."
And he charged them much that they should not make him known: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
"Behold my servant whom I have chosen; My beloved in whom my soul is well pleased; I will put my Spirit upon him, And he shall declare judgment to the Gentiles.
He shall not strive, nor cry aloud; Neither shall any one hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed shall he not break.
And smoking flax shall he not quench.
Till he send forth judgment unto victory.
And in his name shall the nations hope."
SELECTION OF THE TWELVE.
And it came to pa.s.s in these days, that he went out into the mountain to pray; and he continued all night in prayer to G.o.d. And when it was day, he called his disciples; and he chose from them twelve, that they might be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have authority to cast out demons.
Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: Simon, whom he surnamed Peter, and Andrew, his brother; James, the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, and them he surnamed Boanerges, which is sons of thunder; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon, who was called the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.
THE TEACHING OF THE KINGDOM
THE CITIZENS OF THE KINGDOM.
And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.