What Jesus meant was this, "Think whether you will hold out to the end, if you would be among my followers. And think, too, whether you will dare to meet the hate and opposition that you must overcome in becoming my disciples." He went on with such words as these:
"Every true disciple of mine is like salt; and salt is good as long as it has its own salty taste. But if it loses its saltiness and becomes tasteless, is there any way to make it good salt again? It is of no use either for the land, nor even for the manure heap, but people throw it away as useless. So will it be with everyone who loses the salt of my life in himself. Now, do not let these words of mine go into one ear and out from the other. Listen, and think of what I have said!"
Seeking the Lost
CHAPTER 63
[Ill.u.s.tration: "But one was out on the hills away ... Away on the mountains wild and bare"]
THE PHARISEES were very careful to keep all the rules of the Jewish law, and were supposed to be very religious, because they prayed often in public places and went regularly to church. But Jesus saw that their religion was only pretended and not real, and would have nothing to do with them, except rebuke them for their sins. The scribes, who were the teachers of the law in the churches, expected Jesus to give them special honor. But both Pharisees and scribes were very angry when they found that Jesus paid them no attention, and was friendly with the tax-collectors whom all the Jews despised and hated. Jesus even allowed some to come near him who were outcasts, people who did not go to church and did not try to keep the rules of the Jews.
The Pharisees and the scribes said in great scorn of Jesus, "This man welcomes sinners, and even sits down at the table to eat with them!"
[Ill.u.s.tration: Searching for the lost silver-piece]
Jesus heard of their words, and answered them in the parable of "The Lost Sheep." He said:
"If one of you has a hundred sheep, and loses one of them, does he not leave the ninety and nine sheep in the sheepfold out in the fields, and go after the lost one until he finds it. When he has found it, he puts it on his shoulders with great joy and carries it home. And when he comes to his house, he calls together his neighbors and his friends, saying to them, "Come and be glad with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost."
"So I tell you, there is more joy in heaven over one outcast sinner who turns away from his sin to G.o.d, than over ninety-nine religious men who are good already and do not need to turn from sin."
A lady has written this parable in verses that have been set to music and sung many times. These are her verses:
THE NINETY AND NINE
There were ninety and nine that safely lay In the shelter of the fold, But one was out on the hills away, Far off from the gates of gold-- Away on the mountains wild and bare, Away from the tender Shepherd"s care.
"Lord, thou hast here thy ninety and nine; Are they not enough for thee?"
But the Shepherd made answer, ""Tis of mine Has wandered away from me; And although the road be rough and steep I go to the desert to find my sheep."
But none of the ransomed ever knew How deep were the waters crossed; Nor how dark was the night that the Lord pa.s.sed through Ere he found his sheep that was lost.
Out in the desert he heard its cry, Sick and helpless, and ready to die.
"Lord, whence are those blood drops all the way That mark out the mountain"s track?"
"They were shed for one who had gone astray Ere the Shepherd could bring him back."
"Lord, whence are thy hands so rent and torn?"
"They are pierced tonight by many a thorn."
But all through the mountains, thunder-riven, And up from the rocky steep, There arose a cry to the gate of heaven: "Rejoice! I have found my sheep!"
And the angels echoed around the throne, "Rejoice! for the Lord brings back his own!"
MRS. ELIZABETH C. CLEPHANE.
Jesus also gave to the people another parable, "The Lost Silver-piece."
He said:
"Or, if there is a woman who has ten silver coins, and loses one of them, what will she do? She will light her lamp, and sweep her house, and search carefully for her money, until she finds it. And when she finds it, she goes out and calls together her women-friends and neighbors, and says, "Come and rejoice with me, for I have found the silver-piece which I had lost."
"Even so, I tell you there is rejoicing among the angels of G.o.d over one sinner that turns to G.o.d."
It might be asked--why did the woman need to light a lamp when searching for her lost coin? In that land, the houses of the plain people have either no windows, or one window for the whole house, which is merely a hole in the wall. The rooms are dark, even at mid-day, and to look on the floor thoroughly, and especially in the corners, a lamp must be lighted and carried close to the floor.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Silver Denarius of Tiberius. (Penny, Matt. 18: 28, etc., 16 cents.)]
The Parable of the Lost Son Found
CHAPTER 64
YOU REMEMBER that the enemies of Jesus, the Pharisees and scribes, said of him, "He gives welcome to bad men, and eats at the table with them!"
Jesus in answer gave a parable or story to show how G.o.d welcomes a sinner who turns from his sin and seeks his heavenly Father. This is one of the most beautiful among all the parables of Jesus. It is called "The Prodigal Son." The word "prodigal" means one who spends his money, throwing it away in a careless manner; and this story is of a young man who spent all the money that his father gave him. Here is the parable:
"There was once a man," said Jesus, "who had two sons. The older son stayed at home and helped his father in the care of his farm, but the younger son was restless and wanted to go away. The young man said to his father:
""Father, give me now the share of what you own which will come to me after you die."
"So the father divided all that he had, his land, his vineyards, his olive orchards, his fig trees, his houses, his flocks of sheep and goats, and his money, into three equal parts. Two of these parts he kept for the older son; and the third part he gave to the younger son; for in that land it was the rule for the older son, as the head of the family, to receive twice as much as a younger son.
"After a few days, the young man sold out his share of the property for ready money, and then went away to a land far off, where he could live as he pleased. There he began to lead a foolish and wild life, feasting and drinking wine with worthless men and women. It did not take him many months to spend all his money and to be in great want. None of these people who had helped him in his pleasures were now ready to help him in his need. And what added to his trouble was that just then food became very scarce in that country and there was not bread enough for all the people.
[Ill.u.s.tration: "There in the open field among the grunting hogs sat this young man"]
"This young man was in want of everything. His clothes became rags, his shoes were worn out, and what was worse, he could get nothing to eat and was starving for the want of food. Never before had he done any work, but now, driven by hunger he went everywhere looking for something to do which would give him a mouthful of bread. At last he found a man who was willing to hire him. This man sent him out into his field to take care of his pigs and feed them. This was a work felt to be disgraceful, for no Jew would eat pig"s meat or in any way touch the vile animals. But even this work the poor young man was compelled to do rather than starve to death. In the field he was so hungry that he was ready to s.n.a.t.c.h up some of the bean-pods on which the pigs were feeding; and no one in that country cared for him or would even give him something to eat.
[Ill.u.s.tration: The father fell on his son"s neck]
"So there in the open field among the grunting hogs sat this young man, ragged, famished and almost ready to die. Suddenly the thought came to him of his father"s house, where once he had enjoyed plenty and lived at ease, waited upon by servants. He now saw how foolish, how ungrateful to a kind father, and how wicked he had been. It seemed to him as if he had been living in a dream, had now for the first time awaked and had come to his senses. He said to himself:
""Why, even the hired men on my father"s farm have more food than they can eat; and here I am almost dead with hunger! I will get up and will go to my father; and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against G.o.d in heaven and against you. I don"t deserve any more to be called your son; only make me one of your servants working for wages.""
"So the poor young man left the field and the pigs, and went back to his father"s house. There in the door sat his father waiting and watching for his wandering son. While the son was still a long distance away, the father saw him and knew him, barefoot and ragged as he was. He felt pity for his son, whose looks showed his utter misery, and ran to him, fell upon his neck, placed his arms around him and kissed him.
""Father," said the young man, "I have sinned against G.o.d in heaven and against you. I don"t deserve any more to be called your son--" But the father did not wait to hear him any further. He called out to the servants:
""Be quick, bring some new clothes, the very best in the house, and put them on him; bring a ring to place around his wrist and sandals for his feet; go pick out the fattest calf in the stall, and kill it for a feast! Let us all eat and have a happy time together. For this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and is found!"
"So they began to make merry. Now the older son was out in the field; and as he came near the house, he heard the sounds of music and dancing.
Wondering what was the cause of such gladness, he called to him one of the servants and asked what all this meant.
""Your brother has come home," answered the servant, "and your father has killed the fattest of the calves, and is having a feast, because he has him back safe and sound."
"This made the older son very angry. He would not go in to the supper, but stayed outside. His father came out and begged him to come in and give a welcome to his brother.