2-Morning

THE MORNING.

"Now we are here, my father," said a little ten-year old girl who was leading an elderly man by the hand. And when she had gone a few steps farther, she cried out: "How fortunate we are to find the seat in front of the house still unoccupied." In saying this she hastened toward the bench, and drew her father after her. Reaching it, she pressed him to sit down upon the seat, saying: "God be thanked who has helped us so far!" "But," said he, "is this really the house where He lives?" "How could I be mistaken in it, since I have often forced myself through the crowds up to this very house in order to hear the blessed words of His mouth." "But," he continued, "is He at home and not abroad?" "We must hope," said she, "that we have been rightly informed. But remain seated here, and I will go and look around a little."

It was the time of the change of the middle night-watch to the third; the starry heavens glittered in all the glories of a diadem enshrined in diamonds and precious stones. The little girl took her stand some distance from the house, whose outlines were clearly seen in the starlight, and looked intently with her large eyes, particularly toward the one room upon the flat roof (the upper room), which was dimly lighted. When she saw the shadow of a figure appear at the perforated window, she uttered a cry and sank upon her knees, and bent her face to the ground. In this prayerful attitude she continued, until the voice of her father, crying, "Peninnah, Peninnah! why are you leaving me alone?" again aroused her. In the mean while the space in front of the house was becoming more and more alive. From different directions were heard in the silent night air the dull sound of the steps and voices of new-comers. Here came a man carrying his child upon his back, whose suffering head was hanging down over his shoulder; there came two who were carrying a third in a hammock, and as they, before they bring him to the much-longed-for house, let him down upon the ground once more, he is heard lamenting about the hardness of his bed. From the east side of the sea, where the road which comes from Damascus and goes to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea runs along the Sea of Galilee, a camel is seen coming, accompanied by an older and a younger man, and which, in the woman’s saddle, is carrying a thickly-veiled and decrepit woman. Led and carried, more and more sick persons arrive, until the place in front of the house has become like a hospital in which the cries of pain uttered by the sufferers, mingling with the subdued and often rather rough voices of their attendants, create a dull din. Peninnah was compelled to use all the fire of her eyes to retain the seat for herself and her father. All tried, sometimes with threats and pushes, to secure a place near the entrance door. And as often as a sign of life was visible within the house, all became excited and the noise was suddenly hushed. The shadow which Peninnah had seen at the window was not His shadow. When the early dawn took a reddish hue, a man in a blue tallith (cloak) and a pale red tunic came down from the upper part of the city, and passed through the narrow streets. His countenance was as pale as the sudor which covered His chin and forehead. The night watchman, when he saw Him, stepped reverently to the side, and trembled through and through when, with a gentle greeting, His eyes, filled with love and deep earnestness, met his. After standing for a while, as if spellbound, he followed Him at a distance as quietly as possible. He whom he followed hastened, or rather moved along with inaudible steps. He was plainly and poorly rather than richly clothed; He walked rather bent forward than perfectly erect; He made the impression of a man who in his heart was carrying a heavy burden, but who was carrying it willingly and not by compulsion. The gentle majesty of an exalted sufferer hovered over Him. As He turned the corner and saw the multitude of sufferers, He, indeed, for a moment as it were recoiled; but looking upward with a countenance drawing in and sending forth heavenly light, He was at once again collected and stepped forward. The multitude, seeing Him, turned in an instant from the house and toward Him, and all stretched out their arms in petition and intercession to Him. "Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord!" cried out an old man, who stood in front, who had himself experienced the healing power of this miraculous Physician, and now was constantly bringing other sick people to Him. Out of almost fifty throats a variety of greetings met the longed-for Helper, accompanied with gestures imploring assistance. Here one voice cried out: "Rabbenu" (O thou, our Rabbi); there another, "Marana" (Our Lord); or another, "Shelicha Dishmaja" (Messenger of Heaven); another, "Mikwe Israel" (Hope of Israel), and the suffering woman on the camel, whom father and brother had brought from Bethsaida Julias, stretched out her arms from behind her veils, and in a hoarse and shrill voice cried: "Malcha Meshicha" (O King Messiah). Her cry sounded like the voice of spirits in this confusion. The impression this all made upon Him was clearly confusing. With a motion of the hand and a ruddy gleam overspreading His countenance, He quieted the commotion and restored silence. Those of the sick who still had control of their limbs then threw themselves in a row upon their knees before the door of the house, but the path which, had been left for Him to pass through between them was very narrow, because all were anxious to get as near to Him as possible. He passed through slowly and only by steps, and His whole appearance showed the intensity of His feelings and His work. To the right and to the left they greedily caught hold of the ends of His tallith; they kissed them and drew them as near as possible to the locality of their suffering. But, in spite of this pressing and pulling from both sides, His person was not molested by any overboldness. In reverence-inspiring majesty He stood there, attracting, and at the same time overawing, in the midst of a crowd of people. Whenever His hands, which He extended to both sides, could not be reached by any of the badly afflicted farther off, He bent over to him and laid His hand upon his own, and spoke some words to him in an undertone. The nearer He approached the house, the greater became the excitement, especially among those behind Him. The ecstasy of those who felt a new life coursing through their members, and through their souls as well as through their bodies, broke out in words of exulting gratitude. And when one raised his voice in the words of the Psalmist: "Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone doeth wonders," the whole multitude, as though it were a congregation assembled in the house of worship, answered: "Blessed is the glorious name of His kingdom forevermore!" The nearer He came, the more agitated Peninnah became in her expectancy. Her form rose higher and higher, and she watched every one of His motions with a devouring look. And when the eyes of the Lord fell upon the child, who was standing at the door of the house like a statue decorating the entrance, it seemed that a glowing dawn was beginning to cover her pale face, and she chanted with a voice clear as silver: "The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: He bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: He bringeth low, and He also lifteth up" (1Sa 2:6-7). She at first sang almost tremblingly, and only when she saw no sign of disapproval in His face, she became firmer and bolder. "Is He soon coming?" asks the old man, whose left hand was expectantly and tremblingly lying in the right hand of his daughter. "We must wait yet," she answered; "but a glance which He has given me promises us good." "Blessed are you, my daughter," he cried; "you have the name of Peninnah and the heart of Hannah; your song was to me like the voice of the turtle-dove which announces the coining of spring." The healing of the blind man seemed really destined to be the very last. Approaching the girl, He asked her: "What is thy wish, Peninnah?" She answered: "Lord, that my father may see Thee and Thy works." He then took hold of the old man by the back part of his head, bent him over nearer to Himself, and said, speaking toward his eyes: "The Lord killeth and maketh alive. Be it unto thee according to the confession of thy daughter!" All this had happened within the space of several moments, and the hands of the father and of the daughter, outstretched in gratitude, no longer reached Him, as He had disappeared through the door, which had been unlocked and was only closed. Peter, behind the door, had, as far as possible, been a witness of this early work of the Lord in the pursuit of His calling. But also the words: "O heavenly Guest of sinful mankind," with which he saluted Him, scarcely reached His ears, for He hastened through the inner part of the house toward the steps which led to the upper chamber. Entering His room there, He tottered to the couch at the side of the wall, and broke down as under the burden of the many sicknesses and sufferings which He had taken upon Himself from the sufferers. The sun was already rising in full splendor; the birds were chirping in the thick foliage of the mulberry-tree which covered the house; a thrush was cradling herself on the highest limb of a palm-tree that overshadowed the place like a sentinel, and sang her morning hymn; while below, at the well, at which the principal street of the town, running from north-west by north toward south-east by south, ended, the maidens were gossiping about the miraculous healings which had taken place in the front of the house during the past night. The whole place was on this day alive earlier than usual. The rejoicing of those that had been healed and of their companions had disturbed many in their morning dreams, and had excited their curiosity. Many of the strangers had sought and found admission at the homes of their relatives and friends; and also the owners of the pundics (inns) found today early but welcome guests. In that house, however, which at that time formed the spiritual centre and height of Capernaum, a deep silence prevailed. Those that lived there, although awake for a long time, moved around very quietly; for they knew that the Master had all night long been watching and praying in solitude; and that, upon His return, He had found much and hard work to be done. But above, on the platform of the house, Peter stood, some distance from the parapet, in order not to be seen by anybody in the place which had become alive so early. It was a beautiful morning, and no air was stirring. Quiet, like a sleeping child, the sea lay there in the lap of the encircling mountains whose peaks were gilded by the red globe of the rising sun. The waters rose and fell, like the bosom of one breathing gently, and only occasionally were they agitated by the quick jump of a fish which was unwise enough to betray its presence to the osprey. The vessels that are sailing in the distance look like white specks, and only make grander the impression made by the widespread expanse of water; and here and there something glitters in the air, appearing and disappearing quickly. These were the nets which the fishermen threw out of the rear end of the boats, forming a wide circle, and thus descending into the water. Peter had an open eye for this life and activity in the midst of the silence reigning around. He, the active and experienced fisherman, knew this sea through and through. Now, however, he saw in it a picture of the great ocean of life, into which he in the future, after the Sun of Righteousness had risen over it, was to throw his nets. Then, looking up in prayer to God, he directed his eyes to the south, toward the region of the Dead Sea, where, in the Moabitic and Gaditic regions, the terrible and steep fortress Machaerus lay, in which the great and much-beloved prisoner was held, to whom he owed the beginnings of a better knowledge. Turning his eyes away again, he directed them to Bethsaida, his birth-place, from which he had come with his brother to live in this house of his mother-in-law in Capernaum; and he greeted in spirit his parents and friends at that place, wishing them faith in the Saviour of Israel, whom he, although unworthy, had been privileged to receive into his family. When he, then, as he was about to descend, glanced over the parapet, he saw that a number of men had already assembled themselves in the vicinity of the house, and were waiting for the first opportunity to hear the great Teacher; and he noticed at the same time that a scribe was engaged in angry discussion with those around him. "Why," cried he, "are you seeking instruction and help from this unauthorized person, and not from those who are appointed for this, our Rabbis and priests? Be warned: He heals the bodies, but He poisons the souls. He is a Shed (demon) in human form, and will drag you with Himself into the pit out of which He has come forth." Shuddering and enraged, Peter heard this. With great difficulty he restrained himself from hurling a suitable answer down at the man, and in silence he descended to the room in which the members of his family were assembled for the morning meal and were awaiting him.

It was a one-story house, but by no means poor in character. The three sides of the plastered, four-cornered centre room, which we will call the court, contained living-rooms and storage-places. Above, in the upper room, was the place for guests. When Peter had entered the family room on the first floor, he immediately asked: "Has He not yet made His appearance?" And when this was answered in the negative, he turned to his mother-in-law and said: "Please go up, beloved, and knock softly at the door, and see if you can persuade Him to come down; for He certainly is in need of bodily nourishment after such exertions, in order to continue His labors." When she had ascended and asked for admission, she said to Him: "Lord, we would not like to break bread unless Thou hast pronounced the blessing." He thereupon arose, and allowed her to precede Him, while He followed. The table companions consisted of Peter, his wife, his mother-in-law, his brother Andrew, and their exalted Guest. "Now relate something, My brethren," He said, while they were eating. Those present hesitated and halted. "Have you heard nothing from Machaerus?" He continued asking. "O my Lord," they cried, "the thick walls of that fortress can as little be penetrated as the gates of hell!" "But I," continued Andrew, "may, perhaps, relate what I saw yesterday at the toll-house of Matthew. A Syrian merchant caravan, crossing the Jordan up there at Bethsaida Julias, halted there, and one of the men, who lives at Edessa, related that King Abgar had commanded him and others to make closer inquiries concerning the miracle-worker and Galilean teacher." "Yes," answered Jesus, "Jerusalem is the place where the Messiah shall be exalted as a standard for the nations, but Syria is the land which will be the first to rally to this standard. But, tell Me, what was that quarreling which I heard so early this morning under My window?" Peter told the affair-as much as he had heard of it. "There, you see," He said, "what I have to expect." We are on all sides surrounded by the spies of the Sanhedrin and of the Pharisee crowd of Jerusalem. Amid such conversation the meal was finished. He then arose, went to the entrance of the house, opened the door, and addressed the people who were there assembled in considerable number: "Do ye desire to hear the Word of life, then enter, as Isaiah hath said: ’Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price’" (Isa 55:1). The house was not a grand one, but it was roomy and well arranged. After passing through the entrance-door they came into the court, which in this case was not covered with cloth or with vines, as was usually the case; but it was roofed over. After Jesus had invited those assembled around the door to enter, He returned before the people that followed into the court, and took His position in front of the cistern-i.e., the marble water-basin in the middle of the court and preached the Word of God to the multitude that was fast becoming a solid mass around Him, concerning the salvation that had been promised and now had appeared. The crowd became greater and greater in the course of time, so that the first floor and in front of the house was entirely filled with people. Just then four men made their appearance, of whom two and two, relieving each other, were carrying a totally lamed man lying in a hammock. It could be seen that they had travelled a great distance, and had already borne the heat of the morning’s toil. They came too late to gain admittance to Jesus; it was absolutely impossible to force a passage through this mass of men. They accordingly went around the house, and fortunately found a ladder set up against the rear. which was just high enough to take them up on the platform. When the sick man’s consent had been gained to have himself transported up this ladder, they tied him tight to the bed with the ropes of the hammock. Two of them went above, and the two others lifted and raised the sick man up so far that those above could draw him up the rest of the distance. After he had reached the top, the other two also went up on the roof. When they were all up, one of them descended a few steps down the roof-steps, in order to see what was to be done. He heard from here the voice of Jesus. In deep silence the multitude stood around Him; His rich voice filled the room. The effect of His words was electric and chained the attention, for His whole soul was in them, and His countenance and His personality spoke with them. The one who had descended listened and looked and forgot everything else. The sick man began to ask impatiently: "What is to become of me?" When the three had called their companion back again, all four agreed that it would be impossible to take the sick man down these narrow stairs. "Nothing else can be done," they said, "except to take off the roof, and to let him down in that way. But we are laying our hands on another man’s property, and besides it is a dangerous venture." "Let me down," cried the sick man; "I will be satisfied if I can only lie at His feet, be it dead or alive; and all damages which we may do we will fully repay." In the middle of the flooring there was a square, made of bricks, which were laid together, mosaic-like, in order to make a figure decorating the floor. But this square was intended not only for an ornament of the roof, but also for light and ventilation. In the rainy season in winter it was closed, and in this condition it happened to be now, although the rainy season was over, and with the Passover time, especially along the sea, spring in all the glory of a resurrected life had made its appearance. When the four carriers had taken away the bricks, it appeared that these were lying on a plank with a ring, which could be opened like a trap-door. The rafters of the building proved to offer a space which was just large enough, and none too large to let the sick man down, still bound to his bed. The four-cornered opening had intentionally been made just above the cistern in the court, and it seemed possible to let the sick man down in such a manner that he would land just back of the speaker, and would lie directly in front of Him, when He should turn around. The poor invalid allowed them to do with him what they wanted, and his four friends were really anxious to secure deliverance for him, and they were also sure that among men there was only One who could help him. This only One was Jesus of Nazareth, in whom they, as at that time thousands, were persuaded that the God of salvation had Himself \ visited His people. The four were the neighbors and friends of the sick man, and had done their best to encourage and relieve him in his pain. The invalid belonged to that small class of men who look first of all to God. He would have endured his sufferings gladly, if he had not (we know not for what reason) seen in them a merited punishment from God. Just as the thought that God had rejected him would have converted a wealthy and luxurious life into a hell on earth, thus, too, this thought made his terrible sufferings which chained him almost as dead, though alive, to his couch, all this doubly bitter. He had become entirely incapable of hoping for anything better; and that even Jesus would cure him in body and soul, he did not venture to hope. But he knew that He was the only One who had the power to help him; and, although he considered himself entirely unworthy of any help, he nevertheless determined, either for death or life, to hear the Word of God from the mouth of the One sent by God. The ropes by which the invalid was lowered were scarcely long enough, and the four men were compelled to bend over so far that they were almost lying on their stomachs in order to reach down far enough. Before this the noise in uncovering the roof had attracted the attention of the assembly below; but the eloquent and fascinating power of the orator had not allowed this to cause an interruption. But when the hammock appeared over the heads of the assembly, blank astonishment at first seized them, which found expression at last in the cry: "Rabbi, Rabbi; they are letting a sick man down behind Thee!" "See," said Jesus, looking upward, "their faith! Assist them with your love; take hold of the invalid, so that he may not fall!" Thereupon the men who stood near Jesus at the cistern reached out their arms and took hold of the hammock. And as the ropes were not long enough to let it down to the ground, they untied them, and with their own hands laid the sick man, together with his bed upon which he was lying, at the feet of Jesus. The feeling of expectancy which this incident had awakened in the assembly was remarkable; for whenever Jesus had on previous occasions healed the sick, He had done so as silently and as unobserved as possible, and generally in such a manner that only the sick and their nearest friends were present. For He intentionally avoided enkindling the unspiritual fire of popular enthusiasm, and in this manner to cause the flame of hatred against the Pharisees, which had for a long time been glimmering secretly, to burst forth. He did not desire that His main reputation should be that of a miraculous healer, but He endeavored to be the object of faith as a Saviour, who was ready willingly to endure all the sufferings which His Father would lay upon Him; but He would not of His own will draw these on. Now, however, when all at once an apparently incurable invalid was laid down before Him in the presence of many witnesses, a problem was imposed upon Him whose solution the dense multitude around Him were awaiting with deep anxiety. Will He solve it, and how will He do it? Such were the questions which could be read upon all the inquiring faces around.

"Man, what is thy wish?" He asked, in a determined voice, of the unknown man who had so suddenly interrupted His sermon, and who had by no word of address or petition appealed to Him. The sick man was silent, but his breast rose and fell; his whole body trembled, and his eyes, whose upward glance was riveted on Jesus, with heavy weeping, gushed forth a stream of tears. He, of whom those who stood near Him testified that He could penetrate the innermost thoughts of men, saw that He had before Him here a man to whom bodily health was not the highest good. His groanings were self-accusations; his trembling was fear of the Holy One; his weeping was begging for grace. Therefore the Lord rejoiced, because He could on this occasion seize the evil by the roots, and could begin the restoration from within. His heart was opened; his face became bright; his voice became mellow; and, with an expression in which exalted self-consciousness, deeply sympathetic condescension and undoubting certainty were harmoniously united, He said: "Be of good cheer, My son; thy sins are forgiven thee." These words had an effect upon the invalid such as when the winds scatter the clouds and the blue azure appears, or as when a heaven-sent shower refreshes a plant almost withered in the torrid earth. The feeling of possessing grace came over him; the peace of God penetrated his soul; his features became smooth and bright; his eyes looked in gratitude up to the Comforter, and in his tears his joy was reflected, as is the sun in the pearly dewdrops. But while these consoling words were giving new life to the sick man, there were hidden in them for Him who spoke them the germs of death. The liturgy of the law knew of a purification pronounced by the priest-e.g., of the lepers; but not of a declaration of purity from sin through the priest. In general, Judaism knew nothing of an absolution pronounced through the medium of men. Isaiah, in the sixth chapter of his prophecies, is absolved by a seraph; and Zechariah, chapter three, by the angel of the Lord; but in both prophetic visions there is a special command of the Lord to this effect, which the heavenly messengers carry out. For the forgiveness of sins is a right belonging exclusively to God; and whenever one creature pronounces the other free and delivered of his sins, it cannot be done by the authority of the speaker himself, but only through authority from God. It can therefore be easily understood why the words of Jesus addressed to the paralytic aroused surprise and astonishment in those that were present. Their effect upon several of the company was also another than this. Back in the last row of people, on a side bench, sat several Tannaim (scribes), who were excited to a wonderful degree by these words, and moved from one side to an other on their seats, shook their heads, and gesticulated with their hands. Jesus understood their angry faces and conduct. The accusation which they had thereby raised against Him was nothing less than that He was a blasphemer.

It was a most important turning-point in the life of Jesus; for the condemnation of Jesus as a blasphemer, which those scribes pronounced in their hearts, was the beginning of the prosecution which several years later was to be brought to such a tragic end in Jerusalem. Those gentlemen in the rear of the court thought they could observe what was going on without being noticed; but in this they were disagreeably disappointed when they were compelled to learn that they were the ones who were being watched, and that His all-penetrating eye had seen even through the thoughts of their hearts. They were indignant at the assumptions of this man, who, without having attended a "Beth-ha-Midrash" (house of instruction), and without being able to show up a "Horaah" (certificate showing a right to teach), had ventured to become a teacher. And now they were compelled to submit to the disgrace of being pointed out before all the people, when He directed toward them His eyes with their piercing fire, so offensive to their innermost souls, and asked them: "Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?" (Mat 9:4).

He had already come to the conclusion that He could not hope to leave a wholesome impression on those who looked upon Him as a layman animated solely by a morbid selfishness, and who, contrary to all right, had assumed the duties of a teacher, and was making the people rebellious against their lawful instructors. He knew well that these men drew only poison out of His words; that they were gathering material for the purpose of destroying His usefulness forever; and that they could not be cured of taking offence at His person, because they had purposely steeled their hearts against Him. But He did not fear them; He took up the battle which they offered Him, by suddenly dragging them upon the battle-ground, and putting those who were secretly planning an attack, upon the defence. "For which is easier," He says, "to say to the paralytic: (Thy sins are forgiven thee, or to say: ’Arise and go!’" Since they judged according to what they heard and saw, the former would, of course (although it appeared blasphemous to them), be easier than the latter; for the former is a word whose effects are invisible, and in which deception could be practised; but in the latter case, unless the speaker would put Himself to shame, a visible result must take place as proof to those present. Without waiting for their answer, He continued, turning to the paralytic: "But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power to forgive sins-arise, and take up thy bed, and go to thy house." The men sitting on the bench bent their heads in confusion and anger, and looked intently upon the ground. A deep and breathless silence prevailed in the whole assembly. All eyes were fixed on the sick man, and the four men above, several of whom were looking through the opening, while the others were standing upon the stairs, were all eye and ear for what was taking place below. The word of power from Jesus was for what they had labored; but it had unexpectedly taken such a turn, that it had confused them as does a sudden thunder following quickly upon lightning. The sick man had indeed heard the sound of the words, but he lacked the will to obey them. The powers of nature, which the miraculous power of these words had called into life, exerted themselves gradually, and the eye of Jesus, intently fastened upon the invalid, followed the effect of the words step by step. The numbness began to loosen; the muscles began to show life; feeling and the power to move returned; and when he felt that his members, which heretofore had been without feeling and motion, were again obedient to his will, he raised himself up, astonished at himself, little by little, and with increasing self-confidence, until he finally stood erect before Him, and, stretching out his hands to Jesus, sank upon his knees, and worshiped Him. But Jesus stepped back, and pointed to the bed. He took his bed by the four corners, folded it, held it in front of himself, so that he could still look straight at Jesus, stepped backward, without taking his eye from his Deliverer, through the crowd that made room for him, until he reached the street.

Spellbound by fear and astonishment, all were silent while this took place. But when the man restored to health had departed, cries of wonder and enthusiasm broke forth, first in subdued tones, but gradually becoming louder. "We have never seen anything like this." "We have seen incredible things to-day." In this way one cried to the other, who assented to what was said. A venerable old man, who was one of the leading citizens of Capernaum, sought to express the sentiment that appeared in these mingled voices of enthusiasm, by turning to the benches which the scribes had taken but now had secretly deserted, by crying aloud: "Blessed be God, who hath given such power to men!" These words referred to Him who called Himself the Son of Man; and they praised God for the power which through this one man He had given to mankind. The heart of the people was yet in a healthy state, and had not been corrupted by the false leaders, but re-echoed faithfully the impressions received by it. The names of the scribes who on this occasion had accused Jesus of blasphemy are not recorded in the three synoptic gospels. The Midrash to Ecc 7:28 may have contained them. Under the wicked woman, of whom the preacher is here speaking, the old teachers of the synagogue understand heresy (minuth), and in this sense the Midrash on this passage says on the words: "Whosoever is pleasing to God will escape it," that examples of this are Chanenja ben-Ittai and Rabbi Joshua; and on the words: But the sinner shall be taken by her" (Ecc 7:26), that this refers to the men at Capernaum.

"The men of Capernaum?"-but by no means all; for there was lacking yet a great deal that all the inhabitants of that city which Jesus honored by making it the scene of His Galilean activity had been caught in the net of the Gospel concerning the coming of the kingdom of God. Only too many had become rooted in their every-day life, and were taken up entirely by the affairs of the world, than that the words of Jesus should awaken their desire to hear more, and His deeds arouse their curiosity. For, in their leisure hours (and many enjoyed an abundance of these), they much preferred to parade up and down the public highway, to open conversations with travellers going by, to inquire of them for the latest news, or to gaze by the hour at the sea, watching the incoming and outgoing boats with their men and loads, or to sit in the public inn with their mug of Italian wine, criticising the last year’s wines from Lebanon and Moab, as also the newest government decrees of King Herod Antipas, or Herod Philip. They were satisfied to accept Jesus as a miraculous physician for the sick, but congratulated themselves that they did not need Him. The one or the other even shook his head, and thought that something was wrong about the whole affair. Those who on this morning had crowded around Jesus were of a better type. We have reason to believe that they, even if they were not all impelled by a longing for salvation, were yet driven to Him by a motive higher than of this world merely. When they with astonished gaze had followed the man to the door, and with their cries of surprise had again turned to Jesus, He had disappeared from His position at the basin. He had taken advantage of the confusion which the miracle had created to make His way through the mass of men and to hasten up the back stairs. Arriving there He sank upon His knees. The applause, in which, besides a number of tones of the right ring, He had recognized even more that were not, had offended Him, and the adventure with the scribes pictured to His mind His bloody end. He collected Himself through prayer until the multitude had dispersed. Only when all had become quiet below did quietness enter His soul. Then He arose, stepped out of His room into the hall in front; and when He had there gained the composure necessary for His purpose, He went down the stairs and entered the family room, where the faces of the two women, mother and daughter, lighted up with joy. They were reading the psalm of the day. "Read on," He said, "and read aloud, so that I can hear." A little later the four men who had carried the paralytic came in, and brought, as a token of their gratitude, a basket of roses (which, in that region, where the climate is too hot for roses, are a rarity), with an edge around it of narcissus and hyacinths and blue-blossomed squills. "Take these," they said to the wife of Peter, "and decorate the chamber of our Master and Helper with them!" But she assured them that He declined all such presents, and that He had strictly commanded her not to accept any. Thereupon they emptied the basket, and scattered the roses on the place in front of the house. The children of the city came and stood around this artificial garden. And when a voice out of the house cried out to them: "Take them," they made wreaths of the roses and squills, narcissus and hyacinths, and ran in great joy, crying out to those at home: "See here, flowers from the Jesus-house!"