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things; but one thing is necessary. Mary hath chosen the best part, which shall not be taken away from her.

SECT. LXXXII. JESUS ARRIVES AT JERUSALEM, AND KEEPS THE FEAST OF THE DEDICATION. HE LEAVES AGAIN AFTER THE FEAST.

And it was the feast of the dedication* at Jerusa lem; and it was winter. And Jesus Jerusalem. walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. The Jews therefore came round about him and said to him, How long dost thou hold our souls in suspense? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

Jesus answered them, I speak to you, and ye believe not; the works that I do in the name of my Father, they give testimony of me; but ye do not believe because ye are not of my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them life everlasting, and they shall not perish for ever; and no man shall pluck them out of my hand. That which my Father hath given me is greater than all;† and no man can snatch them out of the hand of my Father. I and the Father are one.

The Jews then took up stones to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works I have showed you from my 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 God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods? (Ps. lxxxi. 6.) If he called them gods to whom the word of God was spoken, and the Scrip

*

A feast instituted in commemoration of the purifying of the temple from the profanation of Antiochus Epiphanus. See 1 Mac. iv. 59.

Or, as it is in the Greek, "My Father, who hath given them to me, is greater than all."

ture cannot be broken-do ye say of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not; but if I do, though ye will not believe me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.

They sought, therefore, to take him; and he escaped out of their hands. And he went again beyond the Jordan, into that place where John was baptising first; and there he abode. And many resorted to him; and they said, John indeed did no sign. But all things whatsoever John said of this man were true. And many believed in him.

SECT. LXXXIII. JESUS EATS BREAD AT A PHARISEE'S HOUSE, AND HEALS THE DROPSICAL MAN. THE PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER.

Jordan.

And it came to pass when Jesus went into the house of one of the chief of the Pharisees on the Sabbath-day to eat bread, that they Beyond the watched him. And behold, there was a certain man before him that had the dropsy. And Jesus answering spake to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath-day? But they held their peace. And he took him and healed him, and sent him away. And answering them he said, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fall into a pit, and will not immediately draw him out on the Sabbath-day? And they could not answer him to

these things.

And he spake a parable also to them that were invited, marking how they chose the first seats at the table, saying to them, When thou art invited to a wedding, sit not down in the first place, lest perhaps one more honourable than thou be invited; and he that invited thee and him come and say to

thee, Give this man place; and then thou begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art invited, go sit down in the lowest place; that when he who invited thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher. Then shalt thou have glory before them that sit at table with thee. For every one that exalteth himself shall be humbled, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

And he said to him also that had invited him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, nor thy kinsmen, nor thy neighbours who are rich, lest perhaps they also invite thee again, and a recompense be made to thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind; and thou shalt be blessed, because they have not wherewith to make thee recompense: for recompense shall be made thee at the resurrection of the just.

When one of them that sat at table with him had heard these things, he said to him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

But he said to him, A certain man made a great supper, and invited many; and he sent his servant at the hour of supper to say to them that were invited, that they should come, for now all things are ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said to him, I have bought a farm, and I must needs go out and see it; I pray thee hold me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to try them; I pray thee hold me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. And the servant returning told these things to his lord. Then the master of the house being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and the feeble and the blind and the lame. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord

said to the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. But I say unto you, that none of those men that were invited shall taste of my supper.

SECT. LXXXIV. GREAT MULTITUDES FOLLOW JESUS BEYOND THE JORDAN. HIS WARNING TO THEM.

And there went great multitudes with him; and he turned and said to them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea and his own. life also, he cannot be my disciple; and whosoever doth not carry his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you having a mind to build a tower doth not first sit down and reckon the charges that are necessary, whether he have wherewithal to finish it; lest, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all that see it begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish? Or what king about to go to make war against another king doth not first sit down and think whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? or else, whilst the other is yet afar off, he sendeth an embassy and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth cannot be my disciple.

SECT. LXXXV. THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES MURMUR AT JESUS. THE PARABLES OF THE LOST SHEEP, OF THE LOST PIECE OF MONEY, AND OF THE PRODIGAL SON.

Now the publicans and sinners drew near unto him to hear him; and the Pharisees and the Scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them.

And he spoke to them this parable, saying, What man of you that hath an hundred sheep, and if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave the ninetynine in the desert, and go after that which was lost until he find it? and when he hath found it, doth he not lay it upon his shoulders, rejoicing; and coming home call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost? I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance.

Or what woman having ten groats, if she lose one groat, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she find it? and when she hath found it call together her friends and neighbours, saying, Rejoice with me, because I have found the groat that I had lost? So I say to you, There shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance.

And he said, A certain man had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of substance that falleth to me: and he divided unto them his substance. And not many days after the younger son, gathering all together, went abroad into a far country, and there wasted his substance with living riotously. And after he had spent all, there came a mighty famine in that country, and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country; and he sent him into his farm to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him. And when he returned to himself he said, How many hired servants in my father's house abound with bread, and I here perish with hunger? I will arise, and will go to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee; I am not worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants. And he rose up and he came to his father. And when he

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