[Ill.u.s.tration]

FISHING BOAT ON THE SEA OF GALILEE.

"He who shall search for cities famed of yore, Few wrecks will find on lone Tiberias' sh.o.r.e: Where stood tower-crowned Chorazin, men forget; A palm tree marks thy site, Gennesaret.

Tiberias, Herod's pride, still flaunteth fair, But not the cross, the crescent triumphs there."

--_Nicolas Mich.e.l.l_

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And they say unto him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat?"

And he saith unto them, "How many loaves have ye? go and see."

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said unto him, "There is a lad here, who has five barley loaves, and two fishes: but what are these among so many?"

And he commanded them that all should sit down by companies upon the green gra.s.s. And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds, and by fifties.

And he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and broke the loaves; and he gave to the disciples to set before them; and the two fishes divided he among them all. And they all ate, and were filled. And they took up broken pieces, twelve basketfuls, and also of the fishes. And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

And straightway he told his disciples to enter into the boat, and to go before him unto the other side to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the mult.i.tude away. But when the people saw the sign which he did, they said, "This is of a truth the prophet that cometh into the world."

Jesus therefore perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force, to make him king, withdrew into the mountain himself alone.

And when even was come, the boat in which his disciples had embarked was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And seeing them distressed in rowing, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night {148} he came unto them, walking on the sea; and he would have pa.s.sed by them: but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and cried out: for they all saw him, and were troubled.

But he straightway spoke with them, and said unto them, "Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid."

And he went into the boat with them; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed.

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X

JESUS AND JOHN THE BAPTIST.

_How the Heroic Friend of Jesus Was Basely Murdered, and How the Two Men Had Loved Each Other_.

(Before Jesus began his preaching, a man named John had begun to tell the people that G.o.d would soon send them a great prophet. He himself seemed to the people to be like one of the old prophets. His dress and his way of living were simple, and he spoke as though G.o.d were speaking through him. How he preached, and how he baptized Jesus, telling his disciples that this was the man of whose coming he had been speaking, has all been told in a previous chapter. After the baptism John watched the career of Jesus with great interest. Before long John was seized and cast into prison. He became despondent, and began to doubt if Jesus was indeed the one of whom he was sent to tell. He sent messengers to Jesus, and Jesus sent back a comforting and rea.s.suring message to the prisoner. Jesus loved John and spoke in the highest terms of his work and character. This chapter tells of the relations between the two men after Jesus' baptism, and how John met at last a shameful death.)

_John Acknowledges the Leadership of Jesus_.

After these things came Jesus and his disciples into the land of Judaea; and there he tarried with them, and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison.

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There arose therefore a questioning on the part of John's disciples with a Jew about purifying. And they came unto John, and said to him, "Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou hast borne witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him."

John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ, but, that I am sent before him.' He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease."

_Imprisoned, John Begins to Lose Faith_.

For a time he continued to preach good tidings unto the people; but Herod, being reproved by him for Herodias his brother's wife, and for all the evil things which Herod had done, added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

And the disciples of John told him in prison of the works of Jesus.

And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to the Lord, saying, "Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another?"

And when the men were come unto him, they said, "John the Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, 'Art thou he that cometh, or look we for another?'"

In that hour, he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and on many that were blind he bestowed sight.

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

CHRIST AND JOHN THE BAPTIST.

By Guido Reni (1575-1642) [End ill.u.s.tration]

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And he answered and said unto them, "Go, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good tidings preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me."

_Jesus Speaks of the Greatness of John_.

And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to say unto the mult.i.tudes concerning John, "What went ye out into the wilderness to behold? a reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, those who are gorgeously appareled, and live luxuriously, are in kings' houses. But what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written,--

'Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way before thee.'

"I say unto you, Among those who are born of women there is none greater than John: yet he that is but little in the kingdom of G.o.d is greater than he."

"Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like? They are like unto children who sit in the marketplace, and call one to another; who say, 'We piped unto you, and ye did not dance; we wailed, and ye did not weep.' For John the Baptist is come eating no bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, 'He hath a demon.' The Son of man is come eating and {154} drinking; and ye say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!' And wisdom is justified of all her children."

_The Cruel Murder of John_.

When a convenient day was come, Herod on his birthday made a supper to his lords, and the high captains, and the chief men of Galilee; and when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those who sat at meat with him; and the king said unto the maiden, "Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee."

And he swore unto her, "Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom."

And she went out, and said unto her mother, "What shall I ask?"

And she said, "The head of John the Baptist."

And she came in straightway with haste unto the king, and asked, saying, "I wish that thou forthwith give me in a platter the head of John the Baptist."

And the king was exceeding sorry; but for the sake of his promises, and of those who sat and feasted with him, he would not reject her.

And straightway the king sent forth a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring the head of John: and he went and beheaded him in the prison, and brought his head in a platter, and gave it to the maiden; and the maiden gave it to her mother. And when his disciples heard thereof, they came and took up his corpse, and laid it in a tomb.