THE SHADOW OF THE CROSS

_How the Lord Jesus Spoke Sad News to His Disciples_.

And Jesus went forth with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi: and on the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, "Who do men say that I am?"

And they told him, saying, "John the Baptist: and others, Elijah; but others, One of the prophets."

And he asked them, "But who say ye that I am?" Peter answereth and saith unto him, "Thou art the Christ."

And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he spoke the saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But he turning about, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and saith, "Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou mindest not the things of G.o.d, but the things of men."

And he called unto him the mult.i.tude with his disciples, and said unto them, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; and {179} whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's shall save it. For what doth it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and lose his life? For what should a man give in exchange for his life? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this sinful generation, the Son of man also shall be ashamed of him, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." And he said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, There are some here of them that stand by, who shall in no wise taste death, till they see the kingdom of G.o.d come with power."

And they went forth from thence, and pa.s.sed through Galilee; and he would not that any man should know it. For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, "The Son of man is delivered up into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and when he is killed, after three days he shall rise again."

But they understood not the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Sometime later Jesus again tried to make them understand. Then they were going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going before them: and they were amazed; and they that followed were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them the things that were to happen unto him, saying, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him unto the Gentiles: and they shall mock him, and shall spit upon him, and shall scourge him, and shall kill him; and after three days he shall rise again."

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V

THE TRANSFIGURATION

_How the Disciples Caught a Vision of the Lord Jesus' Glory and How They Were Afterward Taught a Lesson in Faith and Service_.

Soon after he spoke of what he must suffer Jesus took with him Peter, and James, and John, and brought them up into a high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them: and his garments became shining, exceeding white; so as no fuller on earth can whiten them. And there appeared unto them Elijah with Moses: and they were talking with Jesus.

And Peter saith to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three lodging places; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." For he knew not what to answer; for they became greatly afraid.

And there came a cloud overshadowing them: and there came a voice out of the cloud, "This is my beloved Son: hear ye him." And suddenly looking round about, they saw no one any more, save Jesus only with themselves.

And as they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, until the Son of man should have risen again from the dead. And they kept the saying, questioning among themselves what the rising again from the dead might mean.

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And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great mult.i.tude about them, and scribes questioning with them. And straightway all the mult.i.tude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him saluted him. And he asked them, "What question ye with them?" And one of the mult.i.tude answered him, "Master, I brought unto thee my son, who hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever it taketh him, it dasheth him down: and he foameth, and grindeth his teeth and pineth away: and I spoke to thy disciples that they should cast it out; and they were not able."

And he answereth them and saith, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I bear with you? bring him unto me."

And they brought him unto him: and when he saw him, at once the spirit tore him grievously; and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming.

And he asked his father, "How long is it since this hath come unto him?"

And he said, "From a child. And oft-times it hath cast him both into the fire and into the water, to destroy him: but if thou canst do anything, have compa.s.sion on us, and help us."

And Jesus said unto him, "If thou canst! All things are possible to him that believeth."

Straightway the father of the child cried out, and said, "I believe; help thou mine unbelief."

And when Jesus saw that a mult.i.tude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying unto him, "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I command thee, come out {182} of him, and enter no more into him." And having cried out, and torn him much, the demon came out: and the child became as one dead; insomuch that most said, "He is dead." But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose.

And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, saying, "How is it that we could not cast it out?"

And he said unto them, "This kind can come out by nothing, save by prayer."

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[Ill.u.s.tration]

"LO! I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK"

By Carl Schonherr [End ill.u.s.tration]

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VI

TEACHING THE DISCIPLES

_How the Lord Jesus Spoke of Humility and of Forgiveness_.

And there come near unto him James and John, the sons of Zebedee, saying unto him, "Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall ask of thee."

And he said unto them, "What would ye that I should do for you?" And they said unto him, "Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and one on thy left hand, in thy glory."

But Jesus said unto them, "Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink the cup that I drink? or to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

And they said unto him, "We are able."

And Jesus said unto them, "The cup that I drink ye shall drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized shall ye be baptized: but to sit on my right hand or on my left hand is not mine to give: but it is for those for whom it hath been prepared."

And when the ten heard it, they began to be moved with indignation concerning James and John.

And Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, "Ye know that they who rule over the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great ones exercise authority over them. {186} But it is not so among you: but whosoever would become great among you, shall be your minister: and whosoever would be first among you, shall be servant of all. For verily the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

_The Story of the Ungrateful Servant_.

At another time came Peter, and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? until seven times?"

Jesus saith unto him, "I say not unto thee, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.

"Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, who would make an accounting with his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, who owed him ten thousand talents.

But because he had nothing with which to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.' And the lord of that servant, being moved with compa.s.sion, released him, and forgave him the debt. But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow-servants, who owed him a hundred pence: and he laid hold of him, and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay what thou owest.'

"So his fellow-servant fell down and besought him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay thee.' And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he {187} should pay that which was due. So when his fellow-servants saw what was done, they were exceeding sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him unto him, and saith to him, 'Thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou besoughtest me: shouldest not thou also have had mercy on thy fellow-servant, even as I had mercy on thee?' And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the torturers, till he should pay all that was due. So shall also my heavenly Father do unto you, if ye forgive not everyone his brother from your hearts."