[Illustration: Ruins of Capernaum.]
When Jesus came back to Capernaum, a man, called Jairus, fell down at His feet and begged Him to go to his house, where his little girl, about twelve years old, was dying. So Jesus and His disciples started to go to Jairus' house, and a great crowd of people went with Him. But while they were going, someone came to Jairus, and said, 'It is of no use to trouble the Master any more. The child is dead.' But Jesus said to him quickly, 'Do not be afraid. Only believe, and she shall be made well.'
When Jesus came to the house of Jairus, He heard a great noise. As soon as anyone dies in the East, people come to the house, and cry and howl, and play wretched music. They are paid to do that. That was the noise which Jesus heard, and he asked, 'Why do you make this ado? The little maid is sleeping.' And those rude people laughed at Jesus, just as if He did not know what He was talking about. So Jesus turned them all out.
Then Jesus took three of His disciples—Peter, and James and John—and Jairus and his wife; and they went together to look at the child. There she was, lying quite still. Life had flown away from her body. But Jesus took hold of the girl's hand, and said, 'My little lamb, I say unto thee, Arise.' And life flew back to her body again, and she opened her eyes and got up, and walked. And Jesus told her father and mother to give her something to eat.
When Jesus came out of Jairus' house, two blind men followed Him, begging Him to make them well. Jesus waited till He had got back to the house where He was staying and then He touched their eyes, and made them see.
Just about this time Jesus had some very sad news. Herod Antipas, the son of wicked King Herod, had shut up John the Baptist in a prison, called the Black Castle, by the side of the Dead Sea. Part of that castle was a beautiful palace, with lovely furniture and a coloured marble floor. One day Herod gave a grand birthday party. Herod had married a very wicked woman, who was at the party. Her name was Herodias. Herodias hated John the Baptist, because he had said that she ought not to be Herod's wife. So she made up her mind to have John the Baptist killed. Herodias had a daughter called Salome, who danced beautifully. And on that birthday Herod was so pleased with Salome's dancing that he said, 'I will give you anything you ask me for.' Salome went to her mother, and said, 'What shall I ask?' And Herodias said, 'Ask for the head of John the Baptist.' And Salome came back quickly and said, 'I want the head of John the Baptist.'
Now, it is wrong to break a promise. But it is not wrong to break a wicked promise. It is wrong ever to have made it. Herod was sorry, but he was afraid of what other people in the party would think if he did not do what he had said. So he sent his soldiers to the prison, and had John the Baptist's head cut off to give to that dancing-girl.
Jesus had sent His twelve disciples out to preach to people He could not go and see Himself. When they came back they had a great deal to talk about, and they were very tired. But there were always so many people coming to see Jesus that they could get no quiet time at all, no time even to eat. They were all at the Lake of Galilee again, and Jesus told them to come away with Him into a desert place, and rest awhile. That desert place was near a town called Bethsaida, where Peter, and his brother Andrew, and Philip lived once upon a time.
Jesus and His disciples got into a boat as quietly as they could, and went away. But some people near the lake caught sight of the boat, and they saw who was in it; and they ran so fast along the shore of the lake that they got to the desert before Jesus was there. Jesus felt very sorry for these people, and He began to teach them many things. By and by it got late, and Jesus said to the disciples, 'How many loaves have you? Go and see.' And Andrew said, 'There is a boy herewith five barley loaves and two fishes; but what are they among so many?' And Jesus told him to bring the loaves and fishes. Then Jesus said, 'Make the people sit down.' So the disciples arranged the crowds in rows on the grass. And when every one was ready, Jesus took the five loaves and the two fishes in His hands, and He blessed them, and divided them, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. And there was plenty for everybody. Jesus made those loaves and fishes last out till everybody had had enough. And then He said, 'Gather up the fragments (that means the little pieces) that are left, that nothing be lost.' And the disciples picked the little pieces up, and put them together in baskets. And there were twelve large baskets full—more than they had at first. There were five thousand men in that grassy place, and a great many women and children besides. And when the people saw the miracle that Jesus had done they said, 'THIS MUST BE THE MESSIAH;' and they wanted to make Him their king—the king of their country, but not the king of their hearts.
Jesus did not wish to be made a king like Herod or Caesar. He was God, so He was King of kings already. He made His disciples go away at once in the boat to the other side of the lake, and He sent the crowds away Himself. When Jesus was alone, He went up into a mountain and prayed. But now a great wind began to blow, and the waves on the Sea of Galilee began to toss about. The disciples rowed hard, but they could not get on; the wind kept trying to blow them back. But Jesus saw them, and when the night was nearly over, He came to them walking on the sea. The disciples had never seen Him walking on the water before, and they could not understand who He was, and they cried out for fear. But Jesus was sorry for them, and He spoke kindly to them directly and said, 'BE OF GOOD CHEER (that means, 'Be glad'). IT IS I. BE NOT AFRAID.'
And Peter said, 'Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water.' And Jesus said, 'Come.' And Peter jumped out of the boat, and walked on the water to go to Jesus. But soon Peter began to think of the rough wind and waves instead of thinking about Jesus, and then he could not get on at all, and he began to sink in the water, and called but, 'Lord, save me!' And Jesus put out His hand and caught him, and said, 'O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?' Then they both came into the boat, and the wind stopped blowing. And the disciples fell down at the feet of Jesus, and said 'THOU ART THE SON OF GOD.' Then, all at once, they saw that their boat was close to the land. Jesus had brought it there.
CHAPTER VIII
MORE WONDERFUL WORKS AND WORDS
And now Jesus went right away from the Sea of Galilee again to Caesarea Philippi. That place was called Caesarea after Augustus Caesar, Emperor of Rome, and Philippi after Herod Philip. When they were going to Caesarea Philippi, Jesus talked quietly to His disciples, and said, 'Whom do you say that I am?' Peter almost always spoke first, before the others had time to say anything, and he said quickly, 'THOU ART THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.' Jesus was very much pleased with that answer.
Then Jesus called the people who stood near, and His disciples too, and He told them that if they followed Him, they too might have to die for His sake. But He told them that they must not mind that, because heaven is better than this world. And He told them that if they were ashamed of Him, He should be ashamed of them before His Father and the holy angels. Dear children, I hope, when you go to school, or are with your little friends, that you will never be ashamed of Jesus.
About a week after that talk with His disciples, Jesus took Peter, and James, and John into a high hill alone to pray. There is a splendid high mountain near Caesarea Philippi, called Hermon. All at once, as Jesus was praying, the disciples saw that His face shown like the sun, and His clothes were white and shining like the light. And as the disciples looked, they saw two men talking with Jesus, called Moses and Elijah, two holy men who went to heaven long, long ago. We do not know how long they talked. Peter, and James, and John were men, so they could not look very long at those heavenly visitors; soon their eyes closed, and they fell fast asleep. When they woke up, Moses and Elijah were still there, and when the disciples saw Jesus again, looking so bright and beautiful, they were very much afraid.
When they came down from the mountain, they saw a crowd down below. Jesus had left nine of His disciples behind when He went up Mount Hermon; and now He saw a great number of persons all round them, and heard some Jews worrying them with questions. When Jesus came near enough to speak, He asked what was the matter. And a man came running to Him out of the crowd, and begged Him to look at his boy—his only child. And he said to Jesus, 'If Thou canst do anything, take pity on me, and help me.' And Jesus made the boy well from that very hour. The disciples had not had faith enough themselves to be able to do that sick boy any good.
Every year the Jews had to pay half a shekel of money for the splendid Temple in Jerusalem; and when Jesus came back to Capernaum, the men who were collecting the money came to Peter, and said, 'Does not your Master pay the half-shekel?' And Peter said, 'Yes.' Now the Temple was God's house, and Jesus was God's Son. And Jesus explained to Peter when he came into the house that kings did not expect their own sons to pay them taxes. But it was not wrong to pay the half-shekel, and Jesus never vexed people if He could possibly help it, so He said to Peter, 'Go thou to the sea and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up, and when thou hast opened its mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money. That take, and give unto them for Me and thee.'
And now, after a long time, Jesus and His disciples went up to Jerusalem again; and as they walked along, they saw ten lepers standing a long way off. As Jesus came near, they cried out, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.' Nine of the lepers were Jews, and one was a Samaritan. And Jesus was sorry for them all, and said, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests.' So they turned straight round to go to the priests, and lo! as they were going along the road, they suddenly felt that they were strong and well again. When the Samaritan felt in himself that the leprosy had gone away, he turned back, and threw himself down at the feet of Jesus, and thanked Him, and thanked God too for all His goodness. But none of the nine Jews came back to thank Jesus.
A few days after that a man came to Jesus, and asked how he could get to heaven. Jesus said that he must love God with all his heart, and his neighbor as himself. Then the man said, 'Who is my neighbor?' So Jesus told him this story, THE GOOD SAMARITAN: 'A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him. And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, 'Take care of him: and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.' When Jesus had finished that story, He said, 'Which now of these three was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?' You can answer that question, and can go and do like that good Samaritan.
