Philochristus: Memoirs of a Disciple of the Lord

by Edwin Abbott Abbott

Now concerning these parables Quartus judgeth that Jesus spake in them of his resurrection. “For,” said he, “the meaning of Jesus was, that if the disciples had not prayed unto the Lord, and watched and waited after his death (but contrariwise had given themselves over to idleness and folly, as men desperate), then Jesus would never have appeared to them; and they would have been shut out from the Kingdom.” Others interpret the words, as if Jesus spake of some other coming, which may not perchance be fulfilled in our days. But I incline rather to think that our Master prophesied partly concerning some future coming which is not yet fulfilled; and partly concerning his resurrection and manifestation to us his disciples, soon to be fulfilled; but partly also concerning our nation: how that, after his death, some few should be ready to receive him, but the greater part should be unready; and as for these, darkness should fall upon their hearts, and then the door should be shut, and they should grope around the door, but find no entrance. Which things have indeed come to pass. For at the first, Israel was desirous to enter into the Kingdom, but now the veil is upon their hearts, so that they can no longer have light to enter into the Kingdom, no, not though they desire it.

The morrow, as I have said, was the Sabbath; and all the day, Jesus sat still in the house talking with the women, especially with Mary and Martha the sisters of our host; neither did he go forth all that day, save that he went to the village of Bethphage to see some sick folk. But in the evening he spake to us very kindly, yea, very tenderly, even more than his wont. And though he said not many words, yet all his words [pg 322]were concerning us, not concerning himself; or, if he spake of himself, it was for our sakes, as if he were striving to look into the darkness of that which was to come, so that he might discern what perils awaited us, for to warn us thereof.

As we walked towards Bethphage, it came to pass that Philip said to Jesus (thinking to please him), that certain Greeks which were in Jerusalem desired to see him. Now so it was, that when Philip spake these words, we chanced to be passing through the fields of corn; and the corn was now strong and in ear, for the spring was well advanced. But Jesus stopped at that word Greeks, and looked down at the corn; and then he said that the hour was verily come when he should be glorified: “For,” said he, “except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” Then he went on to say that, after his death, we need not fear lest we should be left desolate, for a Spirit should strengthen us; and of this Spirit he spake, at one time as coming from himself, but at another time as coming from his Father; moreover it should come to us, he said, by a certain ordinance, which could not be altered. For just as the ear of wheat cometh not unless the corn of wheat first die, even so his Spirit should not come, except he also should first depart from us.

Hereat Judas brake out in hot anger, “Wherefore, then, go we up to Jerusalem, if our going is to be for naught, and if thou art to depart from us, and if we are to be left as sheep without a shepherd?” Jesus rebuked him not, neither answered as we had expected; but said that it could not be that a prophet should perish out of [pg 323]Jerusalem. Hereat one said, “Nay but, O Master, the prophet John perished not in Jerusalem.” But to this Jesus made no answer; but only spake a few words touching the difference between the simplicity of the Galileans and the subtlety of the men of Jerusalem; and he condemned the Scribes of Jerusalem and the priests of the temple, for that they made darkness instead of light, causing all Israel, and even the Galileans, to transgress. He also spake as if Satan reigned in the Holy City, and as if he were shortly going down to do battle there with Satan in Jerusalem. So he seemed to signify that Jerusalem was as it were a field of battle, whereon it was meet and right that a true prophet should die. After this he added, that if he were lifted up in the sight of all men, he should draw all men unto him. This joining together of words diverse in nature, of perishing and lifting up, and of departing and drawing all men unto him, filled us with perplexity; insomuch that Judas said in a low voice that the words of Jesus were like unto oil and vinegar, which cannot be mixed. The rest of us also showed, as I suppose, by our countenances that we understood him not; for he looked kindly on us, and rebuked us not, but said that he had yet many things to say unto us, but we could not bear them now. He also added at another time, this promise, that a Spirit of Truth should come, which should guide us into all the truth.

Now so it was that, while Jesus was saying these words, we were now drawing nigh unto Bethphage, and we spake concerning the going into Jerusalem on the morrow. And it came to pass that Matthew, looking upon an ass (which was standing in the village at the back [pg 324]of a house where two ways met), made mention of a certain prophecy which saith that the Messiah shall come into Jerusalem, not as an Egyptian nor as an Assyrian (for they ride in chariots or on horses), but as one of the princes of our nation, who used to ride on asses; and the words were these, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy king cometh unto thee. He is meek and having salvation, lowly and riding upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass.” Now Jesus overheard these words, but said nothing; yet, as it seemed to me, he took note thereof.

When we returned to the house, Jesus gave command for the morrow, that we should rise early to go down into Jerusalem with him, and that certain of the disciples should go before the rest into Jerusalem, even to our friends and companions there, for to instruct them concerning the time of the going down of Jesus, that they might come forth to meet us. Hereat we rejoiced greatly: and all the teaching of Jesus concerning his death and departure, and concerning the days of trouble and of parting, quite vanished away; and even Judas was glad. And now our minds began to be set once more, and even more than before, upon the Kingdom, and upon our places in the Kingdom. So when we lay down on the supper couches, our tongues still harped thereon; and our disputings were so loud that Jesus could not but hear them. Then was he sore displeased that we should thus think of ourselves when he was to depart from us; and he opened his mouth to speak. But he spake not; for it was as if no words could avail to pierce the hardness of our hearts. Howbeit, when supper was ended and I was gone forth from [pg 325]the chamber, then, as it was reported to me by some (but others say that it happened on another evening), he arose from the table, and girded himself as a servant, and would wash the feet of all the disciples; and when they would have resisted, he constrained them; but when he had made an end, he said, “I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you.”

After this manner therefore that Sabbath ended; but throughout the whole of the Sabbath and all the evening after, yea and on the morrow, and during all the days before his suffering, Jesus, as it now appeareth unto me, was wholly bent upon serving us, and upon helping us, thinking ever of our needs and our weaknesses, and how we should fare without him, and how he could strengthen us so that we might be ready when he suddenly came back to us. For our sakes also, as I judge, he made entry after that public and solemn fashion into Jerusalem, to the intent that no man might hereafter reproach any of us and say, “Thy master was no Messiah; for he dared not show himself as Messiah before the face of the people; neither did he claim allegiance, but only professed himself a servant; nor did he manifest bravery, but hid himself from his enemies even to the last.”

For this cause do I in no wise assent to the saying of Xanthias, that the going in of Jesus into Jerusalem was not worthy of him. For, as I judge, he did it for our sakes, and not for his own; yea, and for the sake of the whole world; that it might be on record for ever how that the Son of man, though he were the humblest of men, did nevertheless claim for himself the [pg 326]allegiance of all them that were in the city, yea, and of all that were in the inhabited world; as if he were at once the king and the servant of mankind.

But as touching that other saying (not of Xanthias, but of the Scribe Hezekiah) that, “If Jesus had been a prophet indeed, he should have prophesied unto his disciples the whole manner of his death, and the manner of his resurrection, and the manner of the giving of the Holy Spirit,” concerning this I say nothing, as one doubtful and waiting for the truth. But Quartus is perchance herein too bold (though he speak out of his great love for the Lord Jesus) in saying that our Master “knew not little matters that were to come, but only great matters. And so he knew that the fire of heaven would fall on Jerusalem, but when it would fall, this was hidden from him. Likewise, he knew that he must die; for unless he died his Spirit would not come; but when the Spirit should come, this too was hidden from him.

“Yea and even as touching his own death and rising again; that he should go unto the Father he knew, and that he should come again he knew; but on what day he should come again, and at what hour he should manifest himself to his disciples, this he knew not. And even for this cause, perchance,” saith Quartus (who was not present in Jerusalem when the Lord suffered and rose again), “he was so earnest with you that ye should give your minds to watching and praying in the hour when he should be taken from you; to the intent that, when he came suddenly back to you from the grave (manifesting himself to you in the night, whether in the first watch, or at midnight, [pg 327]or at cockcrow, or whensoever it might be) he might not find you given over to surfeit and drunkenness, and to the thoughts and cares of this present world; and so your hearts should be closed against the sight of him, and he should not be able to reveal himself unto you. For if, when Jesus died, ye had given yourselves over to despair and recklessness, then though Jesus himself had stood before you, coming from his grave, yet would ye none the more have seen him.”