"Such power as this has never before been seen in the land of Israel!"
But the scribes and Pharisees, who were enemies of Jesus, said again, as they had said before:
"This man casts out the evil spirits, because Satan, the prince of the evil spirits, helps him."
Twelve Preachers Sent Out
CHAPTER 39
JESUS HAD now preached in nearly all parts of Galilee, except in the middle portion, the region around Nazareth, the home of his younger days. You remember that when he had tried to speak in Nazareth, soon after coming from Judea, the people refused to listen to him, thinking that one who had been only a workingman and not a Rabbi or scribe could not teach them anything.
But Jesus loved those people in Nazareth, for many of the men had been with him boys at school; and his own sisters lived there with their children, boys and girls, who were his nephews and nieces. He longed to see them all, and made up his mind to go again to Nazareth, and see if its people would this time listen to him. On his earlier visit he had been alone, and the men of Nazareth in their anger had tried to kill him by throwing him down a very steep hill; but now Jesus had with him his twelve disciples and many more who followed him from place to place. On this visit the men of Nazareth did not venture to do him harm, because of his many friends around him.
As before, Jesus went to the village church on the Sabbath day and preached. Again the people listened to him with wonder at his words; but again they said: