And, indeed, when I looked around and saw the effect of his words on those who were listening, I could in part understand his power among men and women. They drank in his words as travellers at the well of the oasis. They lived upon his eyes, and it was indeed strange to see every man’s body bent forward as of a straining hound at the chase. If ever men worshipped a man, these were worshipping Jesus.
And I? What was it with me that his words failed to move me as they did those [pg 117]around me? Why did his eyes rather repel than attract me? Was it thy teaching, Aglaophonos, that had taught me the way of thy race: to measure all things in the balance of wisdom; to be moved in all acts by reason, not feeling? Was it from thee I learnt to think about the causes of this man’s influence, even while I and others were under it? Perhaps not alone; for much that this man was saying would have repelled my Jewish instincts even had I never come under thy influence. What struck thee among us Jews, I remember, was that while we see the Deity everywhere, we localize him nowhere. Alone among the nations of men we refuse to make an image of our God. We alone never regarded any man as God Incarnate. Those among us who have been nearest to the Divine have only claimed to be—they have only been recognized to be—messengers of the Most High. Yet here was this man, as it seemed, claiming to be the Very God, and all my Jewish feeling rose against the claim.
Nor was I alone in this feeling I was [pg 118]soon to learn. Before Jesus had finished his harangue, cries arose from different quarters of the crowd. “Blasphemy!” “Blasphemer!” “He blasphemes!” arose on all sides. These cries awakened men as if from a sleep, all turning round to see whence they came. And the very turning round, as it were, removed them from the influence of Jesus and his eyes. In a moment, many of those who just before were hanging upon Jesus’ words joined in the cry, “Blasphemer! blasphemer!” One of the boldest of those who began the cry called out, “Blasphemer! Stone him!”
But Jesus drew himself up, and looked upon the crowd with flashing eyes, and said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Sodom is justified of thee.” For a moment all were silent, but soon the cries arose again: “Blasphemer! blasphemer! Stone him!”
Then began great commotion among the people. While some called out, “Stone him!” “Stone him!” others cried, “Sacrilege!” “Sacrilege!” “No stoning in the Temple!” And one called out with a jeer, “In the Temple ye cannot [pg 119]stone, for lo! here there be no stones;” and a bitter, scornful laugh followed his words. Then some who were nearest to Jesus sought to lay hands on him, while others, his friends, stood round him and prevented their approaching, and all was confusion and tumult. When suddenly the blare of a trumpet sounded through the courts, and all cried, “The Romans! the Romans!”
Then round by the royal porch came a company of Roman soldiers to change the sentries at mid-day, and they halted near the Beautiful Gate. And as they came near the crowd began to disperse, and Jesus and his friends went their way from the courts of the Temple.
That day, there was no talk in Jerusalem but of the event in the Temple. Men marvelled at the way in which this Jesus had spoken of himself. “The prophets spake not thus,” they said. “Yet how can a man be greater than a prophet, who speaketh the words of the Most High? Even if we had once more a king over us in Israel, he could not be as great as a prophet, and no king would speak of him[pg 120]self as Jesus this day hath spoken of himself.” But what if this man were destined to be the Christ, the God-given Ruler that should restore the throne of David? But how could that be, since none of the signs and portents of the last times had come upon the earth? Who had seen the blood trickle from the rocks? or the fiery sword appear in the midnight sky? Had babes a year old spoken like men? But others said, “Nay, the kingdom of God will not come with expectation. As it hath been said, ‘Three things come unexpectedly—a scorpion, a treasure-trove, and the Messiah.’ ” And again, others said, “Perchance this is not the Messiah ben David, but the Messiah ben Joseph, who shall be slain before the other cometh.” Thus the minds of men and their words went hither and thither about the sayings of this man Jesus in the Temple.
X.
THE ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM.
I heard naught and saw naught of Jesus the Nazarene till the very last week of his life, and that was the week before the Passover. The winter had been a severe one, and much misery had arisen among the folk through the exactions of the Romans; indeed, an attempt had been made to throw off the Roman yoke. In several places the people had assembled in arms and attacked the soldiery, and in some cases had slain their sentries. Pilate had but sent off a cohort into the district, and all signs of discontent went underground. One of the leaders of the revolt, Jesus Bar Abbas, had been captured and thrown into prison. He, indeed, had attempted an insurrection in Jerusalem itself, where he was well known and popular among the common folk. When he was arrested, a riot had occurred, and one of the soldiers was slain who had been sent to arrest him; wherefore he lay now in prison on the charges of [pg 124]rebellion and murder. Yet many thought that this man had been put forth to try the temper of the people and the power of the Romans, in preparation for a more serious attempt to shake off the oppressor.