Men Called Him MasterSmith, Elwyn A. (Elwyn Allen)
Religion
Men Called Him Master
Smith, Elwyn A. (Elwyn Allen)
Jesus Christ -- Biography -- Juvenile literature
After the Seventy had gone, great crowds continued to throng Jesus as he
preached in the market place of Tiberias. The anxiety that the
disciples first felt when Jesus decided to await the return of the
Seventy gradually gave way to optimism when they saw the great
popularity of Jesus.
"The king knows he cannot arrest us," said the Zealot. "Look at this
crowd!"
"It will not be long before we are in Jerusalem!" said John. Jerusalem!
The disciples began to talk eagerly about the new kingdom.
"Nothing must stop us!" declared James and John. When the Seventy
returned, they were enthusiastic.
"Everyone listened to us!" declared the first two men to return. "People
brought their sick to us. They believed our teaching! Even the demons
obeyed us!"
"Here is a man who wants to become a follower," said his companion.
A third person stepped up to Jesus and said very sincerely, "I will go
with you anywhere."
Jesus looked at him keenly and said: "My way is not easy. The foxes in
the woods have holes to sleep in. Even the wild birds have nests--but I
have no home and no place to give you."
"I will follow you anywhere," said the man again.
Through the day others returned. Every hour the disciples heard good
reports of the success of the Seventy. At sunset all the followers whom
Jesus had sent out gathered in the hills. The bright rays of the sinking
sun lighted Jesus' face as he raised his hand to quiet the excited men.
"Satan is utterly defeated!" he declared. "The power of God is yours!
Nothing can stand in the way of God's rule!" The people could not
restrain their excitement. They burst into a babble of conversation. One
man cried out, "Master, we even have power over demons!"
Jesus answered quickly. "You should rejoice because you know what it is
to be a part of God's Kingdom--not because you can do miracles!" He
raised his arms to pray. Like the silent shadow that had stolen over
them as the sun sank from sight, a reverent hush settled over the crowd.
"Father in heaven, I thank thee that thou hast concealed thyself from
men who think they are wise. I praise thee that thou hast revealed all
these things to the humble and the simple. I praise thee that it is thy
purpose to rule over all who are willing to give their hearts to thee."
While the group were returning to their lodging in Tiberias, James and
John made a discovery that shocked and angered them. One of the Seventy
had been turned roughly away from a town on the border of Samaria.
Indignantly the two fishermen came with the man to Jesus.
"This man was driven out of a village in Samaria," they said angrily.
"Let us call down fire from the sky and burn up these people!"
"No!" commanded Jesus. "We have not come to destroy men's lives but to
save them."
"Why should these worthless Samaritans be allowed to stand in the way of
the Kingdom of God?" demanded James hotly. "We should destroy them. They
are enemies of God!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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