Philochristus: Memoirs of a Disciple of the LordAbbott, Edwin Abbott
Religion
Philochristus: Memoirs of a Disciple of the Lord
Abbott, Edwin Abbott
Christian fiction; Jesus Christ -- Fiction
Now as touching the overthrowing of mountains or destruction of trees,
some have supposed that Jesus really wrought such wonders as these; and I
have heard that stories of this kind are currently reported in the Church.
But Jesus did never any such thing. But in our language an “uprooter of
mountains” was a name given to any Rabbi that had power by his words to
remove great difficulties out of the path of the righteous, and to make
smooth the rough places in the ways of the Law. And after the like manner,
as I suppose, are to be interpreted the words of Jesus touching the answer
to prayer. For it entered not into his mind that his disciples should ask
for earthly things as their hearts’ desire; but they were to ask for
heavenly things, and earthly things should be added to them, sufficient
for their needs. Howbeit Quartus explaineth this saying somewhat
otherwise, as I shall set forth further on.
As we journeyed, Jesus would not that any should know him: and few took
heed of us; for instead of a great multitude, none now went with him, save
the Twelve, and three or four others beside myself. But passing by a
certain house wherein dwelt one of our countrymen (though we were by this
time far beyond the bounds of Galilee) Jesus entered in asking for water;
for the weather was exceeding sultry. And so it was that in the house the
good folk were making ready to circumcise a child; and (after the manner
of the people in Galilee) an empty chair had been set for the prophet
Elias, as being the prophet of the covenant of circumcision. But some one
of our company (Judas of Kerioth, as I remember) not knowing wherefore the
chair was thus set, asked the cause thereof. So the good man of the house
said that it was set for Elias the prophet, “who hath ofttimes appeared,”
said he, “in the guise of a merchant, to one or other of the Scribes in
old times; and, three days before the Messiah come, he needs must appear
for to anoint the Messiah: but I have heard it said of many, these ten
days, that he hath appeared indeed as a prophet, on the other side of the
lake, for to avenge the death of John the son of Zachariah.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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