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
These things he said to all the disciples; but when the Twelve, and we
that were always with him, were come to him in the inn where he rested
during the heat of the noontide, he spake privately to us concerning our
disputings and contentions among ourselves. For he had noted how sorely
the rest of the apostles were displeased at John and James; and also at
other times he had perceived that we were jealous one of another.
Wherefore he besought us (and as it seemed to me there were even tears in
his eyes) to be at peace among ourselves. Moreover he spake about himself,
saying that he had a cup of sorrow to drink and a baptism of suffering to
be baptized withal, and that he had come to give his life a ransom for the
multitude. Therefore if any man among us desired to be chief of all and
foremost of all, he desired that man to be foremost in serving, and in
ministering, and in suffering; even as he also came to be a sufferer and a
minister for the multitude.
Then he besought us with great passion and fervency to suffer nothing to
come between us and our entrance into the Kingdom, saying that it were
better for us to cut off our right hand or pluck out our right eye and so
to enter into life, rather than to enter with two eyes and hands into
darkness, into the valley of Hinnom, where the worm ceaseth not and the
fire is not quenched. Finally, he lamented over the world, how that it was
not fit to be a sacrifice to the Father because it was not salted; and he
called us the salt of the world: “But if,” said he, “the salt hath lost
its savour, wherewith shall the salting be performed?”
Now some of his words were hidden from us, but these last were easy to
understand. And we were ashamed of our disputings, and because we were not
like unto our Master in singleness of heart. Judas also himself seemed to
be moved somewhat at the time: yet, soon after, he spake again as before,
saying that it was impossible to obey Jesus, because Jesus said at one
time one thing and at another time another; “Wherefore,” added Judas,
“inasmuch as our Master will neither plan nor perform aught to do good
unto himself, methinks it is meet that we his disciples should strive to
do him good, even though it be against his own will.”
CHAPTER XXV
After Jesus had made an end of this exhortation, he set forth on his
journey to go towards Bethany, which lay still far up above us. There was
in his countenance even such a brightness as we had noted when he came
down from the mountain with Peter and James and John. Whereat we
marvelled, because he that had but now spoken to us with such a passion of
sorrow concerning a cup of suffering and death, seemed to go towards
suffering and death like unto one triumphing in glory. Howbeit we feared
to ask him further concerning these things; but we followed after him,
questioning among ourselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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