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
Jesus straitly charged us that we should tell no man; whereat we marvelled
not a little. But howsoever we obeyed him, it could not be hid. And
besides this, the fame of the healing of Raphael the son of Joazar had
been noised abroad through the whole of the city, insomuch that at sunset,
when we went forth, the Sabbath being now ended, we saw great multitudes
of demoniacs, lunatics, and some also sick of the palsy and of fever, laid
in their beds along the road through which we would have passed. Some
also, that were afflicted with incurable diseases, had been brought
notwithstanding, because of their entreaties; if perchance Jesus might
heal them; and I saw one man that had been blind from his birth.
Now it came to pass that when Jesus came forth from Simon Peter’s house,
and saw the faces of all these sick people, and the faces of their
friends, all waiting if perchance he would help them, his countenance was
altered, and the shadow of sorrow fell upon him, and he sighed and said,
“Verily for the sorrowful I am sorrowful, and for the sick I am sick.”(4)
Then he passed along the ranks of the sick people; and wheresoever he
perceived that any could be healed, he laid his hands on them, and lo,
they were at once freed from their infirmities; and many unclean spirits
were driven out from those whom they had possessed. Now most of them that
were healed had been possessed with evil spirits; but others were lunatic,
or sick of the palsy, or of fever, or had impediment in their speech. But
Jesus had a marvellous power to discern, methought, not only them that had
faith from them that had not, but also such diseases as were to be cured,
from such as were not to be cured, because it was not prepared for him
that he should cure them. But when Jesus had made an end of healing, the
multitude still followed us; and the friends of such as had not been
cured, vexed us with importunities; and others, whose friends had been
cured, called down blessings on Jesus, and refused to leave him. Thus, go
whither we would, we could not be alone. So Jesus returned to the house,
and I went back to the house of Manasseh.
I opened my mind to my uncle that night, and said to him that I purposed
to go with Jesus of Nazareth whithersoever he went; and Baruch said the
same. But my uncle no longer opposed himself against our wills; only he
forewarned us that evil was in store for us; “For,” said he, “I have
sojourned in Italy among the Romans three years, and I know well that
nothing can withstand their power. But whoso gainsayeth them gainsayeth
the strength of a king: according as it is written, ‘Where the word of a
king is, there is power; and who may say unto him, What doest thou?’”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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