In all the history of the world there has never been another man like Jesus, nor another mission like that which He performed. We have heard so much of the meekness1 and humility3 of Jesus, of His suffering all things and resenting nothing, of His going like a lamb to the slaughter4, that many people have formed a picture of Jesus that is wholly unworthy of Him. Some of you, even, may possibly think of Jesus as a weak sort of man who takes all kinds of abuse. But such a conception of Jesus considers only one of the virtues7 in the man, and does not consider the whole man. Jesus was just such a man as every boy and girl delights to see. In body He was strong, robust8, physically9 perfect, with a wholesomeness11 of body quite unequalled by any other man. No trial or hardship deterred12 Him from pushing forward to the goal on which He had fixed13 His mind. No danger daunted14 Him. For His spirit was as wholesome10 and as perfect as was His body. When He was aroused by righteous indignation. His fearlessness knew no bounds. Picture Him, for example, alone and unafraid, with a scourge15 in His hand, driving the money changers and the petty merchants out of His Father's house! In body and in spirit, Jesus was perfect—of the purest athletic16 type. But Jesus was also a perfect leader. Hence, He had Himself in perfect control. While He suffered pain as {254} do other men; while He experienced the thrill of affection and love as do other men; while He could become angry, and possessed17 the passions that other men do—yet He had so subdued18 the mortal in Him to the divine, that the baser nature never once gained power over the Son of God. In this He set us an example of how we should live. It was because of His perfect self-control that He appeared always as the meek2 and lowly Nazarene. It is not difficult to understand that such a man aroused the wonder and admiration19 of the people to whom He ministered. Such a man we ourselves delight to worship.
A work full of wonder.
The daily work of Jesus aroused as much wonder as did the physical and spiritual characteristics. His enemies even were constrained20 to admit that no other man ever spoke21 with such power and authority as did Jesus. And certainly, no other man has ever displayed such divine power as did Jesus. Throughout Judea, Samaria and Galilee, Jesus demonstrated His marvelous power and authority in healing the sick, in restoring the halt and the maimed, in quieting the storm, and even in raising the dead. It was, indeed, a marvelous work and a wonder. It reads almost like a fairy tale. And yet these things Jesus, the Son of God, actually did. In this lesson, we shall consider briefly22 some of the statements of the strange miracles Jesus performed.
A healer and worker of miracles.
While laboring23 in Galilee, Jesus performed an untold24 number of miracles. Mark tells us how the fame of Jesus as a miracle worker had spread abroad, {255} and how the afflicted25 flocked to Him. One day, when the offended Pharisees and Herodians were taking counsel against Him, Jesus withdrew Himself with His disciples26 to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things He did, came unto Him. And He spake to His disciples, that a small ship should wait on Him because of the multitude, lest they should throng27 Him. For He had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon Him for to touch Him, as many as had plagues. And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God. And He straitly charged them that they should not make Him known."
The conditions in Palestine.
With a little exercise of the imagination, you can easily visualize28 the remarkable29 scene described thus vividly30 by St. Mark. But in order to understand how such a condition could be possible it becomes necessary to know something about Galilee in the time of Jesus. Historians agree in telling us that ever since the days of Alexander the Great, all the vice31 and the wickedness of both the East and the West had literally32 poured into Palestine. The land of the chosen people had become corrupt33, as had the chosen people themselves. Their bodies had become afflicted and their minds diseased through habits of wrong living and wrong thinking. Beggars were as common as the turns in the roadway; and nearly every beggar was distorted by some {256} terrible and loathsome34 disease. The insane, and those possessed of evil spirits, were almost without number. Their condition, too, was pitiable. In all the land that was blessed by God to become the home of His own people, there was no one to help the unfortunates. Instead of a land flowing with milk and honey, it had become a land poisoned with vice and corruption35.
A mission of love.
It was into such a land, and amongst such a people, that the physically and spiritually perfect Jesus came to minister. Devoted36 to a mission of love. Jesus turned the strength of His own perfection and the power of His divine authority to the healing of the sick and afflicted, to the assuaging37 of the sufferings of the poor, and to the saving of the ignorant. It was a manifestation38 of divine power and compassion39, without thought of reward or honor, for He always charged those to whom He ministered, "See that thou tell no man."
We have neither time nor space to consider the miracles of Jesus in detail. Let us read only three. The first exhibits the power of Jesus over physical illness; the second, His power over nature and the elements; the third. His power over death itself.
The centurion40's servant.
"When Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a centurion, beseeching41 Him, and saying. Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented42. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy5 that Thou shouldst come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be {257} healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, He marvelled43, and said to them that followed. Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.... And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour."
Stilling the tempest.
"When the even was come. He saith unto them. Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him even as He was in the ship: and there were also with Him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, Master, carest Thou not that we perish? And He arose, and rebuked44 the wind, and said unto the sea. Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another. What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"
The raising of Lazarus.
"Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead; and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him. . . . Then when Jesus came, He found that he had lain in the grave four days already. . . . Then when Mary was {258} come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto Him, Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned45 in the spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto Him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold46 how He loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning47 in Himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said. Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto Him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her. Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes, and said. Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard me. And I knew that Thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent me. And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth48. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them. Loose him, and let him go."
More marvelous power than that recorded in these three instances cannot be imagined. Our admiration is wrought49 up to the highest point; and in imagination {259} we see the strong, pure, healthy and wholesome Man, giving freely of His strength and life-force to those who come to Him, ministering to them, and saving them from their own evil lives and evil habits of thought. We wonder that there could be anyone who would reject such a Leader.
In His own country.
And yet, when He left the seashore and returned to Nazareth and His own country, Jesus was rejected by His own. "When the sabbath day was come, He began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing Him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto Him, that even such mighty50 works are wrought by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us? And they were offended at Him.
"But Jesus said unto them, A Prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin6, and in his own house. And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And He marvelled because of their unbelief."
THE REFERENCES
Mark 3:7-12 Matt. 8:5-10, 13.
Mark 4:33-41. John 11:1-44.
Mark 6:1-6.
{260} THE QUESTIONS
1. What kind of man was Jesus physically?
2. What kind of man was Jesus spiritually?
3. What quality made Jesus a great leader?
4. What was the condition of Galilee—and all Palestine—at the time of Jesus?
5. How did Jesus manifest His divine power?
6. Describe some miracles wrought by Jesus.
7. Why is it surprising that all Palestine did not believe in Him, and accept Him?
8. What principle did Jesus teach concerning a prophet in his own country?
9. Why could Jesus do no mighty work in His own country?
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1
meekness
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| n.温顺，柔和 | |
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meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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slaughter
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| n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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kin
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| n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的 | |
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virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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robust
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| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
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physically
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| adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律 | |
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wholesome
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| adj.适合；卫生的；有益健康的；显示身心健康的 | |
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wholesomeness
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| 卫生性 | |
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deterred
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| v.阻止，制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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daunted
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| 使（某人）气馁，威吓( daunt的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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scourge
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| n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏 | |
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athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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subdued
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| adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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constrained
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| adj.束缚的,节制的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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laboring
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| n.劳动，操劳v.努力争取(for)( labor的现在分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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untold
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| adj.数不清的，无数的 | |
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afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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disciples
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| n.信徒( disciple的名词复数 )；门徒；耶稣的信徒；（尤指）耶稣十二门徒之一 | |
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throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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visualize
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| vt.使看得见，使具体化，想象，设想 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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vividly
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| adv.清楚地，鲜明地，生动地 | |
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31
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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33
corrupt
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| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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34
loathsome
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| adj.讨厌的，令人厌恶的 | |
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corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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36
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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37
assuaging
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| v.减轻( assuage的现在分词 )；缓和；平息；使安静 | |
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38
manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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39
compassion
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| n.同情，怜悯 | |
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40
centurion
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| n.古罗马的百人队长 | |
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41
beseeching
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| adj.恳求似的v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的现在分词 ) | |
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42
tormented
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| 饱受折磨的 | |
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marvelled
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| v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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44
rebuked
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| 责难或指责( rebuke的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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groaned
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| v.呻吟( groan的过去式和过去分词 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦 | |
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46
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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47
groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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49
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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50
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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