Page:Beautifulpearlso00oreirich.djvu/187

 disciples, He  takes  His  Mother  with  Him  to  Caphamaum,  then  the most important  city  of  Galilee,  and  the  centre  of  a  thriving  commerce, favorably  situated  on  the  Lake  of  Gennesareth. This city was to  be  the  chief  centre  of  our  Lord's  public  labors  in  Galilee during the  three  ensuing  years. He did  not  then,  however,  fix  His abode there  and  that  of  His  Mother. He intended  to  return  and to preach  in  Nazareth  the  truth  concerning  Himself  and  His mission — only, when  His  own  townsfolk  had  rejected  Him,  would He seek  a  second  home  for  His  widowed  Parent  and  Himself Meanwhile, the  celebration  of  the  Pasch  calls  both  Him  and  His Mother to  Jerusalem. Hitherto, with  the  sole  exception  of  His disputation with  the  doctors  in  His  twelfth  year,  nothing  had  been done, or  is  recorded  of  Him  as  having  been  done,  in  Jerusalem, to assert  His  divine  mission  as  the  Messiah. On this  memorable visit to  the  capital. He openly  asserted  His  authority. He startled priests and  people,  indeed,  the  entire  multitude  of  Jews  from  Palestine and  other  countries  come  to  the  Passover,  by  casting  the traders out  of  the  temple. To those  who  challenged  His  right  to do  such  acts. He replied  only  by  affirming  that  were  the  temple  itself destroyed,  He  could  rebuild  it  in  three  days. This, of  course, was an  obscure  prophesy  of  His  own  return  to  life,  three  days  after His death  on  the  cross. His hearers  did  not  understand  Him,  and only resolved  to  punish  His  temerity. He, however,  must  have pointed to  His  own  body,  the  very  Reality  figured  by  the  temple; for His  disciples  present  on  the  occasion  so  understood  His  meaning, and  remembered  it  three  years  afterward. But although  He refused  to  perform  a  miracle  to  satisfy  His  enemies,  S.  John  assures us that  at  this  same  Pasch  in  Jerusalem,  "  many  believed  in  His name,  seeing  the  signs  which  He  did.  But  Jesus  did  not  trust  Himself unto  them,  for  that  He  knew  all  men." Then also  took  place the secret  interview  with  Nicodemus,  as  well  as  the  discourse  in which  our  Lord  so  emphatically  asserted  His  mission  and  His divinity.

His Mother,  who  closely  watched  His  every  movement  while  in the  capital,  and  who  hung  upon  every  word  of  His,  could  not  help hearing the  murmurs  and  threats  of  the  Pharisees,  as  well  as  the praise of  such  as  were  drawn  to  Christ  by  His  miracles  and  teaching. She returned  with  Him  to  Galilee  as  she  had  come,  in  the company of  His  disciples. He at  once  began,  while  yet  in  northern Judaea,  near  the  Jordan,  with  them  the  work  of  teaching  and baptizing (S.  John  iii.  22). At that  very  time  John  the  Baptist was pursuing  his  holy  labors  on  the  banks  of  the  Jordan,  at  Ennon (or AEnon),  not  far  from  the  southern  border  of  Galilee. The fame of  Christ's  teaching  in  the  neighborhood,  of  His  wondrous works, and  of  the  many  whom  His  disciples  were  baptizing,  soon reached the  ears  of  John. John's followers  questioned  him  with  regard to  the  authority  which  the  Christ  had  for  so  doing. The answer of  the  Precursor  contains  the  most  solemn  testimony  in  all the Gospel  to  the  Mission  of  Christ  and  to  His  Divinity. "You yourselves do  bear  me  witness,  that  I  said  I  am  not  Christ,  but  that I  am  sent  before  Him.  He  that  hath  the  Bride,  is  the  Bridegroom  but  the  friend  of  the  Bridegroom,  who  standeth  and  heareth  Him, rejoiceth  with  joy  because  of  the  Bridegroom's  voice.  This  my joy  therefore  is  fulfilled.  He  must  increase,  but  I  must  decrease. He  that  cometh  from  above,  is  above  all.  He  that  is  of  earth,  of the  earth  he  is,  and  of  the  earth  he  speaketh.  He  that  cometh from  Heaven  is  above  all.  And  what  He  hath  seen  and  heard, that  He  testifieth;  and  no  man  receiveth  His  testimony.  He  that hath  received  His  testimony,  hath  set  to  his  seal  that  God  is  true. For  He  whom  God  hath  sent  speaketh  the  words  of  God:  for  God doth  not  give  the  Spirit  by  measure  [to  Him].      The  Father  loveth the Son;  and  He  hath  given  all  things  into his hand. He that believeth in  the  Son  hath  life  everlasting;  but  he  that  believeth  not the Son,  shall  not  see  life,  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  in  him."

How consistent  is  the  conduct  of  the  holy  son  of  Elizabeth  with the prediction  of  the  Archangel  Gabriel,  when  he  foretold  his  birth and his  mission  toward  Christ! And how  the  echo  of  this  glorious testimony, reaching  the  Blessed  Virgin,  who  had  not  yet  parted from Christ  and  His  disciples,  must  have  filled  her  soul  with  joy! " I  am  not  [the]  Christ.  ...  I  am  sent  before  Him.  .  .  .  He must  increase,but  I  must  decrease. ' '  The  small  band  of  believers  who now  follow  the  Messiah  must  go  on  increasing,  till  the  society  they form  fills  Judaea  and  Galilee,  till  it  spreads  beyond  Palestine  and Asia,  and  fills  the  whole  earth.  "  I  must  decrease;  "  my  disciples are  only  prepared  for  the  teaching  of  the  Divine  Master.  He  is the  Heavenly  Bridegroom  to  whom  belongs  the  Bride,  the  Church to  be  redeemed  by  His  blood  and  born  anew  of  the  baptism  which typifies  it.  How  can  I,  His  friend  and  Precursor,  not  rejoice, when  He  is  so  near  me,  when  the  voice  of  His  teaching  and  the fame  of  His  miracles  reach  my  ears?  What  am  I,  what  are  all  the preceding  prophets,  compared  to  Him  who  "  cometh  from  above," and "  is  above  all?" " He  that  is  of  the  earth,  of  the  earth  he  is, and  of  the  earth  he  speaketh." I am  earth-born,  a  poor  child  of human  parentage,  like  you  all,  with  the  feelings  of  human  nature, and its  limited  knowledge  and  still  more  limited  power. " But He  that  cometh  from  Heaven,"  the  Word  co-eternal  with  the Father, born  of  Him  before  the  earth  was,  who  testifieth  among  us only  to  what  He  hath  seen  in  His  Father's  bosom  and  what  He hath  heard  from  Him  who  is  the  Essential  Truth  and  Holiness, who sets  the  seal  of  divinity  to  His  teaching  by  the  miracles  we  behold— how  is  it  that  "no  man  receiveth  His  testimony?"

It is  a  tremendous  condemnation  of  Jewish  chicanery  and  incredulity.

From the  neighborhood  of  Ennon  our  Lord  with  His  company "returned in  the  power  of  the  Spirit,  into  Galilee,  and  the  fame of  Him  went  out  through  the  whole  country.  And  He  taught  in their  synagogues,  and  was  magnified  by  all." So writes  S.  Luke. But S.  Matthew,  who  was  himself  a  Galilean,  adds  further  particulars. " And  coming  into  His  own  country.  He  taught  them  in their  synagogues,  so  that  they  wondered  and  said:  How  came this  man  by  this  wisdom  and  [these]  miracles?" The miracles were the  credentials,  the  seal  of  His  mission,  the  attestation  that His "wisdom"  was  not  of  earth  but  of  Heaven. They were  too earthly and  grovelling  to  rise  above  their  own  low  ideas  and  prejudices. But the  Messiah  wished  to  preach  to  the  city  in  which  He had  spent  childhood  and  youth,  before  He  began  the  circuit  of  all Galilee. It is  a  great  event  in  the  History  of  His  blessed  Mother,  as it  seems  to  have  severed  her  connection  with  her  native  place.

And He  came  to  Nazareth,  where  He  was  brought  up;  and  He  went into the  synagogue  according  to  His  custom,  on  the  Sabbath  day. And He  rose  up  to  read;  and  the  book  of  Isaias  the  prophet  was delivered unto  Him. And as  He  unfolded  the  book. He found  the place where  it  was  written:  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  Me; wherefore He  hath  anointed  Me;  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  the  poor  He hath  sent  Me,  to  heal  the  contrite  (broken)  of  heart;  to  preach  deliverance to  the  captives,  and  sight  to  the  blind;  to  set  at  liberty  them  that are bruised;  to  preach  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord,  and  the  day of reward. And when  He  had  folded  the  book. He restored  it  to the  minister,  and  sat  down. And the  eyes  of  all  in  the  synagogue were fixed  on  Him. And He  began  to  say  to  them:  This  day  is fulfilled  this  Scripture  in  your  ears. And all  gave  testimony  to Him;  and  they  wondered  at  the  words  of  grace  that  proceeded