Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 8.djvu/442

 JESUS

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JESUS

who was baptizing at Ennon (A. V. jEnon). When the Baptist had been imprisoned in Macharus, Jesus returned to GaUlee by way of Samaria where He met the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well near Sichar; He delayed two days in this place, and many behaved in Him. Soon after His return into Galilee we find Jesus again in Cana, where He lieard the prayer of the ruler who pleaded for the recovery of his dying son in Ca- pharnaum. The rejection of Jesus by the people of Nazareth, whether at this time as St. Luke intimates, or at a later period, as St. Mark seems to demand, or again both now and about eight months later, is an exegetical problem we cannot solve here. At any rate, shortly afterwards Jesus is most actively engaged in Capharnaum in teaching and healing the sick, re- storing among others Peter's mother-in-law and a demoniac. On this occasion he called Peter and An- drew, James and John. Then followed a missionary tour tlirough Galilee during which Jesus cured a leper; soon He again taught in C'apharnaum, and was siu-- rounded by such a multitude that a man sick of the palsy had to be let down tlirough the roof in order to reach the Sacred Presence. After calling Matthew to the Apostleship, He went to Jerusalem for the second pasch occurring during His public life, and it was on this occasion that He healed the man who had been sick for thirty-eight years near the pool at Jerusalem. The charge of violating the Sabbath and Christ's an- swer were the natural effects of the miracle. The same charge is repeated shortly after the pasch; Jesus had returned to Galilee, and the disciples plucked some ripe ears in the corn fields. The question be- came more acute in the immediate future; Jesus had returned to Capharnaum, and there healed on the Sal> bath day a man who had a withered hand. The Phari- sees now make common cause with the Herodians in order to " destroy him ". Jesus withdraws first to the Sea of Galilee, where He teaches antl performs numer- ous miracles; then retires to the Mountain of Beati- tudes, where He prays during the night, chooses His Twelve Apostles in the morning, and preaches the Ser- mon on the Mount. He is brought back to Caphar- naum by the prayers of the centurion who asks and obtains the cure of his servant.

(iii) Third Journey. — About Pentecost, a.u.c. 780- Autumn, 780. (Cf. Luke, vii, viii; Mark, iii, iv; Matt., iv, viii, ix, xii, xiii.) Jesus makes another missionary tour through Galilee; He resuscitates the son of the widow at Naim, and shortly afterwards receives the messengers sent by John from his prison in Maehserus. Then follows the scene of the merciful reception of the sinful woman who anoints the feet of the Lord while He rests at table in Magdala or perhaps in Caphar- naum; for the rest of His missionary tour Jesus is fol- lowed by a band of pious women who minister to the wants of the Apostles. After returning to Caphar- naum, Jesus expels the mute devil, is charged by the Pharisees with casting out devils by the prince of dev- ils, and encounters the remonstrances of His kinsmen. Withdrawing to the sea, He preaches what may be called the "Lake Sermon", consisting of seven para- bles.

(iv) Fourth Journey. — Autumn, a.u.c. 780-about Passover, 7SL (Cf . Luke, viii, ix ; Mark, iv-vi ; Matt., viii, ix, X, xiii, xiv.) After a laborious day of ministry in the city of Capharnaum and on the lake, Jesus with His Apostles crosses the waters. As a great storm overtakes them, the frightened Apostles awaken their sleeping Master, Who commands the winds and the waves. Towards morning they meet in the country of the Gerasens, on the east shore of the lake, two demo- niacs. Jesus e.xpels theevil spirits, but allows them to enter into a herd of swine. 'The bea-sts destroy them- selves in the waters of the lake, and the frightened in- habitants licg Ji-sus mil tn rciiiuiii among them. After returning to {';i|ili:iniMuin Helicals the woman who had touched the hcni of His garment, resuscitates the

daughter of Jairus, and gives sight to two blind men. The Second Gospel places here Christ's last visit to and rejection by the people of Nazareth. Then fol- lows the ministry of the Apostles who are sent two by two, while Jesus Himself makes another missionary tour tlirough Galilee. It seems to have been the mar- tyrdom of John the Baptist that occasioned the return of the Apostles and their gathering around the Master in Capharnaum. But, howe\er depressing this event may have been, it did not rlamp the enthusiasm of the Apostles over their success.

(v) Fifth Journey. — Spring, a. u. c. 78L (Cf. John, vi; Luke, ix; Mark, vi; and Matt., xiv. Jesus in- vites the Apostles, tired out from their missionary la^ hours, to rest awhile. They cross the northern part of the Sea of Galilee, but, instead of finding the desired solitude, they are met by multitudes of people who had preceded them by land or by boat, and who were eager for instruction. Jesus taught them throughout the day, and towards evening did not wish to dismiss them hungry. On the other hand, there were only five loaves and two fishes at the disposal of Jesus; after His blessing, these scanty supplies satisfied the hunger of five thousand men, besides women and children, and the remnants filled twelve baskets of fragments. Jesus sent the Apostles back to their boats, and escaped from the enthusiastic multitudes, who wished to make Him king, into the mountain where He prayed till far into the night. Meanwhile the Apostles were facing a contrary wind till the fourth watch in the morning, when they saw Jesus walking upon the waters. The Apostles first fear, and then recognize Jesus; Peter walks upon the water as long as his confidence lasts; the storm ceases when Jesus has entered the boat. The next day brings Jesus and His Apostles to Caphar- naum, where He speaks to the assembly about the Bread of Life and promises the Holy Eucharist, with the result that some of His followers leave Him, while the faith of His true disciples is strengthened.

(vi) Sixth Journey. — About May, a. u. c. 781- Sept., 781. (Cf. Lk., Lx; Mk., vii-ix; Matt., viv-xviii; John, vii. It may be owing to the enmity stirred up against Jesus by His Eucharistic discourse in Caphar- naum that He began now a more extensive missionary tour than He had made in the preceding years of His public life. Passing through the country of Genesar, He expressed His disapproval of the Pharisaic prac- tices of legal purity. Within the borders of Tyre and Sidon He exorcized the ilaughter of the Syrophenician woman. From here Jesus travelled first towards the north, then towards the east, then south-eastward through the northern part of Dccapolis, probably along the foot of the Lelianon, till He came to the east- ern part of Galilee. While in Decapolis Jesus healed a deaf-mute, employing a ceremonial more elaborate than He had used at any of His previous miracles; in tlie eastern part of Galilee, prolsably not far from Dal- manutha and Magedan, He fed four thousand men, be- sides children and women, with seven loaves and a few little fishes, the remaining fragments filling seven baskets. The multitudes had listened for three days to the teaching of Jesus previously to the mu-acle. In spite of the many cures performed by Jesus, during this journey, on the blind, the dumb, the lame, the maimed, and on many others, the Pharisees and Sad- ducces asked Him for a sign from heaven, tempting Him. He promised them the sign of Jonas the Prophet. After Jesus and the Apostles had crossed the lake, He warned them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees; then they passed through Bothsaida Julias where Jesus gave sight to a blind man. Next we find Jesus in the confines of Coesarea Philippi, where Peter professes his faith in Christ, the Son of tlie living God, and in his turn receives from ,Iesus the promise of the power of the keys. Jesus here iirediets His Passion, and about a week later is transfigured before Peter, James, and John, probably on the top of Mt. Thabor.