Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 8.djvu/443

 JESUS

3S1

JESUS

On dpscpiiding from the mountain, Jesus exorcizes the mute (le\il whom His disciples had not Ijeen able to expel. Bending his way towards Capharnaum, Jesus predicts His Pa-ssion for the second time, and in the city pays the tribute-money for Himself and Peter. This occasions the discussion as to the greater in the kingdom of heaven, and the alUed discourses. Fi- nally, Jesus refuses His brethren's invitation to go pub- licly to the Fea.st of Tabernacles in Jerusalem.

(Vii) Seventh Journey. — Sept., A. u. c. 781-Dec., 7S1. (Cf . Luke, ix-xiii; Mark, x; Matt., vi, vii, viii, x, xi, xii, xxiv; John, vii-x.) Jesus now "steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem ", and, as the Samaritans re- fused Him hospitaUty, He had to take the road east of the Jordan. While still in Galilee, He refused the dis- cipleship of several half-hearted candidates, and about the same time He .sent other seventy-two disciples, two by two, before His face into every city and place wliither He Himself was to come. Probably in the lower part of Per«a, the seventy-two returned with joy, rejoicing in the miraculous power that had been exercised by them. It must have been in the vicinity of Jericho that Jesus answered the lawyer's question, " Who is my neighbour? " by the parable of the Good Samaritan. Next Jesus was received in the hospi- table home of Mary and Martha, where He declares Mary to have chosen the l^etter part. From Betha- nia Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Taberna- cles, where He Ijecame involved in discussions with the Jews. The Scribes and Pharisees endeavoured to catch Him in the sentence which they asked Him to pronounce in the case of the woman taken in atlultery. When Jesus had avoided this snare. He continuetl His discussions with the hostile Jews. Their enmity was intensified because Jesus restored sight to a blind man on the Sabbath day. Jesus appears to have ended His stay in Jerusalem with the beautiful dis- course on the Good Shepherd. A little later He teaches His Apostles the Our Father, probably some- where on Mt. Olivet. On a subsequent missionary tour through Judea and Persa He heals the dumb and blind demoniac, defends Himself against the charges of the Pharisees, and reproves their hypocrisy. On the same journey Jesus warned against hypocrisy, cov- etousness, worldly care; He exhorted to watchfulness, patience under contradictions, and to penance. About this time, too, He healed the woman who had the spirit of infirmity.

(viii) Eighth Journey.— Dec, A.u.c. 781-Feb., 782. (Cf . Luke, xiii-xvii ; John, x, xi.) The Feast of Dedica- tion brought Jesus again to Jerusalem, and occasioned another discussion with the Jews. This is followed by another missionary tour through Persea, during which Jesus explained a number of important points of doc- trine: the number of the elect, the choice of one's place at table, the guests to be invited, the parable of the great supper, resoluteness in the service of God, the parables of the hundred sheep, the lost groat, and the prodigal son, of the unjust steward, of Dives and Laza- rus, ol^ the unmerciful servant, besides the duty of fra- ternal correction, and the efficacy of faith. During this period, too, the Pharisees attempted to frighten Jesus with the menace of Herod's persecution; on His part, Jesus healed a man who had the dropsy, on a Sabbath day, while at table in the house of a certain prince of the Pharisees. Finally, Mary and Martha send messengers to Jesus, asking Him to come and cure their brother Lazarus; Jesus went after two days, and resuscitated His friend who had been several days in the grave. The Jews are exasperated over this miracle, and they decree that Jesus must die for the people. Hence He withdrew " into a country near the desert, unto a city that is called Ephrem".

(ix) Ninth Journey.— Feb., a. u. c. 782-Passover, 782. (Cf. Luke, xvii-xxii: Mk., x, xiv; Matt., xLx- xxvi; John, xi. xii.) This last journey took Jesus from Ephrem northward through Samaria, then eastward

along the border of Galilee into Persia, then southward through Pera;a, westward across the Jordan, through Jericho, Bethania on Mt. Olivet, Brthpliage, and fi- nally to Jerusalem. While in the most iiorllicni part of the journey. He cured ten lepers; a little later. He answered the questions raised by the Pharisees con- cerning the kingdom of God. Then He urged the need of incessant prayer by proposing the parable of the unjust judge; here too belong the parable of the Phar- isee and the publican, the discourse on marriage, on the attitude of the Church towards children, on the right use of riches as illustrated by the story of the rich young ruler, and the parable of the labourers in the vineyard. After beginning His route towards Jerusalem, He predicted His Passion for the third time; James and John betray their ambition, but they are taught the true standard of greatness in the Church. At Jericho Jesus heals two blind men, and receives the repentance of Zacheus the publican; here He proposed also the parable of the pounds entrusted to the servants by their master. Six days before the pasch we find Jesus at Bethania on Mt. Olivet, as the guest of Simon the leper; Mary anoints His feet, and the disciples at the instigation of Judas are indignant at this seeming waste of ointment. A great multitude assembles at Bethania, not to see Jesus only but also Lazarus; hence the chief priests think of killing Laz- arus too. On the following day Jesus solemnly en- tered Jerusalem and was received by the Hosanna cries of all classes of people. In the afternoon He met a delegation of Gentiles in the court of the Temple. On Monday Jesus curses the barren fig tree, and dur- ing the morning He drives the buyers and sellers from the Temple. On Tuesday the wonder of the disciples at the sudden withering of the fig tree provokes their Master's instruction on the efficacy of faith. Jesus answers the enemies' question as to His authority; then He proposes the parable of the two sons, of the wicked husbandmen, and of the marriage feast. Next follows a triple snare: the politicians ask whether it is la\vful to pay tribute to Csesar; the scoffers inquire whose wife a woman, who has had several lawful hus- bands, will be after the resurrection; the Jewish theo- logians propose the question: Which is the first com- mandment, the great commandment in the law? Then Jesus proposes His last question to the Jews: "What think you of Christ? whose son is he?" This is followed by the eightfold woe against the Scribes and Pharisees, and by the denunciation of Jerusalem. The last words of Christ in the Temple were expres- sions of praise for the poor widow who had made an offering of two mites in spite of her poverty. Jesus ended this day by uttering the prophecies concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, His second coming, and the future judgment; these predictions are inter- rupted by the parable of the ten virgins, and of the talents. On Wednesday Jesus again predicted His Passion; probably it was on the same day that Judas made his fmal agreement with the Jews to betray Jesus.

(4) The Passion of Jesus. — The history of Christ's Passion comprises three parts: the preparation for the Passion, the trial of Jesus, and His death.

(a) Preparation for the Passion. — Jesus prepares His disciples for the Passion, He prepares Himself for the ordeal, and His enemies prepare themselves for the destruction of Jesus.

(i) Preparation of the Apostles. — Jesus prepares His Apostles for the Passion by the eating of the paschal laml), the institution of the Holy Eucharist, the concomitant ceremonies, and His lengthy dis- courses held during and after the Last Supper. Spe- cial mention should be made of the prediction of the Passion, and of the betrayal by one of the Apostles and the denial by another. Peter, James, and John are prepared in a more particular manner by witness- ing the sorrow of Jesus on Mt. Olivet.