Page:Jesus of Nazareth the story of His life simply told (1917).djvu/279

 XXXIV.

WITH THE TWELVE.

No one must keep the children from Him, and no one must hinder His coming Passion. Only when the disciples did these things was their Master angry with them. He was patient with their dulness—and, oh! they were dull—and with their many faults.

He had taught them to be kind and forgiving. But when a Samaritan city refused Him a passage through, because He was going to Jerusalem, James and John, filled with indignation, said: "Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire from Heaven to come down and consume them?" "You know not of what spirit you are," He answered quietly; "the Son of Man came not to destroy souls but to save."

People who did not do as they did were sure to be in the wrong. "Master," said John to Him, "we saw one casting out devils in Thy Name who followeth not us, and we forbade him." "Do not forbid him," Jesus answered; "he that is not against you is for you."

He had been telling the Twelve to try to gain by gentleness a brother who might have offended them. "How often shall my brother offend against me and I forgive him? till seven times?" said Peter, thinking this a great stretch of generosity. "I say not to thee till seven times," Jesus answered, "but till seventy times seven times."

One day a young man came running up to Jesus, and, kneeling before Him, said:

"Good Master, what shall I do that I may receive life everlasting?"