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 XXXVI.

The beginning of the End.

At last His hour was come. It was time to go up to Jerusalem for the offering of the Great Sacrifice.

Before setting out, He took the disciples apart and said to them:

"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to be mocked, and scourged, and crucified, and the third day He shall rise again."

St. Luke tells us that "they understood none of these things." Accustomed to see Him followed by admiring crowds, untouched by the hands raised to stone Him, and by the officers sent to make Him prisoner, they would not believe that harm could come to Him. On the contrary, they thought He was going up to Jerusalem to take possession of His throne and begin His glorious reign as the Messiah-King. He had promised them that they too should sit on thrones. It was time to remind Him of this and to secure the first places in the new Kingdom. So at least thought James and John. They slipped away from the rest and returned presently with their mother, who came with them to our Lord, adoring and asking something of Him:

"Master," they said, "we desire that whatsoever we shall ask Thou wouldst do it for us."

"What would you that I should do for you?" He replied.