Page:Lazarus, a tale of the world's great miracle.djvu/148

136 Roman soldiers standing round in waiting for Caiaphas's message to arrest Him, the Nazarene continued:

"Many good works have I showed ye from My Father; for which of these good works do ye now stone Me?"

Then the Jews cried out: "For a good work we stone Thee not, but for blasphemy, and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God."

Once more the stones flew round the golden head of the Messiah. One of the disciples stepped forward, as if to shelter Him, but the Messiah raised His hand and went on:

"If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not; but if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in Me and I in Him."

Then, exasperated by His calmness, the Jews rose up and approached Him menacingly. Luke, who was standing just behind Jesus, stepped forward and took two of the children by the hand; then, raising them in his arms, handed them to their mothers, who stretched forward to receive them over the heads of the multitude.

Then, like a lion who has awaited his prey only to make its seizure more assured, Caiaphas thundered forth these words: "Quick, Gilner, hie thee to the soldiers. Bid them bring this Jesus to me here a captive." Then, with an after-thought, he added: "But no violence, mind ye."

The messenger, mindful of the High Priest's former threats, precipitated himself into the street, and Nicodemus, fearing the scene that was about to