Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/569

 basis of  belief  in  Christ  is  the  submission  to  and  reliance on  His  word  alone,  and  without  such  faith  it is  impossible  to  perfectly  please  God. Take the community of  Capharnaum  as  a  case  in  point. Of all the towns  of  Galilee  it  was  the  most  favored,  as  the home of  Christ  and  the  scene  of  His  greatest  miracles. It lies  on  the  northwest  coast  of  the  Sea  of Galilee;  twenty-five  miles  to  the  southwest  is  Cana, and a  few  miles  further  on,  Nazareth,  while  eighty miles to  the  south  lies  Jerusalem. When Jesus  inaugurated His  public  ministry  by  the  changing  of  the water into  wine  at  Cana,  He  was  on  His  way  from Nazareth to  Capharnaum,  and  for  the  rest  of  His stay in  Galilee,  Capharnaum  was  His  home. Here lived the  fishermen,  Peter  and  Andrew,  and  the  sons of Zebedee;  here  Matthew  was  called  from  his  office in the  custom-house  to  be  an  Apostle  and  an  Evangelist. In the  local  Synagogue  Jesus  expounded  His doctrines, among  others,  you  remember,  the  forgiveness of  sins,  but  the  people  believed  not. Then, and then  only,  did  He  prove  His  words  by  signs  and wonders, such  as  the  cure  of  the  man  sick  of  palsy. The opportunity  He  gave  them  for  the  exercise  of perfect  faith  they  rejected,  and  regretfully  He  had recourse to  miracles. And what  stupendous  miracles! Not to  mention  the  miracle  of  Cana  a  few miles away,  in  Capharnaum  itself  occurred  the  cure of the  ruler's  son  and  of  the  man  possessed  by  an unclean  spirit. What a  commentary  it  was  on  the incredulity of  the  people  that  that  spirit  instantly confessed Christ  to  be  the  Holy  One  of  God! Here,