Sunday, January 8, 2017

focusing on the spoken words of Jesus (5)

‘THE COMPLETE SAYINGS OF JESUS - THE KING JAMES VERSION’

21.
THE SERMON IN THE PLAIN (CONCLUDED)—
MORE PARABLES—"WHY CALL YE ME,
LORD, LORD?"—ROCK FOUNDATION

A.D. 28. Age 31. Near Capernaum.

Luke 6, 39-49.

AND he spake a parable unto them,

Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? The disciple is not
above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the
beam that is in thine own eye? Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Brother, let
me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thyself beholdest not the beam
that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye,
and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth
good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather
figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good;
and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil:
for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

¶And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever
cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he
is like:

He is like a man which built a house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a
rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and
could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth
not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth; against
which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that

house was great.

22.
THE CENTURION'S SERVANT HEALED—THE
WIDOW'S SON RESTORED

A.D. 28. Age 31. Capernaum. Nain.

Matthew 8, 5-13: Luke 7, 11-18.

WHEN Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion
beseeching him, saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously
tormented.

The elders of the Jews came, saying, That he was worthy: for he loveth our nation,
and hath built us a synagogue.

And Jesus saith unto the centurion,

I will come and heal him.

The centurion answered, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my
roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. Jesus marvelled, and
turned and said to the people that followed him,

Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto
you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham,
and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: but the children of the kingdom
shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

And Jesus said unto the centurion,

Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee.

His servant was healed in the selfsame hour. *

¶The day after, Jesus went into a city called Nain: many of his disciples, and much
people went with him.

Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man
carried out, the only son of a widow: much people of the city was with her. The Lord
had compassion on her, and said,

Weep not.


He touched the bier, and they that bare him stood still. Jesus said,

Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.

And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak.

There came a fear on all: they glorified God, saying, A great prophet is risen among
us.

This rumor of Jesus went forth throughout all Judea and the region round about. And
the disciples of John shewed him [John the Baptist] of all these things.

Footnotes
32:* Luke (7, 2-10) goes further into details regarding the centurion than does Matthew (above), but

does not quote Jesus so fully.

23.
JOHN, FROM PRISON, SENDS
MESSENGERS—JESUS REPLIES—EXTOLS
JOHN: A SERMON WITH PARABLES—
"FRIEND OF SINNERS"

A.D. 28 . Age 31. Galilee, near Cana.

Matthew 11, 2-15; 16-19: Luke 7, 24-35.

NOW when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his
disciples to Jesus. Unto him they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying,
Art thou he that should come? or do we look for another?

And in that same hour Jesus cured many of their infirmities; and unto many that were
blind he gave sight.

Then said Jesus unto the two disciples [of John],

Go your way, and tell John again what things ye have seen and heard: how that the
blind receive their sight, and the lane walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf
hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And
blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended † in me.

¶When the messengers of John were departed, Jesus began to speak unto the
people concerning John, ‡

What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But
what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear
soft clothing, they which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings’
courts, in kings’ houses.

But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more
than a prophet. For this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger
before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Verily, I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a
greater prophet than John the Baptist: notwithstanding, he that is least in the
kingdom of God is greater than he.

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth

violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied
until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.

He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the
baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against
themselves, being not baptized of him. Jesus said,

But whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? and to what are they
like? They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling unto their
fellows, one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not
danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented: ye have not wept.

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and they say, He
hath a devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and they say, Behold a
man gluttonous and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!

But wisdom is justified of all her children.

Footnotes
32:† ". . . be offended in me: find in me nothing to his hurt.
32:‡ The reader interested in comparing the two texts of Christ's address "to the people concerning

John" will note that Luke's (7, 24-35) is briefer than Matthew's (11, 7-30).

XXIV
WOE UNTO CHORAZIN, BETHSAIDA,
CAPERNAUM—"COME UNTO ME . . . MY YOKE
IS EASY"

A.D. 28. Age 31. Capernaum?

Matthew 11, 20-30: Luke 10, 13-15.

THEN began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done,
because they repented not: *

Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which
were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long
ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Tyre
and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you.

And thou, Capernaum, which are exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell:
for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it
would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, That it shall be more
tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment, than for thee.

¶At that time Jesus said,

I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things
from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for
so it seemed good in thy sight.

All things are delivered unto me of my Father, and no man knoweth the Son, but the
Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever
the Son will reveal him.

¶Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye
shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Footnotes
33:* This censure of "the cities," and the homage, "I thank thee, O Father," are from Matthew (11, 20-
27). In Luke (10, 13-15 and 21;22) is a paraphrase, being a part of Christ's admonition of the "other

seventy . . . sent two and two into every city." Turn to XLVIII in this book.

25.
THE WOMAN WITH THE ALABASTER BOX OF
OINTMENT, AND SIMON THE PHARISEE:
PARABLE OF THE TWO DEBTORS

A.D. 28. Age 31 Galilee (Capernaum?).

Luke 7, 36-50.

ONE of the Pharisees [Simon] desired him that he would eat with him. And Jesus
went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.

And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, brought an alabaster box of
ointment, and stood weeping; and began to wash Jesus’ feet, and did wipe them with
the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. *

Now the Pharisee [Simon, the leper] spake within himself, saying, This man, if he
were a prophet, would have known what manner of woman this is; for she is a
sinner. Jesus said unto him,

Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee:

There was a certain creditor which had two debtors; the one owed five hundred
pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave
them both.

Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?

Simon answered, I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. Jesus said, Thou hast
rightly judged.

He turned to the woman, and said unto Simon,

Seest thou this woman?

I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed
my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.

Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman, since the time I came in, hath not ceased
to kiss my feet.

My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with

ointment.

Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loveth
much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

And he said unto her,

Thy sins are forgiven.

They that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that
forgiveth sins also? Jesus said to the woman,

Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

Footnotes
34:* Read in LXXIV of this book the account of a similar service done by Mary the sister of Martha

and Lazarus.

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