The Book of Jesus

Chapter Six

The New Amsterdam Publishing Company
Copyright © 1997

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Cure of a Leper
The Centurion's Faith
The Widow's Son is Restored to Life
The Question of John the Baptist
The Witness of Jesus and John the Baptist Rejected
The Lake Towns Refused to Repent
The Woman Who Was a Sinner
The Woman Who Accompanied Jesus
The Concern of Jesus' Relatives
The Brothers and Mother of Jesus
Parable of the Sower
Parable of the Wheat and the Darnel
Parable of the Mustard Seed
Parable of the Yeast
More Parables of the Kingdom
Explanation of the Parable of the Wheat and the Darnel
Further Comparisons of the Kingdom
The Calming of the Storm

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Cure of a Leper

NARRATOR.: After he had come down from the mountain, large crowds followed Him. And it occurred that when Jesus was in one of the towns, a man appeared, covered with leprosy. Upon seeing Jesus, he fell on his face and bowed low in front of Him. Pleading on his knees, the leper implored Him:

LEPER.: Lord, if you want to, you can heal me.

JESUS.: I will, be healed!

NARRATOR.: Feeling compassion for him, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him. The leprosy left him at once and he was healed. Jesus immediately sent him away and ordered him sternly:

JESUS.: See that you don't say anything to anyone. But go and show yourself to the priest and make the offering for your healing as Moses commanded as a witness to them.

NARRATOR.: But the man went away and started talking freely about it and told the story everywhere. So much so that Jesus could no longer go openly into a city, but had to stay outside in places where no one lived. His reputation spread abroad and people from every quarter would come to him. Large crowds would gather to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. He then withdrew into the wilderness where he could be alone and pray.

Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-45; Luke 5:12-16

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The Centurion's Faith

NARRATOR.: Jesus then entered Capernaum. A Centurion there had a servant who was dear to him and this servant was sick and near to death. Having heard about Jesus, he sent some elders of the Jews to Him to entreat Him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with Him.

ELDERS.: Lord, my servant [the servant of the Centurion] is lying at home paralyzed and in great pain. He deserves this of you, because he loves our people; in fact he has built a synagogue for us.

JESUS.: I will come and heal him.

NARRATOR.: So Jesus went with them. Now when he was not very far from the house, the Centurion sent word to Him by some friends.

FRIENDS.: Lord, don't trouble yourself; because I'm not worthy to have you enter under my roof, neither did I feel worthy to come to you myself. But just give the word and my servant will be healed. For I am also a man set under authority and have soldiers under me. I say to one man; 'Go!' and he goes; to another, 'Come here!' and he comes. To my servant, 'Do this!' and he does it.

NARRATOR.: When Jesus heard these words he was astonished at him and turning to the crowd following Him said:

JESUS.: I tell you most sincerely, not even in Israel have I found faith like this anywhere. I tell you that many will come from the East and West and will sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven. But the children of the Kingdom will be turned out into darkness outside where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

NARRATOR.: And to the Centurion Jesus said:

JESUS.: Go back, and because you have believed, so let this be done for you.

NARRATOR.: The servant was cured at that moment. And when the messengers got back to the house, they found the servant that had been sick, well again.

Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:...1-10

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The Widow's Son is Restored to Life

NARRATOR.: Now soon afterwards, he went to a town called Nain, accompanied by His disciples and a great number of people. When he drew near to the gate of the town it happened that a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother. She was a widow and many people from the city were with her. When the Lord saw her, he felt compassion for her:

JESUS.: Don't cry.

NARRATOR.: He then went up and put His hand on the bier and the ones that were bearing the dead man stood still.

JESUS.: Young man, I tell you, get up!

NARRATOR.: The dead man sat up and began to speak and Jesus gave him to his mother. A fear came over them all and they praised God:

PEOPLE.: A great prophet has risen up among us...God has visited His people.

NARRATOR.: This opinion of Him spread throughout Judaea and all the surrounding countryside.

Luke 7:11-17

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The Question of John the Baptist

NARRATOR.: Now when John heard in his prison, from his disciples about all these things and the works that Christ was doing, he summoned two of his disciples and sent them to Jesus. When the men reached Jesus they said:

JOHN'S DISCIPLES.: Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?

NARRATOR.: In that same hour, Jesus cured many people of diseases and afflictions and of evil spirits and gave sight to many who were blind. Jesus answered and said to them:

JESUS.: Go back and tell again what you have seen and heard; the blind see again and the lame walk; lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, to the poor the Gospel is preached and happy is the man who is not stumbled by me.

NARRATOR.: As the messengers were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the crowd of people about John:

JESUS.: What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the breeze? Then what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Look, the ones who wear soft clothing are in the houses of kings and those who are gorgeously dressed and live luxuriously are found in the courts of kings. So then, what did you go out to see? A prophet! Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. He is the one of whom it is written:

'Look, I am going at send my messenger before your face and he will prepare the way before you.'

I tell you most sincerely, of all the children born of women, there has not risen a greater prophet than John the Baptist. Nevertheless, the least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he is. From the days John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John and if you will accept it, this is Elijah who was to return. If anyone has ears, let him hear!

NARRATOR.: All the people and the tax collectors who heard him, acknowledged God's plan by accepting baptism from John; but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God by not being baptized by him.

Matthew 11:2-15; Luke 7:18-30

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The Witness of Jesus and John The Baptist Rejected

JESUS.: What could I compare the men of this generation with? What are they like? They're like children sitting in the marketplace and shouting to each other; 'We played the pipes for you and you wouldn't dance; we sang dirges and you wouldn't cry and be mourners.' When John the Baptist came, he didn't eat bread or drink wine yet you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came, eating and drinking and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a drunkard. A friend of tax collectors and sinners.' Yet wisdom is justified by all her children!

Matthew 11:16-19; Luke 7:31-35

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The Lake Towns Refuse to Repent

NARRATOR.: He then began to reproach the towns in which most of his signs had been worked, because they refused to repent.

JESUS.: Alas for you Chorazin, alas for you Bethsaida. For if the miracles [signs] which had been worked in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, that it will be more tolerable and will not go as hard with for Tyre and Sidon on the day of Judgement as [it will] for you. And you Capernaum, did you want to be exulted as high as Heaven? You will be thrown down to Hades. For if the signs worked in you had been done in Sodom, it would still be here today. I tell you, that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom on the day of Judgement, than for you.

Matthew 11:20-24; Luke 10:13-15

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The Woman Who Was A Sinner

NARRATOR.: One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have a meal with him. When he had entered into the Pharisee's house and sat down to the food which had been prepared, a woman came in from the city. This woman, who was a sinner, heard that Jesus was dining in the Pharisee's house and had brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She waited behind him at his feet weeping. She washed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair and kissed them and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee, who had invited him saw this, he said to himself:

PHARISEE.: If this man were a prophet, he would have known who this woman is that's touching him and what kind of woman she is, for she is a sinner.

JESUS.: Simon, I have something to say to you.

SIMON.: Master, go on.

JESUS.: There was once a creditor who had two people who owed him money. The one owed him five hundred denarii and the other one, fifty. When they were unable to pay, he forgave both of them. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him more?

SIMON.: I suppose, the one he had forgiven the most.

JESUS.: Your conclusion is right.

NARRATOR.: Turning to the woman, he said to Simon:

JESUS.: Do you see this woman? I came into your house and you didn't give me water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head. You didn't give me a kiss, but this woman since the time I came in has not ceased to kiss my feet. You didn't anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with ointment. For this reason I tell you her sins, which have been many, are forgiven because she has shown much love. But to the one whom little is forgiven, the same one loves little. Your sins are forgiven.

NARRATOR.: Those who were with him at the meal began to say within themselves:

PEOPLE.: Who is this man that also forgives sins?

JESUS.[To the woman]: Your faith has saved you, go in peace.

Luke 7:36-50

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The Woman Who Accompanied Jesus

NARRATOR.: Now after this, he went throughout every town and village, preaching and proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God. The twelve were with him along with certain woman who had been healed of evil spirits and diseases, Mary, surnamed Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward; Susanna and several others, these provided for him out of their own resources.

Luke 8:1-3

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The Concern of Jesus' Relatives

NARRATOR.: He went home again and once more such a large crowd came together that they couldn't even have a meal. When his relatives heard of this they set out to take charge of him, for they had said:

RELATIVES.: He's out of his mind!

NARRATOR.: Now the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying; 'He has Beelzebub in him and it is by the prince of devils that he casts the devils out.' Calling the scribes to him, he spoke to them in parables:

JESUS.: How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a household is divided against itself, that household cannot stand. And if Satan rises up against himself and is divided. He cannot stand, it is the end of him. No one can make his way into a strong man's house and pillage his property unless he has first tied the strong man up. Only then can the man's house be pillaged. I tell you most sincerely, all of men's sins will be forgiven along with whatever blasphemies they might say. But the person who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never gain forgiveness and is in danger of eternal damnation.

NARRATOR.: He said this because they were saying; 'He has an unclean spirit.'

Mark 3:20-30

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The Brothers and Mother of Jesus

NARRATOR.: While he was still speaking to the people, his mother and brothers came looking for him. On their arrival they were unable to get to him because of the crowd. Standing outside, they sent a message to him asking to see him. One of the people in the crowd that was sitting around him said to Jesus:

PERSON IN THE CROWD.: Your mother and brothers are outside and they want to talk to you.

NARRATOR.: He looked around at the people who were gathered about him and stretching his hand out towards his disciples he said:

JESUS.: Behold, my mother and my brothers. My mother and my brothers are these which hear the word of God and do it. Anyone, who will do the will of my Father who is in heaven, this same one is my brother and my sister and mother.

Matthew 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21

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Parable of the Sower

NARRATOR.: The same day, Jesus left the house and sat by the lake side and again, he began to teach there. A large crowd was gathering and people from every city were finding there way to Him. But such a great number of people gathered around Him, that he got into a boat that was on the lake and sat there. The whole crowd stood on the shore by the waters edge and he taught them many things in parables. In the course of his teaching he said to them:

JESUS.: Listen! A sower went out to sow his seed and it occurred that as he sowed, some seed fell by the side of the path and it was trampled on and the birds of the air came and ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there was no depth of earth and not much soil. The seed immediately started to sprout. When the sun came up, the seed was scorched and withered away because it lacked moisture having no root. Some fell among thorns and the thorns sprang up with the seed and choked them and the seed yielded no fruit. But other seeds fell on good soil and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased and brought forth some hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.

NARRATOR.: When he had said these things he cried:

JESUS.: Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.

NARRATOR.: When he was alone, the Twelve along with the others who were about him in his entourage came to him and asked:

DISCIPLES.: Why do you speak to them in parables? ...What does this parable mean?

JESUS.: Because, it is given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given. The secrets of the Kingdom of God are revealed to you, but to those on the outside all things are shown in parables. That seeing, they may see and not perceive and hearing, they may hear and not understand. Lest at anytime they might be converted and their sins should be forgiven them. For anyone who has, to him more will be given and he will have more abundance. But from anyone who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

Therefore, I speak to them in parables, because they see without seeing and hear without hearing, neither do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled which says:

"By hearing, you will hear, but will not understand. And seeing, you will see, but will not perceive. For the heart of this nation [people] has grown callous. Their ears are dull of hearing and they have shut their eyes. For fear they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted and I should heal them."

But happy are your eyes, because they see and your ears, because they hear. I tell you most sincerely, many prophets and holy men desired [longed] to see those things which you see and never saw it; to hear those things which you hear and never heard it.

NARRATOR.: He said to them:

JESUS.: Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables? You, therefore, hear the parable of the sower. This then, is the explanation of the parable:

The seed is the Word of God, the sower is sowing the Word. Those by the edge of the path where the Word is sown are the ones who hear the Word. When a person has heard the Word of the Kingdom and does not understand it, the wicked one; the devil, Satan, comes immediately and carries off the Word that was sown in his heart, in the eventuality that they should believe and be saved. This is the man who received the seed by the edge of the path.

Similarly, those who receive the seed on rocky ground are people who, when they first hear the Word, immediately receive it with joy, but they have no root in them, they do not last. They believe for a while, but let some trial come or some persecution on account of the Word and they fall away at once and give up.

Then there are people who received the seed among thorns. These have heard the Word, but as they go on way, the worries of this world, the lure [deceitfulness] of riches and pleasures of this life come in and choke the Word and it produces and brings no fruit to maturity, the person becomes unfruitful.

And there are those who have received the seed in rich soil. They are the ones who hear the Word, understand it and accept it. They, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the Word, keep it and bear fruit and produce some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty through their perseverance.

Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, Luke 8:4-15

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Parable of the Wheat and the Darnel

NARRATOR.: He put another parable before them and said:

JESUS.: The Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But, while everyone slept, his enemy came and sowed false grain; darnel; [a weedy rye grass], among the wheat and made off. When the blade of the wheat sprung up, ripened and brought forth fruit, the darnel appeared also. The servants of the owner went to him and said; 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where did the darnel come from then?' He said to them, `An enemy has done this.' The said to him; `Do you want us to weed it out?' But he said; `No, because while you are weeding out the darnel, you might also uproot the wheat with it. Let them both grow together until the harvest. Then at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, "First collect the darnel and tie them in bundles to burn them, then gather the wheat into my barn."'

Matthew 13:24-30

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Parable of the Mustard Seed

NARRATOR.: He put another parable before them:

JESUS.: What can we say the Kingdom of God is like or with what comparison shall we compare it? The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field [threw into his garden-LK]. The mustard seed, which at the time of its sowing in the soil is the smallest of all the seeds on earth. Yet, once it is sown, it grows into the biggest among the herbs and becomes a tree. It puts forth great branches so that the birds of the air come and shelter in its branches and its shade.

Matthew 13:31,32; Mark 4:30-32; Luke 13:18,19

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Parable of the Yeast

NARRATOR.: He told them another parable:

JESUS.: With what shall I compare the Kingdom of God with? The Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast, which a woman mixed in with three measures of flour until it was leavened throughout.

Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:20,21

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More Parables of the Kingdom

NARRATOR.: He also said to them:

JESUS.: No one, when he has lighted a candle, covers it with a bowl. Is a candle brought in only to be put under a measuring basket or under a bed? No, wouldn't he surely place the candle in a lamp stand so that the people who come in may see the light. For there is nothing secret which will not be made known and brought to light. And nothing hidden, that will not be made clear and disclosed.

NARRATOR.: He also said to them:

JESUS.: Pay serious attention to what you are hearing; because the same measure you use in measuring out will be the same measure used in measuring to you. Take care how you hear; for to those of you who hear, more will be given. For the man who has, to him more will be given and from the man who doesn't have, even what he appears to have will be taken away. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.

The Kingdom of God is like a man who throws seed into the ground, night and day, whether he is asleep or awake, the seed is sprouting and growing and he doesn't know how. For the earth brings forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear and after that, then the full corn in the ear. And when the crop is ready, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has arrived.

NARRATOR.: All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables. He would never speak to them except in parables in order that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying: 'I will open my mouth in parables. I will speak things which have been kept secret since the foundation of the world.'

Matthew 13:34,35; Mark 4:21-29; Luke 8:16-18

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Explanation of the Parable of the Wheat and the Darnel

NARRATOR.: Jesus then sent the crowds away and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said:

DISCIPLES.: Explain to us the meaning of the parable of the darnel in the field.

NARRATOR.: He answered and said to them:

JESUS.: The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seed are the children of the Kingdom and the false grain, the darnel, are the children of the evil one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age and the reapers are the angels. Just as the darnel is gathered up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of man will send out his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom all the snares that are set [all things that offend-KJ] and those who practice iniquity and throw them into a blazing furnace where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Then the righteous will then shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Anyone who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Matthew 13:36-43

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Further Comparisons of the Kingdom

NARRATOR.: Additionally, the Kingdom of Heaven could be compared to a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hides it again and because of the happiness he has in finding the treasure, he goes off and sells everything he owns and buys the field.

Again, the Kingdom of Heaven could be compared to a merchant looking for fine pearls. The merchant when he had found one pearl of great value, went off and sold everything he owned and brought it.

The Kingdom of Heaven could also be compared to a net that was cast into the sea and netted in its' haul every kind of fish. When the net was full, the fisherman hauled it ashore, sat down and separated the good into baskets and threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth and separate the wicked from among the just and throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. Have you understood all of these things?

DISCIPLES.: Yes, Lord.

JESUS.: Therefore, every scribe who is instructed about the Kingdom of Heaven could be compared to a man who is a householder who brings out of his storeroom things both new and old.

NARRATOR.: With many parables like these he spoke the Word to them, as they were able to hear it. He would however, only speak to them in parables. But when they were alone, he explained [expounded] all things to his disciples. And it occurred, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he left from there.

Matthew 13:44-53...; Mark 4:33,34

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The Calming of the Storm

NARRATOR.: With the coming evening that same day and Jesus seeing the great crowds that were all about him, gave orders to leave for the other side, [to the east bank of Lake Tiberias].

JESUS.: Let's cross over to the other side of the lake.

NARRATOR.: One of the scribes then came up to him:

SCRIBE.: Master, I'll follow you wherever you go.

JESUS.: The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

NARRATOR.: Another of his disciples said to him:

DISCIPLE.: Lord, let me go and bury my father first.

NARRATOR.: When they had sent the crowds away, they took Jesus, just as he was, into the boat. They then put out to sea. There were also other little boats with them. As they sailed, Jesus fell asleep in the stern of the boat with his head on a cushion. Suddenly, a violent wind storm broke over the lake. The squall was so intense that the waves were breaking over and in the boat. They were in trouble! The boat was swamped and to the point of sinking. The disciples went to Jesus and woke him up:

DISCIPLES.: Master, master, we're going down! Don't you care that we're sinking... Save us Lord, we're sinking.

JESUS.: Why are you so scared, you men of little faith.

NARRATOR.: He then stood up and rebuked the winds and said to the sea:

JESUS.: Peace, be still.

NARRATOR.: The winds subsided and there was a great calm.

JESUS.: How is it that you do not have any faith? Where is your faith?

NARRATOR.: The men became exceedingly frightened and wondering, said to one another:

DISCIPLES.: What kind of a man is this? He orders even the winds and waves and they obey him.

Matthew 8:18-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25