CHAPTER 116.

The Christines are in Philip’s home. Jesus interprets the parable of the wheat and tares. He explains the unfoldment of the kingdom by parables: the good seed; the growth of the tree; the leaven; the hidden treasure. He goes to a mountain to pray.

The Christines were in Philip’s home and Peter said to Jesus, Lord, will you explain to us the meaning of the parables you spoke today? The one about the wheat and tares, especially?

2 And Jesus said, God’s kingdom is a dualty; it has an outer and an inner form.

3 As seen by man it is composed of men, of those who make confession of the name of Christ.

4 For various reasons various people crowd this outer kingdom of our God.

5 The inner kingdom is the kingdom of the soul, the kingdom of the pure in heart.

6 The outer kingdom I may well explain in parables. Behold, for I have seen you cast a great net out into the sea,

7 And when you hauled it in, lo, it was full of every kind of fish, some good, some bad, some great, some small; and I have seen you save the good and throw the bad away.

8 This outer kingdom is the net, and every kind of man is caught; but in the sorting day the bad will all be cast away, the good reserved.

9 Hear, then, the meaning of the parable of wheat and tares:

10 The sower is the son of man; the field, the world; the good seed are the children of the light; the tares, the children of the dark; the enemy, the carnal self; the harvest day, the closing of the age; the reapers are the messengers of God.

11 The reckoning day will come to every man; then will the tares be gathered up, and cast into the fire and be burned.

12 Then will the good shine forth as suns in the kingdom of the soul.

13 And Philip said, Must men and women suffer in the flames because they have not found the way of life?

14 And Jesus said, The fire purifies. The chemist throws into the fire the ores that hold all kinds of dross.

15 The useless metal seems to be consumed; but not a grain of gold is lost.

16 There is no man that has not in him gold that cannot be destroyed. The evil things of men are all consumed in fire; the gold survives.

17 The inner kingdom of the soul I may explain in parables:

18 The son of man goes forth and scatters seeds of truth; God waters well the soil; the seeds show life and grow; first comes the blade, and then the stalk, and then the ear, and then the full wheat in the ear.

19 The harvest comes and, lo, the reapers bear the ripened sheaves into the garner of the Lord.

20 Again, this kingdom of the soul is like a little seed that men may plant in fertile soil.

21 (A thousand of these seeds would scarcely be a shekel’s weight.)

22 The tiny seed begins to grow; it pushes through the earth, and after years of growth it is a mighty tree and birds rest in its leafy bowers and men find refuge ’neath its sheltering boughs from sun and storm.

23 Again, the truth, the spirit of the kingdom of the soul, is like a ball of leaven that a woman hid in measures, three, of flour and in a little time the whole was leavened.

24 Again, the kingdom of the soul is like a treasure hidden in a field which one has found, and straitway goes his way and sells all that he has and buys the field.

25 When Jesus had thus said he went alone into a mountain pass near by to pray.

CHAPTER 117.

A royal feast is held in Machaerus. John, the harbinger, is beheaded. His body is buried in Hebron. His disciples mourn. The Christines cross the sea in the night. Jesus calms a raging storm.

A royal feast was held in honor of the birthday of the tetrarch in fortified Machaerus, east of the Bitter Sea.

2 The tetrarch, Herod, and his wife, Herodias, together with Salome were there; and all the men and women of the royal court were there.

3 And when the feast was done, lo, all the guests and courtiers were drunk with wine; they danced and leaped about like children in their play.

4 Salome, daughter of Herodias, came in and danced before the king. The beauty of her form, her grace and winning ways entranced the silly Herod, then half drunk with wine.

5 He called the maiden to his side and said, Salome, you have won my heart, and you may ask and I will give you anything you wish.

6 The maiden ran in childish glee and told her mother what the ruler said.

7 Her mother said, Go back and say, Give me the head of John, the harbinger.

8 The maiden ran and told the ruler what she wished.

9 And Herod called his trusty executioner and said to him, Go to the tower and tell the keeper that by my authority you come to execute the prisoner known as John.

10 The man went forth and in a little while returned and on a platter bore the lifeless head of John, and Herod offered it unto the maiden in the presence of the guests.

11 The maiden stood aloof; her innocence was outraged when she saw the bloody gift, and she would touch it not.

12 Her mother, steeped and hardened well in crime, came up and took the head and held it up before the guests and said,

13 This is the fate of every man who dares to scorn, or criticize, the acts of him who reigns.

14 The drunken rabble gazed upon the grewsome sight with fiendish joy.

15 The head was taken back unto the tower. The body had been given unto holy men who had been friends of John; they placed it in a burial case and carried it away.

16 They bore it to the Jordan, which they crossed just at the ford where John first preached the word;

17 And through the passes of the Judean hills they carried it.

18 They reached the sacred grounds near Hebron, where the bodies of the parents of the harbinger lay in their tombs;

19 And there they buried it; and then they went their way.

20 Now, when the news reached Galilee that John was dead the people met to sing the sonnets of the dead.

21 And Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve took ship to cross the sea of Galilee.

22 A scribe, a faithful friend of John, stood by the sea; he called to Jesus and he said, Rabboni, let me follow where you go.

23 And Jesus said, You seek a safe retreat from evil men. There is no safety for your life with me;

24 For evil men will take my life as they have taken John’s.

25 The foxes of the earth have safe retreats; the birds have nests secure among the hidden rocks, but I have not a place where I may lay my head and rest secure.

26 Then an apostle said, Lord, suffer me to tarry here a while, that I may take my father, who is dead, and lay him in the tomb.

27 But Jesus said, The dead can care for those who die; the living wait for those who live; come, follow me.

28 The evening came; three boats put out to sea and Jesus rested in the foremost boat; he slept.

29 A storm came on; the boats were tossed about like toys upon the sea.

30 The waters swept the decks; the hardy boatmen were afraid lest all be lost.

31 And Thomas found the master fast asleep; he called, and Jesus woke.

32 And Thomas said, Behold the storm! have you no care for us? The boats are going down.

33 And Jesus stood; he raised his hand; he talked unto the spirits of the winds and waves as men would talk with men.

34 And, lo, the winds blew not; the waves came tremblingly and kissed his feet; the sea was calm.

35 And then he said, You men of faith, where is your faith? for you can speak and winds and waves will hear and will obey.

36 And the disciples were amazed. They said, Who is this man that even winds and waves obey his voice?

CHAPTER 118.

The Christines are in Gadara. Jesus casts a legion of unclean spirits out of a man. The spirits go into vicious animals which run into the sea, and are drowned. The people are in fear and request Jesus to leave their coast. With his disciples, he returns to Capernaum.

The morning came; the Christines landed in the country of the Geracenes.

2 They went to Gadara, chief city of the Peracans, and here for certain days they tarried and they taught.

3 Now, legends hold that Gadara is sacred to the dead, and all the hills about are known as holy ground.

4 These are the burial grounds of all the regions round about; the hills are full of tombs; and many dead from Galilee are here entombed.

5 Now, spirits of the lately dead that cannot rise to higher planes, remain about the tombs that hold the flesh and bones of what was once their mortal homes.

6 They sometimes take possession of the living, whom they torture in a hundred ways.

7 And all through Gadara were men obsessed, and there was no one strong enough to bring relief.

8 That they might meet these hidden foes and learn the way to dispossess the evil ones the master took the foreign masters and the twelve into the tombs.

9 And as they neared the gates they met a man obsessed. A legion of the unclean ones were in this man, and they had made him strong;

10 And none could bind him down, no, not with chains; for he could break the stoutest chains, and go his way.

11 Now, unclean spirits cannot live in light; they revel in the dark.

12 When Jesus came he brought the light of life, and all the evil spirits were disturbed.

13 The leader of the legion in the man called out, Thou Jesus, thou Immanuel, we beg that thou wilt not consign it to the depths. Torment us not before our time.

14 And Jesus said, What is your number and your name?

15 The evil spirit said, Our name is legion, and our number is the number of the beast.

16 And Jesus spoke; and with a voice that shook the very hills, he said, Come forth; possess this man no more.

17 Now, all the hills were filled with unclean animals that fed, and carried forth and spread the plague among the people of the land.

18 And when the evil spirits begged that they might not be driven forth without a home, the master said,

19 Go forth and take possession of the unclean quadrupeds.

20 And they, and all the evil spirits of the tombs went forth and took possession of the breeders of the plague,

21 Which, wild with rage, ran down the steeps into the sea, and all were drowned.

22 And all the land was freed of the contagion, and the unclean spirits came no more.

23 But when the people saw the mighty works that Jesus did they were alarmed. They said,

24 If he can free the country of the plague, and drive the unclean spirits out, he is a man of such transcendent power that he can devastate our land at will.

25 And then they came and prayed that he would not remain in Gadara.

26 And Jesus did not tarry longer there, and with the other masters and the twelve, he went aboard the boats to go away.

27 The man who had been rescued from the unclean legion stood upon the shore and said, Lord, let me go with you.

28 But Jesus said, It is not well; go forth unto your home and tell the news that men may know what man can do when he is tuned with God.

29 And then the man went forth through all Decapolis and told the news.

30 The Christines sailed away, re-crossed the sea and came again into Capernaum.

CHAPTER 119.

The people of Capernaum welcome Jesus. Matthew gives a feast. The Pharisees rebuke Jesus for eating with sinners. He tells them that he is sent to save sinners. He gives lessons on fasting and on the philosophy of good and evil.

The news soon spread through all the land that Jesus was at home and then the people came in throngs to welcome him.

2 And Matthew, one of the twelve, a man of wealth, whose home was in Capernaum, spread forth a sumptuous feast, and Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve, and people of all shades of thought, were guests.

3 And when the Pharisees observed that Jesus sat and ate with publicans and those of ill repute they said,

4 For shame! This man who claims to be a man of God, consorts with publicans and courtesans and with the common herd of men, For shame!

5 When Jesus knew their thoughts he said, They who are well cannot be healed; the pure need not be saved.

6 They who are well are whole; they who are pure are saved.

7 They who love justice and do right need not repent; I came not unto them, but to the sinner I am come.

8 A band of John’s disciples who had heard that John was dead were wearing badges for their dead;

9 Were fasting and were praying in their hearts, which when the Pharisees observed they came to Jesus and they said,

10 Why fast the followers of John and your disciples do not fast?

11 And Jesus said, Lo, you are masters of the law; you ought to know; perhaps you will make known your knowledge to these men.

12 What are the benefits derived from fasts? The Pharisees were mute; they answered not.

13 Then Jesus said, The vital force of men depends on what they eat and drink.

14 Is spirit-life the stronger when the vital force is weak? Is sainthood reached by starving, self imposed?

15 A glutton is a sinner in the sight of God, and he is not a saint who makes himself a weakling and unfitted for the heavy tasks of life by scorning to make use of God’s own means of strength.

16 Lo, John is dead, and his devoted followers are fasting in their grief.

17 Their love for him impels them on to show respect, for they have thought, and have been taught that it is sin to lightly treat the memory of the dead.

18 To them it is a sin, and it is well that they should fast.

19 When men defy their consciences and listen not to what they say, the heart is grieved and they become unfitted for the work of life; and thus they sin.

20 The conscience may be taught. One man may do in conscience what another cannot do.

21 What is a sin for me to do may not be sin for you to do. The place you occupy upon the way of life determines what is sin.

22 There is no changeless law of good; for good and evil both are judged by other things.

23 One man may fast and in his deep sincerity of heart is blest.

24 Another man may fast and in the faithlessness of such a task imposed is cursed.

25 You cannot make a bed to fit the form of every man. If you can make a bed to fit yourself you have done well.

26 Why should these men who follow me resort to fasting, or to anything that would impair their strength? They need it all to serve the race.

27 The time will come when God will let you have your way, and you will do to me what Herod did to John;

28 And in the awfulness of that sad hour these men will fast.

29 They who have ears to hear may hear; they who have hearts to feel may understand.

CHAPTER 120.

Nicodemus is at the feast. He asks Jesus, Cannot the Christine religion be introduced more successfully by reforming the Jewish service? Jesus answers in the negative and gives his reasons. Jesus heals a woman with hemorrhages. Heals Jairus’ daughter. Disappears when the people would worship him.

Now, Nicodemus, who once came to Jesus in the night to learn the way of life, was one among the guests.

2 And standing forth he said, Rabboni, it is true that Jewish laws and Jewish practices do not agree.

3 The priesthood needs to be reformed; the rulers should become more merciful and kind; the lawyers should become more just; the common people should not bear such loads.

4 But could we not gain these reforms and not destroy the service of the Jews?

5 Could you not harmonize your mighty work with that of Pharisee and scribe? Might not the priesthood be a benefit to your divine philosophy?

6 But Jesus said, You cannot put new wine in ancient skins, for when it purifies itself, lo, it expands; the ancient bottles cannot bear the strain; they burst, and all the wine is lost.

7 Men do not mend a wornout garment with a piece of cloth unworn, which cannot yield to suit the fabric, weak with age, and then a greater rent appears.

8 Old wine may be preserved in ancient skins; but new wine calls for bottles new.

9 This spirit-truth I bring is to this generation new, and if we put it in the ancient skins of Jewish forms, lo, it will all be lost.

10 It must expand; the ancient bottles cannot yield and they would burst.

11 Behold the kingdom of the Christ! it is as old as God himself, and yet it is as new as morning sun; it only can contain the truth of God.

12 And as he spoke a ruler of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came in and bowed at Jesus’ feet and said,

13 My master, hear my prayer! My child is very sick, I fear that she will die; but this I know that if you will but come and speak the Word my child will live.

14 (She was an only child, a girl twelve years of age.)

15 And Jesus tarried not; he went out with the man, and many people followed them.

16 And as they went a woman who had been plagued with hemorrhage for many years, had been a subject of experiment of doctors near and far, and all had said, She cannot live, rose from her bed and rushed out in the way as Jesus passed.

17 She said within herself, If I can touch his garment, then I know I will be well.

18 She touched him, and at once the bleeding ceased and she was well.

19 And Jesus felt that healing power had gone from him, and speaking to the multitude, he said,

20 Who was it touched my coat?

21 And Peter said, No one can tell; the multitudes are pressing you; a score of people may have touched your coat.

22 But Jesus said, Some one in faith, with healing thought, did touch my coat, for healing virtues have gone forth from me.

23 And when the woman knew that what she did was known, she came and knelt at Jesus’ feet and told it all.

24 And Jesus said, Your faith has made you whole, go on your way in peace.

25 Now, as he spoke, a servant from the home of Jairus came and said, My master, Jairus, trouble not the Lord to come; your child is dead.

26 But Jesus said, Jairus, man of faith, do not permit your faith to waver in this trying hour.

27 What is it that the servant said? The child is dead? Lo, what is death?

28 It is the passing of the soul out of the house of flesh.

29 Man is the master of the soul and of its house. When man has risen up from doubt and fear, lo, he can cleanse the empty house and bring the tenant back again.

30 Then taking with him Peter, James and John, Jairus and the mother of the child, he went into the chamber of the dead.

31 And when the doors were closed against the multitude, he spoke a word that souls can understand, and then he took the maiden by the hand and said,

32 Talitha cumi, child, arise! The maiden’s soul returned and she arose and asked for food.

33 And all the people of the city were amazed, and many would have worshipped Jesus as a God,

34 But, like a phantom of the night, he disappeared and went his way.

CHAPTER 121.

The Christines are in Nazareth. Miriam sings a Christine song of praise. Jesus teaches in the synagogue. He heals a dumb man who is obsessed. The people do not believe in him. The Pharisees call him a tool of Beelzebul. The Christines go to Cana.

It was a gala day in Nazareth. The people there had met with one accord to celebrate some great event.

2 And Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve, and Mary, mother of the Lord, and Miriam were there.

3 And when the people were assembled in the great hall of the town, the graceful singer, Miriam, stood forth and sung a song of praise.

4 But few of all the multitude knew who the singer was; but instantly she won all hearts.

5 For many days she sung the songs of Israel, and then she went her way.

6 The Sabbath came and Jesus went into the synagogue. He took the book of Psalms and read:

7 Blest is the man who puts his trust in God, respecting not the proud nor such as turn aside to lies.

8 O Lord, my God, the works that thou hast done for us are wonderful; and many are thy thoughts for us; we cannot count them all,

9 Thou dost not call for sacrifice, nor offerings of blood; burnt offerings and offerings for sin thou dost not want;

10 And lo, I come to do thy will, O God; thy law is in my heart,

11 And I have preached the word of righteousness and peace unto the thronging multitudes; I have declared the counsel of my God in full.

12 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and grace.

13 I have not kept thy loving-kindness and thy truth away from men; I have declared them to the multitudes.

14 O Lord, make wide my lips that I may tell thy praise; I do not bring the sacrifice of blood, nor yet burnt offerings for sin.

15 The sacrifices I would bring to thee, O God, are purity in life, a contrite heart, a spirit full of faith and love; and these thou wilt receive.

16 And when he had thus read, he gave the book back to the keeper of the books, and then he said,

17 Upon these ends of earth these messages of God have come.

18 Our people have exalted sacrificial rites and have neglected mercy, justice and the rights of men.

19 You Pharisees, you priests, you scribes, your God is surfeited with blood; God does not heed your prayers; you stand before your burning victims; but you stand in vain.

20 Turn you unto the testimonies of the law; reform and turn to God, and you shall live.

21 Let not your altars be accursed again with smoke of innocence.

22 Bring unto God as sacrifice a broken and a contrite heart.

23 Lift from your fellow men the burdens that you have imposed.

24 And if you hearken not, and if you turn not from your evil ways, lo, God will smite this nation with a curse.

25 And when he had thus said he stood aside, and all the people were astonished, and they said,

26 Where did this man get all his knowledge and his power? From whence did all this wisdom come?

27 Is not this Mary’s son, whose home is out on Marmion Way?

28 Are not his brothers, Jude and James and Simon, known among our honored men? Are not his sisters with us here?

29 But they were all offended by the words he spoke.

30 And Jesus said, A prophet has no honor in his native land; he is not well received among his kin; his foes are in his home.

31 And Jesus wrought not many mighty works in Nazareth, because the people had no faith in him. He did not tarry long.

32 But as he passed from thence two blind men followed him and cried, Thou son of David, hear! Have mercy, Lord, and open up our eyes that we may see.

33 And Jesus said, Do you believe that I can open up your eyes and make you see?

34 They said, Yea, Lord, we know that if you speak the Word then we can see.

35 And Jesus touched their eyes and spoke the Word; he said, According to your faith so will it be.

36 And they were blest; they opened up their eyes and saw.

37 And Jesus said, Tell not this thing to any one.

38 But they went forth and told the news through all the land.

39 As Jesus walked along the way a man who was obsessed, and who was dumb, was brought to him.

40 And Jesus spoke the Word; the unclean spirit came out of the man; his tongue was loosed; he spoke; he said, Praise God.

41 The people were amazed; They said, This is a mighty deed; we never saw that done before.

42 The Pharisees were also much amazed; but they cried out and said,

43 You men of Israel, take heed; this Jesus is a tool of Beelzebul; he heals the sick and casts the spirits out in Satan’s name.

44 But Jesus answered not; he went his way.

45 And with the foreign masters and the twelve he went up to the town where he once turned the water into wine and tarried certain days.

CHAPTER 122.

The Christines spend seven days in prayer. Jesus gives his charge to the twelve and sends them forth on their apostolic ministry, with instructions to meet him in Capernaum.

The Christines prayed in silence seven days; then Jesus called the twelve aside and said,

2 Behold, the multitudes have thronged about us everywhere; the people are bewildered; they wander here and there like sheep without a fold.

3 They need a shepherd’s care; they want a loving hand to lead them to the light.

4 The grain is ripe; the harvest is abundant, but the harvesters are few.

5 The time is also ripe, and you must go alone through all the villages and towns of Galilee and teach and heal.

6 And then he breathed upon the twelve and said, Receive the Holy Breath.

7 And then he gave them each the Word of power, and said, By this Omnific Word you shall cast spirits out, shall heal the sick and bring the dead to life again.

8 And you shall go not in the way of the Assyrians, nor Greek; you shall not go into Samaria; go only to your brethren of the scattered tribes.

9 And as you go proclaim, The kingdom of the Christ has come.

10 You have abundantly received, and freely you shall give.

11 But you must go in faith; provide yourselves no crutch to lean upon.

12 Give all your gold and silver to the poor; take not two coats, nor extra shoes; just take your wands.

13 You are God’s husbandmen and he will never suffer you to want.

14 In every place you go search out the men of faith; with them abide until you go from hence.

15 You go for me; you act for me. They who receive and welcome you, receive and welcome me;

16 And they who shut their doors against your face, refuse to welcome me.

17 If you are not received in kindness in a town, bear not away an evil thought; do not resist.

18 An evil thought of any kind will do you harm; will dissipate your power.

19 When you are not received with favor, go your way, for there are multitudes of men who want the light.

20 Behold, I send you forth as sheep among a pack of wolves; and you must be as wise as serpents and as harmless as the doves.

21 In all your language be discreet, for Pharisees and scribes will seek a cause for your arrest in what you say.

22 And they will surely find a way by charges false to bring you into court.

23 And judges will declare that you are guilty of some crime, and sentence you to scourgings and to prison cells.

24 But when you come to stand before the judge, be not afraid; be not disturbed about the way to act, the words to speak.

25 The Holy Breath will guide you in that hour, and give the words that you shall speak.

26 Of this be full assured; It is not you who speaks; it is the Holy Breath who gives the words and moves the lips.

27 The gospel that you preach will not bring peace, but it will stir the multitudes to wrath.

28 The carnal man abhors the truth, and he would give his life to crush the tender plant before the harvest time.

29 And this will bring confusion in the homes that were the homes of stagnant peace.

30 And brother will give brother up to death; the father will stand by and see men execute his child; and in the courts the child will testify against the sire, and gladly see its mother put to death.

31 And men will hate you just because you speak the name of Christ.

32 Thrice blessed is the man who shall be faithful in this coming day of wrath!

33 Go now; when you are persecuted in a place, go seek another place.

34 And when you meet a foe too great for you, behold, the son of man is at your door, and he can speak, and all the hosts of heaven will stand in your defense.

35 But do not hold your present life in great esteem.

36 The time will come when men will take my life; you need not hope to be immune, for they will slay you in the name of God.

37 Men call me Beelzebul and they will call you imps.

38 Be not afraid of what men say and do; they have no power over soul; they may abuse and may destroy the body of the flesh; but that is all.

39 They do not know the God who holds the issues of the soul within his hands, who can destroy the soul.

40 The Christ is king today, and men must recognize his power.

41 He who loves not the Christ, which is the love of God, before all else, can never gain the prize of spirit consciousness.

42 And they who love their parents or their children more than they love the Christ can never wear the name of Christ.

43 And he who loves his life more than he loves the Christ cannot please God.

44 And he who clings to life shall lose his life, while he who gives his life for Christ will save his life.

45 When Jesus had thus said he sent the twelve away by twos, and bade them meet him in Capernaum.

46 And they went out through all the towns of Galilee and taught and healed in spirit and in power.

CHAPTER 123.

Jesus gives his final charge to the foreign masters and sends them forth as apostles to the world. He goes alone to Tyre and abides in Rachel’s home. Heals an obsessed child. Goes to Sidon and then to the mountains of Lebanon. Visits Mount Hermon, Cæsarea-Philippi, Decapolis, Gadara and returns to Capernaum. Receives the twelve, who give an account of their work.

The Christine master spent a time in prayer and then he called the foreign masters, and he said to them,

2 Behold, I sent the twelve apostles unto Israel, but you are sent to all the world.

3 Our God is one, is Spirit and is truth, and every man is dear to him.

4 He is the God of every child of India, and the farther east; of Persia, and the farther north; of Greece and Rome and of the farther west; of Egypt and the farther south, and of the mighty lands across the seas, and of the islands of the seas.

5 If God would send the bread of life to one and not to all who have arisen to the consciousness of life and can receive the bread of life, then he would be unjust and that would shake the very throne of heaven.

6 So he has called you from the seven centers of the world, and he has breathed the breath of wisdom and of power into your souls, and now he sends you forth as bearers of the light of life, apostles of the human race.

7 Go on your way, and as you go proclaim the gospel of the Christ.

8 And then he breathed upon the masters and he said, Receive the Holy Breath; and then he gave to each the Word of power.

9 And each went on his way, and every land was blest.

10 Then Jesus went alone across the hills of Galilee and after certain days he reached the coast of Tyre, and in the home of Rachel he abode.

11 He did not advertise his coming, for he did not come to teach; he would commune with God where he could see the waters of the Mighty Sea.

12 But Rachel told the news and multitudes of people thronged her home to see the Lord.

13 A Grecian woman of Phenecia came; her daughter was obsessed. She said,

14 O Lord, have mercy on my home! My daughter is obsessed; but this I know, if you will speak the Word she will be free. Thou son of David, hear my prayer!

15 But Rachel said, Good woman, trouble not the Lord. He did not come to Tyre to heal; he came to talk with God beside the sea.

16 And Jesus said, Lo, I was sent not to the Greek, nor to Syrophenicians; I come just to my people, Israel.

17 And then the woman fell down at his feet and said, Lord, Jesus, I implore that you will save my child.

18 And Jesus said, You know the common proverb well: It is not meet that one should give the children’s bread to dogs.

19 And then the woman said, Yea, Jesus, this I know, but dogs may eat the crumbs that fall down from their master’s board.

20 And Jesus said, Such faith I have not seen, no not among the Jews; she is not serf, nor dog.

21 And then he said to her, According to your faith so let it be.

22 The woman went her way and when she came unto her child, lo, she was healed.

23 And Jesus tarried many days in Tyre; and then he went his way and dwelt a time in Sidon by the sea.

24 And then he journeyed on. In Lebanon hills and vales, and in its groves he walked in silent thought.

25 His earthly mission fast was drawing to a close; he sought for strength, and what he sought he found.

26 Mount Hermon stood beyond, and Jesus fain would kneel beside that mountain famed in Hebrew song.

27 And then he stood upon Mount Hermon’s lofty peaks, and lifting up his eyes to heaven he talked with God.

28 And masters of the olden times revealed themselves and long they talked about the kingdom of the Christ;

29 About the mighty works that had been done; about the coming conquest of the cross; about the victory over death.

30 Then Jesus journeyed on; he went to Cæsarea-Philippi, and in Susanna’s home he tarried certain days.

31 And then he went through all Decapolis to give encouragement to those who knew him as the Christ, and to prepare them for the day of Calvary.

32 And then he went to Gadara, and many friends were there, to welcome him.

33 And Chuzas, steward of the house of Herod Antipas, was there, and Jesus went aboard the royal ship with him and crossed the sea, and came unto Capernaum.

34 And when the people knew that Jesus was at home they came to welcome him.

35 In just a little while the twelve apostles came and told the master all about their journey over Galilee.

36 They said that by the sacred Word they had done many mighty works; and Jesus said to them, Well done.


SECTION XVII.
PE.
The Third Annual Epoch of the Christine Ministry of Jesus.

CHAPTER 124.

The Christines cross the sea. Jesus gives to his disciples lessons on secret doctrines. Teaches the people. Feeds five thousand. The disciples start to recross the sea. A storm arises. Jesus, walking on the waters, comes to them. Trial of Peter’s faith. They land in Gennesaret.

The twelve apostles now had reached the stage of spirit consciousness, and Jesus could reveal to them the deeper meanings of his mission to the world.

2 Next week the great feast of the Jews would be observed, and Matthew said, Shall we not girt ourselves and go unto Jerusalem?

3 But Jesus said, We will not go up to the feast; the time is short and I have many things to say to you; come you apart into a desert place and rest a while.

4 And then they took their boats and crossed the sea, and came into a desert place near Julius Bethsaida.

5 The people saw them go, and in vast multitudes they followed them.

6 And Jesus had compassion on the anxious throng, and he stood forth and taught them all the day, because they sought the light and were like sheep without a fold.

7 And as the night came on the twelve were doubting what the multitudes would do, and Thomas said,

8 Lord, we are in a desert place; the multitudes have naught to eat and they are faint from lack of food; what shall we do?

9 And Jesus said, Go to and feed the multitudes.

10 And Judas said, Shall we go down and buy two hundred pennies’ worth of bread for them to eat?

11 And Jesus said, Go look into our larder and see how many loaves we have.

12 And Andrew said, We have no bread, but we have found a lad who has five barley loaves and two small fish; but this would not be food enough for one in ten.

13 But Jesus said, Command these people all to sit upon the grass in companies of twelve; and they all sat down in companies of twelve.

14 Then Jesus took the loaves and fish, and looking up to heaven he spoke the sacred Word.

15 And then he broke the bread and gave it to the twelve; he also gave the fish unto the twelve, and said, Go to and feed the multitudes.

16 And all the people ate and were refreshed.

17 There were about five thousand men, a company of little ones, and women not a few.

18 And when the people all were filled the master said,

19 Let not a crumb be lost; Go to and gather up the pieces of the bread and fish for others that may want.

20 They gathered up the fragments and they filled twelve baskets full.

21 The people were bewildered by this wondrous act of power; they said, And now we know that Jesus is the prophet that our prophets said would come; and then they said, All hail the king!

22 When Jesus heard them say, All hail the king! he called the twelve and bade them take their boats and go before him to the other side;

23 And he went all alone into a mountain pass to pray.

24 The twelve were on the sea and hoped to reach Capernaum in just a little time, when all at once a fearful storm arose, and they were at the mercy of the waves.

25 And in the fourth watch of the night the wind became a whirling wind, and they were filled with fear.

26 And in the blinding storm they saw a form move on the waves; it seemed to be a man, and one spoke out and said, It is a ghost, a sign of evil things.

27 But John discerned the form and said, It is the Lord.

28 And then the wind blew not so hard, and Peter, standing in the midst, exclaimed,

29 My Lord! my Lord! If this be truly you, bid me to come to you upon the waves.

30 The form reached forth his hand and said, Come on.

31 And Peter stepped upon the waves and they were solid as a rock; he walked upon the waves.

32 He walked until he thought within himself, What if the waves should break beneath my feet?

33 And then the waves did break beneath his feet, and he began to sink, and in the fearfulness of soul he cried, O save me, Lord, or I am lost!

34 And Jesus took him by the hand and said, O you of little faith! why did you doubt? And Jesus led the way unto the boat.

35 The storm had spent its force; the winds were still, and they were near the shore, and when they landed they were in the valley of Gennesaret.

CHAPTER 125.

The Christines are welcomed in Gennesaret. Many follow Jesus for the loaves and fish. He tells them of the bread of life. Speaks of his flesh and blood as symbols of the bread and water of life. The people are offended and many of his disciples follow him no more.

The news soon spread through all the valley of Gennesaret that Jesus and the twelve had come, and many people came to see.

2 They brought their sick and laid them at the master’s feet, and all the day he taught and healed.

3 The multitudes upon the other side who had been fed the day before and other multitudes, went down to see the Lord; but when they found him not they sought him in Capernaum.

4 And when they found him not at home, they went on to Gennesaret. They found him there and said, Rabboni, when came you to Gennesaret?

5 And Jesus said, Why are you come across the sea? you came not for the bread of life;

6 You came to gratify your selfish selves; you all were fed the other day across the sea, and you are after more of loaves and fish.

7 The food you ate was nourishment for flesh that soon must pass away.

8 You men of Galilee, seek not for food that perishes, but seek for food that feeds the soul; and, lo, I bring you food from heaven.

9 You ate the flesh of fish, and you were satisfied, and now I bring the flesh of Christ for you to eat that you may live forevermore.

10 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; and then they ate the flesh of quail, and drank the waters of a flowing spring that Moses brought out from the rock; but all of them are dead.

11 The manna and the quail were symbols of the flesh of Christ; the waters of the rock were symbols of the blood.

12 But, lo, the Christ has come; he is the bread of life that God has given to the world.

13 Whoever eats the flesh of Christ and drinks his blood shall never die; and he will hunger nevermore; and he will thirst no more.

14 And they who eat this bread of heaven, and drink these waters from the spring of life cannot be lost; these feed the soul, and purify the life.

15 Behold, for God has said, When man has purified himself I will exalt him to the throne of power.

16 Then Jesus and the twelve went to Capernaum; and Jesus went into the synagogue and taught.

17 And when the Jews, who heard him in Gennesaret, were come they said,

18 This fellow is beside himself. We heard him say, I am the bread of life that comes from heaven; and we all know that he is but a man, the son of man, who came from Nazareth; we know his mother, and his other kin.

19 And Jesus knew their thoughts; he said to them, Why murmur you, and reason thus among yourselves?

20 The Christ is everlasting life; he came from heaven; he has the keys of heaven, and no man enters into heaven except he fills himself with Christ.

21 I came in flesh to do the will of God, and, lo, this flesh and blood are filled with Christ; and so I am the living bread that comes from heaven;

22 And when you eat this flesh and drink this blood you will have everlasting life; and if you will, you may become the bread of life.

23 And many of the people were enraged; they said, How can this man give us his flesh to eat, his blood to drink?

24 And his disciples were aggrieved because he said these things, and many turned away and followed him no more.

25 They said, This is a fearful thing for him to say, If you eat not my flesh and drink my blood, you cannot enter into life.

26 They could not comprehend the parable he spoke.

27 And Jesus said, You stumble and you fall before the truth; What will you do when you shall see this flesh and blood transmuted into higher form?

28 What will you say when you shall see the son of man ascending on the clouds of heaven?

29 What will you say when you shall see the son of man sit on the throne of God?

30 The flesh is naught; the spirit is the quickening power. The words I speak are spirit; they are life.

31 When Jesus saw the many who had been so loud in their professions of their faith in him, turn back and go away, he said unto the twelve,

32 Will you desert me in this hour and go away?

33 But Peter said, Lord, we have no place else to go; you have the words of everlasting life; we know that you are sent to us from God.

CHAPTER 126.

Scribes and Pharisees visit Jesus. They censure him for eating with unwashed hands. He defends his acts and teaches a lesson on hypocrisy. Privately explains to the twelve his public teachings.

A company of scribes and Pharisees came from Jerusalem to learn wherein the power of Jesus lay.

2 But when they learned that he and his disciples heeded not the custom of the Jews, regarding washing of the hands before they ate, they were amazed.

3 And Jesus said, Hypocrisy is queen among you scribes and Pharisees. Of you Isaiah wrote:

4 This people honor me with lips; their hearts are far away. In vain they worship me; their doctrines are the dogmas and the creeds of men.

5 You men who pose as men of God, and still reject the laws of God and teach the laws of men,

6 Stand forth and tell when God gave unto men the ceremonial laws that you observe; and tell these people how the spirit life is sullied if one washes not before he eats.

7 His critics answered not, and then he said,

8 Hear me, you men of Israel! Defilement is a creature of the heart. The carnal mind lays hold of thought, and makes a monstrous bride; this bride is sin; sin is a creature of the mind.

9 That which defiles a man is not the food he eats.

10 The bread and fish and other things we eat, are simply cups to carry to the cells of flesh material for the building of the human house, and when their work is done as refuse they are cast away.

11 The life of plant and flesh that goes to build the human house is never food for soul. The spirit does not feed upon the carcasses of animal, or plant.

12 God feeds the soul direct from heaven; the bread of life comes from above.

13 The air we breathe is charged with Holy Breath, and he who wills may take this Holy Breath.

14 The soul discriminates, and he who wants the life of Christ may breathe it in. According to your faith so let it be.

15 Man is not a part of his abiding place; the house is not the man.

16 The lower world builds up the house of flesh, and keeps it in repair; the higher world provides the bread of spirit life.

17 The loveliest lilies grow from stagnant ponds and filthiest muck.

18 The law of flesh demands that one should keep the body clean.

19 The law of spirit calls for purity in thought and word and deed.

20 Now, when the evening came and they were in the house, the twelve had many things to say, and many questions to propound.

21 Nathaniel asked, Was what you said about the house of flesh a parable? If so, what does it mean?

22 And Jesus said, Can you not yet discriminate? Do you not yet perceive that what a man takes in his mouth defiles him not?

23 His food goes not into his soul; it is material for flesh and bone and brawn.

24 To spirit everything is clean.

25 That which defiles a man wells up from carnal thoughts; and carnal thoughts spring from the heart, and generate a host of evil things.

26 From out the heart comes murders, thefts and foolishness. All selfish acts and sensual deeds spring from the heart.

27 To eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.

28 And Peter said, Lord, What you said today has grievously offended scribe and Pharisee.

29 And Jesus said, These scribes and Pharisees are not the scions of the tree of life; they are not plants of God; they are the plants of men, and every foreign plant shall be plucked up.

30 Let all these men alone; they are blind guides; they lead a multitude of people who are blind.

31 The leaders and the led together walk; together they will fall into the yawning pits.

CHAPTER 127.

The Christines cross the sea to Decapolis. Jesus finds a retired place where he privately teaches the twelve. They remain three days, then go into a village by the sea.

Now, Jesus took the twelve and with them crossed the sea at night and came unto the borders of Decapolis,

2 That he might find a secret place where, all alone, he could reveal to them the things to come.

3 They went into a mountain pass and spent three days in prayer.

4 Then Jesus said, Behold, the time is near when I will walk with you in flesh no more.

5 Lo, I have taught that he who counts his life of so much worth that he would give it not in willing sacrifice to save his brother man, is worthy not to enter into life.

6 Lo, I am come as pattern for the sons of men, and I have not refrained from helpfulness.

7 When I had passed the seven tests in Heliopolis, I consecrated life and all I had, to save the world.

8 In the Judean wilderness I fought the strongest foes of men, and there I reaffirmed my consecration to the service of my fellow man.

9 In troubles and in trials I have wavered not; when false accusers came, I answered not.

10 God gave the saving Word to me, and I have often spoken it and healed the sick, drove unclean spirits out, and raised the dead.

11 And I have shown you how to speak the Word; and I have given you the Word;

12 In just a little while we turn our faces toward Jerusalem, and one of you who hear me now will then betray me into wicked hands.

13 The scribes and Pharisees will bring false charges up and hale me into court, and, by consent of Rome, I will be crucified.

14 Then Peter said, My Lord, it shall not be. The Roman soldiers will tread on twelve dead men before they reach our Lord.

15 But Jesus said, A savior of the world cannot resist.

16 I came to save the world and I have taken up your names before the highest courts of heaven, and you have been confirmed as saviors of the world.

17 And not a name, excepting that of him who shall betray, will ever be disgraced.

18 I go my way, and though my flesh shall pass, my soul will stand beside you all the way to guide and bless.

19 And wicked men will seize you in the streets, and as you kneel in prayer; will charge you with some legal crime, and think they serve their God by putting you to death.

20 But falter not; the load will heavy be, but with the consciousness of duty done, the peace of God will lift the load, dispel the pain and light the way.

21 And we will meet where carnal executioners come not; there we will serve the cruel men, who in their ignorance had tortured us to death.

22 Can we prevent this outrage and this slaughter of our lives? If not we are but creatures of the ebb and flow of carnal things. It would not be a sacrifice of life.

23 But we are masters of the things of time. Lo, we can speak, and all the spirits of the fire, water, earth and air will stand in our defense.

24 We can command and many legions of the angel world would come and strike our enemies to earth.

25 But it is best that not a power of heaven or earth should come to our relief. And it is best that even God should veil his face and seem to hear us not.

26 As I am pattern unto you, so you are patterns for the human race. We show by non-resistance that we give our lives in willing sacrifice for man.

27 But my example will not end with death. My body will be laid within a tomb in which no flesh has lain, symbolic of the purity of life in death.

28 And in the tomb I will remain three days in sweet communion with the Christ, and with my Father-God, and Mother-God.

29 And then, symbolic of the ascent of the soul to higher life, my flesh within the tomb will disappear;

30 Will be transmuted into higher form, and, in the presence of you all, I will ascend to God.

31 Then Jesus and the twelve went to a village by the sea.