Philochristus

The discourse told of a certain son of a kind father, who, taking his patrimony, wandered into a distant city, where he squandered his substance in riotous living, so that he was forced to keep swine like an hireling; but returning to his father he was welcomed. Other like parables he spake: and all the people were marvellously attentive to hear him. Notwithstanding, Jesus would not always discourse himself alone: for he gladly heard others, and by questions led many to speak, questioning them with courtesy in no way akin to condescension (even as a brother meeting brothers after long absence); the merchants concerning foreign countries; the officers of the customs concerning the commerce and wares of the place; the mariners and soldiers concerning the ships and currents and strong places and fortresses whereof they severally had knowledge. With all these common people did Jesus converse, and to each, methought, he added somewhat of his own nature. And so it was that amid all that concourse of vulgar and unlearned people and boors (as the Scribes would have called them), not one did or said anything unworthy of the presence of our Master. Thus did Jesus give to others, and lo, they gave back to him good measure into his bosom, pressed down and running over, according to his own saying.

But when he rose up to go, behold, Barachiah the son of Zadok also rose up in haste, and coming to Jesus he fell down on his knees before him, and besought him that he would forgive all the slanders and revilings which he had used concerning Jesus and concerning his disciples. And Jesus both forgave him and blessed him. And from that hour even to the day of his death Barachiah was a new creature; insomuch that he was no longer known among them of Capernaum as the viper, or the child of Satan, but they called him “the changed man.”

But as Jesus was now going forth, two of the disciples of John the son of Zachariah came unto him. For they had been present in the chamber, though they had not partaken of the feast; and they marvelled at the cheerfulness of Jesus, because he ate bread and drank wine and conversed freely with the common people, not after the manner of their master. So they were offended at Jesus, and said to him, “Master, why do we and the Pharisees fast oft, but thy disciples fast not?” Now John himself had called Jesus the Bridegroom of Israel. Jesus therefore, using these same words, answered and said, “Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?” Then he turned and looked at us, and his face was sorrowful; and he added, “But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast in those days.” Then first did Jesus speak concerning his departure from his disciples: and he meant, perchance, that as John the Prophet had been taken from the midst of his disciples, so also would he himself be taken away from us; for the Lord had revealed unto him that Israel was not to be redeemed easily, nor without much tribulation. But by what power he should be thus taken, whether by imprisonment (as had befallen John), or by death of violence (as was shortly to befall John), or by death in course of nature, concerning these things he said naught at this time. But we neither understood his words, neither took we thought of them.

But as we came forth, we met Eliezer the son of Arak, and the chief ruler of the synagogue, and many of the elders of the synagogue; and they looked at us with sore displeasure. And the chief ruler did not restrain himself, but said to Jesus aloud in the presence of us all, “Is it even so that thou wouldst fain be Ruler over Israel? Behold, on thy side are Matthew the tax-gatherer, and Barachiah the child of Satan, and Mary the sinner; but on my side are Eliezer the son of Arak and all the elders of the synagogue. Is it not better to be the tail of a lion rather than the head of a dog?”

But when Jesus noted how certain of the sinners feared to stand before the faces of Eliezer the son of Arak, and of the ruler of the synagogue, and how they were shaken in their faith and abashed (for that they were accustomed to be despised and to be trampled on, as being without all hope of redemption); then was he exceeding wrath, and he answered and said unto the ruler of the synagogue, “Woe unto the world because of offences: for it must needs be that offences come: but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh.” Then he pointed to the sinners behind him (whom he was wont to call “little ones,” because they were babes in faith), and he spake again to the chief ruler and his party, saying, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.”

Then Eliezer the son of Arak interrupted him and said, “Why eatest thou, contrary to the Traditions, with tax-gatherers and sinners?” But Jesus answered and said, “How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety-and-nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is gone astray? And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep than of the ninety-and-nine which went not astray.” “But,” said another of the Scribes, “why dost thou shun and rebuke the righteous? What evil is it not to be a sinner?” When Jesus heard that, he said unto him, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that be sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” So saying, he passed on and left the Pharisees, and we followed him.

Now Andrew and Simon Peter had been disciples of John the son of Zachariah, before they had joined themselves to Jesus. In the evening, therefore, they resorted to Jesus to question him touching the answer he had that day given to John’s disciples concerning fasting. I was with them, and also Judas of Kerioth, and a certain Eleazar the son of Azariah, a Scribe of Sepphoris and a friend of Jonathan. Now Eleazar did not venture to advise Jesus to use shifts and subterfuges so as to keep friendship with the Pharisees; but he said that perchance such sinners as might be converted to the path of righteousness might not be able to continue therein, unless the path were fenced in by rules and laws, feasts, fasts, and other like ordinances. He also bade Jesus not separate himself from the congregation; for said he, “Whatsoever is decreed by the congregation below, that is decreed by the congregation above; and what is ratified on earth is ratified in heaven; and with whomsoever the spirit of men is pleased the Spirit of God is pleased.”

But Jesus answered that as new wine was not like unto old wine, nor a new garment like an old garment, even so the doctrine of John was not like unto his doctrine; neither could the two be mixed. The doctrine of the Pharisees also, he said, was not like his doctrine, and the two kinds of doctrine needed two several and distinct shapes, even as several kinds of wine need several bottles. When Eleazar heard this, he went out; for these words seemed to him (as he said to John the son of Zebedee) to be a kind of proclaiming of war against the Pharisees; so that there appeared no longer any hope of concord between Jesus and them. Judas also, although he still seemed strangely perturbed, and spake less than was his wont, nevertheless said that a great gulf was opening itself between our Master and the Pharisees; “and,” said he, “unless something is speedily done, this gulf will be impassable.” Many also that had been disciples of John the Prophet murmured against Jesus, because he had promised to fulfil the Law and had been expected to follow in the course of John, but now he went contrary to the Law and was for choosing a path of his own. For at that time in Galilee they that honoured John the Prophet were more than they that honoured Jesus of Nazareth.

But for my part my soul was given up to thanksgiving and to praise of God, because of this new power which He had sent down to men, of forgiving sins. For if it seemed a divine word to say “Let there be light,” and there was light, much more divine a word it seemed to say, “Let there be righteousness,” and lo, there was righteousness. And when I remembered the saying of the sailor, how that it needed Solomon’s ring to find out the heart of flesh in bad men, and when I called to mind how Jesus had found it out, then it seemed to me that a greater than Solomon was among us. I thought also on the words of Nathanael, how that, in the day of Redemption, the Holy One (blessed is He) will bring the Evil Nature and slay him in the presence of the righteous and of the wicked; and my thoughts were swallowed up in wonder.

CHAPTER XIII

The words of Judas were true, that a great gulf now lay between our Master and the Pharisees; and day by day the gulf grew wider, as I soon perceived. It chanced that Eliezer the son of Arak knew that I was a friend of Jonathan; and desiring to draw me away from Jesus, he wrote a letter to Jonathan begging him to move me that I might return home. This letter of Eliezer therefore Jonathan sent unto me, and it was to the following effect:

“From Eliezer the son of Arak to Jonathan the son of Ezra: salutation and peace. Be it known unto thee, O Jonathan, that this Jesus of Nazareth, concerning whom we once had hopes that he might be a deep well or perchance even an ever-welling spring of the Law, hath proved an empty vessel and a broken cistern. He profaneth the Sabbath and teacheth others to profane it; he eateth without the washing of hands; he teacheth that no man is defiled by that which he toucheth or eateth; in a word, he breaketh the Law and causeth others to profane it. Yet this in part was known unto thee even before, and thou didst deceive thyself, and saidst, ‘Perchance he hath a message from God concerning the Sabbath and concerning the Law.’ Hear, therefore, O son of Ezra, what new thing this blind guide hath taken upon himself to do. He not only teacheth all people everywhere to abstain from sacrifice, wresting to his own destruction that hard saying of the Prophet which saith, ‘I will have mercy and not sacrifice,’ but he also hath dared to make himself as God, forgiving sins. This he hath done publicly in the synagogue, before the face of the congregation.

“Now we would fain deal gently with the young man, because he seemed once to purpose well, and because he hath made unto himself a name for casting out unclean spirits. Moreover he is befriended not only by the rabble that knoweth not the Law, but also by a few of the wise and pious, as, for example, thyself. For this cause we are minded not at once to punish him in accordance with the law for blasphemy, but to make excuses for him by saying that he is beside himself.

“And this indeed seemeth to be not unlikely, for he is not as other men are; for ofttimes he sleepeth not, but watcheth (as I am informed) whole nights together; and albeit he seeth no vision (which sheweth him to be no prophet), yet he carrieth himself in such strange fashion as if he saw visions daily; also he is wroth at small faults and at no faults (as thou thyself knowest), and yet withal easy to forgive great faults. Moreover of late he most strangely forsweareth the company of all the pious and learned, and consorteth publicly with tax-gatherers and sinners; insomuch that, but now, having called one Matthew a tax-gatherer, to be one of his disciples, afterwards, at a feast in the house of this Matthew, amid mirth and wine-bibbing, he took upon himself to forgive the sins of that Barachiah the son of Zadok, who, as thou knowest, is by all men called the child of Satan.

“Now therefore, for the sake of the young man Jesus himself, it beseemeth thee, O Jonathan, to cause this evil to cease, and to warn his friends, if perchance they may see fit to restrain him. Write therefore, I pray thee, to his mother Mary, and to his brethren (but I grieve that his father no longer liveth to restrain him) that they may come and lay hands upon him: for they will listen to thy voice. We desire also that thou wouldst write to the young man, thy pupil and friend, Joseph the son of Simeon, that he may return to Sepphoris, lest he too fall into the pit of destruction along with this blind guide Jesus. If also thou shouldst inform Joanna, the mother of Joseph, concerning all these things, she would peradventure join her voice to thine, that thy pupil might return. But in any case it were well that the certainty of the madness of this Jesus should be noised abroad among all thy friends and acquaintances, to the intent that we may the more easily restrain him.

“Hearken, I pray thee, unto my words, O Jonathan, for I will not hide the truth from thee, that certain of us judge the young man Jesus of Nazareth more harshly, saying that he is possessed by Beelzebub. Others also say that hands should be laid upon him without delay, and that he should be delivered to Herod. Now if he hearken unto thee and desist from his consorting with sinners, or if his kinsmen lay gentle hands upon him, then we are willing that he should suffer few stripes; but if not, many stripes will be needful. But if he should be delivered to Herod, or if the people should peradventure take up stones to stone him, who knoweth the end thereof? Peace be with thee!”

Together with the letter of Eliezer was a letter from Jonathan, who besought me to send word unto him about the welfare of Jesus; and I could perceive that, albeit the old man was wroth that any should say that Jesus was possessed with an unclean spirit, yet even he inclined his ear to believe that Jesus was beside himself. For after some words touching the health of my mother, the letter ended thus, “Alas, because of the iniquity of this generation! For verily Jesus was fit to be the Redeemer of Israel; but the generation was unfit. He was as the morning star in his joy, and as the sun in the glory of his brightness; but the night cometh apace, and the sun must give place to the darkness. Verily, Jesus was of them that have entered into Paradise, and have tasted of the honey of the highest heaven. But perchance he hath seen things not vouchsafed to men to see, even the mystery of the Chariot; and the vision hath been too much for the eye of man, and with much honey the mind hath been demented.”

When I received these letters, I purposed at once to inform Jesus concerning the plots of the Pharisees. But he was not at that time at Capernaum, but at Bethsaida Julias; so I hastened thither. When I was come thither, Jesus was exhorting the people; and there was a great concourse to hear him, so that I could not come nigh unto him for the press. But while I stood afar off, behold, Eliezer the son of Arak advanced towards him through the midst of the press; and all men made way for him. But he, making as though he could not advance further, called to Jesus in a loud voice, so that all men should hear: “Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.”

Now could I see from Eliezer’s countenance and from the manner of his speech, and from the faces of some of the Scribes that were sitting in the principal places, yea, and from the faces of some others that were in the outermost part of the crowd (for they nodded and beckoned each to the other) that here was indeed the very plot of the Pharisees whereof Eliezer had made mention in his letter to Jonathan. For the mother and brethren of Jesus had come with intent to lay hands on him, having been persuaded that he was beside himself. And immediately all that were in the chamber seemed to become aware of the plot. For Jesus ceased from his teaching; and many stood on tiptoe gazing toward that quarter of the crowd where the mother of Jesus was waiting, and then they gazed back on Jesus again, marking how he bore himself. So there arose a marvellous great stillness, while every one waited to hear what Jesus would say: and my heart beat so that I could even hear the beating thereof. But Jesus said, “Who is my mother, and who are my brethren?” Then he looked round about on those of his disciples that sat nigh unto him and he said, “Behold my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and my sister and mother.”

When he had said these words, then the countenance of Eliezer fell. For he had hoped either to have found occasion against Jesus (as though he paid no reverence to his mother, not rising up or going forth to meet her), or else that the brethren of Jesus should have laid hands on him as he went forth, and so all men should ever after have esteemed him as one beside himself. But the words of Jesus manifested that he ceased not to love and honour his mother, howbeit he loved and honoured others also, even as many as were in the Family of God, unto whom he was as a brother or as a son; neither ought he to have forsaken all the Family of God to please the family of Nazareth; for, had he gone forth to meet them that stood without, he had forsaken and caused to stumble all them that sat within. So they perceived what was in the mind of Jesus; and they magnified him the more.

When the Pharisees perceived that they had not prevailed with the common people, they began to adventure a second plot. For they procured a certain Scribe to accuse Jesus in the synagogue, and to say that he cast out devils through Beelzebub the prince of the devils. The name of the Scribe was Hezekiah the son of Zachariah, from Jerusalem; even the same Hezekiah of whom I spake before, when I spake of the meeting of the Galileans in the valley nigh unto Sepphoris. Howbeit, neither did this plot prevail with the common people. For the same accusation had been brought by the Scribes against John the prophet: but in vain. For the people could in no wise be persuaded that such an one as Jesus was possessed with an unclean spirit, nor that sick men could be healed and devils driven out by Beelzebub.

But that which caused most surprise to many of the disciples was to note how great a wrath was kindled in Jesus by this accusation. It chanced, as I remember, that we were in a small synagogue in the town called Jotapata. He had driven out a devil from a young man, and the devil tare the young man as he passed out of him, so that the young man lay on the ground lifeless. Jesus, as his manner was, took the young man by the hand for to help him to arise; and because there seemed no life in him, he stooped down and embraced him for to lift him up. Now the rest of them that were with Hezekiah held their peace, albeit against their will; so great was their marvel at the deed, and so mighty was the presence of Jesus. Only Hezekiah still hardened his heart. Therefore while Jesus was now lifting up the youth, of a sudden was heard the voice of Hezekiah crying aloud, “Thou castest out devils through Beelzebub the prince of the devils:” and all the people were as men amazed, and stood agape, expecting what Jesus would do.

Jesus himself, at first, seemed like unto one in a dream, turning his eyes from the young man (whose life had now returned to him) to the face of Hezekiah, and from Hezekiah again back to the young man; as though either he himself had not heard aright, or else Hezekiah had not seen clearly how great a work had been wrought for the young man. For belike he could scarce believe that any man in Israel could refrain from rejoicing at the young man’s deliverance; nor did it seem possible to him that any among the children of men could suppose that a devil could be cast out save by the finger of God. But when he perceived that the face of Hezekiah was set as a rock against him, and that his eyes were as the eyes of one mocking him; and when he looked round also upon the people, and perceived that some of them were abashed and shaken in their faith because he had as yet made no answer, then indeed his countenance was changed against Hezekiah, and he made answer to him after his folly: that, if it was so indeed, and if Satan was divided against himself, then let all men rejoice, for behold, Satan could not stand. But if not, and if he cast out devils by the hand of God, “Then,” said he, “the Kingdom of God hath come upon you unawares.”

When he had spoken these words, he stood, as if in pause, and fixed his eyes on the face of Hezekiah. But he looked upon him no more with anger, but with a marvellous pity; and behold, his countenance, which was wont to shine as the sun, became pale and cold to look upon, even as the moon in her brightness, looking down upon a man drowning in deep waters; and he added and said, “All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men; but the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven, neither in this age, nor in the age to come.” Never before had we seen Jesus so moved. Hezekiah himself was confounded, and gasped for breath and could not speak, but went out of the synagogue in confusion; neither was there one in the congregation that went out with him.

But when the congregation had departed I went to Nathanael and questioned him concerning this matter. For even from the first, Nathanael had a discerning spirit, able to discern matters wherein I groped as in darkness; but moreover of late I had noted how he had seemed to grow in wisdom and discernment, so that it was a marvel to see how great a change had come to pass in how short a time: and he was to me, as it were, an interpreter of the words of Jesus. So I asked Nathanael what Jesus meant by the words “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit,” and why that sin was above all other sins so that it could not be forgiven.

“For,” said I, “Jesus was blasphemed as a gluttonous man and as a wine-bibber, not many days past, in this very place, and I noted well (but thou wast not with us) with what a calmness, yea, even to mirth, Jesus endured the charge. For we chanced to be passing through this very street, and the children were coming forth from the school and sporting after their manner; and Jesus sat him down on the stone yonder and watched them at their sports. And behold, the children had divided themselves into two companies, a small company and a large company; and the small company had pipes and tabors, and were to play thereon; but the others were to conform themselves to the music of their fellows. But when they were now beginning, the larger company could not agree among themselves, and (after the manner of wanton children) they knew not their own minds. So when the pipers piped merry music they would not dance, but cried out for sad music; but when the pipers piped sadly, then they would not beat their breasts, nor make as if they were in the house of mourning, but stopped their ears and called for merry music: whereat the pipers were vexed, and complained of the inconstancy of their fellows. Then do I right well remember how Jesus noted it all, and smiled thereat. And turning to us, he said, still smiling (though with some touch of sadness), that this generation was like unto those children: for he had come piping merry music, and John the Prophet had come piping sad music, but the men of this generation would listen to neither; for they said that John had a devil, and that he himself was a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. Now wherefore, thinkest thou, did Jesus endure so lightly to be blasphemed as a gluttonous man and a winebibber, but endured not to hear the words of Hezekiah? And what is this sin against the Holy Spirit?”

While I was saying these words, standing beneath the olive-grove on the side of the hill which looketh on Jotapata, Nathanael sat down upon the grass; and I sat down likewise. Then he said to me, “Not many days gone by, I heard Jesus speak concerning the Holy Spirit; and his words were on this wise. As in each man the man’s breath or spirit is the life of the body, so in each man there is a certain holy breath or spirit which is the life of his soul; whence also cometh every good thought and deed unto the man. Moreover thou seest that the air which we breathe, and which is the breath of our bodies, is but a part of that great sea of air which embraceth the whole earth so that there is nothing hidden from the touch thereof; insomuch that the same air or breath which is coming towards us from yonder mountain top, making the terebinth-trees to bow, and which even now rustleth in the olive-trees above us, even this is our breath and our life. Now I have heard Jesus say that there is a likeness between this breath of our bodies and the breath or spirit of our souls. For as the wind bloweth where it listeth, and we hear the sound thereof, but know not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth, even so it is with the spirit of our souls, the spirit of goodness, which is the Holy Spirit of God.”