Helen Braun Hojt - The Story of Jesus The Christ

house that Jesus was preaching.

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A CHILD’S STORY OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST

The crowd had filled the house, and the doorway was blocked

with those who could get no farther. Four men came bringing

with them a man who

was sick with the palsy.

Palsy, or paralysis, is

a disease which takes

the life from some part

of the body. If one

has palsy in his arm, he

cannot use that arm to

help himself; if it is in

his throat, he cannot

swallow; if it is in the

leg, he cannot walk, or

even move the leg.

This man had the palsy,

and because he could

not walk his friends

were bringing him on a

bed to see the Saviour.

They tried to get in

The Man Sick with the Palsy through the door, but

the crowd would not

make way. What should they do? They must see Jesus!

Their friend must be healed. There was another way to get to

him besides going through the door, and that they now tried.

The stairs which led to the roof were usually on the outside of

the houses in that country. They would have no trouble in go¬

ing there, for all the people were crowding the door. So they

took the sick man up to the housetop, and, uncovering the roof,,

they let him down, still lying on his bed, to the court at Jesus»

feet.

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The Saviour knew what trouble they had taken to come to

him, and it pleased him to have them show such trust that they

were willing to do so much hard work. He stopped his lesson and

said to the man who was sick with the palsy, “ Son, be of good

cheer, your sins are forgiven.»

You remember there were many scribes and Pharisees there

who were trying to find something to say against Jesus, so that

they could prove that he was a bad man, who was making the

people believe what was wrong. Now they thought they had

found something. They said to one another, “ This man pretends

to be God; for no one can forgive sins but God.» They accused

him of one of the very greatest sins that any man could commit.

Pretending to be God, or to have the power that belongs only to

God, or trying to make people think that God is not so great and

good as He really is, was called “ blasphemy.» The Jewish law

commanded that any man who spoke blasphemy, or “ blas¬

phemed,» should be put to death. What Jesus said would have

been blasphemy if any one else had said it. But Jesus was the

Son of God, and to him God had given power which had never

been given to any one before.

Jesus knew what they were saying, and he answered them.

u Why do you think evil of me? ” he said; “ which words are

easier to say, ‘ your sins are forgiven,» or 4 arise and walk ’? But

I will show you that I did not say mere words, but that I, the Son

of man, have the power to forgive sins.» Then he turned to the

sick man and said, “ Arise, take up your bed, and go to your

house.» And immediately that man who was not able to get to

Jesus without being carried by his friends rose, rolled up his bed,

took it under his arm, and walked away. His heart was full of

love and thankfulness to God. The crowd, filled with wonder,

left the house soon afterward, saying, «We have seen strange

things to-day.»

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A CHILD’S STORY OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST

After the people had all gone, Jesus went out to take a walk.

While walking he came to the place where Matthew, a publican

or tax-collector, was sit¬

ting at his work. Jesus

stopped and spoke to

him, saying, «Will you

follow me? ” Matthew

probably knew Jesus,

and was glad to be

chosen a disciple of

the great Master. He

arose at once, left his

work, and followed the

Christ.

The publicans were

the men who gathered

the money which the

Jews had to pay to the

Roman Emperor. Some

of them were Romans

and some were Jews.

Calling of Matthew Probably many of them

were dishonest men,

who tried to collect more money than they should, especially

from the poor. The scribes and Pharisees thought no publican

was honest, and never tried to make one of them a better man.

They looked down on them all as wicked men, who should not

be allowed to associate with any one who was good.

They hated to pay the taxes, and hated the publicans who

collected them, whether they were Jew or Roman. But they

hated the Jews who did this work the most, because they

thought they should have more love for their country than to

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help the Romans get money from them. But Jesus did not

think as the Pharisees did, and chose Matthew, who was some¬

times called Levi, to be one of his disciples.

Matthew very soon made a feast and invited his publican

friends to come to his house and meet the Master and the new

companions he had chosen. It was the custom then to allow

anybody who wished to go into. a house where there was a

feast, and look on while the real guests were eating. So the

scribes and Pharisees followed Jesus to Matthew’s house. When

they saw Jesus at the table eating with these publicans, they said

to the disciples, «How is it that your Master is willing to eat

and drink with these wicked. people? ” Now Jesus heard what

they said, and he himself answered them in these words:

«They that are well need not a physician [or doctor], but they

that are sick. I came, not to call the righteous, but sinners to

repentance.»

The Pharisees knew/what he meant by this answer. He

called them the well and the righteous because they thought

they were good enough, and did not need help to be better. He

who had come to make people’s souls well and happy could do

nothing for them because they would not take what he offered

to give them. That is why he did not work with them. But

the publicans, who knew that they were wicked people and were

willing to be made better, were the sick; and Jesus, the great

Physician, went among them because he could do them good.

And now it was time again for one of the Jewish feasts at

Jerusalem, and Jesus went to the feast. Many of the cities in

those times were surrounded with strong walls, and in the walls

were gates through which the people went in and out of the

town. Jerusalem was one of these walled cities, and had five

gates. Near one of them, known as the Sheep Gate, was a pool

of water, called Bethesda, which means House of Mercy. Water

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A CHILD’S STORY OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST

was never very plentiful in Jerusalem, and all the wells and pools

were much prized by the people. But they were especially fond

of Bethesda, for the water there was supposed to cure disease.

Some one had built around the pool five stone porches, with

steps leading down into the water. Here, sheltered from the

weather, the sick people could wait until they could step into

the pool. They could not do this whenever they wanted to. At

certain times only there was a bubbling motion of the water*

which they believed was made by an angel going into the pool.

Then, as they thought, whoever stepped into the water first was.

cured of any disease he had. Of course every sick person wanted

to be the first, and as no one could tell when the moving of the

water would be, the

porches were usually

filled with the people