Part 15

1. Who had been sent to proclaim our Lord? 2. What did John the Baptist say of Him? 3. Who were the two first who listened? 4. What was their trade? 5. Who was the best loved of all? 6. Whom did Andrew fetch? 7. What name was given to Simon? 8. What does Peter mean? 9. What friends did they tell of our Lord? 10. What did our Lord say of Nathanael? 11. What does "without guile" mean? 12. What did Nathanael ask? 13. Why was he surprised? 14. What did our Lord say? 15. What was his answer? 16. How did he know that Jesus was God? 17. Where can God see?

SECOND READING.

"Thou hast kept the good wine until now."--_John 2:10._

PERSONS who loved to learn of a Master were called His disciples. So John and his brother James, Andrew and Simon Peter, Philip and his friend Nathanael, were all called our Lord's disciples.

They were all invited to a wedding at Cana, the village in the hills where Nathanael lived; and the blessed Virgin Mary, our Lord's mother, was there too. But the bride and bridegroom were poor people, and in the midst of the feast it turned out that there was not wine enough. The blessed Virgin said, in a low voice, to her Son, "They have no wine."

Now, there were six great jars standing by, and JESUS told the servants to fill them with water. So they filled them up to the brim; and then He told the servants to draw out some of what they had poured in, and carry it to the chief person there.

As soon as this man had tasted it, he found it was such good wine that he said to the bridegroom that most people began their feasts with their best wine, but that here the best had been kept for the last. This was the first wonderful thing our Lord did on earth, and it made His disciples know that He was God, for no one else could have done such a wonder.

We call these wonders miracles. Our Lord worked many more while He was on earth, and most of them were cures to the blind, or the lame, or the sick. He made them well directly by His power and love.

QUESTIONS.

1. What are disciples? 2. Who were the first disciples? 3. What feast did they go to? 4. Where was the feast? 5. What was wanting at the feast? 6. What did our Lord's mother say? 7. What did He tell the servants to do? 8. How many waterpots were there? 9. What did the water become? 10. To whom was it carried? 11. What was said of it? 12. How came it to be wine? 13. What is such a wonder called? 14. Why could our Lord do miracles? 15. What did they show?

THIRD READING.

"I will make you fishers of men."--_Matt. 4:19._

I TOLD you Andrew and Peter and John were fishermen. They used to go fishing at night in boats, on the blue lake of Galilee, shut in between the high mountains. One night, they had been out in two boats, trying hard to catch fish, but none would come to their nets.

In the morning, they saw JESUS standing on the bank, with a great crowd of people round Him, come to see and hear His teaching. He called to Simon Peter to come and take Him into his boat, so that He could teach the people from thence without being crowded.

When He had done speaking, He told Andrew and Peter to go out into the deeper water, and let down their nets. They said, "Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at Thy word I will let down the net." And instantly the net was so full of fishes, that Andrew and Peter could not draw it up without the help of John and his brother James, who was with him in his boat; and both boats were quite full of fish, and ready to sink with the weight.

When the boats came to land, our Lord told the four disciples that they were to come with Him, for He would make them fishers of men, for they were to draw disciples to Him, instead of catching fish. They believed Him, and left all they had to follow Him, and they were always with Him--His dear friends who followed Him everywhere, and stored up His holy words in their hearts.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was the trade of the disciples? 2. Where did they fish? 3. How did they fish? 4. Who came to them? 5. What did he bid them do? 6. What had they been doing all night? 7. But what did they now let down? 8. What did they find in their nets? 9. What were filled? 10. How came the fish there? 11. What did our Lord call them to do? 12. What were they to be? 13. What did they leave? 14. Who were these four?

Forty-fourth Sunday.

_THE MINISTRY._

FIRST READING.

"He went about doing good."--_Acts 10:38_.

SIMON PETER had a house at Capernaum, which is one of the towns that stand upon the shore of the Lake of Galilee. There our Lord cured the mother of Peter's wife of a bad fever by His mighty power in one moment, and there He generally lived when He was in those parts; but He never stayed long there, for He went about doing good.

In every town or village that he came to, He used to go and teach in the synagogue. A synagogue was a place where the Jews who lived too far from Jerusalem to go to the Temple every Sabbath-day used to meet, and hear the Old Testament read and explained to them, and pray together.

Our Lord used to teach in the synagogues, and draw out all the meaning of the Law; and when He came out, all the sick people who were near, and all the blind and deaf and dumb people, were brought to Him, and He cured them all by only just touching them, or even only by bidding their disease to go away. For He was God as well as man, and could do all things. Or He would sit on the mountain side, and all the people would come round Him, and He would teach them.

There is one beautiful discourse of His, called the Sermon on the Mount, which I hope you will soon know well. And in it He taught his disciples the prayer we all say, and call the Lord's Prayer, and which we love the best of all prayers.

QUESTIONS.

1. In whose house did our blessed Lord Jesus live? 2. Where was Capernaum? 3. What had He done for Simon Peter's wife's mother? 4. Where did He teach? 5. What is a synagogue? 6. When did the Jews go there? 7. What did they do in the synagogue? 8. What did our Lord explain? 9. Whom did He cure? 10. Where did He sometimes teach? 11. What is one great discourse of His called? 12. What prayer did He give His disciples? 13. How does it begin? 14. When do we say it?

SECOND READING.

"I have compassion on the multitude."--_Matt. 15:32._

OUR Lord Jesus chose out twelve of His disciples to be always with Him, and to teach and work with Him. All the six you have heard of before were among them, and there was another called Matthew, who had been a rich man, but left all his riches to follow our Lord. These twelve were called apostles.

I told you that the Jews were in two parties, called Pharisees and Sadducees, and they used to quarrel and have many bad ways. When they found that Jesus blamed them, they were very angry; and when He was called the Holy One whom God promised, they said that the Christ would be a great king, and that He was only pretending. But all the poor heard Him gladly; and when He was driven out of the towns, they came after Him into the hills and open places, and went everywhere they could to hear Him.

One day, evening was coming on, and all these people had been with Him all day, and had nothing to eat. He said to Philip, "Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?" Philip came from a village just below, but he did not know what to do.

Andrew said there was a little boy there, who had brought five loaves and two small fishes; but what would they be among so many? Indeed, the loaves were not like ours--only thin barley cakes. But our Lord said, "Make the men sit down."

So they all sat on the grass; and He gave thanks, and began to give out to the apostles the bread and the fish, and they never came to an end, but there was enough for all the five thousand; and when they had all done, He told the apostles to gather up the remains, that nothing might be lost. And there was enough to fill twelve great baskets.

QUESTIONS.

1. How many disciples did our Lord choose? 2. What were they to be called? 3. What were the names of the first six? 4. Who was the rich man? 5. Who hated our Lord? 6. Why? 7. Why did they think He could not be Christ? 8. Where was He driven from? 9. Where did he go? 10. Who came after Him? 11. What was all He had to feed them with? 12. Who brought the five loaves and two fishes? 13. Where did they sit? 14. What did our Lord do first? 15. Who gave out the food? 16. How much was left? 17. How many had eaten?

THIRD READING.

"Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."--_Matt. 14:27._

THE people whom JESUS had fed wanted to make Him a king, but He would not be an earthly king; so He told the apostles to row away across the lake, while He went up alone into the hills to pray to His Father, where the people could not find Him.

It was a rough night. The wind came down from the hills, and tossed the lake up in great waves; and the apostles rowed with all their might, but they made little way. But when the night was far on, they saw a Figure coming to them, walking on the waves. They were frightened, and cried out. Then the Figure said, "It is I; be not afraid!" and they knew it was their Master, and were glad.

And Peter said, "Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water." So he came out of the boat, and as long as he trusted in His Master, he could walk; but when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid, and cried out, and then he began to sink.

He called out, and Jesus put forth His hand and held him up, saying, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" Then they were both taken into the boat, and the wind ceased, and the lake was calm and still.

QUESTIONS.

1. What did the people want to do? 2. Why did they want to make Jesus a king? 3. What did He do to get out of their way? 4. Where did He bid the disciples go? 5. What sort of night was it? 6. What happened to the apostles? 7. How did our Lord come to them? 8. What did they do when they saw Him first? 9. How did they know Him? 10. Who came out to Him on the water? 11. When was St. Peter safe? 12. When did he begin to sink? 13. What did our Lord say to him? 14. What happened as soon as they were in the boat?

Forty-fifth Sunday.

_WONDERS OF OUR LORD'S WORKING._

FIRST READING.

"Young man, I say unto thee arise."--_Luke 7:14._

NO one can think how good and kind our blessed Lord Jesus was. Once, when He was going with His disciples into a village called Nain, He met a funeral coming out. People are not carried to the grave in their coffins in the East; but they are laid on a sort of bed called a bier, with all their best clothes on, and a wreath of flowers round the head.

The person who was now to be buried was quite a young man, and he was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And when the Lord saw it, He had pity on the poor woman, and He said to her, "Weep not." Then He came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. Then He said, "Young man, I say unto thee, Arise." And he that was dead sat up and began to speak; and our Lord gave him back alive to his mother.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was our Lord always doing? 2. What village was He going into? 3. What did he meet? 4. Who was going to be buried? 5. Had his mother any more sons? 6. And what was she? 7. How are people carried to their graves in the East? 8. Who had pity on the mother? 9. What did He say to her? 10. What did He do? 11. What did he say to the dead man? 12. What did the dead man do at once? 13. To whom was he given back? 14. How came JESUS to be able to work such miracles? 15. Was not he most kind and loving so to do?

SECOND READING.

"His face did shine as the sun."--_Matt. 17:2._

ONLY once all the time He was in this world did our Lord Jesus let His apostles see any of His glory, and then it was only the three who believed in Him best, and whom He kept the most with Him.

One night, He took Peter and James and John out to a mountain with Him, as He was wont to do when He was going apart to pray. They went to sleep; but when they woke, they saw Him in bright light and glory. His face was shining like the sun, and His clothes were as white as the light; and there were two talking with Him, Moses and Elias. And they were talking of how He was come to die at Jerusalem.

The three were afraid, but they were happy too; and Peter said, "Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for Thee, one for Moses, and one for Elias;" for, indeed, he hardly knew what he was saying.

And even as He spoke, a bright cloud came and hid the wonderful sight from them, and then they found that no one was with them but their Master, Jesus, looking as usual; and He bade them tell no one about what they had seen, until the Son of man should be risen again from the dead.

They knew that their Lord was the Son of man; but they could not think what He could mean by rising again from the dead.

This wonderful showing forth of His glory is called the Transfiguration.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was the Transfiguration? 2. Who were allowed to see it? 3. Where did it happen? 4. What was our Lord's face like? 5. What were His clothes like? 6. Who came and talked to Him? 7. Who was Moses? 8. Who was Elias? 9. Do you remember what had become of Elias? 10. What were Moses and Elias talking about with Him? 11. What were the three apostles doing at first? 12. What did Peter say when he woke? 13. What happened then? 14. Who was left with them? 15. What did He forbid them to do? 16. When might they speak of it? 17. What could not they understand?

THIRD READING.

"Suffer the little children to come unto me."--_Mark 10:14._

AFTER His Transfiguration, our Lord Jesus often told His apostles that He was going to be taken by the chief priests at Jerusalem, and that He should be ill-used, and beaten, and spit upon, and put to death on a cross; and that the third day He should rise again. But they never could understand how this would be, for they had never heard of rising from the dead; and they were so sure that He was Christ, and that Christ would be a great King, that they never understood or believed that He was to die.

And sometimes they even disputed among themselves who would be first and greatest in His kingdom. When they did this our Lord called a little child, and took him, and set him in the midst, and said that the greatest in His kingdom would be the most like that little child; for only those who are ready to be last here can be high up there.

The Lord loved little children. Once, when the mothers were bringing their babies for Him to touch, the disciples wanted to keep them away; but He said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven."

And then He took the little ones up in His arms, and put His hands on them, and blessed them. And just so He embraces and blesses the little children we bring to Him in church, though we cannot see Him now; and He is always glad to hear them pray.

QUESTIONS.

1. What was the Transfiguration? 2. What did our Lord say would happen to them? 3. Why would not the disciples believe it? 4. What did they dispute about? 5. Whom did our Lord call? 6. What did He tell them? 7. What is the way to be high in the kingdom of heaven? 8. Who were brought to Him?

Forty-sixth Sunday.

_GOING UP TO JERUSALEM._

FIRST READING.

"Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David."--_Matt. 20:30._

FOR three years our blessed Lord went about doing good and teaching, generally in Galilee, in the towns or on the hills, where the people came out to hear Him; and at the feasts, when people ought to worship at Jerusalem, He used to go up and speak to them in the outer court of the Temple.

But there was a wicked high priest named Caiaphas, who had been set up by the Romans, and he and the Pharisees and Sadducees all hated JESUS, because He found fault with their evil ways, and they would not believe He was the Christ, but wanted to put Him to death.

So whenever He came to Jerusalem it was more dangerous; and then they stirred up the chief men of Galilee, so that He could not be in the town, but had to wander on the hills. Once, when a man wanted to follow Him, He said, "Foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head."

And at last, when His time was come, He set His face to go to Jerusalem to keep the Passover, though He knew that He would be taken and put to death there, and so be the real Passover. As He was going, two blind men, who sat by the roadside begging, called out, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David!" And He stood still and cured them both.

QUESTIONS.

1. How long did our blessed Lord teach? 2. Where did He teach? 3. When did He go to Jerusalem? 4. What did He go to Jerusalem for? 5. Where did He teach? 6. Who hated him? 7. Who was Caiaphas? 8. Why did they hate Him? 9. Where did they drive Him? 10. What did He say about having no home? 11. When did He set His face to go to Jerusalem? 12. What feast was He going to keep? 13. What did He know would happen to Him? 14. Whom did He cure as He was going? 15. What did the blind men cry out?

SECOND READING.

"Hosanna to the son of David."--_Matt. 21:9._

IT was only the great rich wicked men that hated our Lord. The common people heard Him gladly, and only wanted Him to begin to be king. And they really thought the time was come when He came up to Jerusalem. Just before He came in, He sent two of His disciples to fetch a young ass on which no one had ever sat, and on it He rode down Mount Olivet.

Now, there was an old prophecy which said to Jerusalem, "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass." People remembered this, and began to receive Him like a king; they spread their mantles on the ground before Him, and others cut down branches from the trees and strewed them in the way; and the people before and behind, especially the children, cried out with all their might, "Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. Hosanna means, "save now."

The Pharisees were very angry, and bade Him stop them; but He answered with the verse of a Psalm, "Yea, have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength?"

But as He looked at beautiful Jerusalem, He wept over the city, for He knew that sad and dreadful punishments were coming on it; and yet the people would not listen to Him, and be sorry, and so be saved.

QUESTIONS.

1. Who loved our Lord? 2. What did they want Him to do? 3. What made them think His reign was coming? 4. How did He come into Jerusalem? 5. What was the old prophecy? 6. What did the people do in His honor? 7. What did they cry? 8. What does "Hosanna" mean? 9. Who were angry? 10. What did He say? 11. But why was He grieving? 12. What made Him sorry for the city? 13. How were the people bringing sad punishment on themselves?

THIRD READING.

"My house shall be called the house of prayer."--_Matt. 21:13._

THE first thing our blessed Lord did at Jerusalem was to go into the Temple; and there, in the courts, He found people keeping shop, selling the lambs that were wanted for the Passover, and doves for other services, and changing the coin that strangers brought for Jewish money.

This was very disrespectful to God, and He was angry. He had driven them all out once, and they had come back, and now they were doing it again. So He drove them all out, and told them His Father's house was a house of prayer, but they had made it a den of thieves.

No one dared to answer Him, and all that day and the next He stood in the Temple, teaching the people, and showing the wickedness of the chief priests and Pharisees. It seemed as if all the people of Jerusalem were ready to follow Him, and as if He might begin His reign directly; but this was not what He came for, and, as He well knew, the Pharisees were planning against Him.

They wanted to get Him to say something that they could say was against the Law, so they asked Him many hard questions, but His great wisdom put them all to silence, and made them ashamed; but they were so hard and wicked that they only hated Him the more.

QUESTIONS.

1. Where did our Lord go? 2. What were the Jews doing there? 3. Why was this wrong? 4. What did He do to them? 5. Had He done this before? 6. What did He tell them? 7. Who was his Father? 8. What was His Father's house? 9. What are our houses of prayer? 10. How must we behave in them? 11. Who were planning against Him? 12. But who followed Him gladly? 13. What did they want Him to be?

Forty-seventh Sunday.

_THE EVENING OF THE BETRAYAL._

FIRST READING.