CHAPTER XXIII.

THE PARABLE OF THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN-JESUS IS ENTERTAINED AT BETHANY-DIFFERENT CONDUCT OF MARTHA AND MARY-OUR LORD VISITS THE REGION OF THE JORDAN-A SEASON OF REPOSE-ILLNESS AND DEATH OF LAZARUS-MARTHA AND MARY SEND TO JESUS -HE RETURNS TO BETHANY-LAZARUS RAISED FROM THE DEAD-HOSTILITY OF THE JEWS.

Publican and Pharisee.

ESUS having thus taught the importance and use of urgent prayer, proceeded to show by another parable the spirit in which prayer should be offered. Two men went up to the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, the other a Publican. They both stood, no other posture being

allowed in public prayer, except to kings, who were not forbidden to sit. But the Pharisee stood wrapt in himself, and said, "God, I thank thee that I am not as other

MARTHA, MARY, AND LAZARUS.

men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers-or even as this Publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." This he said silently, or "within himself," since the rest of the congregation, who might have supposed that he was praying for the welfare of the people, would have been justly offended if they had known that he was only speaking evil of others. In his unuttered words he claimed a righteousness beyond the law, and rested with proud confidence upon it. The fasting twice in the week was not required by the law, but was observed by Pharisaic devotees; the tithe of all that he possessed was not exacted by the law, but was minutely and rigidly enforced by the Pharisees. In this confidence of a claim on heaven, the Pharisee had planted himself in the interior of the temple near the sanctuary; but the Publican humbly stood afar off in the outer borders of the temple court, "and would not so much as lift his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, 'God be merciful to me a sinner.' "I tell you (added Jesus) that this man went down to his house justified rather than the other."

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It was not on the road from Galilee to Jerusalem, as some suppose, that Jesus was hospitably entertained in the house of Martha. She lived at Bethany, quite in an opposite quarter; which shows that our Lord early visited the place after his arrival at Jerusalem; and perhaps lodged there, returning daily to the city, Bethany being only just on the other side of the Mount of Olives. Martha appears to have been a widow, with whom lived her sister Mary, and her brother Lazarus. With this family our Lord was very intimate, and Lazarus, in particular, was favoured with his friendship and love. They were all rejoiced to see him again: and Martha," on hospitable thoughts intent," busied herself in preparing for the entertainment of him and his disciples. This was her way of showing her regard for Christ;

but her sister Mary chose rather to remain near him, that she might not lose the opportunity of profiting by his heavenly instructions, and that the gracious words which fell from him might not be lost to her.

The task which Martha had imposed upon herself of providing for so large a party, suddenly arrived, was heavy, and its hurry and solicitude made her regard the course taken by her sister as idleness, and as neglect of a matter in which Christ and the friends he had brought with him were essentially concerned. Confident that Jesus must view it in the same light, and must fully appreciate her bustling care for his entertainment, she ventured to complain to him, "Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her, therefore, that

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THE DISCIPLES OF JOHN.

she help me." But how much was she astonished to hear him answer, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things; but one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen. that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." She could not but understand this pointed contrast of the many cares of this life, with that one matter of infinite concern to man-the salvation of his soul.

During the feast, Jesus held that discourse with the Jews in Solomon's Porch, wherein he declared that his works alone sufficiently proved him to be the Son of God, to all whose hearts were not hardened, as theirs were, in unbelief, John x. 22—39. He set this point so strongly before them, that they thought they had ground on which to proceed against him, and therefore sought to apprehend him; but he escaped their hands, and departed from Jerusalem.

When the feast was ended, our Lord left Jerusalem; but, instead of returning to Galilee, he went beyond the Jordan, to the place where John at first baptized, and remained there for some time. He was here in a neighbourhood the people of which had heard much of the Baptist's instructions, and had witnessed his course of proceeding; and the presence of Jesus reminded them, and many others who flocked to him, of the testimony which John himself, whose memory they venerated, had here borne to Christ. They considered that John had wrought no miracles, and yet many had been disposed to regard him as the Messiah; how much, then, were they bound to recognise the Messiah in Jesus, who had wrought so many miracles, and to whom John himself had borne his most distinct testimony. The people were thus predisposed to believe in him; and many, moved by the testimony of John and by his own discourses, did receive him as the expected Messiah. Among this well

disposed people, the Saviour of men spent some portion of the last four months of his life. It was one of those seasons of repose which we often note to occur in the history of men, before they come to the great and crowning struggle of their lives, and which even the Redeemer did not deem it unfit to enjoy before he entered upon the tremendous scenes of that "hour" which he had so often said was not yet come; but which he knew to be now nigh at hand.

Jesus was still at this place, when Martha and Mary, by whom he had lately been entertained at Bethany, sent to acquaint him with the alarming illness of their brother Lazarus, in the words, "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick." When Jesus heard this, he did not, as the sisters probably expected, hasten at once to the relief of his friend; but sent back the answer, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby." The Evangelist adds, "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus," as if designedly to point our attention to the seemingly unaccountable conduct of Jesus in remaining still for two days in the place without apparent notice of the tidings which had been brought to him. After that, Jesus made known to the disciples his intention to return into Judea. They, knowing how lately his life had been sought at Jerusalem, could not conceal the astonishment they felt at this intelligence. He then said, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go that I may awake him out of sleep." But perceiving that they understood him to speak literally of sleep, he said more plainly, "Lazarus is dead. And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless, let us go unto him." So convinced were the disciples that, from the exasperated feeling of the Jews, this journey would end in the death of their master, that they followed him as men prepared for that result, and ready to die with him.