The Story of Jesus The Christ. Helen Braun Hojt
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to the evil spirit, “ Be quiet, and come out
of him.» The man fell to the floor where he tossed about for a
few minutes. When he stood again he was like other people.
The evil spirit had gone forever. He was insane no more.
Every person in the synagogue was filled with wonder, and
one began asking another: “ What does this mean? Where does
this nian get his power? For he commands even the unclean
spirits and they obey him.» And in all the country round about
in Galilee people talked of what had happened here.
After the service was over Jesus and his four friends went to
Peter’s house, for they were all to take dinner there. Peter’s
wife’s mother lived with him, and when Jesus reached the house
he found her very sick with a fever. He went right into the
room where she lay. Her skin was dry and hot, and she was in
great pain. The Saviour stood over her, took her hand in his,
and lifted her up. At once the fever left her, and she was well;
so well that she was able to get up and wait on the visitors.
THE GREAT PHYSICIAN
The Jewish Sabbath ended at sunset on the day we call Sat¬
urday, and hardly had the sun gone down this Sabbath afternoon
when men and women came in crowds to Peter’s door. They
had heard of what Jesus had done that day, and every one had
brought with him some sick friend whom he wanted the Saviour
to help. All sorts of peo] 3le came; men and women, old and
young, those who had been sick a little while, and those who had
been sick so long that they never expected to be any better.
There were also many with evil spirits, like the one who had
cried out in the synagogue that morning.
46
A CHILD’S STORY OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST
Jesus was tired. Do you think he felt like seeing all these
needy people and doing something for every one of them? He
did not think of himself. He thought of their pain, and, laying
his hands on all the sick ones, he cured them and drove out all
the evil spirits.
Early the next morning, long before sunrise, he slipped quietly
away from the house and walked out into the country where he
could be alone with God
and pray. For Jesus, the
Son of God, felt that he
needed to ask his Father
for help and strength to
do his work. But he was
not alone long. Peter and
the other disciples came to
him, and said, “ The people
have come again this morn¬
ing for help and are look¬
ing for you.» Jesus an¬
swered: “ We must not stay
here any longer, for people
in other places need us.
Let us go to the next towns
that I ma}» preach there
also.»
By this time many of
the men and women who
Healing the Sick had followed the disciples
joined them and begged
Jesus not to leave Capernaum. But he could not do as they
wished. He said, u 1 must go and preach the Kingdom of God
to other cities, also, for that is my work.»
TIIE MINISTRY OF THE CHRIST
47
So lie left Capernaum and went through other towns of
Galilee, healing the sick and teaching in the synagogues.
While passing through one of these cities a man who was a
leper saw him and kneeled down before him. Now leprosy is
a very dreadful disease or
sickness that people in hot
countries sometimes have;
and one who takes the dis¬
ease almost never gets free
from it. He is called a
leper, and is not allowed
to touch anybody, for a
touch might give the dis¬
ease to the one who did not
have it. He must leave
his home and live with
other lepers, and if he sees
any one coming near him
he must call out so that
they will keep away. The
Jews always called out
«Unclean! Unclean!»
But this leper did not
cry “ Unclean.» He went
as near Jesus as he dared,
fell down before him and said, «Lord, if you are willing you can
make me well.» The Saviour felt sorry for the poor man; he
put out his hand and touched him and said, “ I am willing; you
shall be well.» As soon as he spoke the leprosy left the man;;
he was well.
Jesus said, “ Tell no man how you were cured, but go and
show yourself to the priest.»
The Great Physician
48
A CHILD’S STORY OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST
The leper must do that to obey the law of the country, which
was somewhat like this: If a man who thought he had leprosy
found that it was a mistake and he did not have the disease, or
if one who was a leper had been cured of his trouble, he must
first go to the priest and prove that he was free from the disease.
Then he must go through a form of cleansing, and the priest must
offer sacrifices for him. After all this had been done he was
called clean and allowed to live with his family again. The
lepers went to the priests to be sure that they did not have the
disease, because the priests were the ones who were taught to
know the disease whenever they saw it; and they were the ones
who had