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36. Incidents on the
Journey to Bethany.
Once Jesus went back
to Jerusalem for a feast. The time was very near for him to be taken
from the earth. On this journey he wanted to stay in a Samaritan village.
But none of the inhabitants wanted to take him under their roof or
provide him with food because of the Samaritans' hatred of the Jews when
they saw that Jesus was going to Jerusalem for the feast.
This unkindness so grieved the disciples James and John and made them so
indignant that they said, ‘Lord, if you will, let us say that fire will
come down from heaven and consume them!’ This is how a poor man can
think and speak, who himself is in constant need of protection and
indulgence for his own weaknesses. But Jesus asked them: ‘Do you not
know what spirit you are children of?’ - Namely, the spirit of
gentleness, peace and love. - ‘The Son of Man,’ he said, ‘did not come
to destroy men, but to save them.’ Thus thought and spoke the Holy One,
who is from heaven.
When they came to another place on the same journey, he met ten
unfortunate people who were afflicted with leprosy, and one of them was
also a Samaritan. Now leprosy is one of the most painful and disgusting
diseases in those parts. Anyone afflicted with it was excluded from all
human society because of its disgustingness and danger. When these
unfortunates saw Jesus, they stopped from a distance and cried out to
him that he wanted to have mercy on them and cleanse them. Jesus said to
them: ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests!’ For if anyone thought he
was cured of leprosy, he had to be examined by the priest and declared
clean by him. Should a human priest judge whether a sick person whom
Jesus has made healthy and clean is clean? Jesus did not want to violate
the law and order. It is proper to fulfil all righteousness, even if it
would otherwise not be necessary. So when the ten went, they became
clean; so did the Samaritan who was among them. Jesus did not withdraw
the blessing of his miraculous power from him, even though his fellow
countrymen had not granted him shelter or refreshment. For the Son of
Man had not come to destroy men, but to save them.
One of them, when he saw that he was well, turned back and thanked
Jesus, praising God with a loud voice. It was the same Samaritan; the
others were Jews. Jesus said, "Have not ten of them been cleansed? Where
are the nine? Has no one else been found who would give glory to God but
this stranger? Go,‘ he said to him, ’your faith has helped you."
Not far from Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives was a place called Bethany.
There Jesus visited a friend named Lazarus and his sisters Martha and
Mary. All three siblings were delighted by this visit. Martha went out
of her way to entertain her honoured guest. Mary, however, sat at Jesus'
feet and listened to his words. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, do you not
ask that my sister should let me serve alone? Why don't you tell her to
attack it too?" Jesus answered her: "Martha, Martha, you have many
worries and troubles. Mary has chosen the good part." Whoever loves
Jesus dearly, whoever hears his words and lives and acts accordingly,
whoever makes this his greatest concern, has chosen the good part.
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