finished these parables, he departed thence. 54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty 55 works? Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary ? and his brethren, 56 James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas ?* and

his sisters are they not all with us? whence 57 then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honor, save in 58 his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.†

These persons were not strictly speaking the brethren of Jesus, but his relatives: and such were generally called a man's brethren by the Jews. Some critics suppose, for Joses, we should read John or Joseph, which in the original are spelled very much alike.

+ But some are ready to assert that unbelief, being involuntary, deserves greater evidence for its conviction. Where unbelief is absolutely unavoidable, this may be the case. But not, where it is owing to a disposition hostile to truth and to unreasonable prejudices. It then does not deserve more proof, nor would it yield to an increase of evidence. With infidels generally in Christian countries, it is owing, not to want of evidence, that they refuse to acknowledge Jesus Christ as a divine Teacher; but for want of attention, or of good dispositions, and honesty to own what they believe at heart. Like the Jews of old, they ask for some new evidence when there is much already given, as remarkable as what they demand.

CHAP. XIV.

1 AT that time Herod the tetrarch heard of 2 the fame of Jesus, and said unto his servants,

3

This is John the Baptist
the dead, and therefore
manifested by him.*

he has risen from mighty works are

For Herod had taken John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his 4 brother Philip's wife. For John said unto

him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. 5 And when he would have put him to death,

he feared the multitude, because they esteem6 ed him as a prophet. But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced. 7before them and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath, to give her whatso8 ever she should ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John 9 Baptist's head in a charger. And the king was sorry; nevertheless, for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he comman10 ded it to be given her. And he sent and be11 headed John in the prison. And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel : 12 and she brought it to her mother. And his

* Then Herod believed it possible one might rise from the dead. It is indeed no uncommon thing for infidels to believe strange things, and even to be superstitious.

What dissoluteness of manners! What cruelty mingled with their pleasures!

Certainly it would be better to violate a rash and wicked oath than to do an action evidently cruel and vicious. But we should be careful how we make promises or vows.

13

disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place, apart; and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him 14 on foot out of the cities. And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

15

And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past, send the multitude away that they may go into the villages, and 16 buy themselves victuals. But Jesus said unto

them, They need not depart : give ye them 17 to eat. And they say unto him, We have 18 here but five loaves and two fishes. He said, 19 Bring them hither to me. And he command

ed the multitude to sit down on the grass, and he took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed,* and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the 20 disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat and were filled and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. 21 And they that had eaten were about five

thousand men, besides women and children. 22 And immediately Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the 23 multitudes away. And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain

* He blessed God or gave thanks.

apart to pray

and when the evening was

24 come, he was there alone. now in the midst of the sea, 25 for the mind was contrary

But the ship was tossed with waves: and in the fourth

watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, 26 walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit: and they cried 27 out for fear. But immediately Jesus spake

unto them, saying, Be of good cheer: It 28 is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him, and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me 29 come unto thee on the water. And he said,

Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to 30 Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous,

he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, 31 saying, Lord, save me.† And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, 32 wherefore didst thou doubt? And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.

34

And when they were gone over, they came 35 into the land of Gennesareth. And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and 36 brought unto him all that were diseased; and

* We often read of Christ's seeking retirement for the púrpose of prayer.

A most astonishing miracle. Well might they whe saw it, exelaim of a truth, thou art the son of God,

besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

1

CHAP. XV.

Then the scribes and Pharisees of Jerusalem 2 came to Jesus, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders ? for they wash not their hands when they eat 3 bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment 4 of God by your tradition ?t For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and thy mother: and, he that revileth father or mother, 5 let him die the death. But ye say, Whoso.. ever shall say to his father or his mother, Whatever I have which might be profitable to 6 thee is a gift devoted to God; and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your 7 tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah

* The disciples of Jesus disregarded merely the tradition or ceremony of the Jewish Rabbins: But these transgressed even the positive command of God.

↑ Our Lord seldom disputed with the Jews. He rather declined occasions for it. But sometimes, as in this case, he showed them the impropriety of their construction of the law, and in the presence of the people, pointed out the evil tendency of their traditions.

Corban signifies a gift devoted to religious use. And the Pharisees taught that a child, who should devote or pretend to devote its gains or property, should be free of all obligation to support its parents.