The Young Lawyer

And now behold a lawyer rose

With tempting question vain,

And said : “Master, what must I do

Eternal life to gain?”

 * * *

Jesus addressed His questioner

With manner frank and kind,

And by a parable He taught

His keen and doubting mind;

* * *

Told of the good Samaritan

Who succored a poor Jew;

Then, in conclusion, counseled him :

“Go thou and like wise do.”

They Brought Little Children to Him

One day the mother, who believed,

Their little children brought,

And from the Master’s gentle hand

A gracious blessing sought.

* * *

But the disciples, in their zeal,

Said: “Take these children home,

They’re in the way of older ones,

Who for some good have come.”

* * *

But Jesus loved the little lambs,

And much displeased was He,

Saying: “Suffer little children,

That they may come to me.

* * *

“For ’tis such innocents as these

That God’s high kingdom win;

And all must have as simple hearts

Who gain a place therein.”

 * * *

Then gently lifting in His arms,

And folding to His breast,

He put His hands upon their heads,

And every infant blest.

Parable of the Laborers

And Jesus taught them as they walked,

By pointed parable,

That all shall have equal right

Who serve the Master well.

* * *

He told them of a man who hired

Some laborers to work,

And promised each a penny, for

The day, from morn to dark.

* * *

Again at noon, and later still,

He others idle found,

And sent them into his vineyard

To work upon the ground.

* * *

And then again, and just before

The closing of the day,

He hired others who should get

A penny for their pay.

* * *

But when the eventide had come,

And the day’s work was done,

The men were called, that each might get

Whatever was his own.

 * * *

The last come were paid first, and each

A pleased expression wore.

But when the first were paid they thought

That they should get still more.

* * *

And when a penny each received,

They murmured at the pay,

Which was the same for one hour’s work

As for the long, warm day.

* * *

The good man answered one of them :

“Friend, I do thee no wrong;

A penny I agreed to give–

That doth to thee belong.

* * *

“Take that thine is and go thy way,

I will to this last one

Give just the same as unto thee–

Is it not all my own?

* * *

“So shall the last be as the first,

And first as last to view;

For many be the called of God,

And yet, the chosen, few.”

Blind Bartimeus

And now the Lord His way must take

Through ancient Jericho.

The people crowd around Him there,

And make His progress slow.

* * *

And Bartimeus, blind and poor,

Was sitting by the way;

Another beggar, sad and blind,

Sat by his side that day.

* * *

And when they heard the tramping

crowd,

And asked the reason why,

They learned that Christ of Nazareth

Was just then passing by.

* * *

Then each man cried aloud at once,

In tones of earnest plea :

“Jesus, Thou Son of David,

Have mercy upon me.”

* * *

And Jesus had compassion on

Their dark and helpless plight,

And gently touched their eyes and said :

“Your faith doth give you sight.”

* * *

Immediately their eyes were healed,

And both with joyful mind,

Followed the Master, praising God,

And all the people joined.

The Barren Fig-Tree

But now the eventide was come,

And Jesus turned away,

And with His twelve disciples went

And lodged in Bethany.

* * *

Next morning, as the Lord returned,

Quite early in the day,

He wanted bread, and looking saw

A fig-tree in the way.

* * *

Without delay He went to it,

To get some figs to eat;

But He found only leaves thereon,

Which are not good for meat.

* * *

And then the Master spoke to it–

Spoke to the useless tree–

And said : “Henceforth, forevermore

Let no fruit grow on thee.”

 * * *

Into the city then He went,

And in the temple taught,

And preached to all who thronged around

And His instructions sought.

* * *

But the chief priests and elders came,

And asked Him : “Who gave thee

Authority to do these things

That we both hear and see?”

 * * *

And Jesus answered : “I, also,

Will ask one thing of you,

Which, if you tell me, I will tell

Who prompts the things I do.

* * *

“The baptism of John, whence was it,

From heaven, or of men?”

This question, which He asked of them,

They could not answer then.

* * *

For thus they reasoned with themselves :

“If we shall say from heaven,

He will say : ‘Why not, then, to him

Was your attention given?’

* * *

“But yet, if we shall say of men,

The people’s wrath we fear;

For all hold John a prophet true,

And his name they revere.”

 * * *

And so they said: “We cannot tell.”

He answered : “Nor to thee

Tell I by what authority

I do the things you see.”

* * *

And then, as evening fell, the Lord

With His disciples went

Unto the mount of Olives, where

The night they often spent.

* * *

And in the morning they returned,

And lo! as they passed by,

They saw the fig-tree in the way,

All withered up and dry.

 * * *

And Peter then remembered well :

“Master, behold,” he said,

“The fruitless tree which Thou didst

curse

Is withered all and dead.”

* * *

And Jesus, answering, said to them:

“Verily, I say to you,

Have faith in God and doubt Him not,

And ye shall such things do.

* * *

“And who shall to this mountain say,

In firm, believing faith,

‘Be thou cast forth into the sea,’

It shall be as he saith.

* * *

“And whatsoever ye desire

And ask for when ye pray,

Believe that ye receive the gift;

It shall be yours straightway.

 * * *

“And when you pray forgive all those

Who have offended you,

That so your Heavenly Father may

Forgive the wrongs you do.”

The Law of Love

Now, “Master,” said a Pharisee,

Thus tempting Him again:

“Which commandment is the greatest

That the law doth contain?”

* * *

Jesus said: “Thou shalt love the Lord

Thy God with all thy heart,

And all thy soul and all thy mind-

This is the first great part.

* * *

“And the second is like to it:

Thou shalt thy neighbor love

In the same way thou lov’st thyself;

By deeds this new law prove.

* * *

“Upon these two commandments-

Within the spirit wrought-

Hang all the law that Moses wrote,

And all the prophets taught.”

The Hypocrites

Jesus spoke to the multitude,

That gathered at His feet :

“The scribes and Pharisees do sit

In Moses’ sacred seat.

 * * *

“Do, therefore, what they bid you do,

But follow not their way;

For they, themselves, keep not the law,

Nor do they what they say.

* * *

“For they bind heavy burdens

For other men to bear;

But will not give a helping hand

To ease another’s care.

* * *

“And love the upper rooms at feasts,

And greetings in the crowd;

And the chief seats in synagogues

And titles make them proud.

* * *

“But be not ye called ‘Rabbi,’ for

To Christ that name is given;

And call no man father on earth;

Your Father is in heaven.

* * *

“Nor be ye masters called, for One,

Even Christ, your Master is,

And he that would be greatest, let

The servant’s place be his.

 * * *

“And whoso shall exalt himself

Shall be low and abased,

And he that humbles himself shall

To lofty seat be raised.”

The Corn of Wheat

And while He taught the people all,

From highest to the least,

Some Greeks appeared, who had come up

To worship at the feast.

* * *

The same approached to Philip, who

Was of Bethsaida,

Saying : “Sir, we would the Master see,

And from Him knowledge draw.”

* * *

Phillip and Andrew went apart,

And they informed the Lord

That polished strangers, standing near,

Desired to hear His word.

* * *

“The hour–the long-approaching hour–

Is come,” the Lord replied,

“When I should close my earthly work,

And should be glorified.

* * *

“Verily, I say unto you,

Except a corn of wheat

Sink in the ground and die, it will

Alone produce no meat.

* * *

“But if it die, it brings forth fruit;

And he that life doth love

Shall lose it : he that hates it gains

Eternal life above.

  * * *

“If any man will serve me, then

Let him come after me;

And where I am, there, also, shall

My faithful servant be.

* * *

“Now is my soul in agony,

And what more shall I say?

Father, save me from this sad hour,

My human heart would pray,

* * *

“But for this cause–that I might die–

Unto this hour I came,

So in my heart I cry : “Father,

Glorify thine own name!”

* * *

Then came there a voice from heaven,

Saying, in clearest strain :

“I have glorified it, and I

Will glorify it again.”

* * *

The people standing by were sure

That thunder shook the air;

But others said : “Not so, it is

An angel’s voice we hear.”

 * * *

Jesus answered, and said : “This voice

Came not because of me,

But that ye all might understand

The power of Deity.

 * * *

“Now is the judgment of this world;

Its prince cast out shall be;

And I, if I be lifted up,

Will draw all men to me.”

The Upper Room

Now came the first day of the feast–

Day of unleavened bread–

When the Passover must be killed;

And the disciples said :

* * *

“Where wilt Thou, Lord, that we shall go

And preparation make

For Thee to eat the Passover,

And we, with Thee, partake?”

* * *

Peter and John He then sent forth,

Saying: “As ye walk the street,

A man, bearing a pitcher

Of water, ye shall meet.

 * * *

“Then follow him into the house,

And to the good man say :

The Master needs the guest-chamber

To keep the feast to-day.

* * *

“And a large, furnished, upper room

He unto you will show.”

Then the disciples went and found,

As the Lord said, ’twas so.

 * * *

Now, at the evening hour, the Lord

With His disciples came,

And sat down round the table where

Was served the paschal lamb.

 * * *

And He said unto them : “I have

Desired with every breath

To eat this Passover with you,

Before I suffer death.”

The Parable of The Vine

When it was time to go, He said:

“Arise, let us go hence,”

And they all stood and sung a hymn

Ere they departed thence.

* * *

Then out into the shadowed street,

After the close of day,

The Lord and His eleven friends

Walked slowly on their way;

* * *

On towards the mount of Olives, where

His custom was to go,

Along the well-known path which crossed

Where Kedron’s waters flow.

* * *

And still the Master, as His wont

When walking with His friends,

Continued teaching golden truth

The which to glory tends.

* * *

He likened Himself to a vine,

While they the branches were;

His Father was the husbandman,

Who of the plant had care;

* * *

And charged them that they must bear

fruit,

And never barren prove;

His Father should be glorified

Through faith that works by love.

* * *

And charged them to abide in Him,

And thus much fruit return;

And warned them ‘gainst the dreadful

fire,

Where barren branches burn.

* * *

He then unfolded to their view

The things that should be done,

When He, their Head, should go away,

And they be left alone;

* * *

And told them if they asked of God,

In His name, any thing,

Such prayer would quickly rise to heaven,

And joyful answer bring.

* * *

Again He spoke to them of love,

And of His blessed peace,

And said, as He had overcome,

So should their warfare cease.