Volume 2

234 Life of Jesus Christ
growing more and more excited against Him, for they
were mortified to have been thus convicted before all the
people.
But Jesus quietly continued His teaching, and went
when it suited Him out to the Essenian family. Here He
was visited by the sons of the rich man, the youths who
some time previously had so earnestly asked to be
received among the disciples, and whose parents were
aiming only at worldly renown and science for them.
They pressed Jesus to dine with them, but He declined.
Then they renewed their entreaties to be received among
His followers, saying that they had fulfilled all that He
had on a former occasion commanded them. Jesus replied:
"If ye have done that, there is no need of becoming
My pupils. You are yourselves masters," and with
these words He dismissed them.
Jesus ate and taught in the family circle of the Essenians,
who told Him in how many ways they were annoyed
by their neighbors. He counseled them to remove
to Capharnaum, where He Himself would dwell in the
future.
Meantime the Pharisees had consulted together, had
incited one another against Jesus, and had come to the
determination that, if He spoke so boldly again that evening,
they would show Him that He had no right to do so
in Nazareth, and would perpetrate upon Him what had
so long been desired in Jerusalem. Still they were not
without hope that He would yield to their wishes and,
through respect for them, work some miracle in their
presence. When He returned to the synagogue for the
close of the Sabbath, He found lying in front of it some
sick who had been brought there by order of the
Pharisees. But He passed through them without curing
any. He went on with His discourse in the synagogue,
speaking of the plenitude of time, of His own mission, of
the last chance of grace, of the depravity of the Pharisees