Volume 2

236 Life of Jesus Christ
his scoffing attacks upon Jesus. "We will answer Thee!"
they cried. "Thou shalt go to the widow of Sarepta! Thou
shalt cleanse Naaman the Syrian! Art Thou Elias? And
art Thou going to drive up to Heaven? Well, we'll show
Thee a good starting place! Who art Thou? Why didst
Thou not bring Thy followers with Thee? Ah, Thou wast
afraid. Was it not here that Thou, like Thy poor
parents, gained Thy daily bread? And now that Thou
hast whereon to live, wilt Thou turn us to scorn! But we
will listen to Thee! Thou shalt speak in the open air
before all the people, and we will answer Thee!" and
thus shouting and raging they led Jesus up the mountain.
He, meanwhile, quietly went on teaching as usual,
answering their vain talk with passages fronl Holy Scripture
and significant words that sometimes put them to
shame, and at others threw them into greater rage.
The synagogue was in the western part of Nazareth. It
was already dark and two of the crowd bore torches. They
led Jesus around by the eastern side of the synagogue,
then turned into a broad street that ran westward out of
the city. Ascending the mountain, they reached a lofty
spur which on the northern side overlooked a marshy
pool, and on the south formed a rocky projection over a
steep precipice. It was from this point they were in the
habit of precipitating malefactors. Here they intended
once more to call Jesus to account, and then to hurl Him
down. The abyss ended in a narrow ravine. They were not
far from the scene of action when Jesus, who had been led
as a prisoner among them, stood still, while they continued
their way mocking and jeering. At that instant I saw two
tall figures of light near Jesus, who took a few steps back
through the hotly pursuing crowd, reached the city wall on
the mountain ridge of Nazareth, and followed it till He
came to the gate by which He had entered the evening
before. He went straight to the house of the Essenian. The
good people had not been anxious about His safety. They