Volume 2

272 Life of Jesus Christ
period instructed the poor, depraved inhabitants. Jesus
answered the question addressed to Him by a simple
"Yes!" and then His questioner went on to inquire why
lairus still remained in so disreputable a place.
Thereupon Jesus began to speak of fountains in the
desert, applying the similitude to the necessity of the weak
for a powerful leader. Jesus' hearers were full of confidence
and they questioned Him with simplicity. Then He
asked them: "What do ye know of Me? What evil do men
say of Me?" Some answered: "They complain that Thou
dost not discontinue Thy works on the Sabbath day and
that Thou healest the sick on that day." Then Jesus,
pointing to a little neighboring field near a pond, in which
shepherd boys were guarding tender lambs and other
young cattle, said: "See those young shepherd boys and
their tender lambs! If one of the little animals should fall
into the pond on the Sabbath and bleat for help, would
not all the others stand around the brink bleating
piteously also? Now, the poor little shepherds could not
help the lamb out. But supposing the son of the master of
the flocks were passing by-supposing he had been
charged to look after the lambs and see to their pasturewould
he not be touched with pity at the sound of the
poor little thing's bleating? Would he not hasten to draw it
out of the mire?" Here all raised their hands like children
at catechism, and cried out: "Yes, yes! He would!" Jesus
went on: "And if it were not a lamb, if it were the fallen
children of the Heavenly Father, if it were your own
brethren, yes, if it were yourselves! Should not the Son of
the Heavenly Father help you on the Sabbath?" All cried
out again: ""{es! Yes!" Then Jesus pointed to the men sick
of the gout standing afar off, and said: "Behold your sick
brethren! Shall I not help them if they implore My assistance
on the Sabbath day? Shall they not receive pardon
of their sins, if they bewail them on the Sabbath day? If
they confess them on the Sabbath and cry to their Father