Volume 2

Jesus' E'nelnies 287
heard of the cure of cases like their own effected by
Jesus in the harvest field, had dragged themselves from
the country to the city in the hope of receiving a similar
favor. They had stationed themselves in a row outside the
synagogue, ready to cry to Jesus for help as He passed.
Jesus approached, and said to them in passing some
words of comfort. To their entreaties to help them, He
bade them have patience. Close behind Him followed the
Doctors of the Law, who were enraged that these
strangers had dared petition Jesus for a cure since up to
this time they had succeeded in restraining the sick of the
city from a similar proceeding. They roughly repulsed the
poor, miserable creatures, telling them under cloak of a
good intention that they must not excite trouble and disturbance
in the city; that they must take themselves off
right away, for Jesus had important questions to treat
with themselves; there was now no time for Him to busy
Himself with them. And as the poor men could not retire
quickly enough to suit their wishes, they had them
removed by force.
In the synagogue Jesus taught chiefly of the Sabbath
and its sanctification. The Commandment to that effect
was contained in the passage from Isaias read on that
day. After teaching some time, He pointed to the deep
moats around the city near which their asses were grazing,
and asked: "If one of those asses should fall into a
moat on the Sabbath day, would ye venture to draw it
out on the Sabbath day in order to save its life?" They
were silent. "Supposing it was a human being that fell in,
would ye venture to help him out?" Still they were silent.
"Would ye allow salvation of body and soul to be meted
out to yourselves on the Sabbath day? Would ye permit a
work of mercy to be performed on the Sabbath day?"
Again they were silent. Then said Jesus: "Since ye are
silent, I must take it for granted that ye have nothing to
oppose to My doctrine. Where are those poor men who