67. Jesus heals the Daughter of a Syrophenician

woman.

a

Place.

of Tyre and Sidon.

AND from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and The borders Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, "Let the children first be filled: for it " is not meet to take the children's bread, and "to cast it unto the dogs." And she said Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, "O woman, "great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as "thou wilt." And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

* By a Greek is generally meant a Gentile or Heathen, held in abhorrence by the Jews. This miracle was admirably suited to cure them of that prejudice.

The children of Abraham, or the Jews, are the immediate

objects of my compassion.

t

I ask only a small share of the blessings you bestow on the Jews.

68. Jesus restores a person to hearing and speech.

Place.

The Mount, of Galilee.

near the Sea

a

AND again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis. And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue: and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, " Ephphatha," that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it; and were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

69. Jesus feeds more than four thousand with seven laques and a few small fishes.

Place.

In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Decapolis. Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, "I have compassion on the multi"tude, because they continue with me now " three days, and have nothing to eat: and I

• In pity to the infirmities and miseries of mankind.

" will not send them away fasting, lest they "faint in the way, for divers of them came from "far." And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude? and Jesus saith unto them, "How many loaves have ye ?"* And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes, and he commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. And they did all eat, and were filled; and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children. And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and Place. came into the coasts of Magdala and Magdala and

Dalmanutha.

Coasts of

Dalmanutha.

70. The Pharisees and Sadducees again ask a Sign from Heaven,

THE Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting, desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, "When it is evening, ye say, "It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. " And in the morning, It will be foul weather "to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye " hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the

▸ He asks this question not for his own information, but to impress on their minds the greatness of the miracle. From this place Mary, called Magdalene, derived her appellation.

"sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the "times; a wicked and adulterous generation " seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign " be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet "Jonas,"

71. The Disciples are cautioned against the leaven of the Pharisees, and Sadducees.

Place.

The western shore of the

lee.

And he left them, and departed. And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to Sea of Galitake bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. Then Jesus said unto them, "Take heed, and beware of "the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sad"ducees." And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, "Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? " perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have

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ye your heart yet hardened? having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and "do ye not remember? when I brake the five "loaves among five thousand, how many bas"kets full of fragments took ye up?" They say unto him, Twelve. "And when the seven

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among four thousand, how many baskets full " of fragments took ye up?" and they said, Seven. And he said unto them, "How is it "that ye do not understand, that I spake it " not to you concerning bread, that ye should

• So shall Christ be raised from the dead. 1 Jon. 17. ► Groundless traditions and false opinions.

1

"beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of "the Sadducees?" then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees,

72. Jesus restores a blind Man to sight near Bethsaida.

AND he cometh to Bethsaida; and Place. they bring a blind man unto him, Bethsaida. and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell "it to any in the town."

73. Peter repeats his confession that Jesus was the Christ.

Place. Borders of Cesarea

Philippi.

WHEN Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, "Whom do men say "that I the Son of man am?" and they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, "But

a

• One of the old prophets raised from the dead.