Such is the story of the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. From this simple allegory we may see more clearly how eagerly Christ desired to save the lost sheep of Israel. CHAPTER XLVIII THE TEN LEPERS. THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. THE PERSEVERING PRAYER OF THE WIDOW. THE HUMBLE PRAYER OF THE PUBLICAN. THE FEAST OF THE DEDICATION AT JERUSALEM Luke xvii. 11-18; John x. 22-42 1. JESUS CURES THE TEN LEPERS "AND it came to pass as Jesus was going to Jerusalem, He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered into a certain town there met Him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off, and lifted up their voices. saying: Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. Whom when He saw He said: Go, show yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean. And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God. And he fell on his face before the feet of Jesus, giving thanks: and this was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering, said: Were not ten made clean? and where are the nine? There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger. And He said to him: Arise, go thy way: for thy faith hath made thee whole." 2. HE ALLUDES TO HIS COMING TO JUDGE US "And being asked by the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said: The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say: Behold here, or behold there. For lo, the kingdom of God is within you. And He said to His disciples: The days will come when you shall desire to see one day of the Son of man, and you shall not see it. And they will say to you: See here, and see there. Go ye not after, nor follow them; for as the lightning that lighteneth from under heaven, shineth unto the parts that are under heaven, so shall the Son of man be in His day. But first He must suffer many things, and be rejected by this generation." By this very repudiation and crucifixion of the Messias, Israel had filled the measure of its iniquity, and become ripe for those terrors of God's judgment which were soon to fall upon the blood-stained heads of a deicide nation, in the destruction of Jerusalem. This first judgment is a figure of the second or last general judgment. For whilst the Saviour speaks of one, He points plainly to the other. Both will be preceded by terrible signs and warnings, and yet men will be so wilfully blind that they will be surprised and overtaken in their sins. "And as it came to pass, in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat and drink, they married wives and were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they did eat and drink; they bought and sold; they planted and built; and in the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man shall be revealed. In that hour he that shall be on the house-top, and his goods in the house, let him not go down to take them away: and he that shall be in the field, in like manner let him not return back. Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever shall seek to save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose it, shall preserve it. I say to you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed: the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together: the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two men shall be in the field: the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. They answering, say to Him: Where, Lord? Who said to them: Wheresoever the body shall be, thither will the eagles also be gathered together. Gladly would the Jews have known when and where these threatened judgments would take place. The reply of Jesus is not indeed as clear and definite as the Jews would have wished, but still it is precise enough and very significant. The body is Jerusalem, or rather its inhabitants, who, in repudiating the Messias, have committed suicide. Its use in the history of man is no longer needed, and it becomes a mere carcass around which the Roman eagles, under the command of Titus, will gather. So the world on the last day will resemble a corpse upon which Christ and His angels will sit in solemn inquest. 3. PARABLE OF THE UNJUST JUDGE. EFFICACY OF PRAYER "And Jesus spoke also a parable to them, that we ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying: There was a certain judge in a certain city, who feared not God, nor regarded man. And there was a certain widow in that city, and she came to him, saying: Avenge me of my adversary. And he would not for a long time. But afterward he said within himself: Although I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this woman is troublesome to me, I will avenge her, lest continually coming she at last weary me. And the Lord said: Hear what the unjust judge saith. And will not God revenge His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He have patience in their regard? I say to you that He will quickly revenge them. But yet the Son of man, when He cometh, shall He find, think you, faith on earth?" 4. PRAYER OF THE PHARISEE AND THE PUBLICAN. HUMBLE PRAYER "And to some who trusted in themselves as just, and despised others, He spoke also this parable: Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give Thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican: I fast twice in a week; I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes toward heaven: but struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner. I say to you this man went down into his house justified rather than the other, because every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted." 5. JESUS ASSERTS HIS ONENESS WITH THE FATHER. THE JEWS ATTEMPT TO STONE HIM "And it was the feast of the Dedication of the temple at Jerusalem; and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the |