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It was the Sabbath again and three Pharisees, Ezra, Nathan and
Obed, were in deep conversation. |
EZRA: | I'm worried about Jesus, this new teacher from Nazareth. |
NATHAN: | So am I, Ezra. Did you hear what he said in Chorazin the
other day? |
OBED: | Do you mean, Nathan, about how terrible it would be for
them in the day of judgment? |
EZRA: | He spoke that same judgment, Obed, on Bethsaida and Capernaum,
too! |
NATHAN: | Said that Tyre, Sidon and Sodom would have repented of
their sins if they had seen the miracles of our day! |
OBED: | By the way, have you heard that the other strange character,
John, is in prison? |
EZRA: | I guess you mean the baptiser, Obed. He was on about this
"repent of your sins" too, wasn't he? |
OBED: | I didn't like him! He seemed to think everyone - not just
Gentiles, but Jews too - not just the scum of our people, but
even the best Pharisees - everyone needed to repent! |
EZRA: | Well, Obed, I think Jesus is cut out of something of the
same mould! |
NATHAN: | Except he is different, Ezra! He seems to be teaching
a lot more - and healing. There's something about his personality
and presence! |
OBED: | Watch it, Nathan! You'll get caught if you're not careful. |
EZRA: | Fair enough. |
OBED: | For starters, I'm concerned about the way he hob-nobs with
tax-collectors and sinners. We've got to watch him on this one! |
EZRA: | Agreed, Obed. But today is the Sabbath, and he has me jittery
there too. |
NATHAN: | Hey! it looks as if he's going for a walk in the wheat-fields
with his disciples! |
EZRA: | Nathan, we'd better check they don't go any further than
a legal Sabbath day's journey! |
OBED: | And we'd better check, too, that his mixed-bag of followers
don't start "harvesting" - you know, picking the odd
head of wheat to chew! |
NATHAN: | I sometimes wonder who Jesus thinks he is. |
EZRA: | And I wonder myself just who he really is! |
OBED | Let's get going... |
| So off they went to "shadow" Jesus and his disciples.
We read in Matthew 12.1-14 what happened on that Sabbath
day's walk. |
Reader: | Matthew 12.1-14. |