The King of Stories -- Knights

Introductory note from Jason Pratt: see here for the previous entry; and see here for the first entry of the series. (It explains what I'm doing, and how, and contains the Johannine prologue.)


Knights

Now Jesus withdraws from there (i.e. from Judea) with His disciples, toward the Lake (of Galilee, says the Follower with the Disciple); and great crowds from the Galilee region followed with Him--also people from Judea and over beyond the Jordan, from Jerusalem, from Idumea, from the Decapolis, even from the district of Sidon and Tyre!

They all had heard of what He was doing, and came to Him; and He is healing them all.

And whenever the unclean spirits beheld Him (adds the Follower), they would fall down before Him and cry out saying, "You are the Son of God!"

But He strictly warns them, that they should not reveal Him--so that (adds the Disciple) the declaration through Isaiah the prophet might be filled:

Look here! My Boy Whom I have chosen!
My beloved, in Whom My soul delights!
Upon Him I shall put My Spirit,
and to all the nations shall He be bringing the judgment report!

He will not be fighting or quarreling,
nor will He merely be raising His voice in the marketplaces.

A battered reed He will not break off,
a smoldering wick He will not put out;

until He casts out judging for victory!

And on His name, the nations shall rely!


.......

As Jesus is passing from there (says the Disciple, referring to wherever Jesus had healed the daughter of Jairus--probably leaving Magdala on the way to Capernaum, the final part of any journey home from the south or west), two blind men are following Him, noisily calling: "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" [Note: a militant Messianic title.]

Now as He goes into (His) house, the blind men come to Him.

And Jesus is saying to them: "Are you believing that I can do this?"

"Yes, Sir," they are telling Him.

Then He touches their eyes, saying, "Let it be, according to your faith."

And their eyes were opened.

Yet Jesus growled to them saying, "Look! Let no one know!"

But they went out and spread the news like fire throughout the country.

And while they were departing, look!--someone is bringing in a mute demented man! Yet with the demon sent away, the man is speaking. [Plotnote: we'll soon be seeing this fellow again, however!]

But seeing the crowds gathering (again), Jesus went up into the hills.

It happened during this time (agrees the Scholar) that He went out into the hills to pray; and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.


.......

And it happened that while He was praying (during that night), His disciples came to Him as He sat in a certain place.

And as He finishes, a certain disciple says to Him, "Sir... teach us to pray; as John (the Baptist) also taught his disciples."

And He said to them: "Whenever you may be praying, say:

Father,
may Thy name be holy,
may Thy kingdom come.
Our bread, the on-existence, give us every day,
and send away our sins;
for we ourselves do also free
the debts of everyone who owes us:
bring us not into the trial!"


And He said to them:

"Which of you, having a friend, would go to him at midnight saying to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine has come to me from on the road, and I have nothing to feed him'?

"Now from inside, would he answer and say, ‘Do not weary me; my door is locked already, and my little children are in bed with me--I cannot rise to give you anything!’?

"I tell you, he may not get up and give you anything for friendship sake--but if you shamelessly pester him long enough, he will get up and give you as much as you need!

"Now I say to you: keep on asking--it shall be given to you; keep on seeking--and you shall find; keep on knocking--and for you it shall be opened!

"For everyone who asks, receives; and who is seeking, finds; and to the knocking one it shall be opened!

"Now, suppose the son of one of you should ask his father for a loaf; you wouldn't give him a stone, would you? or give a snake if he asked for fish? or give a scorpion if he asked for an egg!

"If you then, being inherently wicked, still know that you should give good gifts to your children--how much more the Father from the heavens will give what is good, the Holy Spirit, to whomever may be asking!"


.......

Now when day comes He shouts to His disciples, summoning the ones He wants; and they came to Him.

And He appoints twelve--whom He also names 'apostles' (adds the Follower); that they may be with Him, and so that He may send them on missions as heralds, and to have authority over demons.

Now the names of the twelve apostles are these:

First, Simon whom He also named Peter
and Andrew, his brother.

and James (or Jacob) the son of Zebedee
and John (or Joannes) the brother of James
to whom (the Follower adds) He gave the name Boanerges
which means "the sons of thunder"

and Philip,

and Nathanael the son of Talmai

and Matthew Levi, and James (his brother) the son of Alpheus, and Thomas (nicknamed the Twin, says the Evangelist)

and Simon the Zealot

and Judas Thaddeus son of James

and Judas Iscariot--who also became a traitor.


And when He came down from the mountain, He went to Capernaum, to go to His house.


.......

Now a certain centurion's slave, whom he regarded highly, was about to die of an illness. And hearing of Jesus, the centurion sends some Jewish elders to where He was, carrying Him a message.

As Jesus enters Capernaum, the elders find Him, speaking the message of the centurion (as if he was there), entreating Him: "Sir! My boy is thrown down paralyzed at home, tormented dreadfully! Would you bring him safely through?"

The elders added diligently, "He is worthy for you to give him this kindness, for he loves our nation; and he is the one who built our synagogue!"

Now He is saying to them, "I will come and cure him." And Jesus went with them.

But, when He was already not far from the house (possibly in Chorazin only a few miles up the road from Capernaum), the centurion sent some friends (bearing another message), strongly declaring to Him: "Sir!! Do not bother; I am not worthy enough for you to come under my roof! But only say the word, and my boy will be healed: for I am also a man set under authority, having soldiers under me as well, and when I say to this one 'Go' he goes!--and to another 'Come', and he is coming!--and to my slave 'Do this' and he is doing it!"

Now, hearing these things, Jesus marvels at him, and turning around to the following group, says: "Truly I tell you, not yet in Israel have I found so much faith! And I am saying to you, that many from east and west shall come and recline (at the table to eat) with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in the kingdom of God!--yet the heirs of the kingdom shall be cast into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be wailing, and gnashing of teeth."

And Jesus said to the centurion (through his friends whom he had sent), "Go! As you believe, let it happen for you!"

And the boy was healed that very hour--when those who had been sent (to speak for the centurion) returned to the house, they found the slave in whole good health.

Matthew 4:25
Matthew 5:1
Matthew 7:7-11
Matthew 8:1a
Matthew 8:5-13
Matthew 9:27-33a
Matthew 10:1-4
Matthew 12:15b-21
Mark 3:7b-8
Mark 3:11-19
Luke 6:12-16
Luke 7:2-10
Luke 11:1-13

[Next time: The King Declares the Kingdom (Part 1)]