Volume 2

Trials qf the Disciples
179
nouncing the conling of Jesus, they often heard the
scornful words: ""What! Is He conling again! What does
He \vant? \\fhence comes He? Has He not been forbidden
to preach?" And they laughed at thenl, derided and insuIted
them. There were. indeed, a few that rejoiced to
hear of Jesus' cOIning, but they were very few. No one
ventured to attack Jesus I-lilTIself, but wherever He taught,
surrounded by I-lis disciples, or proceeded along the street
followed by them, the crowd shouted after them. They
stopped the disciples and plied them with impertinent
questions, pretending that they had nlisunderstood or only
half conlprehended His severe words, and denlanding an
explanation. Mean\vhile other cries resounded, cries of
joy at some cure just wrought by Jesus. This scandalized
the crowd and they fell back and left Him. And so He
continued till evening these rapid and fatiguing marches
without rest or refreshment.
I noticed how weak and hunlan the disciples still were
in the beginning. If during Jesus' instructions, they were
questioned as to His meaning, they shook their head as if
they had not understood what He really meant. Nor were
they satisfied with their condition. They thought to themselves:
""Now \ve have left all things, and what have we for
it but all this tumult and enlbarrassment? Of what kind of
a kingdoln is He always speaking? Will He really gain it?"
These were their thoughts. They kept them concealed in
their own breast, though often manifesting discouragement
in their countenance. John alone acted with the
simplicity of a child. He was perfectly obedient and free
from constraint. And yet the disciples had seen and were
still witnessing so many miracles!
It was indeed touching to think that Jesus knew all their
thoughts, and yet acted as if wholly ignorant of them. He
changed nothing in His manner, but calrrlly, sweetly, and
earnestly \vent on with His work.
Jesus journeyed far into the night of that day. When on