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The Sixth Lesson: The Work of Organization.1005
cure. For some good reason He wished to escape the notoriety or fame that
the report of such a wonderful cure would be sure to excite.
But alas! this was asking too much of human nature, and the healed leper,
running with great leaps and bounds, began shouting and crying aloud the
glad tidings of his marvelous cure, that all men might know what a great
blessing had come to him. In spite of the injunction laid upon him, he began
to sing aloud the praises of the Master who had manifested such an unheardof
power over the foul disease that had held him in its grasp until a few
hours before. With wild gestures and gleaming eyes he told the story again
and again, and it was taken up and repeated from person to person, until
the whole town and countryside were familiar with the great news. Imagine
such an event occurring in a small country town in our own land today, and
you will realize what an excitement must have been occasioned in that home
place of the leper.
And then occurred that which Jesus had doubtless seen when He forbade
the leper to repeat the news of the cure. The whole region became excited
and immense crowds gathered around Him and His disciples, crying aloud
for new wonders and miracles. The curious sensation-seekers were there in
full force, crowding out those whom He wished to reach by His teachings.
And more than this, great numbers of sick and crippled people crowded
around Him crying for aid and cure. The scenes of Capernaum were
repeated. Even the lepers began flocking in, in defiance of law and custom,
and the authorities were beside themselves with anger and annoyance. Not
only the temporal authorities and the priests were arrayed against Him, as
of old, but now He managed to arouse the opposition of the physicians of
those days, who saw their practice ruined by this man whom they called a
charlatan and deceiver threatening and destroying the health of the people,
whose physical welfare was safe only in their (the physicians’) hands and
keeping.
And so Jesus was compelled to close His ministry at this place and move
on to another village.