The Author of Life Everlasting

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The Author of Life Everlasting

Chapter 5

My Yoke is Pleasant and My Burden is Light

And when Yeshua had ended the instructions to his twelve disciples, he went from there, to teach and to proclaim in their cities. Now when John, in the house of prisoners, heard of the works of Yeshua, he sent by the hand of his disciples, and said to him, “Are you he that comes, or are we to expect another?” Yeshua answered, saying to them, “Go, tell John the things that you hear and see; the blind see, and the lame walk, and the leprous are cleansed, and the deaf hear, and the dead rise up, and the needy hear good tidings; and happy is he, who shall not be stumbled at me.” And when they were gone, Yeshua began to say to the crowds, concerning John, “What went you into the wilderness to see? A reed that waved in the wind? And if not; what went you out to see? A mam clothed in delicate robes? Lo, they that are clothed in delicate robes, are in the dwelling of kings; and if not; what went you out to see? A prophet? Yes, say I to you, and more than a prophet. Truly I say to you, among those born of women, there has not arisen a greater than John the Baptizer; yet the small one in the sovereignty of Yahweh, is greater than he; and from the days of John the Baptizer, until now, the sovereignty of Yahweh is assailed by force, and the violent seize it. For all the prophets and the law prophesied, until the time of John; and, if you are willing, receive you, that this is he who was to come. He that has ears to hear, let him hear! But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like to children, that sit in the marketplace and call to their associates, and say we have sung to you, and you did not dance; we have wailed to you, and you did not lament. For John came, not eating and not drinking; and they said, he has an unclean spirit. The son of man came, eating and drinking; and they say, behold, a gluttonous man, and a wine drinker, and a friend of tax collectors and sinners; but wisdom is justified by her words.” Then began Yeshua to reproach the cities, in which his many works of power were done, yet they repented not; and he said, “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the works of power done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, doubtless, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes; but I say to you, it will be comfortable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, rather than for you; and you, Capernaum which as been lifted up to heaven, shall be brought down to the grave. For if those works of power which were done in you, had been done in Sodom, it would have stood to this day; but I say to you, it will be comfortable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, rather than for you. I praise you, O my Father, Yahweh of heaven and earth, that you have hid these things from the wise and knowing, and have revealed them to little children. Yes, my Father; for so it seemed good before you. Everything is given up by my Father to me. Come unto me, all you wearied and heavily burdened, and I will ease you. Take my yoke upon you; and learn from me, that I am gentle and subdued in my heart; and you will find rest for your soul; for my yoke is pleasant, and my burden is light.”

At that time Yeshua, on the Sabbath, walked in the tillage grounds; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the ears and to eat; and when the Pharisee saw them, they said to Yeshua, “See, your disciples are doing that which it is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” But Yeshua said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and they that were with him? How he went to the House of Yahweh, and ate the bread of Yahweh’s table; which it was not lawful for him to eat, nor for them that were with him, but solely for the priests? Or have you not read in the law, how that in the temple the priests disregard the Sabbath, and are without fault? But I say to you, that a greater than the temple is here; and if you had known what that is, Yahweh desires goodness, and not sacrifice; you would not have criminated them who are without fault. For the son of man is the Anointed of Yahweh’s of the Sabbath.” And Yeshua went from there, and came to their synagogue; and a man was there, whose hand was withered; and they questioned Yeshua, and said, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” That they might defame him; and he said to them, “What man among you is there, who, if he have a sheep, and it fall into a pit on the day of the Sabbath, does not lay hold of it and lift it out? Now, how much better is a human being than a sheep! Wherefore, it is lawful to do what is good, on the Sabbath.” Then said Yeshua to the man, “Stretch forth you hand.” And he stretched out his hand; and it was restored, and like the other; and the Pharisees went out, and held a consultation against him, so as to do away with him; but Yeshua knew of it, and depart from there; and great crowds followed him; and he cured them all; and he charged them not to make him known. Then they brought to him a man possessed with an unclean spirit, that was dumb and blind; and Yeshua healed him, so that the dumb and blind man both talked and saw; and all the people were amazed, and said, “Is not this the son of David?” But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “This man does not cast out unclean spirits, except by Beelzebub, the price of unclean spirits.” And Yeshua knowing their thoughts, and said to them, “Every kingdom that is divided against itself, will become desolate; and every house or city which is divided against itself, will not stand. Now if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then does his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out unclean spirits, by whom do your sons cast them out? Wherefore, they will be your judges; but if I by the power of Yahweh cast out unclean spirits, the sovereignty of Yahweh has come near to you. Or how can one enter the house of a strong man, and plunder his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? And then he may plunder his house. He that is not with me, is against me; and he that gathers not with me actually scatters. Therefore, I say to you, that all sins and blasphemies shall be forgiven to men; but the blasphemy which is against power, yea, the powerful power of Yahweh, shall not be forgiven to men; and whoever shall speak a word against the son of man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the power, yea, the powerful power of Yahweh, it will not be forgiven him; not in this age, and not in the age to come. Either make the tree good, and its fruits good; or make the tree bad, and its fruits bad; for a tree is known by its fruits. Offspring of scorpions, how can you who are evil, speak good things? For out of the fullnesses of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of good treasures, brings forth good things, and a bad man out of bad treasures, brings forth bad things. For I say to you, that for every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified; and by your words you shall be condemned.” Then answered some of the Scribes and of the Pharisees, and said to him, “Teacher, we would like to see from you a sign.” But he replied, saying to him, “A wicked and adulterous generation demands a sign; but a sign will not be given to it, unless it be the sign of Jonah the prophet. For as Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights; so will the son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights. The people of Nineveh will stand up in the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and lo, a greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the South will stand up in the judgment against this generation, and will condemn it; for she came from the extremities of the earth, to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and lo, a greater than Solomon is here; and when an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it wanders in places where there is no water, and seeks comfort and finds it not. Then it said, I will return to my house, from which I came out; and it comes, and finds it vacated and swept clean, and set in order. So it goes, and takes with it seven other spirits, worse than itself, and they enter and dwell in it; and the end of that man is worse than his beginning. So will it be to this evil generation.” And while Yeshua was discoursing to the crowds, his mother and his brothers came, and stood without, and sought to speak with him; and a person said to him, “Lo, your mother and your brothers stand without, and seek to speak with you.” But he replied, saying to him that informed him, “Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?” And Yeshua stretch forth his hand towards his disciples, and said, “Behold my mother, and behold my brothers! For everyone that does the good pleasure of my Father who is in heaven, that person is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.”

And on that day, Yeshua went out of the house; and sat by the lake; and great crowds assembled around him; so that he embarked and seated himself in a boat, and all the crowd stood on the shore of the lake; and he discoursed with them much, by parables; and he said, “Behold, a sower went forth to sow; and as he sowed, some seed fell upon the side of a path; and a bird came and devoured it; and other seed fell upon a rock, so that it had not much soil; and it sprung up forthwith, because there was no depth of earth; but when the sun was up it wilted; and because it lacked root, it dried up; and other seed fell among thorns; and the thorns shot up and choked it; and other seed fell on good ground; and bore fruits, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold. He that has ears to hear, let him hear.” And his disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” And Yeshua answered, saying to them, “Because, to you it is given to know the mysteries of the sovereignty of Yahweh, but to them it is not given. For to him that has, shall be given; and he shall abound; but from him that has not, even what he has, shall be taken from him. For this cause I speak to them in parable, because they see, and do not see, and hear, and do not hear, nor understand. For the heart of this people has grown fat, and with their ears they have heard heavily, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and should hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should turn; and I should heal them; but happy are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For truly I say to you, that many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it; and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it; but hear you the parable of the seed. Everyone that hears the word of the sovereignty, and understands it not, the evil one comes and snatches away the seed sowed in his heart; this is what was sowed by the side of the path; and that which was sowed on the rock, is he that hears the word, and at once receives it with joy. Yet has he no root in him, but is of short duration, and when there is trouble or persecution on account of the word, he soon stumbles; and that which was sowed among thorns, is he that hears the word; and care for this world and the deceptiveness of riches, choke the word; and he is without fruits; but that which was sowed on good ground, is he that hears my word, and understands, and bears fruits, and yields, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.” Another parable he proposed to them and said, “The sovereignty of Yahweh is like to a man, who sowed good seed in his field; and while people were asleep, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away; and when the plant shot up and bore fruits, then appeared also the tares; and the servants of the householder came, and said to him, “Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? From whence are the tares in it? And he said to them, No, lest, while you gather out the tares, you also eradicate the wheat with them. Let them both grow together until the harvest; and at the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, gather out first the tares, and bind them in bundles to be burned; but the wheat, gather you into my granary.”

Another parable proposed Yeshua to them, and said, “The sovereignty of Yahweh is like to a kernel of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown, it is greater than all the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that a bird of the sky, may come and nestle in its branches.” Another parable spake Yeshua to them, “The sovereignty of Yahweh is like the leaven, which a woman took and buried in three measures of meal, until the whole fermented.” All these things Yeshua spoke to the crowd in parables; and without parables he did not speak with them. Then Yeshua sent away the crowds, and went into the house; and his disciples came to him, and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares and the field.” And he answered, saying to them, “He that sows the good seed, is the son of Yahweh; and the field is the world; and the good seed are the children of the sovereignty; but the tares are the children of wicked one. The enemy that sowed them, is Satan. The harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. The son of man will send forth Yahweh’s angels, and they will gather out of Yahweh’s sovereignty, all the stumbling blocks, and all the doers of evil; and will cast them into a furnace of fire. There will be wailing and the grinding of the teeth. Then will the righteous shine as the sun, in the sovereignty of their Father. He that has ears to hear, let him hear. Again, the sovereignty of Yahweh is like a treasure that is hid in a field; which when a man finds, he conceals it, and, from his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field. Again, the sovereignty of Yahweh is like a merchantman, who sought after rich pearls; and when he found one pearl of great price, he went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Again, the sovereignty of Yahweh is like a sweep net, which was cast into the lake, and collected fish of every kind; and when it was full, they drew it to the shores of the lake; and they sat down and culled over; and the good, they put into vessels, and the bad, they cast away. So will it be in the end of the world. The angels will go forth, and will sever the wicked from among the righteous; and will cast them into a furnace of fire. There will be wailing and the grinding of the teeth. Have you understood all these things?” They say to him, “Yes, teacher.” Yeshua said to them, “Therefore, every Scribe who is instructed for the sovereignty of Yahweh, is like a man who is master of a house, who brings forth from his treasures, things new and old.” And it was so, that when Yeshua had ended these parables, he departed thence, and he entered into his own city; and he taught them in their synagogues, in such manner, that they wondered, and said, “Where did he get this wisdom, and these works of power? Is not this man the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And all his sisters, are they not with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they were stumbled at him; but Yeshua said to them, “There is no prophet, who is little, except in his own city, and in his own house.” And Yeshua did not perform there many works of power, because of their unbelief.

And at that time, Herod the Tetrarch heard the fame of Yeshua, for his name had become known to him, and he was disturbed; because some, said, that John had arisen from the dead; and Herod said, “John the Baptizer has risen from the dead; and therefore it is, mighty deeds are done by him.” But others said, that Elijah has appeared; and others, that a prophet from among the ancient prophets, has arisen; but when Herod heard, he said to his servants, “This is John the Baptizer whose head I struck off; but who is this, of whom I hear these things? He is risen from the grave; therefore, works of power are wrought by him.” And he was desirous to see Yeshua; for this Herod had sent and seized John, and bound him and cast him into prison; as a result of Herodias, his brother Philips wife, whom he had taken. For John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to take your brother’s wife.” And he had wished to kill him; but he was afraid of the people, seeing that they regarded him as a prophet; and Herodias herself was an enemy to him, and wished to kill him, but was not able. For Herod was afraid of John, because he knew him to be a just and Holy man; and he observed him, and gave ear to him in many things, and did the things, and he heard him with satisfaction; and there was a noted day, Herod’s birthday festival, when Herod made a supper, in the house of his nativity, for his nobles, and chiliarchs, and the chiefs of Galilee; and the daughter of Herodias came in, and danced before the guests; and she pleased Herod, and those reclining with him; and the king said to the maid, “Ask of me what you please, and I will give it you.” And he swore by an oath to her, “Whatever you shall ask, I will give you, even to the half of my kingdom.” And she went out, and said to her mother, “What shall I ask of him?” She said to her, “The head of John the Baptizer.” And she soon entered with eagerness to the king, and she, as she had been instructed by her mother, and said, “I desire that you, this hour, give me here in a dish, the head of John the Baptizer.” And it pained the king greatly; nevertheless, as a result of the oath, and on account of the guests, he would not deny her, he commanded that it should be given her; and the king sent immediately an executioner, and command him to bring the head of John; and he went, and struck off the head of John in the prison; and the head was brought in a dish, and gave it to the maid; and the maid brought it to her mother; and his disciples heard of it; and they came and took up the corpse, and laid it in a sepulcher; and they went and informed Yeshua; and when the Apostles returned, assembled before Yeshua, and told him all they had done, and all they had taught.

And Yeshua, when he had heard about John, said to his Apostles, “Come, let us go into a desert by ourselves, and rest a little.” For there were many going and coming, and they had not opportunity even to eat bread; and they went by boat, to the desert part of Bethsaida by themselves; but many saw them, as they departed, and knew them; and when the crowds heard of it, and from all the cities, they ran thither by land before him; and when Yeshua disembarked, he saw great crowds; and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep having no shepherd, and he received them; and he began to teach them many things, respecting the sovereignty of Yahweh; and such as has need of healing, he healed; and Yeshua ascended a mountain, and there he seated himself with his disciples; and Yeshua raised his eyes, and saw a great crowd coming towards him; and he said to Philip, “Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” And this Yeshua said, to try him; for he knew what he was about to do. Philip said to him, “Two hundred denarii in bread, would not suffice them, that each might take but a little.” And when the day began to decline, his disciples came near, and said to him, “This is a desert place, and the time is advanced, send away the crowds, that they may go into the fields around us, and may go to the villages around us, and to the towns; to lodge in them, and to procure themselves food; for they have nothing to eat, for we are in a desert place.” But Yeshua said to them, “It is not necessary for them to go; give you them to eat.” And they say to him, “Shall we go, and buy bread of the value of two hundred denarii, and give them to eat?” And he said to them, “Go, see how many loaves you have here?” And when they had seen, one of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Cephas, said to him, “There is a lad here, who has with him five cakes of barley, and two fish; but what are these for all those people?” Yeshua said to them, “Bring them here to me.” And he bid them, make the people recline on the grass by companies, fifty persons in a company. Now there was much grass in that place; and the disciples did so, and made them all recline, by companies of a hundred, or of fifty; and Yeshua took the five cakes and two fish, and he look toward heaven, and blessed, and brake the bread, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and the disciples placed before the crowds; and they divided also the two fish among them all; as much as they desired; and when they were satisfied, Yeshua said to his disciples, “Gather up the fragments which remain, that nothing be lost.” And they collected and filled twelve baskets, with fragments of what remained to them, that had eaten of the five thousand, besides the women and children; and he immediately constrained his disciples to embark in a boat, and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowds; and those people, when they saw the miracle which Yeshua wrought, said, “Certainly, this is that prophet who was to come into Israel.” And Yeshua knowing that they were about to come and take him by force, and make him king; and when he had sent the crowds away, he ascended a mountain alone to pray; and when it was evening, his disciples went down to the lake, and sat in a boat, and were going over to Capernaum; and darkness came on, and Yeshua was there alone on the land, and he saw them straining themselves in rowing, tossed by the waves; for a violent wind was against them; and in the fourth watch of the night, Yeshua came to them walking on the water; and he was disposed to pass by them; and they had gone about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, when they saw Yeshua walking upon the lake, they supposed that the appearance was a spectre, as he drew near to the boat; and they cried out. For they all saw him, and were afraid; but Yeshua immediately spoke to them, and said to them, “Have courage; it is I, be not afraid.” Cephas replied, saying to him, “Teacher, if it be you, bid me to come to you on the water.” And Yeshua said to him, “Come.” And Cephas descended from the boat and walked upon the water to go to Yeshua; but when he saw the wind to be violent, he was afraid, and began to sink; and he raised his voice, and said, “Teacher, rescue me.” And immediately Yeshua reached forth his hand, and caught him, and said to him, “O, small in believing, why did you distrust!” And as they entered into the boat to them; and the wind ceased; and they were greatly amazed, and astonished among themselves. For they did not learn by the bread; because their heart was stupid; and they that were in the boat, came and did homage to Yeshua, and said, “Truly, you are the son of Yahweh!” And, they rowed on, and directly come to the land of Gennesaret; and when they went out of the boat, immediately the men of that place knew Yeshua; and they ran through all that region; and they sent to all the villages around them; and they began to bring forth them that were very sick, bearing them on quilts, to where they hear he was; and wherever he entered into villages or cities, the sick were laid in the streets; and they besought him, that they might touch but the extremity of his raiment; and all they that touched him, were healed.

And the next day, the crowd, who had remained on the other side of the lake, saw that there was no other boat there, except that in which the disciples embarked, and that Yeshua did not embark in that boat with his disciples; yet, that other boats had come from Tiberias, near to the place where they ate the bread, when Yeshua blessed it; and when the crowd saw, that Yeshua was not there, nor his disciples; they embarked in boats, and came to Capernaum, and sought for Yeshua; and when they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, “Our teacher, when came you here?” Yeshua replied, saying to them, “Truly I say to you, you seek me, not because you saw the miracles, but because you ate the bread and were satisfied. Labor not for the food that perishes, but for the food that abides unto life eternal, which the son of man will give to you; for this one has Yahweh the Father sealed. They said to him, “What shall we do in order to work, the works of Yahweh?” Yeshua replied, saying to them, “This is the work of Yahweh, that you believe on him, whom Yahweh has sent.” They say to him, “What sign do you, that we may see and believe in you? What work you? Our fathers ate the manna, in the wilderness; as it is written, “He opened the doors of heaven, and rained manna upon them for food.” Yeshua said to them, “Truly I say to you, Moses gave you not the bread from heaven; but my Father gives you the real bread. For the bread of Yahweh gives life to Israel.” They say to him, “Teacher, give us at all times this bread.” Yeshua said to them, “I am the bread of life; he that comes to me, shall not hunger; and he that believes in me, shall not thirst, forever; but I say to you, that you have seen me, and do not believe. All that my Father gave me, will come to me; and him, that comes to me, I will not cast out, for I came not to do my own pleasure, but the pleasure of him that sent me; and this is the pleasure of him that sent me, that whatever he has given me, I should lose nothing of it, but should raise it up, at the last day.” Then the Israelites murmured at him, because he said, “I am the bread given by Yahweh.” And they said, “Is not this Yeshua, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? And how does he say, I am the bread given by Yahweh?” Yeshua replied, saying to them, “Murmur not one with another. No man can come to me, unless the Father who sent me, shall draw him; and I will raise him up, at the last day. Truly I say to you, that, to him who believes in me, there is life eternal. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna, in the wilderness, and they died; but this is the bread Yahweh sent, that a man may eat of it, and not die, I am the bread of life; and if a man shall eat of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread which I shall give, is my body, which I give for the life of Israel.” Then the Israelites contended one with another, and said, “How can he give us his body to eat?” And Yeshua said to them, “Truly I say to you, that, unless you eat the body of the son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life within you; but he that eats of my body, and drinks of my blood, to him is life eternal; and I will raise him up, at the last day. For my body truly is food, and my blood truly is drink. He that eats my body, and drinks my blood, abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father has sent me, so he that shall eat me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread Yahweh sent; not as your fathers ate the manna, and died; whoever shall eat of this bread, will live forever.” These things Yeshua uttered in the synagogue, while teaching at Capernaum; and many of his disciples who heard him, said, “This is a hard speech, who can hear it?” And Yeshua knowing that his disciples murmured at this; and he said to them, “Does this stumble you? It is Yahweh that gives life; the body profits nothing. The words which I have used with you, they are Yahweh’s, and they are life; but there are some of you, that believe not. For this reason, I said to you, that no one can come to me, unless it be given to him by my Father.” As a result of this speech, many of his disciples turned back, and walked not with him; and Yeshua said to the twelve, “Are you also disposed to go away?” Simon Cephas relied, and said, “My teacher, to whom shall we go? The words of life eternal are with you; and we believe, and know that you are the Messiah, the son of the living Yahweh.” Yeshua said to them, “Have not I chosen you twelve? Yet one of you is a devil.”