THE MINISTRY BEYOND GALILEE.

The Phoenician Retirement And The Gentile Cure.

And Jesus went out thence, and withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon.

And he entered into a house, and would have no man know it; and he could not be hid. But straightway a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race.

And she cried, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a demon."

But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, "Send her away, for she crieth after us."

But he answered and said, "I was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

But she came and worshipped him, saying, "Lord help me."

And he said unto her, "Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread and cast it to the dogs."

But she answered and saith unto him, "Yea, Lord; even the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs."

Then Jesus answered and said unto her, "O woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee as thou wilt. Go thy way; the demon is gone out of thy daughter."

And she went away unto her house, and found the child laid upon the bed, and the demon gone out.

Miracles And Multitudes Again.

And again he went out from the borders of Tyre, and came through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis.

And he went up into the mountain, and sat there. And there came unto him great multitudes, having with them the lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and they cast them down at his feet; and he healed them; insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.

And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to lay his hand upon him. And he took him aside from the multitude privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."

And his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain. And he charged them that they should tell no man; but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, "He hath done all things well; he maketh even the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."

The Four Thousand Fed.

In those days, when there was again a great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and if I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way; and some of them are come from far."

And his disciples answered him, "Whence shall one be able to fill these men with bread here in a desert place?"

And he asked them, "How many loaves have ye?"

And they said, "Seven."

And he commandeth the multitude to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he brake, and gave to his disciples, to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.

And they had a few small fishes: and having blessed them, he commanded to set these also before them. And they ate and were filled: and they took up, of broken pieces that remained over, seven baskets. And they were about four thousand men, besides women and children.

And he sent away the multitudes, and entered into the boat, and came into the borders of Magadan.

The Pharisees and Saduccees Demand a Sign.

And the Pharisees and Sadducees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, trying him.

But he answered and said unto them, "When it is evening, ye say, 'It will be fair weather,' for the heaven is red. And in the morning, 'It will be foul weather to-day,' for the heaven is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot discern the signs of the times."

And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith. "Why doth this generation seek a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation."

And he left them, and again entering into the boat departed to the other side.

And they forgot to take bread; and they had not in the boat with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod."

And they reasoned one with another, saying, "We have no bread."

And Jesus perceiving it saith unto them, "O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have no bread? Do ye not yet perceive, neither understand? have ye your heart hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces took ye up?"

They say unto him, "Twelve."

"And when the seven among the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces took ye up?"

And they say unto him, "Seven."

And he said unto them, "How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

Then understood they that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The Blind Man Healed.

And they come unto Bethsaida. And they bring to him a blind man, and beseech him to touch him. And he took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village; and when he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands upon him, he asked him, "Seest thou aught?"

And he looked up, and said, "I see men; for I behold them as trees, walking."

Then again he laid his hands upon his eyes; and he looked stedfastly, and was restored, and saw all things clearly. And he sent him away to his home, saying, "Do not even enter into the village."