The King Nobody Wanted

y. There was one of them, named Simon, who dec

ow Jesus where he was wrong. Or perhaps he was just curious. Jesus had become very well known, and many pe

asked Jesus to come and have

mon would never have dreamed of inviting her into his house, for everyone in town gave her a bad name. "She's not

Simon's home, for no one likes to be stared at coldly and be

the gift that Jewish people brought, when they want

ry. The tears rolled down her cheeks and dropped on Jesus' hot, dusty feet. Then she wiped his feet with

ry and disappointed with Jesus. The

were a prophet, we shouldn't be looking at a scene like this. He would know wha

was thinking. Still sitting there, while

e something t

Simon replied.

hundred dollars, the other owed him fifty. Neither of them had anything with which to pay him back, so the moneylender told them

answ

the man who ow

t, though that is what is done in friendly homes. But this woman has washed my feet with her own tears, and dried them with the hair of her head. You have scarcely been pol

s have been forgiven her. I have brought her to a new life, and she doesn't have to worry any more about the sins of the past.

y from Simon. He

is a great deal worse off than this poor, sinful woman. You have

Simon to think that out for himsel

ns are f

the room began to

ns again! What right has he

ion. He spoke once more

you," he said. "Everything i

ut the kind of friends that Jesus made. Some thought he must be bad himself because he had so much to do

in anyone else. Why, the people that the Pharisees despised were the very people who n

, to show the Pharisees what

y-nine, and go after the lost sheep until he found it? And when he did find it, he would pick it up and carry it joyfully home. Then

e light a candle and sweep the floor and look everywhere until she found it? Then she would

d over one sinful person who stops sinning than ov

t the point. So Jesus tried ag

, 'Father, give me my share of the property which is comi

y. After his money was gone, this young man had nothing left to live on. He went to work for a farmer, who sent him o

plenty to eat, while he was starving to death. He said: 'I will go back to my father, and tell him that I have sinned against

, 'I have sinned, and I am not worthy to be your son.' But his father called out to a servant: 'Bring the best clothes in the house, a

became very angry. He would not even go into the house. When his father came out to ask him to join the party, the older brother said: 'All these years I have stayed at home and he

ing I have is yours. It is right that we should celebrate, and be happy. For it is as if

e Jesus would find somebody who seemed to understand him and believe in

g out in the country, when this officer approached him. Although he was a Roman, and the captain of a company of Roman soldiers

d, my servant is lying at home,

once, "I will c

ficer shoo

vant. You see, I have an army under me. I say to a soldier, 'Come here,' and he comes. I tell my servant to do something, and he

rd these words. To those who

talk about the Kingdom of God you shouldn't think that God has no place in it for anyone except Jews. God is going to bring together people fr

d to the offi

have had faith in me, and I

that his servant had recovered from

day came, when Jesus found that his oldest friend had begun to lose faith

king who had died when Jesus was a baby. Herod married another man's wife,

nking that Jesus was the Messiah? Jesus did not seem to have done very much as yet. The Romans were st

hen two of his followers visited him in jail,

, "'Are you or are y

ling the sick. They drew him aside, a

come," they asked, "or mus

n who had said that he was not worthy to baptize Jesu

eople whom he had been healing,

too, how the lame are learning to walk, and how the lepers are being cured. Tell him that I am preaching to the poor. Tell him all about what I am doi

arty, and a pretty girl danced so well that the king offered to give her anything she asked. The girl went to her mother, to f

n the Baptist to be brou

, for he was half afraid of John. However, he had to keep his word. And so he sent servants to the prison,

t had happened, he f

some quiet place

and Herod might be planning to kill Jesus next. Some men, in

he sick and conquering evil, and neither Herod nor anybod

nderstood his message or knew who he was. A few believed in him, but others soon lost interest in

in one of his st

l on a rock, and this seed began to grow; but no sooner had it sprung up than it died, because it did not have deep roots. Some fell among thorn

meant. He said that the seed stood for the words that he spoke to them. Some people he

en it was hard to do what he told them they soon gave up trying. That was li

oney and pleasure than they cared about God

od and honest hearts, and they were faithful. That was when his preac

and never even know what they are looking at. They will listen to me, and never know what they are hearing.

to be good ground for t