The Jews and the Lord
Jesus the Son of God, Himself God.
(The Gospel History, Section 79)
They answered and said unto him, Our father is Abraham. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the works of your father. They said unto him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I came forth and am come from God; for neither have I come of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. But because I say the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convicteth me of sin? If I say truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth the words of God: for this cause ye hear them not, because ye are not of God.
The Jews and the Lord
(The Saviour of the World, Vol V Book IV Poem XLIV)
The Jews. Abraham is our father!
The Lord. Abraham went
From Chaldee where he prospered, for he heard
The word of God which bade him. Lo, I come
To bid you forth from where men sit at ease
And take their wage of sin. Rise up, come forth;
Behave as Abraham’s seed, and quit the place
Where sinners be; so shall ye do, indeed,
The works of Abraham who knew to obey the word:
Do ye with ardent welcome treasure up
My words, God’s message to you? As a viper stings
The hand that feeds and cherishes, ye turn:
I offer words which shall manumit bond-slaves,—
And ye go about to kill Me. Whose are ye?
Whose seed is a murderous brood? Not Abraham’s, sure
Instant obeyed he the word. Your father’s hests,
As faithful, ye fulfil.
The Jews. Not born of adult’rous bed,
The Jewish nation; a higher lineage yet
Than descent from Abraham claim we; we are God’s;
Our Father’s He who Abraham called forth,
For He had a favour to us: one Father ours,
Even God Himself!
The Lord. Shall not a man then love
His father? Shall he not perceive, quick-eyed,
His father’s image, loving that he sees?
Were God your father, then would ye love Me;
His image and superscription would ye find
Writ in Mine aspect; in My words, His voice
Would ye discern with ready filial ear;
For He sent Me to you; I come not of Myself;
Out from the Father came I, begotten Son.
The Jews. What means this talk? We fail to understand!
The Lord. Aye, and why fail ye? Hath none ever tried
The effect of reasoned speech on stone-deaf ears?
The deaf man sees lips move, but hears no sound;
E’en so are ye, for one hath sealed your ears;
Your father the devil seals them lest ye hear
And be convert and live.
The Jews. Why molest us then?
Out of Thy mouth we judge Thee; the devil seals
The ears Thou wouldst address, so sayest Thou;
What help then? Where’s the good?
The Lord. It is your will
To do the lusts of your father—hate and lie
And kill Me for those words which should save; wherefore,
Ye cannot hear; a man is ruled by him
Whom he wills to serve: and service have ye ta’en
With him, the devil.
The Jews. What of him? We fain would know;
Welcome to duteous son his father’s praise,
And Thou say’st we are his children!
The Lord. Hear ye then;
In the son’s lineaments men the father trace:
A murderer from the beginning was your sire,—
And you, his seed, lie in secret wait to kill
A Man who has done nor spoken aught but good:
Are ye not then his children? A liar, he;
From the beginning, could not endure the truth,
Nor keep his place where truth is all in all,
And none conceives a lie; how could he bear
The bewildering light of truth? Who hears the truth,
Must have inherent fitness—truth in him,
To act, prehensile, on the truth he hears:
Thus furnished, are men born; who wills a lie,
Loses the truth that is in him: thus did he;
When he speaks a lie, he speaketh of his own;
And every lie men think is begotten of him,
For he is a liar and the father of lies.
The Jews. Aye, but what’s that to us? We’ve said no lie!
The Lord. No lie, and ye seek My life! Who proveth, then,
That in aught I have done amiss? Benighted souls,
Who will not bear the Light, perceive ye not
That a liar has no power to hear the truth,—
Incessant in your ears. Why not believe,
When I tell you all the truth? Ye are not of God,
Are no true sons of Him who is the Truth.
Ye have another father, him, to whom lies
Are as his meat and drink; he needs must lie;
And ye, take ye not after him?
St. John viii. 39-47.
Genesis xii. 1-4.
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