7E

7E

Standing apart from the people was a man said to have an unclean spirit, one who continually cried out in an unknown tongue. When Yeshua saw this man he was filled with compassion and drew near to him. The poor fellow said, "Have you come to destroy us?"

Briefly Yeshua was horrified to imagine the inner state of this man, that he would speak so. Yet in the midst of his suffering he had sufficient hope to seek out the baptism of Yohanan and he had the self-control  to stand  where he  did. Yeshua knew the human brain was  just an  organ, subject  to ailments  like any other. It was  fear  born  of ignorance  that  led  people  to believe the man's irrational shouts  were the mark of possession by devils. But Yeshua  saw  how  these  things  presented  an opportunity. He said, "Hold your  peace, and come out  of him!" Then he touched the man's bare skin with his  hands. The effect was so swift it  surprised even Yeshua. The fellow had sought baptism as a cure,  but now at  the touch of  Yeshua he  was no longer driven to make unfiltered shouts.

Yosy and  Shimon were  shocked. Onlookers said, "He  commands unclean spirits and they obey!"

The cured man fell to his knees before Yeshua, but he was bid to rise again, and  he was  led  to Yudah,  who had  been sent  by Yohanan to  watch over the three  sons of Yosef. Yeshua said to the man,  "If you know  you have  sinned, tell your  offenses to this disciple of Yohanan, and be baptized."

Then Shimon and Yosy pressed near  to ask their brother  how he was now able to cast out  devils. Yeshua said, "Only God has the power to do that, and whosoever  God chooses. I will  need your help. The harvest is bountiful, but the laborers are few."

Like the  man cured  by  Yeshua,  some  of the  crowd  suffered afflictions they  believed were  punishment  for  sin. But all Yohanan could  do, after  his  disciples  determined they  were contrite, was  baptize  them   and  give  assurance  they  were forgiven. He could not make them well. But now when these people came out of the Jordan River Yeshua laid his  hands on them and they were indeed healed just  as they hoped. Word spread. Soon Yohanan had people  taking numbers  to be  dunked, and  when he passed the plate around it overflowed with shekels.

Antipatros, the son of Herod the Great, had ambitions to be king of all Judea. But for now it seemed good to the emperor Augustus to call him tetrarch. Nevertheless Rome was pleased  with his administration of the lands  near Lake Kinneret  called Galilee and also Perea across the Jordan River.