Part 17 (1/2)

The king for whon

In the evening, Jesus and the disciples returned to Bethany to sleep

[Illustration]

The next day Jesus returned to Jerusaleain went to the Temple

This time he carried a whip

In the Court of the Gentiles theas it had done when Jesus was a boy At tables sat thethe money of visitors for coins used in Jerusale doves for sacrifice The poor had to pay heavily to worshi+p God in his own house

Jesus strode down the room with the whip in his hand, and upset the tables where the money was When the men jumped up from their chairs, he drove them out of the Temple Then he drove the sheep and the cattle out after the men

”It is written in the Scriptures: God's house shall be a house of prayer But you have made it into a den of thieves and robbers!” he cried

This was too much for the priests of the temple, and all the important men who ruled Jerusalem The next day soht have you to do these things? Who told you that you could act like this?”

So far, Jesus had never said that he was the Messiah He had only acted as if he was the Messiah The rulers hoped that he would say so they could punish him for But Jesus was too quick for them

He said:

”I'll answer your question if you answer a question of mine When John the Baptist used to preach to you and baptize people, who gave hiht to do that?”

Then the rulers did not knohat to say They thought to themselves:

_Noe say that John was sent by God to preach, he will say, ”Why didn't you listen to hiht to preach, the people will be angry and will likely kill us; for everyone still thinks that John the Baptist was a great prophet sent by God himself_

So all they said was, ”We don't knoe can't tell”

”Very well,” Jesus retorted, ”neither as!”

Every day that week, Jesus caht in the Te soainst him, but Jesus always had an anshich silenced them Once they came and asked, ”Should we pay taxes to the Romans?”

That was a hard question All the Jews hated the Romans, and if Jesus said that it was their duty to pay the taxes, everybody would hate him too But if he said they should not pay the taxes--well, they could count on the Roovernor to settle with Jesus then

”Show me a penny,” Jesus replied

[Illustration]

Someone handed him a piece of Roman money There was a man's picture stamped on one side of it Jesus said, ”Whose picture is that?”

”Why,” they answered, ”that is a picture of Caesar, the eht,” said Jesus, ”do whatever your duty is to Caesar and his government You will have to decide about that for yourselves And also do your duty to God!”

It was such a clever answer that no one had a word to say And Jesus still had not said anything that he could be punished for