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Sixty-sixth disciples

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GRM 208.5 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

All the apostles are sitting in the shade of a tree covered with large white flowers, the name of which I do not know. They are huge pendulous bell-shaped flowers, of a white enamel hue, which dangle at the least breath of wind, diffusing their fragrance at each undulation. I do not know the name of this tree. Its flowers remind me of a shrub that grows in Calabria, which the locals call «bottaro», but the trunk is quite different, as this is a tall tree, with a robust trunk, and not a shrub. Jesus calls them and they hasten towards Him.

«We found Joseph almost at once, he was coming back from a market. They will all be at Bethzur this evening. We gathered together, by shouting to one another, and we remained here in the cool shade» explains Peter.

GRM 208.6 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

… And they take to the road again about the ninth hour, when every tree casts a long shadow in this area, which is very well cultivated in every part. One has the impression of walking through a botanic garden because all kinds of trees are represented: forest trees, fruit and ornamental ones. There are people working the land everywhere but they show no interest in the group passing by. On the other hand, it is not the only one. Other groups of Israelites are on their way back from the Passover celebration. The road is quite good although it is cut along the mountains, and the continuously varying landscape relieves travellers of the monotony of the journey. Streams and torrents form liquid silver commas and write words which they then sing their many intersecting meanderings, which flow through forests or hide under caves from which they come out more beautiful. They seem to be playing with plants and stones like happy children.

Also Marjiam, who is cheerful once again, plays and tries to make music with his instrument to imitate birds. But the sounds he produces are not songs, but dissonant laments, which appear to be most unwelcome to the more difficult members of the group, that is to Bartholomew, because of his age, and to Judas of Kerioth, for many reasons. But no one complains openly and the boy whistles frisking about. Only twice he points at a village nestling in the forests and asks: «Is it mine?» and turns pale. But Simon, who keeps him close to himself, replies: «Your village is very far from here. Come, let us see if we can pick that beautiful flower and take it to Mary» and thus takes his mind off his worries.

GRM 208.7 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

The sun is beginning to set when Bethzur appears on its hill and almost at the same time, on the secondary road they have taken to go there, they see the flocks of the shepherds and the shepherds who run to meet them. When Elias sees that Mary also is there, he lifts his arms in a gesture of surprise and remains thus, not believing his own eyes.

«Peace to you, Elias. It is I. We promised you, but it was not possible to meet in Jerusalem… Never mind, We are meeting now» says Mary kindly.

«Oh! Mother, Mother!…» Elias does not know what to say, At last he finds words: «Well, I am celebrating Passover now. It is just the same, or better still.»

«Of course, Elias. We sold well. We can kill a little lamb. Oh! Please be the guests of our poor table» beg Levi and Joseph.

«We are tired this evening, Tomorrow. Listen. Do you know a certain Eliza, the wife of Abraham of Samuel?»

«Yes. She lives in her house at Bethzur. But Abraham is dead and his sons died last year. The first one died of a disease in a few hours, and no one knows of what he died. The other died of a slow death and nothing stopped his decline. We gave her the milk of a young goat, because the doctors said it was good for him. He drank a lot of it, as all the shepherds took it to her, because the poor mother had sent people to look for whoever had a young goat giving milk for the first time in the herd. But it was of no avail. When we came back to the plain the young man would not take any food. When we came back in Adar, he had been dead two months.»

«My poor friend! She was so fond of Me in the Temple… and she was somehow related to Me through our ancestors… She was good… She left to marry Abraham, to whom she had been promised since her childhood, two years before Me and I remember when she came to offer her first-born to the Lord. She sent for Me, not only for Me, but later she wanted Me to be alone with her for some time… And now she is alone… Oh! I must make haste to comfort her! You stay here. I will go with Elias and I will enter by Myself. Sorrow demands respect…»

«Not even I, Mother?»

«Of course, always. But the others… Not even you, My little one. It would be painful for you. Come, Jesus!»

«Wait for us on the village square. Look for a shelter for the night. Goodbye» orders Jesus.

GRM 208.8 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

And with only Elias for company, Jesus and Mary go as far as a large house, which is completely closed and silent. The shepherd knocks at the door with his stick. A maidservant looks out of a little window asking who it is. Mary moves forward saying: «Mary of Joachim and Her Son, from Nazareth. Tell your mistress.»

«It is useless. She does not want to see anybody. She is weeping her heart out.»

«Try.»

«No. I know how she drives me away if I try to take her mind off her worries. She does not want anyone, she will not see anyone or speak to anyone. She speaks only to the memory of her sons.»

«Go, woman. I order you to go. Say to her: “Little Mary of Nazareth is here, the one who was your daughter in the Temple…”. You will see that she will be wanting Me.»

The woman goes away shaking her head. Mary explains to Her Son and to the shepherd: «Eliza was much older than I was. She was waiting in the Temple for her fiance to come back from Egypt where he had gone on inheritance matters and so she remained there up to an unusual age. She is almost ten years older than I am. The teachers used to entrust the little girls to the guidance of adult pupils… and she was My companion-teacher. She was good and… Here is the woman.»

In fact the servant thoroughly amazed rushes to open the door wide: «Come in, come in!» she says. And then in a low voice: «May You be blessed for getting her out of that room.»

Elias takes his leave and Mary enters with Her Son.

GRM 208.11 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Night is falling, woman. I will join My apostles. I leave My Mother with you…»

«Oh! Will you please stay as well!… I am afraid that if You go away, my torture will begin again… The storm is just beginning to calm at the sound of Your words…»

«Do not be afraid! You have Mary with you. I will come again tomorrow. I have something to tell the shepherds. Can I tell them to approach your house?…»

«Oh! Yes. They used to come for my son last year too… Behind the house there is an orchard and a rustic yard. They can go there as they used to do then, to keep the flock together…»

«All right. I will come. Be good. Remember that Mary in the Temple was entrusted to You. I entrust Her to you as well tonight.»

GRM 209.1-2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

The news that Eliza has convinced herself that she should get rid of her tragic melancholy must have spread through the village, so much so that when Jesus, followed by His apostles and disciples goes towards the house, crossing the village, many people watch Him carefully. They also ask the various shepherds questions about Him, why He came, about those who are with Him, about the boy, the women, the medicine He gave Eliza to relieve her of the darkness of insanity so quickly as soon as He arrived, about what He is going to do or say… And who wishes to ask more questons, may do so…

The last question is: «Could we not come as well?» to which the shepherds reply: «That we do not know. You ought to ask the Master. Go and ask Him.»

«And if He should ill-treat us?»

«He does not ill-treat even sinners. Go. He will be pleased.»

209.2

A group of people, mainly elderly men and women, of the same age as Eliza, consult one another and then move forward approaching Jesus Who is speaking to Peter and Bartholomew, and rather hesitantly they call Him: «Master…»

«What do you want?» asks Bartholomew.

«To speak to the Master, to ask…»

«May peace come to you. What questions do you wish to ask Me?»

They take heart seeing Jesus smile and say: «We are all friends of Eliza, and of her house. We heard that she has been cured. We would like to see her and hear You. Can we come?»

«You can come certainly to hear Me. To see her, no, My dear friends. Mortify your friendship and your curiosity too. Because it is also curiosity. Have respect for a deep grief which is not to be disturbed.»

«But has she not recovered?»

«She is turning towards the Light. But when night comes to an end, is it suddenly midday? And when you light a fire, is the flame bright at once? The same applies to Eliza. And if a sudden gust of wind blows on the little starting flame, does it not put it out? Use discretion therefore. The woman is one big sore. Also friendship might irritate her because she needs rest, silence, and solitude, not tragic as yesterday’s, but a resigned solitude to find herself once again…»

«So, when shall we see her?»

«Sooner than you think. Because she is now on the path to health. But if you knew what it means to come out of that darkness! It is worse than death. And he who comes out of it, after all, is ashamed of having been there and that the world should know.»

«Are you a doctor?»

«I am the Master.»

They have reached the house. Jesus speaks to the shepherds: «Go into the yard. Those who wish to come with you, may do so. But no one must make any noise or go beyond the yard. And you watch as well» He says to the apostles, «that everybody complies. And you (He speaks to Salome and Mary of Alphaeus) watch that the boy does not make any noise. Goodbye.» And He knocks at the door while the others turn the corner along a narrow street and go where they were told.

GRM 209.4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

The women remain in the garden, but shortly afterwards, when Jesus’ voice greeting the people present is heard in the calm air, Eliza, as if she were attracted by an irresistible force, goes slowly up to a very tall hedge beyond which is the yard.

Jesus speaks first to the three shepherds. He is close to the hedge, and in front of Him there are the apostles and the citizens of Bethzur who followed Him. The Maries with the boy are sitting in a corner.

GRM 209.4-5 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

The women remain in the garden, but shortly afterwards, when Jesus’ voice greeting the people present is heard in the calm air, Eliza, as if she were attracted by an irresistible force, goes slowly up to a very tall hedge beyond which is the yard.

Jesus speaks first to the three shepherds. He is close to the hedge, and in front of Him there are the apostles and the citizens of Bethzur who followed Him. The Maries with the boy are sitting in a corner. Jesus says: «But are you bound by contract or can you free yourselves from your commitment any time?»

«Well, we are really free servants. But we do not think that it is right to leave him at once, now that the flocks demand so much attention and it is difficult to find shepherds.»

«No, it is not fair. But it is not necessary to do it at once. I am telling you in good time, so that you may provide in all fairness. I want you to be free. To join the disciples and help Me…»

«Oh! Master!… » The three men become ecstatic with joy. «But will we be able?» they ask.

«I have no doubt about it. So that is settled. As soon as you can do it, you will join Isaac.»

«Yes, Master.»

«You may go among the rest.

209.5 I will speak a few words to the people.»

And leaving the shepherds He addresses the crowd.

Detail

Isaac is not present, but he is named in Jesus' conversation with the shepherds.

GRM 209.5-7 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

«Peace be with you. Yesterday I heard two unfortunate people speak. One at the dawn of life; the other at its decline: two souls bewailing their distress. And I wept in My heart with them, seeing how much sorrow there is on the earth, and how only God can relieve it. God! The exact knowledge of God, of His great infinite bounty, of His constant presence, of His promises. I saw how one man can be tortured by another one and how death can drive him to desolation, on which Satan works to increase his grief and cause ruin. I then said to Myself: “The children of God must not suffer such tortures. Let us grant the knowledge of God to those who ignore it, let us give it once again to those who have forgotten it in the storm of sorrow”. But I also saw that I am no longer sufficient by Myself for the infinite needs of My brothers. And I have decided to call many, in greater and greater numbers, so that all those who need the comfort of the knowledge of God may have it.

These twelve apostles are the first. As My representatives they can lead to Me, and therefore to comfort, all those who are bent under too heavy a burden of sorrow. I solemnly tell you: Come to Me, all of you who are afflicted, disgusted, broken-hearted, tired, and I will share your grief with you and give you peace. Come, through My apostles, disciples and women disciples, who are increasing every day with new people full of goodwill. You will find comfort in your grief, company in your solitude, the love of your brothers to make you forget the hatred of the world, you will find, above all, the supreme comforter, the perfect companion, the love of God. You will no longer doubt anything. You will no longer say: “Everything has come to an end for me!”. But you will say: “Everything begins for me in a supernatural world, which abolishes distances and cancels separations”, so that orphans will be reunited with their parents who have risen to Abraham’s bosom, and fathers and mothers, wives and widows will find their lost children and husbands.

209.6

In this land of Judaea, still near Bethlehem of Naomi, I remind you that love relieves pain and gives joy. Consider, you who are weeping, Naomi’s[1] desolation when her house was left without men. Listen to the words of her down-hearted dismissal of Orpah and Ruth: “Go back, each of you, to her mother’s house. May the Lord be kind to you as you have been to those who have died and to me…”. Listen to her weary insistence. She who once had been the beautiful Naomi and now was the tragic Naomi, crushed by grief, did not hope for anything else in life. She only wished to go and die in the place where she had been happy in the days of her youth with the love of her husband and the kisses of her children. She said: “Go, go. It is useless to come with me… I am as good as dead… My life is no longer here, but there, in the next world, where they are. Do not sacrifice your lives any longer beside a dying thing. Because I really am ‘a thing’. I am indifferent to everything. God has taken everything away from me… I am bitter grief. And I would grieve you… and that would weigh sorely on my heart. And the Lord would ask me to account for that, He Who has already struck me so hard, because it would be selfishness to keep you, alive, near me, dead. Go to your mothers…”. But Ruth stayed to support the sorrowful old woman.

Ruth had understood that there are sorrows which are always greater than one’s own and that her grief of a young widow was lighter than the woman’s who had lost her husband and two sons; as the grief of an orphan boy, who is compelled to live begging, without caresses, without good advice, is by far greater than the deep sorrow of a mother bereft of her children; likewise the keen regret of him who, for a number of reasons, goes as far as to hate mankind and see in every man an enemy whom he must fear and against whom he must defend himself, is even greater than other sorrows, because it involves not only flesh, blood and mentality, but the soul with its supernatural duties and rights and drives it to perdition. How many childless mothers there are in the world for motherless children! How many childless widows there are who could be compassionate towards solitary old aged people! How many there are, who, having been deprived of every love so that they may devote themselves entirely to the unhappy, could fight hatred with their need to love and thus give love to unhappy Mankind, which suffers more and more because it hates more and more!

209.7

Sorrow is a cross, but it is also a wing. Mourning divests to reclothe. Rise, you who are weeping! Open your eyes, get rid of nightmares, of darkness, of selfishness! Look… The world is the barren land where one weeps and dies. And the world shouts: “help” through the mouths of orphans, of sick, lonely, doubtful people, through the mouths of those who are made prisoners of hatred by treason or cruelty. Go among those who are shouting. Forget yourselves among those who are forgotten! Recover your health among those who are sick! Be hopeful among those who are despairing! The world is open to those willing to serve God in their neighbour and to gain Heaven: to be united to God and to those whom we mourn. The gymnasium is here. The triumph there. Come. Imitate Ruth in all your sorrows. Say with her: “I will be with you until I die”. And even if those misfortunes, which consider themselves incurable, should reply to you: “Do not call me Naomi, call me Mara, for God has marred me bitterly” you must persist. And I solemnly tell you that those misfortunes one day, because of your persisting, will exclaim: “Blessed be the Lord Who relieved me of my bitterness, desolation and solitude, by means of a creature who knew how to make his sorrow bear good fruit. May God bless him because he is my saviour”.

Remember that Ruth’s kindness to Naomi gave the Messiah to the world, because the Messiah descends from David, as David descended from Jesse, Jesse from Obed, Obed from Boaz, Boaz from Salmon, Salmon from Nahshon, Nahshon from Amminadab, Amminadab from Ram, Ram from Hezron, Hezron from Perez, and they populated the fields of Bethlehem preparing the ancestors of the Lord. Every good deed is the origin of great things, which you do not even imagine. And the effort man makes against his own selfishness can cause such a wave of love, capable of rising higher and higher, supporting in its limpidity him who caused it, until it lifts him to the feet of the altar, to the heart of God.

May God grant you peace.»

And Jesus, without going back into the garden through the door built in the hedge, watches that no one goes near the hedge, from the other side of which comes a long weeping… Only when all the people of Bethzur have gone away, He departs with His apostles without disturbing those beneficial tears…

Detail

The heart of this preaching is condensed in the following note.

Annotation

Yesterday, I listened to two great unfortunates, one at the dawn of life, the other at its twilight: they are two souls made to weep by the weight of their misfortune. They are Marziam(EMV 208.1-4) and Elise(EMV 208.7-11). This speech is given for both of them.

Truly, I say to you, come to me, all you who are distressed and disgusted, all you who are faint-hearted and weary; I will share your pain and bring you peace. Cf. Matthew 11:28-29 below.

It is in this land of Judea, still close to Naomi's Bethlehem, that I remind you how love relieves pain and brings joy. Cf. the Book of Ruth, chapter 1, 1-22.

The Messiah is descended from David, who is descended from Jesse, himself descended from Jobed, and Jobed from Boaz and Ruth. Boaz from Salmon, Salmon from Naasson, Naasson from Aminadab, Aminadab from Aram, Aram from Esron, Esron from Phares. This is the genealogy of Jesus. Cf. Matthew 1, 1-16 and Luke 3, 23-38 below.

Gospel of Matthew 11, 28-29

Mt 11, 28-29 : Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will ease your burden. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is sweet and my burden light.

Book of Ruth 1, 1-22

Rt 1, 1-22 : In the days when the Judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem of Judah went with his wife and two sons to sojourn in the fields of Moab. The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahalon and Cheljon; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem of Judah. They went to the fields of Moab, and settled there.

When Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, she was left alone with her two sons. They took Moabite wives, one named Orpha and the other Ruth, and lived there for about ten years. Mahalon and Cheljon also both died, and the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. Then she and her daughters-in-law arose and left the fields of Moab, for she had heard in the countryside of Moab that Yahweh had visited his people and given them bread. So she went out from the place where she had settled, with her two daughters-in-law, and they set out to return to the land of Judah. Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law: "Go, return each to your mother's house. May Yahweh show kindness to you, as you did to those who died and to me! May Yahweh make you each find rest in the house of a husband!" And she kissed them. They raised their voices and wept, and said to her, "No; we will return with you to your people." Naomi said, "Return, my daughters; why should you come with me? Do I still have sons in my womb who can become your husbands? Go back, my daughters, go. I'm too old to remarry. And when I say: I have hope; when I would be this very night to a husband and would bear sons, would you wait for that until they were grown up? would you refrain for that from remarrying? No, my daughters. It is very bitter to me because of you, that Yahweh's hand has fallen upon me." And, raising their voices, they wept again. Then Orpha kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Naomi said to Ruth, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god; return with your sister-in-law." Ruth replied, "Don't press me to leave you by returning away from you. Where you go, I will go; where you dwell, I will dwell; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God; where you die, I will die and be buried there. May Yahweh deal with me in all his severity, if anything but death separates me from you!" Seeing that Ruth was determined to go with her, Naomi ceased her entreaties.

The two of them set off until they reached Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was moved by them, and the women said, "Is this Naomi? "20She said to them, "Don't call me Naomi; call me Marah, for the Almighty has filled me with bitterness I went away with full hands, and Yahweh is bringing me back empty-handed. Why would you call me Naomi, after Yahweh has testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?"

So Naomi returned, and with her her daughter-in-law, Ruth the Moabitess, who had arrived from the fields of Moab. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Gospel of Matthew 1, 1-16

Mt 1, 1-16 : Genealogy of Jesus Christ, son of David, son of Abraham. Abraham begat Isaac; Isaac begat Jacob; Jacob begat Judah and his brothers; Judah, of Thamar, begat Phares and Zara; Phares begat Esron; Esron begat Aram; Aram begat Aminadab; Aminadab begat Naasson; Naasson begat Salmon; Salmon, of Rahab, begat Boaz; Boaz, of Ruth, begat Obed; Obed begat Jesse; Jesse begat King David.

David begat Solomon, of her who was Uriah's wife; Solomon begat Rehoboam; Rehoboam begat Abias; Abias begat Asa; Asa begat Jehoshaphat; Jehoshaphat begat Jehoram; Jehoram begat Uzziah; 9Oziah begat Joathan; Joathan begat Ahaz; Ahaz begat Hezekiah; Hezekiah begat Manasseh; Manasseh begat Amon; Amon begat Josiah; Josiah begat Jechonias and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

And after the deportation to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; Salathiel begat Zorobabel; Zorobabel begat Abiud; Abiud begat Eliacim; Eliacim begat Azor; Azor begat Sadoc ; Sadoc begat Achim ; Achim begat Éliud ; Éliud begat Eléazar ; Eléazar begat Mathan ; Mathan begat Jacob ; And Jacob begat Joseph, the husband of Mary, from whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Gospel of Luke 3, 23-38

Lk 3:23-38: Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his ministry; He was the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janné, the son of Joseph, the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Hesli, the son of Naggé, the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semei, the son of Josech, the son of Judah, son of Joanan, son of Resa, son of Zorobabel, son of Salathiel, son of Neri, son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Her, son of Jesus, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonan, son of Eliakim, son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David, son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Booz, son of Salmon, son of Naasson, they of Aminadab, son of Aram, son of Esron, son of Phares, son of Judas, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Tare, son of Nachor, son of Sarug, son of Réü, son of Phaleg, son of Héber, son of Salé, son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Sem, son of Noah, son of Lamech, son of Mathusalé, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Malaléel, son of Cainan, son of Enos, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.

GRM 210.2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

««Of course! And He thus loses proselytes. Our stay at Jerusalem, what a disappointment it was! The more there is need for high-flown things, the more He crouches in the dark. I intended so much to see, to fight…»

«Excuse my question… But what did you want to see and with whom did you intend to fight?» asks Thomas.

«What? Who? But I wanted to see His miracles and then make head against those who say that He is a false prophet or possessed. Because that is what they say, see? They say that if Beelzebub does not support Him, He is a poor wretch. And since Beelzebub’s whimsical disposition is well known and we know that he delights in taking and leaving, as a leopard does with its prey, and that this mentality is justified by facts, I become impatient when I think that He does nothing. We are cutting a lovely figure! The apostles of a Master… Who does nothing but teach… that is undeniable, but nothing else.» Judas’ abrupt pause after the word «Master» makes the others think he was about to say something nasty.

The women are horrified and Mary of Alphaeus, being a relative of Jesus’, says frankly: «I am not surprised at that, but I am astonished that He puts up with you, boy!»

But Andrew, the ever meek Andrew, loses his temper and blushing, very much like his brother just this once, says furiously: «Go away! And you won’t cut any more bad figures because of the Master! And who asked you to come? He called us. Not you. You had to insist several times to be accepted. You imposed yourself. I do not know who keeps me from reporting everything to the others…»

«One can never talk to you. They are right when they say you are quarrelsome and ignorant people…»

«Well, to tell you the truth, neither do I understand how you can say that the Master made a mistake. Neither did I know of the whimsical disposition of the Demon. Poor thing! He must certainly be odd. Had he been intelligent he would not have rebelled against God. But I will take note of that» teases Thomas to avert the approaching storm.

«Don’t jest, because I am serious. Can you perhaps say that He attracted attention in Jerusalem? Also Lazarus said so…»

Thomas breaks into a hearty laugh. Then, still laughing, and his laughter has already disconcerted Judas, he says: «He has not done anything? Go and ask the lepers at Siloam and Hinnom. That is: You will not find anyone at Hinnom, because they were all cured. If you were not there, because you were in a hurry to go to… your friends, and consequently you do not know, that does not prevent the valleys of Jerusalem and many more places from resounding with the hosannas of the lepers cured» concludes Thomas seriously.

Detail

Judas criticizes the attitude of the Master, who remains in the shadows without performing any striking miracles. He mentions Lazarus, who made the same remark.

Keywords