rose and helped to prepare food for Him.

The people did not dare to come to Jesus for healing while it was yet
the Sabbath, for the Rabbis said it was wrong to cure people on the
Sabbath day, but as soon as the sun had set the Sabbath ended, and then
the streets were filled with people who came for themselves, or
bringing their sick friends to be touched by the hand of Jesus. All
around the little house of Peter they crowded, while He walked among
them looking at them with pitying love, and "He laid his hands on every
one of them, and healed them."

CHAPTER XVI.

FOLLOWING JESUS.

The next morning Jesus went out among the hills alone. All day He was
pressed upon by the poor, the sick, the blind, and the lame, or those
who were hungry for the word, and so at night or early morning He went
out to be alone, to think of the great work he had come to do, and to
pray or talk to the Father, for Jesus and the Father were one. But the
people followed Him, and begged him not to leave them.

"I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also," He said, "for
therefore am I sent." And He took his disciples and started on a
journey from village to village through Galilee. There were about two
hundred of these towns, and they were near together. It was the
springtime, and the fields and hills between the villages were
beautiful with flowers and growing grain. Sometimes He taught in their
churches, and sometimes under their trees or trellises, and wherever He
went the common people heard him gladly.

Once as He drew near a town a leper followed Him. He followed Him into
the town, which was against the law, for the leper was not allowed to
live inside a town, or to come near the people, as the touch of a leper
would give the disease to another. But so earnest was he to see Jesus
that he came through the crowd and fell on his face before Jesus,
saying,

"Lord if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean."

Jesus put forth His hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be thou
clean."

Suddenly the leprosy left the man, and his dead and filthy skin became
as healthy as a child's, and Jesus sent him to the priest to offer that
which the law commanded for the cleansing of lepers. It was a long,
and often costly process that a leper must pass through to be cleansed
from his disease, but the word of Jesus was with power, and brought
divine life to take the place of death, for leprosy was a slow death.

[Illustration: J