awe-struck crowd and left, followed by Symeon.

For a long time, Jesus sat silently before the people. By the time he
finally spoke, they were all wondering what he could say.

"The door of the Kingdom of Heaven is open to anyone who will put his
trust in God," said Jesus quietly. "The scribes and Pharisees claim that
they keep the Law of Moses. They say they speak with God's authority. Do
what they tell you if you want to--but do not act the way they do! They
have made so many rules for you that no one can obey them all! Do they
help you enter the Kingdom? No! They make life easy for themselves and
impossible for all others! They do all they can to attract attention.
Every day their tassels get longer! They sit in the most important
places at feasts! They love the front seats at the synagogue! How they
enjoy having people step out of their way and say, 'Good morning,
teacher'! Men who belong to God's Kingdom do not want to be called
Rabbi; they are all brothers and have only one Father, God in heaven."
He stood up. "Let us leave this place," he said.

Simon fell in step with Jesus as they turned toward Capernaum. The sun
was still as bright; the waves on the lake danced as merrily as before,
but the disciples took no joy in the beauty of the day.

"Master, those men are trying to set the people against us," said Simon,
deeply concerned.

"They can do nothing against God," replied Jesus.

"But they are deceiving many people," warned Simon.

"Anyone who will believe them is blind to my gospel," said Jesus sadly.
"Let them follow these blind leaders, if they insist--they will come to
the same bad end!"

It soon became plain that Simon was right: the scribe's attack on Jesus
was having a serious effect. The next day each of the twelve disciples
went to a different place in Capernaum to preach the news of the Kingdom
of God. At the end of the afternoon, Andrew stopped to visit a fisherman
whom he had known since childhood. "The men ought to be coming in from
the lake soon," observed the wife of Andrew's friend. The dogs outside
began to bark. "There they are now!"

"Andrew!" An older man entered. "I am glad to see you. What is this I
hear about you these days?" He sat down for a moment before washing.
"Have you been getting along all right since you left your fishing? What
is your Master doing? I hear some very bad rumors!"

Andrew was taken back. "Why, I don't know what you mean."

"Well, perhaps I should not