better go and find him!"

"He left a couple hours ago with three others," said the innkeeper, in a
very matter-of-fact way. "He went up there." He waved toward the great
mountain. The people looked where he pointed.

"There he is!" cried a man in the crowd. Distant figures were moving
down the mountainside.

"Now we shall see if this Nazarene can do better than his followers,"
remarked the priest bitingly.

As Jesus approached, he took in the whole scene at a glance: the sick
boy, the despairing father, the sneering official, and the beaten
disciples.

"O sir, my son has a terrible sickness!" said the father. "He even falls
into the fire and hurts himself." He gave a pitiable little gesture
toward his son, stretched on the bench. "Your disciples could not help
him at all!"

Jesus turned to his disciples. They looked at him dully. Andrew stood a
distance away; his face clearly showed his humiliation.

Jesus' voice had in it more of weariness and sorrow than sharpness. "How
utterly faithless you are! You turn your backs on God himself! How long
must I teach you? How much longer must I endure your cold hearts?" He
turned to the man.

"How long has your son been like this?"

"From the time he was a little child," replied the father. "If you can
do anything at all, help us! Do have pity on us!"

"Why do you say, 'If you can'? Do you not believe that I can heal this
boy? Anything can be done for one who has real faith!" The disciples
knew that Jesus might as well have been speaking to them.

"O Master," the man cried passionately, "I really do believe! Help me to
be rid of my doubt and fear!"

Andrew realized that the man was like himself: torn between faith and
doubt. "Master, help me to believe too," murmured Andrew.

Jesus turned to the boy and spoke to him. He gave a loud cry and then
relaxed.

"He is dead!" the father exclaimed.

Jesus stooped and took the pale hand of the youth. Immediately he sat
up; then to the astonishment of everyone he stood.

Jesus did not wait for the father's thanks. He did not even glance at
the crowd, but turned to his disciples.

"You had no power because you had no faith," he said directly. "If you
truly believe in God, evil cannot stand against you. Without faith, you
are helpless. But even the tiniest bit of real trust is mighty enough to
change the whole world!"

[Illustration]

12. THE GREATEST AMONG US

The next morning the disciples could not help n