on her face and a firm resolve in her heart, for the
Master had forgiven and blessed her.

But by this act Jesus brought upon His head the hatred of the Pharisee
and his friends. He had dared rebuke the host in his own palace, and
had moreover arrogated to Himself the sacred rite to pronounce
remission of sins, a right vested solely in the high-priest of the
Temple, upon the performance of certain ceremonies and sacrifices upon
the altar. He had flung defiance at vested ecclesiastical right and
functions, even in the house of one of the stanchest adherents of
formalism and authority--a Pharisee.

In this incident was shown not only the broadness of Jesus' views and
the universality of His love, as well as His courage in defying the
hated formalism, even in the palace of its stanchest advocates, but
also His attitude toward women. The Jews as a race held women in but
scant esteem. They were not deemed worthy to sit with the men in the
synagogue. It was deemed unworthy of a man to mention his female
relations in general company. They were regarded as inferior in every
way to men, and were treated as almost unclean in their most sacred
natural functions.

Toward fallen women especially Jesus was ever considerate. He saw
their temptation and the social cruelty of their position. He resented
"the double standard" of virtue which allowed a man to commit certain
offenses and still be respected, while the woman who committed the
same offense was damned socially, reviled and treated as a shameful
outcast. He was ever ready to voice a defense for women of this kind,
and seemed to be ever actuated by the sense of injustice in the
attitude of men toward them, which finally voiced itself on a notable
occasion when called upon to pass judgment upon the woman taken in
adultery: "Let him among ye who is without sin cast the first stone."
No wonder that the outcast woman kissed His feet and poured out the
precious ointment upon Him. He was the Friend to such as she.

THE SEVENTH LESSON.

THE BEGINNING OF THE END.

The ministry of Jesus went on in about the same channels. Wandering
here and there throughout the country, preaching and teaching in this
town and that village, gathering around Him new followers, Jesus
continued His work. He adapted Himself to His audience, giving to each
what it needed, and not making the mistake of speaking over the heads
of the people. He gave the general public the broad general teaching