ks of eternal life?"

"But He says Himself that they will slay Him."

"That they wish to slay Him He means. Just wait till He once shows
them His power!"

So they often talked together, half in pleasantry, half in simplicity,
but always behind the Master's back.

A change had come over Jesus since the events on the high mountain. It
was as if He had now become quite clear about His divine call, as if He
had only now fully realised that He was God's messenger, the Son of the
Heavenly Father, summoned from eternity to go down to earth to awake
men and save them for a life of bliss with God. He felt that the power
of God had been given Him to judge souls. The devils fled before Him,
He was subject to no human power. He broke with the history of His
degraded people; He annulled the ancient writings, falsified by priests
and learned men. He recognised that in His unity with the Heavenly
Father and Eternal God, He was Lord of all power in heaven and on earth.

So it was with Him since that hour of light on the mountain. But the
knowledge of all this made Him still more humble as a man on whom such
an immense burden had been laid, and still more loving towards those
who were sunken in measureless poverty, distress and subjection,
resigned to their fate of being lost in blindness and defiance, and yet
full of wistful longing for salvation.

The relations between Him and His disciples had also changed since that
day. Formerly, although they had treated Him with respect they had
always been on familiar terms with Him. Now they were more submissive,
more silent, and their respect had become reverence. With some, love
had almost become worship. And yet they always fell back into
unruliness and timidity. There was one especially who disagreed with
much. When, in order to avoid the high roads, they went through the
barren district on the other side of Jordan, and endured all sorts of
hardships and privations, the disciple Judas could not forbear uttering
his thoughts. He had nothing to do now as treasurer of the little
band, so he had plenty of time to spread discouragement behind the
Master's back. Why should not the Messiah's train of followers appear
in fitting brilliance? He explained what Jesus taught about death as
implying that when the beggar prophet died, the glorious Messiah would
appear! But why first in Jerusalem? Why should they not assume their
high position in the interval; why were the honours