ngle day. The result was
great local prosperity.

When Jesus saw how His words at Jerusalem on that occasion had been so
utterly misunderstood or were misapplied through a desire for gain, He
was filled with indignation, and began to speak in the market-place: "I
tell you the Kingdom of God will be taken from these lovers of gain and
given to a people more worthy of it. For the good of one's fellow-men?
Does good depend on the property a man possesses? Property is harmful
to men; it hardens their hearts, and makes them continually fearful of
loss and death. And you call that good! There was once a rich man who
after years of toiling and moiling had his barns full, and thought: Now
I can rest and enjoy life. But the next night he died, and the
property to gain which he had destroyed body and soul he had to leave
to those who quarrelled and disputed over it and mocked at him. I tell
you, if you gain the whole world and lose your soul--all is lost."

When He had so spoken a very old man came up to Him and said: "Rabbi,
you are poor, and it is easy for you to talk. You do not know how
difficult it is for a rich man to cease adding to his wealth. Oh, the
delightful time I had when I was poor! Then I began to get money
unawares, was glad of it, and began to fear I might lose it. And then
as the needs of my family increased more quickly than my means, I
thought my money was not sufficient, and the more one had the more one
required. I am now an old man; I possess thirty sacks full of gold,
and I know that I cannot enjoy my wealth any more. But I cannot stop
gaining and amassing. I could sooner stop breathing."

Jesus told the old man a little story: "Some children by the roadside
attacked a strange boy for the sake of some broken potsherds which they
were collecting. But when they had got a great heap together the
roadman came along, and with his spade threw the pieces into the
gutter. The children raised a great cry. But the man saw that there
was blood on some of the fragments, and asked: 'Where did you get these
from?' Whereupon the children grew pale with terror, and the man took
them off to the magistrate."

The old man understood. He went away and compensated all who had come
to harm through him, and then on his way home he started once more to
amass treasure!

The next day Jesus and His followers reached another village. There
all was quiet, and the inhabitants lay under the fig-trees although i