is done in the
eyes of the people, so that they may win praise. They like to take the
first place at festivals, and to be greeted on all sides as the
expounders of Holy Writ. That honour they do not offer to God, but to
themselves. I tell you he who exalts himself will be cast down."

Some of the Pharisees interrupted Him and contradicted Him. He turned
to them face to face, and in a louder voice said: "Yes, you expounders
of Holy Writ, you seek to shine outwardly. You keep your vessels clean
on the outside, and your wool soft, but inside you are full of
wickedness and lust of plunder. Ye who sit in the seats of learning
and preach morals are like tombs adorned with flowers outside, but full
of corruption inside. You despise the fathers because they persecuted
the prophets; while you yourselves kill the prophets whom the Lord
sends to-day, or else suffer them to be contemned. And when they are
dead you build them fine tombs. Cursed be ye, ye hypocrites! You
forbid others to be the heralds of salvation; you even stone them. You
will not go yourselves into the Kingdom of Heaven, and you keep out
those who wish to go in. Cursed be ye, ye, with your semblance of
holiness, who take to yourselves the houses of widows and the property
of orphans under the pretence of love! Ye fools and blind guides who
lead the people to petty, unimportant things, to outward observances
and customs, instead of to the important things--to justice, to mercy,
and to love! That is as wise as to strain out the gnat and swallow the
camel. Ye snakes and vipers! Be ye cursed eternally! Even if God
sent His Son you would crucify Him, and would pretend you did it for
the sake of the people because He was a traitor. But know that you
will have to pay for the blood of the heaven-sent Messenger! The time
is not far off when the blood of your children will flow in streams
through the streets of Jerusalem!"

While Jesus was speaking His disciples trembled. They had never seen
Him so consumed with anger. But it was too soon! He had no army to
protect Him if they should attack Him. The crowd was immensely
excited, and the applause grew to a storm. Many screamed with delight
that such words were at last spoken; others looked threateningly at the
Pharisees. They--the Rabbis and Pharisees--had all kinds of excuses
ready against the terrible accusations, but it seemed to them wiser not
to honour the outbreak of this "seeker of the people