Pýcha
Ó, pýcha je tak prekliata vec, tak strašná, tak zlá je pýcha. Ale vyzerá to tak, že tu niečo nehrá, ako vchádzame do našej malej scény. A chceme sa teraz na to pozrieť, nie z hľadiska náuky, ale ako na udalosť Ježišovho života, nie z pohľadu náuky. Ale tam, iste tu niečo nesedí; nejaký farizej chce vidieť Ježiša a chce sa s Ním najesť a mať obecenstvo. To je úplne v rozpore. Farizeji nenávideli Ježiša. Nemali pre Neho vôbec žiadne využitie. On bol pre nich belzebub, diabol, zvodca. A žiaden farizej nemal s Ježišom nič do činenia.
Ale tento Šimon, on chcel od Ježiša, aby ku nemu prišiel a mal trocha – a bol ním zabavený. No, niečo tu s tým obrazom nehrá.
1Viem, že ani metodisti sa neboja vody. A tak idú von, aby si sadli pod prístrešok, ako to je, či prší alebo nie. Myslel som, že je to tak iba s baptistami, ale vidím, že s metodistami to je rovnako. A tak, som šťastný, že môžem byť dnes popoludní na zhromaždení. Keď prišla búrka a díval som sa z môjho hotelového okna von, povedal som, „Ó. Satan, prečo robíš toto zlo?“ A povedal som, „Som tu dolu len na tieto dve zhromaždenia, a potom posielaš dážď.“ No, oni tvrdia, že, „Všetky veci spolupôsobia na dobré tým, ktorí milujú Pána,“ tak to len spôsobilo, že sa ochladilo, takže nemusíte mať ventilátor. No, chápem, že farmári potrebujú dážď, a tak to radi vidíme, že z každej strany je to dobré.
2Som tak rád, že som tu práve pred chvíľou stretol niektorých mojich priateľov, pána a pani Zeb Smith, na ktorých farme sme boli vychovávaní, býva rovno tu dolu medzi tými malými hrebeňmi a cestou, pán Smith a pani Smithová, sedia tam v rohu, sú tu s nami. Keď som bol malý chlapec, myslím, že ma vozili po okolí. Môj otec, myslím, že pracoval pre pána Smitha, keď som bol len maličký chlapček, pred tým, ako sme opustili Indianu.
A mám svojich priateľov, McSpaddensovcov a ich. A ďalší metodistický kazateľ z tejto časti krajiny, pán John O'Bannon. Som si istý, že ho poznáte, sedí rovno tam v modrom kabáte, môj veľmi osobný priateľ z Louisville, Kentucky, teraz je obchodníkom v Louisville.
A pani Smithová sa pýtala, či tu bola mama, a myslím, že som tam vonku videl auto. Je tu moja matka? To je to, nad čím som sa zamýšľal, či je tu vo vnútri. Videl som auto, aké má pani, ktorá išla po ňu, aby ju priviezla, ak prišli, a povedal som pani Smith, že ona tu možno bude. Mama, si tu? Myslím, že som sa možno mýlil, pani Smithová. Je mi to ľúto. Ale my – možno bude dnes dolu na večernom zhromaždení. Možno sa snažila dostať dolu, nájsť nejaký spôsob, aby prišla dolu, a toto auto, ktoré parkuje rovno tu, vyzeralo práve tak; a Billy povedal, „Myslím, že je tu stará mama.“
Povedal som, „Vyzerá to ako to auto.“
3Doktor, ktorý bol uzdravený na jednom mojom zhromaždení hore v Chicagu, volá sa Dilly, a oni tam majú veľkú kliniku a prišiel na zhromaždenie s nevyliečiteľným ochorením, bol zázračne uzdravený a odovzdal svoj život Pánovi Ježišovi. A videl som mnohých, mnohých doktorov, v mnohých častiach krajiny.
Prednedávnom tu, doktor Teodor Palvedus, celé západné pobrežie, ak tu niekto z nich pozná doktora Palvedusa, ktorý na základe jedného prípadu Božského uzdravenia, a ten človek sa obrátil a pokrstil som ho v zavlažovacej priekope. A on prestal vykonávať lekárske povolanie, hoci ľudia prilietavali dokonca z New Yorku, aby boli u neho operovaní. A on teraz vedie malú misiu v chudobných mestských štvrtiach v Oakland City, v Kalifornii; doktor Teodor Palvedus, úžasný Grék. A jeho žena bola Arménka.
4A keď tá pani, tam tá arménska žena zomierala s oboma prsiami odobratými kvôli rakovine, a Pán povedal, „Do troch dní bude na ulici,“ a on sa mi smial.
A povedal, „Čo za hanba,“ povedal, „ty podvodník, uvádzaš tú ženu pod takéto falošné predstavy.“
Povedal som, „To som nebol ja; to bol On, kto to povedal, pane.“
A on povedal, „No, vieš, že tá žena zomrie v priebehu nasledujúcich šesť hodín.“ Povedal, „Teraz je už dvadsaťštyri hodín v bezvedomí. Kedykoľvek odíde.“
Povedal som, „Ak do dvadsaťštyri hodín nebude na uliciach vykrikovať, poviem vám, čo urobím. Dám si na chrbát tabuľku s nápisom 'Falošný prorok' a vy nasadnete do svojho veľkého Kadilaku a budete ma voziť po uliciach Los Angeles. A ak ona bude na ulici, ja dám na váš chrbát nápis 'Šarlatánsky lekár' a budem pred vami jazdiť. Teraz si len potrasieme rukami a zostaneme tu; a uvidíme, čo bude.“
Ale on to neurobil. A v priebehu dvadsaťštyri hodín bola nakupovať; a stále je v poriadku, dnes je zdravou ženou. To bolo asi pred ôsmimi rokmi. Ukazuje to, že náš Pán Ježiš vstal z mŕtvych, Boh, ktorý minulý večer mohol spôsobiť, že ten chlapec vyskočil z toho lehátka, ako tam zomierajúci ležal, a čokoľvek sa to udialo, chlapci mi o tom dnes hovorili. On je stále Pánom Ježišom Kristom a sme tak šťastní, že On je.
5No, dnes večer sa ideme znova modliť za chorých, ak Pán dá. A veríme, že budeme mať dobrý večer, a tu dolu s vami, ľuďmi. Možno by sme sa niekedy mohli vrátiť znova späť a zostať trocha dlhšie. Dostaneme dokopy pastorov, a tak ďalej, a budeme mať trocha dlhšie zhromaždenie.
No, dnes som prichádzal na toto táborové zhromaždenie, kde je to riadené, či vlastne nie riadené, ale vlastnené jednou denominačnou cirkvou. A istotne vyjadrujeme uznanie tejto cirkvi z celého srdca, metodistickej cirkvi, za tie veľké veci, ktoré vo svete urobili pre nášho požehnaného Pána Ježiša. A mnohé tisíce duší, ktoré tá cirkev skrze kázanie Evanjelia priviedla ku Pánovi Ježišovi. Zaujímalo by ma, aké to bude, keď sa všetci spolu stretneme na druhej strane, keď sa zakončí tento život.
6Potom, keď sem prichádzame, včera večer, keď som preberal tému Božského uzdravenia, nepristúpil som ku tomu z hľadiska náuky, pretože som si pomyslel, že kým som tu, budem hovoriť o udalostiach zo života Pána Ježiša.
To je to, čo som hovoril minulý večer, pretože nezáleží na tom, ako sme spolu pekne zhromaždení, a ako... Rozličné cirkvi veria rozličným náukám, a tak sme – keď sme v zbore, chceme byť kresťanskí džentlmeni, aby sme upustili od akéhokoľvek druhu náuk. Je to len – kážeme Krista a Toho ukrižovaného, to je to, na čom sa všetci zhodneme.
Takže v evanjelizačnej službe dnes popoludní, aby som len na krátky čas hovoril, ak Pán dá, vyzeralo to, že na mojom srdci je, aby som stále hovoril o tých príkladoch Ježišovho života. A takým spôsobom, len to dramatizujeme alebo citujeme niečo, čo On urobil alebo povedal. A takto tam nie sú do toho zapojené doktrinálne body, len čisté jednoduché Evanjelium. Milujem to, a vy? Je to tak.
7A teraz, predtým, ako môžeme otvoriť Knihu, môžeme takto otvárať stránky, ale je len Jeden, ktorý dokáže objasniť to Slovo, a to je Duch Svätý; to je celé. On je Ten, ktorý To napísal. Veríte tomu? On to urobil, napísal... Ak dávni muži boli vedení Duchom Svätým, napísali Bibliu. A bolo To napísané, ospravedlňujem sa, vedel som, ale teraz presne neviem, koľko bolo pisateľov Biblie. Je mi to ľúto, nemôžem to teraz citovať, pretože mám v mysli dve rozličné čísla. Obávam sa, že by som sa ohľadom toho zmýlil.
Ale každopádne, bolo To napísané... Dobrých 'dvadsať-niečo' stoviek rokov, od jedného evan-... jednej časti do druhej, a tisíce míľ od seba, v rozličných vekoch, a ani jediný kúsoček si v Tom navzájom neodporuje. No, dvaja z nás by nemohli napísať list jednej osobe bez toho, aby tam v niečom bola nezrovnalosť. Či to nie je tak? Ale ako je inšpirované Písmo. Všetky Písma sú dané skrze inšpiráciu, inšpirované Duchom Svätým, ako zapísal Slová; a je to nádherné. A milujeme Pána Ježiša za Jeho dobrotu.
8No, On je Ten Jediný, ktorý môže správne vykladať Písmo. Každý jeden z nás, snažíme sa o to, ale pokiaľ sa nestaneme pomazaní, dovtedy do toho vkladáme samých seba. A tak dlho, ako je v tom to 'vlastné ja,' dotiaľ v tom nemôže byť Duch Svätý, dokiaľ to je 'vlastné ja.'
No, keby niekto mohol ísť ku dverám, nejaký uvádzač alebo niekto taký, nejakí ľudia, dámy so svojimi dáždnikmi sú tam na daždi. Ak im len môžu urobiť také pohodlie, aké tu len môžeme. Ceníme si vernosť a úprimnosť ľudí, ktorí vyšli von v takomto daždivom dni, aby počúvali prosté jednoduché Evanjelium Pána Ježiša.
Ak sa nemýlim, táto malá pani, ktorá tu vpredu sedí, rovno tu vedľa pani Woodovej, nie si jedna z tých, ktorá dala podnet k tomu, aby som sem prišiel? Nepoznám tvoje meno, sestra; modlil som sa za teba. A ak sa nemýlim, nebolo to v Cirkvi Otvorených Dverí v Louisville? Bola si uzdravená alebo niečo také, mala si nejakú nemoc a odvtedy, vaše srdcia boli pohnuté. A verím, že si členkou jednej z metodistických cirkví tu v meste.
9A bolo to na tvojom srdci, aby som sem dolu prišiel. Ja ne... je mi ľúto, ale nepoznám tvoje meno. Ale toto je pani, spolu s Woodovcami, mojimi milovanými priateľmi a susedmi, ktorí žijú hneď vedľa mňa. Sú to verní Kresťania. Keď žijete hneď vedľa nejakej osoby, môžete veľmi dobre povedať, z čoho sú utvorení, či nie? Je to tak.
Tak jedno, dve z vašich detí, ktoré žijú tu na jednom z týchto kopcov okolo, pán Banks Wood a jeho pani. Som tak rád, že majú so mnou obecenstvo v práci Evanjelia.
A tiež naša milovaná sestra tu, poznám ju len trocha, ale viem, že je vernou Kresťankou. A viem, že je veľká pracovníčka v cirkvi, ku ktorej patrí. A nech Pán žehná ju a jej cirkev, spolu.
10No, ako som hovoril, Duch Svätý napísal Bibliu a je napísaná takým spôsobom, že pre človeka neexistuje vôbec žiaden spôsob v jeho rozumovom poňatí, aby porozumel tomu, čo to je. Nezáleží na tom, ako dobre to máš zapísané, ako dobre to môžeš dať dokopy, je to od začiatku nesprávne. Rozumiete? Pretože On To ukryl pred očami múdrych a rozumných, a je to duchovné zjavenie.
Pozrite sa na farizejov a sadúceov vo dňoch nášho Pána Ježiša, ako to mali všetko do bodky vyrátané, ako mal prísť Kristus a všetko ostatné; a keď On prišiel, On prišiel v protiklade ku tomu, ako si to oni vyrátali, len aby ukázal, že On je Boh. A to bolo... On neprišiel v protiklade s Písmom; On prišiel v protiklade s ich poňatím Písma. Ale On prišiel presne takým spôsobom, ako Písmo povedalo, dokonale.
11No, trochu šušlem. Nie som už ten malý mladý chlapec, ktorým som tu dole na vašom mieste zvykol byť, pán a pani Zeb Smith. Zostarol som už. A minule som mal svoju prvú bolesť zubov a musel som si dať vytrhnúť zub. A oni dali jeden na svoje miesto a mám tu v ústach drôt, a istotne je to prekážka. Cítim, že mám toho v ústach príliš. Tak mi odpusťte, že takto šušlem, kým si na to nezvyknem. Ale ako starneme, no, musíme sa naučiť tieto veci.
Minulý deň som rozprával, ako... Hovoril som svojej žene; česal som si tých zopár vlasov, ktoré mi zostali. Moja žena mi povedala; ona riekla, „Billy, začínaš byť holohlavý.“
Povedal som, „No, zlatko,“ ale povedal som, „chvála Pánovi, ani jeden z nich nezahynul.“
Povedala, „No, kde teda sú?“
Povedal som, „Opýtam sa ťa niečo, potom, a keď ty odpovieš mne, ja odpoviem tebe. Kde boli predtým, ako som ich dostal? Kdekoľvek boli predtým, ako boli, sú tam naspäť a čakajú na mňa, kým ku nim prídem.“ Amen. Ó.
12Tak, čo sa starám o to, ako som zostarol, ako ste zostarli, akí sme zvráskavení, akí sme zhrbení, to nič neznamená. V jednom z týchto dní prichádza Ježiš a znova sa prelúskneme späť na mladého muža a ženu a budeme žiť navždy. Čo... Každá častica, každý kúsoček z...
Naše telá sú utvorené z, ó, kozmického svetla a ropy, a tak ďalej, ale oni odniekiaľ prišli. Neboli tu; potom tu sú; potom znova nie sú.
Ale Boh pozná každý atóm, ktorý tvoje telo drží pohromade. Každý fliačik svetla, každú časticu, každú bunku, každý kúsoček ropy a všetko kalcium, fosfor, všetko, čo vchádza do ľudského tela, čo vyšlo zo zeme, On presne pozná, kde leží každá smietka. A jedného dňa tvoj duch zostane uvoľnený a vykríkne po svojom živote. A nie starý muž alebo žena...
13Ale všimnite si, raz som sa rozprával s jedným doktorom v Louisville, Kentucky, rozprávali sme sa na tému Afriky a on povedal, „No...“
Povedal som, „Chcem sa ťa niečo opýtať, doktor, je to pravda, že zakaždým, keď jem, obnovujem vtedy svoj život?“
„Samozrejme,“ hovorí, „ješ jedlo a to vytvára krvné bunky a krvná bunka obnoví tvoj život.“
Povedal som, „Prečo je to tak, že jem ten istý druh fazule, zemiakov, kukuričného chleba, a tak ďalej, ktorý som jedol, keď som mal šestnásť rokov. Keď som to jedol v šestnástich, stával som sa väčším, silnejším, zdravším, mocnejším po celý čas; a teraz jem to isté, nazdávam sa, že iba viac toho, a stávam sa po celý čas starším a slabším? Povedz mi to, že ak vkladám dnu nový život, prečo to pre mňa teraz neurobí to isté, ako to robilo pred tridsiatimi rokmi?“ Rozumiete?
Povedal, „No...“
Povedal som, „Chcem sa ťa niečo opýtať, ak leješ vodu do pohára a on sa napĺňa, prečo sa prestáva napĺňať?“
Povedal, „No...“
Povedal som, „Pretože Boh povedal.“ Je to tak. Rozumiete? Boh povedal.
14A keď povstaneme... A sme ako kvet, obraz, vyrástli sme do určitého veku, asi okolo dvadsiatich dvoch alebo troch rokov. Keď si sa ty a tvoja žena vzali, ty, drahý starý brat tamto, keď si pracoval na svojich kukuričných poliach a veciach, oženil si sa s tým červenajúcim sa dievčaťom... Je to veľmi zlé, že dnes ich mnoho nemáme. Viete to, nevidel som ženu, ako sa červená, asi tridsať rokov. Všetka hanblivosť je preč. Nechcem teraz o tom začínať.
V poriadku, som len starodávny, zálesácky, staromódny kazateľ, ktorý verí pravde. Verím, že ľudia by mali žiť zbožne, sväto, v tomto prítomnom živote, ako vyhliadajú príchod Pána Ježiša.
Ale keď sa dostaneme na miesto, asi okolo dvadsiatich troch rokov, oženili sme sa a vzali sme svoje zlatíčko na svoje rameno a išli sme domov, vy bratia si to pamätáte. A vtedy ste na tom najlepšie. A prvé, čo zistíte, v jedno ráno sa matka zobudí, povie, „Tati, vidím šedivé vlasy.“
Povieš, „Mami, spozoroval som vrásku pod tými nádhernými očami.“ Vidíte, o čo ide?
Dostavila sa smrť; nebude trvať dlho a zaženie vás do rohu. Dostane sa z toho von... Po chvíli budete starí; dostane vás to, ale to je všetko, čo to môže urobiť. To je celé.
15Každá častica, všade, kde ste boli na tom najlepšie, rovno na vrchole, Boh hovorí, „Teraz je namaľovaný obraz. To je to, čo chcem vo Svojom veľkom miléniu, ktoré prichádza, tak Ja len... No, tu si, smrť, ale teraz ich nemôžeš vziať. Môžeš ísť na nich pracovať, ale nemôžeš ich vziať, pokiaľ ťa nezavolám.“ Rozumiete?
A potom v tom veľkolepom vzkriesení, potom vyjdeme vpred. Všetko, čo nám smrť robila, to v okamihu smrti končí, a potom sa zobudíme do nového Života. Nebude to nádherné? Všetky šedivé vlasy sú preč, starý vek odišiel. A budeme navždy mladí a budeme navždy žiť v kráse Pánovej a nikdy nebudeme musieť byť chorí, nikdy nebudeme musieť byť starí, nikdy nebudeme musieť užívať lieky, nikdy nebudeme v nemocnici, nikdy nezahúka sanitka. Či to nebude nádherné?
No, oni nás nazývajú bláznami, verím, že sme tí najinteligentnejší ľudia na svete. My, povedal som to, v poriadku. Pretože milujeme nášho Pána Ježiša. Všetko, čo obsahuje táto Biblia, tie zasľúbenia, všetky sú dobré. Tak, aký dobrý bol náš Pán. Prehovorme teraz ku Jeho drahej Bytosti, či pre nás dnes popoludní otvorí Slovo, v malom krátkom príklade z Písma, a potom skoro odídeme, aby sme dnes večer mohli prísť naspäť. A verím, že chlapci vydajú niekoľké ďalšie modlitebné karty, ak sa budeme modliť za nemocných, ó, asi okolo šesť-tridsať, tak nejako.
16Pomodlíme sa? Náš nebeský Otče, sme šťastní, že dnes môžeme byť tu v štáte Kentucky, dolu medzi ľuďmi. A viem, že vzadu na týchto hrebeňoch, naokolo na tých starých cintorínoch, mnohé z nich ani nie sú označené značkou. Chudobný starý otec s montérkami a zaplátanou košeľou, nemohol si dovoliť náhrobný kameň. Ale keď tam uložil svoju milú, vedľa nej položil bábätko, zarazil dolu malý kôl alebo kríž. Ale Boh v nebesiach, na veľkých knihách, tam na tých záznamových knihách, tam je zapísané meno. Ty vieš, kde ona je, kde leží jej telo.
A som tak šťastný, Pane, keď viem, že ty nezabúdaš. A sme radi, že sme tu dnes združení s ich deťmi, ktorí Ti tiež veria. A teraz, prosím Ťa, Otče, aby si prišiel do našej prítomnosti, alebo lepšie povedané, daj nám, aby sme prišli do Tvojej prítomnosti. A nech Tvoja veľkolepá vznešená Bytosť, Pane, len prúď cez naše duše so Svojou dobrotou a požehnaniami, nie kvôli tomu, že sme hodní, sme nehodní, ale len preto, že Ty si to zasľúbil, Pane, očakávame na to.
No, Písma sú všetky zviazané dokopy. Ako Biblia znamená o toľko viac, než hovorí, ak len môžeme mať Ducha Svätého, aby To pre nás vyložil. My To iba čítame, ako sa na To dívame, ale, ó, ako Duch Svätý hovorí, „Moje dieťa, teraz sa dívaš do Mojej tváre, keď sa dívaš do tejto Biblie. Toto je to, čo chcem, aby si vedel.“ A nech Duch Svätý dnes vezme Slovo Božie a prinesie Ho do každého srdca, tak, ako máme potrebu. A nech máme teraz obecenstvo okolo Slova. Inšpiruj nás. Lebo o to prosíme v Mene Ježiša Krista. Amen.
17Na malom mieste v Písme, našiel som tu v Knihe svätého Lukáša, zo všetkého kázania v celom mojom živote, nikdy predtým vo svojom živote som nepristúpil ku tomuto textu. Je to nový text, z ktorého som sa nikdy nepokúšal kázať. Ale ako som pred chvíľou sedel v hotelovej izbe, zdalo sa, že ma niečo pritiahlo ku tomuto miestu. Prečítame to v Evanjeliu svätého Lukáša a začneme v 7. kapitole a 36. veršom:
A prosil ho ktorýsi z farizejov, žeby jedol s ním. A vošiel do domu farizeja a položil sa za stôl.
Ježiš chcel – či vlastne ten farizej chcel od Ježiša, aby sa ku nemu prišiel najesť.
Tak, tento prípad tu porozumieme potom, ako si prečítate celú kapitolu ďalej, tak budete veľmi dobre oboznámení s tými zvyklosťami a spôsobom, ako to tu Písmo hovorí.
Ale teraz, ako naše myšlienky umiestnime na toto, niečo tam nesedí. Tam je... Len takýto úsek z Písma bude dostatočný na to, aby nám dal obraz toho, o čom chcem hovoriť. A moja téma bude: Pýcha.
Ó, pýcha je tak prekliata vec, tak strašná, tak zlá je pýcha. Ale vyzerá to tak, že tu niečo nehrá, ako vchádzame do našej malej scény. A chceme sa teraz na to pozrieť, nie z hľadiska náuky, ale ako na udalosť Ježišovho života, nie z pohľadu náuky. Ale tam, iste tu niečo nesedí; nejaký farizej chce vidieť Ježiša a chce sa s Ním najesť a mať obecenstvo. To je úplne v rozpore. Farizeji nenávideli Ježiša. Nemali pre Neho vôbec žiadne využitie. On bol pre nich belzebub, diabol, zvodca. A žiaden farizej nemal s Ježišom nič do činenia.
18Ale tento Šimon, on chcel od Ježiša, aby ku nemu prišiel a mal trocha – a bol ním zabavený. No, niečo tu s tým obrazom nehrá.
Keď vidíme malé dievčatko, ako po celý čas nasleduje po okolí babičku, malé šesť alebo sedemročné dieťa chodí naokolo s babičkou, niečo sa tam deje, tie motívy sú – zmenili sa. No, šesťročné dievčatko zvyčajne – alebo sedem, osemročné, ona rada šantí a hrá sa s deťmi v jej veku. Ale ak nasleduje po celý čas babičku, no, buď je to preto, že je ku nej tá babička naozaj dobrá, alebo ju babička rozmaznáva, alebo lepšie povedané, je babičkin malý miláčik, alebo možno, neviete, babička môže mať niekde zastrčený sáčok cukríkov. Rozumiete? Ide o to, že to dieťa má nejaký motív, kvôli ktorému babičku nasleduje.
A bezpochyby tento farizej, ktorý nenávidel Ježiša, mal za tým nejaký druh motívu, ktorý nebol práve v poriadku.
19Mladí ľudia sa radi stretávajú s mladými ľuďmi. Malé deti sa radi hrajú na uliciach, Biblia o tom hovorí v proroctve Izaiáša. Malé deti, ktoré sa hrajú na uliciach, majú spoločné veci: svoje bábiky, svoje vrtuľky a svojich drevených koníkov a iné veci. Malé deti sa stretávajú s malými deťmi. Mladé dievčatá sa radi stretávajú s mladými dievčatami, ženy v strednom veku s tými, ktoré sú v strednom veku, starí so starými.
Kluby, Kiwanis a Rotary, oni majú spoločné veci. Musia sa spolu stretávať vo svojich kluboch, aby mali – rozprávali o situáciách ako oni – o komunite alebo o tom, ako by sa mohli postarať o chudobných v situácii. Musia sa spoločne zísť. A ako hovorí staré príslovie z Kentucky, ako som to moju mamu mnohokrát počul povedať, „Vrana k vrane sadá.“ V tom je veľmi veľa pravdy.
20Nikdy nevidíte vrany a holubice, ako spolu navzájom majú veľa obecenstva. Sú to dva rozličné druhy vtákov; jeden má jednu vec a druhý má inú. No, vrana, to je pojedač zdochlín. Ona skrátka žerie mŕtve veci. Ale holubica nemôže jesť mŕtve veci. Ak holubica zje mŕtve veci, potom by tá holubica hneď zomrela; nedokáže to stráviť. Holubica, ten vták, ktorého poznáme pod tým menom holubica, symbolizuje Holubicu Ducha Svätého v Biblii, keďže holubica nemá žiadnu žlč. Nemôže stráviť skazené, odporné veci; pretože, ak by to urobila, to by pre tú holubicu znamenalo smrť.
Veľmi nádherný príklad znovuzrodeného Kresťana, ktorý nemôže stráviť svetské veci, pretože ak by to robili, to by ich hneď duchovne zabilo. Ale všimli ste si niekedy starú vranu? No, ona môže sedieť na mŕtvej zdochline, ktorá sa rozkladá, v čistom kentuckom jazyku, hnije, a ona tam na tom môže sedieť a jesť po celý deň. Ale holubica okolo toho nemôže chodiť; smrdí to a ona odletí. Ale vrana na tom môže sedieť a po celý deň jesť, a potom môže ísť rovno na pšeničné pole a jesť tiež s holubicou.
21Takisto pokrytec, napodobiteľ, on môže ísť do sveta, spolčovať sa so svetom a správať sa ako svet, žiť vo svete a užívať si svetské radovánky, a prísť do cirkvi a predstierať, že je Kresťanom. Ale skutočný Kresťan nemôže vychádzať do sveta a vracať sa späť; tam niečo nie je v poriadku. Tak to ukazuje...
Ukážte mi svoju spoločnosť, ja vám poviem, kým ste. Dovoľte mi ísť do vášho domu a pozrieť sa, čo čítate, nechajte ma vypočuť si, vidieť, aký druh hudby máte zapnutý. Dovoľte mi vidieť aký druh časopisov, aký druh literatúry čítate. Nechajte ma nazrieť do vašej kancelárie a pozrieť sa, či je tam veľká hromada týchto vulgárnych obrázkov na plagátoch a také veci. A ty mi hovoríš, že si Kresťan, nebudem ti nič hovoriť; ale v mojom srdci uvidím, aký druh ovocia nesieš (Rozumiete?), pretože to je tvoja diéta.
Ó, povieš, „Patrím do zboru. No dobre, to nie je tvoja záležitosť, aby si ma súdil, brat Branham.“ Nesúdim ťa; Slovo ťa súdi. Presne tak. Tvoje ovocie, tvoj život rozpráva, čím si.
22Ó, tento farizej za tým musel mať nejaký druh motívu. Čo je farizej? Čo znamená slovo farizej? My to slovo v Kentucky veľmi často nepoužívame. Čo znamená slovo farizej? V gréčtine to znamená „herec, niekto, kto odohráva.“ Ó, nenávidím to, niekto, kto odohráva, snaží sa predstierať. Opovrhujem niečím takým.
Mnohokrát sa ľudia snažia správať ako niekto druhý. Počúvajte, prestaňte sa správať ako niekto druhý a skrátka sa správajte podľa vášho vlastného presvedčenia a budete na tom oveľa lepšie. Buďte sami sebou. Presne tak.
Vidíte, ako tak mnohé malé deti chodia na filmové predstavenie, vrátia sa domov a chcú sa správať ako herečka. Hanba vám. V Hollywoode, Los Angeles, mal som tam mnoho zhromaždení a zistil som, že mnohí ľudia, ktorí vyrástli na všetkej tej zábave amerických ľudí, niečo odohrávajú. Sme skvelí herci, farizeji. Tam sú; uvidíte ich; sú pred obrazovkou tak dlho, že až neustále niečo odohrávajú.
23Medzi americkými ľuďmi, skrze televíziu a skrze filmové predstavenia, videli tak mnoho predstierania, až začali sami predstierať: je to veľmi zlé. A máme to v cirkvi, hercov. Hm. Boh ich nechce. Nech je to od nás ďaleko, aby sme boli hercami. Buď sám sebou; Boh ťa chce mať takého, neznášam, keď niekoho vidím, ako sa snaží robiť niečo, čo nemôže robiť.
Čo za hanba, všimol som si to mnohokrát, a nádherné hlasy, ktoré Boh ľuďom dal, talent, a oni to pretrénujú. Neznášam počúvať pretrénovaný hlas, keď sa postavia spievať a zaspievajú určitú notu, ktorú budú držať tak dlho, až zmodrejú v tvári, len aby ukázali obecenstvu, ako dlho to dokážu pevne držať ako o život.
A keď zídu dolu, tí ľudia nechvália Boha; ich myseľ je na tej note.
24Milujem starodávne letničné spievanie (Presne tak), kde zabudnete klavír a organ, kde sa nemusíte dostať do nejakého druhu rituálnosti, programu, ktorý je nejakým návlekom. Kde zodvihnete svoje ruky so slzami stekajúcimi po svojich lícach, či dokážete zaspievať do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-si-do, alebo nie, a len spievate v Duchu. Zo srdca vzdávate chválu Bohu. Všetko pomimo nejakého programu, musíte sa dostať preč od ľudského programu, aby ste sa dostali do Božieho programu (Rozumiete?), vyjdite z toho.
Ó, zachráň ma od toho, aby som bol herec. Buď tým, čím si; Boh ťa bude žehnať. Dokonca niekedy vidíte kazateľov, ako to robia. Dostanú sa za kazateľňu a spravia svoj hlas veľmi silným. „Práve som dostal svoj titul...“ [Brat Branham napodobňuje pomalý nafúkaný hrubý hlas – pozn.prekl.] až vám po chrbte prebehne mráz. Je mi ich ľúto. Ľudia to neoceňujú. Len buď sám sebou, ľudia si ťa budú viac vážiť. Či tomu veríte? Buď len úprimným a jednoduchým ako „strom sassafras, údená šunka na dreve orechovca a cirokový sirup.“ [Br.Branham používa vidiecke termíny – pozn.prekl.] To ti urobí dobre; nebudeš predstierať.
25Ale farizej, ó, nenávidím to slovo, herec. Niektoré sestry robia to isté, príliš veľa niečo len odohrávajú. Ó, oni svojim manželom 'odseknú nos,' „Ján, prečo si to urobil?“ Tak výbušné, ako len môžu byť. Ó, fíha. Nech ma Boh ochráni od toho, aby som vás zavolal, ak máte taký druh ducha. Ale nech niekto rozpráva cez telefón, „Ó, ako sa máš? Som tak rada, že si zavolala.“ Herci, hanba vám: doma anjeli, na ceste diabli, predstierajú. Len buď po celý čas sám sebou. Najlepšie je byť na tom tak. Neveríte tomu?
Iste, potom viete, ako vás budú druhí brať, nie ako hercov alebo farizejov. V nedeľu idete do zboru a, ó, akí ste zbožní a milí, a v pondelok ráno s vami nikto nedokáže vydržať. Ty farizej, čo dobré ti to robí chodiť do zboru? Ó, hmm. Potrebujú obrátenie; to je to, čo potrebujete. Vziať tú vec von, tú prirodzenosť toho. Metodisti by na to mali povedať, „Amen,“ pretože to je metodistická náuka, ak tomu správne rozumiem, posvätenie.
26V poriadku, ó, predstierači, tento starý farizej poslal po Ježiša; on mal niečo poza tým. No, on je unavený; rozhliada sa ponad ľuďmi. Môže sotva vidieť; je spotený. Prichádza celú cestu z južnej Palestíny, hľadá a pátra. Zástupy sa tam teraz zhromaždili, a on tam stál celý deň a pot po ňom stekal, jeho unavené nohy išli po palestínskych cestách, od prachu a hnoja z cesty, ako bežal. Každú chvíľu sa zastavuje a pije vodu. Ale dvíha svoju hlavu a znova sa rozhliada, vydýchne si, „Dobre, som tak rád, že som Ho našiel.“
Po dlhšej chvíli rozprávania, ako sa po chvíli začína trocha rozpúšťať zástup, a on si začína predierať cestu dnu. On má posolstvo; je na svojej ceste. On má pána; volá sa Šimon, farizej. On je posol; má teraz túto úlohu, odniesť určitý odkaz. Musí sa dostať k Ježišovi. Poskok, tak ich v Palestíne volajú. Farizeji ich majú mnoho, robia všetko, starajú sa im o kone a o ich záhrady, a tak ďalej, a starajú sa o nich: poskokovia, zaplatia im len trošku peňazí, akurát, aby len tak prežili.
27A tento poskok možno dva alebo tri dni pátral, snažil sa nájsť, pretože jeho pán mu dal rozkaz, aby išiel a našiel Ježiša a pozval Ho do jeho domu na večeru ku určitej príležitosti. Vidím ho, ako si prediera cestu cez ten dav a pritackal sa oproti, možno ku Petrovi, alebo to bol Andrej? Nebol som tam, neviem, ale počujem ho, ako hovorí, „Rád by som videl vášho Pána, pane.“
A isteže, milovaní učeníci, ako sa snažili držať ľudí od Ježiša, keď sa tam modlil za chorých a také veci. A on znova hovorí, „Rád by som videl vášho Pána.“ A vidím, ako ho Andrej berie bližšie ku miestu, kde bol Ježiš, kde boli chorí a všetci naokolo; povedal, „Pane, je tu jeden mladý muž z južnej Palestíny, ktorý prichádza so správou. Prichádza z dlhej cesty. A hovorí, že to je od jeho pána, a on si s Tebou praje hovoriť.“
28A on hovorí... Poklonil sa Mu a povedal Mu, čo bolo jeho posolstvo, že jeho pán mal túžbu, aby On pri určitej príležitosti prišiel ku nemu a povečeral s ním. Ó, keby sme tam boli vy alebo ja, ako odlišne by sme sa na to dívali. Hovorili by sme, „Pane, nechoď ku tomu pokrytcovi. Nechoď ku tomu farizejovi. No, on je slepý; nepozná... Nenávidí Ťa. A tu je tak mnoho chorých ľudí a vecí naokolo; Ty si použil tak mnoho zo Svojej sily. Nechoď ku takému chlapíkovi; on sa Ťa len snaží využiť, ako to hovorí to staré príslovie, ako žolíka (kartový tromf), alebo niečo také. On tam má pripravenú nejakú vlastnú nedobrú alternatívu. Nechoď ku takejto osobe.“
Ó, môžem si predstaviť toho farizeja, veľký človek, bol veľkým mužom vo svojom meste, ako sa niekoľko dní predtým prechádza po svojich pekných egyptských kobercoch a jeho skvelá navoňaná jedáleň, trel si svoje veľké bacuľaté ruky, bol ako roláda, taký tučný, povedal, „Prečo ma to nenapadlo skôr? Ha-ha-ha-ha. No iste, to je to, čo chcem. To je to. Hovorím vám, pre moju veľkú zábavu, ktorú sa chystám mať, mal som na to pomyslieť už pred dlhým časom. Ha-ha-ha. Poznáte toho chlapíka, Ježiša z Nazaretu, všetci chudobní ľudia Ho majú na jazyku. A poviem vám čo, keby som Ho mal tu na mojom bankete. Mal by som tých zvedavcov všade okolo, stáli by tu a dívali by sa na Neho. To je všetko, čo musím urobiť, a viete čo? Budem najpopulárnejšou osobou v meste. Pridám ku svojej popularite. Ó, mal som na to pomyslieť skôr.“
Tak on poslal na cestu nejakého chlapca, aby Ho našiel. „Čo myslíte, že doktor Jones povie? Ten farizej Jones nenávidí Ježiša z Nazaretu. Verí, že On je diabol. A či to nebude dobré pre právnika Toho-a-toho, keď ich tu budem mať? Určite na moje zhromaždenie prídu všetky celebrity z mesta, určite. Pretože vedia, že ich môžem dobre nakŕmiť.“ Istotne, toto bol bohatý farizej. Mal mnoho, mohol robiť, čokoľvek chcel. Dostal všetky kusy mäsa, hore v chráme. Mal prsty vo všetkých kusoch mäsa. Mal tiež prsty vo všetkých desiatkoch a obetiach, vo všetkom, čo sa donášalo. Mal množstvo.
29No, to, čo bolo potrebné na usporiadanie takej hostiny, by kŕmilo bežnú palestínsku rodinu dva roky. Ale, ó, on bol v meste veľký človek. Doktor Šimon farizej, pozrite, aký chlapík. Môžem ho vidieť chodiť tam a späť a vravieť, „Určite, och joj, musím hneď teraz rozposlať svoje pozvánky. No, viete čo, aby ma mohli vidieť všetci ľudia, budem to mať vonku, kde je chladnejšie, von okolo verandy. Vyjdem von vo veľkolepom... Mám tam miesto, hroznový altánok, kde visia dolu nádherné hrozná a ony sú teraz najdozretejšie a tá aróma z tých hrozien je tak nádherná. A budem to mať všetko tam vonku a zoberiem tam môj špeciálny veľký stôl a položím ho tam. A budem tam mať doktora Jonesa a doktora Takého-a-takého a doktora Takého-a-takého a doktora Takého-a-takého a celé mesto bude vedieť, že som veľký človek, že moje vzdelanie mi učinilo dobre, a že som veľký človek. Ja, ja, ja, ja, ja,“ to je všetko, čo môžete počuť.
„Ja som urobil toto; ja budem lepší, ja urobím toto.“ Ja, ja, ja a žiadne miesto pre Krista.
30Nie je to obraz dneška? Ja urobím tak-a-tak. Ja sa pripojím do zboru, ja urobím toto, ja urobím tamto. Bože, zmiluj sa nad nami. Tam ho máte, ó, bol skvelý chlapík a bude ešte lepší, len aby tam mali Ježiša pre zábavu. On Mu neveril, že je prorok, aj keď Ježiš ním bol. A neveril Mu, že je Syn Boží, aj keď Ním bol.
Ale on si myslel, „Ak sa mi podarí mať tu toho chlapíka, budeme mať všetci zábavu.“ Tak on pre Neho poslal.
Ježiš nikdy, nikdy neporušuje zasľúbenie. Dni ubehli, veľa vecí sa prihodilo. A prišiel čas pre tohto farizeja na to stretnutie alebo na jeho večeru, aby bola pripravená, a Ježiš povedal Svojim učeníkom, „Poďme teraz rovno cez Palestínu do južnej Palestíny, zoberme sa, pretože nechceme prísť neskoro.“ Ježiš nikdy neporušuje sľub. On vždy dodržuje Svoje zasľúbenie. Bez ohľadu na to, čo to je, On to dodrží.
Ten deň sa priblížil a vidíme toho farizeja, ako sa na dvore pripravuje jeho stôl. A vonku sú jeho reklamy a všetci ľudia sa začínajú zhromažďovať. Čo za významného chlapíka to bolo.
31Hore prichádza na svojom veľkom fajnovom voze doktor Jones. Ženie tých ľudí naozaj rýchlo, svojich poskokov, a on odoberá kone, berie ich do stajne a stará sa o jeho kone. A on, „Ako sa máš, môj priateľu? Som tak rád, že ťa vidím. Nevojdeš dnu a nenavštíviš ma na chvíľu?“ Ó, vidím ho, ako to predstiera. „Nevojdeš dnu? No, tu je právnik Taký-a-taký; som tak rád, že ťa vidím, môj priateľu. Nevojdeš dnu? Poskok, vezmi jeho kone do stajne.“ Ó.
Ale po chvíli sa dostal do vnútra a poháre štrngali, atď. A v Palestíne, keď usporiadali večeru, ak ste tam niekedy boli, rozložili velikánsky stôl, takto von, a pozdĺž mali... V Palestíne nesedíte a nejete, ako to robíte tu; ľahnete si a jete. Mali niečo ako pohovku a rozložili to takto okolo stola. A každý človek takto ležal a jedol poležiačky, jeho nohy boli za ním.
A mali všetko pripravené, všetci z nich tam boli, zabávali sa, a tak ďalej, a farizej mal ohromný čas, ako zabával svoje celebrity. Prvá vec, ktorú zistíte, prišiel Ježiš, vošiel do domu a sadol si; a oni nevedeli, že On tam je. Nikto o tom nemohol vedieť. Odkiaľ On prišiel?
32No, také malé miesto, pravdepodobne sedel niekde v rohu. Farizej bol príliš zaneprázdnený; musel robiť iné veci. Celebrity, boli tam veľkí ľudia z mesta a on ich musel hostiť. Zaujímalo by ma, bratia a sestry, či nedávame tak mnoho času do hostenia celebrít a dôležitých osôb, že sme až zabudli na to, že Ježiš tiež sedí v našom strede, sedí tam v rohu, nikto si Ho nevšíma. Sedí sám, Jeho učeníci nemohli vojsť dnu; neboli ani pozvaní.
Tak všetci, ktorí neboli pozvaní, ako sú tí z východu, oni stáli vonku a dívali sa dnu, boli zvedaví; a keď sa niečo deje, ó, nemusíte sa trápiť ohľadom davu; oni sú tam v každom prípade všetci. Prichádzajú sa pozrieť, pozorovatelia, vidia, čo môžu. Nie je im dovolené vojsť, ale oni prídu a dívajú sa. Stoja na špičkách hodiny a hodiny, sledujú pohostenie. Chudobní, ktorým tečú sliny, keď vidia to skvelé, okorenené mäso, baránok upečený s tým najlepším korením. Ó, veľkolepé veci privezené celou cestou z Egypta a Mezopotámie, a tak ďalej.
33No, tento farizej bol bohatý človek, on naozaj mohol usporiadať takúto veľkú hostinu. Nech chudobní postávajú a zízajú, ak chcú. To je tá skupina, ktorá by roztrhala svet, aby učinila jedného novoverca z pohanov, a urobia z neho dvojnásobné dieťa pekla, než bol, keď začal.
Pýcha, okázalosť, tam on je, Ježiš sedí opustený. Predstavujem si, že On sa cítil nepríjemne, lebo mal špinavé nohy. Keď ľudia cestujú v Palestíne; v tých dňoch nemali chodníky a cesty a asfaltové cesty, ako máme dnes. Sedí tam s úplne špinavými chodidlami a nohami, Jeho hlava nie je pomazaná, žiaden bozk na Jeho líci a Jeho nohy s tým zaprášeným hnojom a špinou z cesty, prach odtiaľ, kde kone, prívesy, zvieratá tiahli náklad a nosili bremená, a zvierací trus na ceste, vtáci prileteli dolu a roztrúsili to a rozrýpali to naokolo a po chvíli sa to dostalo do prachu.
34A osoba, ktorá kráča... Spodné rúcho v Palestíne sa končilo pri kolenách, a potom to rúcho, ktoré je na tom zvrchu, to prekrýva až dolu, a ako oni chodili, to plantalo a vytváralo taký malý pohyb vzduchu, ktorý víril prach. Ó, a je to špinavé a smradľavé, keď sa na vás dostane všetka tá špina. A tam sedel Ježiš so špinavými nohami. Jezu, ako Ho oni volali, so špinavými nohami. Ó, to so mnou niečo robí, keď to hovorím. Ježiš nepovšimnutý, Ježiš so špinavými nohami, urobili z Neho objekt pohŕdania, potom, ako bol pozvaný.
Zaujímalo by ma, keď máte modlitebné zhromaždenie, pozvete Ho do svojho zboru, On potom zostupuje, aby pre vás niečo urobil, necháte Ho len tak nepovšimnutého, je to príliš mnohokrát v našom domácom živote a všade. Keď prichádza prezident, no, ó, oni rozprestierajú koberce po celej ceste od vlaku, po celej ceste do hotela. Povystieľajú ulice a mladé dámy vyjdú s kvetmi a obložia chodníky kyticami a zavesia zástavy a každý znak uvítania. Ale keď do mesta prichádza Ježiš, On musí zostať niekde v malej misii, nazvaný bláznom, náboženským fanatikom. Ó.
35Ó, vy slepí farizeji, všimnite si, Ježiš so špinavými nohami. Ježiš, tie nohy, ktoré mali byť čoskoro prebodnuté za hriechy sveta, sedel s prachom a hnojom, nepohodlne. Ježiš sa každopádne zvyčajne necíti pohodlne okolo skupiny bohatých ľudí. Oni Mu nedajú žiadne miesto, absolútne nič, len Ho nechajú sedieť. „Ó, s vašimi ústami Ma uctievate, ale vaše srdcia sú ďaleko,“ povedal Majster.
Ježiš so špinavými nohami, tam On sedí, nepovšimnutý, neumytý, nevítaný. Povieš, „Ježiš, vezmeš to menšie miesto? Ježiš, vezmeš to maličké miesto, keď si zavolaný do domu?“
„Áno, vezmem to malé miesto.“
„Čo?“
„Malú izbu na poschodí alebo možno na druhom poschodí, malú komôrku alebo dolu v suteréne.“
Vy sa za Neho hanbíte pred celebritami, pred vašou spoločnosťou. Bojíte sa alebo sa hanbíte o Ňom svedčiť, aby ste povedali o Jeho zachraňujúcej milosti.
„Ale prídeš aj tak, Ježiš?“
„Áno, v každom prípade prídem.“
To mi dokazuje, že On je Pánom pánov, On je veľkou osobou. „Prídem v každom prípade, bez ohľadu na to, aké malé miesto pre Mňa pripravíš, prídem v každom prípade.“
To sa mi páči, On je môj Pán. „Prídem v každom prípade, bez ohľadu na to, aké malé je to miesto, Ja prídem.“ Hoci prezidentovi dávate všetko, doktorovi Jonesovi dávate veľký priestor, ale keď prichádza Ježiš, On berie niekde nejaký roh. Čo za banda farizejov, predstierači, zabávači, bez lásky, zabávači. „Vezmem to malé miesto.“
36Raz dávno, Kresťan, predtým, ako si otvoril svoje srdce, ako si s Ním zaobchádzal? Niektorí z vás ľudí, ktorí ste vyznávali, že ste Kresťania, ako ste s Ním zaobchádzali? Ó, raz za čas ste dovolili, aby prišli niektoré programy, prichádza nejaký suchý evanjelista a vy ste si obliekli svoje najočarujúcejšie šaty a svoj nádherný klobúk a išli ste dolu do zboru.
Nedali ste Mu žiadne miesto uctievania; nesvedčili ste. Ale On vás nepokarhal. Neodsúdil vás. On je ochotný prijať to malé miesto. Nedali ste Mu celé svoje srdce; On vezme práve tak veľa, ako Mu dovolíte mať. On je môj Pán. A idete domov, „Ó, to bude stačiť do ďalšieho mesiaca; znova prídem do zboru.“
37Ako ste Ho vytlačili von, vaše malé bezvýznamné večierky a všetky vaše malé veci, vaše malé zábavky, no, ty farizej. Hanba ti, že si tak robil Ježišovi, môjmu Pánovi. Keď On prichádza do mesta, hovoril si o Ňom zle; odpísal si Ho. Otvor svoje oči, On prichádza, aby ťa navštívil. Volal si o Neho na svojom modlitebnom zhromaždení, ale keď On prichádza, potom Mu nechceš dať žiadne miesto. Aké smutné. Akí slepí môžu byť ľudia.
Akú príležitosť mal tento kuriér, keď pristúpil ku Ježišovým nohám. Ó, prajem si, aby som mohol zaujať jeho miesto. Prajem si, aby som tam v tom dni mohol byť, urobil by som viac, než Mu povedať to, čo povedal nejaký farizej. Objal by som Ho. Urobil by som všetko, čo by som mohol, kvôli príležitosti stáť v prítomnosti Ježiša. Tak, ako boli ľudia slepí v tom dni, tak sú i dnes. So samotnou myšlienkou, príležitosťou, ktorá je predložená ľuďom, aby prijali Krista, a kráčajú preč a opúšťajú Ho neuctievaného, nevítaného.
38Viete, v palestínskom kraji je zvykom, tá prvá vec, ktorá sa deje, keď ste pozvaný na takúto kráľovskú hostinu, keď prídete ku dverám, ste celý špinavý, smrdíte; vtedy nie ste vhodným objektom pre uhostenie. Boli by ste v rozpakoch, ak by ste kráčali po tých pôvabných domoch so všetkým tým na svojich nohách a všetkým, a to, ako vyzeráte, ste spotený a všetko také. Čo je tá prvá vec? Keď prichádza hosť, majú tam poskoka, človeka, ktorý je za prácu najmenej platený.
Keď pomyslím, že môj Pán sa opásal a umýval ľudské nohy, On zaujal to najmenšie miesto, pričom si zaslúžil to najvyššie miesto. Ale On zaujal to najmenšie miesto, aby umyl ten hnoj a špinu z ich nôh, stal sa najponíženejším zo sluhov. Žiaden iný sluha nie je tak ponížený ako poskok, ktorý umýva nohy.
Ale keď prídete do takého typu domu vo východnej krajine, v Palestíne, pri dverách sa s vami stretne poskok, ide ku jednej zo studní a vytiahne mu nejakú – veľkú misu plnú dobrej čistej vody a vyzuje vám sandále alebo vaše topánky, dá si vaše chodidlá cez svoje koleno a zmýva všetku túto špinu, prach a hnoj a nečistotu z vášho tela. A potom berie inú utierku a utrie vám nohy a umyje ich, dá ich dolu.
A potom berie vaše sandále a pokladá ich na niečo ako deka, odkladá ich takto pri vstupných dverách. Potom ide ďalej a nachádza pár skvelých saténových hodvábnych papúč; sú mäkké. To je taká pozornosť od hostiteľa. On to robí; má ich tam položené a dáva vám ich na nohy, až kým nenájde tie, ktoré vám pohodlne sedia.
39Potom sú vaše nohy umyté. Potom vás necháva ísť na ďalšie miesto, a potom tam je človek, ktorý vás stretáva tam pri dverách a vo svojej ruke má malú misku, niečo ako malý džbán. A vy si to beriete a vylejete na svoje ruky trocha oleja.
No, ten olej je vyrobený z veľmi jemného nardu [nard pravý – pozn.prekl.]. Čo to je, to je – tam v Arábii rastie krík, z ktorého to dostanú. Malý kvet, ktorý kvitne ako ruža, a potom, keď tá ruža odpadne, vypustí to niečo ako malú hľuzu a tá zatvrdne ako malé jablko. A to je to, čo tento strom produkuje, ale vy si to môžete vziať a žmoliť v rukách.
Videl som raz jednu ruskú celebritu, ktorá mala dve z nich; mohli by ste ich takto rozmrviť v rukách, a tá vôňa by na vašej ruke zostala dva týždne. Je to veľmi drahé, drahocenné. A stojí to veľa peňazí. Olej zostarne a v priebehu pár dní nepríjemne zapácha, ale oni tam do toho vložia tento nard, až kým sa to nestáva... Ó, tá vôňa vydrží roky. To bolo niečo z pokladov, ktoré kráľovná zo Šéby priniesla Šalamúnovi.
40A oni vám to dajú a umyjete si s tým ruky. Potom vám dajú uterák a vy si utriete ruky. Potom, ako ďalšie vám dajú trochu viac toho a dáte si to na svoj krk, zadnú časť krku, na svoje líca a čelo. Oboji, muži i ženy, toto musia v Palestíne urobiť, pretože slnečné lúče sú tak horúce. Robia to, a potom to vytvára vôňu. Potom, ako si väčšinu z toho zotriete, ste osviežený. Vaše nohy sú umyté; ste umytí; vaše ruky sú čisté; vaša tvár je čistá.
Potom ste vzatý do komnaty, v ktorej sa nachádza hostiteľ. A potom, keď sa s ním stretnete, vezmete – on vezme svoju pravú ruku a dá ju na vaše ľavé rameno, potom sa ukloníte. A potom on – vy vezmete svoju pravú ruku a dáte ju na jeho ľavé rameno, a on sa ukláňa. Potom vás pobozká, od jednej strany líca na druhú stranu líca; a to je privítanie, pravica obecenstva. Keď ťa hostiteľ pobozká, ty si bratom; si vítaný.
Ježiš, vlastne ten farizej, veľmi dbal na to, aby boli umyté nohy doktora Jones. A on sa veľmi staral o celebrity, ale tu sedel Ježiš so špinavými nohami. Tu sedel Ježiš, nevítaný, nemal na Sebe žiaden olej. Tu sedel Ježiš, nepobozkaný. A jednako opustil Svoju prácu a išiel celú cestu naprieč Palestínou, aby dodržal Svoje zasľúbenie.
41Predstavujem si, že On tam sedel nešťastný. Všetok zvyšok z nich, a farizej tam svedčil o rozličných veciach, ktoré sa udiali, a úbohý Ježiš tam sedel so špinavými nohami, s nepomazanou tvárou, nepobozkaný. Ježiš chce byť pobozkaný. Tam je Písmo v Žalmoch 2, ktoré hovorí, „Bozkávajte Syna, aby sa nerozhneval.“ „Bozkávajte Syna,“ ó, nikdy nebudete vedieť, čo to znamená, až kým ste raz nepobozkali Syna. Bozkávajte Syna, učiňte Ho vítaným vo svojom srdci.
Ale On sedel nepomazaný so špinavými nohami. Ó, ako bol v rozpakoch. Farizej mal svoj ohromný čas; bol príliš zaneprázdnený všímaním si významných ľudí mesta, aby vedel, že Ježiš zostal nepovšimnutý. Ale On každopádne prišiel. Ó, môj Bože, ako – čo sa stalo, ako ten poskok pri dverách vôbec minul to, aby umyl Jeho nohy? Bože, prajem si mať jeho prácu. Ako by som to miloval, keď by som musel umývať Jeho nohy pri dverách. Ako by som miloval privítať Ho, vziať svoju misku s vodou, keď by som vedel, že On tam sedí.
42Ale tam On bol s bohatými a pyšnými. Oni sa o Neho vôbec nezaujímali. Bol len zábavkou, niečím, na čo ľudia zízali a dívali sa na to. Bez pochýb mal vo svojom srdci, opýtal by sa Ho, aby pre neho urobil zázrak alebo niečo.
A zatiaľ čo tam takto sedel, vonku na ulici bola jedna naozaj zlá žena z mesta, prostitútka. Nejdeme ohľadom toho do detailov; viete, čo to je, žena zlej povesti, upadnutá.
Neodsudzujte ju. Počúvajte, predtým, ako môže existovať upadnutá žena, musí tam byť tiež upadnutý muž. Možno muž, do ktorého bola zamilovaná z celého srdca, ju tak zneužil a „hodil jej oheň pod nohy“ a voviedol ju do takéhoto druhu života.
Písmo povedalo, že ona bola veľkou hriešnicou. Nikto s ňou nemal nič do činenia, ale všetci ju poznali. Oni vedeli, kým je, určite. Bola veľkou hriešnicou. A možno prechádzala okolo, nebola vítaná medzi žiadnymi ľuďmi, postavila sa na špičky, nakukla hore a uzrela môjho Pána, ako sedí v rohu s neumytými nohami, sedí nevítaný medzi boháčmi. Bolo to na ňu príliš veľa. Povedala, „Nie. Som si istá, že to je On.“
43Nikdy ste nevideli Ježiša bez toho, že by ste Ho spoznali, keď Ho vidíte znova. Nikto sa na Neho nemôže pozrieť, a dokonca zabudnúť, ako vyzerá. Môžem si pomyslieť, že povedala... Mohla o Ňom počuť niekde inde, povedala, „Ó, tam je ten veľký Učiteľ. Ale On tam je s tými farizejmi, a oni Ho nechcú.“ Ó, otočila sa; vidím, ako hovorí, „Ó, nemôžem. Ó, ja už asi strácam rozum. Určite to nemôžem urobiť. Ó, možno, žeby som mohla?“
Vidím, ako sa zabalila do svojich šiat a začala ísť dolu ulicou. Vidím, ako sa dvaja muži štuchli rukami a povedali, „Pozri sa tam, pozri sa, čo to tam vyšlo.“ Ó, iste, vy ste príliš dobrí. Rád by som sa raz pozrel rovno do vašich očí a videl, akí ste dobrí.
44Povieš, „Brat Branham, ja nie som prostitútka.“
Nemyslím to tak celkom sexuálne. Prostitúcia je na vyššej úrovni. Môžeš robiť prostitúciu so svojím časom. Koľko času dávaš Jemu? Prostitúcia s tvojimi vlastnými sebeckými motívmi, chodíš okolo a hovoríš, „No, patrím do tejto cirkvi, som lepší.“
Nie, nie si. Môžeš robiť prostitúciu inak než sexuálne. Duch Svätý bude hovoriť do tvojho srdca a ty povieš, „Nechcem s tým mať nič do činenia.“ Ty slepý farizej, prostitútka. Čo sa to s tebou deje? Páchaš cudzoložstvo so svetom, to je to, čo robíš.
Ó, hovoríš, „Patrím do zboru,“ a si tak chladný a ľahostajný. Ó, rozprávaš prekrásne modlitby. Ó, nenávidím tú farizejskú vec. Ó, modlíš sa a každú čiarku spravíš tak dokonale a každý interval je tak perfektný. Ó, modlíš sa tak nádherne. Nemôžeš takto hovoriť ku Bohu. Počúvaš to, čo hovoríš, a robíš interpunkciu svojej modlitby. Ó, nech ti Boh pomôže uvoľniť sa raz a modliť sa! Prestaň rozprávať modlitby.
45Ó, farizeji, mnohí z nich, farizeji. Ó, povieš, „Ja patrím do cirkvi.“ To je v poriadku; iste, patríš. Ale aký postoj máš voči môjmu Pánovi? Keď On chce ku tebe prísť a požehnať ťa, ty to neurobíš. „Ó, nie, neverím v taký nezmysel.“ To je práve tá skupina, o ktorej hovorím, veľmi nábožní, ale veľmi farizejskí.
Čo som na začiatku povedal, že boli, herci. Prestaň odohrávať náboženstvo. Získaj to starodávne prežitie obnovenia, nového narodenia. Môj Pán, On ťa túži vidieť. On na teba očakáva, berie malé miesto v rohu. On ťa za to nikdy nepokarhá; On ťa miluje. Chodíš do zboru raz alebo dvakrát za mesiac, myslíš si, že si si vykonal svoju povinnosť. Ó, ak by si Ho len miloval, išiel by si každý večer a každý deň niekam a rozprával sa s Ním, ak by si Ho miloval. Ale ten problém toho je, že ty sa len hráš na cirkev, odohrávaš nábožnosť. Aké smutné, je to veľmi zlé, že to stále máme.
46Táto úbohá žena zlej povesti, môžem ju vidieť, ako ide dolu ulicou a vystupuje hore po vŕzgajúcich schodíkoch do podkrovia. Jej srdce poskakuje; nemôže ten obraz dostať zo svojej mysle. Ó, Bože, ktokoľvek Ho kedy vidí v jednoduchosti Jeho Slova a Jeho lásky, to ťa nikdy neopustí. Niečo ťa bude prenasledovať.
Ona Ho vidí; ide hore po schodoch; otvára svoju malú pokladnicu a vyberá odtiaľ niečo malé, malé vrecko. Vyberá to von, položí to, mince s cvengotom padajú na stôl. A ako tie mince padajú, znova to zdvíha; vidí pred sebou tú tvár. Slzy stekajú po jej lícach, kvapkajú jej z brady. Povedala, „Nemôžem to urobiť; nemôžem. Lebo On by vedel, odkiaľ pochádzajú tie peniaze. On by vedel, ako som zarobila tie peniaze. Nemôžem to urobiť.“
Možno to vrátila znova naspäť; potom sa naťahuje a znova to berie. Povedala, „Nemôžem, čo sa to so mnou deje? Ale vidím Ho, ako prichádza celou cestou naprieč krajinou a je neprivítaný. Čo s tým môžem robiť? Toto je všetko, čo mám, On to určite pochopí. Istotne to pochopí, istotne to pochopí. Toto je všetko, čo mám; On to istotne pochopí.“
47A vidím ju, ako sa trasie, berie to do ruky, dáva si to do za výstrih, alebo pravdepodobne do pančuchy, zabalí to tam do vnútra, hodí na seba šaty a vychádza von na ulicu. Začína byť neskoro, ide dolu ulicou do nejakej veľkej, skvelej parfumovej spoločnosti. Vchádza dnu, a tam za pultom stojí starý nosatý chlapík, ráta svoje peniaze. „No, dnes to nebolo veľmi dobré. Nezarobil som ani na nájomné; zlý deň.“ Celý naštvaný, jednako bol vo svojom náboženstve tak ortodoxný, ako len mohol byť.
Tá žena vchádza do dverí. Keď vchádza dnu, môžem ho počuť, ako hovorí, „Aha, teraz sa pozrime.“ Ó, ona bola dobre známa. Každý ju poznal, určite. Každý túto ženu poznal. Ona vstupuje do dverí. No, on ku nej neprišiel tak pekne, ako by mal, a nepovedal, „Pekný deň. Čo môžem pre vás urobiť?“ On povedal, „No, čo chcete?“
Vyložila na pult peniaze. Ó, cingot peňazí, to iste zmenilo veci. On patril ku tej skupine, ktorá povedala, „Aký z toho bude zisk, ak necháme Jozefa v hrobke?“ Aký je z toho zisk? Ó, áno, to je to, čo si dnes ľudia myslia. Čo z toho môžeš vyťažiť? Koľko je v tom peňazí? Slepý farizej. Ježiš je tu a On chce byť privítaný. Vy ste Ho pozvali.
48Tam boli vyložené peniaze, ona povedala, „Chcem alabastrovú nádobu, tú najlepšiu, akú v obchode máte. No, on povedal, „Pozrime sa, koľko máš peňazí.“
Vyložila ich a mala stoosemdesiat rímskych denárov. On to všetko zrátal, „Áno, máš akurát dosť.“ Čo? Ona chcela to najlepšie. Povedala, „On túži po tom najlepšom,“ a On túži. On túži po tom najlepšom, čo máš. Nedávaj Mu nejaké miesto v kúte; daj Mu všetko, čo máš. On túži po tom najlepšom, čo máš, a po tom najlepšom, čo môžeš robiť.
To je všetko, čo mala. Vedela, ako to získala. Povedala, „Nenávidím to, robiť to takýmto spôsobom; možno to nie je podľa obvyklého poriadku, ale to je to najlepšie, čo mám.“ Ona s ním nedebatovala o cene; o to nešlo. Chcela to najlepšie. Vidíte to? Ona chcela to najlepšie. Povedala, „Poputuje to ku tomu Najlepšiemu, tak prečo by nemal mať to najlepšie?“
49Zodvihla tú alabastrovú nádobu, vložila si ju za výstrih a vychádza von. Môžem vidieť, ako sa ten starý nosatý žid díva von. Dvaja iní muži sa navzájom štuchli, povedal, „Pozri sa, čo tam ide, čo vychádza tam z obchodu. Zaujímalo by ma, čo tam robila.“
Ó, ty farizej, štucháš niekoho druhého! Pozri sa raz sám na seba! Ó, možno nie si na tom vo svojom konaní sexuálne zle; možno nepiješ alkohol; ale, ó, ty slepý farizej, čo robíš môjmu Pánovi? Čo robíš Jemu, ty pokrytec chladného srdca? Dávaš Ho nabok. Kvôli čomu to robíš? Ako to môžeš robiť? Vidieť Jeho prítomnosť všade naokolo teba, vedieť, že On tam čaká, aby ťa požehnal a privítal ťa, ale ty si príliš dobrý. Ó, nikdy si sa nestal úbohý. Mal by si sa raz na seba pozrieť cez Božiu lupu a uvidieť, ako vyzeráš. Tvoja samo-spravodlivosť, všetky tvoje malé formy a bezvýznamné veci sa rozplynú, tvoje malé tradície.
50Vidím ju; musela sa ponáhľať; začínalo byť neskoro. Radšej neskoro ako nikdy. A keď sa dostala tam hore, mohla povedať, kedy bola nablízku zástupu, kde boli bohatí. Počula, ako štrngajú poháre s vínom, viete, takto. Dostala sa tam hore, kde boli. Zaujímalo ju, kde je On. Je teraz celá rozrušená. Ten žid sa škriabe na hlave a díva sa po tých ostatných druhoch na rohu, povedal, „Čo to s ňou bolo?“ Povedal, „Slzy zafarbili jej líca. Plakala, zaujímalo by ma, kam teraz ide. Zaujímalo by ma, čo sa stalo.“
Tá žena, ako sa dívala a uzrela Jeho tvár, povedala, „On nerozpráva ako títo farizeji; On je odlišný. Ten Učiteľ je trocha odlišný od tých farizejov.“ Vedela, že tam bolo niečo odlišné. Keď sa pozrela hore a pomyslela si, „Ako sa tam dostanem, ako pôjdem na to bohaté miesto? Ako to môžem urobiť?“ Ale tá vec, ktorú urobila, povedala, „Raz som Ho počula povedať, 'Poďte ku Mne všetci, ktorí ste obťažení a ťažko pracujete, Ja vám dám odpočinutie.'“
51Tam nešlo o to, ako sa tam dostane, ale či sa vynasnaží sa tam dostať? Vidím ju, ako si prediera cestu cez ten zástup. Nezáležalo na tom, čo sa hovorilo, alebo kto hovoril, ona bola na svojej ceste stretnúť Ježiša.
Robíš to? Prerazil by si si svoju cestu cez rozdiely v dnešnom svete? Dokázal by si si preraziť svoju cestu cez vulgárnosť, cez filmové predstavenia a tancovanie a vyvádzanie, ktoré robíš, nazývaš samého seba Kresťanom, aby si sa dostal k Ježišovi?
Dokázal by si odložiť nabok všetku svoju svetskú spoločenskú zábavu, aby si prišiel k Pánovi Ježišovi, aby si bol uspokojený Ním? Bože, buď milostivý. Ona sa predrala rovno cez to. Snažila sa tam dostať bez ohľadu na to, aká bola mizerná. Ó, viem, že to nebolo podľa obvyklého poriadku, ó, samozrejme. Nech nám Boh pomôže, aby sme sa raz za čas dostali pomimo obvyklého poriadku. Ten problém je, že ste príliš podľa obvyklého poriadku. Vyjdite pomimo toho obvyklého poriadku. Dúfam, že cirkev sa dostáva pomimo obvyklého poriadku dostatočne na to, aby bola spasená.
52Pamätám si, keď ma Ježiš spasil. Ó, nikdy na to nezabudnem. Toto moje malé kentucké srdce skákalo deväťdesiat míľ za hodinu. Plakal som; ronil som slzy; kričal som; nestaral som sa o to, kto stojí naokolo. Nebral som ohľad na nejaký poriadok; bol som v prítomnosti Ježiša; miloval som Ho.
Ona si nevšímala, ako veľmi zapadala do určitej normy alebo ako veľmi bola pomimo toho. Tá hlavná vec bola: dostať sa k Ježišovi. Tam On sedel so špinavými nohami. Sedel tam nepobozkaný. Nebol vítaný a ona chcela urobiť, aby sa cítil vítaný. Nestarala sa o ich staré farizejské poriadky, o ich staré tradície a nominácie. Pretláčala si cestu, aby sa dostala k Ježišovi. Bože, pomôž nám, aby sme mali takéto prebudenie, kde si muži a ženy budú pretláčať cestu cez zástupy a denominácie a zábrany, až kým sa nedostanú do prítomnosti Ježiša.
53Áno, ona sa chcela dostať ku Ježišovi; On mal špinavé nohy. Môj Pán Boh tam sedí so špinavými nohami, kde do nich bude čoskoro zabodnutý rímsky klinec, aby bola zabalzamovaná Jeho Krv pre spasenie sveta. Špinavé nohy, nech mi za to odpustí. Ó, bolí ma to, ale Ježiš so špinavými nohami, nepobozkaný, nemilovaný: „Prišiel ku Svojim vlastným, Jeho vlastní Ho neprijali.“ Prišiel, aby dodržal Svoje zasľúbenie, a potom bol neprivítaný.
Prečo sa vy ľudia rok za rokom modlíte o prebudenie, a keď ono prichádza do vášho susedstva, myslíte si, že to je fanatizmus. Neprivítaný Ježiš, špinavé nohy. Ó, ak by to nemalo zlomiť srdce každého muža a ženy. Neprivítaný. Ó, celebrity, veľké veci ďalej pokračujú, ale Ježiš je neprivítaný. Ó.
54Všimnite si, ako to ide ďalej, ona rýchlo beží; ide ku Jeho nohám, ako tam leží natiahnutý. Ona sa díva do Jeho tváre; povedala, „Nemôžem, neviem, čo sa stalo. Som celá bez seba.“ Plakala. Bože, pomôž nám raz za čas dostať sa poza seba.
Ten problém toho je, že si tak rituálny. Musíš sa modliť určitým spôsobom, zakončiť to s 'amen' ako zomierajúce teľa s kŕčmi...?... „aaaaamen.“ Stojíte v speváckom chóre a spievate s namaľovanými tvárami a Jezábeľskými nechtami a správate sa, ako neviem čo, a nazývate sa Kresťanmi. Ty slepý farizej, čo to s tebou je? Môj Pán je v meste, neprivítaš Ho vo svojom srdci?
55Tam On sedí. Ona sa dostala ku Jeho nohám; položila na zem nádobu. Začala sa dvíhať, ona nemohla, jednoducho nemohla. Plakala tak veľmi, že sa nedokázala zodvihnúť. Zostala napoly zhrbená a nedokázala sa zodvihnúť. Uvedomovala si, že stála vedľa Prameňa čistoty. Uvedomovala si, že stála vedľa tej jedinej Veci, ktorá jej mohla odpustiť.
„Je Prameň naplnený Krvou, ktorá vytiekla z Emanuelových žíl.“ Tá jediná vec, ktorá mohla zmyť preč jej vinu, ona bola v prítomnosti Toho, ako prostitútka. Prišla taká, aká bola. Nevedela, čo robiť. Plakala; mala zodvihnuté svoje ruky. Nedokázala to vydržať; dívala sa a tam bol On. „Ó, je to možné,“ povedala, „Je to možné, že to je On, Ten milovaný? Ten, ktorého som počula, ako povedal, 'Poďte ku Mne všetci, ktorí ste obťažení a ťažko pracujete.'? Bože, poznáš moje srdce; nemusím povedať ani slovo; nedokážem, som bez seba.“
56A ona sa namáhala a plakala a slzy jej stekali po lícach, kvapkali, padali dole na Ježišove špinavé nohy. Slzy sa liali po jej lícach dole na Jeho špinavé nohy. A prvé, čo zistíte, ona sa našla, ako drhla Jeho nohy. Drhla Jeho nohy a slzy len stekali dolu. Čo za požehnanie, slzy nefalšovaného pokánia, slzy pokánia stekali dolu, umývali špinavé nohy Ježiša... Ó, Bože, buď milostivý. Slzy ľútosti, čo za nádherná voda, čo za trblietavá voda, ktorá vychádza z jej srdca.
„Pane Bože, nie som dobrá, ale nedokážem vydržať vidieť Ťa, ako tu takto sedíš.“ A slzy jej stekali po lícach a ona takto drhla Jeho nohy, umývala ich so svojimi slzami. Tam bola položená alabastrová nádoba, a prvé, čo zistíte, v jej hysterickom stave jej vlasy padli dolu. Jej kadere padli dolu a skôr, ako sa nazdala, mala svoje vlasy – utierala Jeho nohy vlasmi, ktoré mala na hlave.
57Bože, buď milostivý. Ó, môj Pán je tam a tá skupina farizejov chladného srdca tam len sedí, sú ľahostajní. Ó, utiera Jeho požehnané nohy s vlasmi na hlave... Niektoré z vás žien, aby ste to mohli urobiť, museli by ste sa postaviť na svoju hlavu. Striháte si svoje vlasy, je to tak. Nehovorím to ako vtip. Biblia povedala, „Sláva ženy je v jej vlasoch.“ A vy ste si tie svoje ostrihali.
Čo to bolo? Čo to bolo? To bola jej sláva. Jediná počestná vec, ktorú na sebe mala, boli jej dlhé vlasy, a všetko to padlo dolu k Ježišovým nohám. Jej slzy, všetko, čím bola, bolo vylievané pri Ježišových nohách, ako umývala Ježišove špinavé nohy. Čo za spôsob... Viem, že to nebolo podľa obvyklého poriadku. Čo sa staráš o obvyklý poriadok? Načo kráčaš s davom? Čo sa staráš o to, čo robia oni? Ty si v prítomnosti Ježiša.
58Ona sa nestarala o to, čo hovorili tí farizeji. Či Ježiš odtiahol Svoje nohy a povedal, „Hej, hej, hej, nemôžeš to robiť.“? Nie veru, On zostával úplne pokojný. Ona bola rovno v poriadku, ako umývala Ježišove špinavé nohy so svojimi slzami pokánia, utierala ich s tou jedinou slávou, ktorú mala, jej vlasmi. Ako kládla všetko k Jeho vzácnym nohám, bola bez seba. Ona umývala; takmer nevedela, čo robí.
Po chvíli za zdvihla. Nevedela, čo... Rozhliadla sa naokolo. Ó, povedal niečo Šimon? Áno. Ó, neskôr on povedal svoje pripomienky. Vidím ho, ako sčervenel v tvári. Jeho oceľovo ostré, bezbožné, jašteričie oči sa do nej zabodli. Najprv sčervenel a potom zostal biely od zlosti. Počujem ho, ako ide... [Brat Branham napodobuje odkašliavanie. – pozn.prekl.] ...jeho program zostal narušený. Povedal si vo svojom srdci, „Či vieš, aký druh ženy to je, pred ktorou stojíš?“ Pomyslel si, že by to mohlo poškodiť jeho dobrú povesť.
59No, brat, Ježišova povesť je vytvorená, keď je On v prítomnosti hriešnikov. Ježišova povesť nie je hriešnikmi poškodená, ona je vytvorená v prítomnosti hriešnikov. Tam umýva Jeho nohy, zodvihla sa, berie alabastrovú nádobu, všetko, čo teraz mala, bolo tam, jej vlasy viseli dolu, odlomila z toho vrch, rozlomila to, všetko to vyliala. Nenechala niečo na horšie dni; všetko to vyliala na Jeho nohy. Lebo všetko, čo mala, jej sláva, ona sama, jej slzy pokánia a všetky peniaze, to všetko bolo vložené do tej nádoby s nardom. Ona to vyliala na Jeho nohy.
Ó, Bože, buď milostivý našej odmeranej, bezbožnej generácii, v ktorej žijeme; farizeji, zabávanie. Vyliala to na Jeho nohy...
60A, viete, Šimon povedal, „Ak by vedel... Ak by tento človek bol prorokom, ak by dokázal vidieť videnia, ako hovorí, že vidí, ak by tento človek vídal videnia, ak by bol prorokom, vedel by, aký druh ženy bola tá, ktorá umýva Jeho nohy.“
Ó, ty slepý pokrytec, si príliš samospravodlivý, aby si vedel, čo si myslí Ježiš. Si príliš samospravodlivý; zaobchádzal si s Ním rovnakým spôsobom, to je dôvod, prečo dnes nie si spasený. To je dôvod, prečo nemáš krst Duchom Svätým, pretože to je spôsob, akým si s Ním zaobchádzal, hanbil si sa. Ó, ten slepý farizej... stál tam v celej svojej samo-spravodlivosti, povedal, „Ak by bol vidiacim, ak by bol prorokom, istotne by vedel, aký druh ženy to je.“
61Môžem vidieť Ježiša, ako sa po prvýkrát odvtedy, čo vošiel dverami, cítil príjemne. On vítal hriešnikov. Vstal a povedal, „Šimon, mám ti niečo povedať. Mám pár vecí, o ktorých s tebou budem hovoriť, Šimon. Keď som vošiel do tvojho domu...“ Ó, Bože. „Keď som vošiel do tvojho domu,“ farizej, vidíš, o čom tu hovorím? „Keď som vošiel do tvojho domu, neumyl si Moje nohy, Šimon. Nedal si Mi žiaden olej, Šimon. Vôbec si Ma nepobozkal na privítanie, Šimon. Len si Ma tu nechal sedieť potom, ako si Ma prijal za hosťa, priviedol si Ma dolu, pozval si Ma a Ja som prišiel a ty si Mi nedal ani olej na hlavu, ani si Mi nedal vodu na nohy a nepobozkal si Ma na privítanie.“
„Ale táto biedna žena, čo ona po celý čas robí? [Brat Branham predvádza. – pozn.prekl.] Bozkáva Jeho nohy. Haleluja. Bozkáva Jeho nohy. Povedal, „Odkedy vošla do domu,“ Bože, buď milostivý, povedal, „neprestala bozkávať Moje nohy, odkedy som prišiel do domu.“ Ó, Bože, nedokážem ďalej kázať, keď pomyslím na to, že môj Pán dnes dostáva také isté privítanie.
62Ó, „Táto žena neprestala bozkávať Moje nohy, odkedy som vošiel dnu. A ty si Mi nedal žiadnu vodu na umytie; nedal si Mi žiadne pomazanie, žiaden olej na Moje vysušené ruky a Moje pery a Moju tvár. Nepobozkal si Ma na privítanie a nepovedal si Mi, že som vítaný, aby som vošiel do tvojho domu. Ale táto žena ešte stále bozkáva Moje nohy.“
Ó, počúvajte, čo povedal. Potom sa odvrátil od Šimona a pozrel sa na túto biednu mizernú trosku, jej vlasy viseli dolu, mokré od sĺz, a mala na nich hanbu z cesty. Jej pery boli od oleja z nardu, kde bozkávala Jeho nohy, slzy jej stekali po lícach... Počúvajte, čo hovorí, „Tvoje hriechy, ktorých bolo mnoho, sú ti všetky odpustené.“ Ó, Bože. „Tvoje hriechy, ktorých bolo mnoho, všetky sú ti odpustené.“
63Ó, Bože, táto naničhodná generácia... Či nedokážeš vidieť, že Pán chce prísť do tvojho domu a byť privítaný, uctievaný, oslávený, vyvýšený? Ó, nech ti je Boh milostivý. Modlime sa; skloňme na chvíľu naše hlavy. Niečo mi hovorí, „Teraz sa modli.“ Bože, Ježiš, špinavé nohy, neprivítaný Ježiš, a nepobozkaný, nevítaný Ježiš...
Milostivý Otče, prídeš, prosím, v tento deň dolu a ukážeš Svoje srdce pred týmto zhromaždením, aby mohli vedieť, že Ty si stále Ježiš. A oni zlyhali privítať Ťa. Milujú svoje malé bezvýznamné veci; milujú svoje organizácie, svoje denominácie. Milujú svoje malé spoločenské udalosti v cirkvi, ich ženské pomocné združenia a mnohé iné veci, do ktorých radi chodia. Muži milujú svoje večierky pri kartách, ich vyvádzanie, a nevítajú Ježiša.
64Ó, Pane, môj Uzdraviteľu, môj Spasiteľu, môj Opatrovateľu; Ó, Bože, kde by som bol, ak by nebolo Teba? Bože, prosím, hovor do sŕdc, ktoré sú dnes chladné a ľahostajné; daj im poznať, že si dnes tu s tou istou milujúcou opaterou. Ty pozoruješ, vidíš toho jedného, ktorý sa vracia domov, ktorý bol tak ľahostajný, ktorý sa potuloval tak dlho ulicami.
Ó, prečo čakáš, môj brat?
Prečo tak dlho váhaš?
Ježiš čaká, aby ti dal
miesto pri Svojom posvätenom tróne.
Neopustíš všetky svoje bezbožné cesty?
Či neopustíš všetky svoje malé veci a neprídeš dnes k Nemu? Koľkí, zatiaľ čo sa modlíme, s vašimi sklonenými hlavami, postavil by si sa len na svoje nohy a povedal, „Bože, buď mi milostivý. Dnes prichádzam; som ochotný, Pane, urobiť čokoľvek. Chcem Ťa dnes privítať vo svojom srdci ako svojho Spasiteľa. Chcem opustiť všetky veci sveta. Chcem sa vzdať každého potešenia, ktoré má svet.
65Chcem byť tak naplnený Tvojou dobrotou, aby som vedel, že si to jedine Ty. Pozval som Ťa, ale odvrhol som Ťa. Povedal som Ti, keď zomrelo moje dieťa, že Ti budem slúžiť. Povedal som Ti, keď zomrela matka, keď som kládol tie kvety na hrob môjho otca, povedal som, 'Bože, jedného dňa Ti budem slúžiť.' Ale zavolal som Ťa, a odvrhol som Ťa, ale dnes prichádzam. Keď pred chvíľou kazateľ povedal, zarazil tam dolu malý kolík, vedľa zeme, kde ležalo dieťa alebo mama, povedal som, že Ti budem slúžiť, Pane. Ale bol som farizej, herec. Nikdy som ku Tebe naozaj neprišiel, ale teraz prichádzam. Idem sa postaviť, Pane, aby som ti dokázal, že Ťa milujem. Nehanbím sa za Teba. Urobil si pre mňa tak mnoho. Jedného dňa, keď život skončí, ó, Bože, chcem stáť, ako stála tá prostitútka v tom dni. Nebudem chcieť s Ním hovoriť; nie som hoden s Ním hovoriť. Ale chcem povedať, 'Ježišu, dovoľ mi bozkať tú jazvu na vrchu Tvojej nohy, dovolíš to, Ježišu? Len mi dovoľ pobozkať tú jazvu; bola tam urobená pre mňa.' Ó, Bože.“
66Nie som dieťa, ale, ó, nehanbíte sa za seba? Nehanbíš sa za to, akým spôsobom si zaobchádzal s mojím Ježišom? Len si vyšiel, pripojil si sa do zboru a nikdy si nemal žiadne obrátenie. Stále miluješ veci toho sveta, stále berieš starú svetskú zábavu a užívaš si ju. Ó, nevieš, čo to je byť znovuzrodený. Nevieš, čo to je mať obecenstvo. Ó, myslíš si, že si dostatočne dobrý, ale nie si. To nie je o tom, aký si dobrý; je to o tom, ako Ho miluješ. Ak Ho Miluješ, tak zachovávaš Jeho prikázania.
Postavíš sa práve teraz na svoje nohy na svedectvo Bohu? Povieš, „Pane Ježišu, začínam byť unavený z toho, že som pokrytec, starý farizejský herec, ako keby som mal náboženstvo, pričom nemám. Chcem, aby si rovno teraz prišiel do môjho srdca. Ak si mohol urobiť, aby tí skrútení a chromí vyšli zo svojich nosidiel a invalidných vozíkov, ak si mohol urobiť, aby slepý videl a hluchý počul, viem, že si Bohom. Viem, že Ty hovoríš do môjho srdca.“
67Postavil by si sa teraz na svoje nohy, muž alebo žena, chlapec alebo dievča, aby ste prijali Pána Ježiša?
Čo sa to tu deje? Niečo nie je v poriadku. Nehovorte mi, že o tom neviem. Viete, o čo ide? Bojíte sa, že váš sused o tom niečo povie. Ste vystrašení z toho, že niekto iný niečo povie.
Čo povie Ježiš? Ježiš neprivítaný v tvojom srdci. Toto môže byť tvoja posledná šanca, priateľu. Sestra, toto môže byť tvoja posledná šanca.
Ježiš je blízko, On je dnes nepobozkaný. Zhromaždenie je voči Nemu ľahostajné. Minulý večer zostúpil a uzdravil všetkých vašich nemocných, a veci, poslal ich domov uzdravených a v poriadku, zostúpil a preukázal sa vám, že bol tu na pódiu, skrze to, že činil veľké znamenia a zázraky, v tejto malej chatrči tu. Zostúpil zo slávy, aby potvrdil, že tu je, skrze Svoje Slovo. A dnes Ho necháte sedieť neprivítaného. „Ó, radšej by som mal svoj večierok.“
68Čo si dnes myslí farizej Šimon v pekle, v ktorom je? Viem si predstaviť, že by rád znova usporiadal ten malý večierok. Viem si predstaviť, že by bol odlišný. Šimon by plakal, „Ó, Ježišu, chcel by som umyť Tvoje nohy.“ O rok od dneška, sedia tu dnes ľudia, ktorí, ak nepríjmu Krista, o rok od dneška si budeš želať, aby si to urobil. Povieš, „Ó, Ježišu, ak by som mohol znova ísť naspäť na to malé zhromaždenie vonku. Ó, Ježišu, ak by som mohol znova počuť toho kazateľa volať, Ježišu, postavil by som sa, ó, postavil by som sa.“
Príliš neskoro, hriech ťa oddelil. „Pane, spomínam si na ten deň, keď tak veľmi pršalo; slzy stekali z očí ľudí. Kazateľ nám hovoril o tom, ako nás miluješ a akí sme boli voči Tebe ľahostajní. A ja som bol iný, Pane.“ Ten bohatý muž mal raz takúto výhovorku, po tom, ako mu kázal Lazár.
69Ó, vašej úrode sa môže dobre dariť. Tabaku sa môže dobre dariť, kukurica dozrieva. Ó, možno zajtra musíš prať, sestra. Možno v utorok musíš ísť do klubu. To nemá nič spoločné s mojím Ježišom. Čo robíš s Ním? Necháš Ho sedieť, so svetom, dávaš na Neho špinu, hovoríš, „To je nezmysel; nič na tom nie je. To je mentálna telepatia; je to z diabla.“ A sedíš, nechávaš Ho takto sedieť, nič z tým nerobíš. Ale to je medzi tebou a Bohom.
Prečo čakáš, môj brat?
Prečo tak dlho váhaš?
Ježiš čaká, aby ti dal
miesto vo Svojom posvätenom tróne.
Prečo čakáte? Chcete mi povedať, že tu nie je žiaden muž, chlapec alebo dievča? Sedíte tu a viete o tom, že viem, kto ste. Viete o tom, že sa tu pohybuje Duch Svätý a temnota visí nad vami, ako sa dívam naprieč týmto poslucháčstvom. A viem, kde sedíš; a ak to viem ja, o koľko viac to vie On? Boh ku tebe hovorí a ty odvraciaš svoje chladné, ľahostajné srdce od Neho preč.
70Pamätaj, hovorím ti, že to môže byť naposledy. „Môj Duch nebude naveky zápasiť s človekom,“ vidiac, že on je len telo. Máš slobodnú morálnu voľbu; môžeš urobiť svoje rozhodnutie. Prečo ho neurobiť dnes? Prečo nevložíš svoju dušu do rúk Toho, ktorý pozná všetky veci, Ktorý drží večnosť vo Svojich rukách? On je Ten pravý, ktorý ťa má viesť. On je Ten jediný, ktorý ťa môže právoplatne umiestniť na miesto, kde máš byť.
Som ochotný vybrať si moju príležitosť s Ním. Som tak šťastný. Som tak šťastný, že som to urobil. Som tak šťastný, tak šťastný. Videl som ten čas, zatiaľ čo ste mali sklonené hlavy. Poznáte ocka, nech Boh žehná jeho srdce, posledná modlitba, ktorú sa modlil, bola na mojom ramene, keď zomieral. Biedny starý ocko pil tak veľa, spôsobil po meste veľa hanby. A keď to robil, tak pil, naše mená boli v meste veľmi pochybné, keď som bol chlapec. Zvykol som tam dole stáť a hovoriť s niekým, ak niekto iný išiel okolo, oni ma opustili a rozprávali sa s nimi, pretože som bol Branham. Ó, Bože, meno, ktoré bolo vytiahnuté zo stoky.
71Minule som manželke hovoril, „Pozri, miláčik, teraz ani nemôžem ísť domov. Ľudia sedia v hoteloch, z Afriky, z Indie, z celého sveta, prosia o päť minút času. Idú okolo sveta kvôli piatim minútam.“ Povedal som, „Čo to urobilo, miláčik? Nie moje vzdelanie, nemám žiadne; nie moja osobnosť, nemám žiadnu. Čo to urobilo? Ježiš, On to urobil; On to urobil.“
On povedal Dávidovi, „Dávid, vytiahol som ťa od ovčieho chlieva, aby som ti urobil veľké meno medzi veľkými ľuďmi sveta. Vytiahol som ťa od ovčieho chlieva, aby si bol panovníkom nad Mojím ľudom.“ Ó, Bože, Ježišu, „Nebol si nič; spasil som ťa a urobil ťa Mojím Synom. Spasil som ťa a urobil z teba knieža. Spasil som ťa a povolal ťa, aby si kázal Evanjelium.“ Ó, Ježišu, ó, Tvoje drahé zjazvené nohy a ruky, Tvoje tŕňom prepichnuté obočie. Ó, Ježišu, milujem Ťa.
72Tu na domácej pôde, rovno v zemi, kde som sa narodil, Pane, malý hriešny chlapček. Prosím, drahý Bože, rozpáľ srdcia ľahostajných, prehovor ku nim v milosrdenstve a pokoji, veľký Jehova. Jedného dňa prídeš a Tvoj hnev bude zúrivý. Ešte raz, Pane, zavolám, potom to poručím Tebe. Urobil som všetko, čo som vedel. Hovoril som o Tebe, Pane, a rozplakal som sa, nemohol som si v tom pomôcť. Či dáš nejakému hriešnikovi, Pane, povstať a povedať, „Teraz, Pane, stojím tiež pri Tvojich nohách. Nestarám sa o to, čo povedia farizeji. Nestarám sa o to, čo ktokoľvek hovorí. Odovzdávam sa Tebe. Budem skutočným Kresťanom v mojej cirkvi. Budem Ťa milovať a budem pre Teba pracovať, a privediem ostatných hriešnikov ku Tebe.“ Udeľ to, Pane, udeľ to, urobíš to, prosím?
73Dívam sa všade a nevidím stáť ani jedného. Ó, Bože, moji drahí ľudia z Kentucky, mnohí z vás sú chudobní ako ja, vychovaní tu v biednom živobytí, kúsok slaniny od starého Joa a kukuričný chlieb na raňajky. Nemáte nič na tomto svete, ale dnes máte príležitosť stať sa synmi a dcérami Božími. Prečo to neurobíte? Kto si myslíte, že ste? Akú hodnotu bude mať tá stará farma? Zomriete a opustíte ju. Čo sa stane s tým malým obchodom, čo sa stane s tou malou prestížou, ktorú máš?
Uvedomujete si, že jedného dňa vás budú ťahať po svahu a dajú vás do jamy a dajú na vás nejaké blato? Kde bude vaša duša, ak dnes odmietate Ježiša? Jediný Prameň, ktorý existuje a môže vás zachrániť, môže vás uzdraviť, vziať preč váš hriech a hanbu, urobiť vás Kresťanom namiesto členom zboru... Prečo to neurobíte?
74Nebeský Otče, tomuto poslucháčstvu, ktoré tu dnes je, som podľa Tvojho Slova ponúkol večný, navždy trvajúci Život skrze Ježiša Krista, Syna Božieho. Nepoznám ich srdcia, prečo To neprijali. Videl som temnotu a zatemnenosť cez videnie, ako visí nad ľuďmi. Ty vieš a videl si ostatných, ako boli uzdravení, dokonca telesne, zatiaľ čo oni – prebiehala kázeň. A Tvoja prítomnosť je tu; ešte tu je. Prečo Ťa ľudia neprijímajú, nerozumiem tomu. Nedokážem tomu porozumieť. Možno prekročili čiaru, kde to už viac nemôžu urobiť. Možno to počuli predtým a Ty si povedal, „Nebudem s človekom zápasiť naveky.“ Je to na Tebe, Otče, ja neviem. Odovzdávam Ti ich všetkých a modlím sa, aby ani jeden nebol stratený. Ďakujem Ti za všetko, čo si vykonal. A prosím o Tvoje požehnanie na nich, Otče.
75Žehnaj dnes večer kazateľov z mesta. Mnohí z nich budú mať zhromaždenia. Nech sa ku nim natiahne Tvoja láska a milosrdenstvo, Otče. Nech niektorí, ktorí tu sú a pôjdu dnes večer navštíviť svoju vlastnú cirkev, nech povstanú a prídu k oltáru vo svojej vlastnej cirkvi. Udeľ to, Pane, a nech sa necítia tak odsúdení, že ani neodídu dnes večer z domu, až sa prešmyknú von niekde ku kukuričnej sýpke alebo do spálne, zavolajú ženu a deti a povedia, „Počuj, drahá, skrátka sa od toho nemôžem dostať preč.“
Možno zajtra, zatiaľ čo budú na obilnom poli alebo v tabakovom záhone alebo tu niekde, zatiaľ čo bude šoférovať nákladiak dolu ulicou, alebo ona bude umývať riad alebo stlať posteľ. Bože, nech to bude znova prenasledovať ich srdce, znova a znova. Nech je dnes večer vankúš poriadne ťažký. Nech snívajú a zobudia sa, „Ó, prečo som odmietol Ježiša? Videl som Ho tam sedieť, ale obišiel som Ho, aby som bol ľahostajný.“ Nech vtedy vstanú z postele a prídu a majú ďalšiu šancu, Otče.
Daj nám tu dnes večer ohromnú službu. Nech Tvoj Duch je na všetkých a nech sa tam dnes večer udejú veľké uzdravenia. Udeľ to, Pane, zatiaľ čo sa modlíme v Ježišovom Mene. Amen. [Prázdne miesto na páske. – pozn.prekl.]
76Čo ak by som ti povedal, že ťa Ježiš pred pár minútami uzdravil? Veril by si tomu? Veril by si tomu? Ten stav so žlčníkom a tá vec, ktorú si mal, že ťa to všetko opustí? Veríš, že to odíde? Veríš, v poriadku. Pozri, čo sa s tebou teraz stalo. Tvoja viera ťa uzdravila.
On je nádherný; On je tu. Koľkí naozaj, možno, ja neviem, chceli by ste s Ním len kráčať trocha bližšie? Zodvihli by ste len svoju ruku? Povedzte, „Rád by som s Ním len kráčal trocha bližšie.“ Udaj nám malý akord,
Len kráčať bližšie.
Len kráčať bližšie s Tebou.
1 I know that Methodists are not afraid of water either. So they come out to set under the shelter, as it is, whether it's raining or not. I thought just the Baptists was that way, but I see the Methodists are also.
So happy to be in the service this afternoon. When the storm came up, and I looked out of my hotel window, I said, "Oh, my. Satan, why do you do this evil?" And I said, "Just down here for these two services, and then you send a rain." Well, they claim that, "All things work together for good, to them that love the Lord," so it just made it cool, so you wouldn't have to--to fan. So, and I understand the farmers are needing the rain, so we're glad to see it in every way.
2 So glad to meet some friends here, just a few moments ago, Mr. and Mrs. Zeb Smith, that we was raised on their farm, right down here, down the ridge a little ways, Mr. and Mrs. Smith on the corner, setting right down here. When I was a little boy, I suppose they packed me around. My father, I think, worked for Mr. Smith, when I was a--just a little bitty baby boy, before leaving for Indiana.
And I have my friends the McSpaddens and them. And another Methodist preacher from this part of the country, Mr. John O'Bannon. I'm sure you know him, setting right here with the blue coat on, a very personal friend of mine from Louisville, Kentucky, a business man now, in Louisville.
And Mrs. Smith asked if Mama was here, and I think I see a car out there. Is my mother here? That's what I'm wondering, if--if she is in here. I seen a car like the lady that was going to bring her if they come, and I told Mrs. Smith, she might be here. Mama, are you here? I guess maybe I was wrong, Mrs. Smith. I'm sorry. But we--maybe she will be down for tonight's service. She was trying maybe to get down, to have some way to coming down, and this car setting right here looked just like it; and Billy said, "I guess Grandma's here."
And I said, "It looks like the car."
3 A doctor that was healed in my meeting, up in Chicago, by the name of Dilly, and they have a big clinic there, and came into the meeting with a incurable disease, and was miraculously made well, and has given their life to the Lord Jesus. And I have seen many, many doctors, in many parts of the country.
Here some time ago, Doctor Theodore Palvedus, the whole West Coast, if any of them here knows Doctor Palvedus, who upon a case of Divine healing, and the man was converted, and I baptized him in a irrigation ditch. And he's stopped his practice of medicine, when people even flew from New York to him to be operated. And he's running a little mission in the slums in Oakland City, California, Doctor Theodore Palvedus, a marvelous Greek man. And his wife was Armenian.
4 And when the--the Mrs. out there, an Armenian woman, dying with both breasts taken off with cancer, and the Lord said, "In three days she will be on the street," and he laughed at me.
And he said, "Such a disgrace," said, "you impostor, put that woman under false thoughts like that."
I said, "It wasn't me; it was Him that said it, sir."
And he said, "Well, you know that woman will be dead in the next six hours." Said, "She's been unconscious now twenty-four hours. She will go at any time."
I said, "If she's not on the streets, shouting, in twenty-four hours, tell you what I will do. I will put a sign on my back, 'False prophet,' and you get in your big Cadillac, and drive me down through the streets of Los Angeles. And if she is on the street, I will put a sign on your back, 'Quack Doctor,' and drive down in front of you. Now, we will just shake hands and stand here; we will see whether."
But he wouldn't do it. And in twenty-four hours, she was shopping; and she's still a well, healthy woman today. That's been about eight years ago. Shows that our Lord Jesus has risen from the dead, a God Who could make that boy swing from that stretcher last night, laying there dying, and whatever it was taken place, the boys was telling me about it today. He's still the Lord Jesus Christ, and we're so happy that He is.
5 Now, tonight we're going to pray for the sick again, the Lord willing. And we trust that we will have a good night, and down here with you people. Maybe sometime we could get back again and have a little longer stay. We will get the pastors together and so forth, and have a little longer meeting.
Now, today I was coming into this campgrounds, where it's controlled, or not controlled, but owned by a denomination of church. And we certainly salute this church with all of our heart, the Methodist church, for what great things it has did in the world for our blessed Lord Jesus. And the many thousands of souls, that the church by the preaching of the Gospel, has lead to the Lord Jesus, I just wonder what it will be when we all meet together on the other side, when this life is over.
6 Then in coming in here, last night in approaching the subject of Divine healing, I did not approach it in a doctrinal standpoint, because that I just thought while I was here, I would speak on the instances of the life of the Lord Jesus. That's what I was speaking last night, because no matter how well we are together, and how... Different churches believe different doctrines, so we--when we're in church, we like to be Christian gentlemen, to leave away from any kind of doctrine. Just so it's--we preach Christ, and Him crucified, that we all agree on.
So in the evangelistic service, this afternoon, just for a short time to speak, the Lord willing, it seemed to be upon my heart to still speak of the instances of Jesus' life. And that way, we're just dramatizing, or quoting something that He has did or said. And that way there's no doctrinal points hooked with it, just pure simple Gospel. I love it, don't you? That's right.
7 And now, before we can open the Book, we can open the pages, that way, but there's only One who can unravel that Word, and that's the Holy Spirit; that's all. He was the one Who wrote it. Do you believe that? He did, He wrote the... If men of old as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, wrote the Bible. And it was wrote by--I'm sorry, I did know, but I don't know now, just how many writers of the Bible. I'm sorry I can't quote that now, because I got two different numbers in my mind. I'm afraid I'd be mixed on it.
But anyhow, it was wrote... As much as twenty-something hundred years, from one gos--one part to the other one, and thousands of miles apart, and different ages, and not one bit of it contradicts the other. Why, two of us couldn't write a letter to one person without contradicting something. Isn't that right? But how inspired the Scripture is. All Scripture is given by inspiration, inspired of the Holy Spirit, as He wrote the words; and it's beautiful. And we love the Lord Jesus for His kindness.
8 Now, He's the only One that can interpret the Scripture correctly. Each one of us, we make a try at it, but until we become anointed, then we get ourself into it. And as long as self is in it, then the Holy Spirit cannot be in it, as long as self is.
Now, if someone will go to the door, some usher there or something, some folks, a ladies with their umbrellas are in the rain. If they would just make them as comfortable as we possibly can. We appreciate the loyalty and the sincerity of people who come out in the rainy day like this to hear the plain simple Gospel of the Lord Jesus.
If I'm not mistaken, this little lady sitting here in front, right here by Mrs. Wood, aren't you one of the instigators of me coming here? I don't know your name, sister; I--I prayed for you. And if I'm not mistaken, wasn't that at the Church of the Open Door in Louisville? You were healed or something, had some disease and--and since then, your hearts been stirred. And I believe you're a member in a--of one of the Methodists churches here in the city.
9 And it's been upon your heart for me to come down here. I don't--I'm sorry I don't know your name. But this is the lady, along with the Woods (my beloved friends and neighbors), that lived next door to me. They are Christians, royally. When you live next door to a person, you can pretty well tell what their made of, can't you? That's right.
So your one--two of your children from down here on these ridges somewhere around here, Mr. and Mrs. Banks Wood, I am so happy to have their fellowship with me in the Gospel work. And our beloved sister here, also, I just know her a little bit, but know her to be a loyal Christian. And I know she's a great worker in the church were she belongs. And may the Lord bless her and her church, together.
10 Now, the--as I was saying, the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible, and it's written in such a way, that there's no way at all for man in his--his mental conception to understand what it is. No matter how well you get it wrote out, how well you can put it together, it's wrong to begin with. See? Because He's hid it from the eyes of the wise and prudent, and it's a spiritual revelation.
Look at the Pharisees and Sadducees of the days of our Lord Jesus, how that they had it all figured out just to the dot, how that Christ would come and everything; and when He came, He come vice versa from what they had figured out, just to show that He's God. And it was... He did not come contrary to Scripture, He come--come contrary to their conception of the Scripture. But He come exactly the way the Scripture said, exactly.
11 Now, I have a little lisping. I'm--I'm not the little young boy that used to be on your place down there, Mr. and Mrs. Zeb Smith. I begot--just become an old man. And I had my first toothache the other day, and had to have a tooth pulled. And they put one back in it's place, and I got a wire in my mouth in here, and it's certainly is a barrier. Feels like I got that much in my mouth. So I'm sorry to lisp like that, till I get used to it. But as we get old, why we have to learn those things.
The other day I was talking, as I little... I was telling my wife; I was combing what few hairs I had left. My wife said to me; she said, "Billy, you're getting bald-headed."
I said, "Well, honey," but I said, "praise the Lord, there's not one of them perished."
She said, "Well, where are they at?"
I said, "I will ask you one question, then you--I will ans--and you answer me, I will answer you. Where were they before I got them? Ever where they was before they were, they are back there waiting for me to come to them." Amen. Oh, my.
12 So what do I care how old I get, how old you get, how wrinkled we are, how stooped we get, it doesn't mean a thing. One of these days Jesus is coming, and we will snap back to a young man and a woman and live forever. What a... Every corpuscle, every bit of...
Our bodies are made up out of, oh cosmic light, and petroleums, and so forth, but they come from somewhere. They wasn't here; then they are; then they are not again.
But God knows every atom that's holding your body together. Every speck of light, every corpuscle, every cell, every bit of petroleum, and all the calcium, phosphate, everything that goes in a human body that come out of the earth, He knows right where every speck, laying. And someday, your spirit will be turned loose, and it'll scream for it's life. And not an old man or woman...
13 But notice, the other day talking to a doctor in Louisville, Kentucky, we were talking on an African subject, and he said, "Well."
I said, "I want to ask you something, doctor, is it true that every time I eat, I renew my life now?"
"Sure," he says, "you eat food, and it makes blood cells, and blood cell will renews your life."
I said, "Why is it that I'm eating the same kind of beans, and potatoes, and corn bread, and so forth, that I eat when I was sixteen years old. When I eat it at sixteen, I got bigger, stronger, healthier, powerful all the time; and I eat the same thing now, only more of it, I suppose, and I'm getting older and weaker all the time? Tell me that, if I put new life in, why won't it do the same for me now it did thirty years ago?" See?
He said, "Well..."
I said, "I want to ask you something, if you're pouring water in a glass, and it's filling it up, why is it quits filling it up?"
He said, "Well..."
I said, "Because God has said." That's right. See? God has said.
14 And when we raise up... And we like a flower, a picture, we raised to a certain age, about the age of about twenty-two or three. When you and your wife got married, you dear old brother out here, when you worked your corn fields and things, married that little blushing cheek girl... It's too bad we ain't got many of them today. You know what, I haven't seen a woman blush for thirty years. All the modesty's gone. I don't want to get started on that now.
All right, I'm just an old fashion, backwoods, sassafras preacher that believes the truth. I--I believe that people should live godly, holy, in this present life, looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus.
But when we get to a place, about twenty-three, we get married, and take the sweetheart on our arm and go down home, you brothers remember that. And you're at your best then. The first thing you know, Mother wakes up one morning, say, "Dad, I see a gray hair."
You say, "Mother, I've been noticing a wrinkle under those beautiful eyes." See, what's the matter? Death set in; ain't long it'll corner you. It'll get out of there... After while you'll be old; it'll take you, but that's all it can do. That's all.
15 Every corpuscle, everywhere when you was your best, right at the peak, God says, "Now the picture's painted. That's what I want in My great Millennium that's a coming, so I will just... Now, death there you are, but you can't take them now. You can go to working on them, but you can't take them, till I call your hand." See?
And then in the great resurrection, then we will come forth. Everything that death did to us, it finishes at death, and then we will wake to a new life. Won't that be wonderful? All the gray hair's gone, the old age moved away. And we will be young forever and live forever in the beauty of the Lord, and never have to be sick, never have to be old, never have to take medicine, never be in a hospital, never an ambulance scream. Won't it be wonderful?
Why, they call us crazy, I believe we're the most intelligent people in the world. We, I say it, all right. Because we love our Lord Jesus. All that this Bible contains, them promises, and they're good. So how good our Lord has been. Let's speak to His dear Being now. If He will open the Word to us this afternoon, in a little short instance of the Scripture, and then we will get out early, so we can come back tonight. And I believe the boys will give out some more prayer cards, if we're going to pray for the sick, along about, oh, six-thirty, something like that.
16 Shall we pray? Our heavenly Father, we are happy today to be here in the state of Kentucky, down here among the people. And I know that back on these ridges, around in these old graveyards, many of them not even marked with a marker. Poor old dad, with a pair of overalls on and a patched shirt, he couldn't afford a tombstone. But when he laid his sweetheart away, put the baby down by her side, he drove down a little stake or a cross. But God in heaven, on the great books, tally books there, there's a name written. You know where she's at, where her body's lays.
And I'm so happy, Lord, to know that you don't forget. And we're happy to be associated with their children here today, who believes You also. And now, I ask You, Father, that You'll come into our presence, or let us come into Your Presence, rather. And let Your great august Being, Lord, just surge our souls with Your goodness and blessings, not because that we're worthy, we're unworthy, but just because You promised it, Lord, we're looking for it.
Now, the Scripture's all tied together. How the Bible means so much more than it speaks, if we can only have the Holy Spirit to interpret It for us. We only read It as we look down upon It, but oh how the Holy Spirit says, "Child of Mine, you're looking into My face now, when you look into this Bible. This is what I want you to know." And may the Holy Spirit take the Word of God today, and deliver it to every heart, just as we have need. And may we fellowship around the Word now. Inspire us. For we ask it Jesus Christ Name. Amen.
17 In a little place in the Scripture, found over here in the book of Saint Luke, of all my preaching in all my life, I have never approached this text before in my life. It's a new text that I have never tried from. But setting in my hotel room awhile ago, something seemed to draw me to this place. Shall we read it in the Gospel of Saint Luke, and we will begin at the 7th chapter and the 36th verse:
And one of the Pharisees... Him that he would--would come to his place for a dinner.
Jesus wanted--or the Pharisee wanted Jesus to come to his place for meal. Now, the--the case of it is, after you read the whole chapter on through, you are pretty well acquainted with the--with the manner of Scripture and how it speaks. But now, as we turn our thoughts to this, there's something wrong here. There is... Just a that much of Scripture to the period will be enough to give us the idea that I want to speak on. And my subject would be "Pride."
Oh, pride's such a cursed thing, so awful, so evil is pride. But there seems to be something wrong as we enter our little scene. And we want to look at it now, not from a doctrinal standpoint, but from an instant of Jesus' life, not for doctrine. But there, surely, is something wrong here, a Pharisee wanting to see Jesus, and having to eat with Him for fellowship. That's altogether contrary. The Pharisees hated Jesus. They had no use for Him at all. He was a--a Beelzebub to them, a devil, a deceiver. And no Pharisee had anything to do with Jesus.
18 But this Simon, he wanted Jesus to come to Him, and have some--be entertained by Him. Now, there's--there's something wrong with the picture.
When we see a--a little girl a following Grandma around all the time, little six or seven year old child following around with Grandma, there's something going on, the motives are--have been changed.
Now, a girl of six years old don't usually--or seven or eight, she likes to fool around, play around with little children her age. But if she follows Grandma all the time, now, it's either that Grandma is real good to her, or Grandma pets her, or she's Grandma's little pet, rather, or--or--or maybe you don't know, Grandma might have a sack of candy setting somewhere. See? The thing of it is, is the motive the child has in following Grandma. And surely this Pharisee, hating Jesus, had some sort of a motive behind it that wasn't just right.
19 Young people like to go with young people. Little children like to play in the streets, the Bible speaks of that in the prophecy of Isaiah. Little children playing in the streets, they have things in common: their dolls, and their tops, and their hobby horses and things. Little children associate with little children. The young girls associate with young girls, the middle aged women with the middle age, the old with the old.
Clubs, Kiwanis and Rotary, they have things in common. They have to meet together at their clubs in order to have--talk over the situations of how they--about the community, or about the--how they could take care of the poor in the situation. They've got to get together. And as the old Kentucky proverb as I've heard my mother say many times, "Birds of a feather flock together." That's a very much of a truth.
20 You never see crows and doves having much fellowship with one another. They're two different kinds of birds; one has one thing, and the other has the other. Now, the crow, he's a scavenger. He just eats dead things. But the dove cannot eat dead things. If the dove eats dead things, then the dove would die right away; he can't digest it. The dove, the bird that we know to be called dove, symbolized the Holy Spirit of a Dove in the Bible, that dove doesn't have any gall. It cannot digest bad, foul things; because if it would, it would mean the death of the dove.
A very beautiful type of a borned again Christian cannot digest the things of the world, 'cause if they do, it will spiritually kill them right away. But did you ever notice the old crow? Now, he can set on the dead carcass that's--that's decaying, in plain Kentucky language, rottening. And he can set on there and just eat all day long. But the dove cannot go around it; it stinks, and she will fly away. But the crow can set on there and eat all day long, and then he can go right out in the wheat field and eat with the dove, too.
21 So a hypocrite, an impostor, he can go to the world and affiliate with the world, and act like the world, and live in the world, and enjoy the pleasures of the world, and come to church and pretend to be a Christian. But the real Christian can't go out into the world and come back; there's something wrong. So that shows...
Show me your company, I will tell you who you are. Let me go into your house and see what you read, let me listen to--see what kind of music you--you have playing. Let me see what kind of magazines, what kind of literature you read. Let me look in your office and see if it's a big bunch of these vulgar pictures of pin-ups and things. And you tell me you're a Christian, I won't say nothing to you; but in my heart I will watch what kind of fruit you're bearing (See?), 'cause that's your diet.
Oh, you say, "I belong to the church. Well now, you no business judging me, Brother Branham." I am not judging you; the Word is a judging you. That's right. Your fruit, your life tells what you are.
22 Oh, my, this Pharisee must've had some kind of a motive behind this. What is a Pharisee? What does the word Pharisee mean? We don't use that word very often in Kentucky. What does the Pharisee word mean? In the Greek, it means "a actor, someone who acts." Oh, I hate that, somebody acting, trying to put on. I despise such a thing.
Many times people are trying to act like the other fellow. Listen, you quit trying to act like the next fellow, and just act out your own convictions and you get along better. Be yourself. That's right.
You see so many little children going to the picture show, come back home and want to act like the actress. Shame on you. In Hollywood, Los Angeles, I have many services out there, and I find out that the most of the people that's growed on the whole environment of the American people to act. We're great actors, Pharisees. There they are; you'll see them; they're before the screen so much until they're always acting.
23 In the American people through television, and through picture-shows, they have seen so much of the put on, till they become put-ons themself: too bad. And we get it in church, actors. Hmmm. God don't want them. Far be it from us to be actors. Be yourself; God wants you to be that way. I despise seeing someone trying to do something that they cannot do.
What a disgrace, I've noticed it many times, and beautiful voices that God has given to people, a talent, and then they overtrain it. I hate to hear an overtrained voice, when they stand up to sing, and get some kind of a note till they hold it so long till they get blue in the face, just to show the congregation how long they can hang on for dear life. And when they come back down, them people's not praising God; they're mind's on their note.
24 I love good old fashion Pentecostal singing (That's right.): where you forget the piano and the organ, where you don't have to get into some kind of ritualistic, put on program. Where you raise up your hands with the tears running down from your cheeks, whether you could sing do-ra-me-fa-so-la-te-do, or not, and just sing in the Spirit. From the heart you give praise to God. All out of the program, you have to get out of man's program to get in God's program (See?), get out of it.
Oh, my, deliver me from being a actor. Be what you are; God will bless you. You even down see sometimes ministers will do that. They will get in the pulpit, and make their voice very big. "I have now received my degree..." like it'd run shivers over you. I feel sorry for them. People don't appreciate that. Just be yourself, people will appreciate you more. Don't you believe that. Just be old plain sassafras, hickory smoked ham, sorghum molasses. It'll do you good; you won't put on.
25 But a Pharisee, oh, I hate that word, an im--a actor. Some sisters do the same thing, got a lot of acting about them. Oh, they'll cut their husbands nose off with, "John, why did you do that?" Just snappy as they can be. Oh, my, whew. God deliver me from ever calling on you if that's the kind of spirit you have. But let someone talk on the telephone, "Oh, how do you do? I am so glad that you called." Actors, shame on you: house angels, road devils, putting on. Just be yourself all the time. That's the best way to be. Don't you believe it?
Sure, you know how to take you then, not actors, not Pharisees. Go to church on Sunday, and oh, how pious you are and on Monday morning, nobody could get along with you. You Pharisee, what good does it do you to go to church? Oh, my, umm. They need a conversion; that's what you need. Take the thing out, the nature of it. Methodists ought to say, "Amen," to that, because that's Methodist doctrine if I understand it right, sanctification.
26 All right, Oh, my, pretenders, this old Pharisee sent to Jesus; he had something behind it. Well, he's tired; he's peeping over the top of the people. He can hardly see; he's sweaty. He's come all the way from southern Palestine, hunting and searching. The crowds are now gathered around, and all day long he's stood with the sweat ha--off of him, His tired, weary, feet running over the Palestine roads, full of dust and dung from the road, as he run. Every once in a while he stop and get a drink of water. But he raises up his head, and he looks again, sighs a little, "Well, I'm so glad to find Him."
After while of long speaking, after while the crowd begins to break up a little, and he starts elbowing his way in. He's got a message; he's on his road. He's got a master; his name's Simon, a Pharisee. He's a courier; he's a running this errand now. He must get to Jesus. A flunky, they're called in Palestine. Just a--the Pharisees has plenty of them does everything, groom their horses, and their gardens, and so forth, and take care of them: flunkies, pay them just a little bit of whatever they can get by with.
27 And this flunky had been maybe two or three days, hunting up, trying to find, because his master had give him a--a--a warrant that he should go and find Jesus and invite him to his home for dinner at a certain occasion. I see him elbowing his way through the crowd, and he staggers against the, maybe perhaps, Peter or was it Andrew? I wasn't there; I don't know, but I hear him say, "I would like to see your master, sir."
And 'course the beloved disciples, how they were trying to keep people away from Jesus when He was there praying for the sick and thing. And again he says, "I would like to see your master." And I see Andrew taking him up close to where Jesus was, where the sick and all was around; he said, "Master, here is a--a young man from southern Palestine, who is come with a message. He's come a long way. And he says it's from his master. And he wishes to speak to You."
28 And he says... He--he bowed to Him and told Him what his errand was, that his master had desired, on a certain occasion for Him to come and have dinner with him. Oh, if you and I would've been there, how different we would have looked upon it. We'd have said, "Master, don't go to that hypocrite. Don't go to that Pharisee. Why, he's blind; he doesn't know... He hates you. And there's so many sick people and things around; You have so much of Your strength being used. Don't go to such a fellow as that; he's just trying to use You, for the old saying, as a trump card or something. He--he's got some kind of a bad alternative about it. Don't go to such a person as that."
Oh, my, I can imagine that Pharisee, great fellow, great man in his city, walking around a few days before upon his fine Egyptian made carpet and his great perfumed dining room, rubbing his big chumpy hands together in his roly-poly condition, just fat, said, "Why didn't I think of that before? Hah-hah-hah-hah. Why certainly, that's what I want. That's it. I tell you what; for my big entertainment I'm fixing to have; I should've thought of that a long time ago. Hah-hah-hah. You know this here fellow, Jesus of Nazareth's on all the poor peoples tongue. And I tell you what, if I would've just of have Him over here at my banquet, I'd have had the gapers standing around everywhere looking at Him. That's all I have to do, and you know what? I'd be the most popular person in the city. I would add more to my popularity. Oh, I should've thought of that before."
So he starts the boy on the road to find Him. "What do you think Doctor Jones will say? That Pharisee Jones, he hates Jesus of Nazareth. He believes He's a devil. And won't that be fine for Lawyer So-and-so, when I have them here? 'Course all the celebrity of the town will come to my meeting, certainly. Because they know that I can feed them well." Certainly, this was a rich Pharisee. He had plenty; he could do whatever he wanted to. He got all the cuts of the meat, up at the temple. He was in on the cuts of the meat. He was also in on all the tithings and offerings and everything come in. He had plenty.
29 Well, what it would take to spread a party like that, would feed a common family in Palestine two years. But oh, he was a--he was a big fellow in the city. Doctor Simon Pharisee, look what a fellow. I can see him walking back and forth and say, "Certainly, oh, my, I will have sent out my invitations right away. Well, you know what, the--so that all the people can see me, I will have it on the outside where it's cool, out a past the veranda. I will go out in the great big--I got a place out there, a grape arbor, where the beautiful grapes are hanging down and they just now... And their very ripest and the--the aroma of the grapes are so beautiful. And I will have it all out there. and I will take my special big table and set it out there. And I will have Doctor Jones, and I will have Doctor so-and-so, and Doctor so-and-so, and Doctor so-and-so, and all the city will know that I am a great man, that my degree did me well, and I am a great man. I, I, I, I, I," that's all you can hear.
"I did this; I will be better off; I will do this." I, I, I and no place for Christ.
30 Isn't that a picture today? I will do so-and-so. I will join the church; I will do this; I will do that. God have mercy on us. There he was, oh, he was a great fellow, and going to be made greater just to have Jesus down there for entertainment. He didn't believe Him to be a prophet, although Jesus was. And he didn't believe Him to be the Son of God, though He was.
But he thought, "If I can have that fellow over there, we will all have some fun." So he sends for Him. Jesus never, never breaks a promise. Days has passed by; lots has taken place. And it comes time for this Pharisee to--this meeting or his dinner to be set, And Jesus said to His disciples, "Let us go now, plumb across Palestine to southern Palestine, take on our road, because that we don't want to be late."
Jesus never breaks a promise. He's always keeps His promise. Regardless of what it is, He will keep it. The day draws nigh, and we see the Pharisee with his table setting out in the yard. And his ads are out, and all the people begin to gather. What a great fellow this was.
31 Up comes Doctor Jones in his great big fine chariot. He runs the man out real quick, his flunkies and he gets the horses and he takes them to the stable, and he grooms his horses. And he, "How do you do, my friend? I am so happy to see you. Won't you come in, and visit with me awhile?" Oh, I can see him putting it on. "Won't you come in? Why here's Lawyer so-and-so; I am so happy to see you, my friend. Won't you come in? Flunky, take his horses to the stable." Oh, my.
But after while he got on the inside, and tipping the glasses, and so forth. And in the--in Palestine when they set a dinner, if you've ever been there, they put a great big table, out like this, and along they have... You don't set down and eat in Palestine, like you do here; you lie down and eat. They have like a sofa, and they run it in angle ways to the table, like this. And each man lays down like this, and he eats from laying down, his feet behind him.
And they got every thing ready, all of them in there, entertained and so forth, and Pharisee was having such a great time entertaining his celebrity. The first thing you know, Jesus arrived, went into the house, and set down; and they didn't know He was there. Nobody must've knew about it. Where did He come from?
32 Now, such a little place, perhaps setting over in the corner. Pharisee was too busy; he had to do other things. The celebrity, the big people of the town was there, and he had to entertain them. I wonder, brethren and sisters, if we haven't put so much time to entertaining celebrities and dignitaries, that we forgot that Jesus sets in the midst of us too, setting over in the corner, nobody noticing Him. Setting alone, His disciples couldn't come in; they wasn't even invited.
So all that's not invited, as the easterners are, they stand on the outside and looking in, wondering; and when anything's going on oh you don't have to worry about a crowd; they're all there anyhow. They come to look on, spectators, see what they can. They're not allowed in, but they come and look on. Stand on their tip-toes hours after hours, watching entertainments. The poor with their mouth watering when they see the fine spiced meat, lamb baked with the best of spices. Oh, great things brought in all the way from Egypt and Mesopotamia, and so forth.
33 Why, this Pharisee was a rich man, he could really put a big dinner on like that. Let the the poor stand and gape on if they wanted to. That's the group that would tear up the world to make one proselyte out of a Gentile, and make him a twofold more child of hell than he was when he began.
Pride, pomp, there he is, Jesus setting forsaken. I imagine He felt uncomfortable, for He had dirty feet. When people are traveling in Palestine; in those days they didn't have pavements, and roads, and oiled roads like we have now. Setting there with His feet and legs all dirty, His head unanointed, no kiss on His cheek, and His legs with that old dust of dung and stuff off the road, the dust where horses, caravans, beast of burdens go along pulling, and carrying loads, and the animal droppings on the road, the birds come down and scatter it and peck around it, and after while it becomes into the dust.
34 And the person walking... The underneath garment in Palestine closes at the knee, and then the robe goes over the top of that, and as they walk, swinging, it caused the little winds to blow the dust up. And oh it becomes filthy and stinky that--when all that stuff gets on you. And there set Jesus with dirty feet. Jesus, they call Him, with dirty feet. Oh, it does something to me when I say it. Jesus unnoticed, Jesus with dirty feet, made a gazing-stock, after being invited.
I wonder when you have a prayer meeting, invite Him to your church, then He comes down to do something for you, you just let Him be unentertained, too much of that in our home life and everywhere. When the president comes, why, my, they throw out the carpet all the way from the train, all the way into the hotel. They strow the streets, and young ladies go forth with flowers, and they bouquet the sidewalks, and hang down the flags with every sign of welcome. But when Jesus comes to town, He has to stay in a little mission somewhere, be called crazy, holy-roller. Oh, my.
35 Oh, you blind Pharisees, notice, Jesus with dirty feet. Jesus, them feet that was soon to be pierced for the sins of the world, set with dust and dung, uncomfortable. Jesus is usually uncomfortable around a bunch of rich people anyhow. They don't give Him no room, nor nothing, just let Him set. "Oh, with your mouth you do worship Me, but your hearts are far away," said the Master.
Jesus with dirty feet, there He sets, unentertained, unwashed, unwelcome. Say, "Jesus, do you take a lesser place? Jesus, do you take a little bitty place when you're called on in a home?"
"Yes, I--I take the little place."
"What?"
"The little room in the upstairs, or perhaps maybe on the second floor, a little closet, or down in the basement."
You're ashamed of Him, before the celebrity, before your company. You're afraid or ashamed to testify of Him, to tell of His saving grace.
"But will you come anyhow, Jesus?"
"Yeah, I will come anyhow."
That proves to me He's the Lord of Lords, He's a big person. "I will come anyhow, no matter just how little of a place you will make for me, I will come anyhow."
I like that, He's my Lord. "I will come anyhow, no matter how little the place is, I will come." Though you give the president everything, you give Doctor Jones a great spread, but when Jesus comes, He takes a corner somewhere. What a bunch of Pharisees, put on, entertainers, no love, entertainers. "I will take the little place."
36 Long time ago, Christian, before you opened your heart, how did you treat Him? Some of you people have professed to be Christians, how do you treat Him? Oh, my, Oh, once in a while you permit certain programs to come along, a little dried up evangelist of some sort, and you put on your most--most charming dress, and your beautiful hat, and you go down to the church.
You didn't give Him any place of worship; you wouldn't testify. But He didn't rebuke you. He didn't condemn you. He's willing to take the little place. You won't give Him all your heart; He will take just as much as you will let Him have. He's my Lord. And you go home, "Oh, well, that'll do till next month; I will go back to church again."
37 How you crowded Him out, your little petty parties and all your little things your little entertainments, why, you Pharisee. Shame on you, that would do Jesus my Lord that way. When He comes to town, you'd speak evil of Him; you would turn Him down. Open your eyes, He comes to visit you. You've called for Him in your prayer meeting, but when He comes then you don't want to give Him any room. What a pity. How blind people can be.
What an opportunity this courier had, that walked up to the feet of Jesus. Oh, I wish I could took his place. Wish I could've been there that day, I'd have done more than told Him what some Pharisee said. I'd have hugged Him. I'd have done all I could to know the opportunity of standing in the Presence of Jesus. As the blind people was in that day, they are today. With the very thought, the opportunity that's presented to people to accept Christ, and walk away and leave Him unworshipped, unwelcome.
38 You know, the custom in the Palestine country, the first thing happens when you're invited to a royal entertainment like that, when you come to the door you're all dirty, you stink; you're not--you're not a fit subject then for entertainment. You'd be embarrassed to walk in those lovely homes with all that on your feet and everything, and the way you look and sweaty and everything. What's the first thing? When a guest arrives, they got a flunky, the poorest paid man on the job.
When I think that my Lord girded Himself and washed people's feet, He took the lowest place, when He was the--deserved the highest place. But He took the lowest place, to wash the dung and dirt from their feet, become the humblest of servants. There's not another servant got as humble a job as the flunky that washes the feet.
But when you come to a--a home of that type in the eastern country, Palestine, the flunky meets you at the door, goes to one of the wells and draws him some--a great basin of--of good clear water, and he removes your sandal, or your shoe, sets your feet up across his knee, and he washes all this dirt, and dust, and dung, and stuff off of your body. And then he takes another towel and wipes your feet, and he washes them, sets them down.
And then he takes your sandals and sets them up on a little--little mantle like, sets them along like this at the door of entrance. Then he goes over, and he finds a pair of fine satin, silk slippers; they're soft. That's the complements of the host. He does that; he has them setting there; he put them upon your feet until he finds one that fits you comfortably.
39 Then your feet's washed. Then he passes you into another place, and then there's a man meets you there at the door, and he has a little basin in his hand, a little pitcher like. And you take it and pour a--some of the oil in your hands.
Now, that oil is made of a very fine spikenard. What it is, it's--there's a bush that grows in Arabia that they get it from. A little flower blooms like a rose, and then when the rose goes down, it leaves a little bulb like and that hardens like a little apple. And that's the thing that this tree does, but you can take that and roll it in your hands.
I seen a--a Russian celebrity one time, who had two of them; you could roll them in your hands like that, and the scent would stay on your hand for two weeks. It's very expensive, costly. And it cost much money. Oil will get old and--and smell bad in a few days, but they put this spikenard in there until it becomes... Oh, it keeps for--that aroma for years. That was some of the treasures that the queen of Sheba brought to Solomon.
40 And they give you that, and you wash your hands with it. Then they give you a towel, and you wipe your hands. Then the next they give you, it's some more of it, and you put it on your neck, the back of your neck, on your cheeks and on your forehead. Both men and women in Palestine must do this, because the sun rays are so hot. They do that, and then it creates a smell. Then after you wipe the most of it off, you're refreshed. Your feet is washed; you are washed; your hands are clean; your face is clean.
Then you're taken into the chamber of where the host is. And then when you meet him, you take--he takes his right hand and puts it on your left shoulder, then you bow. And then he--you take your right hand and put it on his left shoulder, and he bows. Then he kisses you, from one side of the cheek to the other side of the cheek; and that's the welcome, the right hand of fellowship. When the host kisses you, you are a brother; you're welcome.
Jesus was very careful to wash Doctor Jones' feet, or the Pharisee rather. And He was very careful for the celebrity, but here set Jesus with dirty feet. Here set Jesus, unwelcomed, with no oil on Him. Here set Jesus with no kiss. And yet He left His work and come all the way across Palestine to keep His promise.
41 I imagine He was miserable setting there. All the rest of them, and the Pharisee testifying over there about different things that happened, and poor Jesus set there with dirty feet, unanointed face, no kiss. Jesus wants to be kissed. There's a Scripture in Psalms 2, says, "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry." "Kiss the Son," Oh, you'll never know what it means till once you've kissed the Son. Kiss the Son, make Him welcome into your heart.
But He set unanointed with dirty feet. Oh, how embarrassed He was. Pharisee was having his big time; he was too busy entertaining the great men of the city, to know that Jesus was unentertained. But He come anyhow. Oh, my God, how did--what happened, how did that flunky at the door ever get by without washing His feet? God, I wish I had his job. How I would've loved to have washed His feet at the door. How I would've loved to have entertained Him, to take in my basin of water, when I knowed that He was setting there.
42 But there He was with the rich and the proud. They didn't care nothing about Him. He was just an entertainment, something to make the people gape and look upon. No doubt he had in his heart, he'd ask Him to do a miracle for him or something.
And while He was setting there, on the outside in the street there was a real bad woman in the town, a prostitute. We won't go in detail about that; you know what it is, a woman of ill fame, fallen.
Don't condemn her. Listen, before there can be a fallen woman, there has to be a fallen man, too. Maybe some sweetheart she had loved her up to his heart, until he crushed the fire of the--her life under his feet, and introduced her to this kind of a life.
The Scripture said she was a great sinner. No one had nothing to do with her, but all knowed her. They knew who she was, certainly. She was a great sinner. And perhaps passing by, not welcome among any of the people, she tip-toed, and she looked up, and she spotted my Lord setting in the corner with unwashed feet, setting unwelcome amongst the rich. It was too much for her. She said, "No, I'm sure that's Him."
43 You never see Jesus, 'less you'll know Him when you see Him again. No one can never look upon Him and ever forget His looks. I can think she said... She might've heard Him somewhere else, she said, "Oh, there's that great Teacher. But He's over here with the Pharisees, and they don't want Him."
Oh, she turns around; I can see her say, "Oh, I--I can't. Oh it, I must be losing my mind. Surely--surely I couldn't do that. Oh, maybe, reckon I could?"
I can see her gather her clothes around her and start down the street. I can see two men nudge their arms together and say, "Looky there, see what come up." Oh, sure you're too good. I'd like to look right in your eyes one time, see how good you are.
44 You say, "Brother Branham, I'm no prostitute."
I don't altogether mean sexually. Prostitution's on a higher level. You can prostitute your time. How much time do you give to Him? Prostitute your own selfish motives, going around saying, "Well, I belong to this church, I'm better."
No you're not. You can prostitute otherwise than sexually. The Holy Spirit will speak to your heart, and you'll say, "I want nothing to do with that." You blind Pharisee, prostitute. What's the matter with you? Committing adultery with the world, that's what you're doing.
Oh, you say, "I belong to church," and so cold and indifferent. Oh, you say pretty prayers. Oh, I hate that Pharisaic thing. Oh, you pray and make every comma just perfect, and every period just perfect. Oh, you pray so beautiful. You can't talk to God like that. You're listening to what you're saying and punctuating your prayer. O God, help you to turn loose once and pray. Stop saying prayers.
45 Oh, Pharisees, plenty of them, Pharisees. Oh, you say, "I belong to church." That's all right; sure you do. But what attitude do you take towards my Lord? When He wants to come to you and bless you, you won't do it. "Oh, no, I don't believe in that kind of stuff." That's the same group I'm talking about, very religious, but very Pharisaic.
What did I say they was in the beginning, actors. Quit acting religion. Get an old fashion experience of regeneration, borned again. My Lord, He longs to see you. He's waiting for you, takes the little place in the corner. He never rebukes you for it; He loves you. You go to church once or twice a month, you think you've done your duty. Oh, if you only loved Him, you'd go every night and every day, somewhere and talk with Him, if you loved Him. But the trouble of it is, you just act church, act religious. What a pity, it's too bad that we still have it.
46 This poor little woman, I can see her, ill-famed, down the street she goes and up a little creaking steps where she in a little attic up-stairs. Her heart's a jumping; she can't get that picture off her mind. O God, anybody that ever sees Him in the simplicity of His Word and of His love, it'll never leave you. Something will haunt at you.
She sees Him; she goes upstairs; she opens her little treasure box, and she gets out a little something there, a little sack. She brings it out, sets it, the clink of the coins falls on the table. And as the coins fall, she picks it up again; she sees that face before her. The tears are running down her cheeks, dripping off her chin. Said, "I can't do it; I can't. For He'd know where that money come from. He'd know how I earned that money. I can't do it."
Perhaps she sets it back up again; then she reaches and gets it again. She said, "I can't, what's a matter with me? But I see Him, coming all the way across the country and not entertained. What can I do about it? This is all I got, surely He will understand. Certainly He will understand, certainly He will. This is all I got; surely He will understand it."
47 And I can see her as she trembling, takes it in her hand, puts it down in her bosom, in her stocking perhaps, wraps it up on the inside, wraps her clothes around her, and out the street she goes. It's getting late, she goes down the street to some great, fine perfume company. She goes, in and there's an old hook-nose, grouchy fellow standing behind the counter, counting his money. "Well, it wasn't very good today. Didn't even make rent, bad day." All peeved up, yet as orthodox as he could be in his religion.
She comes in the door. When he comes in the door, I can hear him say, "Huh, now look." Oh, she was well known. Everybody knew her, sure. Everybody knew this woman. She walks in the door. Well he didn't walk up to her nice like he should and say, "How do you do? What can I do for you?" He said, "Well, what is it?"
She laid the money out on the counter. Oh, the clink of the money, sure that changed things. He belonged to that group that said, "What profit is it if we leave Joseph in the--the tomb?" What profit is it? Oh, yes, that's what people think today. What can you make out of it? How much money's in it? Blind Pharisee. Jesus is here, and He wants to be entertained. You've invited Him.
48 There lay the money out, He said--she said, "I want a alabaster box, the best you got in the store.
Why, he said,"Let's see how much money you got."
She lays it out, and she had a hundred and eighty of Roman denarii. He counted it all out, "Yes, you've just got enough." What? She wanted the best. She said, "He's deserving of the best," and He is. He's deserving of the best you've got. Don't give Him a little corner; give Him all you've got. He deserves the best that you've got, and the best that you can do.
That's all she had. She knowed how she'd got it. She said, "I hate to do it this a way; maybe I'm out of order, but it's the best that I got." She didn't argue with him about the price; that wasn't it. She just wanted the best. Do you see it? She want's the best. She said, "it's going to the best, so why not Him have the best?"
49 She picks up the alabaster box, puts it in her bosom, and here she starts out. I can see that old hooked-nosed Jew look out there. Two other men nudged her on the--each other on the arm, said, "Look going in there, what come out of the store over there. I wonder what she did there."
Oh, you Pharisee, nudging somebody else. Look at your own self once. Oh, you might not be sexually wrong in your actions; you might not drink liquor; but oh, you blind Pharisee, what are you doing to my Lord? What do you do to Him, you cold heartedly hypocrite? You turn Him down. What do you do it for? How can you do it? To see His Presence all around you, to know He's there wanting to bless you and entertain you, but you're too good. Oh you never become wretched. You ought to look at yourself in God's looking glass one time and see how you look. Your self-righteous, all your little forms and petty things will fade away, your little traditions.
50 I can see her; she must hurry; it's getting late. Better late than never. And when she gets up there, she can tell when she's around the crowd where the rich is. She can hear the wine glasses tipping together, you know, like that. She gets up to where they are. She wonders where He's at. She's all excited now. That Jew, scratches his head, and looks across to them fellows over on the corner said, "What was a matter with her?" Said, "There was tear stains down her cheeks. She'd been crying, I wonder where she's going now. I wonder what happened."
The woman, as she looked and seen His face said, "He don't speak like these Pharisees; He's different. That Teacher's a little different from the Pharisees." She knowed there was something different. When she looked up she thought, "How am I going to get there, go into that rich place. How can I do it. But the thing she did, she said, "One day I heard Him say, 'Come unto Me all ye that labor and heavy laden, I will give you rest.'"
51 The thing it was, was not how she was going to get there, was she going to make an effort to get there? I can see her elbowing her way through the crowd. No matter what's said or who said, she was on her road to meet Jesus. Do you do that? Would you elbow your way through the differences in the world today? Could you elbow your way over the vulgarity, over the picture shows and the dancing and carrying on that you do, calling yourself a Christian, to get to Jesus?
Could you lay down aside all your worldly social entertainment, to come to the Lord Jesus to be entertained by Him? God have mercy. She elbowed right on through. She was going to get there, regardless of how vile she was. Oh, I know it was out of order, oh sure. God help us to get out of order once in a while. The trouble of it is, you got too much order. Get out of order. I hope the church gets out of order long enough to get saved.
52 I remember when Jesus saved me. Oh, my I never forget it. This little old Kentucky heart of mine was jumping ninety miles an hour. I wept; I cried; I shouted; I don't care who was standing around. I wasn't paying attention to order; I was in Presence of Jesus; I loved Him.
She wasn't noticing how much order she was in, or how much she was out of. The main thing was, get to Jesus. There He set with dirty feet. He set without being kissed. He wasn't welcome, and she wanted to make Him welcome. She didn't care about their old pharisaical orders, about their old traditions and nominations. She was pressing her way through to get to Jesus. God help us to have a revival like that, where men and women will elbow their way through the crowds, and the denominations, and the barriers, till they get in the Presence of Jesus.
53 Yes, she wanted to get to Jesus; He had dirty feet. My Lord God setting there with dirty feet, where soon a Roman spike was going to drive to them to embalm His Blood for the salvation of the world. Dirty feet, may He forgive me for that. Oh, it hurts me, but Jesus, dirty feet, unkissed, unloved: "Come to His own, His own received Him not." Come to keep His promise and then unentertained.
Why you people pray for a revival year in and out, and when it comes right in your neighborhood, you think it's fanaticism. Unentertained, Jesus, dirty feet. Oh, if that oughtn't to break the heart of every man and woman, unentertained. Oh, the celebrity, the big things are going right along, but Jesus unentertained. Oh, my.
54 Notice as it moves on, she runs quickly; she goes to His feet, as He's lying there stretched out. She looks at His face; she said, "I can't, I don't know what's happened. I'm all beside myself." She was crying. God help us to get beside ourself once in a while.
Trouble of it is, you're just so ritual. You have to pray a certain way, end it with a amen like a dying calf with cramps...?... "ah-man." Stand up in the choir and sing with painted faces, and Jezebel fingernails, and act like I don't know what, and calling yourselves Christians. You blind Pharisee, what's the matter with you? My Lord's in town, won't you entertain Him in your heart?
55 There He's setting there. She got to His feet; she laid the box on the floor. She started to raise up, she couldn't, she just couldn't. She was weeping so hard she couldn't raise up. She got it a half stooped and she couldn't raise up. She realized that she was standing by the Fountain of purity. She realized that she was standing by the only thing that can forgive her.
"There is a fountain filled with Blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins." The only thing that could wash away her guilt, she was in the presence of it as a prostitute. She come the way she was. She didn't know what to do. She was weeping; she had her hands up. She couldn't stand it; she was looking and there He was. "Oh, is it possible," she said, "Is it possible, that that's Him, the lovely One? the One I heard Him say, 'Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.'? God you know my heart; I don't have to speak a word; I can't, I'm beside myself."
56 And she tries and she weeps, and the tears rolling down her cheeks, spatting, running down on the dirty feet of Jesus. The tears pouring down her cheeks upon His dirty feet. The first thing you know, she finds herself rubbing His feet. Rubbing His feet, and the tears just pouring down. What a blessing, tears of purity repentance, tears of repentance, pouring down, washing the dirty feet of Jesus... O God, have mercy. Tears of regret, what beautiful water, what sparkling water, coming from her heart.
"Lord God, I'm no good, but I can't stand it to see you set like this." And the tears pouring down her cheeks and her rubbing His feet like that, washing them with her tears. There sets the alabaster box, and the first thing you know, in her hysterical condition, her hair fell down. The curls dropped down. And before she knew it, she had her hair, a wiping His feet with the hair that was on her head.
57 God be merciful. Oh, My, my Lord, and that cold-hearted bunch of Pharisees setting there, indifferent. Oh, my, wiping His blessed feet with the hairs of her head... Some of you women to do that, would have to stand on your head. You cut your hair, that's right. I don't say it for a joke. The Bible said, "The glory of a woman is in her hair." And you've cut yours off.
What was it? What was it? it was her glory. The only decent thing she had about her was her long hair, and it had fell all down at Jesus feet. Her tears, all she was, was pouring out at His feet, washing Jesus dirty feet. What a way... I know it wasn't in order. What do you care about order? What went with the crowd? What do you care about what they're doing? You're in the Presence of Jesus.
58 She wasn't caring what them Pharisees was saying. Did Jesus draw back His feet and say, "say, say, say, you mustn't do that?" No, sir, He held perfectly still. She was right in order, washing Jesus dirty feet, with her tears of repentance, wiped them with the only glory she had, her hair. Laying everything at His precious feet. She was beside herself. She was washing; she didn't know what she was doing hardly.
After while she raises up. She don't know what... She looks around. Oh did Simon say anything? Yes. Oh, later on he made his remarks. I can see him turn red in the face. His sharp steel, ungodly, lizard eyes cutting down at her. He turned red and then white with rage. I can hear him go, [Brother Branham coughs and clears his throat--Ed.] His program's interrupted. He said in his heart, "Do you know what kind of a woman that is you're standing before?" He thought it would hurt his reputation.
59 Why brother, Jesus' reputation is made when He's in the presence of sinners. Jesus' reputation isn't hurt by sinners, it's made in the presence of sinners. There washing His feet, she raises up, takes the alabaster box, everything she had now was there, her hair hanging down, she snapped the top of it off, broke it, poured all. Not save some for the rainy day; she poured all of it on His feet. For everything she had, her glory, herself, her tears of repentance, and all the money, and all of the ambassador was in the box of spikenard. She poured it upon His feet.
O God, have mercy on us starchy ungodly generation that we live in, Pharisees, entertaining. Poured it on His feet...
60 And you know Simon said, "If you knew... If this man was a prophet, if he could see visions like he said he could see, if this man could see visions, if He was a prophet, He would know what kind of a woman that was that was washing His feet."
Oh, you blind hypocrite, you're too goody-goody to know what Jesus means. You're too goody-goody; you've treated Him the same way, that's the reason you're not saved today. That's the reason you haven't the baptism of the Holy Spirit, because it's the way you've treated Him, been ashamed. Oh, blind Pharisee, there he stood in all of his self-righteousness, said, "if He was a seer, if He was a prophet He'd surely know what kind of a woman that was."
61 I can see Jesus, for the first time since He entered the door, feeling comfortable. He was being--entertaining sinners. He raised up and said, "Simon, I have something to say to thee. I got a few things to talk over with you, Simon. When I come to your house..." O God, "When I come to your house," Pharisee you see what I'm talking about? "When I come to your house, you didn't wash My feet, Simon. You never give Me any oil, Simon. You never kissed Me welcome, Simon. You just let Me set here after you entertained Me, brought Me down, invited Me, and I come, and you didn't give me no oil for my head, neither did you give me water for my feet, and you didn't kiss me welcome."
"But this poor woman, what was she doing all the time? [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.] Kissing His feet. Hallelujah. Kissing His feet. Said, "Every since she's come in the house," God have mercy, said, "she hasn't ceased kissing my feet, ever since I come in the house." O God, I can't preach any more, when I think of my Lord getting that same kind of entertainment today.
62 Oh, my, "This woman has not ceased to kiss My feet ever since I come in. And you didn't give Me any water to wash with; you didn't give Me any anointing, no oil to put on My parched hands and My lips and My face. You didn't kiss Me welcome and tell Me I was welcome to come into your house. But this woman has continually even kissed My feet."
Oh, listen what He said. Then He turns from Simon, and He looks upon this poor miserable wretch, her hair hanging down, wet with tears, and with the disgrace of the road upon them. Her lips oily from the spikenard where she'd been kissing His feet, her tears stringing down her cheeks... Listen what He says, "Your sins which were many are all forgiven you." Oh, God. "Your sins which were many, all forgiven you."
63 Oh, God, this undone generation, can't you see the Lord wants to come to your house and be entertained, worshipped, glorified, magnified? Oh, God be merciful to you. Let us pray; let's bow our heads just a minute. Something's saying to me, "Pray now." God, Jesus, dirty feet, Jesus unentertained and not kissed, Jesus unwelcome...
Merciful Father, will You please this day come down and picture Your heart before this congregation, that they might know that you're still Jesus. And they failed to entertain You. They love their little petty things; they love their organization, their denomination. They love their little social affairs in the church, their woman's' auxiliary and many other things that they like to go to. The man love their card parties and their carrying on and won't entertain Jesus.
64 O Lord, my Healer, my Saviour, my Keeper, O God where would I be if it wasn't for You? God please speak to the hearts that's cold and indifferent today; let them know that you're here with the same loving watch-care. You're watching, You see that one come home that's been so indifferent, that's roamed the streets too long.
Oh, why do you wait, my brother?
Why do you tarry so long?
Jesus is waiting to give you,
A place by His sanctified throne.
Won't you forsake your ungodly ways?
Won't you forsake your little entities, and come to Him today? How many, while we're praying, with your heads bowed, would you just stand up to your feet and say, "God, have mercy on me. I'm coming today; I'm willing, Lord, to do anything. I want to entertain you in my heart today as my Saviour. I want to forsake all the things of the world. I want to give up every pleasure the world has.
65 I want to be so filled with Your goodness, that I will only know that it's You. I've invited You, but I turned You away. I've told You when my baby died I'd serve You. I told You when Mother died, when I put them flowers on dad's grave I said, 'God, someday I will serve You.' But I've called you, and I turned you away, but today I'm coming. When preacher said awhile ago, drove down a little stake out there on the side of the ground, where baby was laying or mama, I said that day I'd serve You, Lord. But I've been a Pharisee, a actor. I've never really come to You, but here I'm coming now. I'm going to stand up, Lord, to prove to You that I love You. I'm not ashamed of You. You've done so much for me. Someday when life is over, O God, I want to stand like that prostitute stood that day. I won't want to talk to Him; I ain't worthy to talk to Him. But I want to say, 'Jesus, let me kiss that scar on top of Your foot, will you, Jesus? Just let me kiss that scar; it was made there for me.' O God."
66 I'm not a baby, but, oh, my, aren't you ashamed of yourself? Aren't you ashamed of the way you treated my Jesus? Just went over and joined a church and never had no conversion. You still love the things of the world, still take old worldly entertainment and enjoy it. Oh, you don't know what it is to be borned again. You don't know what it is to have fellowship. Oh, you think you're good enough, but you're not. It's not how good you are; it's how much you love Him. You love Him; you keep His commandments.
Will you stand to your feet just now as a witness to God? Say, "Lord Jesus, I'm getting tired being a hypocrite, old Pharisee actor like I got religion, when I haven't. I want You come in my heart right now. If you can make them twisted and lame come from their stretchers and wheelchairs, if You can make the blind to see and the deaf to hear, I know You're God. I know You're speaking to my heart."
67 Would you stand to your feet right now, man, or woman, boy or girl, to accept the Lord Jesus? What's a matter here? Something's wrong. Don't tell me I don't know. You know what's a matter? You're afraid your neighbor will say something about it. You're afraid somebody else is going to say something. What's Jesus going to say? Jesus unentertained in you heart. This may be your last time, buddy. Sister, this may be your last time.
Jesus is near, He's unkissed today. The congregation's indifferent towards Him. He come down last night and healed all your sick, and things, sent them home healed and well, come down and showed you He was here at the platform, by doing great signs and wonders, in this little cabin out here on the ground. Come down from glory, to prove that He was here, by His Word. And today, you let Him set unentertained. "Oh, I'd rather have my party."
68 What does Simon the Pharisee think today in hell where he's at? I imagine he'd like to call that little party over again. I imagine it would be different. Simon would be weeping, "O Jesus, I'd wash Your feet." A year from today, there's people setting here today that if they won't accept Christ, a year from today, you'll wish you had. You say, O Jesus, if I could go back to that little campground again. O Jesus, if I could hear that preacher call again, Jesus, I'd raise up, oh I'd raise up."
Too late, sin separated you. "Lord, I remember that day it was raining so hard; tears was pouring down out of people's eyes. Preacher was telling us about how You loved us and how indifferent we had been towards You. And I--I was different, Lord." The rich man had that kind of a plea one time, after Lazarus had preached to him.
69 "Oh, your crops may be getting along all right. Tobacco may be coming along good, the corn's tasseling." Oh, maybe you've got your washing to do tomorrow, sister. Maybe you've got to go to the club Tuesday. That don't have one thing to do with my Jesus. What are you doing with Him? Letting Him set, with the world, placing dirt on Him, say, "It's nonsense; there's nothing to it. It's mental telepathy; it's of the devil." And you're setting, letting Him set like that, doing nothing about it. But that's between you and God.
Why do you wait, dear brother?
Why do you tarry so long?
Jesus is waiting to give you,
A place in His sanctified throne.
Why do you wait? Do you mean to tell me, there's not one man or boy or girl in here? Setting here and you know that I know who you are. You know that the Holy Spirit's here, moving and darkness hanging over you as I'm looking across this audience. And I know where you're setting; and if I know, how much more does He know? God's speaking to you, and you turning your cold, indifferent heart away from Him.
70 Remember I'm telling you, it could be the last time. "My spirit will not always strive with man," seeing that he's just flesh. You're a free moral agent; you can make your choice. Why not make it today? Why not put your soul in the hands of Him Who knows all things, Who holds eternity in His hands? He's the right One to direct you. He's the only One Who can justly place you where you should be.
I'm willing to take my chance with Him. I'm so happy. I'm so happy that I did. I'm so glad, so glad. I seen the time while you had your heads bowed. You know papa, God bless his heart, last prayer that he's prayed was on my arm when he was dying. Poor old papa drink so heavy, caused a lot of disgrace around town. And when he did, drinking going on like that, our names got real low in the city, when I was a boy. I used to stand down there and talk to somebody, if anybody else come along, they'd leave me and talk to them, because a Branham. Oh, God, the name pulled in the gutter.
71 I said to the wife the other day, "Look honey, now I can't even come home. People are setting in hotels, from Africa, from India, from all around the world, begging for five minutes of time. Come across the world for five minutes." I said, "What done it, sweetheart? Not my education, I don't have any; not my personality, I don't have any. What did it? Jesus, He did it; He did it."
He said to David, "David, I took you out of a sheepcote to make you a great name among great men of the world. I took you from the sheepcote to be a ruler over My people." Oh God, Jesus, "You wasn't nothing; I saved you and made you My son. I saved you and made you a prince. I saved you and called you to preach the Gospel." Oh Jesus, oh your precious scarred feet and hands, your thorn pressed brow. Oh, Jesus, I love you.
72 Here in the home grounds, right on the soil where I was born, Lord, little old sinner baby boy. Please, dear God, warm up the hearts of the indifferent, speak to them in mercy and peace, great Jehovah. Someday you're coming and Your wrath's going to be fierce. Once more, Lord, I call, then I commit to You. Done all I know how to do. I got talking about You, Lord, and I got crying, couldn't help it.
Won't You let some sinner, Lord, rise and say, "Now, Lord, I stand by Your feet, too. I don't care what the Pharisees say. I don't care what anybody says. I'm coming to You. I'm going to be a real Christian in my church. I'm going to love You, and I'm going to work for You, and I'm going to bring other sinners to you." Grant it, Lord, grant it, won't You please?
73 I look everywhere and don't see one standing. O God, my dear Kentucky people, many of you is poor like myself, raised out here on a little meager living, a piece of old Joe bacons and corn pone for breakfast. You ain't got nothing in this world, but you got the opportunity today to become sons and daughters of God. Why won't you do it? Who are you anyhow? What's that little old farm going to amount to? You're going to die and leave it. What does that little store, what does that little social prestige you have?
You realize they're going to haul you out on the hillside someday, and put you in a hole, and put some mud over you? Where's your soul going to be if you're turning down Jesus today? The only Fountain there is that can save you, can heal you, take away your sin and shame, make you a Christian instead of a church member... Why don't you do it?
74 Heavenly Father, to this audience that's here today, I've offered them, according to Thy Word, Eternal, Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ the Son of God. I do not know their hearts, why they did not accept it. I seen the darkness and blackness through the vision, hanging over people. Thou knowest and seen others healed, even physically, while they were--the sermon was going on.
And Your Presence was here; it's here yet. Why people don't receive you, it's beyond me. I can't understand. Maybe they've crossed the line, where they can't do it no more. Maybe they've heard it before and you said, "I will not always strive with men." That's up to you, Father, I don't know. I commend them all to You, praying that not one will be lost. I thank You for all that You've done. And I ask Your blessings upon all of them, Father.
75 Bless the ministers of the city, tonight. Many of them be holding services. Let Thy love and mercy stretch out to them, Father. May some that's even here, that'll attend their own church tonight, may they rise and come to the altar at their own church. Grant it, Lord, and may they not feel so condemned that they won't even get away from home tonight till they slip out to the corn crib somewhere, over to the bedroom, get the wife and kiddies, and come in, say, "Honey, I just can't get away from it."
Maybe tomorrow while they're in the cornfield, or the tobacco patch, or somewhere along here, driving the truck down the road or while she's washing dishes or making the bed. God, may it haunt to their hearts again, on and on. May tonight the pillow be real hard. May they dream and wake up, "oh, why did I turn Jesus down? I seen Him setting there, but I passed Him right by to be indifferent." May they rise from the bed then, and come and have another chance, Father.
Give us a great service here tonight. May Thy Spirit be upon all, and may there be great healings take place tonight. Grant it, Lord, while we pray in Jesus' Name. Amen. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
76 What if I told you Jesus healed you a few minutes ago? Would you believe it? Would you believe it? That kind of a gallbladder condition and stuff you've been having it all leave from you? You believe it would go? You do, all right. See what happens to you now. Your faith made you well.
He's lovely, He's here. How many really, maybe, I don't know, would you just like a little closer walk with Him? Would you just raise your hand? Say, "I'd just love to have a little closer walk with Him." Give us a little chord, "Just a Closer Walk."
Just a closer walk with Thee.
1Viem, že ani metodisti sa neboja vody. A tak idú von, aby si sadli pod prístrešok, ako to je, či prší alebo nie. Myslel som, že je to tak iba s baptistami, ale vidím, že s metodistami to je rovnako. A tak, som šťastný, že môžem byť dnes popoludní na zhromaždení. Keď prišla búrka a díval som sa z môjho hotelového okna von, povedal som, „Ó. Satan, prečo robíš toto zlo?“ A povedal som, „Som tu dolu len na tieto dve zhromaždenia, a potom posielaš dážď.“ No, oni tvrdia, že, „Všetky veci spolupôsobia na dobré tým, ktorí milujú Pána,“ tak to len spôsobilo, že sa ochladilo, takže nemusíte mať ventilátor. No, chápem, že farmári potrebujú dážď, a tak to radi vidíme, že z každej strany je to dobré.
2Som tak rád, že som tu práve pred chvíľou stretol niektorých mojich priateľov, pána a pani Zeb Smith, na ktorých farme sme boli vychovávaní, býva rovno tu dolu medzi tými malými hrebeňmi a cestou, pán Smith a pani Smithová, sedia tam v rohu, sú tu s nami. Keď som bol malý chlapec, myslím, že ma vozili po okolí. Môj otec, myslím, že pracoval pre pána Smitha, keď som bol len maličký chlapček, pred tým, ako sme opustili Indianu.
A mám svojich priateľov, McSpaddensovcov a ich. A ďalší metodistický kazateľ z tejto časti krajiny, pán John O'Bannon. Som si istý, že ho poznáte, sedí rovno tam v modrom kabáte, môj veľmi osobný priateľ z Louisville, Kentucky, teraz je obchodníkom v Louisville.
A pani Smithová sa pýtala, či tu bola mama, a myslím, že som tam vonku videl auto. Je tu moja matka? To je to, nad čím som sa zamýšľal, či je tu vo vnútri. Videl som auto, aké má pani, ktorá išla po ňu, aby ju priviezla, ak prišli, a povedal som pani Smith, že ona tu možno bude. Mama, si tu? Myslím, že som sa možno mýlil, pani Smithová. Je mi to ľúto. Ale my – možno bude dnes dolu na večernom zhromaždení. Možno sa snažila dostať dolu, nájsť nejaký spôsob, aby prišla dolu, a toto auto, ktoré parkuje rovno tu, vyzeralo práve tak; a Billy povedal, „Myslím, že je tu stará mama.“
Povedal som, „Vyzerá to ako to auto.“
3Doktor, ktorý bol uzdravený na jednom mojom zhromaždení hore v Chicagu, volá sa Dilly, a oni tam majú veľkú kliniku a prišiel na zhromaždenie s nevyliečiteľným ochorením, bol zázračne uzdravený a odovzdal svoj život Pánovi Ježišovi. A videl som mnohých, mnohých doktorov, v mnohých častiach krajiny.
Prednedávnom tu, doktor Teodor Palvedus, celé západné pobrežie, ak tu niekto z nich pozná doktora Palvedusa, ktorý na základe jedného prípadu Božského uzdravenia, a ten človek sa obrátil a pokrstil som ho v zavlažovacej priekope. A on prestal vykonávať lekárske povolanie, hoci ľudia prilietavali dokonca z New Yorku, aby boli u neho operovaní. A on teraz vedie malú misiu v chudobných mestských štvrtiach v Oakland City, v Kalifornii; doktor Teodor Palvedus, úžasný Grék. A jeho žena bola Arménka.
4A keď tá pani, tam tá arménska žena zomierala s oboma prsiami odobratými kvôli rakovine, a Pán povedal, „Do troch dní bude na ulici,“ a on sa mi smial.
A povedal, „Čo za hanba,“ povedal, „ty podvodník, uvádzaš tú ženu pod takéto falošné predstavy.“
Povedal som, „To som nebol ja; to bol On, kto to povedal, pane.“
A on povedal, „No, vieš, že tá žena zomrie v priebehu nasledujúcich šesť hodín.“ Povedal, „Teraz je už dvadsaťštyri hodín v bezvedomí. Kedykoľvek odíde.“
Povedal som, „Ak do dvadsaťštyri hodín nebude na uliciach vykrikovať, poviem vám, čo urobím. Dám si na chrbát tabuľku s nápisom 'Falošný prorok' a vy nasadnete do svojho veľkého Kadilaku a budete ma voziť po uliciach Los Angeles. A ak ona bude na ulici, ja dám na váš chrbát nápis 'Šarlatánsky lekár' a budem pred vami jazdiť. Teraz si len potrasieme rukami a zostaneme tu; a uvidíme, čo bude.“
Ale on to neurobil. A v priebehu dvadsaťštyri hodín bola nakupovať; a stále je v poriadku, dnes je zdravou ženou. To bolo asi pred ôsmimi rokmi. Ukazuje to, že náš Pán Ježiš vstal z mŕtvych, Boh, ktorý minulý večer mohol spôsobiť, že ten chlapec vyskočil z toho lehátka, ako tam zomierajúci ležal, a čokoľvek sa to udialo, chlapci mi o tom dnes hovorili. On je stále Pánom Ježišom Kristom a sme tak šťastní, že On je.
5No, dnes večer sa ideme znova modliť za chorých, ak Pán dá. A veríme, že budeme mať dobrý večer, a tu dolu s vami, ľuďmi. Možno by sme sa niekedy mohli vrátiť znova späť a zostať trocha dlhšie. Dostaneme dokopy pastorov, a tak ďalej, a budeme mať trocha dlhšie zhromaždenie.
No, dnes som prichádzal na toto táborové zhromaždenie, kde je to riadené, či vlastne nie riadené, ale vlastnené jednou denominačnou cirkvou. A istotne vyjadrujeme uznanie tejto cirkvi z celého srdca, metodistickej cirkvi, za tie veľké veci, ktoré vo svete urobili pre nášho požehnaného Pána Ježiša. A mnohé tisíce duší, ktoré tá cirkev skrze kázanie Evanjelia priviedla ku Pánovi Ježišovi. Zaujímalo by ma, aké to bude, keď sa všetci spolu stretneme na druhej strane, keď sa zakončí tento život.
6Potom, keď sem prichádzame, včera večer, keď som preberal tému Božského uzdravenia, nepristúpil som ku tomu z hľadiska náuky, pretože som si pomyslel, že kým som tu, budem hovoriť o udalostiach zo života Pána Ježiša.
To je to, čo som hovoril minulý večer, pretože nezáleží na tom, ako sme spolu pekne zhromaždení, a ako... Rozličné cirkvi veria rozličným náukám, a tak sme – keď sme v zbore, chceme byť kresťanskí džentlmeni, aby sme upustili od akéhokoľvek druhu náuk. Je to len – kážeme Krista a Toho ukrižovaného, to je to, na čom sa všetci zhodneme.
Takže v evanjelizačnej službe dnes popoludní, aby som len na krátky čas hovoril, ak Pán dá, vyzeralo to, že na mojom srdci je, aby som stále hovoril o tých príkladoch Ježišovho života. A takým spôsobom, len to dramatizujeme alebo citujeme niečo, čo On urobil alebo povedal. A takto tam nie sú do toho zapojené doktrinálne body, len čisté jednoduché Evanjelium. Milujem to, a vy? Je to tak.
7A teraz, predtým, ako môžeme otvoriť Knihu, môžeme takto otvárať stránky, ale je len Jeden, ktorý dokáže objasniť to Slovo, a to je Duch Svätý; to je celé. On je Ten, ktorý To napísal. Veríte tomu? On to urobil, napísal... Ak dávni muži boli vedení Duchom Svätým, napísali Bibliu. A bolo To napísané, ospravedlňujem sa, vedel som, ale teraz presne neviem, koľko bolo pisateľov Biblie. Je mi to ľúto, nemôžem to teraz citovať, pretože mám v mysli dve rozličné čísla. Obávam sa, že by som sa ohľadom toho zmýlil.
Ale každopádne, bolo To napísané... Dobrých 'dvadsať-niečo' stoviek rokov, od jedného evan-... jednej časti do druhej, a tisíce míľ od seba, v rozličných vekoch, a ani jediný kúsoček si v Tom navzájom neodporuje. No, dvaja z nás by nemohli napísať list jednej osobe bez toho, aby tam v niečom bola nezrovnalosť. Či to nie je tak? Ale ako je inšpirované Písmo. Všetky Písma sú dané skrze inšpiráciu, inšpirované Duchom Svätým, ako zapísal Slová; a je to nádherné. A milujeme Pána Ježiša za Jeho dobrotu.
8No, On je Ten Jediný, ktorý môže správne vykladať Písmo. Každý jeden z nás, snažíme sa o to, ale pokiaľ sa nestaneme pomazaní, dovtedy do toho vkladáme samých seba. A tak dlho, ako je v tom to 'vlastné ja,' dotiaľ v tom nemôže byť Duch Svätý, dokiaľ to je 'vlastné ja.'
No, keby niekto mohol ísť ku dverám, nejaký uvádzač alebo niekto taký, nejakí ľudia, dámy so svojimi dáždnikmi sú tam na daždi. Ak im len môžu urobiť také pohodlie, aké tu len môžeme. Ceníme si vernosť a úprimnosť ľudí, ktorí vyšli von v takomto daždivom dni, aby počúvali prosté jednoduché Evanjelium Pána Ježiša.
Ak sa nemýlim, táto malá pani, ktorá tu vpredu sedí, rovno tu vedľa pani Woodovej, nie si jedna z tých, ktorá dala podnet k tomu, aby som sem prišiel? Nepoznám tvoje meno, sestra; modlil som sa za teba. A ak sa nemýlim, nebolo to v Cirkvi Otvorených Dverí v Louisville? Bola si uzdravená alebo niečo také, mala si nejakú nemoc a odvtedy, vaše srdcia boli pohnuté. A verím, že si členkou jednej z metodistických cirkví tu v meste.
9A bolo to na tvojom srdci, aby som sem dolu prišiel. Ja ne... je mi ľúto, ale nepoznám tvoje meno. Ale toto je pani, spolu s Woodovcami, mojimi milovanými priateľmi a susedmi, ktorí žijú hneď vedľa mňa. Sú to verní Kresťania. Keď žijete hneď vedľa nejakej osoby, môžete veľmi dobre povedať, z čoho sú utvorení, či nie? Je to tak.
Tak jedno, dve z vašich detí, ktoré žijú tu na jednom z týchto kopcov okolo, pán Banks Wood a jeho pani. Som tak rád, že majú so mnou obecenstvo v práci Evanjelia.
A tiež naša milovaná sestra tu, poznám ju len trocha, ale viem, že je vernou Kresťankou. A viem, že je veľká pracovníčka v cirkvi, ku ktorej patrí. A nech Pán žehná ju a jej cirkev, spolu.
10No, ako som hovoril, Duch Svätý napísal Bibliu a je napísaná takým spôsobom, že pre človeka neexistuje vôbec žiaden spôsob v jeho rozumovom poňatí, aby porozumel tomu, čo to je. Nezáleží na tom, ako dobre to máš zapísané, ako dobre to môžeš dať dokopy, je to od začiatku nesprávne. Rozumiete? Pretože On To ukryl pred očami múdrych a rozumných, a je to duchovné zjavenie.
Pozrite sa na farizejov a sadúceov vo dňoch nášho Pána Ježiša, ako to mali všetko do bodky vyrátané, ako mal prísť Kristus a všetko ostatné; a keď On prišiel, On prišiel v protiklade ku tomu, ako si to oni vyrátali, len aby ukázal, že On je Boh. A to bolo... On neprišiel v protiklade s Písmom; On prišiel v protiklade s ich poňatím Písma. Ale On prišiel presne takým spôsobom, ako Písmo povedalo, dokonale.
11No, trochu šušlem. Nie som už ten malý mladý chlapec, ktorým som tu dole na vašom mieste zvykol byť, pán a pani Zeb Smith. Zostarol som už. A minule som mal svoju prvú bolesť zubov a musel som si dať vytrhnúť zub. A oni dali jeden na svoje miesto a mám tu v ústach drôt, a istotne je to prekážka. Cítim, že mám toho v ústach príliš. Tak mi odpusťte, že takto šušlem, kým si na to nezvyknem. Ale ako starneme, no, musíme sa naučiť tieto veci.
Minulý deň som rozprával, ako... Hovoril som svojej žene; česal som si tých zopár vlasov, ktoré mi zostali. Moja žena mi povedala; ona riekla, „Billy, začínaš byť holohlavý.“
Povedal som, „No, zlatko,“ ale povedal som, „chvála Pánovi, ani jeden z nich nezahynul.“
Povedala, „No, kde teda sú?“
Povedal som, „Opýtam sa ťa niečo, potom, a keď ty odpovieš mne, ja odpoviem tebe. Kde boli predtým, ako som ich dostal? Kdekoľvek boli predtým, ako boli, sú tam naspäť a čakajú na mňa, kým ku nim prídem.“ Amen. Ó.
12Tak, čo sa starám o to, ako som zostarol, ako ste zostarli, akí sme zvráskavení, akí sme zhrbení, to nič neznamená. V jednom z týchto dní prichádza Ježiš a znova sa prelúskneme späť na mladého muža a ženu a budeme žiť navždy. Čo... Každá častica, každý kúsoček z...
Naše telá sú utvorené z, ó, kozmického svetla a ropy, a tak ďalej, ale oni odniekiaľ prišli. Neboli tu; potom tu sú; potom znova nie sú.
Ale Boh pozná každý atóm, ktorý tvoje telo drží pohromade. Každý fliačik svetla, každú časticu, každú bunku, každý kúsoček ropy a všetko kalcium, fosfor, všetko, čo vchádza do ľudského tela, čo vyšlo zo zeme, On presne pozná, kde leží každá smietka. A jedného dňa tvoj duch zostane uvoľnený a vykríkne po svojom živote. A nie starý muž alebo žena...
13Ale všimnite si, raz som sa rozprával s jedným doktorom v Louisville, Kentucky, rozprávali sme sa na tému Afriky a on povedal, „No...“
Povedal som, „Chcem sa ťa niečo opýtať, doktor, je to pravda, že zakaždým, keď jem, obnovujem vtedy svoj život?“
„Samozrejme,“ hovorí, „ješ jedlo a to vytvára krvné bunky a krvná bunka obnoví tvoj život.“
Povedal som, „Prečo je to tak, že jem ten istý druh fazule, zemiakov, kukuričného chleba, a tak ďalej, ktorý som jedol, keď som mal šestnásť rokov. Keď som to jedol v šestnástich, stával som sa väčším, silnejším, zdravším, mocnejším po celý čas; a teraz jem to isté, nazdávam sa, že iba viac toho, a stávam sa po celý čas starším a slabším? Povedz mi to, že ak vkladám dnu nový život, prečo to pre mňa teraz neurobí to isté, ako to robilo pred tridsiatimi rokmi?“ Rozumiete?
Povedal, „No...“
Povedal som, „Chcem sa ťa niečo opýtať, ak leješ vodu do pohára a on sa napĺňa, prečo sa prestáva napĺňať?“
Povedal, „No...“
Povedal som, „Pretože Boh povedal.“ Je to tak. Rozumiete? Boh povedal.
14A keď povstaneme... A sme ako kvet, obraz, vyrástli sme do určitého veku, asi okolo dvadsiatich dvoch alebo troch rokov. Keď si sa ty a tvoja žena vzali, ty, drahý starý brat tamto, keď si pracoval na svojich kukuričných poliach a veciach, oženil si sa s tým červenajúcim sa dievčaťom... Je to veľmi zlé, že dnes ich mnoho nemáme. Viete to, nevidel som ženu, ako sa červená, asi tridsať rokov. Všetka hanblivosť je preč. Nechcem teraz o tom začínať.
V poriadku, som len starodávny, zálesácky, staromódny kazateľ, ktorý verí pravde. Verím, že ľudia by mali žiť zbožne, sväto, v tomto prítomnom živote, ako vyhliadajú príchod Pána Ježiša.
Ale keď sa dostaneme na miesto, asi okolo dvadsiatich troch rokov, oženili sme sa a vzali sme svoje zlatíčko na svoje rameno a išli sme domov, vy bratia si to pamätáte. A vtedy ste na tom najlepšie. A prvé, čo zistíte, v jedno ráno sa matka zobudí, povie, „Tati, vidím šedivé vlasy.“
Povieš, „Mami, spozoroval som vrásku pod tými nádhernými očami.“ Vidíte, o čo ide?
Dostavila sa smrť; nebude trvať dlho a zaženie vás do rohu. Dostane sa z toho von... Po chvíli budete starí; dostane vás to, ale to je všetko, čo to môže urobiť. To je celé.
15Každá častica, všade, kde ste boli na tom najlepšie, rovno na vrchole, Boh hovorí, „Teraz je namaľovaný obraz. To je to, čo chcem vo Svojom veľkom miléniu, ktoré prichádza, tak Ja len... No, tu si, smrť, ale teraz ich nemôžeš vziať. Môžeš ísť na nich pracovať, ale nemôžeš ich vziať, pokiaľ ťa nezavolám.“ Rozumiete?
A potom v tom veľkolepom vzkriesení, potom vyjdeme vpred. Všetko, čo nám smrť robila, to v okamihu smrti končí, a potom sa zobudíme do nového Života. Nebude to nádherné? Všetky šedivé vlasy sú preč, starý vek odišiel. A budeme navždy mladí a budeme navždy žiť v kráse Pánovej a nikdy nebudeme musieť byť chorí, nikdy nebudeme musieť byť starí, nikdy nebudeme musieť užívať lieky, nikdy nebudeme v nemocnici, nikdy nezahúka sanitka. Či to nebude nádherné?
No, oni nás nazývajú bláznami, verím, že sme tí najinteligentnejší ľudia na svete. My, povedal som to, v poriadku. Pretože milujeme nášho Pána Ježiša. Všetko, čo obsahuje táto Biblia, tie zasľúbenia, všetky sú dobré. Tak, aký dobrý bol náš Pán. Prehovorme teraz ku Jeho drahej Bytosti, či pre nás dnes popoludní otvorí Slovo, v malom krátkom príklade z Písma, a potom skoro odídeme, aby sme dnes večer mohli prísť naspäť. A verím, že chlapci vydajú niekoľké ďalšie modlitebné karty, ak sa budeme modliť za nemocných, ó, asi okolo šesť-tridsať, tak nejako.
16Pomodlíme sa? Náš nebeský Otče, sme šťastní, že dnes môžeme byť tu v štáte Kentucky, dolu medzi ľuďmi. A viem, že vzadu na týchto hrebeňoch, naokolo na tých starých cintorínoch, mnohé z nich ani nie sú označené značkou. Chudobný starý otec s montérkami a zaplátanou košeľou, nemohol si dovoliť náhrobný kameň. Ale keď tam uložil svoju milú, vedľa nej položil bábätko, zarazil dolu malý kôl alebo kríž. Ale Boh v nebesiach, na veľkých knihách, tam na tých záznamových knihách, tam je zapísané meno. Ty vieš, kde ona je, kde leží jej telo.
A som tak šťastný, Pane, keď viem, že ty nezabúdaš. A sme radi, že sme tu dnes združení s ich deťmi, ktorí Ti tiež veria. A teraz, prosím Ťa, Otče, aby si prišiel do našej prítomnosti, alebo lepšie povedané, daj nám, aby sme prišli do Tvojej prítomnosti. A nech Tvoja veľkolepá vznešená Bytosť, Pane, len prúď cez naše duše so Svojou dobrotou a požehnaniami, nie kvôli tomu, že sme hodní, sme nehodní, ale len preto, že Ty si to zasľúbil, Pane, očakávame na to.
No, Písma sú všetky zviazané dokopy. Ako Biblia znamená o toľko viac, než hovorí, ak len môžeme mať Ducha Svätého, aby To pre nás vyložil. My To iba čítame, ako sa na To dívame, ale, ó, ako Duch Svätý hovorí, „Moje dieťa, teraz sa dívaš do Mojej tváre, keď sa dívaš do tejto Biblie. Toto je to, čo chcem, aby si vedel.“ A nech Duch Svätý dnes vezme Slovo Božie a prinesie Ho do každého srdca, tak, ako máme potrebu. A nech máme teraz obecenstvo okolo Slova. Inšpiruj nás. Lebo o to prosíme v Mene Ježiša Krista. Amen.
17Na malom mieste v Písme, našiel som tu v Knihe svätého Lukáša, zo všetkého kázania v celom mojom živote, nikdy predtým vo svojom živote som nepristúpil ku tomuto textu. Je to nový text, z ktorého som sa nikdy nepokúšal kázať. Ale ako som pred chvíľou sedel v hotelovej izbe, zdalo sa, že ma niečo pritiahlo ku tomuto miestu. Prečítame to v Evanjeliu svätého Lukáša a začneme v 7. kapitole a 36. veršom:
A prosil ho ktorýsi z farizejov, žeby jedol s ním. A vošiel do domu farizeja a položil sa za stôl.
Ježiš chcel – či vlastne ten farizej chcel od Ježiša, aby sa ku nemu prišiel najesť.
Tak, tento prípad tu porozumieme potom, ako si prečítate celú kapitolu ďalej, tak budete veľmi dobre oboznámení s tými zvyklosťami a spôsobom, ako to tu Písmo hovorí.
Ale teraz, ako naše myšlienky umiestnime na toto, niečo tam nesedí. Tam je... Len takýto úsek z Písma bude dostatočný na to, aby nám dal obraz toho, o čom chcem hovoriť. A moja téma bude: Pýcha.
Ó, pýcha je tak prekliata vec, tak strašná, tak zlá je pýcha. Ale vyzerá to tak, že tu niečo nehrá, ako vchádzame do našej malej scény. A chceme sa teraz na to pozrieť, nie z hľadiska náuky, ale ako na udalosť Ježišovho života, nie z pohľadu náuky. Ale tam, iste tu niečo nesedí; nejaký farizej chce vidieť Ježiša a chce sa s Ním najesť a mať obecenstvo. To je úplne v rozpore. Farizeji nenávideli Ježiša. Nemali pre Neho vôbec žiadne využitie. On bol pre nich belzebub, diabol, zvodca. A žiaden farizej nemal s Ježišom nič do činenia.
18Ale tento Šimon, on chcel od Ježiša, aby ku nemu prišiel a mal trocha – a bol ním zabavený. No, niečo tu s tým obrazom nehrá.
Keď vidíme malé dievčatko, ako po celý čas nasleduje po okolí babičku, malé šesť alebo sedemročné dieťa chodí naokolo s babičkou, niečo sa tam deje, tie motívy sú – zmenili sa. No, šesťročné dievčatko zvyčajne – alebo sedem, osemročné, ona rada šantí a hrá sa s deťmi v jej veku. Ale ak nasleduje po celý čas babičku, no, buď je to preto, že je ku nej tá babička naozaj dobrá, alebo ju babička rozmaznáva, alebo lepšie povedané, je babičkin malý miláčik, alebo možno, neviete, babička môže mať niekde zastrčený sáčok cukríkov. Rozumiete? Ide o to, že to dieťa má nejaký motív, kvôli ktorému babičku nasleduje.
A bezpochyby tento farizej, ktorý nenávidel Ježiša, mal za tým nejaký druh motívu, ktorý nebol práve v poriadku.
19Mladí ľudia sa radi stretávajú s mladými ľuďmi. Malé deti sa radi hrajú na uliciach, Biblia o tom hovorí v proroctve Izaiáša. Malé deti, ktoré sa hrajú na uliciach, majú spoločné veci: svoje bábiky, svoje vrtuľky a svojich drevených koníkov a iné veci. Malé deti sa stretávajú s malými deťmi. Mladé dievčatá sa radi stretávajú s mladými dievčatami, ženy v strednom veku s tými, ktoré sú v strednom veku, starí so starými.
Kluby, Kiwanis a Rotary, oni majú spoločné veci. Musia sa spolu stretávať vo svojich kluboch, aby mali – rozprávali o situáciách ako oni – o komunite alebo o tom, ako by sa mohli postarať o chudobných v situácii. Musia sa spoločne zísť. A ako hovorí staré príslovie z Kentucky, ako som to moju mamu mnohokrát počul povedať, „Vrana k vrane sadá.“ V tom je veľmi veľa pravdy.
20Nikdy nevidíte vrany a holubice, ako spolu navzájom majú veľa obecenstva. Sú to dva rozličné druhy vtákov; jeden má jednu vec a druhý má inú. No, vrana, to je pojedač zdochlín. Ona skrátka žerie mŕtve veci. Ale holubica nemôže jesť mŕtve veci. Ak holubica zje mŕtve veci, potom by tá holubica hneď zomrela; nedokáže to stráviť. Holubica, ten vták, ktorého poznáme pod tým menom holubica, symbolizuje Holubicu Ducha Svätého v Biblii, keďže holubica nemá žiadnu žlč. Nemôže stráviť skazené, odporné veci; pretože, ak by to urobila, to by pre tú holubicu znamenalo smrť.
Veľmi nádherný príklad znovuzrodeného Kresťana, ktorý nemôže stráviť svetské veci, pretože ak by to robili, to by ich hneď duchovne zabilo. Ale všimli ste si niekedy starú vranu? No, ona môže sedieť na mŕtvej zdochline, ktorá sa rozkladá, v čistom kentuckom jazyku, hnije, a ona tam na tom môže sedieť a jesť po celý deň. Ale holubica okolo toho nemôže chodiť; smrdí to a ona odletí. Ale vrana na tom môže sedieť a po celý deň jesť, a potom môže ísť rovno na pšeničné pole a jesť tiež s holubicou.
21Takisto pokrytec, napodobiteľ, on môže ísť do sveta, spolčovať sa so svetom a správať sa ako svet, žiť vo svete a užívať si svetské radovánky, a prísť do cirkvi a predstierať, že je Kresťanom. Ale skutočný Kresťan nemôže vychádzať do sveta a vracať sa späť; tam niečo nie je v poriadku. Tak to ukazuje...
Ukážte mi svoju spoločnosť, ja vám poviem, kým ste. Dovoľte mi ísť do vášho domu a pozrieť sa, čo čítate, nechajte ma vypočuť si, vidieť, aký druh hudby máte zapnutý. Dovoľte mi vidieť aký druh časopisov, aký druh literatúry čítate. Nechajte ma nazrieť do vašej kancelárie a pozrieť sa, či je tam veľká hromada týchto vulgárnych obrázkov na plagátoch a také veci. A ty mi hovoríš, že si Kresťan, nebudem ti nič hovoriť; ale v mojom srdci uvidím, aký druh ovocia nesieš (Rozumiete?), pretože to je tvoja diéta.
Ó, povieš, „Patrím do zboru. No dobre, to nie je tvoja záležitosť, aby si ma súdil, brat Branham.“ Nesúdim ťa; Slovo ťa súdi. Presne tak. Tvoje ovocie, tvoj život rozpráva, čím si.
22Ó, tento farizej za tým musel mať nejaký druh motívu. Čo je farizej? Čo znamená slovo farizej? My to slovo v Kentucky veľmi často nepoužívame. Čo znamená slovo farizej? V gréčtine to znamená „herec, niekto, kto odohráva.“ Ó, nenávidím to, niekto, kto odohráva, snaží sa predstierať. Opovrhujem niečím takým.
Mnohokrát sa ľudia snažia správať ako niekto druhý. Počúvajte, prestaňte sa správať ako niekto druhý a skrátka sa správajte podľa vášho vlastného presvedčenia a budete na tom oveľa lepšie. Buďte sami sebou. Presne tak.
Vidíte, ako tak mnohé malé deti chodia na filmové predstavenie, vrátia sa domov a chcú sa správať ako herečka. Hanba vám. V Hollywoode, Los Angeles, mal som tam mnoho zhromaždení a zistil som, že mnohí ľudia, ktorí vyrástli na všetkej tej zábave amerických ľudí, niečo odohrávajú. Sme skvelí herci, farizeji. Tam sú; uvidíte ich; sú pred obrazovkou tak dlho, že až neustále niečo odohrávajú.
23Medzi americkými ľuďmi, skrze televíziu a skrze filmové predstavenia, videli tak mnoho predstierania, až začali sami predstierať: je to veľmi zlé. A máme to v cirkvi, hercov. Hm. Boh ich nechce. Nech je to od nás ďaleko, aby sme boli hercami. Buď sám sebou; Boh ťa chce mať takého, neznášam, keď niekoho vidím, ako sa snaží robiť niečo, čo nemôže robiť.
Čo za hanba, všimol som si to mnohokrát, a nádherné hlasy, ktoré Boh ľuďom dal, talent, a oni to pretrénujú. Neznášam počúvať pretrénovaný hlas, keď sa postavia spievať a zaspievajú určitú notu, ktorú budú držať tak dlho, až zmodrejú v tvári, len aby ukázali obecenstvu, ako dlho to dokážu pevne držať ako o život.
A keď zídu dolu, tí ľudia nechvália Boha; ich myseľ je na tej note.
24Milujem starodávne letničné spievanie (Presne tak), kde zabudnete klavír a organ, kde sa nemusíte dostať do nejakého druhu rituálnosti, programu, ktorý je nejakým návlekom. Kde zodvihnete svoje ruky so slzami stekajúcimi po svojich lícach, či dokážete zaspievať do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-si-do, alebo nie, a len spievate v Duchu. Zo srdca vzdávate chválu Bohu. Všetko pomimo nejakého programu, musíte sa dostať preč od ľudského programu, aby ste sa dostali do Božieho programu (Rozumiete?), vyjdite z toho.
Ó, zachráň ma od toho, aby som bol herec. Buď tým, čím si; Boh ťa bude žehnať. Dokonca niekedy vidíte kazateľov, ako to robia. Dostanú sa za kazateľňu a spravia svoj hlas veľmi silným. „Práve som dostal svoj titul...“ [Brat Branham napodobňuje pomalý nafúkaný hrubý hlas – pozn.prekl.] až vám po chrbte prebehne mráz. Je mi ich ľúto. Ľudia to neoceňujú. Len buď sám sebou, ľudia si ťa budú viac vážiť. Či tomu veríte? Buď len úprimným a jednoduchým ako „strom sassafras, údená šunka na dreve orechovca a cirokový sirup.“ [Br.Branham používa vidiecke termíny – pozn.prekl.] To ti urobí dobre; nebudeš predstierať.
25Ale farizej, ó, nenávidím to slovo, herec. Niektoré sestry robia to isté, príliš veľa niečo len odohrávajú. Ó, oni svojim manželom 'odseknú nos,' „Ján, prečo si to urobil?“ Tak výbušné, ako len môžu byť. Ó, fíha. Nech ma Boh ochráni od toho, aby som vás zavolal, ak máte taký druh ducha. Ale nech niekto rozpráva cez telefón, „Ó, ako sa máš? Som tak rada, že si zavolala.“ Herci, hanba vám: doma anjeli, na ceste diabli, predstierajú. Len buď po celý čas sám sebou. Najlepšie je byť na tom tak. Neveríte tomu?
Iste, potom viete, ako vás budú druhí brať, nie ako hercov alebo farizejov. V nedeľu idete do zboru a, ó, akí ste zbožní a milí, a v pondelok ráno s vami nikto nedokáže vydržať. Ty farizej, čo dobré ti to robí chodiť do zboru? Ó, hmm. Potrebujú obrátenie; to je to, čo potrebujete. Vziať tú vec von, tú prirodzenosť toho. Metodisti by na to mali povedať, „Amen,“ pretože to je metodistická náuka, ak tomu správne rozumiem, posvätenie.
26V poriadku, ó, predstierači, tento starý farizej poslal po Ježiša; on mal niečo poza tým. No, on je unavený; rozhliada sa ponad ľuďmi. Môže sotva vidieť; je spotený. Prichádza celú cestu z južnej Palestíny, hľadá a pátra. Zástupy sa tam teraz zhromaždili, a on tam stál celý deň a pot po ňom stekal, jeho unavené nohy išli po palestínskych cestách, od prachu a hnoja z cesty, ako bežal. Každú chvíľu sa zastavuje a pije vodu. Ale dvíha svoju hlavu a znova sa rozhliada, vydýchne si, „Dobre, som tak rád, že som Ho našiel.“
Po dlhšej chvíli rozprávania, ako sa po chvíli začína trocha rozpúšťať zástup, a on si začína predierať cestu dnu. On má posolstvo; je na svojej ceste. On má pána; volá sa Šimon, farizej. On je posol; má teraz túto úlohu, odniesť určitý odkaz. Musí sa dostať k Ježišovi. Poskok, tak ich v Palestíne volajú. Farizeji ich majú mnoho, robia všetko, starajú sa im o kone a o ich záhrady, a tak ďalej, a starajú sa o nich: poskokovia, zaplatia im len trošku peňazí, akurát, aby len tak prežili.
27A tento poskok možno dva alebo tri dni pátral, snažil sa nájsť, pretože jeho pán mu dal rozkaz, aby išiel a našiel Ježiša a pozval Ho do jeho domu na večeru ku určitej príležitosti. Vidím ho, ako si prediera cestu cez ten dav a pritackal sa oproti, možno ku Petrovi, alebo to bol Andrej? Nebol som tam, neviem, ale počujem ho, ako hovorí, „Rád by som videl vášho Pána, pane.“
A isteže, milovaní učeníci, ako sa snažili držať ľudí od Ježiša, keď sa tam modlil za chorých a také veci. A on znova hovorí, „Rád by som videl vášho Pána.“ A vidím, ako ho Andrej berie bližšie ku miestu, kde bol Ježiš, kde boli chorí a všetci naokolo; povedal, „Pane, je tu jeden mladý muž z južnej Palestíny, ktorý prichádza so správou. Prichádza z dlhej cesty. A hovorí, že to je od jeho pána, a on si s Tebou praje hovoriť.“
28A on hovorí... Poklonil sa Mu a povedal Mu, čo bolo jeho posolstvo, že jeho pán mal túžbu, aby On pri určitej príležitosti prišiel ku nemu a povečeral s ním. Ó, keby sme tam boli vy alebo ja, ako odlišne by sme sa na to dívali. Hovorili by sme, „Pane, nechoď ku tomu pokrytcovi. Nechoď ku tomu farizejovi. No, on je slepý; nepozná... Nenávidí Ťa. A tu je tak mnoho chorých ľudí a vecí naokolo; Ty si použil tak mnoho zo Svojej sily. Nechoď ku takému chlapíkovi; on sa Ťa len snaží využiť, ako to hovorí to staré príslovie, ako žolíka (kartový tromf), alebo niečo také. On tam má pripravenú nejakú vlastnú nedobrú alternatívu. Nechoď ku takejto osobe.“
Ó, môžem si predstaviť toho farizeja, veľký človek, bol veľkým mužom vo svojom meste, ako sa niekoľko dní predtým prechádza po svojich pekných egyptských kobercoch a jeho skvelá navoňaná jedáleň, trel si svoje veľké bacuľaté ruky, bol ako roláda, taký tučný, povedal, „Prečo ma to nenapadlo skôr? Ha-ha-ha-ha. No iste, to je to, čo chcem. To je to. Hovorím vám, pre moju veľkú zábavu, ktorú sa chystám mať, mal som na to pomyslieť už pred dlhým časom. Ha-ha-ha. Poznáte toho chlapíka, Ježiša z Nazaretu, všetci chudobní ľudia Ho majú na jazyku. A poviem vám čo, keby som Ho mal tu na mojom bankete. Mal by som tých zvedavcov všade okolo, stáli by tu a dívali by sa na Neho. To je všetko, čo musím urobiť, a viete čo? Budem najpopulárnejšou osobou v meste. Pridám ku svojej popularite. Ó, mal som na to pomyslieť skôr.“
Tak on poslal na cestu nejakého chlapca, aby Ho našiel. „Čo myslíte, že doktor Jones povie? Ten farizej Jones nenávidí Ježiša z Nazaretu. Verí, že On je diabol. A či to nebude dobré pre právnika Toho-a-toho, keď ich tu budem mať? Určite na moje zhromaždenie prídu všetky celebrity z mesta, určite. Pretože vedia, že ich môžem dobre nakŕmiť.“ Istotne, toto bol bohatý farizej. Mal mnoho, mohol robiť, čokoľvek chcel. Dostal všetky kusy mäsa, hore v chráme. Mal prsty vo všetkých kusoch mäsa. Mal tiež prsty vo všetkých desiatkoch a obetiach, vo všetkom, čo sa donášalo. Mal množstvo.
29No, to, čo bolo potrebné na usporiadanie takej hostiny, by kŕmilo bežnú palestínsku rodinu dva roky. Ale, ó, on bol v meste veľký človek. Doktor Šimon farizej, pozrite, aký chlapík. Môžem ho vidieť chodiť tam a späť a vravieť, „Určite, och joj, musím hneď teraz rozposlať svoje pozvánky. No, viete čo, aby ma mohli vidieť všetci ľudia, budem to mať vonku, kde je chladnejšie, von okolo verandy. Vyjdem von vo veľkolepom... Mám tam miesto, hroznový altánok, kde visia dolu nádherné hrozná a ony sú teraz najdozretejšie a tá aróma z tých hrozien je tak nádherná. A budem to mať všetko tam vonku a zoberiem tam môj špeciálny veľký stôl a položím ho tam. A budem tam mať doktora Jonesa a doktora Takého-a-takého a doktora Takého-a-takého a doktora Takého-a-takého a celé mesto bude vedieť, že som veľký človek, že moje vzdelanie mi učinilo dobre, a že som veľký človek. Ja, ja, ja, ja, ja,“ to je všetko, čo môžete počuť.
„Ja som urobil toto; ja budem lepší, ja urobím toto.“ Ja, ja, ja a žiadne miesto pre Krista.
30Nie je to obraz dneška? Ja urobím tak-a-tak. Ja sa pripojím do zboru, ja urobím toto, ja urobím tamto. Bože, zmiluj sa nad nami. Tam ho máte, ó, bol skvelý chlapík a bude ešte lepší, len aby tam mali Ježiša pre zábavu. On Mu neveril, že je prorok, aj keď Ježiš ním bol. A neveril Mu, že je Syn Boží, aj keď Ním bol.
Ale on si myslel, „Ak sa mi podarí mať tu toho chlapíka, budeme mať všetci zábavu.“ Tak on pre Neho poslal.
Ježiš nikdy, nikdy neporušuje zasľúbenie. Dni ubehli, veľa vecí sa prihodilo. A prišiel čas pre tohto farizeja na to stretnutie alebo na jeho večeru, aby bola pripravená, a Ježiš povedal Svojim učeníkom, „Poďme teraz rovno cez Palestínu do južnej Palestíny, zoberme sa, pretože nechceme prísť neskoro.“ Ježiš nikdy neporušuje sľub. On vždy dodržuje Svoje zasľúbenie. Bez ohľadu na to, čo to je, On to dodrží.
Ten deň sa priblížil a vidíme toho farizeja, ako sa na dvore pripravuje jeho stôl. A vonku sú jeho reklamy a všetci ľudia sa začínajú zhromažďovať. Čo za významného chlapíka to bolo.
31Hore prichádza na svojom veľkom fajnovom voze doktor Jones. Ženie tých ľudí naozaj rýchlo, svojich poskokov, a on odoberá kone, berie ich do stajne a stará sa o jeho kone. A on, „Ako sa máš, môj priateľu? Som tak rád, že ťa vidím. Nevojdeš dnu a nenavštíviš ma na chvíľu?“ Ó, vidím ho, ako to predstiera. „Nevojdeš dnu? No, tu je právnik Taký-a-taký; som tak rád, že ťa vidím, môj priateľu. Nevojdeš dnu? Poskok, vezmi jeho kone do stajne.“ Ó.
Ale po chvíli sa dostal do vnútra a poháre štrngali, atď. A v Palestíne, keď usporiadali večeru, ak ste tam niekedy boli, rozložili velikánsky stôl, takto von, a pozdĺž mali... V Palestíne nesedíte a nejete, ako to robíte tu; ľahnete si a jete. Mali niečo ako pohovku a rozložili to takto okolo stola. A každý človek takto ležal a jedol poležiačky, jeho nohy boli za ním.
A mali všetko pripravené, všetci z nich tam boli, zabávali sa, a tak ďalej, a farizej mal ohromný čas, ako zabával svoje celebrity. Prvá vec, ktorú zistíte, prišiel Ježiš, vošiel do domu a sadol si; a oni nevedeli, že On tam je. Nikto o tom nemohol vedieť. Odkiaľ On prišiel?
32No, také malé miesto, pravdepodobne sedel niekde v rohu. Farizej bol príliš zaneprázdnený; musel robiť iné veci. Celebrity, boli tam veľkí ľudia z mesta a on ich musel hostiť. Zaujímalo by ma, bratia a sestry, či nedávame tak mnoho času do hostenia celebrít a dôležitých osôb, že sme až zabudli na to, že Ježiš tiež sedí v našom strede, sedí tam v rohu, nikto si Ho nevšíma. Sedí sám, Jeho učeníci nemohli vojsť dnu; neboli ani pozvaní.
Tak všetci, ktorí neboli pozvaní, ako sú tí z východu, oni stáli vonku a dívali sa dnu, boli zvedaví; a keď sa niečo deje, ó, nemusíte sa trápiť ohľadom davu; oni sú tam v každom prípade všetci. Prichádzajú sa pozrieť, pozorovatelia, vidia, čo môžu. Nie je im dovolené vojsť, ale oni prídu a dívajú sa. Stoja na špičkách hodiny a hodiny, sledujú pohostenie. Chudobní, ktorým tečú sliny, keď vidia to skvelé, okorenené mäso, baránok upečený s tým najlepším korením. Ó, veľkolepé veci privezené celou cestou z Egypta a Mezopotámie, a tak ďalej.
33No, tento farizej bol bohatý človek, on naozaj mohol usporiadať takúto veľkú hostinu. Nech chudobní postávajú a zízajú, ak chcú. To je tá skupina, ktorá by roztrhala svet, aby učinila jedného novoverca z pohanov, a urobia z neho dvojnásobné dieťa pekla, než bol, keď začal.
Pýcha, okázalosť, tam on je, Ježiš sedí opustený. Predstavujem si, že On sa cítil nepríjemne, lebo mal špinavé nohy. Keď ľudia cestujú v Palestíne; v tých dňoch nemali chodníky a cesty a asfaltové cesty, ako máme dnes. Sedí tam s úplne špinavými chodidlami a nohami, Jeho hlava nie je pomazaná, žiaden bozk na Jeho líci a Jeho nohy s tým zaprášeným hnojom a špinou z cesty, prach odtiaľ, kde kone, prívesy, zvieratá tiahli náklad a nosili bremená, a zvierací trus na ceste, vtáci prileteli dolu a roztrúsili to a rozrýpali to naokolo a po chvíli sa to dostalo do prachu.
34A osoba, ktorá kráča... Spodné rúcho v Palestíne sa končilo pri kolenách, a potom to rúcho, ktoré je na tom zvrchu, to prekrýva až dolu, a ako oni chodili, to plantalo a vytváralo taký malý pohyb vzduchu, ktorý víril prach. Ó, a je to špinavé a smradľavé, keď sa na vás dostane všetka tá špina. A tam sedel Ježiš so špinavými nohami. Jezu, ako Ho oni volali, so špinavými nohami. Ó, to so mnou niečo robí, keď to hovorím. Ježiš nepovšimnutý, Ježiš so špinavými nohami, urobili z Neho objekt pohŕdania, potom, ako bol pozvaný.
Zaujímalo by ma, keď máte modlitebné zhromaždenie, pozvete Ho do svojho zboru, On potom zostupuje, aby pre vás niečo urobil, necháte Ho len tak nepovšimnutého, je to príliš mnohokrát v našom domácom živote a všade. Keď prichádza prezident, no, ó, oni rozprestierajú koberce po celej ceste od vlaku, po celej ceste do hotela. Povystieľajú ulice a mladé dámy vyjdú s kvetmi a obložia chodníky kyticami a zavesia zástavy a každý znak uvítania. Ale keď do mesta prichádza Ježiš, On musí zostať niekde v malej misii, nazvaný bláznom, náboženským fanatikom. Ó.
35Ó, vy slepí farizeji, všimnite si, Ježiš so špinavými nohami. Ježiš, tie nohy, ktoré mali byť čoskoro prebodnuté za hriechy sveta, sedel s prachom a hnojom, nepohodlne. Ježiš sa každopádne zvyčajne necíti pohodlne okolo skupiny bohatých ľudí. Oni Mu nedajú žiadne miesto, absolútne nič, len Ho nechajú sedieť. „Ó, s vašimi ústami Ma uctievate, ale vaše srdcia sú ďaleko,“ povedal Majster.
Ježiš so špinavými nohami, tam On sedí, nepovšimnutý, neumytý, nevítaný. Povieš, „Ježiš, vezmeš to menšie miesto? Ježiš, vezmeš to maličké miesto, keď si zavolaný do domu?“
„Áno, vezmem to malé miesto.“
„Čo?“
„Malú izbu na poschodí alebo možno na druhom poschodí, malú komôrku alebo dolu v suteréne.“
Vy sa za Neho hanbíte pred celebritami, pred vašou spoločnosťou. Bojíte sa alebo sa hanbíte o Ňom svedčiť, aby ste povedali o Jeho zachraňujúcej milosti.
„Ale prídeš aj tak, Ježiš?“
„Áno, v každom prípade prídem.“
To mi dokazuje, že On je Pánom pánov, On je veľkou osobou. „Prídem v každom prípade, bez ohľadu na to, aké malé miesto pre Mňa pripravíš, prídem v každom prípade.“
To sa mi páči, On je môj Pán. „Prídem v každom prípade, bez ohľadu na to, aké malé je to miesto, Ja prídem.“ Hoci prezidentovi dávate všetko, doktorovi Jonesovi dávate veľký priestor, ale keď prichádza Ježiš, On berie niekde nejaký roh. Čo za banda farizejov, predstierači, zabávači, bez lásky, zabávači. „Vezmem to malé miesto.“
36Raz dávno, Kresťan, predtým, ako si otvoril svoje srdce, ako si s Ním zaobchádzal? Niektorí z vás ľudí, ktorí ste vyznávali, že ste Kresťania, ako ste s Ním zaobchádzali? Ó, raz za čas ste dovolili, aby prišli niektoré programy, prichádza nejaký suchý evanjelista a vy ste si obliekli svoje najočarujúcejšie šaty a svoj nádherný klobúk a išli ste dolu do zboru.
Nedali ste Mu žiadne miesto uctievania; nesvedčili ste. Ale On vás nepokarhal. Neodsúdil vás. On je ochotný prijať to malé miesto. Nedali ste Mu celé svoje srdce; On vezme práve tak veľa, ako Mu dovolíte mať. On je môj Pán. A idete domov, „Ó, to bude stačiť do ďalšieho mesiaca; znova prídem do zboru.“
37Ako ste Ho vytlačili von, vaše malé bezvýznamné večierky a všetky vaše malé veci, vaše malé zábavky, no, ty farizej. Hanba ti, že si tak robil Ježišovi, môjmu Pánovi. Keď On prichádza do mesta, hovoril si o Ňom zle; odpísal si Ho. Otvor svoje oči, On prichádza, aby ťa navštívil. Volal si o Neho na svojom modlitebnom zhromaždení, ale keď On prichádza, potom Mu nechceš dať žiadne miesto. Aké smutné. Akí slepí môžu byť ľudia.
Akú príležitosť mal tento kuriér, keď pristúpil ku Ježišovým nohám. Ó, prajem si, aby som mohol zaujať jeho miesto. Prajem si, aby som tam v tom dni mohol byť, urobil by som viac, než Mu povedať to, čo povedal nejaký farizej. Objal by som Ho. Urobil by som všetko, čo by som mohol, kvôli príležitosti stáť v prítomnosti Ježiša. Tak, ako boli ľudia slepí v tom dni, tak sú i dnes. So samotnou myšlienkou, príležitosťou, ktorá je predložená ľuďom, aby prijali Krista, a kráčajú preč a opúšťajú Ho neuctievaného, nevítaného.
38Viete, v palestínskom kraji je zvykom, tá prvá vec, ktorá sa deje, keď ste pozvaný na takúto kráľovskú hostinu, keď prídete ku dverám, ste celý špinavý, smrdíte; vtedy nie ste vhodným objektom pre uhostenie. Boli by ste v rozpakoch, ak by ste kráčali po tých pôvabných domoch so všetkým tým na svojich nohách a všetkým, a to, ako vyzeráte, ste spotený a všetko také. Čo je tá prvá vec? Keď prichádza hosť, majú tam poskoka, človeka, ktorý je za prácu najmenej platený.
Keď pomyslím, že môj Pán sa opásal a umýval ľudské nohy, On zaujal to najmenšie miesto, pričom si zaslúžil to najvyššie miesto. Ale On zaujal to najmenšie miesto, aby umyl ten hnoj a špinu z ich nôh, stal sa najponíženejším zo sluhov. Žiaden iný sluha nie je tak ponížený ako poskok, ktorý umýva nohy.
Ale keď prídete do takého typu domu vo východnej krajine, v Palestíne, pri dverách sa s vami stretne poskok, ide ku jednej zo studní a vytiahne mu nejakú – veľkú misu plnú dobrej čistej vody a vyzuje vám sandále alebo vaše topánky, dá si vaše chodidlá cez svoje koleno a zmýva všetku túto špinu, prach a hnoj a nečistotu z vášho tela. A potom berie inú utierku a utrie vám nohy a umyje ich, dá ich dolu.
A potom berie vaše sandále a pokladá ich na niečo ako deka, odkladá ich takto pri vstupných dverách. Potom ide ďalej a nachádza pár skvelých saténových hodvábnych papúč; sú mäkké. To je taká pozornosť od hostiteľa. On to robí; má ich tam položené a dáva vám ich na nohy, až kým nenájde tie, ktoré vám pohodlne sedia.
39Potom sú vaše nohy umyté. Potom vás necháva ísť na ďalšie miesto, a potom tam je človek, ktorý vás stretáva tam pri dverách a vo svojej ruke má malú misku, niečo ako malý džbán. A vy si to beriete a vylejete na svoje ruky trocha oleja.
No, ten olej je vyrobený z veľmi jemného nardu [nard pravý – pozn.prekl.]. Čo to je, to je – tam v Arábii rastie krík, z ktorého to dostanú. Malý kvet, ktorý kvitne ako ruža, a potom, keď tá ruža odpadne, vypustí to niečo ako malú hľuzu a tá zatvrdne ako malé jablko. A to je to, čo tento strom produkuje, ale vy si to môžete vziať a žmoliť v rukách.
Videl som raz jednu ruskú celebritu, ktorá mala dve z nich; mohli by ste ich takto rozmrviť v rukách, a tá vôňa by na vašej ruke zostala dva týždne. Je to veľmi drahé, drahocenné. A stojí to veľa peňazí. Olej zostarne a v priebehu pár dní nepríjemne zapácha, ale oni tam do toho vložia tento nard, až kým sa to nestáva... Ó, tá vôňa vydrží roky. To bolo niečo z pokladov, ktoré kráľovná zo Šéby priniesla Šalamúnovi.
40A oni vám to dajú a umyjete si s tým ruky. Potom vám dajú uterák a vy si utriete ruky. Potom, ako ďalšie vám dajú trochu viac toho a dáte si to na svoj krk, zadnú časť krku, na svoje líca a čelo. Oboji, muži i ženy, toto musia v Palestíne urobiť, pretože slnečné lúče sú tak horúce. Robia to, a potom to vytvára vôňu. Potom, ako si väčšinu z toho zotriete, ste osviežený. Vaše nohy sú umyté; ste umytí; vaše ruky sú čisté; vaša tvár je čistá.
Potom ste vzatý do komnaty, v ktorej sa nachádza hostiteľ. A potom, keď sa s ním stretnete, vezmete – on vezme svoju pravú ruku a dá ju na vaše ľavé rameno, potom sa ukloníte. A potom on – vy vezmete svoju pravú ruku a dáte ju na jeho ľavé rameno, a on sa ukláňa. Potom vás pobozká, od jednej strany líca na druhú stranu líca; a to je privítanie, pravica obecenstva. Keď ťa hostiteľ pobozká, ty si bratom; si vítaný.
Ježiš, vlastne ten farizej, veľmi dbal na to, aby boli umyté nohy doktora Jones. A on sa veľmi staral o celebrity, ale tu sedel Ježiš so špinavými nohami. Tu sedel Ježiš, nevítaný, nemal na Sebe žiaden olej. Tu sedel Ježiš, nepobozkaný. A jednako opustil Svoju prácu a išiel celú cestu naprieč Palestínou, aby dodržal Svoje zasľúbenie.
41Predstavujem si, že On tam sedel nešťastný. Všetok zvyšok z nich, a farizej tam svedčil o rozličných veciach, ktoré sa udiali, a úbohý Ježiš tam sedel so špinavými nohami, s nepomazanou tvárou, nepobozkaný. Ježiš chce byť pobozkaný. Tam je Písmo v Žalmoch 2, ktoré hovorí, „Bozkávajte Syna, aby sa nerozhneval.“ „Bozkávajte Syna,“ ó, nikdy nebudete vedieť, čo to znamená, až kým ste raz nepobozkali Syna. Bozkávajte Syna, učiňte Ho vítaným vo svojom srdci.
Ale On sedel nepomazaný so špinavými nohami. Ó, ako bol v rozpakoch. Farizej mal svoj ohromný čas; bol príliš zaneprázdnený všímaním si významných ľudí mesta, aby vedel, že Ježiš zostal nepovšimnutý. Ale On každopádne prišiel. Ó, môj Bože, ako – čo sa stalo, ako ten poskok pri dverách vôbec minul to, aby umyl Jeho nohy? Bože, prajem si mať jeho prácu. Ako by som to miloval, keď by som musel umývať Jeho nohy pri dverách. Ako by som miloval privítať Ho, vziať svoju misku s vodou, keď by som vedel, že On tam sedí.
42Ale tam On bol s bohatými a pyšnými. Oni sa o Neho vôbec nezaujímali. Bol len zábavkou, niečím, na čo ľudia zízali a dívali sa na to. Bez pochýb mal vo svojom srdci, opýtal by sa Ho, aby pre neho urobil zázrak alebo niečo.
A zatiaľ čo tam takto sedel, vonku na ulici bola jedna naozaj zlá žena z mesta, prostitútka. Nejdeme ohľadom toho do detailov; viete, čo to je, žena zlej povesti, upadnutá.
Neodsudzujte ju. Počúvajte, predtým, ako môže existovať upadnutá žena, musí tam byť tiež upadnutý muž. Možno muž, do ktorého bola zamilovaná z celého srdca, ju tak zneužil a „hodil jej oheň pod nohy“ a voviedol ju do takéhoto druhu života.
Písmo povedalo, že ona bola veľkou hriešnicou. Nikto s ňou nemal nič do činenia, ale všetci ju poznali. Oni vedeli, kým je, určite. Bola veľkou hriešnicou. A možno prechádzala okolo, nebola vítaná medzi žiadnymi ľuďmi, postavila sa na špičky, nakukla hore a uzrela môjho Pána, ako sedí v rohu s neumytými nohami, sedí nevítaný medzi boháčmi. Bolo to na ňu príliš veľa. Povedala, „Nie. Som si istá, že to je On.“
43Nikdy ste nevideli Ježiša bez toho, že by ste Ho spoznali, keď Ho vidíte znova. Nikto sa na Neho nemôže pozrieť, a dokonca zabudnúť, ako vyzerá. Môžem si pomyslieť, že povedala... Mohla o Ňom počuť niekde inde, povedala, „Ó, tam je ten veľký Učiteľ. Ale On tam je s tými farizejmi, a oni Ho nechcú.“ Ó, otočila sa; vidím, ako hovorí, „Ó, nemôžem. Ó, ja už asi strácam rozum. Určite to nemôžem urobiť. Ó, možno, žeby som mohla?“
Vidím, ako sa zabalila do svojich šiat a začala ísť dolu ulicou. Vidím, ako sa dvaja muži štuchli rukami a povedali, „Pozri sa tam, pozri sa, čo to tam vyšlo.“ Ó, iste, vy ste príliš dobrí. Rád by som sa raz pozrel rovno do vašich očí a videl, akí ste dobrí.
44Povieš, „Brat Branham, ja nie som prostitútka.“
Nemyslím to tak celkom sexuálne. Prostitúcia je na vyššej úrovni. Môžeš robiť prostitúciu so svojím časom. Koľko času dávaš Jemu? Prostitúcia s tvojimi vlastnými sebeckými motívmi, chodíš okolo a hovoríš, „No, patrím do tejto cirkvi, som lepší.“
Nie, nie si. Môžeš robiť prostitúciu inak než sexuálne. Duch Svätý bude hovoriť do tvojho srdca a ty povieš, „Nechcem s tým mať nič do činenia.“ Ty slepý farizej, prostitútka. Čo sa to s tebou deje? Páchaš cudzoložstvo so svetom, to je to, čo robíš.
Ó, hovoríš, „Patrím do zboru,“ a si tak chladný a ľahostajný. Ó, rozprávaš prekrásne modlitby. Ó, nenávidím tú farizejskú vec. Ó, modlíš sa a každú čiarku spravíš tak dokonale a každý interval je tak perfektný. Ó, modlíš sa tak nádherne. Nemôžeš takto hovoriť ku Bohu. Počúvaš to, čo hovoríš, a robíš interpunkciu svojej modlitby. Ó, nech ti Boh pomôže uvoľniť sa raz a modliť sa! Prestaň rozprávať modlitby.
45Ó, farizeji, mnohí z nich, farizeji. Ó, povieš, „Ja patrím do cirkvi.“ To je v poriadku; iste, patríš. Ale aký postoj máš voči môjmu Pánovi? Keď On chce ku tebe prísť a požehnať ťa, ty to neurobíš. „Ó, nie, neverím v taký nezmysel.“ To je práve tá skupina, o ktorej hovorím, veľmi nábožní, ale veľmi farizejskí.
Čo som na začiatku povedal, že boli, herci. Prestaň odohrávať náboženstvo. Získaj to starodávne prežitie obnovenia, nového narodenia. Môj Pán, On ťa túži vidieť. On na teba očakáva, berie malé miesto v rohu. On ťa za to nikdy nepokarhá; On ťa miluje. Chodíš do zboru raz alebo dvakrát za mesiac, myslíš si, že si si vykonal svoju povinnosť. Ó, ak by si Ho len miloval, išiel by si každý večer a každý deň niekam a rozprával sa s Ním, ak by si Ho miloval. Ale ten problém toho je, že ty sa len hráš na cirkev, odohrávaš nábožnosť. Aké smutné, je to veľmi zlé, že to stále máme.
46Táto úbohá žena zlej povesti, môžem ju vidieť, ako ide dolu ulicou a vystupuje hore po vŕzgajúcich schodíkoch do podkrovia. Jej srdce poskakuje; nemôže ten obraz dostať zo svojej mysle. Ó, Bože, ktokoľvek Ho kedy vidí v jednoduchosti Jeho Slova a Jeho lásky, to ťa nikdy neopustí. Niečo ťa bude prenasledovať.
Ona Ho vidí; ide hore po schodoch; otvára svoju malú pokladnicu a vyberá odtiaľ niečo malé, malé vrecko. Vyberá to von, položí to, mince s cvengotom padajú na stôl. A ako tie mince padajú, znova to zdvíha; vidí pred sebou tú tvár. Slzy stekajú po jej lícach, kvapkajú jej z brady. Povedala, „Nemôžem to urobiť; nemôžem. Lebo On by vedel, odkiaľ pochádzajú tie peniaze. On by vedel, ako som zarobila tie peniaze. Nemôžem to urobiť.“
Možno to vrátila znova naspäť; potom sa naťahuje a znova to berie. Povedala, „Nemôžem, čo sa to so mnou deje? Ale vidím Ho, ako prichádza celou cestou naprieč krajinou a je neprivítaný. Čo s tým môžem robiť? Toto je všetko, čo mám, On to určite pochopí. Istotne to pochopí, istotne to pochopí. Toto je všetko, čo mám; On to istotne pochopí.“
47A vidím ju, ako sa trasie, berie to do ruky, dáva si to do za výstrih, alebo pravdepodobne do pančuchy, zabalí to tam do vnútra, hodí na seba šaty a vychádza von na ulicu. Začína byť neskoro, ide dolu ulicou do nejakej veľkej, skvelej parfumovej spoločnosti. Vchádza dnu, a tam za pultom stojí starý nosatý chlapík, ráta svoje peniaze. „No, dnes to nebolo veľmi dobré. Nezarobil som ani na nájomné; zlý deň.“ Celý naštvaný, jednako bol vo svojom náboženstve tak ortodoxný, ako len mohol byť.
Tá žena vchádza do dverí. Keď vchádza dnu, môžem ho počuť, ako hovorí, „Aha, teraz sa pozrime.“ Ó, ona bola dobre známa. Každý ju poznal, určite. Každý túto ženu poznal. Ona vstupuje do dverí. No, on ku nej neprišiel tak pekne, ako by mal, a nepovedal, „Pekný deň. Čo môžem pre vás urobiť?“ On povedal, „No, čo chcete?“
Vyložila na pult peniaze. Ó, cingot peňazí, to iste zmenilo veci. On patril ku tej skupine, ktorá povedala, „Aký z toho bude zisk, ak necháme Jozefa v hrobke?“ Aký je z toho zisk? Ó, áno, to je to, čo si dnes ľudia myslia. Čo z toho môžeš vyťažiť? Koľko je v tom peňazí? Slepý farizej. Ježiš je tu a On chce byť privítaný. Vy ste Ho pozvali.
48Tam boli vyložené peniaze, ona povedala, „Chcem alabastrovú nádobu, tú najlepšiu, akú v obchode máte. No, on povedal, „Pozrime sa, koľko máš peňazí.“
Vyložila ich a mala stoosemdesiat rímskych denárov. On to všetko zrátal, „Áno, máš akurát dosť.“ Čo? Ona chcela to najlepšie. Povedala, „On túži po tom najlepšom,“ a On túži. On túži po tom najlepšom, čo máš. Nedávaj Mu nejaké miesto v kúte; daj Mu všetko, čo máš. On túži po tom najlepšom, čo máš, a po tom najlepšom, čo môžeš robiť.
To je všetko, čo mala. Vedela, ako to získala. Povedala, „Nenávidím to, robiť to takýmto spôsobom; možno to nie je podľa obvyklého poriadku, ale to je to najlepšie, čo mám.“ Ona s ním nedebatovala o cene; o to nešlo. Chcela to najlepšie. Vidíte to? Ona chcela to najlepšie. Povedala, „Poputuje to ku tomu Najlepšiemu, tak prečo by nemal mať to najlepšie?“
49Zodvihla tú alabastrovú nádobu, vložila si ju za výstrih a vychádza von. Môžem vidieť, ako sa ten starý nosatý žid díva von. Dvaja iní muži sa navzájom štuchli, povedal, „Pozri sa, čo tam ide, čo vychádza tam z obchodu. Zaujímalo by ma, čo tam robila.“
Ó, ty farizej, štucháš niekoho druhého! Pozri sa raz sám na seba! Ó, možno nie si na tom vo svojom konaní sexuálne zle; možno nepiješ alkohol; ale, ó, ty slepý farizej, čo robíš môjmu Pánovi? Čo robíš Jemu, ty pokrytec chladného srdca? Dávaš Ho nabok. Kvôli čomu to robíš? Ako to môžeš robiť? Vidieť Jeho prítomnosť všade naokolo teba, vedieť, že On tam čaká, aby ťa požehnal a privítal ťa, ale ty si príliš dobrý. Ó, nikdy si sa nestal úbohý. Mal by si sa raz na seba pozrieť cez Božiu lupu a uvidieť, ako vyzeráš. Tvoja samo-spravodlivosť, všetky tvoje malé formy a bezvýznamné veci sa rozplynú, tvoje malé tradície.
50Vidím ju; musela sa ponáhľať; začínalo byť neskoro. Radšej neskoro ako nikdy. A keď sa dostala tam hore, mohla povedať, kedy bola nablízku zástupu, kde boli bohatí. Počula, ako štrngajú poháre s vínom, viete, takto. Dostala sa tam hore, kde boli. Zaujímalo ju, kde je On. Je teraz celá rozrušená. Ten žid sa škriabe na hlave a díva sa po tých ostatných druhoch na rohu, povedal, „Čo to s ňou bolo?“ Povedal, „Slzy zafarbili jej líca. Plakala, zaujímalo by ma, kam teraz ide. Zaujímalo by ma, čo sa stalo.“
Tá žena, ako sa dívala a uzrela Jeho tvár, povedala, „On nerozpráva ako títo farizeji; On je odlišný. Ten Učiteľ je trocha odlišný od tých farizejov.“ Vedela, že tam bolo niečo odlišné. Keď sa pozrela hore a pomyslela si, „Ako sa tam dostanem, ako pôjdem na to bohaté miesto? Ako to môžem urobiť?“ Ale tá vec, ktorú urobila, povedala, „Raz som Ho počula povedať, 'Poďte ku Mne všetci, ktorí ste obťažení a ťažko pracujete, Ja vám dám odpočinutie.'“
51Tam nešlo o to, ako sa tam dostane, ale či sa vynasnaží sa tam dostať? Vidím ju, ako si prediera cestu cez ten zástup. Nezáležalo na tom, čo sa hovorilo, alebo kto hovoril, ona bola na svojej ceste stretnúť Ježiša.
Robíš to? Prerazil by si si svoju cestu cez rozdiely v dnešnom svete? Dokázal by si si preraziť svoju cestu cez vulgárnosť, cez filmové predstavenia a tancovanie a vyvádzanie, ktoré robíš, nazývaš samého seba Kresťanom, aby si sa dostal k Ježišovi?
Dokázal by si odložiť nabok všetku svoju svetskú spoločenskú zábavu, aby si prišiel k Pánovi Ježišovi, aby si bol uspokojený Ním? Bože, buď milostivý. Ona sa predrala rovno cez to. Snažila sa tam dostať bez ohľadu na to, aká bola mizerná. Ó, viem, že to nebolo podľa obvyklého poriadku, ó, samozrejme. Nech nám Boh pomôže, aby sme sa raz za čas dostali pomimo obvyklého poriadku. Ten problém je, že ste príliš podľa obvyklého poriadku. Vyjdite pomimo toho obvyklého poriadku. Dúfam, že cirkev sa dostáva pomimo obvyklého poriadku dostatočne na to, aby bola spasená.
52Pamätám si, keď ma Ježiš spasil. Ó, nikdy na to nezabudnem. Toto moje malé kentucké srdce skákalo deväťdesiat míľ za hodinu. Plakal som; ronil som slzy; kričal som; nestaral som sa o to, kto stojí naokolo. Nebral som ohľad na nejaký poriadok; bol som v prítomnosti Ježiša; miloval som Ho.
Ona si nevšímala, ako veľmi zapadala do určitej normy alebo ako veľmi bola pomimo toho. Tá hlavná vec bola: dostať sa k Ježišovi. Tam On sedel so špinavými nohami. Sedel tam nepobozkaný. Nebol vítaný a ona chcela urobiť, aby sa cítil vítaný. Nestarala sa o ich staré farizejské poriadky, o ich staré tradície a nominácie. Pretláčala si cestu, aby sa dostala k Ježišovi. Bože, pomôž nám, aby sme mali takéto prebudenie, kde si muži a ženy budú pretláčať cestu cez zástupy a denominácie a zábrany, až kým sa nedostanú do prítomnosti Ježiša.
53Áno, ona sa chcela dostať ku Ježišovi; On mal špinavé nohy. Môj Pán Boh tam sedí so špinavými nohami, kde do nich bude čoskoro zabodnutý rímsky klinec, aby bola zabalzamovaná Jeho Krv pre spasenie sveta. Špinavé nohy, nech mi za to odpustí. Ó, bolí ma to, ale Ježiš so špinavými nohami, nepobozkaný, nemilovaný: „Prišiel ku Svojim vlastným, Jeho vlastní Ho neprijali.“ Prišiel, aby dodržal Svoje zasľúbenie, a potom bol neprivítaný.
Prečo sa vy ľudia rok za rokom modlíte o prebudenie, a keď ono prichádza do vášho susedstva, myslíte si, že to je fanatizmus. Neprivítaný Ježiš, špinavé nohy. Ó, ak by to nemalo zlomiť srdce každého muža a ženy. Neprivítaný. Ó, celebrity, veľké veci ďalej pokračujú, ale Ježiš je neprivítaný. Ó.
54Všimnite si, ako to ide ďalej, ona rýchlo beží; ide ku Jeho nohám, ako tam leží natiahnutý. Ona sa díva do Jeho tváre; povedala, „Nemôžem, neviem, čo sa stalo. Som celá bez seba.“ Plakala. Bože, pomôž nám raz za čas dostať sa poza seba.
Ten problém toho je, že si tak rituálny. Musíš sa modliť určitým spôsobom, zakončiť to s 'amen' ako zomierajúce teľa s kŕčmi...?... „aaaaamen.“ Stojíte v speváckom chóre a spievate s namaľovanými tvárami a Jezábeľskými nechtami a správate sa, ako neviem čo, a nazývate sa Kresťanmi. Ty slepý farizej, čo to s tebou je? Môj Pán je v meste, neprivítaš Ho vo svojom srdci?
55Tam On sedí. Ona sa dostala ku Jeho nohám; položila na zem nádobu. Začala sa dvíhať, ona nemohla, jednoducho nemohla. Plakala tak veľmi, že sa nedokázala zodvihnúť. Zostala napoly zhrbená a nedokázala sa zodvihnúť. Uvedomovala si, že stála vedľa Prameňa čistoty. Uvedomovala si, že stála vedľa tej jedinej Veci, ktorá jej mohla odpustiť.
„Je Prameň naplnený Krvou, ktorá vytiekla z Emanuelových žíl.“ Tá jediná vec, ktorá mohla zmyť preč jej vinu, ona bola v prítomnosti Toho, ako prostitútka. Prišla taká, aká bola. Nevedela, čo robiť. Plakala; mala zodvihnuté svoje ruky. Nedokázala to vydržať; dívala sa a tam bol On. „Ó, je to možné,“ povedala, „Je to možné, že to je On, Ten milovaný? Ten, ktorého som počula, ako povedal, 'Poďte ku Mne všetci, ktorí ste obťažení a ťažko pracujete.'? Bože, poznáš moje srdce; nemusím povedať ani slovo; nedokážem, som bez seba.“
56A ona sa namáhala a plakala a slzy jej stekali po lícach, kvapkali, padali dole na Ježišove špinavé nohy. Slzy sa liali po jej lícach dole na Jeho špinavé nohy. A prvé, čo zistíte, ona sa našla, ako drhla Jeho nohy. Drhla Jeho nohy a slzy len stekali dolu. Čo za požehnanie, slzy nefalšovaného pokánia, slzy pokánia stekali dolu, umývali špinavé nohy Ježiša... Ó, Bože, buď milostivý. Slzy ľútosti, čo za nádherná voda, čo za trblietavá voda, ktorá vychádza z jej srdca.
„Pane Bože, nie som dobrá, ale nedokážem vydržať vidieť Ťa, ako tu takto sedíš.“ A slzy jej stekali po lícach a ona takto drhla Jeho nohy, umývala ich so svojimi slzami. Tam bola položená alabastrová nádoba, a prvé, čo zistíte, v jej hysterickom stave jej vlasy padli dolu. Jej kadere padli dolu a skôr, ako sa nazdala, mala svoje vlasy – utierala Jeho nohy vlasmi, ktoré mala na hlave.
57Bože, buď milostivý. Ó, môj Pán je tam a tá skupina farizejov chladného srdca tam len sedí, sú ľahostajní. Ó, utiera Jeho požehnané nohy s vlasmi na hlave... Niektoré z vás žien, aby ste to mohli urobiť, museli by ste sa postaviť na svoju hlavu. Striháte si svoje vlasy, je to tak. Nehovorím to ako vtip. Biblia povedala, „Sláva ženy je v jej vlasoch.“ A vy ste si tie svoje ostrihali.
Čo to bolo? Čo to bolo? To bola jej sláva. Jediná počestná vec, ktorú na sebe mala, boli jej dlhé vlasy, a všetko to padlo dolu k Ježišovým nohám. Jej slzy, všetko, čím bola, bolo vylievané pri Ježišových nohách, ako umývala Ježišove špinavé nohy. Čo za spôsob... Viem, že to nebolo podľa obvyklého poriadku. Čo sa staráš o obvyklý poriadok? Načo kráčaš s davom? Čo sa staráš o to, čo robia oni? Ty si v prítomnosti Ježiša.
58Ona sa nestarala o to, čo hovorili tí farizeji. Či Ježiš odtiahol Svoje nohy a povedal, „Hej, hej, hej, nemôžeš to robiť.“? Nie veru, On zostával úplne pokojný. Ona bola rovno v poriadku, ako umývala Ježišove špinavé nohy so svojimi slzami pokánia, utierala ich s tou jedinou slávou, ktorú mala, jej vlasmi. Ako kládla všetko k Jeho vzácnym nohám, bola bez seba. Ona umývala; takmer nevedela, čo robí.
Po chvíli za zdvihla. Nevedela, čo... Rozhliadla sa naokolo. Ó, povedal niečo Šimon? Áno. Ó, neskôr on povedal svoje pripomienky. Vidím ho, ako sčervenel v tvári. Jeho oceľovo ostré, bezbožné, jašteričie oči sa do nej zabodli. Najprv sčervenel a potom zostal biely od zlosti. Počujem ho, ako ide... [Brat Branham napodobuje odkašliavanie. – pozn.prekl.] ...jeho program zostal narušený. Povedal si vo svojom srdci, „Či vieš, aký druh ženy to je, pred ktorou stojíš?“ Pomyslel si, že by to mohlo poškodiť jeho dobrú povesť.
59No, brat, Ježišova povesť je vytvorená, keď je On v prítomnosti hriešnikov. Ježišova povesť nie je hriešnikmi poškodená, ona je vytvorená v prítomnosti hriešnikov. Tam umýva Jeho nohy, zodvihla sa, berie alabastrovú nádobu, všetko, čo teraz mala, bolo tam, jej vlasy viseli dolu, odlomila z toho vrch, rozlomila to, všetko to vyliala. Nenechala niečo na horšie dni; všetko to vyliala na Jeho nohy. Lebo všetko, čo mala, jej sláva, ona sama, jej slzy pokánia a všetky peniaze, to všetko bolo vložené do tej nádoby s nardom. Ona to vyliala na Jeho nohy.
Ó, Bože, buď milostivý našej odmeranej, bezbožnej generácii, v ktorej žijeme; farizeji, zabávanie. Vyliala to na Jeho nohy...
60A, viete, Šimon povedal, „Ak by vedel... Ak by tento človek bol prorokom, ak by dokázal vidieť videnia, ako hovorí, že vidí, ak by tento človek vídal videnia, ak by bol prorokom, vedel by, aký druh ženy bola tá, ktorá umýva Jeho nohy.“
Ó, ty slepý pokrytec, si príliš samospravodlivý, aby si vedel, čo si myslí Ježiš. Si príliš samospravodlivý; zaobchádzal si s Ním rovnakým spôsobom, to je dôvod, prečo dnes nie si spasený. To je dôvod, prečo nemáš krst Duchom Svätým, pretože to je spôsob, akým si s Ním zaobchádzal, hanbil si sa. Ó, ten slepý farizej... stál tam v celej svojej samo-spravodlivosti, povedal, „Ak by bol vidiacim, ak by bol prorokom, istotne by vedel, aký druh ženy to je.“
61Môžem vidieť Ježiša, ako sa po prvýkrát odvtedy, čo vošiel dverami, cítil príjemne. On vítal hriešnikov. Vstal a povedal, „Šimon, mám ti niečo povedať. Mám pár vecí, o ktorých s tebou budem hovoriť, Šimon. Keď som vošiel do tvojho domu...“ Ó, Bože. „Keď som vošiel do tvojho domu,“ farizej, vidíš, o čom tu hovorím? „Keď som vošiel do tvojho domu, neumyl si Moje nohy, Šimon. Nedal si Mi žiaden olej, Šimon. Vôbec si Ma nepobozkal na privítanie, Šimon. Len si Ma tu nechal sedieť potom, ako si Ma prijal za hosťa, priviedol si Ma dolu, pozval si Ma a Ja som prišiel a ty si Mi nedal ani olej na hlavu, ani si Mi nedal vodu na nohy a nepobozkal si Ma na privítanie.“
„Ale táto biedna žena, čo ona po celý čas robí? [Brat Branham predvádza. – pozn.prekl.] Bozkáva Jeho nohy. Haleluja. Bozkáva Jeho nohy. Povedal, „Odkedy vošla do domu,“ Bože, buď milostivý, povedal, „neprestala bozkávať Moje nohy, odkedy som prišiel do domu.“ Ó, Bože, nedokážem ďalej kázať, keď pomyslím na to, že môj Pán dnes dostáva také isté privítanie.
62Ó, „Táto žena neprestala bozkávať Moje nohy, odkedy som vošiel dnu. A ty si Mi nedal žiadnu vodu na umytie; nedal si Mi žiadne pomazanie, žiaden olej na Moje vysušené ruky a Moje pery a Moju tvár. Nepobozkal si Ma na privítanie a nepovedal si Mi, že som vítaný, aby som vošiel do tvojho domu. Ale táto žena ešte stále bozkáva Moje nohy.“
Ó, počúvajte, čo povedal. Potom sa odvrátil od Šimona a pozrel sa na túto biednu mizernú trosku, jej vlasy viseli dolu, mokré od sĺz, a mala na nich hanbu z cesty. Jej pery boli od oleja z nardu, kde bozkávala Jeho nohy, slzy jej stekali po lícach... Počúvajte, čo hovorí, „Tvoje hriechy, ktorých bolo mnoho, sú ti všetky odpustené.“ Ó, Bože. „Tvoje hriechy, ktorých bolo mnoho, všetky sú ti odpustené.“
63Ó, Bože, táto naničhodná generácia... Či nedokážeš vidieť, že Pán chce prísť do tvojho domu a byť privítaný, uctievaný, oslávený, vyvýšený? Ó, nech ti je Boh milostivý. Modlime sa; skloňme na chvíľu naše hlavy. Niečo mi hovorí, „Teraz sa modli.“ Bože, Ježiš, špinavé nohy, neprivítaný Ježiš, a nepobozkaný, nevítaný Ježiš...
Milostivý Otče, prídeš, prosím, v tento deň dolu a ukážeš Svoje srdce pred týmto zhromaždením, aby mohli vedieť, že Ty si stále Ježiš. A oni zlyhali privítať Ťa. Milujú svoje malé bezvýznamné veci; milujú svoje organizácie, svoje denominácie. Milujú svoje malé spoločenské udalosti v cirkvi, ich ženské pomocné združenia a mnohé iné veci, do ktorých radi chodia. Muži milujú svoje večierky pri kartách, ich vyvádzanie, a nevítajú Ježiša.
64Ó, Pane, môj Uzdraviteľu, môj Spasiteľu, môj Opatrovateľu; Ó, Bože, kde by som bol, ak by nebolo Teba? Bože, prosím, hovor do sŕdc, ktoré sú dnes chladné a ľahostajné; daj im poznať, že si dnes tu s tou istou milujúcou opaterou. Ty pozoruješ, vidíš toho jedného, ktorý sa vracia domov, ktorý bol tak ľahostajný, ktorý sa potuloval tak dlho ulicami.
Ó, prečo čakáš, môj brat?
Prečo tak dlho váhaš?
Ježiš čaká, aby ti dal
miesto pri Svojom posvätenom tróne.
Neopustíš všetky svoje bezbožné cesty?
Či neopustíš všetky svoje malé veci a neprídeš dnes k Nemu? Koľkí, zatiaľ čo sa modlíme, s vašimi sklonenými hlavami, postavil by si sa len na svoje nohy a povedal, „Bože, buď mi milostivý. Dnes prichádzam; som ochotný, Pane, urobiť čokoľvek. Chcem Ťa dnes privítať vo svojom srdci ako svojho Spasiteľa. Chcem opustiť všetky veci sveta. Chcem sa vzdať každého potešenia, ktoré má svet.
65Chcem byť tak naplnený Tvojou dobrotou, aby som vedel, že si to jedine Ty. Pozval som Ťa, ale odvrhol som Ťa. Povedal som Ti, keď zomrelo moje dieťa, že Ti budem slúžiť. Povedal som Ti, keď zomrela matka, keď som kládol tie kvety na hrob môjho otca, povedal som, 'Bože, jedného dňa Ti budem slúžiť.' Ale zavolal som Ťa, a odvrhol som Ťa, ale dnes prichádzam. Keď pred chvíľou kazateľ povedal, zarazil tam dolu malý kolík, vedľa zeme, kde ležalo dieťa alebo mama, povedal som, že Ti budem slúžiť, Pane. Ale bol som farizej, herec. Nikdy som ku Tebe naozaj neprišiel, ale teraz prichádzam. Idem sa postaviť, Pane, aby som ti dokázal, že Ťa milujem. Nehanbím sa za Teba. Urobil si pre mňa tak mnoho. Jedného dňa, keď život skončí, ó, Bože, chcem stáť, ako stála tá prostitútka v tom dni. Nebudem chcieť s Ním hovoriť; nie som hoden s Ním hovoriť. Ale chcem povedať, 'Ježišu, dovoľ mi bozkať tú jazvu na vrchu Tvojej nohy, dovolíš to, Ježišu? Len mi dovoľ pobozkať tú jazvu; bola tam urobená pre mňa.' Ó, Bože.“
66Nie som dieťa, ale, ó, nehanbíte sa za seba? Nehanbíš sa za to, akým spôsobom si zaobchádzal s mojím Ježišom? Len si vyšiel, pripojil si sa do zboru a nikdy si nemal žiadne obrátenie. Stále miluješ veci toho sveta, stále berieš starú svetskú zábavu a užívaš si ju. Ó, nevieš, čo to je byť znovuzrodený. Nevieš, čo to je mať obecenstvo. Ó, myslíš si, že si dostatočne dobrý, ale nie si. To nie je o tom, aký si dobrý; je to o tom, ako Ho miluješ. Ak Ho Miluješ, tak zachovávaš Jeho prikázania.
Postavíš sa práve teraz na svoje nohy na svedectvo Bohu? Povieš, „Pane Ježišu, začínam byť unavený z toho, že som pokrytec, starý farizejský herec, ako keby som mal náboženstvo, pričom nemám. Chcem, aby si rovno teraz prišiel do môjho srdca. Ak si mohol urobiť, aby tí skrútení a chromí vyšli zo svojich nosidiel a invalidných vozíkov, ak si mohol urobiť, aby slepý videl a hluchý počul, viem, že si Bohom. Viem, že Ty hovoríš do môjho srdca.“
67Postavil by si sa teraz na svoje nohy, muž alebo žena, chlapec alebo dievča, aby ste prijali Pána Ježiša?
Čo sa to tu deje? Niečo nie je v poriadku. Nehovorte mi, že o tom neviem. Viete, o čo ide? Bojíte sa, že váš sused o tom niečo povie. Ste vystrašení z toho, že niekto iný niečo povie.
Čo povie Ježiš? Ježiš neprivítaný v tvojom srdci. Toto môže byť tvoja posledná šanca, priateľu. Sestra, toto môže byť tvoja posledná šanca.
Ježiš je blízko, On je dnes nepobozkaný. Zhromaždenie je voči Nemu ľahostajné. Minulý večer zostúpil a uzdravil všetkých vašich nemocných, a veci, poslal ich domov uzdravených a v poriadku, zostúpil a preukázal sa vám, že bol tu na pódiu, skrze to, že činil veľké znamenia a zázraky, v tejto malej chatrči tu. Zostúpil zo slávy, aby potvrdil, že tu je, skrze Svoje Slovo. A dnes Ho necháte sedieť neprivítaného. „Ó, radšej by som mal svoj večierok.“
68Čo si dnes myslí farizej Šimon v pekle, v ktorom je? Viem si predstaviť, že by rád znova usporiadal ten malý večierok. Viem si predstaviť, že by bol odlišný. Šimon by plakal, „Ó, Ježišu, chcel by som umyť Tvoje nohy.“ O rok od dneška, sedia tu dnes ľudia, ktorí, ak nepríjmu Krista, o rok od dneška si budeš želať, aby si to urobil. Povieš, „Ó, Ježišu, ak by som mohol znova ísť naspäť na to malé zhromaždenie vonku. Ó, Ježišu, ak by som mohol znova počuť toho kazateľa volať, Ježišu, postavil by som sa, ó, postavil by som sa.“
Príliš neskoro, hriech ťa oddelil. „Pane, spomínam si na ten deň, keď tak veľmi pršalo; slzy stekali z očí ľudí. Kazateľ nám hovoril o tom, ako nás miluješ a akí sme boli voči Tebe ľahostajní. A ja som bol iný, Pane.“ Ten bohatý muž mal raz takúto výhovorku, po tom, ako mu kázal Lazár.
69Ó, vašej úrode sa môže dobre dariť. Tabaku sa môže dobre dariť, kukurica dozrieva. Ó, možno zajtra musíš prať, sestra. Možno v utorok musíš ísť do klubu. To nemá nič spoločné s mojím Ježišom. Čo robíš s Ním? Necháš Ho sedieť, so svetom, dávaš na Neho špinu, hovoríš, „To je nezmysel; nič na tom nie je. To je mentálna telepatia; je to z diabla.“ A sedíš, nechávaš Ho takto sedieť, nič z tým nerobíš. Ale to je medzi tebou a Bohom.
Prečo čakáš, môj brat?
Prečo tak dlho váhaš?
Ježiš čaká, aby ti dal
miesto vo Svojom posvätenom tróne.
Prečo čakáte? Chcete mi povedať, že tu nie je žiaden muž, chlapec alebo dievča? Sedíte tu a viete o tom, že viem, kto ste. Viete o tom, že sa tu pohybuje Duch Svätý a temnota visí nad vami, ako sa dívam naprieč týmto poslucháčstvom. A viem, kde sedíš; a ak to viem ja, o koľko viac to vie On? Boh ku tebe hovorí a ty odvraciaš svoje chladné, ľahostajné srdce od Neho preč.
70Pamätaj, hovorím ti, že to môže byť naposledy. „Môj Duch nebude naveky zápasiť s človekom,“ vidiac, že on je len telo. Máš slobodnú morálnu voľbu; môžeš urobiť svoje rozhodnutie. Prečo ho neurobiť dnes? Prečo nevložíš svoju dušu do rúk Toho, ktorý pozná všetky veci, Ktorý drží večnosť vo Svojich rukách? On je Ten pravý, ktorý ťa má viesť. On je Ten jediný, ktorý ťa môže právoplatne umiestniť na miesto, kde máš byť.
Som ochotný vybrať si moju príležitosť s Ním. Som tak šťastný. Som tak šťastný, že som to urobil. Som tak šťastný, tak šťastný. Videl som ten čas, zatiaľ čo ste mali sklonené hlavy. Poznáte ocka, nech Boh žehná jeho srdce, posledná modlitba, ktorú sa modlil, bola na mojom ramene, keď zomieral. Biedny starý ocko pil tak veľa, spôsobil po meste veľa hanby. A keď to robil, tak pil, naše mená boli v meste veľmi pochybné, keď som bol chlapec. Zvykol som tam dole stáť a hovoriť s niekým, ak niekto iný išiel okolo, oni ma opustili a rozprávali sa s nimi, pretože som bol Branham. Ó, Bože, meno, ktoré bolo vytiahnuté zo stoky.
71Minule som manželke hovoril, „Pozri, miláčik, teraz ani nemôžem ísť domov. Ľudia sedia v hoteloch, z Afriky, z Indie, z celého sveta, prosia o päť minút času. Idú okolo sveta kvôli piatim minútam.“ Povedal som, „Čo to urobilo, miláčik? Nie moje vzdelanie, nemám žiadne; nie moja osobnosť, nemám žiadnu. Čo to urobilo? Ježiš, On to urobil; On to urobil.“
On povedal Dávidovi, „Dávid, vytiahol som ťa od ovčieho chlieva, aby som ti urobil veľké meno medzi veľkými ľuďmi sveta. Vytiahol som ťa od ovčieho chlieva, aby si bol panovníkom nad Mojím ľudom.“ Ó, Bože, Ježišu, „Nebol si nič; spasil som ťa a urobil ťa Mojím Synom. Spasil som ťa a urobil z teba knieža. Spasil som ťa a povolal ťa, aby si kázal Evanjelium.“ Ó, Ježišu, ó, Tvoje drahé zjazvené nohy a ruky, Tvoje tŕňom prepichnuté obočie. Ó, Ježišu, milujem Ťa.
72Tu na domácej pôde, rovno v zemi, kde som sa narodil, Pane, malý hriešny chlapček. Prosím, drahý Bože, rozpáľ srdcia ľahostajných, prehovor ku nim v milosrdenstve a pokoji, veľký Jehova. Jedného dňa prídeš a Tvoj hnev bude zúrivý. Ešte raz, Pane, zavolám, potom to poručím Tebe. Urobil som všetko, čo som vedel. Hovoril som o Tebe, Pane, a rozplakal som sa, nemohol som si v tom pomôcť. Či dáš nejakému hriešnikovi, Pane, povstať a povedať, „Teraz, Pane, stojím tiež pri Tvojich nohách. Nestarám sa o to, čo povedia farizeji. Nestarám sa o to, čo ktokoľvek hovorí. Odovzdávam sa Tebe. Budem skutočným Kresťanom v mojej cirkvi. Budem Ťa milovať a budem pre Teba pracovať, a privediem ostatných hriešnikov ku Tebe.“ Udeľ to, Pane, udeľ to, urobíš to, prosím?
73Dívam sa všade a nevidím stáť ani jedného. Ó, Bože, moji drahí ľudia z Kentucky, mnohí z vás sú chudobní ako ja, vychovaní tu v biednom živobytí, kúsok slaniny od starého Joa a kukuričný chlieb na raňajky. Nemáte nič na tomto svete, ale dnes máte príležitosť stať sa synmi a dcérami Božími. Prečo to neurobíte? Kto si myslíte, že ste? Akú hodnotu bude mať tá stará farma? Zomriete a opustíte ju. Čo sa stane s tým malým obchodom, čo sa stane s tou malou prestížou, ktorú máš?
Uvedomujete si, že jedného dňa vás budú ťahať po svahu a dajú vás do jamy a dajú na vás nejaké blato? Kde bude vaša duša, ak dnes odmietate Ježiša? Jediný Prameň, ktorý existuje a môže vás zachrániť, môže vás uzdraviť, vziať preč váš hriech a hanbu, urobiť vás Kresťanom namiesto členom zboru... Prečo to neurobíte?
74Nebeský Otče, tomuto poslucháčstvu, ktoré tu dnes je, som podľa Tvojho Slova ponúkol večný, navždy trvajúci Život skrze Ježiša Krista, Syna Božieho. Nepoznám ich srdcia, prečo To neprijali. Videl som temnotu a zatemnenosť cez videnie, ako visí nad ľuďmi. Ty vieš a videl si ostatných, ako boli uzdravení, dokonca telesne, zatiaľ čo oni – prebiehala kázeň. A Tvoja prítomnosť je tu; ešte tu je. Prečo Ťa ľudia neprijímajú, nerozumiem tomu. Nedokážem tomu porozumieť. Možno prekročili čiaru, kde to už viac nemôžu urobiť. Možno to počuli predtým a Ty si povedal, „Nebudem s človekom zápasiť naveky.“ Je to na Tebe, Otče, ja neviem. Odovzdávam Ti ich všetkých a modlím sa, aby ani jeden nebol stratený. Ďakujem Ti za všetko, čo si vykonal. A prosím o Tvoje požehnanie na nich, Otče.
75Žehnaj dnes večer kazateľov z mesta. Mnohí z nich budú mať zhromaždenia. Nech sa ku nim natiahne Tvoja láska a milosrdenstvo, Otče. Nech niektorí, ktorí tu sú a pôjdu dnes večer navštíviť svoju vlastnú cirkev, nech povstanú a prídu k oltáru vo svojej vlastnej cirkvi. Udeľ to, Pane, a nech sa necítia tak odsúdení, že ani neodídu dnes večer z domu, až sa prešmyknú von niekde ku kukuričnej sýpke alebo do spálne, zavolajú ženu a deti a povedia, „Počuj, drahá, skrátka sa od toho nemôžem dostať preč.“
Možno zajtra, zatiaľ čo budú na obilnom poli alebo v tabakovom záhone alebo tu niekde, zatiaľ čo bude šoférovať nákladiak dolu ulicou, alebo ona bude umývať riad alebo stlať posteľ. Bože, nech to bude znova prenasledovať ich srdce, znova a znova. Nech je dnes večer vankúš poriadne ťažký. Nech snívajú a zobudia sa, „Ó, prečo som odmietol Ježiša? Videl som Ho tam sedieť, ale obišiel som Ho, aby som bol ľahostajný.“ Nech vtedy vstanú z postele a prídu a majú ďalšiu šancu, Otče.
Daj nám tu dnes večer ohromnú službu. Nech Tvoj Duch je na všetkých a nech sa tam dnes večer udejú veľké uzdravenia. Udeľ to, Pane, zatiaľ čo sa modlíme v Ježišovom Mene. Amen. [Prázdne miesto na páske. – pozn.prekl.]
76Čo ak by som ti povedal, že ťa Ježiš pred pár minútami uzdravil? Veril by si tomu? Veril by si tomu? Ten stav so žlčníkom a tá vec, ktorú si mal, že ťa to všetko opustí? Veríš, že to odíde? Veríš, v poriadku. Pozri, čo sa s tebou teraz stalo. Tvoja viera ťa uzdravila.
On je nádherný; On je tu. Koľkí naozaj, možno, ja neviem, chceli by ste s Ním len kráčať trocha bližšie? Zodvihli by ste len svoju ruku? Povedzte, „Rád by som s Ním len kráčal trocha bližšie.“ Udaj nám malý akord,
Len kráčať bližšie.
Len kráčať bližšie s Tebou.
1 I know that Methodists are not afraid of water either. So they come out to set under the shelter, as it is, whether it's raining or not. I thought just the Baptists was that way, but I see the Methodists are also.
So happy to be in the service this afternoon. When the storm came up, and I looked out of my hotel window, I said, "Oh, my. Satan, why do you do this evil?" And I said, "Just down here for these two services, and then you send a rain." Well, they claim that, "All things work together for good, to them that love the Lord," so it just made it cool, so you wouldn't have to--to fan. So, and I understand the farmers are needing the rain, so we're glad to see it in every way.
2 So glad to meet some friends here, just a few moments ago, Mr. and Mrs. Zeb Smith, that we was raised on their farm, right down here, down the ridge a little ways, Mr. and Mrs. Smith on the corner, setting right down here. When I was a little boy, I suppose they packed me around. My father, I think, worked for Mr. Smith, when I was a--just a little bitty baby boy, before leaving for Indiana.
And I have my friends the McSpaddens and them. And another Methodist preacher from this part of the country, Mr. John O'Bannon. I'm sure you know him, setting right here with the blue coat on, a very personal friend of mine from Louisville, Kentucky, a business man now, in Louisville.
And Mrs. Smith asked if Mama was here, and I think I see a car out there. Is my mother here? That's what I'm wondering, if--if she is in here. I seen a car like the lady that was going to bring her if they come, and I told Mrs. Smith, she might be here. Mama, are you here? I guess maybe I was wrong, Mrs. Smith. I'm sorry. But we--maybe she will be down for tonight's service. She was trying maybe to get down, to have some way to coming down, and this car setting right here looked just like it; and Billy said, "I guess Grandma's here."
And I said, "It looks like the car."
3 A doctor that was healed in my meeting, up in Chicago, by the name of Dilly, and they have a big clinic there, and came into the meeting with a incurable disease, and was miraculously made well, and has given their life to the Lord Jesus. And I have seen many, many doctors, in many parts of the country.
Here some time ago, Doctor Theodore Palvedus, the whole West Coast, if any of them here knows Doctor Palvedus, who upon a case of Divine healing, and the man was converted, and I baptized him in a irrigation ditch. And he's stopped his practice of medicine, when people even flew from New York to him to be operated. And he's running a little mission in the slums in Oakland City, California, Doctor Theodore Palvedus, a marvelous Greek man. And his wife was Armenian.
4 And when the--the Mrs. out there, an Armenian woman, dying with both breasts taken off with cancer, and the Lord said, "In three days she will be on the street," and he laughed at me.
And he said, "Such a disgrace," said, "you impostor, put that woman under false thoughts like that."
I said, "It wasn't me; it was Him that said it, sir."
And he said, "Well, you know that woman will be dead in the next six hours." Said, "She's been unconscious now twenty-four hours. She will go at any time."
I said, "If she's not on the streets, shouting, in twenty-four hours, tell you what I will do. I will put a sign on my back, 'False prophet,' and you get in your big Cadillac, and drive me down through the streets of Los Angeles. And if she is on the street, I will put a sign on your back, 'Quack Doctor,' and drive down in front of you. Now, we will just shake hands and stand here; we will see whether."
But he wouldn't do it. And in twenty-four hours, she was shopping; and she's still a well, healthy woman today. That's been about eight years ago. Shows that our Lord Jesus has risen from the dead, a God Who could make that boy swing from that stretcher last night, laying there dying, and whatever it was taken place, the boys was telling me about it today. He's still the Lord Jesus Christ, and we're so happy that He is.
5 Now, tonight we're going to pray for the sick again, the Lord willing. And we trust that we will have a good night, and down here with you people. Maybe sometime we could get back again and have a little longer stay. We will get the pastors together and so forth, and have a little longer meeting.
Now, today I was coming into this campgrounds, where it's controlled, or not controlled, but owned by a denomination of church. And we certainly salute this church with all of our heart, the Methodist church, for what great things it has did in the world for our blessed Lord Jesus. And the many thousands of souls, that the church by the preaching of the Gospel, has lead to the Lord Jesus, I just wonder what it will be when we all meet together on the other side, when this life is over.
6 Then in coming in here, last night in approaching the subject of Divine healing, I did not approach it in a doctrinal standpoint, because that I just thought while I was here, I would speak on the instances of the life of the Lord Jesus. That's what I was speaking last night, because no matter how well we are together, and how... Different churches believe different doctrines, so we--when we're in church, we like to be Christian gentlemen, to leave away from any kind of doctrine. Just so it's--we preach Christ, and Him crucified, that we all agree on.
So in the evangelistic service, this afternoon, just for a short time to speak, the Lord willing, it seemed to be upon my heart to still speak of the instances of Jesus' life. And that way, we're just dramatizing, or quoting something that He has did or said. And that way there's no doctrinal points hooked with it, just pure simple Gospel. I love it, don't you? That's right.
7 And now, before we can open the Book, we can open the pages, that way, but there's only One who can unravel that Word, and that's the Holy Spirit; that's all. He was the one Who wrote it. Do you believe that? He did, He wrote the... If men of old as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, wrote the Bible. And it was wrote by--I'm sorry, I did know, but I don't know now, just how many writers of the Bible. I'm sorry I can't quote that now, because I got two different numbers in my mind. I'm afraid I'd be mixed on it.
But anyhow, it was wrote... As much as twenty-something hundred years, from one gos--one part to the other one, and thousands of miles apart, and different ages, and not one bit of it contradicts the other. Why, two of us couldn't write a letter to one person without contradicting something. Isn't that right? But how inspired the Scripture is. All Scripture is given by inspiration, inspired of the Holy Spirit, as He wrote the words; and it's beautiful. And we love the Lord Jesus for His kindness.
8 Now, He's the only One that can interpret the Scripture correctly. Each one of us, we make a try at it, but until we become anointed, then we get ourself into it. And as long as self is in it, then the Holy Spirit cannot be in it, as long as self is.
Now, if someone will go to the door, some usher there or something, some folks, a ladies with their umbrellas are in the rain. If they would just make them as comfortable as we possibly can. We appreciate the loyalty and the sincerity of people who come out in the rainy day like this to hear the plain simple Gospel of the Lord Jesus.
If I'm not mistaken, this little lady sitting here in front, right here by Mrs. Wood, aren't you one of the instigators of me coming here? I don't know your name, sister; I--I prayed for you. And if I'm not mistaken, wasn't that at the Church of the Open Door in Louisville? You were healed or something, had some disease and--and since then, your hearts been stirred. And I believe you're a member in a--of one of the Methodists churches here in the city.
9 And it's been upon your heart for me to come down here. I don't--I'm sorry I don't know your name. But this is the lady, along with the Woods (my beloved friends and neighbors), that lived next door to me. They are Christians, royally. When you live next door to a person, you can pretty well tell what their made of, can't you? That's right.
So your one--two of your children from down here on these ridges somewhere around here, Mr. and Mrs. Banks Wood, I am so happy to have their fellowship with me in the Gospel work. And our beloved sister here, also, I just know her a little bit, but know her to be a loyal Christian. And I know she's a great worker in the church were she belongs. And may the Lord bless her and her church, together.
10 Now, the--as I was saying, the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible, and it's written in such a way, that there's no way at all for man in his--his mental conception to understand what it is. No matter how well you get it wrote out, how well you can put it together, it's wrong to begin with. See? Because He's hid it from the eyes of the wise and prudent, and it's a spiritual revelation.
Look at the Pharisees and Sadducees of the days of our Lord Jesus, how that they had it all figured out just to the dot, how that Christ would come and everything; and when He came, He come vice versa from what they had figured out, just to show that He's God. And it was... He did not come contrary to Scripture, He come--come contrary to their conception of the Scripture. But He come exactly the way the Scripture said, exactly.
11 Now, I have a little lisping. I'm--I'm not the little young boy that used to be on your place down there, Mr. and Mrs. Zeb Smith. I begot--just become an old man. And I had my first toothache the other day, and had to have a tooth pulled. And they put one back in it's place, and I got a wire in my mouth in here, and it's certainly is a barrier. Feels like I got that much in my mouth. So I'm sorry to lisp like that, till I get used to it. But as we get old, why we have to learn those things.
The other day I was talking, as I little... I was telling my wife; I was combing what few hairs I had left. My wife said to me; she said, "Billy, you're getting bald-headed."
I said, "Well, honey," but I said, "praise the Lord, there's not one of them perished."
She said, "Well, where are they at?"
I said, "I will ask you one question, then you--I will ans--and you answer me, I will answer you. Where were they before I got them? Ever where they was before they were, they are back there waiting for me to come to them." Amen. Oh, my.
12 So what do I care how old I get, how old you get, how wrinkled we are, how stooped we get, it doesn't mean a thing. One of these days Jesus is coming, and we will snap back to a young man and a woman and live forever. What a... Every corpuscle, every bit of...
Our bodies are made up out of, oh cosmic light, and petroleums, and so forth, but they come from somewhere. They wasn't here; then they are; then they are not again.
But God knows every atom that's holding your body together. Every speck of light, every corpuscle, every cell, every bit of petroleum, and all the calcium, phosphate, everything that goes in a human body that come out of the earth, He knows right where every speck, laying. And someday, your spirit will be turned loose, and it'll scream for it's life. And not an old man or woman...
13 But notice, the other day talking to a doctor in Louisville, Kentucky, we were talking on an African subject, and he said, "Well."
I said, "I want to ask you something, doctor, is it true that every time I eat, I renew my life now?"
"Sure," he says, "you eat food, and it makes blood cells, and blood cell will renews your life."
I said, "Why is it that I'm eating the same kind of beans, and potatoes, and corn bread, and so forth, that I eat when I was sixteen years old. When I eat it at sixteen, I got bigger, stronger, healthier, powerful all the time; and I eat the same thing now, only more of it, I suppose, and I'm getting older and weaker all the time? Tell me that, if I put new life in, why won't it do the same for me now it did thirty years ago?" See?
He said, "Well..."
I said, "I want to ask you something, if you're pouring water in a glass, and it's filling it up, why is it quits filling it up?"
He said, "Well..."
I said, "Because God has said." That's right. See? God has said.
14 And when we raise up... And we like a flower, a picture, we raised to a certain age, about the age of about twenty-two or three. When you and your wife got married, you dear old brother out here, when you worked your corn fields and things, married that little blushing cheek girl... It's too bad we ain't got many of them today. You know what, I haven't seen a woman blush for thirty years. All the modesty's gone. I don't want to get started on that now.
All right, I'm just an old fashion, backwoods, sassafras preacher that believes the truth. I--I believe that people should live godly, holy, in this present life, looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus.
But when we get to a place, about twenty-three, we get married, and take the sweetheart on our arm and go down home, you brothers remember that. And you're at your best then. The first thing you know, Mother wakes up one morning, say, "Dad, I see a gray hair."
You say, "Mother, I've been noticing a wrinkle under those beautiful eyes." See, what's the matter? Death set in; ain't long it'll corner you. It'll get out of there... After while you'll be old; it'll take you, but that's all it can do. That's all.
15 Every corpuscle, everywhere when you was your best, right at the peak, God says, "Now the picture's painted. That's what I want in My great Millennium that's a coming, so I will just... Now, death there you are, but you can't take them now. You can go to working on them, but you can't take them, till I call your hand." See?
And then in the great resurrection, then we will come forth. Everything that death did to us, it finishes at death, and then we will wake to a new life. Won't that be wonderful? All the gray hair's gone, the old age moved away. And we will be young forever and live forever in the beauty of the Lord, and never have to be sick, never have to be old, never have to take medicine, never be in a hospital, never an ambulance scream. Won't it be wonderful?
Why, they call us crazy, I believe we're the most intelligent people in the world. We, I say it, all right. Because we love our Lord Jesus. All that this Bible contains, them promises, and they're good. So how good our Lord has been. Let's speak to His dear Being now. If He will open the Word to us this afternoon, in a little short instance of the Scripture, and then we will get out early, so we can come back tonight. And I believe the boys will give out some more prayer cards, if we're going to pray for the sick, along about, oh, six-thirty, something like that.
16 Shall we pray? Our heavenly Father, we are happy today to be here in the state of Kentucky, down here among the people. And I know that back on these ridges, around in these old graveyards, many of them not even marked with a marker. Poor old dad, with a pair of overalls on and a patched shirt, he couldn't afford a tombstone. But when he laid his sweetheart away, put the baby down by her side, he drove down a little stake or a cross. But God in heaven, on the great books, tally books there, there's a name written. You know where she's at, where her body's lays.
And I'm so happy, Lord, to know that you don't forget. And we're happy to be associated with their children here today, who believes You also. And now, I ask You, Father, that You'll come into our presence, or let us come into Your Presence, rather. And let Your great august Being, Lord, just surge our souls with Your goodness and blessings, not because that we're worthy, we're unworthy, but just because You promised it, Lord, we're looking for it.
Now, the Scripture's all tied together. How the Bible means so much more than it speaks, if we can only have the Holy Spirit to interpret It for us. We only read It as we look down upon It, but oh how the Holy Spirit says, "Child of Mine, you're looking into My face now, when you look into this Bible. This is what I want you to know." And may the Holy Spirit take the Word of God today, and deliver it to every heart, just as we have need. And may we fellowship around the Word now. Inspire us. For we ask it Jesus Christ Name. Amen.
17 In a little place in the Scripture, found over here in the book of Saint Luke, of all my preaching in all my life, I have never approached this text before in my life. It's a new text that I have never tried from. But setting in my hotel room awhile ago, something seemed to draw me to this place. Shall we read it in the Gospel of Saint Luke, and we will begin at the 7th chapter and the 36th verse:
And one of the Pharisees... Him that he would--would come to his place for a dinner.
Jesus wanted--or the Pharisee wanted Jesus to come to his place for meal. Now, the--the case of it is, after you read the whole chapter on through, you are pretty well acquainted with the--with the manner of Scripture and how it speaks. But now, as we turn our thoughts to this, there's something wrong here. There is... Just a that much of Scripture to the period will be enough to give us the idea that I want to speak on. And my subject would be "Pride."
Oh, pride's such a cursed thing, so awful, so evil is pride. But there seems to be something wrong as we enter our little scene. And we want to look at it now, not from a doctrinal standpoint, but from an instant of Jesus' life, not for doctrine. But there, surely, is something wrong here, a Pharisee wanting to see Jesus, and having to eat with Him for fellowship. That's altogether contrary. The Pharisees hated Jesus. They had no use for Him at all. He was a--a Beelzebub to them, a devil, a deceiver. And no Pharisee had anything to do with Jesus.
18 But this Simon, he wanted Jesus to come to Him, and have some--be entertained by Him. Now, there's--there's something wrong with the picture.
When we see a--a little girl a following Grandma around all the time, little six or seven year old child following around with Grandma, there's something going on, the motives are--have been changed.
Now, a girl of six years old don't usually--or seven or eight, she likes to fool around, play around with little children her age. But if she follows Grandma all the time, now, it's either that Grandma is real good to her, or Grandma pets her, or she's Grandma's little pet, rather, or--or--or maybe you don't know, Grandma might have a sack of candy setting somewhere. See? The thing of it is, is the motive the child has in following Grandma. And surely this Pharisee, hating Jesus, had some sort of a motive behind it that wasn't just right.
19 Young people like to go with young people. Little children like to play in the streets, the Bible speaks of that in the prophecy of Isaiah. Little children playing in the streets, they have things in common: their dolls, and their tops, and their hobby horses and things. Little children associate with little children. The young girls associate with young girls, the middle aged women with the middle age, the old with the old.
Clubs, Kiwanis and Rotary, they have things in common. They have to meet together at their clubs in order to have--talk over the situations of how they--about the community, or about the--how they could take care of the poor in the situation. They've got to get together. And as the old Kentucky proverb as I've heard my mother say many times, "Birds of a feather flock together." That's a very much of a truth.
20 You never see crows and doves having much fellowship with one another. They're two different kinds of birds; one has one thing, and the other has the other. Now, the crow, he's a scavenger. He just eats dead things. But the dove cannot eat dead things. If the dove eats dead things, then the dove would die right away; he can't digest it. The dove, the bird that we know to be called dove, symbolized the Holy Spirit of a Dove in the Bible, that dove doesn't have any gall. It cannot digest bad, foul things; because if it would, it would mean the death of the dove.
A very beautiful type of a borned again Christian cannot digest the things of the world, 'cause if they do, it will spiritually kill them right away. But did you ever notice the old crow? Now, he can set on the dead carcass that's--that's decaying, in plain Kentucky language, rottening. And he can set on there and just eat all day long. But the dove cannot go around it; it stinks, and she will fly away. But the crow can set on there and eat all day long, and then he can go right out in the wheat field and eat with the dove, too.
21 So a hypocrite, an impostor, he can go to the world and affiliate with the world, and act like the world, and live in the world, and enjoy the pleasures of the world, and come to church and pretend to be a Christian. But the real Christian can't go out into the world and come back; there's something wrong. So that shows...
Show me your company, I will tell you who you are. Let me go into your house and see what you read, let me listen to--see what kind of music you--you have playing. Let me see what kind of magazines, what kind of literature you read. Let me look in your office and see if it's a big bunch of these vulgar pictures of pin-ups and things. And you tell me you're a Christian, I won't say nothing to you; but in my heart I will watch what kind of fruit you're bearing (See?), 'cause that's your diet.
Oh, you say, "I belong to the church. Well now, you no business judging me, Brother Branham." I am not judging you; the Word is a judging you. That's right. Your fruit, your life tells what you are.
22 Oh, my, this Pharisee must've had some kind of a motive behind this. What is a Pharisee? What does the word Pharisee mean? We don't use that word very often in Kentucky. What does the Pharisee word mean? In the Greek, it means "a actor, someone who acts." Oh, I hate that, somebody acting, trying to put on. I despise such a thing.
Many times people are trying to act like the other fellow. Listen, you quit trying to act like the next fellow, and just act out your own convictions and you get along better. Be yourself. That's right.
You see so many little children going to the picture show, come back home and want to act like the actress. Shame on you. In Hollywood, Los Angeles, I have many services out there, and I find out that the most of the people that's growed on the whole environment of the American people to act. We're great actors, Pharisees. There they are; you'll see them; they're before the screen so much until they're always acting.
23 In the American people through television, and through picture-shows, they have seen so much of the put on, till they become put-ons themself: too bad. And we get it in church, actors. Hmmm. God don't want them. Far be it from us to be actors. Be yourself; God wants you to be that way. I despise seeing someone trying to do something that they cannot do.
What a disgrace, I've noticed it many times, and beautiful voices that God has given to people, a talent, and then they overtrain it. I hate to hear an overtrained voice, when they stand up to sing, and get some kind of a note till they hold it so long till they get blue in the face, just to show the congregation how long they can hang on for dear life. And when they come back down, them people's not praising God; they're mind's on their note.
24 I love good old fashion Pentecostal singing (That's right.): where you forget the piano and the organ, where you don't have to get into some kind of ritualistic, put on program. Where you raise up your hands with the tears running down from your cheeks, whether you could sing do-ra-me-fa-so-la-te-do, or not, and just sing in the Spirit. From the heart you give praise to God. All out of the program, you have to get out of man's program to get in God's program (See?), get out of it.
Oh, my, deliver me from being a actor. Be what you are; God will bless you. You even down see sometimes ministers will do that. They will get in the pulpit, and make their voice very big. "I have now received my degree..." like it'd run shivers over you. I feel sorry for them. People don't appreciate that. Just be yourself, people will appreciate you more. Don't you believe that. Just be old plain sassafras, hickory smoked ham, sorghum molasses. It'll do you good; you won't put on.
25 But a Pharisee, oh, I hate that word, an im--a actor. Some sisters do the same thing, got a lot of acting about them. Oh, they'll cut their husbands nose off with, "John, why did you do that?" Just snappy as they can be. Oh, my, whew. God deliver me from ever calling on you if that's the kind of spirit you have. But let someone talk on the telephone, "Oh, how do you do? I am so glad that you called." Actors, shame on you: house angels, road devils, putting on. Just be yourself all the time. That's the best way to be. Don't you believe it?
Sure, you know how to take you then, not actors, not Pharisees. Go to church on Sunday, and oh, how pious you are and on Monday morning, nobody could get along with you. You Pharisee, what good does it do you to go to church? Oh, my, umm. They need a conversion; that's what you need. Take the thing out, the nature of it. Methodists ought to say, "Amen," to that, because that's Methodist doctrine if I understand it right, sanctification.
26 All right, Oh, my, pretenders, this old Pharisee sent to Jesus; he had something behind it. Well, he's tired; he's peeping over the top of the people. He can hardly see; he's sweaty. He's come all the way from southern Palestine, hunting and searching. The crowds are now gathered around, and all day long he's stood with the sweat ha--off of him, His tired, weary, feet running over the Palestine roads, full of dust and dung from the road, as he run. Every once in a while he stop and get a drink of water. But he raises up his head, and he looks again, sighs a little, "Well, I'm so glad to find Him."
After while of long speaking, after while the crowd begins to break up a little, and he starts elbowing his way in. He's got a message; he's on his road. He's got a master; his name's Simon, a Pharisee. He's a courier; he's a running this errand now. He must get to Jesus. A flunky, they're called in Palestine. Just a--the Pharisees has plenty of them does everything, groom their horses, and their gardens, and so forth, and take care of them: flunkies, pay them just a little bit of whatever they can get by with.
27 And this flunky had been maybe two or three days, hunting up, trying to find, because his master had give him a--a--a warrant that he should go and find Jesus and invite him to his home for dinner at a certain occasion. I see him elbowing his way through the crowd, and he staggers against the, maybe perhaps, Peter or was it Andrew? I wasn't there; I don't know, but I hear him say, "I would like to see your master, sir."
And 'course the beloved disciples, how they were trying to keep people away from Jesus when He was there praying for the sick and thing. And again he says, "I would like to see your master." And I see Andrew taking him up close to where Jesus was, where the sick and all was around; he said, "Master, here is a--a young man from southern Palestine, who is come with a message. He's come a long way. And he says it's from his master. And he wishes to speak to You."
28 And he says... He--he bowed to Him and told Him what his errand was, that his master had desired, on a certain occasion for Him to come and have dinner with him. Oh, if you and I would've been there, how different we would have looked upon it. We'd have said, "Master, don't go to that hypocrite. Don't go to that Pharisee. Why, he's blind; he doesn't know... He hates you. And there's so many sick people and things around; You have so much of Your strength being used. Don't go to such a fellow as that; he's just trying to use You, for the old saying, as a trump card or something. He--he's got some kind of a bad alternative about it. Don't go to such a person as that."
Oh, my, I can imagine that Pharisee, great fellow, great man in his city, walking around a few days before upon his fine Egyptian made carpet and his great perfumed dining room, rubbing his big chumpy hands together in his roly-poly condition, just fat, said, "Why didn't I think of that before? Hah-hah-hah-hah. Why certainly, that's what I want. That's it. I tell you what; for my big entertainment I'm fixing to have; I should've thought of that a long time ago. Hah-hah-hah. You know this here fellow, Jesus of Nazareth's on all the poor peoples tongue. And I tell you what, if I would've just of have Him over here at my banquet, I'd have had the gapers standing around everywhere looking at Him. That's all I have to do, and you know what? I'd be the most popular person in the city. I would add more to my popularity. Oh, I should've thought of that before."
So he starts the boy on the road to find Him. "What do you think Doctor Jones will say? That Pharisee Jones, he hates Jesus of Nazareth. He believes He's a devil. And won't that be fine for Lawyer So-and-so, when I have them here? 'Course all the celebrity of the town will come to my meeting, certainly. Because they know that I can feed them well." Certainly, this was a rich Pharisee. He had plenty; he could do whatever he wanted to. He got all the cuts of the meat, up at the temple. He was in on the cuts of the meat. He was also in on all the tithings and offerings and everything come in. He had plenty.
29 Well, what it would take to spread a party like that, would feed a common family in Palestine two years. But oh, he was a--he was a big fellow in the city. Doctor Simon Pharisee, look what a fellow. I can see him walking back and forth and say, "Certainly, oh, my, I will have sent out my invitations right away. Well, you know what, the--so that all the people can see me, I will have it on the outside where it's cool, out a past the veranda. I will go out in the great big--I got a place out there, a grape arbor, where the beautiful grapes are hanging down and they just now... And their very ripest and the--the aroma of the grapes are so beautiful. And I will have it all out there. and I will take my special big table and set it out there. And I will have Doctor Jones, and I will have Doctor so-and-so, and Doctor so-and-so, and Doctor so-and-so, and all the city will know that I am a great man, that my degree did me well, and I am a great man. I, I, I, I, I," that's all you can hear.
"I did this; I will be better off; I will do this." I, I, I and no place for Christ.
30 Isn't that a picture today? I will do so-and-so. I will join the church; I will do this; I will do that. God have mercy on us. There he was, oh, he was a great fellow, and going to be made greater just to have Jesus down there for entertainment. He didn't believe Him to be a prophet, although Jesus was. And he didn't believe Him to be the Son of God, though He was.
But he thought, "If I can have that fellow over there, we will all have some fun." So he sends for Him. Jesus never, never breaks a promise. Days has passed by; lots has taken place. And it comes time for this Pharisee to--this meeting or his dinner to be set, And Jesus said to His disciples, "Let us go now, plumb across Palestine to southern Palestine, take on our road, because that we don't want to be late."
Jesus never breaks a promise. He's always keeps His promise. Regardless of what it is, He will keep it. The day draws nigh, and we see the Pharisee with his table setting out in the yard. And his ads are out, and all the people begin to gather. What a great fellow this was.
31 Up comes Doctor Jones in his great big fine chariot. He runs the man out real quick, his flunkies and he gets the horses and he takes them to the stable, and he grooms his horses. And he, "How do you do, my friend? I am so happy to see you. Won't you come in, and visit with me awhile?" Oh, I can see him putting it on. "Won't you come in? Why here's Lawyer so-and-so; I am so happy to see you, my friend. Won't you come in? Flunky, take his horses to the stable." Oh, my.
But after while he got on the inside, and tipping the glasses, and so forth. And in the--in Palestine when they set a dinner, if you've ever been there, they put a great big table, out like this, and along they have... You don't set down and eat in Palestine, like you do here; you lie down and eat. They have like a sofa, and they run it in angle ways to the table, like this. And each man lays down like this, and he eats from laying down, his feet behind him.
And they got every thing ready, all of them in there, entertained and so forth, and Pharisee was having such a great time entertaining his celebrity. The first thing you know, Jesus arrived, went into the house, and set down; and they didn't know He was there. Nobody must've knew about it. Where did He come from?
32 Now, such a little place, perhaps setting over in the corner. Pharisee was too busy; he had to do other things. The celebrity, the big people of the town was there, and he had to entertain them. I wonder, brethren and sisters, if we haven't put so much time to entertaining celebrities and dignitaries, that we forgot that Jesus sets in the midst of us too, setting over in the corner, nobody noticing Him. Setting alone, His disciples couldn't come in; they wasn't even invited.
So all that's not invited, as the easterners are, they stand on the outside and looking in, wondering; and when anything's going on oh you don't have to worry about a crowd; they're all there anyhow. They come to look on, spectators, see what they can. They're not allowed in, but they come and look on. Stand on their tip-toes hours after hours, watching entertainments. The poor with their mouth watering when they see the fine spiced meat, lamb baked with the best of spices. Oh, great things brought in all the way from Egypt and Mesopotamia, and so forth.
33 Why, this Pharisee was a rich man, he could really put a big dinner on like that. Let the the poor stand and gape on if they wanted to. That's the group that would tear up the world to make one proselyte out of a Gentile, and make him a twofold more child of hell than he was when he began.
Pride, pomp, there he is, Jesus setting forsaken. I imagine He felt uncomfortable, for He had dirty feet. When people are traveling in Palestine; in those days they didn't have pavements, and roads, and oiled roads like we have now. Setting there with His feet and legs all dirty, His head unanointed, no kiss on His cheek, and His legs with that old dust of dung and stuff off the road, the dust where horses, caravans, beast of burdens go along pulling, and carrying loads, and the animal droppings on the road, the birds come down and scatter it and peck around it, and after while it becomes into the dust.
34 And the person walking... The underneath garment in Palestine closes at the knee, and then the robe goes over the top of that, and as they walk, swinging, it caused the little winds to blow the dust up. And oh it becomes filthy and stinky that--when all that stuff gets on you. And there set Jesus with dirty feet. Jesus, they call Him, with dirty feet. Oh, it does something to me when I say it. Jesus unnoticed, Jesus with dirty feet, made a gazing-stock, after being invited.
I wonder when you have a prayer meeting, invite Him to your church, then He comes down to do something for you, you just let Him be unentertained, too much of that in our home life and everywhere. When the president comes, why, my, they throw out the carpet all the way from the train, all the way into the hotel. They strow the streets, and young ladies go forth with flowers, and they bouquet the sidewalks, and hang down the flags with every sign of welcome. But when Jesus comes to town, He has to stay in a little mission somewhere, be called crazy, holy-roller. Oh, my.
35 Oh, you blind Pharisees, notice, Jesus with dirty feet. Jesus, them feet that was soon to be pierced for the sins of the world, set with dust and dung, uncomfortable. Jesus is usually uncomfortable around a bunch of rich people anyhow. They don't give Him no room, nor nothing, just let Him set. "Oh, with your mouth you do worship Me, but your hearts are far away," said the Master.
Jesus with dirty feet, there He sets, unentertained, unwashed, unwelcome. Say, "Jesus, do you take a lesser place? Jesus, do you take a little bitty place when you're called on in a home?"
"Yes, I--I take the little place."
"What?"
"The little room in the upstairs, or perhaps maybe on the second floor, a little closet, or down in the basement."
You're ashamed of Him, before the celebrity, before your company. You're afraid or ashamed to testify of Him, to tell of His saving grace.
"But will you come anyhow, Jesus?"
"Yeah, I will come anyhow."
That proves to me He's the Lord of Lords, He's a big person. "I will come anyhow, no matter just how little of a place you will make for me, I will come anyhow."
I like that, He's my Lord. "I will come anyhow, no matter how little the place is, I will come." Though you give the president everything, you give Doctor Jones a great spread, but when Jesus comes, He takes a corner somewhere. What a bunch of Pharisees, put on, entertainers, no love, entertainers. "I will take the little place."
36 Long time ago, Christian, before you opened your heart, how did you treat Him? Some of you people have professed to be Christians, how do you treat Him? Oh, my, Oh, once in a while you permit certain programs to come along, a little dried up evangelist of some sort, and you put on your most--most charming dress, and your beautiful hat, and you go down to the church.
You didn't give Him any place of worship; you wouldn't testify. But He didn't rebuke you. He didn't condemn you. He's willing to take the little place. You won't give Him all your heart; He will take just as much as you will let Him have. He's my Lord. And you go home, "Oh, well, that'll do till next month; I will go back to church again."
37 How you crowded Him out, your little petty parties and all your little things your little entertainments, why, you Pharisee. Shame on you, that would do Jesus my Lord that way. When He comes to town, you'd speak evil of Him; you would turn Him down. Open your eyes, He comes to visit you. You've called for Him in your prayer meeting, but when He comes then you don't want to give Him any room. What a pity. How blind people can be.
What an opportunity this courier had, that walked up to the feet of Jesus. Oh, I wish I could took his place. Wish I could've been there that day, I'd have done more than told Him what some Pharisee said. I'd have hugged Him. I'd have done all I could to know the opportunity of standing in the Presence of Jesus. As the blind people was in that day, they are today. With the very thought, the opportunity that's presented to people to accept Christ, and walk away and leave Him unworshipped, unwelcome.
38 You know, the custom in the Palestine country, the first thing happens when you're invited to a royal entertainment like that, when you come to the door you're all dirty, you stink; you're not--you're not a fit subject then for entertainment. You'd be embarrassed to walk in those lovely homes with all that on your feet and everything, and the way you look and sweaty and everything. What's the first thing? When a guest arrives, they got a flunky, the poorest paid man on the job.
When I think that my Lord girded Himself and washed people's feet, He took the lowest place, when He was the--deserved the highest place. But He took the lowest place, to wash the dung and dirt from their feet, become the humblest of servants. There's not another servant got as humble a job as the flunky that washes the feet.
But when you come to a--a home of that type in the eastern country, Palestine, the flunky meets you at the door, goes to one of the wells and draws him some--a great basin of--of good clear water, and he removes your sandal, or your shoe, sets your feet up across his knee, and he washes all this dirt, and dust, and dung, and stuff off of your body. And then he takes another towel and wipes your feet, and he washes them, sets them down.
And then he takes your sandals and sets them up on a little--little mantle like, sets them along like this at the door of entrance. Then he goes over, and he finds a pair of fine satin, silk slippers; they're soft. That's the complements of the host. He does that; he has them setting there; he put them upon your feet until he finds one that fits you comfortably.
39 Then your feet's washed. Then he passes you into another place, and then there's a man meets you there at the door, and he has a little basin in his hand, a little pitcher like. And you take it and pour a--some of the oil in your hands.
Now, that oil is made of a very fine spikenard. What it is, it's--there's a bush that grows in Arabia that they get it from. A little flower blooms like a rose, and then when the rose goes down, it leaves a little bulb like and that hardens like a little apple. And that's the thing that this tree does, but you can take that and roll it in your hands.
I seen a--a Russian celebrity one time, who had two of them; you could roll them in your hands like that, and the scent would stay on your hand for two weeks. It's very expensive, costly. And it cost much money. Oil will get old and--and smell bad in a few days, but they put this spikenard in there until it becomes... Oh, it keeps for--that aroma for years. That was some of the treasures that the queen of Sheba brought to Solomon.
40 And they give you that, and you wash your hands with it. Then they give you a towel, and you wipe your hands. Then the next they give you, it's some more of it, and you put it on your neck, the back of your neck, on your cheeks and on your forehead. Both men and women in Palestine must do this, because the sun rays are so hot. They do that, and then it creates a smell. Then after you wipe the most of it off, you're refreshed. Your feet is washed; you are washed; your hands are clean; your face is clean.
Then you're taken into the chamber of where the host is. And then when you meet him, you take--he takes his right hand and puts it on your left shoulder, then you bow. And then he--you take your right hand and put it on his left shoulder, and he bows. Then he kisses you, from one side of the cheek to the other side of the cheek; and that's the welcome, the right hand of fellowship. When the host kisses you, you are a brother; you're welcome.
Jesus was very careful to wash Doctor Jones' feet, or the Pharisee rather. And He was very careful for the celebrity, but here set Jesus with dirty feet. Here set Jesus, unwelcomed, with no oil on Him. Here set Jesus with no kiss. And yet He left His work and come all the way across Palestine to keep His promise.
41 I imagine He was miserable setting there. All the rest of them, and the Pharisee testifying over there about different things that happened, and poor Jesus set there with dirty feet, unanointed face, no kiss. Jesus wants to be kissed. There's a Scripture in Psalms 2, says, "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry." "Kiss the Son," Oh, you'll never know what it means till once you've kissed the Son. Kiss the Son, make Him welcome into your heart.
But He set unanointed with dirty feet. Oh, how embarrassed He was. Pharisee was having his big time; he was too busy entertaining the great men of the city, to know that Jesus was unentertained. But He come anyhow. Oh, my God, how did--what happened, how did that flunky at the door ever get by without washing His feet? God, I wish I had his job. How I would've loved to have washed His feet at the door. How I would've loved to have entertained Him, to take in my basin of water, when I knowed that He was setting there.
42 But there He was with the rich and the proud. They didn't care nothing about Him. He was just an entertainment, something to make the people gape and look upon. No doubt he had in his heart, he'd ask Him to do a miracle for him or something.
And while He was setting there, on the outside in the street there was a real bad woman in the town, a prostitute. We won't go in detail about that; you know what it is, a woman of ill fame, fallen.
Don't condemn her. Listen, before there can be a fallen woman, there has to be a fallen man, too. Maybe some sweetheart she had loved her up to his heart, until he crushed the fire of the--her life under his feet, and introduced her to this kind of a life.
The Scripture said she was a great sinner. No one had nothing to do with her, but all knowed her. They knew who she was, certainly. She was a great sinner. And perhaps passing by, not welcome among any of the people, she tip-toed, and she looked up, and she spotted my Lord setting in the corner with unwashed feet, setting unwelcome amongst the rich. It was too much for her. She said, "No, I'm sure that's Him."
43 You never see Jesus, 'less you'll know Him when you see Him again. No one can never look upon Him and ever forget His looks. I can think she said... She might've heard Him somewhere else, she said, "Oh, there's that great Teacher. But He's over here with the Pharisees, and they don't want Him."
Oh, she turns around; I can see her say, "Oh, I--I can't. Oh it, I must be losing my mind. Surely--surely I couldn't do that. Oh, maybe, reckon I could?"
I can see her gather her clothes around her and start down the street. I can see two men nudge their arms together and say, "Looky there, see what come up." Oh, sure you're too good. I'd like to look right in your eyes one time, see how good you are.
44 You say, "Brother Branham, I'm no prostitute."
I don't altogether mean sexually. Prostitution's on a higher level. You can prostitute your time. How much time do you give to Him? Prostitute your own selfish motives, going around saying, "Well, I belong to this church, I'm better."
No you're not. You can prostitute otherwise than sexually. The Holy Spirit will speak to your heart, and you'll say, "I want nothing to do with that." You blind Pharisee, prostitute. What's the matter with you? Committing adultery with the world, that's what you're doing.
Oh, you say, "I belong to church," and so cold and indifferent. Oh, you say pretty prayers. Oh, I hate that Pharisaic thing. Oh, you pray and make every comma just perfect, and every period just perfect. Oh, you pray so beautiful. You can't talk to God like that. You're listening to what you're saying and punctuating your prayer. O God, help you to turn loose once and pray. Stop saying prayers.
45 Oh, Pharisees, plenty of them, Pharisees. Oh, you say, "I belong to church." That's all right; sure you do. But what attitude do you take towards my Lord? When He wants to come to you and bless you, you won't do it. "Oh, no, I don't believe in that kind of stuff." That's the same group I'm talking about, very religious, but very Pharisaic.
What did I say they was in the beginning, actors. Quit acting religion. Get an old fashion experience of regeneration, borned again. My Lord, He longs to see you. He's waiting for you, takes the little place in the corner. He never rebukes you for it; He loves you. You go to church once or twice a month, you think you've done your duty. Oh, if you only loved Him, you'd go every night and every day, somewhere and talk with Him, if you loved Him. But the trouble of it is, you just act church, act religious. What a pity, it's too bad that we still have it.
46 This poor little woman, I can see her, ill-famed, down the street she goes and up a little creaking steps where she in a little attic up-stairs. Her heart's a jumping; she can't get that picture off her mind. O God, anybody that ever sees Him in the simplicity of His Word and of His love, it'll never leave you. Something will haunt at you.
She sees Him; she goes upstairs; she opens her little treasure box, and she gets out a little something there, a little sack. She brings it out, sets it, the clink of the coins falls on the table. And as the coins fall, she picks it up again; she sees that face before her. The tears are running down her cheeks, dripping off her chin. Said, "I can't do it; I can't. For He'd know where that money come from. He'd know how I earned that money. I can't do it."
Perhaps she sets it back up again; then she reaches and gets it again. She said, "I can't, what's a matter with me? But I see Him, coming all the way across the country and not entertained. What can I do about it? This is all I got, surely He will understand. Certainly He will understand, certainly He will. This is all I got; surely He will understand it."
47 And I can see her as she trembling, takes it in her hand, puts it down in her bosom, in her stocking perhaps, wraps it up on the inside, wraps her clothes around her, and out the street she goes. It's getting late, she goes down the street to some great, fine perfume company. She goes, in and there's an old hook-nose, grouchy fellow standing behind the counter, counting his money. "Well, it wasn't very good today. Didn't even make rent, bad day." All peeved up, yet as orthodox as he could be in his religion.
She comes in the door. When he comes in the door, I can hear him say, "Huh, now look." Oh, she was well known. Everybody knew her, sure. Everybody knew this woman. She walks in the door. Well he didn't walk up to her nice like he should and say, "How do you do? What can I do for you?" He said, "Well, what is it?"
She laid the money out on the counter. Oh, the clink of the money, sure that changed things. He belonged to that group that said, "What profit is it if we leave Joseph in the--the tomb?" What profit is it? Oh, yes, that's what people think today. What can you make out of it? How much money's in it? Blind Pharisee. Jesus is here, and He wants to be entertained. You've invited Him.
48 There lay the money out, He said--she said, "I want a alabaster box, the best you got in the store.
Why, he said,"Let's see how much money you got."
She lays it out, and she had a hundred and eighty of Roman denarii. He counted it all out, "Yes, you've just got enough." What? She wanted the best. She said, "He's deserving of the best," and He is. He's deserving of the best you've got. Don't give Him a little corner; give Him all you've got. He deserves the best that you've got, and the best that you can do.
That's all she had. She knowed how she'd got it. She said, "I hate to do it this a way; maybe I'm out of order, but it's the best that I got." She didn't argue with him about the price; that wasn't it. She just wanted the best. Do you see it? She want's the best. She said, "it's going to the best, so why not Him have the best?"
49 She picks up the alabaster box, puts it in her bosom, and here she starts out. I can see that old hooked-nosed Jew look out there. Two other men nudged her on the--each other on the arm, said, "Look going in there, what come out of the store over there. I wonder what she did there."
Oh, you Pharisee, nudging somebody else. Look at your own self once. Oh, you might not be sexually wrong in your actions; you might not drink liquor; but oh, you blind Pharisee, what are you doing to my Lord? What do you do to Him, you cold heartedly hypocrite? You turn Him down. What do you do it for? How can you do it? To see His Presence all around you, to know He's there wanting to bless you and entertain you, but you're too good. Oh you never become wretched. You ought to look at yourself in God's looking glass one time and see how you look. Your self-righteous, all your little forms and petty things will fade away, your little traditions.
50 I can see her; she must hurry; it's getting late. Better late than never. And when she gets up there, she can tell when she's around the crowd where the rich is. She can hear the wine glasses tipping together, you know, like that. She gets up to where they are. She wonders where He's at. She's all excited now. That Jew, scratches his head, and looks across to them fellows over on the corner said, "What was a matter with her?" Said, "There was tear stains down her cheeks. She'd been crying, I wonder where she's going now. I wonder what happened."
The woman, as she looked and seen His face said, "He don't speak like these Pharisees; He's different. That Teacher's a little different from the Pharisees." She knowed there was something different. When she looked up she thought, "How am I going to get there, go into that rich place. How can I do it. But the thing she did, she said, "One day I heard Him say, 'Come unto Me all ye that labor and heavy laden, I will give you rest.'"
51 The thing it was, was not how she was going to get there, was she going to make an effort to get there? I can see her elbowing her way through the crowd. No matter what's said or who said, she was on her road to meet Jesus. Do you do that? Would you elbow your way through the differences in the world today? Could you elbow your way over the vulgarity, over the picture shows and the dancing and carrying on that you do, calling yourself a Christian, to get to Jesus?
Could you lay down aside all your worldly social entertainment, to come to the Lord Jesus to be entertained by Him? God have mercy. She elbowed right on through. She was going to get there, regardless of how vile she was. Oh, I know it was out of order, oh sure. God help us to get out of order once in a while. The trouble of it is, you got too much order. Get out of order. I hope the church gets out of order long enough to get saved.
52 I remember when Jesus saved me. Oh, my I never forget it. This little old Kentucky heart of mine was jumping ninety miles an hour. I wept; I cried; I shouted; I don't care who was standing around. I wasn't paying attention to order; I was in Presence of Jesus; I loved Him.
She wasn't noticing how much order she was in, or how much she was out of. The main thing was, get to Jesus. There He set with dirty feet. He set without being kissed. He wasn't welcome, and she wanted to make Him welcome. She didn't care about their old pharisaical orders, about their old traditions and nominations. She was pressing her way through to get to Jesus. God help us to have a revival like that, where men and women will elbow their way through the crowds, and the denominations, and the barriers, till they get in the Presence of Jesus.
53 Yes, she wanted to get to Jesus; He had dirty feet. My Lord God setting there with dirty feet, where soon a Roman spike was going to drive to them to embalm His Blood for the salvation of the world. Dirty feet, may He forgive me for that. Oh, it hurts me, but Jesus, dirty feet, unkissed, unloved: "Come to His own, His own received Him not." Come to keep His promise and then unentertained.
Why you people pray for a revival year in and out, and when it comes right in your neighborhood, you think it's fanaticism. Unentertained, Jesus, dirty feet. Oh, if that oughtn't to break the heart of every man and woman, unentertained. Oh, the celebrity, the big things are going right along, but Jesus unentertained. Oh, my.
54 Notice as it moves on, she runs quickly; she goes to His feet, as He's lying there stretched out. She looks at His face; she said, "I can't, I don't know what's happened. I'm all beside myself." She was crying. God help us to get beside ourself once in a while.
Trouble of it is, you're just so ritual. You have to pray a certain way, end it with a amen like a dying calf with cramps...?... "ah-man." Stand up in the choir and sing with painted faces, and Jezebel fingernails, and act like I don't know what, and calling yourselves Christians. You blind Pharisee, what's the matter with you? My Lord's in town, won't you entertain Him in your heart?
55 There He's setting there. She got to His feet; she laid the box on the floor. She started to raise up, she couldn't, she just couldn't. She was weeping so hard she couldn't raise up. She got it a half stooped and she couldn't raise up. She realized that she was standing by the Fountain of purity. She realized that she was standing by the only thing that can forgive her.
"There is a fountain filled with Blood, drawn from Emmanuel's veins." The only thing that could wash away her guilt, she was in the presence of it as a prostitute. She come the way she was. She didn't know what to do. She was weeping; she had her hands up. She couldn't stand it; she was looking and there He was. "Oh, is it possible," she said, "Is it possible, that that's Him, the lovely One? the One I heard Him say, 'Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden.'? God you know my heart; I don't have to speak a word; I can't, I'm beside myself."
56 And she tries and she weeps, and the tears rolling down her cheeks, spatting, running down on the dirty feet of Jesus. The tears pouring down her cheeks upon His dirty feet. The first thing you know, she finds herself rubbing His feet. Rubbing His feet, and the tears just pouring down. What a blessing, tears of purity repentance, tears of repentance, pouring down, washing the dirty feet of Jesus... O God, have mercy. Tears of regret, what beautiful water, what sparkling water, coming from her heart.
"Lord God, I'm no good, but I can't stand it to see you set like this." And the tears pouring down her cheeks and her rubbing His feet like that, washing them with her tears. There sets the alabaster box, and the first thing you know, in her hysterical condition, her hair fell down. The curls dropped down. And before she knew it, she had her hair, a wiping His feet with the hair that was on her head.
57 God be merciful. Oh, My, my Lord, and that cold-hearted bunch of Pharisees setting there, indifferent. Oh, my, wiping His blessed feet with the hairs of her head... Some of you women to do that, would have to stand on your head. You cut your hair, that's right. I don't say it for a joke. The Bible said, "The glory of a woman is in her hair." And you've cut yours off.
What was it? What was it? it was her glory. The only decent thing she had about her was her long hair, and it had fell all down at Jesus feet. Her tears, all she was, was pouring out at His feet, washing Jesus dirty feet. What a way... I know it wasn't in order. What do you care about order? What went with the crowd? What do you care about what they're doing? You're in the Presence of Jesus.
58 She wasn't caring what them Pharisees was saying. Did Jesus draw back His feet and say, "say, say, say, you mustn't do that?" No, sir, He held perfectly still. She was right in order, washing Jesus dirty feet, with her tears of repentance, wiped them with the only glory she had, her hair. Laying everything at His precious feet. She was beside herself. She was washing; she didn't know what she was doing hardly.
After while she raises up. She don't know what... She looks around. Oh did Simon say anything? Yes. Oh, later on he made his remarks. I can see him turn red in the face. His sharp steel, ungodly, lizard eyes cutting down at her. He turned red and then white with rage. I can hear him go, [Brother Branham coughs and clears his throat--Ed.] His program's interrupted. He said in his heart, "Do you know what kind of a woman that is you're standing before?" He thought it would hurt his reputation.
59 Why brother, Jesus' reputation is made when He's in the presence of sinners. Jesus' reputation isn't hurt by sinners, it's made in the presence of sinners. There washing His feet, she raises up, takes the alabaster box, everything she had now was there, her hair hanging down, she snapped the top of it off, broke it, poured all. Not save some for the rainy day; she poured all of it on His feet. For everything she had, her glory, herself, her tears of repentance, and all the money, and all of the ambassador was in the box of spikenard. She poured it upon His feet.
O God, have mercy on us starchy ungodly generation that we live in, Pharisees, entertaining. Poured it on His feet...
60 And you know Simon said, "If you knew... If this man was a prophet, if he could see visions like he said he could see, if this man could see visions, if He was a prophet, He would know what kind of a woman that was that was washing His feet."
Oh, you blind hypocrite, you're too goody-goody to know what Jesus means. You're too goody-goody; you've treated Him the same way, that's the reason you're not saved today. That's the reason you haven't the baptism of the Holy Spirit, because it's the way you've treated Him, been ashamed. Oh, blind Pharisee, there he stood in all of his self-righteousness, said, "if He was a seer, if He was a prophet He'd surely know what kind of a woman that was."
61 I can see Jesus, for the first time since He entered the door, feeling comfortable. He was being--entertaining sinners. He raised up and said, "Simon, I have something to say to thee. I got a few things to talk over with you, Simon. When I come to your house..." O God, "When I come to your house," Pharisee you see what I'm talking about? "When I come to your house, you didn't wash My feet, Simon. You never give Me any oil, Simon. You never kissed Me welcome, Simon. You just let Me set here after you entertained Me, brought Me down, invited Me, and I come, and you didn't give me no oil for my head, neither did you give me water for my feet, and you didn't kiss me welcome."
"But this poor woman, what was she doing all the time? [Brother Branham illustrates--Ed.] Kissing His feet. Hallelujah. Kissing His feet. Said, "Every since she's come in the house," God have mercy, said, "she hasn't ceased kissing my feet, ever since I come in the house." O God, I can't preach any more, when I think of my Lord getting that same kind of entertainment today.
62 Oh, my, "This woman has not ceased to kiss My feet ever since I come in. And you didn't give Me any water to wash with; you didn't give Me any anointing, no oil to put on My parched hands and My lips and My face. You didn't kiss Me welcome and tell Me I was welcome to come into your house. But this woman has continually even kissed My feet."
Oh, listen what He said. Then He turns from Simon, and He looks upon this poor miserable wretch, her hair hanging down, wet with tears, and with the disgrace of the road upon them. Her lips oily from the spikenard where she'd been kissing His feet, her tears stringing down her cheeks... Listen what He says, "Your sins which were many are all forgiven you." Oh, God. "Your sins which were many, all forgiven you."
63 Oh, God, this undone generation, can't you see the Lord wants to come to your house and be entertained, worshipped, glorified, magnified? Oh, God be merciful to you. Let us pray; let's bow our heads just a minute. Something's saying to me, "Pray now." God, Jesus, dirty feet, Jesus unentertained and not kissed, Jesus unwelcome...
Merciful Father, will You please this day come down and picture Your heart before this congregation, that they might know that you're still Jesus. And they failed to entertain You. They love their little petty things; they love their organization, their denomination. They love their little social affairs in the church, their woman's' auxiliary and many other things that they like to go to. The man love their card parties and their carrying on and won't entertain Jesus.
64 O Lord, my Healer, my Saviour, my Keeper, O God where would I be if it wasn't for You? God please speak to the hearts that's cold and indifferent today; let them know that you're here with the same loving watch-care. You're watching, You see that one come home that's been so indifferent, that's roamed the streets too long.
Oh, why do you wait, my brother?
Why do you tarry so long?
Jesus is waiting to give you,
A place by His sanctified throne.
Won't you forsake your ungodly ways?
Won't you forsake your little entities, and come to Him today? How many, while we're praying, with your heads bowed, would you just stand up to your feet and say, "God, have mercy on me. I'm coming today; I'm willing, Lord, to do anything. I want to entertain you in my heart today as my Saviour. I want to forsake all the things of the world. I want to give up every pleasure the world has.
65 I want to be so filled with Your goodness, that I will only know that it's You. I've invited You, but I turned You away. I've told You when my baby died I'd serve You. I told You when Mother died, when I put them flowers on dad's grave I said, 'God, someday I will serve You.' But I've called you, and I turned you away, but today I'm coming. When preacher said awhile ago, drove down a little stake out there on the side of the ground, where baby was laying or mama, I said that day I'd serve You, Lord. But I've been a Pharisee, a actor. I've never really come to You, but here I'm coming now. I'm going to stand up, Lord, to prove to You that I love You. I'm not ashamed of You. You've done so much for me. Someday when life is over, O God, I want to stand like that prostitute stood that day. I won't want to talk to Him; I ain't worthy to talk to Him. But I want to say, 'Jesus, let me kiss that scar on top of Your foot, will you, Jesus? Just let me kiss that scar; it was made there for me.' O God."
66 I'm not a baby, but, oh, my, aren't you ashamed of yourself? Aren't you ashamed of the way you treated my Jesus? Just went over and joined a church and never had no conversion. You still love the things of the world, still take old worldly entertainment and enjoy it. Oh, you don't know what it is to be borned again. You don't know what it is to have fellowship. Oh, you think you're good enough, but you're not. It's not how good you are; it's how much you love Him. You love Him; you keep His commandments.
Will you stand to your feet just now as a witness to God? Say, "Lord Jesus, I'm getting tired being a hypocrite, old Pharisee actor like I got religion, when I haven't. I want You come in my heart right now. If you can make them twisted and lame come from their stretchers and wheelchairs, if You can make the blind to see and the deaf to hear, I know You're God. I know You're speaking to my heart."
67 Would you stand to your feet right now, man, or woman, boy or girl, to accept the Lord Jesus? What's a matter here? Something's wrong. Don't tell me I don't know. You know what's a matter? You're afraid your neighbor will say something about it. You're afraid somebody else is going to say something. What's Jesus going to say? Jesus unentertained in you heart. This may be your last time, buddy. Sister, this may be your last time.
Jesus is near, He's unkissed today. The congregation's indifferent towards Him. He come down last night and healed all your sick, and things, sent them home healed and well, come down and showed you He was here at the platform, by doing great signs and wonders, in this little cabin out here on the ground. Come down from glory, to prove that He was here, by His Word. And today, you let Him set unentertained. "Oh, I'd rather have my party."
68 What does Simon the Pharisee think today in hell where he's at? I imagine he'd like to call that little party over again. I imagine it would be different. Simon would be weeping, "O Jesus, I'd wash Your feet." A year from today, there's people setting here today that if they won't accept Christ, a year from today, you'll wish you had. You say, O Jesus, if I could go back to that little campground again. O Jesus, if I could hear that preacher call again, Jesus, I'd raise up, oh I'd raise up."
Too late, sin separated you. "Lord, I remember that day it was raining so hard; tears was pouring down out of people's eyes. Preacher was telling us about how You loved us and how indifferent we had been towards You. And I--I was different, Lord." The rich man had that kind of a plea one time, after Lazarus had preached to him.
69 "Oh, your crops may be getting along all right. Tobacco may be coming along good, the corn's tasseling." Oh, maybe you've got your washing to do tomorrow, sister. Maybe you've got to go to the club Tuesday. That don't have one thing to do with my Jesus. What are you doing with Him? Letting Him set, with the world, placing dirt on Him, say, "It's nonsense; there's nothing to it. It's mental telepathy; it's of the devil." And you're setting, letting Him set like that, doing nothing about it. But that's between you and God.
Why do you wait, dear brother?
Why do you tarry so long?
Jesus is waiting to give you,
A place in His sanctified throne.
Why do you wait? Do you mean to tell me, there's not one man or boy or girl in here? Setting here and you know that I know who you are. You know that the Holy Spirit's here, moving and darkness hanging over you as I'm looking across this audience. And I know where you're setting; and if I know, how much more does He know? God's speaking to you, and you turning your cold, indifferent heart away from Him.
70 Remember I'm telling you, it could be the last time. "My spirit will not always strive with man," seeing that he's just flesh. You're a free moral agent; you can make your choice. Why not make it today? Why not put your soul in the hands of Him Who knows all things, Who holds eternity in His hands? He's the right One to direct you. He's the only One Who can justly place you where you should be.
I'm willing to take my chance with Him. I'm so happy. I'm so happy that I did. I'm so glad, so glad. I seen the time while you had your heads bowed. You know papa, God bless his heart, last prayer that he's prayed was on my arm when he was dying. Poor old papa drink so heavy, caused a lot of disgrace around town. And when he did, drinking going on like that, our names got real low in the city, when I was a boy. I used to stand down there and talk to somebody, if anybody else come along, they'd leave me and talk to them, because a Branham. Oh, God, the name pulled in the gutter.
71 I said to the wife the other day, "Look honey, now I can't even come home. People are setting in hotels, from Africa, from India, from all around the world, begging for five minutes of time. Come across the world for five minutes." I said, "What done it, sweetheart? Not my education, I don't have any; not my personality, I don't have any. What did it? Jesus, He did it; He did it."
He said to David, "David, I took you out of a sheepcote to make you a great name among great men of the world. I took you from the sheepcote to be a ruler over My people." Oh God, Jesus, "You wasn't nothing; I saved you and made you My son. I saved you and made you a prince. I saved you and called you to preach the Gospel." Oh Jesus, oh your precious scarred feet and hands, your thorn pressed brow. Oh, Jesus, I love you.
72 Here in the home grounds, right on the soil where I was born, Lord, little old sinner baby boy. Please, dear God, warm up the hearts of the indifferent, speak to them in mercy and peace, great Jehovah. Someday you're coming and Your wrath's going to be fierce. Once more, Lord, I call, then I commit to You. Done all I know how to do. I got talking about You, Lord, and I got crying, couldn't help it.
Won't You let some sinner, Lord, rise and say, "Now, Lord, I stand by Your feet, too. I don't care what the Pharisees say. I don't care what anybody says. I'm coming to You. I'm going to be a real Christian in my church. I'm going to love You, and I'm going to work for You, and I'm going to bring other sinners to you." Grant it, Lord, grant it, won't You please?
73 I look everywhere and don't see one standing. O God, my dear Kentucky people, many of you is poor like myself, raised out here on a little meager living, a piece of old Joe bacons and corn pone for breakfast. You ain't got nothing in this world, but you got the opportunity today to become sons and daughters of God. Why won't you do it? Who are you anyhow? What's that little old farm going to amount to? You're going to die and leave it. What does that little store, what does that little social prestige you have?
You realize they're going to haul you out on the hillside someday, and put you in a hole, and put some mud over you? Where's your soul going to be if you're turning down Jesus today? The only Fountain there is that can save you, can heal you, take away your sin and shame, make you a Christian instead of a church member... Why don't you do it?
74 Heavenly Father, to this audience that's here today, I've offered them, according to Thy Word, Eternal, Everlasting Life through Jesus Christ the Son of God. I do not know their hearts, why they did not accept it. I seen the darkness and blackness through the vision, hanging over people. Thou knowest and seen others healed, even physically, while they were--the sermon was going on.
And Your Presence was here; it's here yet. Why people don't receive you, it's beyond me. I can't understand. Maybe they've crossed the line, where they can't do it no more. Maybe they've heard it before and you said, "I will not always strive with men." That's up to you, Father, I don't know. I commend them all to You, praying that not one will be lost. I thank You for all that You've done. And I ask Your blessings upon all of them, Father.
75 Bless the ministers of the city, tonight. Many of them be holding services. Let Thy love and mercy stretch out to them, Father. May some that's even here, that'll attend their own church tonight, may they rise and come to the altar at their own church. Grant it, Lord, and may they not feel so condemned that they won't even get away from home tonight till they slip out to the corn crib somewhere, over to the bedroom, get the wife and kiddies, and come in, say, "Honey, I just can't get away from it."
Maybe tomorrow while they're in the cornfield, or the tobacco patch, or somewhere along here, driving the truck down the road or while she's washing dishes or making the bed. God, may it haunt to their hearts again, on and on. May tonight the pillow be real hard. May they dream and wake up, "oh, why did I turn Jesus down? I seen Him setting there, but I passed Him right by to be indifferent." May they rise from the bed then, and come and have another chance, Father.
Give us a great service here tonight. May Thy Spirit be upon all, and may there be great healings take place tonight. Grant it, Lord, while we pray in Jesus' Name. Amen. [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]
76 What if I told you Jesus healed you a few minutes ago? Would you believe it? Would you believe it? That kind of a gallbladder condition and stuff you've been having it all leave from you? You believe it would go? You do, all right. See what happens to you now. Your faith made you well.
He's lovely, He's here. How many really, maybe, I don't know, would you just like a little closer walk with Him? Would you just raise your hand? Say, "I'd just love to have a little closer walk with Him." Give us a little chord, "Just a Closer Walk."
Just a closer walk with Thee.