of his own sufferings and death (xvi. 21).  Between these two beginnings lies the ministry of Jesus to the enthusiastic multitudes, the second of them marking his choice of a more restricted audience and a less popular message.  Within the first of these periods two events mark epochs,—­the mission of the twelve (Matt. ix. 36; x.  I) to preach the coming kingdom of God and to multiply Jesus’ ministry of healing, and the feeding of the five thousand when the popular enthusiasm reached its climax (John vi. 14, 15).  These events fall not far apart, and mark two different phases of the same stage of development in his work.  The first is emphasized by Matthew, the second by John; both help to a clearer understanding of the narrative which Mark has furnished to the other gospels for their story of the Galilean ministry.  The table at the head of this chapter indicates in outline the probable succession of events in the Galilean period.  The order adopted is that of Mark, supplemented by the other gospels.  Luke’s additions are inserted in his order where there is not some reason for believing that he himself disregarded the exact sequence of events.  Thus the rejection at Nazareth is placed late, as in Mark.  Much of the material in the long section peculiar to Luke is assigned in general to this Galilean period, since all knowledge of its precise location in time and place has been lost for us, as it not unlikely was for Luke.  Although Matthew is the gospel giving the clearest general view of the Galilean work, it shows the greatest disarrangement of details, and aids but little in determining the sequence of events.  The material from that gospel is assigned place in accordance with such hints as are discoverable in parallel or associated parts of Mark or Luke.  Of John’s contributions one—­the feeding of the multitudes—­is clearly located by its identity with a narrative found in all the other gospels.  The visit to Jerusalem at the unnamed feast can be only tentatively placed.

126.  Viewing this gospel story as a whole, the parallel development of popular enthusiasm and official hostility at once attracts attention.  Jesus’ first cures in the synagogue at Capernaum roused the interest and wonder of the multitudes to such an extent that he felt constrained to withdraw to other towns.  On his return to Capernaum he was so beset with crowds that the friends of the paralytic could get at him only by breaking up the roof.  It was when Jesus found himself followed by multitudes from all parts of the land that he selected twelve of his disciples “that they might be with him and that he might send them forth to preach,” and addressed to them in the hearing of the multitudes the exacting, although unspeakably winsome teaching of the sermon on the mount.  This condition of things continued even after Herod had killed John the Baptist, for when Jesus, having heard of John’s fate, sought retirement with his disciples across the sea of Galilee, he was robbed of his seclusion by throngs who flocked to him to be healed and to hear of the kingdom of God.