that he warned his disciples again of the fate which he saw before him in Jerusalem (Mark x. 32-34), and quite probably it was at this time that he rebuked the crude ambition of the sons of Zebedee by reminding them that his disciples must be more ambitious to serve than to rule, since even “the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark x. 35-45).  At Jericho he was at once crowded upon by enthusiastic multitudes.  The feeling they had for him may perhaps be inferred from the cry of blind Bartimeus, “Thou son of David, have mercy on me” (Mark x. 48).  This enthusiasm received a shock when Jesus chose to be guest in Jericho of a chief of the publicans, a shock which Jesus probably intended to give, for much the same reason that led him afterwards on his way up to Jerusalem to teach his followers in the parable of the pounds that they must be ready for long delay in his actual assumption of his kingly right (Luke xix. 11-28).  Finally, six days before the Passover, he and his disciples left Jericho and went up to Bethany preparatory to his final appearance in Jerusalem (John xii. 1).

175.  The interval between the final departure from Galilee and the public entry into Jerusalem was given to three different tasks:  the renewed proclamation of the coming of the kingdom, further efforts to win acceptance in Jerusalem, if perchance she might learn to know the things that belonged to her peace; and continued training of the disciples, specially needed because of the ill-considered enthusiasm with which they were inclined to view the probable issue of this journey to Jerusalem.  The first of these tasks was conducted as the earlier work in Galilee had been, both by teaching and healing, in which Jesus used his disciples even more extensively than before.  It proved that here as in Galilee the common people were ready to hear him gladly, until he showed too radical a disappointment of their hopes.  In this new ministry to the people Jesus spoke very frankly of the seriousness of the opposition which the leaders of the people were manifesting, and of the need that those who would be his disciples should count the cost of their allegiance (Luke xiii. 22-30; xiv. 25-35; xii. 1-59).  He did not hesitate to administer the most scathing rebuke to the Pharisees for the superficiality and hypocrisy of their religious life and teaching (Luke xi. 37-54),—­a rebuke which is emphasized by the parable in which, on another occasion, he taught God’s preference for a contrite sinner over a complacent saint (Luke xviii. 9-14).  When reminded of Pilate’s outrage upon certain Galilean worshippers, he used the calamity to warn his hearers that personal godliness was the only protection which could secure them against a more serious outbreak of the hostility of the Roman power (Luke xiii. 1-9); and it was probably in reply to such an appeal as accompanied this report of Pilate’s cruelty that Jesus spoke the parable of the Unjust Judge (Luke xviii. 1-8), teaching that God’s love may be trusted to be no less regardful of his people’s cry than a selfish man’s love of ease would be.