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

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

The broad square in front of the Temple was a sea of heads.  As many persons as possible had pushed their way in, but the greater number surrounded the enormous building, and shouted incessantly:  “We, too, want to hear Him!  Let Him come out and preach in the open air so that we may see Him.  Hail to the Messiah King!  He shall reign in the golden palace and in Solomon’s glorious Temple!”

When Jesus stepped out of the Temple into the confusion.  He heard the shouts, and mounted the plinth of one of the immense pillars that surrounded the building.  Here again He spoke.  Looking at the city He hurled these words at the crowd: