The story of Sabatai has much in common with that of Jesus. An
angel of light predicts the Messiah to a maiden, and that Messiah is
to appear on the Jordan. The faithful forsake all in order to meet
him and baptise themselves. He has his precursor and prophet. He
begins by refusing the honour thrust upon him, but ends by accepting
it. He is accredited by a message direct from heaven. Crowds escort
him and strew his path with carpets. He gets credit for working
miracles, for extraordinary fasting and asceticism. The very children
in arms acclaim him. He is transfigured, like Jesus, and shines with
glory. He promises " thrones " to his disciples in his future kingdom.
He claims to be the Son of God, and addresses his followers in terms
which at first sight seem to be borrowed from the canticles of the
first chapter of Luke, but may quite as well be imitated from the very
source which probably inspired Luke — namely, the prayer-book of the
old Jewish Synagogue. The more we bear in mind the stability of the
religious beliefs and conditions of the East, the less we shall suspect the
good Michel Felure of having coloured his picture of Sabatai Levi with
pigments taken from his own Christian paintbox.
P. 62. — To eliminate traits of common humanity.
The Dean of Westminster (J. Armitage Robinson, D. D. ), in his book
on The Study of the Gospels (London, 1902), p. 42, enumerates a score
of passages in Mark in which " emotions or acts expressive of emotion "
are ascribed to Jesus, and shows that they are omitted in the parallel
passages of Matthew and Luke.
