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Urantia Book Paper 147 The Interlude Visit To Jerusalem
SPIRITWEB ORG, PROMOTING SPIRITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS ON THE INTERNET.
Subjects Archive The Urantia Book Urantia Book PART IV: The Life and Teachings
of Jesus : The Bestowal Of Michael On Urantia The Times Of Michael's Bestowal
Birth And Infancy Of Jesus The Early Childhood Of Jesus The Later Childhood Of
Jesus Jesus At Jerusalem The Two Crucial Years The Adolescent Years Jesus'
Early Manhood The Later Adult Life Of Jesus On The Way To Rome The World's
Religions The Sojourn At Rome The Return From Rome The Transition Years John
The Baptist Baptism And The Forty Days Tarrying Time In Galilee Training The
Kingdom's Messengers The Twelve Apostles The Ordination Of The Twelve Beginning
The Public Work The Passover At Jerusalem Going Through Samaria At Gilboa And
In The Decapolis Four Eventful Days At Capernaum First Preaching Tour Of
Galilee The Interlude Visit To Jerusalem Training Evangelists At Bethsaida The
Second Preaching Tour The Third Preaching Tour Tarrying And Teaching By The
Seaside Events Leading Up To The Capernaum Crisis The Crisis At Capernaum Last
Days At Capernaum Fleeing Through Northern Galilee The Sojourn At Tyre And
Sidon At Caesarea-philippi The Mount Of Transfiguration The Decapolis Tour
Rodan Of Alexandria Further Discussions With Rodan At The Feast Of Tabernacles
Ordination Of The Seventy At Magadan At The Feast Of Dedication The Perean
Mission Begins Last Visit To Northern Perea The Visit To Philadelphia The
Resurrection Of Lazarus Last Teaching At Pella The Kingdom Of Heaven On The Way
To Jerusalem Going Into Jerusalem Monday In Jerusalem ...
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Paper 147 The Interlude Visit To Jerusalem
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Introduction
JESUS and the apostles arrived in Capernaum on Wednesday, March 17, and spent
two weeks at the Bethsaida headquarters before they departed for Jerusalem.
These two weeks the apostles taught the people by the seaside while Jesus spent
much time alone in the hills about his Father's business. During this period
Jesus, accompanied by James and John Zebedee, made two secret trips to
Tiberias, where they met with the believers and instructed them in the gospel
of the kingdom.
Many of the household of Herod believed in Jesus and attended these meetings.
It was the influence of these believers among Herod's official family that had
helped to lessen that ruler's enmity toward Jesus. These believers at Tiberias
had fully explained to Herod that the "kingdom" which Jesus proclaimed was
spiritual in nature and not a political venture. Herod rather believed these
members of his own household and therefore did not permit himself to become
unduly alarmed by the spreading abroad of the reports concerning Jesus'
teaching and healing. He had no objections to Jesus' work as a healer or
religious teacher. Notwithstanding the favorable attitude of many of Herod's
advisers, and even of Herod himself, there existed a group of his subordinates
who were so influenced by the religious leaders at Jerusalem that they remained
bitter and threatening enemies of Jesus and the apostles and, later on, did
much to hamper their public activities. The greatest danger to Jesus lay in the
Jerusalem religious leaders and not in Herod. And it was for this very reason
that Jesus and the apostles spent so much time and did most of their public
preaching in Galilee rather than at Jerusalem and in Judea.
1. THE CENTURION'S SERVANT
On the day before they made ready to go to Jerusalem for the feast of the
Passover, Mangus, a centurion, or captain, of the Roman guard stationed at
Capernaum, came to the rulers of the synagogue, saying: "My faithful orderly is
sick and at the point of death. Would you, therefore, go to Jesus in my behalf
and beseech him to heal my servant?" The Roman captain did this because he
thought the Jewish leaders would have more influence with Jesus. So the elders
went to see Jesus and their spokesman said: "Teacher, we earnestly request you
to go over to Capernaum and save the favorite servant of the Roman centurion,
who is worthy of your notice because he loves our nation and even built us the
very synagogue wherein you have so many times spoken."
And when Jesus had heard them, he said, "I will go with you." And as he went
with them over to the centurion's house, and before they had entered his yard,
the Roman soldier sent his friends out to greet Jesus, instructing them to say:
"Lord, trouble not yourself to enter my house, for I am not worthy that you
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should come under my roof. Neither did I think myself worthy to come to you;
wherefore I sent the elders of your own people. But I know that you can speak
the word where you stand and my servant will be healed. For I am myself under
the orders of others, and I have soldiers under me, and I say to this one go,
and he goes; to another come, and he comes, and to my servants do this or do
that, and they do it."
And when Jesus heard these words, he turned and said to his apostles and those
who were with them: "I marvel at the belief of the gentile. Verily, verily, I
say to you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." Jesus, turning
from the house, said, "Let us go hence." And the friends of the centurion went
into the house and told Mangus what Jesus had said. And from that hour the
servant began to mend and was eventually restored to his normal health and
usefulness.
But we never knew just what happened on this occasion. This is simply the
record, and as to whether or not invisible beings ministered healing to the
centurion's servant, was not revealed to those who accompanied Jesus. We only
know of the fact of the servant's complete recovery.
2. THE JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM
Early on the morning of Tuesday, March 30, Jesus and the apostolic party
started on their journey to Jerusalem for the Passover, going by the route of
the Jordan valley. They arrived on the afternoon of Friday, April 2, and
established their headquarters, as usual, at Bethany. Passing through Jericho,
they paused to rest while Judas made a deposit of some of their common funds in
the bank of a friend of his family. This was the first time Judas had carried a
surplus of money, and this deposit was left undisturbed until they passed
through Jericho again when on that last and eventful journey to Jerusalem just
before the trial and death of Jesus.
The party had an uneventful trip to Jerusalem, but they had hardly got
themselves settled at Bethany when from near and far those seeking healing for
their bodies, comfort for troubled minds, and salvation for their souls, began
to congregate, so much so that Jesus had little time for rest. Therefore they
pitched tents at Gethsemane, and the Master would go back and forth from
Bethany to Gethsemane to avoid the crowds which so constantly thronged him. The
apostolic party spent almost three weeks at Jerusalem, but Jesus enjoined them
to do no public preaching, only private teaching and personal work.
At Bethany they quietly celebrated the Passover. And this was the first time
that Jesus and all of the twelve partook of the bloodless Passover feast. The
apostles of John did not eat the Passover with Jesus and his apostles; they
celebrated the feast with Abner and many of the early believers in John's
preaching. This was the second Passover Jesus had observed with his apostles in
Jerusalem.
When Jesus and the twelve departed for Capernaum, the apostles of John did not
return with them. Under the direction of Abner they remained in Jerusalem and
the surrounding country, quietly laboring for the extension of the kingdom,
while Jesus and the twelve returned to work in Galilee. Never again were the
twenty-four all together until a short time before the commissioning and
sending forth of the seventy evangelists. But the two groups were co-operative,
and notwithstanding their differences of opinion, the best of feelings
prevailed.
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3. AT THE POOL OF BETHESDA
The afternoon of the second Sabbath in Jerusalem, as the Master and the
apostles were about to participate in the temple services, John said to Jesus,
"Come with me, I would show you something." John conducted Jesus out through
one of the Jerusalem gates to a pool of water called Bethesda. Surrounding this
pool was a structure of five porches under which a large group of sufferers
lingered in quest of healing. This was a hot spring whose reddish-tinged water
would bubble up at irregular intervals because of gas accumulations in the rock
caverns underneath the pool. This periodic disturbance of the warm waters was
believed by many to be due to supernatural influences, and it was a popular
belief that the first person who entered the water after such a disturbance
would be healed of whatever infirmity he had.
The apostles were somewhat restless under the restrictions imposed by Jesus,
and John, the youngest of the twelve, was especially restive under this
restraint. He had brought Jesus to the pool thinking that the sight of the
assembled sufferers would make such an appeal to the Master's compassion that
he would be moved to perform a miracle of healing, and thereby would all
Jerusalem be astounded and presently be won to believe in the gospel of the
kingdom. Said John to Jesus: "Master, see all of these suffering ones; is there
nothing we can do for them?" And Jesus replied: "John, why would you tempt me
to turn aside from the way I have chosen? Why do you go on desiring to
substitute the working of wonders and the healing of the sick for the
proclamation of the gospel of eternal truth? My son, I may not do that which
you desire, but gather together these sick and afflicted that I may speak words
of good cheer and eternal comfort to them."
In speaking to those assembled, Jesus said: "Many of you are here, sick and
afflicted, because of your many years of wrong living. Some suffer from the
accidents of time, others as a result of the mistakes of their forebears, while
some of you struggle under the handicaps of the imperfect conditions of your
temporal existence. But my Father works, and I would work, to improve your
earthly state but more especially to insure your eternal estate. None of us can
do much to change the difficulties of life unless we discover the Father in
heaven so wills. After all, we are all beholden to do the will of the Eternal.
If you could all be healed of your physical afflictions, you would indeed
marvel, but it is even greater that you should be cleansed of all spiritual
disease and find yourselves healed of all moral infirmities. You are all God's
children; you are the sons of the heavenly Father. The bonds of time may seem
to afflict you, but the God of eternity loves you. And when the time of
judgment shall come, fear not, you shall all find, not only justice, but an
abundance of mercy. Verily, verily, I say to you: He who hears the gospel of
the kingdom and believes in this teaching of sonship with God, has eternal
life; already are such believers passing from judgment and death to light and
life. And the hour is coming in which even those who are in the tombs shall
hear the voice of the resurrection."
And many of those who heard believed the gospel of the kingdom. Some of the
afflicted were so inspired and spiritually revivified that they went about
proclaiming that they had also been cured of their physical ailments.
One man who had been many years downcast and grievously afflicted by the
infirmities of his troubled mind, rejoiced at Jesus' words and, picking up his
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bed, went forth to his home, even though it was the Sabbath day. This afflicted
man had waited all these years for somebody to help him; he was such a victim
of the feeling of his own helplessness that he had never once entertained the
idea of helping himself which proved to be the one thing he had to do in order
to effect recovery--take up his bed and walk.
Then said Jesus to John: "Let us depart ere the chief priests and the scribes
come upon us and take offense that we spoke words of life to these afflicted
ones." And they returned to the temple to join their companions, and presently
all of them departed to spend the night at Bethany. But John never told the
other apostles of this visit of himself and Jesus to the pool of Bethesda on
this Sabbath afternoon.
4. THE RULE OF LIVING
On the evening of this same Sabbath day, at Bethany, while Jesus, the twelve,
and a group of believers were assembled about the fire in Lazarus's garden,
Nathaniel asked Jesus this question: "Master, although you have taught us the
positive version of the old rule of life, instructing us that we should do to
others as we wish them to do to us, I do not fully discern how we can always
abide by such an injunction. Let me illustrate my contention by citing the
example of a lustful man who thus wickedly looks upon his intended consort in
sin. How can we teach that this evil-intending man should do to others as he
would they should do to him?"
When Jesus heard Nathaniel's question, he immediately stood upon his feet and,
pointing his finger at the apostle, said: "Nathaniel, Nathaniel! What manner of
thinking is going on in your heart? Do you not receive my teachings as one who
has been born of the spirit? Do you not hear the truth as men of wisdom and
spiritual understanding? When I admonished you to do to others as you would
have them do to you, I spoke to men of high ideals, not to those who would be
tempted to distort my teaching into a license for the encouragement of evil
doing."
When the Master had spoken, Nathaniel stood up and said: "But, Master, you
should not think that I approve of such an interpretation of your teaching. I
asked the question because I conjectured that many such men might thus misjudge
your admonition, and I hoped you would give us further instruction regarding
these matters." And then when Nathaniel had sat down, Jesus continued speaking:
"I well know, Nathaniel, that no such idea of evil is approved in your mind,
but I am disappointed in that you all so often fail to put a genuinely
spiritual interpretation upon my commonplace teachings, instruction which must
be given you in human language and as men must speak. Let me now teach you
concerning the differing levels of meaning attached to the interpretation of
this rule of living, this admonition to `do to others that which you desire
others to do to you':
"1. The level of the flesh. Such a purely selfish and lustful interpretation
would be well exemplified by the supposition of your question.
"2. The level of the feelings. This plane is one level higher than that of the
flesh and implies that sympathy and pity would enhance one's interpretation of
this rule of living.
"3. The level of mind. Now come into action the reason of mind and the
intelligence of experience. Good judgment dictates that such a rule of living
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should be interpreted in consonance with the highest idealism embodied in the
nobility of profound self-respect.
"4. The level of brotherly love. Still higher is discovered the level of
unselfish devotion to the welfare of one's fellows. On this higher plane of
wholehearted social service growing out of the consciousness of the fatherhood
of God and the consequent recognition of the brotherhood of man, there is
discovered a new and far more beautiful interpretation of this basic rule of
life.
"5. The moral level. And then when you attain true philosophic levels of
interpretation, when you have real insight into the rightness and wrongness of
things, when you perceive the eternal fitness of human relationships, you will
begin to view such a problem of interpretation as you would imagine a
high-minded, idealistic, wise, and impartial third person would so view and
interpret such an injunction as applied to your personal problems of adjustment
to your life situations.
"6. The spiritual level. And then last, but greatest of all, we attain the
level of spirit insight and spiritual interpretation which impels us to
recognize in this rule of life the divine command to treat all men as we
conceive God would treat them. That is the universe ideal of human
relationships. And this is your attitude toward all such problems when your
supreme desire is ever to do the Father's will. I would, therefore, that you
should do to all men that which you know I would do to them in like
circumstances."
Nothing Jesus had said to the apostles up to this time had ever more astonished
them. They continued to discuss the Master's words long after he had retired.
While Nathaniel was slow to recover from his supposition that Jesus had
misunderstood the spirit of his question, the others were more than thankful
that their philosophic fellow apostle had had the courage to ask such a
thought-provoking question.
5. VISITING SIMON THE PHARISEE
Though Simon was not a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, he was an influential
Pharisee of Jerusalem. He was a half-hearted believer, and notwithstanding that
he might be severely criticized therefor, he dared to invite Jesus and his
personal associates, Peter, James, and John, to his home for a social meal.
Simon had long observed the Master and was much impressed with his teachings
and even more so with his personality.
The wealthy Pharisees were devoted to almsgiving, and they did not shun
publicity regarding their philanthropy. Sometimes they would even blow a
trumpet as they were about to bestow charity upon some beggar. It was the
custom of these Pharisees, when they provided a banquet for distinguished
guests, to leave the doors of the house open so that even the street beggars
might come in and, standing around the walls of the room behind the couches of
the diners, be in position to receive portions of food which might be tossed to
them by the banqueters.
On this particular occasion at Simon's house, among those who came in off the
street was a woman of unsavory reputation who had recently become a believer in
the good news of the gospel of the kingdom. This woman was well known
throughout all Jerusalem as the former keeper of one of the so-called
high-class brothels located hard by the temple court of the gentiles. She had,
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on accepting the teachings of Jesus, closed up her nefarious place of business
and had induced the majority of the women associated with her to accept the
gospel and change their mode of living; notwithstanding this, she was still
held in great disdain by the Pharisees and was compelled to wear her hair
down--the badge of harlotry. This unnamed woman had brought with her a large
flask of perfumed anointing lotion and, standing behind Jesus as he reclined at
meat, began to anoint his feet while she also wet his feet with her tears of
gratitude, wiping them with the hair of her head. And when she had finished
this anointing, she continued weeping and kissing his feet.
When Simon saw all this, he said to himself: "This man, if he were a prophet,
would have perceived who and what manner of woman this is who thus touches him;
that she is a notorious sinner." And Jesus, knowing what was going on in
Simon's mind, spoke up, saying: "Simon, I have something which I would like to
say to you." Simon answered, "Teacher, say on." Then said Jesus: "A certain
wealthy moneylender had two debtors. The one owed him five hundred denarii and
the other fifty. Now, when neither of them had wherewith to pay, he forgave
them both. Which of them do you think, Simon, would love him most?" Simon
answered, "He, I suppose, whom he forgave the most." And Jesus said, "You have
rightly judged," and pointing to the woman, he continued: "Simon, take a good
look at this woman. I entered your house as an invited guest, yet you gave me
no water for my feet. This grateful woman has washed my feet with tears and
wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave me no kiss of friendly greeting,
but this woman, ever since she came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. My head
with oil you neglected to anoint, but she has anointed my feet with precious
lotions. And what is the meaning of all this? Simply that her many sins have
been forgiven, and this has led her to love much. But those who have received
but little forgiveness sometimes love but little." And turning around toward
the woman, he took her by the hand and, lifting her up, said: "You have indeed
repented of your sins, and they are forgiven. Be not discouraged by the
thoughtless and unkind attitude of your fellows; go on in the joy and liberty
of the kingdom of heaven."
When Simon and his friends who sat at meat with him heard these words, they
were the more astonished, and they began to whisper among themselves, "Who is
this man that he even dares to forgive sins?" And when Jesus heard them thus
murmuring, he turned to dismiss the woman, saying, "Woman, go in peace; your
faith has saved you."
As Jesus arose with his friends to leave, he turned to Simon and said: "I know
your heart, Simon, how you are torn betwixt faith and doubts, how you are
distraught by fear and troubled by pride; but I pray for you that you may yield
to the light and may experience in your station in life just such mighty
transformations of mind and spirit as may be comparable to the tremendous
changes which the gospel of the kingdom has already wrought in the heart of
your unbidden and unwelcome guest. And I declare to all of you that the Father
has opened the doors of the heavenly kingdom to all who have the faith to
enter, and no man or association of men can close those doors even to the most
humble soul or supposedly most flagrant sinner on earth if such sincerely seek
an entrance." And Jesus, with Peter, James, and John, took leave of their host
and went to join the rest of the apostles at the camp in the garden of
Gethsemane.
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That same evening Jesus made the long-to-be-remembered address to the apostles
regarding the relative value of status with God and progress in the eternal
ascent to Paradise. Said Jesus: "My children, if there exists a true and living
connection between the child and the Father, the child is certain to progress
continuously toward the Father's ideals. True, the child may at first make slow
progress, but the progress is none the less sure. The important thing is not
the rapidity of your progress but rather its certainty. Your actual achievement
is not so important as the fact that the direction of your progress is Godward.
What you are becoming day by day is of infinitely more importance than what you
are today.
"This transformed woman whom some of you saw at Simon's house today is, at this
moment, living on a level which is vastly below that of Simon and his
well-meaning associates; but while these Pharisees are occupied with the false
progress of the illusion of traversing deceptive circles of meaningless
ceremonial services, this woman has, in dead earnest, started out on the long
and eventful search for God, and her path toward heaven is not blocked by
spiritual pride and moral self-satisfaction. The woman is, humanly speaking,
much farther away from God than Simon, but her soul is in progressive motion;
she is on the way toward an eternal goal. There are present in this woman
tremendous spiritual possibilities for the future. Some of you may not stand
high in actual levels of soul and spirit, but you are making daily progress on
the living way opened up, through faith, to God. There are tremendous
possibilities in each of you for the future. Better by far to have a small but
living and growing faith than to be possessed of a great intellect with its
dead stores of worldly wisdom and spiritual unbelief."
But Jesus earnestly warned his apostles against the foolishness of the child of
God who presumes upon the Father's love. He declared that the heavenly Father
is not a lax, loose, or foolishly indulgent parent who is ever ready to condone
sin and forgive recklessness. He cautioned his hearers not mistakenly to apply
his illustrations of father and son so as to make it appear that God is like
some overindulgent and unwise parents who conspire with the foolish of earth to
encompass the moral undoing of their thoughtless children, and who are thereby
certainly and directly contributing to the delinquency and early demoralization
of their own offspring. Said Jesus: "My Father does not indulgently condone
those acts and practices of his children which are self-destructive and
suicidal to all moral growth and spiritual progress. Such sinful practices are
an abomination in the sight of God."
Many other semiprivate meetings and banquets did Jesus attend with the high and
the low, the rich and the poor, of Jerusalem before he and his apostles finally
departed for Capernaum. And many, indeed, became believers in the gospel of the
kingdom and were subsequently baptized by Abner and his associates, who
remained behind to foster the interests of the kingdom in Jerusalem and
thereabouts.
6. RETURNING TO CAPERNAUM
The last week of April, Jesus and the twelve departed from their Bethany
headquarters near Jerusalem and began their journey back to Capernaum by way of
Jericho and the Jordan.
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The chief priests and the religious leaders of the Jews held many secret
meetings for the purpose of deciding what to do with Jesus. They were all
agreed that something should be done to put a stop to his teaching, but they
could not agree on the method. They had hoped that the civil authorities would
dispose of him as Herod had put an end to John, but they discovered that Jesus
was so conducting his work that the Roman officials were not much alarmed by
his preaching. Accordingly, at a meeting which was held the day before Jesus'
departure for Capernaum, it was decided that he would have to be apprehended on
a religious charge and be tried by the Sanhedrin. Therefore a commission of six
secret spies was appointed to follow Jesus, to observe his words and acts, and
when they had amassed sufficient evidence of lawbreaking and blasphemy, to
return to Jerusalem with their report. These six Jews caught up with the
apostolic party, numbering about thirty, at Jericho and, under the pretense of
desiring to become disciples, attached themselves to Jesus' family of
followers, remaining with the group up to the time of the beginning of the
second preaching tour in Galilee; whereupon three of them returned to Jerusalem
to submit their report to the chief priests and the Sanhedrin.
Peter preached to the assembled multitude at the crossing of the Jordan, and
the following morning they moved up the river toward Amathus. They wanted to
proceed straight on to Capernaum, but such a crowd gathered here they remained
three days, preaching, teaching, and baptizing. They did not move toward home
until early Sabbath morning, the first day of May. The Jerusalem spies were
sure they would now secure their first charge against Jesus--that of Sabbath
breaking--since he had presumed to start his journey on the Sabbath day. But
they were doomed to disappointment because, just before their departure, Jesus
called Andrew into his presence and before them all instructed him to proceed
for a distance of only one thousand yards, the legal Jewish Sabbath day's
journey.
But the spies did not have long to wait for their opportunity to accuse Jesus
and his associates of Sabbath breaking. As the company passed along the narrow
road, the waving wheat, which was just then ripening, was near at hand on
either side, and some of the apostles, being hungry, plucked the ripe grain and
ate it. It was customary for travelers to help themselves to grain as they
passed along the road, and therefore no thought of wrongdoing was attached to
such conduct. But the spies seized upon this as a pretext for assailing Jesus.
When they saw Andrew rub the grain in his hand, they went up to him and said:
"Do you not know that it is unlawful to pluck and rub the grain on the Sabbath
day?" And Andrew answered: "But we are hungry and rub only sufficient for our
needs; and since when did it become sinful to eat grain on the Sabbath day?"
But the Pharisees answered: "You do no wrong in eating, but you do break the
law in plucking and rubbing out the grain between your hands; surely your
Master would not approve of such acts." Then said Andrew: "But if it is not
wrong to eat the grain, surely the rubbing out between our hands is hardly more
work than the chewing of the grain, which you allow; wherefore do you quibble
over such trifles?" When Andrew intimated that they were quibblers, they were
indignant, and rushing back to where Jesus walked along, talking to Matthew,
they protested, saying: "Behold, Teacher, your apostles do that which is
unlawful on the Sabbath day; they pluck, rub, and eat the grain. We are sure
you will command them to cease." And then said Jesus to the accusers: "You are
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indeed zealous for the law, and you do well to remember the Sabbath day to keep
it holy; but did you never read in the Scripture that, one day when David was
hungry, he and they who were with him entered the house of God and ate the
showbread, which it was not lawful for anyone to eat save the priests? and
David also gave this bread to those who were with him. And have you not read in
our law that it is lawful to do many needful things on the Sabbath day? And
shall I not, before the day is finished, see you eat that which you have
brought along for the needs of this day? My good men, you do well to be zealous
for the Sabbath, but you would do better to guard the health and well-being of
your fellows. I declare that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the
Sabbath. And if you are here present with us to watch my words, then will I
openly proclaim that the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."
The Pharisees were astonished and confounded by his words of discernment and
wisdom. For the remainder of the day they kept by themselves and dared not ask
any more questions.
Jesus' antagonism to the Jewish traditions and slavish ceremonials was always
positive. It consisted in what he did and in what he affirmed. The Master spent
little time in negative denunciations. He taught that those who know God can
enjoy the liberty of living without deceiving themselves by the licenses of
sinning. Said Jesus to the apostles: "Men, if you are enlightened by the truth
and really know what you are doing, you are blessed; but if you know not the
divine way, you are unfortunate and already breakers of the law."
7. BACK IN CAPERNAUM
It was around noon on Monday, May 3, when Jesus and the twelve came to
Bethsaida by boat from Tarichea. They traveled by boat in order to escape those
who journeyed with them. But by the next day the others, including the official
spies from Jerusalem, had again found Jesus.
On Tuesday evening Jesus was conducting one of his customary classes of
questions and answers when the leader of the six spies said to him: "I was
today talking with one of John's disciples who is here attending upon your
teaching, and we were at a loss to understand why you never command your
disciples to fast and pray as we Pharisees fast and as John bade his
followers." And Jesus, referring to a statement by John, answered this
questioner: "Do the sons of the bridechamber fast while the bridegroom is with
them? As long as the bridegroom remains with them, they can hardly fast. But
the time is coming when the bridegroom shall be taken away, and during those
times the children of the bridechamber undoubtedly will fast and pray. To pray
is natural for the children of light, but fasting is not a part of the gospel
of the kingdom of heaven. Be reminded that a wise tailor does not sew a piece
of new and unshrunk cloth upon an old garment, lest, when it is wet, it shrink
and produce a worse rent. Neither do men put new wine into old wine skins, lest
the new wine burst the skins so that both the wine and the skins perish. The
wise man puts the new wine into fresh wine skins. Therefore do my disciples
show wisdom in that they do not bring too much of the old order over into the
new teaching of the gospel of the kingdom. You who have lost your teacher may
be justified in fasting for a time. Fasting may be an appropriate part of the
law of Moses, but in the coming kingdom the sons of God shall experience
freedom from fear and joy in the divine spirit."
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And when they heard these words, the disciples of John were comforted while the
Pharisees themselves were the more confounded.
Then the Master proceeded to warn his hearers against entertaining the notion
that all olden teaching should be replaced entirely by new doctrines. Said
Jesus: "That which is old and also true must abide. Likewise, that which is new
but false must be rejected. But that which is new and also true, have the faith
and courage to accept. Remember it is written: `Forsake not an old friend, for
the new is not comparable to him. As new wine, so is a new friend; if it
becomes old, you shall drink it with gladness.'"
8. THE FEAST OF SPIRITUAL GOODNESS
That night, long after the usual listeners had retired, Jesus continued to
teach his apostles. He began this special instruction by quoting from the
Prophet Isaiah:
"`Why have you fasted? For what reason do you afflict your souls while you
continue to find pleasure in oppression and to take delight in injustice?
Behold, you fast for the sake of strife and contention and to smite with the
fist of wickedness. But you shall not fast in this way to make your voices
heard on high.
"`Is it such a fast that I have chosen--a day for a man to afflict his soul? Is
it to bow down his head like a bulrush, to grovel in sackcloth and ashes? Will
you dare to call this a fast and an acceptable day in the sight of the Lord? Is
not this the fast I should choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo
the knots of heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every
yoke? Is it not to share my bread with the hungry and to bring those who are
homeless and poor to my house? And when I see those who are naked, I will
clothe them.
"`Then shall your light break forth as the morning while your health springs
forth speedily. Your righteousness shall go before you while the glory of the
Lord shall be your rear guard. Then will you call upon the Lord, and he shall
answer; you will cry out, and he shall say--Here am I. And all this he will do
if you refrain from oppression, condemnation, and vanity. The Father rather
desires that you draw out your heart to the hungry, and that you minister to
the afflicted souls; then shall your light shine in obscurity, and even your
darkness shall be as the noonday. Then shall the Lord guide you continually,
satisfying your soul and renewing your strength. You shall become like a
watered garden, like a spring whose waters fail not. And they who do these
things shall restore the wasted glories; they shall raise up the foundations of
many generations; they shall be called the rebuilders of broken walls, the
restorers of safe paths in which to dwell.'"
And then long into the night Jesus propounded to his apostles the truth that it
was their faith that made them secure in the kingdom of the present and the
future, and not their affliction of soul nor fasting of body. He exhorted the
apostles at least to live up to the ideas of the prophet of old and expressed
the hope that they would progress far beyond even the ideals of Isaiah and the
older prophets. His last words that night were: "Grow in grace by means of that
living faith which grasps the fact that you are the sons of God while at the
same time it recognizes every man as a brother."
It was after two o'clock in the morning when Jesus ceased speaking and every
man went to his place for sleep.
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Subjects Archive The Urantia Book Urantia Book PART IV: The Life and Teachings
of Jesus : The Bestowal Of Michael On Urantia The Times Of Michael's Bestowal
Birth And Infancy Of Jesus The Early Childhood Of Jesus The Later Childhood Of
Jesus Jesus At Jerusalem The Two Crucial Years The Adolescent Years Jesus'
Early Manhood The Later Adult Life Of Jesus On The Way To Rome The World's
Religions The Sojourn At Rome The Return From Rome The Transition Years John
The Baptist Baptism And The Forty Days Tarrying Time In Galilee Training The
Kingdom's Messengers The Twelve Apostles The Ordination Of The Twelve Beginning
The Public Work The Passover At Jerusalem Going Through Samaria At Gilboa And
In The Decapolis Four Eventful Days At Capernaum First Preaching Tour Of
Galilee The Interlude Visit To Jerusalem Training Evangelists At Bethsaida The
Second Preaching Tour The Third Preaching Tour Tarrying And Teaching By The
Seaside Events Leading Up To The Capernaum Crisis The Crisis At Capernaum Last
Days At Capernaum Fleeing Through Northern Galilee The Sojourn At Tyre And
Sidon At Caesarea-philippi The Mount Of Transfiguration The Decapolis Tour
Rodan Of Alexandria Further Discussions With Rodan At The Feast Of Tabernacles
Ordination Of The Seventy At Magadan At The Feast Of Dedication The Perean
Mission Begins Last Visit To Northern Perea The Visit To Philadelphia The
Resurrection Of Lazarus Last Teaching At Pella The Kingdom Of Heaven On The Way
To Jerusalem Going Into Jerusalem Monday In Jerusalem Tuesday Morning In The
Temple The Last Temple Discourse Tuesday Evening On Mount Olivet Wednesday, The
Rest Day Last Day At The Camp The Last Supper The Farewell Discourse Final
Admonitions And Warnings In Gethsemane The Betrayal And Arrest Of Jesus Before
The Sanhedrin Court The Trial Before Pilate Just Before The Crucifixion The
Crucifixion The Time Of The Tomb The Resurrection Morontia Appearances Of Jesus
Appearances To The Apostles And Other Leaders Appearances In Galilee Final
Appearances And Ascension Bestowal Of The Spirit Of Truth After Pentecost The
Faith Of Jesus
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