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Urantia Book Paper 159 The Decapolis Tour
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 159 The Decapolis Tour
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Introduction
WHEN Jesus and the twelve arrived at Magadan Park, they found awaiting them a
group of almost one hundred evangelists and disciples, including the women's
corps, and they were ready immediately to begin the teaching and preaching tour
of the cities of the Decapolis.
On this Thursday morning, August 18, the Master called his followers together
and directed that each of the apostles should associate himself with one of the
twelve evangelists, and that with others of the evangelists they should go out
in twelve groups to labor in the cities and villages of the Decapolis. The
women's corps and others of the disciples he directed to remain with him. Jesus
allotted four weeks to this tour, instructing his followers to return to
Magadan not later than Friday, September 16. He promised to visit them often
during this time. In the course of this month these twelve groups labored in
Gerasa, Gamala, Hippos, Zaphon, Gadara, Abila, Edrei, Philadelphia, Heshbon,
Dium, Scythopolis, and many other cities. Throughout this tour no miracles of
healing or other extraordinary events occurred.
1. THE SERMON ON FORGIVENESS
One evening at Hippos, in answer to a disciple's question, Jesus taught the
lesson on forgiveness. Said the Master:
"If a kindhearted man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, does he
not immediately leave the ninety and nine and go out in search of the one that
has gone astray? And if he is a good shepherd, will he not keep up his quest
for the lost sheep until he finds it? And then, when the shepherd has found his
lost sheep, he lays it over his shoulder and, going home rejoicing, calls to
his friends and neighbors, `Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was
lost.' I declare that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents
than over ninety and nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Even so, it
is not the will of my Father in heaven that one of these little ones should go
astray, much less that they should perish. In your religion God may receive
repentant sinners; in the gospel of the kingdom the Father goes forth to find
them even before they have seriously thought of repentance.
"The Father in heaven loves his children, and therefore should you learn to
love one another; the Father in heaven forgives you your sins; therefore should
you learn to forgive one another. If your brother sins against you, go to him
and with tact and patience show him his fault. And do all this between you and
him alone. If he will listen to you, then have you won your brother. But if
your brother will not hear you, if he persists in the error of his way, go
again to him, taking with you one or two mutual friends that you may thus have
two or even
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three witnesses to confirm your testimony and establish the fact that you have
dealt justly and mercifully with your offending brother. Now if he refuses to
hear your brethren, you may tell the whole story to the congregation, and then,
if he refuses to hear the brotherhood, let them take such action as they deem
wise; let such an unruly member become an outcast from the kingdom. While you
cannot pretend to sit in judgment on the souls of your fellows, and while you
may not forgive sins or otherwise presume to usurp the prerogatives of the
supervisors of the heavenly hosts, at the same time, it has been committed to
your hands that you should maintain temporal order in the kingdom on earth.
While you may not meddle with the divine decrees concerning eternal life, you
shall determine the issues of conduct as they concern the temporal welfare of
the brotherhood on earth. And so, in all these matters connected with the
discipline of the brotherhood, whatsoever you shall decree on earth shall be
recognized in heaven. Although you cannot determine the eternal fate of the
individual, you may legislate regarding the conduct of the group, for, where
two or three of you agree concerning any of these things and ask of me, it
shall be done for you if your petition is not inconsistent with the will of my
Father in heaven. And all this is ever true, for, where two or three believers
are gathered together, there am I in the midst of them."
Simon Peter was the apostle in charge of the workers at Hippos, and when he
heard Jesus thus speak, he asked: "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against
me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?" And Jesus answered Peter: "Not only
seven times but even to seventy times and seven. Therefore may the kingdom of
heaven be likened to a certain king who ordered a financial reckoning with his
stewards. And when they had begun to conduct this examination of accounts, one
of his chief retainers was brought before him confessing that he owed his king
ten thousand talents. Now this officer of the king's court pleaded that hard
times had come upon him, and that he did not have wherewith to pay this
obligation. And so the king commanded that his property be confiscated, and
that his children be sold to pay his debt. When this chief steward heard this
stern decree, he fell down on his face before the king and implored him to have
mercy and grant him more time, saying, `Lord, have a little more patience with
me, and I will pay you all.' And when the king looked upon this negligent
servant and his family, he was moved with compassion. He ordered that he should
be released, and that the loan should be wholly forgiven.
"And this chief steward, having thus received mercy and forgiveness at the
hands of the king, went about his business, and finding one of his subordinate
stewards who owed him a mere hundred denarii, he laid hold upon him and, taking
him by the throat, said, `Pay me all you owe.' And then did this fellow steward
fall down before the chief steward and, beseeching him, said: `Only have
patience with me, and I will presently be able to pay you.' But the chief
steward would not show mercy to his fellow steward but rather had him cast in
prison until he should pay his debt. When his fellow servants saw what had
happened, they were so distressed that they went and told their lord and
master, the king. When the king heard of the doings of his chief steward, he
called this ungrateful and unforgiving man before him and said: 'You are a
wicked and unworthy steward. When you sought for compassion, I freely forgave
you your entire debt. Why did you not also show mercy to your fellow steward,
even as I showed mercy to you?' And the king was so very angry that he
delivered his
top of page - 1764
ungrateful chief steward to the jailers that they might hold him until he had
paid all that was due. And even so shall my heavenly Father show the more
abundant mercy to those who freely show mercy to their fellows. How can you
come to God asking consideration for your shortcomings when you are wont to
chastise your brethren for being guilty of these same human frailties? I say to
all of you: Freely you have received the good things of the kingdom; therefore
freely give to your fellows on earth."
Thus did Jesus teach the dangers and illustrate the unfairness of sitting in
personal judgment upon one's fellows. Discipline must be maintained, justice
must be administered, but in all these matters the wisdom of the brotherhood
should prevail. Jesus invested legislative and judicial authority in the group,
not in the individual. Even this investment of authority in the group must not
be exercised as personal authority. There is always danger that the verdict of
an individual may be warped by prejudice or distorted by passion. Group
judgment is more likely to remove the dangers and eliminate the unfairness of
personal bias. Jesus sought always to minimize the elements of unfairness,
retaliation, and vengeance.
[The use of the term seventy-seven as an illustration of mercy and forbearance
was derived from the Scriptures referring to Lamech's exultation because of the
metal weapons of his son Tubal-Cain, who, comparing these superior instruments
with those of his enemies, exclaimed: "If Cain, with no weapon in his hand, was
avenged seven times, I shall now be avenged seventy-seven."]
2. THE STRANGE PREACHER
Jesus went over to Gamala to visit John and those who worked with him at that
place. That evening, after the session of questions and answers, John said to
Jesus: "Master, yesterday I went over to Ashtaroth to see a man who was
teaching in your name and even claiming to be able to cast out devils. Now this
fellow had never been with us, neither does he follow after us; therefore I
forbade him to do such things." Then said Jesus: "Forbid him not. Do you not
perceive that this gospel of the kingdom shall presently be proclaimed in all
the world? How can you expect that all who will believe the gospel shall be
subject to your direction? Rejoice that already our teaching has begun to
manifest itself beyond the bounds of our personal influence. Do you not see,
John, that those who profess to do great works in my name must eventually
support our cause? They certainly will not be quick to speak evil of me. My
son, in matters of this sort it would be better for you to reckon that he who
is not against us is for us. In the generations to come many who are not wholly
worthy will do many strange things in my name, but I will not forbid them. I
tell you that, even when a cup of cold water is given to a thirsty soul, the
Father's messengers shall ever make record of such a service of love."
This instruction greatly perplexed John. Had he not heard the Master say, "He
who is not with me is against me"? And he did not perceive that in this case
Jesus was referring to man's personal relation to the spiritual teachings of
the kingdom, while in the other case reference was made to the outward and
far-flung social relations of believers regarding the questions of
administrative control and the jurisdiction of one group of believers over the
work of other groups which would eventually compose the forthcoming world-wide
brotherhood.
top of page - 1765
But John oftentimes recounted this experience in connection with his subsequent
labors in behalf of the kingdom. Nevertheless, many times did the apostles take
offense at those who made bold to teach in the Master's name. To them it always
seemed inappropriate that those who had never sat at Jesus' feet should dare to
teach in his name.
This man whom John forbade to teach and work in Jesus' name did not heed the
apostle's injunction. He went right on with his efforts and raised up a
considerable company of believers at Kanata before going on into Mesopotamia.
This man, Aden, had been led to believe in Jesus through the testimony of the
demented man whom Jesus healed near Kheresa, and who so confidently believed
that the supposed evil spirits which the Master cast out of him entered the
herd of swine and rushed them headlong over the cliff to their destruction.
3. INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS AND BELIEVERS
At Edrei, where Thomas and his associates labored, Jesus spent a day and a
night and, in the course of the evening's discussion, gave expression to the
principles which should guide those who preach truth, and which should activate
all who teach the gospel of the kingdom. Summarized and restated in modern
phraseology, Jesus taught:
Always respect the personality of man. Never should a righteous cause be
promoted by force; spiritual victories can be won only by spiritual power. This
injunction against the employment of material influences refers to psychic
force as well as to physical force. Overpowering arguments and mental
superiority are not to be employed to coerce men and women into the kingdom.
Man's mind is not to be crushed by the mere weight of logic or overawed by
shrewd eloquence. While emotion as a factor in human decisions cannot be wholly
eliminated, it should not be directly appealed to in the teachings of those who
would advance the cause of the kingdom. Make your appeals directly to the
divine spirit that dwells within the minds of men. Do not appeal to fear, pity,
or mere sentiment. In appealing to men, be fair; exercise self-control and
exhibit due restraint; show proper respect for the personalities of your
pupils. Remember that I have said: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock, and
if any man will open, I will come in."
In bringing men into the kingdom, do not lessen or destroy their self-respect.
While overmuch self-respect may destroy proper humility and end in pride,
conceit, and arrogance, the loss of self-respect often ends in paralysis of the
will. It is the purpose of this gospel to restore self-respect to those who
have lost it and to restrain it in those who have it. Make not the mistake of
only condemning the wrongs in the lives of your pupils; remember also to accord
generous recognition for the most praiseworthy things in their lives. Forget
not that I will stop at nothing to restore self-respect to those who have lost
it, and who really desire to regain it.
Take care that you do not wound the self-respect of timid and fearful souls. Do
not indulge in sarcasm at the expense of my simple-minded brethren. Be not
cynical with my fear-ridden children. Idleness is destructive of self-respect;
therefore, admonish your brethren ever to keep busy at their chosen tasks, and
put forth every effort to secure work for those who find themselves without
employment.
top of page - 1766
Never be guilty of such unworthy tactics as endeavoring to frighten men and
women into the kingdom. A loving father does not frighten his children into
yielding obedience to his just requirements.
Sometime the children of the kingdom will realize that strong feelings of
emotion are not equivalent to the leadings of the divine spirit. To be strongly
and strangely impressed to do something or to go to a certain place, does not
necessarily mean that such impulses are the leadings of the indwelling spirit.
Forewarn all believers regarding the fringe of conflict which must be traversed
by all who pass from the life as it is lived in the flesh to the higher life as
it is lived in the spirit. To those who live quite wholly within either realm,
there is little conflict or confusion, but all are doomed to experience more or
less uncertainty during the times of transition between the two levels of
living. In entering the kingdom, you cannot escape its responsibilities or
avoid its obligations, but remember: The gospel yoke is easy and the burden of
truth is light.
The world is filled with hungry souls who famish in the very presence of the
bread of life; men die searching for the very God who lives within them. Men
seek for the treasures of the kingdom with yearning hearts and weary feet when
they are all within the immediate grasp of living faith. Faith is to religion
what sails are to a ship; it is an addition of power, not an added burden of
life. There is but one struggle for those who enter the kingdom, and that is to
fight the good fight of faith. The believer has only one battle, and that is
against doubt--unbelief.
In preaching the gospel of the kingdom, you are simply teaching friendship with
God. And this fellowship will appeal alike to men and women in that both will
find that which most truly satisfies their characteristic longings and ideals.
Tell my children that I am not only tender of their feelings and patient with
their frailties, but that I am also ruthless with sin and intolerant of
iniquity. I am indeed meek and humble in the presence of my Father, but I am
equally and relentlessly inexorable where there is deliberate evildoing and
sinful rebellion against the will of my Father in heaven.
You shall not portray your teacher as a man of sorrows. Future generations
shall know also the radiance of our joy, the buoyance of our good will, and the
inspiration of our good humor. We proclaim a message of good news which is
infectious in its transforming power. Our religion is throbbing with new life
and new meanings. Those who accept this teaching are filled with joy and in
their hearts are constrained to rejoice evermore. Increasing happiness is
always the experience of all who are certain about God.
Teach all believers to avoid leaning upon the insecure props of false sympathy.
You cannot develop strong characters out of the indulgence of self-pity;
honestly endeavor to avoid the deceptive influence of mere fellowship in
misery. Extend sympathy to the brave and courageous while you withhold overmuch
pity from those cowardly souls who only halfheartedly stand up before the
trials of living. Offer not consolation to those who lie down before their
troubles without a struggle. Sympathize not with your fellows merely that they
may sympathize with you in return.
When my children once become self-conscious of the assurance of the divine
presence, such a faith will expand the mind, ennoble the soul, reinforce the
personality, augment the happiness, deepen the spirit perception, and enhance
the power to love and be loved.
top of page - 1767
Teach all believers that those who enter the kingdom are not thereby rendered
immune to the accidents of time or to the ordinary catastrophes of nature.
Believing the gospel will not prevent getting into trouble, but it will insure
that you shall be unafraid when trouble does overtake you. If you dare to
believe in me and wholeheartedly proceed to follow after me, you shall most
certainly by so doing enter upon the sure pathway to trouble. I do not promise
to deliver you from the waters of adversity, but I do promise to go with you
through all of them.
And much more did Jesus teach this group of believers before they made ready
for the night's sleep. And they who heard these sayings treasured them in their
hearts and did often recite them for the edification of the apostles and
disciples who were not present when they were spoken.
4. THE TALK WITH NATHANIEL
And then went Jesus over to Abila, where Nathaniel and his associates labored.
Nathaniel was much bothered by some of Jesus' pronouncements which seemed to
detract from the authority of the recognized Hebrew scriptures. Accordingly, on
this night, after the usual period of questions and answers, Nathaniel took
Jesus away from the others and asked: "Master, could you trust me to know the
truth about the Scriptures? I observe that you teach us only a portion of the
sacred writings--the best as I view it--and I infer that you reject the
teachings of the rabbis to the effect that the words of the law are the very
words of God, having been with God in heaven even before the times of Abraham
and Moses. What is the truth about the Scriptures?" When Jesus heard the
question of his bewildered apostle, he answered:
"Nathaniel, you have rightly judged; I do not regard the Scriptures as do the
rabbis. I will talk with you about this matter on condition that you do not
relate these things to your brethren, who are not all prepared to receive this
teaching. The words of the law of Moses and the teachings of the Scriptures
were not in existence before Abraham. Only in recent times have the Scriptures
been gathered together as we now have them. While they contain the best of the
higher thoughts and longings of the Jewish people, they also contain much that
is far from being representative of the character and teachings of the Father
in heaven; wherefore must I choose from among the better teachings those truths
which are to be gleaned for the gospel of the kingdom.
"These writings are the work of men, some of them holy men, others not so holy.
The teachings of these books represent the views and extent of enlightenment of
the times in which they had their origin. As a revelation of truth, the last
are more dependable than the first. The Scriptures are faulty and altogether
human in origin, but mistake not, they do constitute the best collection of
religious wisdom and spiritual truth to be found in all the world at this time.
"Many of these books were not written by the persons whose names they bear, but
that in no way detracts from the value of the truths which they contain. If the
story of Jonah should not be a fact, even if Jonah had never lived, still would
the profound truth of this narrative, the love of God for Nineveh and the
so-called heathen, be none the less precious in the eyes of all those who love
their
top of page - 1768
fellow men. The Scriptures are sacred because they present the thoughts and
acts of men who were searching for God, and who in these writings left on
record their highest concepts of righteousness, truth, and holiness. The
Scriptures contain much that is true, very much, but in the light of your
present teaching, you know that these writings also contain much that is
misrepresentative of the Father in heaven, the loving God I have come to reveal
to all the worlds.
"Nathaniel, never permit yourself for one moment to believe the Scripture
records which tell you that the God of love directed your forefathers to go
forth in battle to slay all their enemies--men, women, and children. Such
records are the words of men, not very holy men, and they are not the word of
God. The Scriptures always have, and always will, reflect the intellectual,
moral, and spiritual status of those who create them. Have you not noted that
the concepts of Yahweh grow in beauty and glory as the prophets make their
records from Samuel to Isaiah? And you should remember that the Scriptures are
intended for religious instruction and spiritual guidance. They are not the
works of either historians or philosophers.
"The thing most deplorable is not merely this erroneous idea of the absolute
perfection of the Scripture record and the infallibility of its teachings, but
rather the confusing misinterpretation of these sacred writings by the
tradition-enslaved scribes and Pharisees at Jerusalem. And now will they employ
both the doctrine of the inspiration of the Scriptures and their
misinterpretations thereof in their determined effort to withstand these newer
teachings of the gospel of the kingdom. Nathaniel, never forget, the Father
does not limit the revelation of truth to any one generation or to any one
people. Many earnest seekers after the truth have been, and will continue to
be, confused and disheartened by these doctrines of the perfection of the
Scriptures.
"The authority of truth is the very spirit that indwells its living
manifestations, and not the dead words of the less illuminated and supposedly
inspired men of another generation. And even if these holy men of old lived
inspired and spirit-filled lives, that does not mean that their words were
similarly spiritually inspired. Today we make no record of the teachings of
this gospel of the kingdom lest, when I have gone, you speedily become divided
up into sundry groups of truth contenders as a result of the diversity of your
interpretation of my teachings. For this generation it is best that we live
these truths while we shun the making of records.
"Mark you well my words, Nathaniel, nothing which human nature has touched can
be regarded as infallible. Through the mind of man divine truth may indeed
shine forth, but always of relative purity and partial divinity. The creature
may crave infallibility, but only the Creators possess it.
"But the greatest error of the teaching about the Scriptures is the doctrine of
their being sealed books of mystery and wisdom which only the wise minds of the
nation dare to interpret. The revelations of divine truth are not sealed except
by human ignorance, bigotry, and narrow-minded intolerance. The light of the
Scriptures is only dimmed by prejudice and darkened by superstition. A false
fear of sacredness has prevented religion from being safeguarded by common
sense. The fear of the authority of the sacred writings of the past effectively
prevents the honest souls of today from accepting the new light of the gospel,
the light which these very God-knowing men of another generation so intensely
longed to see.
top of page - 1769
"But the saddest feature of all is the fact that some of the teachers of the
sanctity of this traditionalism know this very truth. They more or less fully
understand these limitations of Scripture, but they are moral cowards,
intellectually dishonest. They know the truth regarding the sacred writings,
but they prefer to withhold such disturbing facts from the people. And thus do
they pervert and distort the Scriptures, making them the guide to slavish
details of the daily life and an authority in things nonspiritual instead of
appealing to the sacred writings as the repository of the moral wisdom,
religious inspiration, and the spiritual teaching of the God-knowing men of
other generations."
Nathaniel was enlightened, and shocked, by the Master's pronouncement. He long
pondered this talk in the depths of his soul, but he told no man concerning
this conference until after Jesus' ascension; and even then he feared to impart
the full story of the Master's instruction.
5. THE POSITIVE NATURE OF JESUS' RELIGION
At Philadelphia, where James was working, Jesus taught the disciples about the
positive nature of the gospel of the kingdom. When, in the course of his
remarks, he intimated that some parts of the Scripture were more
truth-containing than others and admonished his hearers to feed their souls
upon the best of the spiritual food, James interrupted the Master, asking:
"Would you be good enough, Master, to suggest to us how we may choose the
better passages from the Scriptures for our personal edification?" And Jesus
replied: "Yes, James, when you read the Scriptures look for those eternally
true and divinely beautiful teachings, such as:
"Create in me a clean heart, O Lord.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
"You should love your neighbor as yourself.
"For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying, fear not; I will
help you.
"Neither shall the nations learn war any more."
And this is illustrative of the way Jesus, day by day, appropriated the cream
of the Hebrew scriptures for the instruction of his followers and for inclusion
in the teachings of the new gospel of the kingdom. Other religions had
suggested the thought of the nearness of God to man, but Jesus made the care of
God for man like the solicitude of a loving father for the welfare of his
dependent children and then made this teaching the cornerstone of his religion.
And thus did the doctrine of the fatherhood of God make imperative the practice
of the brotherhood of man. The worship of God and the service of man became the
sum and substance of his religion. Jesus took the best of the Jewish religion
and translated it to a worthy setting in the new teachings of the gospel of the
kingdom.
Jesus put the spirit of positive action into the passive doctrines of the
Jewish religion. In the place of negative compliance with ceremonial
requirements, Jesus enjoined the positive doing of that which his new religion
required of those who accepted it. Jesus' religion consisted not merely in
believing, but in actually doing, those things which the gospel required. He
did not teach that the essence
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of his religion consisted in social service, but rather that social service was
one of the certain effects of the possession of the spirit of true religion.
Jesus did not hesitate to appropriate the better half of a Scripture while he
repudiated the lesser portion. His great exhortation, "Love your neighbor as
yourself," he took from the Scripture which reads: "You shall not take
vengeance against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor
as yourself." Jesus appropriated the positive portion of this Scripture while
rejecting the negative part. He even opposed negative or purely passive
nonresistance. Said he: "When an enemy smites you on one cheek, do not stand
there dumb and passive but in positive attitude turn the other; that is, do the
best thing possible actively to lead your brother in error away from the evil
paths into the better ways of righteous living." Jesus required his followers
to react positively and aggressively to every life situation. The turning of
the other cheek, or whatever act that may typify, demands initiative,
necessitates vigorous, active, and courageous expression of the believer's
personality.
Jesus did not advocate the practice of negative submission to the indignities
of those who might purposely seek to impose upon the practitioners of
nonresistance to evil, but rather that his followers should be wise and alert
in the quick and positive reaction of good to evil to the end that they might
effectively overcome evil with good. Forget not, the truly good is invariably
more powerful than the most malignant evil. The Master taught a positive
standard of righteousness: "Whosoever wishes to be my disciple, let him
disregard himself and take up the full measure of his responsibilities daily to
follow me." And he so lived himself in that "he went about doing good." And
this aspect of the gospel was well illustrated by many parables which he later
spoke to his followers. He never exhorted his followers patiently to bear their
obligations but rather with energy and enthusiasm to live up to the full
measure of their human responsibilities and divine privileges in the kingdom of
God.
When Jesus instructed his apostles that they should, when one unjustly took
away the coat, offer the other garment, he referred not so much to a literal
second coat as to the idea of doing something positive to save the wrongdoer in
the place of the olden advice to retaliate--"an eye for an eye" and so on.
Jesus abhorred the idea either of retaliation or of becoming just a passive
sufferer or victim of injustice. On this occasion he taught them the three ways
of contending with, and resisting, evil:
1. To return evil for evil--the positive but unrighteous method.
2. To suffer evil without complaint and without resistance--the purely negative
method.
3. To return good for evil, to assert the will so as to become master of the
situation, to overcome evil with good--the positive and righteous method.
One of the apostles once asked: "Master, what should I do if a stranger forced
me to carry his pack for a mile?" Jesus answered: "Do not sit down and sigh for
relief while you berate the stranger under your breath. Righteousness comes not
from such passive attitudes. If you can think of nothing more effectively
positive to do, you can at least carry the pack a second mile. That will of a
certainty challenge the unrighteous and ungodly stranger."
The Jews had heard of a God who would forgive repentant sinners and try to
forget their misdeeds, but not until Jesus came, did men hear about a God who
went in search of lost sheep, who took the initiative in looking for sinners,
and
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who rejoiced when he found them willing to return to the Father's house. This
positive note in religion Jesus extended even to his prayers. And he converted
the negative golden rule into a positive admonition of human fairness.
In all his teaching Jesus unfailingly avoided distracting details. He shunned
flowery language and avoided the mere poetic imagery of a play upon words. He
habitually put large meanings into small expressions. For purposes of
illustration Jesus reversed the current meanings of many terms, such as salt,
leaven, fishing, and little children. He most effectively employed the
antithesis, comparing the minute to the infinite and so on. His pictures were
striking, such as, "The blind leading the blind." But the greatest strength to
be found in his illustrative teaching was its naturalness. Jesus brought the
philosophy of religion from heaven down to earth. He portrayed the elemental
needs of the soul with a new insight and a new bestowal of affection.
6. THE RETURN TO MAGADAN
The mission of four weeks in the Decapolis was moderately successful. Hundreds
of souls were received into the kingdom, and the apostles and evangelists had a
valuable experience in carrying on their work without the inspiration of the
immediate personal presence of Jesus.
On Friday, September 16, the entire corps of workers assembled by
prearrangement at Magadan Park. On the Sabbath day a council of more than one
hundred believers was held at which the future plans for extending the work of
the kingdom were fully considered. The messengers of David were present and
made reports concerning the welfare of the believers throughout Judea, Samaria,
Galilee, and adjoining districts.
Few of Jesus' followers at this time fully appreciated the great value of the
services of the messenger corps. Not only did the messengers keep the believers
throughout Palestine in touch with each other and with Jesus and the apostles,
but during these dark days they also served as collectors of funds, not only
for the sustenance of Jesus and his associates, but also for the support of the
families of the twelve apostles and the twelve evangelists.
About this time Abner moved his base of operations from Hebron to Bethlehem,
and this latter place was also the headquarters in Judea for David's
messengers. David maintained an overnight relay messenger service between
Jerusalem and Bethsaida. These runners left Jerusalem each evening, relaying at
Sychar and Scythopolis, arriving in Bethsaida by breakfast time the next
morning.
Jesus and his associates now prepared to take a week's rest before they made
ready to start upon the last epoch of their labors in behalf of the kingdom.
This was their last rest, for the Perean mission developed into a campaign of
preaching and teaching which extended right on down to the time of their
arrival at Jerusalem and of the enactment of the closing episodes of Jesus'
earth career.
top of page - 1772
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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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