ALIVE: Chapter 112 Fatherliness

 The return to Israel was much easier and more comfortable than the midnight escape. So much had changed in the three and a half years since they had been living in Egypt. Their Baby was no baby anymore. He was growing into a happy and healthy little boy. He was as bright as the sunshine and as warm. Mary and Joseph were so proud of Him. He could speak both their language and the language of Fatima, and He knew the difference! 

Joseph was able to secure a coach this time. They were leaving with many more goods and furniture than they came with. They cherished their souvenirs as they cherished the memories of their village and friends. May God be with them. 

The coach was paid to take them as far as Jerusalem which was several days away. However, when they passed through Judaea Mary and Joseph could sense the intense political oppression. At one rest stop they learned that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod. Hearing of the man’s reputation, Joseph was afraid to stay in Jerusalem and begged the driver to keep going as far as Nazareth in Galilee. The driver sensed their concerned and acquiesced. Joseph promised to pay him double for his troubles. Little Jesus sat looking out the window of the coach in awe as He gazed over the homeland that His mother and Father had told Him so much about. 

The little boy was a good student. Every day His mother and father told Him of the history of His people. He learned quickly about Abraham. He was in awe of little Isaac, not much older than Himself who was willing to be sacrificed by his father, and relieved to hear that the Lord God provided a ram that suddenly came out of the thicket to be sacrificed instead. Little Jesus listened with His little eyes and ears wide open and sighed with such relief. He learned how the little boy Isaac grew up strong and married Rebecca and they had two sons. Jesus learned about Jacob and how he was tricked into working so long for the hand of Rachel. Joseph loved to tell little Jesus about his namesake Joseph, and how he saved his family from famine. 

The long coach ride gave the family quality time to reinforce the lessons and to pray. Every morning, afternoon and evening the parents prayed with their little Boy. The closeness that Mary and Joseph had with the Lord was transmitted to their little Child who soaked it all up like rain in the desert. Both Mary and Joseph taught their Son in stories, the stories in the Torah and parables. Jesus loved listening to the parables, and made some up Himself to the amazement of Mary and Joseph. They entertained themselves during this very long and bumpy ride with stories.

Over a week after they left their home in Egypt, they finally arrived in Nazareth. Mary was so excited to show her little Boy the village of His grandparents Joachim and Anna whom he had also heard so much about. Joseph looked forward to showing off his workshop. 

Joseph found everything in order, except that indeed he had lost his daughter Rachel to marriage. She and her husband lived in a neighboring village and had a baby of their own.

The family was welcomed by their village. It felt so good to be home. Mary spent many days with little Jesus cleaning up her mother’s home. It was still a sweet place of peace and quiet, away from the busy house of Joseph who still had his sons working at his shop and living at home. 

Little Jesus thrived in Nazareth. His big brothers took him for hikes up the mountains from a young age. His mother taught Him scripture and the psalms. She taught Him how to read and write. They continued to make up parables and stories together. Joseph let Him sit and watch him with his carpentry work, and when he got older, Joseph gave Jesus little projects of His own. Jesus grew to love the feel and smell of wood as much as Joseph did. 

Jesus was the center of family life for His family of big brothers. His birthday parties were the highlight of the village as Mary had become a very good cook and a great hostess.

Most of all Jesus liked to hike up the mountains, first with his brothers and as he grew older, he was allowed to go alone as long as he wasn’t gone too long.

Jesus had a favorite trail, when He got to the top, He felt like the king of the mountain and loved to survey the villages beneath. Mary thought that He must have gotten His love for mountain hikes from her father Joachim. 

It was an unusually cool morning on a day of preparation; Jesus was seven years old, going on eight, when He asked His mother if He could go for a hike. Mary allowed this and prepared a bag lunch for Him to take. She added that he needed to be heading back down at high noon, no later.

“I promise mom. Thanks!” Jesus grabbed the bag and gave his mother a quick peck on the cheek. Mary watched her little boy rush off, knowing that He was in good hands, surrounded by an army of angels. 

Jesus passed many people and children as He rushed through the village to reach His mountain. When He reached the head of the trail, He looked up and said a prayer for his safety and got started. A little more than an hour later Jesus was at the top, His favorite spot. He sat down on a rock and pulled out his lunch. He looked around as He ate his falafel sandwich. Suddenly, He heard a voice calling Him. “My Son, My Son. Hear My voice.” Jesus looked around and saw no one! At first He was frightened, but then waited to hear more, or rather to learn that the sound was in His imagination. A breeze passed over His hot cheeks. Then He looked over, and spotted a burning bush!!! He stood up in deep curiosity and walked over to the bush. He heard again, as if coming from the bush, “My Son, My Son! How I love you.”

“Who are you?” asked Jesus speaking to the bush. “I am Your Father and Your God. You are my Son, I’m Whom I am well pleased.”

“Lord, I have a father. His name is Joseph. How can a boy have two fathers?”

“Go, my Son and ask Joseph who your father is, then come back tomorrow and tell me.”

The breeze came from the East and blew by the Child’s face and then extinguished the flames of the bush.

Jesus sat mesmerized gazing at the bush, with its supple green leaves as if the fire never touched them. Then He looked around. All was still. The Voice didn’t return. He prayed, “Lord, if that was You, thank you. I will do as You say and I will come back tomorrow. Meet me here.” Jesus said that with a big smile on His face, knowing that God was omnipotent. He figured that it wasn’t so much that He would need to return to this place to see God, but rather, He needed to be far away from other people.

Jesus stood up, raised his hand to the sky to see what time it was and the scurried back down the mountain as quickly as His nimble feet would carry Him.

He found Joseph alone in his shop, his sons off making deliveries and picking up wood.

“Father, father! I need to speak to you!” The urgency in Jesus voice was understood by Joseph who set down his tools, and went over to the chairs to sit. “Of course my Son, what happened?”

Jesus conveyed what occurred on the mountaintop, and peered into Joseph’s eyes and asked, “You are my father! Aren’t you?”

Joseph took a deep breath and was silent for several moments as he searched his heart for how to respond to the Child. He heard nothing, so he simply replied, “My Son, let’s go home and talk to Your mother. Okay?”

“Yes, father.” Replied Jesus.

Joseph organized his tools and locked the shop door behind him. Father and Son walked in silence to Joseph’s house to find Mary, and found his daughter alone. “Mary went to her home, you can find her there still, I think.”

“Thank you dear.” replied Joseph who was relieved that they could speak in private.

Mary was surprised to hear Joseph and Jesus walking into her home in the middle of the day. “What is it? Are you gentlemen okay? Jesus, I thought you were going for a hike.” inquired Mary. 

Joseph replied, “Jesus has something to ask you. Okay Son, ask Your mother what You asked me. Tell her what happened this morning.”

The three sat down and Jesus told His mother about the voice and the burning bush.

Then Mary told Him about the visit from the Archangel Gabriel, and that indeed the Lord of all Creation, the Creator of humankind in Adam and Eve, was Jesus one and only Father. She told her Son, to return to the mountain the next day, and spend more time getting to know His Father.

Jesus was silent. Being the youngest child in His family, He always felt special, but this revelation was a lot to absorb.

“Come Son, let’s go back to the workshop today. Mother make a special meal, and the three of us will spend the evening alone together here.”

“That sounds like a good plan. I will see you gentlemen at supper. Wash up at the house first and dress for dinner tonight!”

Jesus followed Joseph back to the workshop in silence. When they arrived, Joseph gave his Son a knife and a block of wood and asked Him to whittle a little statue. That kept Jesus busy, while Joseph worked on his project. Both men looked forward to supper.