ALIVE: Chapter 125, The Best Vacation

 “Good morning my love! Where are you going from here dear?” said Mary to her Son. She hated to see Him go off again. Being a guest in Sarah’s house after the wedding and in a new village, Jesus felt compelled to stay around while the household was waking up. His mother was already awake, waiting for the host to wake up when her Son entered the great room. 

“Honestly mama, I hadn’t thought about it.”

“I have! Let’s all go to Capernaum, the big city. I haven’t been there for a while.”

“Okay.” replied Jesus. I’d like to introduce you to Peter’s wife and mother. I’m sure they would like to see him again too. We can probably stay at their home with him.”

“That sounds wonderful!”

“Good morning!” sung Sarah as she entered the room to see her guests already up. 

“Oh Sarah what a beautiful wedding, the best I have ever been to!” exclaimed Mary. 

“Thanks to your Son.” she said looking at Jesus. “How did you do that? You saved the day!”

Jesus mumbled, “Ask and you shall receive.” But by then Sarah, who didn’t expect a reply went on to ask, “What would you like for breakfast?”

Mary replied, “Oh my, I’m still satisfied from that feast! It was wonderful. You all must have been preparing for weeks. Perhaps a piece of fruit, then we will get out of your way. You must have a lot to do.”

“And I was hoping you would give me an excuse to ignore the mess!” teased Sarah.

Mary said, “We are going to Capernaum today. As long as I am out of Nazareth, I thought I’d like to explore a little more. I will go with my Son and His friends.”

“That sounds like a good idea. Let me put out some breakfast, put together a package of food for your journey, and then you may leave.”

The father of the bride walked in and greeted his guests. 

After the quick breakfast, Mary and Jesus hugged Sarah, shook her husband’s hand thanking them both for their hospitality, picked up their bags and left to find the disciples. Mary also wanted to find Joseph’s sons who had come to wedding. 

They walked back to the scene of the party. Servants were already bustling around cleaning up and disassembling the frame structure. No disciples. However, Mary spotted her step sons and told them that she was going to Capernaum for a few days and asked if they wanted to go too. Jesus added that He would like that, and that afterwards they could accompany her back to Nazareth. They agreed and told Mary that they would meet her at the caravan stop. 

Then Mary looked at Jesus, feeling spunky and said, "Now let’s go to the town square and wait for your disciples, if they aren’t there already.” 

In fact, when they arrived they saw that there were many people strewn about the town square tucked in bedrolls and milling around who had come to the wedding from all over Galilee. 

Jesus soon spotted his men together sitting and sipping tea.  They all looked bedraggled but vertical. No one even noticed Jesus and His mother. 

“Good day!” Jesus said cheerfully as He approached the group of sleepy men huddled together. “Did you sleep? Where?”

John lifted his head to follow the sound of his Master’s voice and said, “Oh, good morning my Lord. We barely slept, but here we are. What’s next?”

“We are going to Capernaum, but we will take a caravan. My mother is coming too.”

At the sound of his home town, Peter came alive. “Oh good idea. I’ve been gone for too long. Thanks.”

“You have My mother to thank; it was her idea.” replied Jesus. 

Peter nodded his thankfulness looking at Mary who flashed him a knowing smile and a nod in reply. 

Soon the disciples and brothers of Jesus joined the crowd waiting at the caravan stop for camel-driven coaches and mules to be available to take them all to Capernaum. 

While they waited Thomas pulled Jesus aside and asked quietly, “I heard that you turned vats of water into wine last night; is that true?”

Jesus replied, “That’s what they say.”

“How in the world???” said Thomas amazed that it could have been true. “Can You do that whenever You want?” He said with sincere curiosity. 

“Thomas, change the subject, okay?” replied Jesus. 

…

The group all walked over to the caravan stop and saw a line of people waiting. Mary spotted her stepsons among them. Most people were sitting on the ground. They went to the end of the line. It took a while for their turn to get rides to Capernaum. While waiting, Jesus and His Mother and brothers and His men discussed where to stay in Capernaum. 

After more than an hour standing in the heat, it was finally their turn. Jesus and His mother and the two step-brothers climbed into an ornate coach. When she entered, it reminded her of Joseph and the beautiful coach that he had built which attracted the rabbi and ultimately brought them together. The ride was too loud for conversation so each of them immersed themselves in their thoughts and prayers during the seven hour ride from Cana to Capernaum. Mary was happy to be with her Son and she looked forward to being by the sea again. Jesus was glad that His mother was so excited, just like a little girl. Even though they couldn’t talk over the loud sound of camel hoofs and turning wheels, the rotating expressions of sheer contentment and glee on Mary’s face delighted Jesus. This trip was for her. 

Jesus, meanwhile was planning His next steps. He figured that He and His men would spend a few days in Capernaum. After His mother and brothers left for Nazareth, they would go south to Judaea. He was ready. He had covered Galilee pretty thoroughly for the first pass. He hadn’t been in Jerusalem since His baptism and soon it would be Passover. He wondered how His cousin John was faring with the baptisms. He would go to the Temple. There was a very important job He had to do there for His Father. He had been waiting for the right time and the time had come. 

…

Mary had a wonderful few days with her Son by the sea in Capernaum. The two of them were the guests of Peter, while the rest of the men set up camp at a public campgrounds by the sea that was set aside for travelers and vacationers. The men went fishing and swimming and they too enjoyed the rest. Jesus and His mother went for walks together, just the two of them. 

On the first morning, Mary was already awake when she saw Jesus entering the great room where she was sitting in the dark. He was about to quietly leave when He heard His mother say, “May I come with You my dear?” At first He was surprised to hear her and that she was awake already. Jesus hesitated because no one had ever been with Him when He prayed to His Father in the mornings, but this was different. How could He deny His mother? “Of course mama. Come.” He whispered. She quickly dressed while He waited patiently and together they quietly walk out in the darkness before dawn. Mary was glad that no one else had woken up yet. 

The slowly approaching dawn gave off just enough illumination that her footsteps were sure. She was so full of joy that she could barely contain herself. Being with her Son, alone, by the sea. Just the two of them. He had matured so beautifully that to her He was indeed more glorious than the rising sun. Jesus felt her joy as they walked silently. When they arrived at His special place, she sat down on the big rock. It felt cool on her hands as if it welcomed her and was overjoyed at its ability to give her comfort. 

She watched as her Son knelt on the hard earth and looked up into the heavens to His Father. She watched His face grow bright and luminous. This did not surprise her; she first saw it when He was twelve, studying for His Bar Mitzvah. He lifted His arms and as He did, Mary thought back on the days when He was a little boy, no more than four years old and He would lift up His arms to her and say, “Carry me mommy, pick me up.” She closed her eyes to look deep within her for her Lord’s message to her. But there were no words; she just felt an inexplicable warmth from within. It was the warmth of pure love in contrast to the cool morning air that surrounded her. She wondered as she sat there in the presence of her mature Son, whether Moses visiting God on Mount Sinai for forty days experienced what she was experiencing at that moment. Moses and Mary two human beings on a mountaintop with God. Would that this moment would never end, she thought. Nothing else in the world mattered, nothing that happened in the past, or would happen in the future could rob her of the peace she felt on the mountaintop with her Jesus that blessed morning. 

After a while, Jesus stood up and went over to her on the rock. She smiled expressing her blissfulness and He returned the smile. He said, “I love you mother.” Mary stood up and they embraced, two hearts beating as close as they had been when He was being formed in her womb. Then, they released each other and sat down together on the large flat rock.

“I will be going to Jerusalem from here after you leave for Nazareth.”

“What will You do there?”

“I have My Father’s business to attend to.”

“I know.” she said. 

He explained, “The priesthood has become so perverted, so corrupt. They took their power and authority and used it to misinterpret the will of the Father. I can’t allow that. I have come to heal the diseases of the body, but also of the soul. These men are sick, but they can’t be healed in the same way as a body can, because their wills have been turn inward.”

“My dear, they have a lot of power and authority, and they are in collusion with the Romans. What can one man do with such depravity, even the Son of God. The people will believe them because they have been brought up to believe and trust them. How can you, one man, defy them? They will kill you!”

“Yes, I know.” Mary was shocked hearing that. Silence was followed by a strong tug in her heart.

Jesus knew that He had to prepare His mother and He too was grateful for this morning in Capernaum. He caressed her, and said, “But I have overcome the world. He who follows Me, even though He dies will live, and He who lives will never die.” 

She didn’t understand what He meant by that, but sensed that it wasn’t the time to understand. She kept that phrase in her heart for another time. 

“We had better be getting back. They will be waiting for us. We can return here, but the day after tomorrow you should go, and we will head for Jerusalem.”

“Yes, my love.” They stood up and Mary followed Jesus back down the mountain. He was sure footed while she had to focus on every step to avoid stumbling. 

A little ways down, Mary stopped, “Son.” she said calling Him who was a few lengths ahead. Jesus stopped too and turned back to her, “Yes, mother?” He said while walking back up towards her. 

“I was just thinking. When you are in Jerusalem, will you go to the man who watches my home there and tell him that I want to live there again. It’s time to leave Nazareth. There is nothing keeping me there now.”

Jesus listened and thought for a moment. “Yes you are right. It’s time to move back to Jerusalem. Yes, I’ll let him know. Good idea.” 

…

Mary and Jesus returned to Peter’s home to find breakfast ready and their hosts waiting for them. Peter’s wife and mother loved and respected Mary. They were so glad to have gotten to know her. They felt that their lives mirrored each other in some way, being left behind as their men went out to do the Lord’s work. They were so impressed by how gentle and humble Mary was, but with an inner strength and confidence, and how youthful and beautiful she was. They wanted to do whatever they could to make her comfortable. For her part, Mary was a good guest and insisted on helping wash dishes. She even insisted on cooking with the ladies when they prepared a big meal for the disciples on the second day. 

On the following two mornings in Capernaum Mary went out with her Son to worship, to listen to God the Father, and to have heart-to-heart talks with each other about what Jesus was doing and about His future. Mary chanted as she did when He was a child. He adored to listen to His mother’s chanting. These were precious days together. Days that Mary would cherish in her heart when she was back in Nazareth home alone. Mary considered this vacation as a true gift from God. It was different to be with Him away from home and her familiar neighbors and friends in a place where she had no responsibility. Here they could be free to do different things. Jesus knew how much His mother cherished this trip. They talked about her following Him to other places from time to time. She was glad for that, but she sensed that nothing would ever be as special as these precious days together in Capernaum.

On the third day, the brothers of Jesus came by Peter’s house to say that they needed to return to Nazareth, so it was time for Mary to go with them. Jesus rounded up His disciples and let them know that they would be leaving for Jerusalem the next morning. They were to get ready to go back to work. 

Filled with fish and fun, the disciples enjoyed the vacation too. They bonded during these days getting to know each other and talking around the campfire without Jesus there, about why they became followers of Jesus and how the Lord God seemed to have orchestrated their lives for this purpose. They were very different from each other, but during these days, they discovered the common thread that brought them together. Andrew compared themselves to the twelve tribes of Israel. It was obvious to him and the rest that they were to reflect the tribes even in their wandering, in search of the Promise Land. “It’s as if instead we are heading toward the real promise land, the Kingdom of God.” said young John pensively. The rest of the disciples nodded at such a wise statement coming from such a young man. 

“You know the interesting thing is,” added Bartholomew, “that the tribes, the sons of Jacob had one father, but four different mothers, “we too have One Father, God. Jesus had shown them that God was their Father and like the sons of Jacob they had different mothers. 

Early in the morning on the day after Mary and His brothers left for Nazareth, Peter and Jesus bid his wife and her mother good-bye. With knapsacks filled with smoked fish and bread, they headed for the caravan stop to go to Jerusalem.