ALIVE: Chapter 138, The First Glimpse of the Mystical Birth

Hearing Jesus say aloud that one of His disciples was evil and would betray Him, Peter, John, Judas, James and the rest decided not to continue the conversation in public. It was too embarrassing, and too confusing.  Levi, Eli, Joel and Isabel were also surprised and embarrassed hearing of such a personal rift in the ranks. Jesus had nothing more to say, so the rabbi, taking the cue, directed the attention of the congregation to himself and began the worship service reciting the psalm of David, “Have mercy upon me o’ Lord according to Thy great mercy, according the multitude of Thy tender mercies pardon my iniquity, for my sin is always before you…” The rabbi wisely followed Jesus’ outrageous statements with that powerful psalm that David wrote in his darkest hour when Nathan exposed the horrible truth that he killed Uriah the Hittite after impregnating his wife Bathsheba. Adultery was a major sin, even then. Only David was so filled with passion for Bathsheba that he couldn’t help himself. To cover up his adultery, David tried more than once to send Uriah home to sleep with his wife and cover David’s sin.  Uriah, in his loyalty refused to leave his king and his post. What choice did David have but to rid himself of the faithful soldier and marry pregnant Bathsheba? All of that drama passed through the rabbi’s mind and the minds of most of the people, some who were praying it aloud and others who were just listening to the rabbi, ‘…According the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my iniquity, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, for I acknowledge my iniquity and my sin is always before me …” Every one of them, including the rabbi had his or her own sins to remember with which to identify this intense remorse, appropriating the heart of David as a guide.

So immersed had the congregation become in the prayers and worship that they soon let go of the concepts that Jesus told them about His Body and His Blood as food and drink, about eternal life and, and about His betrayer. Two hours later the service ended. Jesus and the whole congregation quickly dispersed for their work or their afternoon naps, not paying attention to Jesus as they went their separate ways. Many of the people in the synagogue walked past Jesus without even a greeting, so embarrassed were they by the strange things He said, that He was manna that God sent from heaven. Who has ever heard such statements in all of Judea and the Galilee? Nothing in the Torah spoke of eating a man’s body. On top of that, the Healer and the Teacher said in public that one of His disciples was evil. These words, all of them were shocking and embarrassing to hear within the temple. They saw no miracles or healing that day, only did they hear outrageous statements. “Who was that Man?”

And yet, those people who had eaten the bread and fish and listened to Jesus teach them for two days were not offended. Instead, they squirreled away those words like acorns for a deep snowy winter when there would be no other food for contemplation and prayer. These new disciples refused to be shaken loose by what was most likely the Truth. 

Jesus and His disciples filed out of the synagogue with the rest and walked back to Peter’s house. Levi and the others from the Mount followed them from a distance, but when Jesus  entered the house, they knew not to go in. The four of them went off to get to know each other and talk about how the experience from the multiplication of loaves and fishes to the teachings, and this last session at the synagogue in Capernaum changed their lives forever. Little did they know that not only their lives, but also changed was the history of humankind on planet earth.

As he walked away from Peter’s house with his new friends Eli thought deeply about Jesus’s body being the bread of eternal life. Had he not seen and eaten the bread that Jesus fed them, the unlimited amount of bread that He had produced, he wouldn’t have a clue about what Jesus had just said. 

When they were back there on the Mount Eli had been in the front of the sitting mass of people. With his own eyes he watched as the bread and fish kept appearing so that the basket was never empty until everyone had been fed. He even watched as Jesus passed the food to His disciples and also ate of the bread and fish. Eli remembered how then he was reminded of the pelican who feeds her newborn from her own body when there is nothing else to eat. “But why should that be strange?” thought Eli, “what of the mammal whose mother feeds her young from her milk until the child can walk and talk and feed itself. Until it can be fully independent.”

Eli was on a roll, thoroughly enjoying his thoughts whether they originated from his own mind or were sent by an angel, once they came into his mind the thoughts enticed his full attention like the aroma of a savory stew.. 

Eli thought on, “Just as a father gives His sperm to form a new person, and a mother feeds the newborn of her own blood and then feeds the newborn and infant her breast milk, to be nourished for physical existence, so is it not so outrageous to be given mystical food and drink for a heavenly eternal life? If this Man is really sent from God, as He says He is, to form other children of God His Father, then it makes perfect sense that He would have to feed of Himself both His flesh, and His blood. By doing this, God on earth is both Father and Mother of children that are fully physical and fully spiritual. Jesus was erasing lines between heaven and earth.”

After a long silence Levi said, “What are you thinking about? Say something.”

Eli responded, “I’m not ready to say. Maybe later.”

Back at the house, with the door to the world shut tightly behind them, Simon Peter’s wife and her mother were busy in the kitchen cooking for them, Thomas boldly voiced what everyone had been thinking. 

“Jesus, what were You talking about, that You are the bread of Life? I don’t understand that. I know there will be an after-life, but what You said sounded absurd. I believe that You came from God, that is obvious but how can You feed us Your flesh and blood?  Please explain. We know you are a healer, but…”

Peter interrupted, “And a miracle worker. I mean, how on earth did you walk on water! You nearly gave me a heart attack watching you!” 

Jesus replied, “I will explain it to you some day soon. Until then, if you want to follow Me, trust 

Me. It will all make perfect sense to you someday. For now, walk in the darkness, out of such darkness and the void I came into the world to illuminate the world.”

Judas was glad that no one mentioned the betrayer again. 

At that moment Peter’s wife entered the room to announce that lunch was ready.