ALIVE: Chapter 127, Jerusalem and The Reveal

When they finally arrived in Jerusalem and learned that it was available, Jesus and His men settled in the family home that His grandmother Anna had purchased to be near her daughter after her husband Joachim passed away. All thirteen men were glad to have shelter during these cooling days. Surprisingly, the house was big enough to fit them but after so many years it needed an uplift. 

The men organized themselves into the home improvement crew, the cooking crew, and Jesus’ inner circle that planned their preaching itinerary. The Holy Spirit that spoke to each man’s heart to abandon his home, sometimes his wife and livelihood in order to follow Jesus knit them together. The men sensed that their devotion to Jesus was worth the sacrifice. Never had they met such a unique man. His wisdom was clearly from The Lord God, Yahweh. 

‘Maybe He is more than a unique man.’ thought Andrew walking with Jesus on their way to the pool of Bethsaida. The place was crowded. Jesus paused and scanned the crowd with His eagle eyes as if He was looking for someone in particular. 

Suddenly, a young man approached them. “Jesus, is that you!” And then he gave Jesus a bear hug. Surprisingly, Jesus knew the young man and hugged him back. 

“Seth!”

“How did you remember my name?!”

“Of course I do. We walked together to be baptized at the Jordan River!” 

“Yes, but.”

Jesus looked at Seth contemplating whether He should complete the sentence or wait to hear what Seth had to say. 

Seth continued hesitatingly. Andrew and the disciples with them listened with great curiosity to this exchange. “Remember that day? I heard a voice as from heaven ….. say…. ‘This is My Son in whom I am well pleased.’ What was that? I wanted to follow you when you left, but the crowd was so thick and I didn’t want to lose my place to be baptized. Jesus! How amazing that I see you again! You just disappeared. Where did You go? How long has it been? About a year?”

Jesus said, “A lot has happened since then. I’ve been in Galilee.” He left it at that. 

"Where do you live now? In Galilee or in Jerusalem?” Seth continued his inquiry, so glad was he by this chance encounter that he wanted to hold him there, so long after being haunted by a regret that he didn’t follow Jesus that day instead of waiting for his own baptism.  

“Right now I am fixing up My mother’s house. She is returning to live here.” He too was glad to see Seth and silently thanked God and the angels for the surprise encounter. 

“Excuse me.” said Jesus as He spotted the person He was looking for out of the corner of His eye. It was a crippled old man struggling to get into the water. Jesus left His companions and Seth and walked over to the man. Andrew said to Seth who started to follow, “Let Him go and just watch.”

Andrew and Seth wound their way through the crowd to follow Jesus at a distance. 

“Can I help you?” said Jesus to the lame old man who was struggling to stand up and walk.

“Kind sir, yes. Oh yes, please! I have been waiting for 38 years for someone to help me enter  the water. Will you help me kind young man?” replied the old cripple struggling to be heard above the din of the crowd. 

“Do you want to get well?”said Jesus. 

“Sir, I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I try to get in, someone else pushes me away and goes down in front of me, and then it is too late. On some days, when it hurts so much and I am tired, I just fall down and weep.”

Filled with compassion Jesus said what Seth thought was absurd, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” Meaning that the old man didn’t need the water, he simply needed to be healed. The old man looked at Jesus with a furrowed brow. 

“I can’t!” he replied frustrated.

Jesus looked him in the eyes with a calm expression on his face. 

“I say that you can. Believe Me and be healed.”

The old man, face to the ground closed his eyes. Then he opened them and lifted his head. He didn’t have anything to lose by trying. He would either prove this young man to be wrong, or …dare he think it. He could be healed.

Jesus watched him patiently. They clasped eyes. The old man felt more confident, stronger for the first time in his memory. The cripple slowly was becoming ready. Several minutes went by. No one but Seth and Andrew were watching. The others were either milling about or washing in the pool. 

The old man slowly erected his back. He pushed himself up from the concrete ground with his hands. Until he placed his feet firmly under his torso. It didn’t hurt! This was to be the most difficult part. But somehow thigh muscles he hadn’t used in decades grew like yeasted bread dough. Like a tree growing in slow motion the man stood up. His face was beaming! He looked around having never seen the world from this perspective. 

Jesus smiled with joy. Then the man actually bent over and picked up his mat. Jesus slipped away. 

Seth was amazed. He looked at Andrew who was smiling and said to him, “These things happen all the time.”

“How?” replied Seth.

Jesus spotted Seth and Andrew and said, “Andrew, gather the men and meet me at the temple.”

Observing only the old man picking up his mat, a big burley man who was there to water his camel shouted at the old man, “Don't you realize that it is the Sabbath, you foolish old man. The law forbids you to carry your mat! Set it down right now!”

The old man replied, “The man who made me well told me to pick it up and walk. That is what I am doing. It is a miracle!” Then he smiled proudly. He was so happy to be healed that the zealot couldn’t rob him of his joy. Besides, it was simply too absurd to believe that he would offend the God who healed him by picking up his mat. 

The zealot replied, “Who is this fellow who told you to disobey the law and pick up your mat?”

“I have no idea! He was a stranger. I had never seen Him before. But look! I can stand up, and I can walk! And I can pick up my mat!” The old man looked around for Jesus who was gone. “Sorry sir, I don’t see him anywhere. Please forgive me and let me go.”

“Okay, this time, but I’ll make you lame again if I see you laboring on the Sabbath! Do you hear me?”

“Yes, but what shall I do with my mat? I can’t leave it here. It will be stolen.” 

“Take it and be gone!” The self appointed policeman took the easy way out of that situation, having satisfied himself with his policing skills.

Meanwhile Jesus and Seth walked over to the temple together and continued chatting along the way. Seth had so many questions that Jesus felt He was being interrogated in a friendly way. When He had a chance, Jesus asked Seth if his own life had changed since his baptism in the Jordan. Seth jokingly replied that it had, but not as much as Jesus’s. “But what was that Voice from heaven? Are you the son of God? Or was it thunder?” asked Seth sincerely. 

Jesus replied, “I am.” 

Such a simple and shocking answer paralyzed Seth. That wasn’t the time or place for more of an explanation. Seth wanted desperately to know what it meant, to be the “Son of God.”

The disciples who caught up were walking in twos and threes behind Jesus and Seth until they reached the temple. When they arrived, they were surprised to see the healed man there already. Jesus spotted him too and left Seth to speak to him.

The old cripple saw Jesus coming toward him and he lit up. A big proud smile transmitted to his face the glee he felt in his heart that he was suddenly so remarkably agile and strong, that he had arrived at the temple before Jesus, and that he was proud that he was there to give thanks to God for his healing. In fact, the old man delighted in having been healed on the Sabbath. It seemed both the most appropriate day to be healed and the most illegal day at the same time. What an oxymoron. 

When Jesus reached the man He tempered the old man’s enthusiasm by saying to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.”

The old cripple’s face turned sour, his brow wrinkled and his mouth looked like he wanted to cry. He wasn’t sure what sins he had committed, he needed to think hard, but he was certain that he didn’t want anything worse to happen to him. And he dared not even think how anything can be worse than the last 38 years of hovering around the pool of Bethsaida. He would never go there again. 

Jesus turned around and walked back to Seth and His disciples passing the bazaar while all the vendors looked at them in fear. Seth had no idea why the vendors looked so strange, but he shrugged that off. When they reached the door of the temple to leave, Seth shook Jesus’ hand. 

"It was so good to see you again, where do you live? Can I visit you? I really do want to know about the Voice at your baptism.”

"Of course you can visit.” Jesus told Seth where to find His mother’s house. Seth said goodbye to the disciples who were there and went in his own direction home to his beautiful wife. 

Meanwhile, the zealot who tried to shame the old man spotted a Pharisee and told him about the healing. More reason to put an end to this lawless man.  Yet, as Passover was coming they were too busy to restrain the renegade Jesus. 

Jesus, Andrew, Thomas, Peter and John returned at dusk to find the house looking better already. The men started getting rid of broken furniture and cleaning out to prepare for painting. The place was really shaping up. He knew that His mother would be elated to see her mother’s old home looking new again. Bartholomew and Simon were in the kitchen making a stew for dinner. John lit all the candles and oil lamps while James set the table. 

Bartholomew and Simon had prepared a lamb stew which filled the home with a delicious   aroma. The table wasn’t large enough for all of the men to sit, so some sat on chairs or on the edge of the beds. They dined in silence, to let the events of the day settle in their souls, while the sun was rapidly setting.

After supper the men talked and read and were relaxing when they heard a knock on the door well past sunset. “Who could that be?” said Judas.

Thomas replied, “There’s only one way to find out Jude, answer the door!”

Thomas said, “Maybe it’s Seth.”

Judas went to the door and opened it to find a distinguished elderly man, “Greetings, my name is. Nicodemas. Is Jesus available?”

Jesus heard and walked up to the door. 

“Come in sir.”

Matthew nudged Simon and in a low voice said, “Isn’t that man a Pharisee?”

Simon replied, “He looks like one.”

Jesus welcomed him, “Welcome to my home. How can I help you?”

“I come in peace. I know my colleagues have been less than generous with you, but I am curious. I have questions. Can we talk?”

 “Most certainly, come in. These are my disciples, they can hear whatever you have to say.”

“Of course.” Jesus ushered Nicodemas into the room, and Andrew stood up to give him the best chair. 

Jesus pulled up a wooden dining chair near Nicodemas and the rest of the disciples either stayed where they were or moved closer to hear what the Pharisee had come to say. Matthew was skeptical about the visit. He situated himself closest to Nicodemas. 

Once everyone was situated all eyes were on Nicodemas. He began, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do, except God be with him.”

Jesus answered, “True. But do you know that unless one is  born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God?”

The disciples looked at each other, for signs of understanding. 

Nicodemus voiced what many of them were thinking when he said in a  sarcastic tone, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?”

Jesus clarified, “Let me explain, “Except one be born of water and the Spirit in baptism, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Don’t be so shocked to hear that a person must be born anew. The wind blows where it will. You hear it but you can’t see the wind, nor can you see where it comes from or where it goes. So is every one that is born of the Spirit.”

Nicodemus said, “How can these things be?”

Jesus answered, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and you don’t  understand?” mimicking Nic’s sarcasm. 

Nicodemas was taken aback. He was accustomed to being treated with honor and respect. But rather than defend himself, he waited to hear what Jesus would say next. Indeed, Jesus didn’t give him time to formulate a defense. 

He went on, “I and my disciples, and my followers talk about what we know and have seen, but you Pharisees don’t believe us.”

Nicodemas had to admit that his colleagues consistently demeaned these people. 

“If you all don’t believe the matter of fact earthly things I talk about, tell me how can you open your minds to believe heavenly things?”

Actually Jesus respected Nicodemas for his willingness to visit at all, even if it was under the cover of night. The man at least had enough curiosity to inquire for himself rather than to sit firmly in the corner of his colleagues, whose self preservation was ensconced in hatred and narrow mindedness. 

The disciples all sat quietly during this visit, surprised at the brashness of Jesus who was not holding back, not allowing the Pharisee to make a fool of himself with a stupid defense.

Jesus continued, “No one has ascended into heaven, but he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up so that whosoever believes…..” Jesus paused before delivering the punch, “in the Son of Man, may have eternal life.”

At that Nicodemas was both shocked and dismayed. Jesus was saying the most outrageous things, but He was speaking with confidence and authority. His curiosity turned to outrage melted into respect. ‘How did this young man go from being a healer of the body to… he couldn’t even think it. The Son of Man? What does that even mean?’ he thought to himself between jabs. 

Jesus didn’t give Nicodemas time to allow his mind to wonder. There would be plenty of time later for the old man to contemplate His private teaching. 

Jesus continued, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

Nicodemas’ gasped quietly. 

“For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through Him. Whoever believes the Son is not judged: but whoever doesn’t believe condemns himself because he doesn’t trust the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

Jesus was on a roll, really enjoying this opportunity to lay it all out. Even the disciples were shocked and amazed by what He was telling the Pharisee.

Andrew could see how this teaching confirmed what he had suspected, that Jesus was indeed not an ordinary person. It tied in with what that man Seth had said that morning about a voice from heaven calling Jesus His Son! The other men, listening attentively sat in awe. Even the walls of the room were being transformed as the walls of an ancient temple after decades of worship.

Jesus’ voice halted Andrew’s thoughts. “This is the judgment Nicodemas, that the Light (Jesus) is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their works were evil. Every one that does evil hates the (natural) light, and shrinks from it to conceal his evil deeds and thoughts. He doesn’t want to be challenged and punished. But those men who are honest and good shout it from the rooftops. They love the light that shines on their good deeds. They believe that God initiated their good deeds and they are proud of that. Good men rejoice in being instruments of God.” Jesus stopped talking. He could see that He had said enough. 

Nicodemus had entered the room that night as a respected Pharisee, curious, but a Pharisee nonetheless, and was about to walk out as a squeezed wet rag. He was literally weakened. 

Jesus reached for his eyes, but his head was bowed down. Andrew wondered if the elderly man had fallen asleep. The silence lasted for at least a full minute that felt like an hour. When Nicodemas was sure that Jesus had no more to say to him, he slowly mustered up his dignified persona, even though he looked up to see that Jesus was staring at him as if reading his soul. Nicodemas slowly with his stiffened joints stood up.

“Thank you young man. You have more than answered my curiosity about You. I can’t say that I am able to persuade my colleagues to leave you be. I must tell you that You have made them Your enemies, but I for one, respect you. May God be with you. Shalom.”

Jesus stood up too and extended His hand to shake Nicodemas’ hand. “I will be baptizing in the Jordan tomorrow. Please come. I promise not to tell anyone you were there.” Jesus ended with a friendly smirk. 

“Thank you” said Nicodemas with a smile. I just might do that. Thank you. You have given me enough to contemplate for the rest of my life. I… I…” and he stumbled to say, “I believe You, and I am coming to believe IN You. Thank you and good night.”

Jesus patted the old man on the back as he walked out the door, knowing that Nicodemas would someday play a big role in His own life.

When the door was securely shut, Peter said aloud, “Do you believe that just happened?!” This started the chatter among the men. Andrew was ready for bed. He had nothing to say to the others. He had a lot to think about. Eternal life? Light? Son of Man? Son of God?

“Excuse me gentlemen, I’m going to sleep. Good night.” said Andrew.

“Me too.” said John who was equally touched by the visit and the teaching. Every day, it seemed to John that he could literally feel himself become older and wiser thanks to Jesus. ‘What a remarkable life this is.’ he thought to himself. That this Man, Jesus, was the Son of God, well,  that explains how He could do so many miracles. It was as if the Creator had come to earth to repair. John and Andrew went to their respective beds on the floor in another room, and both men fell into a deep sleep immediately. 

Back in the great room Bartholomew said, “I wonder what will happen now?”

Jesus sneered, “He won’t tell anyone. Nicodemas will keep all he heard tonight in his heart. I was serious about the baptism. Tomorrow, we go to the Jordan. I want all of you to be baptized, so tonight prepare yourselves. Pray, and think about what I told the Pharisee. I too am going to sleep now. Goodnight gentlemen.”Jesus stood up and went to His bed, originally his grandmother’s bed. 

A cacophony of “me too” echoed His words, and soon, the rooms were dark and silent. The streets were empty. James felt as if holiness had saturated the air. He felt that he had been listening to the Ancient of Days speaking to them, and he shivered. 

The next morning was like the first morning of a new day. Jesus was seen in a new light. He was not just a teaching rabbi. Not just a prophet, not just a healer. It was confirmed in disciple- minds, but not spoken aloud, that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, the Messiah. No one understood what that meant. So outlandish was the concept that each disciple to whom the concept penetrated his heart and mind clutched it there, almost as a secret, a joyous secret to meditate and pray about. How was that possible? But of course, God made man in His brilliant image and likeness. But mankind corrupted that. He still does, to the point that the image of God  in man had become blurred and faint, even distorted. Man became weak where he was meant to be strong, ill and subject to death. This Man, Jesus, this Man was never ill, He had power over nature as One who created nature. ‘Oh dare I think that!’ said Peter to himself. It was a new day for Peter. 

That day, when all the disciples were awake, clean and ready for morning communal prayer and instructions Jesus announced again,  “Today we will baptize, first all of you, then whoever the Lord sends us. John is baptizing in Aeon near Salim, we will take his place at the Jordan, people will go there looking for him and for baptism. 

“Search your hearts, become clean and new, like one who has survived the flood in the days of Noah.” said Jesus. ‘Let’s go. “

ALIVE, Chapter 126, Holy Fury

Feeling refreshed from their restful days in Capernaum Jesus and His men began their trek to Jerusalem. Their route hugged the Sea of of Galilee to enjoy the water of which they poured as much as they could into pouches when they left the sea to head south on the dry Jerusalem Road. After a long day’s silent contemplative walk the men set up camp in Rehov. They ate together after praying thanking God for their safety, health, and food. After the meal they sat on the ground surrounding Jesus who taught them privately about God and what He expects from His people. The disciples asked questions and were often impressed by His wise responses. How did such a young man, growing up in Nazareth, gain such wisdom? Who in Nazareth could have taught Him?

Although they knew that this young rabbi was wise beyond His years, and that He was brash when it came to dealing with the Pharisees, and that He had amazing healing powers, they were not yet prepared to comprehend the incomprehensible, that this man Jesus was the only begotten Son of God, the Messiah. They did not know about the virgin birth. Like everyone else, they thought Jesus was the son of Joseph and Mary. The brother (i.e., step brother, close friend or cousin) of James and the others. Jesus wanted it that way. His men needed time and experience to comprehend the magnitude of His being and His mission. That could only happen after the crucifixion when they experienced the Resurrection and Pentecost. But for now, it was important to Jesus that He not be regarded as a magician. Without teaching the specifics of what it means to be devoted  to God the Father, to be pure of heart, to love and to trust God, His healings would have temporary and only local effect. Teaching was key. He needed to cleanse men’s minds from false and filthy ideas and assumptions. Jesus wanted to restore the character and heart of mankind, the relationship of humankind to God the Creator as God intended in the beginning. That was the meaning of repentance that John was preaching by the Jordan. The demons of ignorance and base reactions like retaliation, greed, and cheating were to be cast out. First by Him with His teaching and example, and then by each person within him or herself. 

Leaving Galilee marked a new chapter in their adventure of following Jesus. Each disciple who went on that trek sensed this. They were Galileans, a region of many ethnicities, even Greeks and other gentiles. Each man anticipated how different it would be to enter Judaea en masse as Galileans. They were different, lessor beings in the eyes of the haughty Judaeans who prided themselves for their language and sophistication. After all what is a fisherman? Having no knowledge of the skill involved in being a fisherman, gave Judaeans, especially the scribes and Pharisees of Judaea, a sense of superiority and authority that was both ignorant and wrong. Jesus went south to give sight to the blind. 

They arrived in Jerusalem on a cool and windy afternoon.  The first place they went to was the Temple to pay their respects. Jesus didn’t waste a minute to do what He was sent to do there. 

Jesus walked inside first, followed by His twelve men*. He stopped and looked around. It looked like a bazar. There were booths arranged inside the temple. One sold oxen and sheep. Next to it the man sold doves. These animals were being sold for the convenience of the people. A person wouldn’t have to prepare himself to sacrifice an animal for his sins, searching one out and being very thoughtful and discriminating about it, all he had to do was to go to the temple and point, as out of a vending machine and give it to the rabbi as a sacrifice. What kind of a sacrifice is that? Jesus’ eyes scanned the room and saw the fat rough red-faced money changers sitting counting their money and looking for approaching customers; feeling increasingly disgusted by how these Jews perverted the dictates in Leviticus He gradually grew furious. Peter and Andrew saw Jesus seething. Thomas and John, Bartholomew and Judas, Simon and James all fairly oblivious to the uncharacteristic emotions of their Master looked around the large temple in awe of the big city ways, impressed by the efficiency and sophistication of Jerusalem. 

And then it happened. 

Jesus’ temper boiled over. He could not forgive the enemies, hypocrites and the lukewarm. How they infected others who thought they were being helped to make the temple sacrifice easy. Peter watched Him as He slowly grabbed some cords He saw laying around from an untied crate. As He was looking around He kept twisting them both both hands, tighter and tighter, strengthening the cords into a whip. Meanwhile His disciples were meandering around the place looking over all the merchandise. 

Then everyone in the large room heard the crack of the whip. Jesus went ballistic.

"Get out!” He yelled over and over again slamming his whip on the tables! Jesus was like a storm, thunder and lightening emanated from His human frame. He lowered the cord in His left hand while with His strong right arm, He easily lifted the center of the money changer’s table and turned it on its side. Coins flew everywhere. 

Shoppers scattered and evacuated the temple as quickly as they could. They didn’t even bother to pick up coins on their way out. 

Sheep brayed loudly in the chaos as they too followed the shoppers as fast as their four legs could send them from the room. Their owners rushing to catch up to keep them. 

The dove sellers sat paralyzed. There wasn’t room in the stampede of animals to go anywhere. Doves in cages squawked in high pitched cacophony over the braying of the flocks. The money changers were crouched down to the ground in a pathetic attempt to pick up their coins, the right ones with the foreign coins all mixed together. 

Jesus was still fuming, as He looked for the next culprit. The dove sellers! To them He said using His shout as a whip, “Take these things out of here! Don’t you dare make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!” 

The disciples who were shopping were quick to walk back over to Jesus, in case some foolish oaf tried to attack Him during his tirade. 

They had never seen Jesus so angry. In fact, come to think of it, they had never seen Him angry at all. Everyone was scurrying about. The money changers heads down eyes focused on the ground and their precious money, thinking nothing of the purpose of the tirade; they just wanted to pick up their money right away before anyone else could. Some ran out of the Temple while others in defiance waited it out, some to see what else would happen and others out of fear.

Bartholomew leaned over to Matthew and said, “Do you remember the scripture that said, “Zeal for Thy house shall eat me up?” Mathew shrugged his shoulder in ignorance.

Within a half hour the room regained a tolerable decibel level. Only three merchants remained to guard their goods. They waited it out and won. With all the animals out of the room and money changers gathering all the coins they could see, one brash and brave man approached Jesus who by then calmed down enough to give the merchants a chance to clear out. 

Whether the man was more brave than arrogant or more arrogant we don’t know, but he approached the seething Jesus and said, “What gives you the authority to come in here to wreck the place?!”

“Did you say What Authority? Think for yourself man! This is a House of worship! Not a marketplace!” bellowed Jesus.

The gutsy man continued, “Show me a sign that God approves of your indignation on His behalf.”

Jesus responded,  “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

The arrogant man replied, “Forty six years it took them to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?” Then he smirked with self satisfaction, waiting for a come-back, that never came. Jesus turned and walked away in peace. 

You see, it was impossible for the arrogant man to understand that Jesus was referring to the temple of His body.  The man went his own direction feeling like he won that argument. 

…

The fullness of that exchange entered the mind of Andrew who overheard the exchange that day, years later when after three days dead Jesus appeared alive again. Andrew remembered the moment in the temple, and the scripture, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” Andrew, who had just seen Jesus and ate fish by the Sea of Galilee with Him sat amazed that all they had experienced was part of a plan that God, the Father had conjured up centuries before it happened. “How peaceful it must be,” thought Andrew, “to be immortal and not  confined by a fleeting life, in order to see and to experience the fullness of events, to see God’s plan blossom from the tiny seed of it. Time can be both a friend and an adversary.” He mentioned these thoughts to the men as they sat around the campfire that evening talking about the miracle of the Resurrection that had happened. Andrew reminded them of that day in the temple. They wanted to keep following Jesus but He appeared and disappeared and they didn’t know where He was going so they simply and peacefully went about their days alert for a reappearance. 

…

After Jesus’s tirade in the temple, when all who were left were the three stubborn and arrogant merchants, and the money changers still looking around for stray coins that had scattered far and wide, and a holy mess of feathers and dung Jesus turned to His men who were still getting over their own shock since they had never seen Him so angry that they were afraid to speak. Every one of them had a concerned and questioning expression on their faces. Jesus said, “Shall we go now?”

No one replied, they simply followed Him out of the temple. 

As it turned out His mother’s house was vacant and so the disciples moved in there. Jesus told them that they were going to clean and paint it and prepare it for her to move in. Everyone was happy for the home-base in Jerusalem. The cooks among the disciples set about to prepare for the Passover feast. They went shopping and started cooking days before. 

Word spread quickly to the Pharisees about what happened in the temple. They were furious and decided that they must be rid of this Man. He irritated and embarrassed them with His magic powers, His disrespect of them, and now with His disrespect of the temple business, He was disrupting their organization and it had to stop. What if everyone became as self-righteous as this young man? This renegade of a man had to be stopped. It was during this conversation that the inception of the plot to kill the young brash man occurred. 

Jesus knew this. He too planned it. Irritating the establishment was His plan. He had to go to the Cross in order to save humanity. 

In fact, days later when they returned to the temple for the services, and Jesus walked in and saw all the tables and stalls back in place, and all the merchants glaring at them in fear, He chuckled to Himself. The disciples looked at Jesus to see if He was going to get angry again, but He didn’t. He knew what He was doing, and although there was no lasting awakening of the merchants, He accomplished His mission which was to make them aware of how they corrupted the effect of the sacrifice. By making it too rote and too easy, the merchants lessened the awareness of guilt that was the essence of the purpose of the sacrifice. Time and human ingenuity destroyed God’s will for their repentance, for their souls. They washed away the nutrients and left only the shell of it. 

*His twelve disciples were Simon Peter, Andrew his brother, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew (also called Levi, the tax collector), James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddeus (also known as Judas son of James), Simon the zealot (also known as Simon the Canaanite) and Judas Iscariot. The Gospel of John names only Andrew, Peter, Philip, Judas and Nathaniel (who was not named in the synoptic Gospels.)

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.

ALIVE: Chapter 124 Replicas and Wine

Jesus and His apostles stayed up well into the night, stoking the fire and telling each other about what happened when they ventured out on their own to preach and heal, to multiply Jesus throughout the land. What was most curious was that instead of six accounts, one for each set of men, there were twelve. Each apostle had his own story to tell, and all the stories fascinated all the men. But they were more than stories about what happened, each man revealed his innermost thoughts and revelations about their abilities that far exceeded their confidence in themselves. Man after man asked Jesus how that could happen. Story after story pleased Jesus. It worked! He could be multiplied. With these stories, this was the first time that He and His Father witnessed the mitosis of the Son. This was the beginning of Christianity, of the whole earth generation after generation for thousands of years being covered with replicas of Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. 

To the Apostles that night Jesus explained that by forsaking family and friends, even income to follow Him, they became more humble and pliable so God could use them. Just as they yielded to their own need for self indulgence, self sufficiency they were unconsciously overcoming ego and pride. This humility opened their souls to receive power from on high. It wasn’t magic; it was more like physics.

John spoke up, “Lord, You mean it is natural for us to overcome nature?”

Jesus smiled at John’s quick wit. “Yes brother. That’s right.”

One by one, the men dozed off that night exhausted from the trek back with minds spinning with the influx of wisdom until they were all fast sleep; the campfire too had dwindled out. The night was cool and dry. The air was still. Jesus was the last to sleep, only doing so after everyone else nodded off.

…

Not many hours later, without an ounce of sympathy for the exhausted men, the sun woke them up. Judas, Andrew, Thomas and Simon fought to stay asleep, but without success because besides the roosters, noisy squawking crows colluded with the rudeness of the sun. One by one, each man relented and stood up to fold his bedroll and start the day. 

Instead of retreating as He did every morning, on this morning Jesus was awake and present in the camp. 

“Jesus, do you ever sleep?” mumbled James, surprised that He was awake so early. 

“Maybe not!” teased Jesus. “How would you know?”

Jesus had the fire rekindled and one by one the disciples assembled to heat water for tea, or just warm their hands by the fire. "Well, here we are again.” said John. “What are we doing today? Where are we going?”

Instead of answering, Jesus started in with His teaching for the day. Then men heard Him and gathered around to listen closely.  “We have burnt sacrifices and we watch the animal be slain and cooked on the fire. We watch as the lamb or goat dies for our sins. We are given the commandments, but how much time do we spend to work on ourselves? To see our faults. It doesn’t help you to watch the animal die if you aren’t aware and sorry for what you did to deserve death. Starting today, I will take each of you aside one by one to counsel you. I want you to prepare for our talk by thinking about how you have broken the law, how you have offended God. Judas, you will be first. The rest of you go out and gather wood, except Thomas and Bartholomew, you two go into town to get food and come right back. We will stay here for a day or two more, until we are ready to leave.”

“Oh!  I forgot to tell you Jesus!” exclaimed Peter, “We saw your mother in Nazareth.”

“Good,” replied Jesus. “I was hoping you would. How is she?”

“She wants you to know that we are all invited to a wedding so You can see her soon.” 

“Where is it and when?” said Jesus.

Peter replied, “It is in Cana, on the third day of next week.”

Jesus was very glad about the invitation. He looked forward to seeing His mother again. With Joseph’s passing, and His departure He was concerned that she would be melancholy. A joyful wedding was just what she needed. “Perfect, that will give us time to do what we need to here, pack up and arrive in Cana.” said Jesus, pleased that everything was falling into place. The men were ready for the reward of a wedding feast. 

One by one, Jesus chose a man and they walked several furlongs to His secluded spot halfway up the hill. One by one the disciples descended the mountain changed. He was somber, he was more aware, he felt guilty, he felt grateful, he was ashamed of himself, he was shocked by what he learned about himself, he felt loved for the first time in his life. He was willing to die for this Man so awestruck was he by what he was told about himself as if Jesus penetrated his body and found his soul there and read it like a scroll. 

The rest of the day and the evening all was quiet at their campsite. No one was ready to talk. The men went about their chores preparing supper, keeping the fire going, some washed their dusty clothes in the nearby stream. In silence they ate and in silence one by one the disciple crawled into his bedroll and fell asleep.

The following morning when Andrew woke up, he noticed that Jesus’ bedroll was empty as usual.   Since all the counseling had been completed the day before, Andrew surmised that they would head off to Cana that day, so he started to pack up and told the others as they woke up. 

Jesus strolled in a short while later. Everyone was awake by then and waiting for direction, where they were going and by what route. 

“Good morning men. Did everyone sleep well?” said Jesus cheerfully. He was in very good spirits anticipating seeing His mother again and attending the wedding. 

A series of confirmations, “yup”, “yes,” “pretty good”…rifled through the air. 

“Okay, here’s the plan. Today we start out for Nazareth.”

“Will we walk all the way or can we get some mules? We don’t want to miss the wedding.” asked Thomas. Moving 13 men from place to place was an ordeal. 

“We walk. But today, after yesterday (referring to the counseling sessions) let us walk in silence.”

Two hours later they were all packed and ready to go. 

From their remote camp the group hiked through forests and desert plains, up and down hills and mountains. Water was precious and rare. This rugged path to Nazareth was perceived by each man in his own way, using his own references. For some, and I won’t tell you who, the trek symbolized his rough life, the pits that he had fallen into and crawled out of. For others it was nothing more than bitterness, obstacles to be resented. For one of them the dry and seemingly endless trek was as nothing, another day, neither to be shunned nor welcomed. This man lived in his spirit disentangled by earthly matters entirely. Each man wore his mind on is face. Each man learned something from the silence.  Living in such close quarters with so many others week after week took getting used to, and they were just getting started. No one knew how long they would be together, or what to expect. Each disciple took one day at a time. For the seasoned drifters among them, there were advantages to moving in a pack and letting others make the decisions for them, and to share in the search for food and shelter. 

(Reader: at this point STOP reading for several moments. Wipe your own mind of words. Be still. Be with Jesus and the disciples in their stillness.)

Three times they set up camp in silence. Three times they broke it down and headed back out in silence. Three mornings Jesus returned after His time alone with God. While the trek and the camping required effort, the absence of teaching in synagogues with the crowds and the healings was a kind of respite. Plus they looked forward to the wedding feast. It had been a few weeks since they had a big meal. And they had wine to look forward to. 

Jesus knew the way to Nazareth as if He had travelled the unmarked trail often. He was in the lead, so no one had any concern about being lost, even in the wilderness. How could that be? But it was so. Their train was a long one as each man walked alone with his backpack and his thoughts. 

On the third day, after the sun was in the highest, Jesus spotted His home town in the distance. When they were a furlong away Jesus broke the silence and asked His men to wait in a shady spot. He would go ahead and see His mother and find shelter for them. One after another of the disciples nodded, not ready to speak yet.

The men out of habit set up camp to rest, and pulled out the remains of their meager food. A few dried figs, some crusts of bread. Judas managed to have hoarded a smoked fish which surprised everyone. He took the first chunk and then passed it on. When Jesus was nearly out of sight Peter said, “Who is ready for a bath!” The men chuckled at the thought of such relief from their dustiness. John and James started singing, and the rest chimed in. The men started the celebration early. Even though they had been walking so far, the silence and the isolation from the crowds of sick and desperate people were welcome and much needed. 

…

Jesus arrived at His mother’s home and knocked on the door with His signature rhythm. Mary flung open the door and with great joy opened her arms to her Son. “My dear, You have been gone for so long! How I have missed you!” 

Jesus returned her embrace with His bear hug that lasted until she was ready to be released. “How has My dear mother been?” He said. 

“Please come, let’s sit down. I made a vegetable stew just last night, wash up while I set the table and we will talk. I know you came for the wedding. So glad that you got my message. How is Peter and that other one who came here with him? What is His name?”

“Judas mother.” 

“That one struck me as odd. Where did he come from?”

“Where did they all come from, My Father!” 

Mary smiled at her Son’s quick wit and accepted the empty reply as she scurried around to put lunch on the table. 

Jesus excused Himself to go clean up. He soon felt refreshed and changed His clothes with the set He left at home. 

At lunch He explained to His mother that they were now 12 disciples who were waiting for Him to tell them where they could stay. They discussed the wedding that they looked forward to attending. 

“We will dance!” she said cheerfully. It had been such a long time since either Jesus or His mother had danced. “Yes, that will be fun.”

“So tell me, where have you been and what stories do you have for me of your adventures my Son?” inquired Mary. 

“The world is suffering and hungry. I feel the Father’s joy from town to village. Mother, you can’t imagine the satisfaction that comes from healing someone. But we need to talk about where to put these men until the wedding. Do you think My brother John will put some of them up?”

“Yes, let’s split them up in fours, four here, four to John, You go there after lunch and ask him, and I’ll ask the widow Misha if she will put up four at her home. I’m sure she will. She has been lonely since her husband died.” 

“That sounds good. Thank you. Now you know why we camp out so much.”

And that is exactly how it went. John and Misha were happy to welcome the disciples who were good guests. Each home hosted four disciples, and Jesus rejoiced under His mother’s roof, which had been built by His grandfather Joachim and adorned by His grandmother Anna. He always felt their presence in that home, where He had learned the Torah from His grandfather’s books. 

Jesus and the disciples enjoyed the luxuries of sheltered life for several days before it was time to go to the wedding. There was no teaching, no healings. Nazareth had received as much as it deserved from the Lord, and even from the time Peter and Judas were there. This was a time just to be. Jesus to His men walked over to the workshop where His brothers the older sons of Joseph were in full swing. He loved the smell of the wood there and the craftsmanship. He missed Joseph His earthly father. What a kind and patient man He was. The brothers stopped work to welcome their guests. Jesus showed them around as if He still worked there. The disciples admired the craftsmanship, but couldn’t imagine Jesus as a carpenter. They only knew Him as a teacher. 

…

Cana was only a two hour walk from Nazareth and so all those who were invited from the town gathered together to form a wedding parade. Everyone was dressed in their finest, pockets holding shekels for the couple to begin their own household. Women were adorned with their jewelry and the children were clean and controlled. All the men walked in one pack, women in another and the pack of children between them. Chatter filled the air with sounds high and low. The elderly people and crippled rode on donkeys.

In Cana the townsfolk we’re glad that finally, after months of preparation, the wedding day on the third day had arrived. It was the day of all days, the one that hundreds of people in all the surrounding villages of Cana had been waiting for. The hosts were ready! It was time for feasting and celebrating, and so they did. A dozen lambs had been cooking slowly on the spit all night long, the bread ovens had been baking all day the day before. Vats of wine sat patiently, following the years-long process from being a bud of a grape to the cluster, ripening in the sun, being harvested only to be crushed, juiced and aged. The humble grape had been anticipating this festive wedding before the young lady and young man knew that they were made for each other. Sweet patient ready red wine. 

The wedding was held in the town square. The couple had known each other from childhood, both grew up in Cana. They were young and in love, ready to begin their life together. 

Women wept during the ceremony. Toddlers squealed and chattered, but the older children were quiet and respectful. The men waited patiently for the meal. Jesus and His disciples dispersed themselves throughout the crowd. 

After the ceremony everyone walked over to where the festive wedding feast was set up. It was outdoors, of course as no building could hold all of these people. Posts had been driven deep in the ground to define the area of the festivities, rows of tables, and a stage for the music and a large dance floor were constructed. The local people brought their own chairs and extras. The posts were used to hold up sheer white cloth for shade. The father, a successful merchant, spared no expense for his eldest daughter who had been his source of pride and joy from the day she was born. 

There was eating and carousing, dancing and chatter. From time to time the crowd joined the performers singing familiar songs. Mary was good friends with the mother of the bride, Sarah, from their school days in Jerusalem and was seated near the head table. When the food was all eaten up and the cakes gone too, the party wasn’t even near over. Everyone, including the musicians were having so much fun that it looked like the dancing would go on through the night. When darkness descended on the party, fires were lit to illuminate the scene. 

Mary who was standing with Sarah, overheard the head servant who approached her to say that the wine was almost gone; it wouldn’t last a half an hour. They didn’t know what to do. What was Sarah to say? She looked at Mary, for lack of an answer. Mary grabbed her fretting friend’s hand and said, “I have an idea. Leave it to me dear.” and then Mary looked authoritatively at the servant and said, “Bring some men and follow me.”

Sarah had no idea what Mary could do to solve this problem, but she had always known Mary to be a resourceful woman, even as a young girl, so she thanked the servant for the information and confirmed that they should follow Mary.

Mary winded her way through the crowd of people sitting and standing to find her Son. Jesus was also having a good time socializing. She spotted Him and went over and tapped His forearm. Jesus took the cue and excused Himself. He followed His mother to the edge of the party scene and put His ear close to her so He could hear above the din what she wanted to tell Him. The servants followed her but held a respectful distance. 

She said to Jesus, “They have no wine.” 

Jesus replied, “What? I didn’t hear you.”

Then she pulled Him farther away from the crowd and out of the periphery of the party and said again louder, “They ran out of wine!”

Jesus replied, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me?”

Mary who was not put off by that reply gave her Son a hug and a peck on the cheek and then turned to find the servants and said aloud, “Do whatever He tells you.” 

Now standing nearby were six large stone jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each able to hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill those vats with water.” And they filled them up to the brim and returned dragging the heavy vats. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” The servant looked curiously at Jesus, and at the vat he had just filled with water. He looked around for a smaller vessel, and finding a pitcher on a nearby table went over and took it and brought it back to Jesus. Jesus dipped the pitcher in the vat and handed it to the servant. It was red! The servant nervously received the pitcher and went to find the steward. 

When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 

Relieved the steward told the servants to fill all the pitchers on the tables with this excellent wine. Which they did, so the festivities with dancing and merriment continued until dawn. 

In the morning the clean-up crew of servants found guests asleep on the tables. Even Jesus and the disciples and His mother did not want to walk two hours back to Nazareth, which they had anticipated. Sarah invited Jesus and His mother to spend the night at their home and each disciple fended for himself.  That was a wedding to remember!

No one but Jesus, His mother, Sarah, and the servants knew about the miracle, until the servants who had been involved spread the story the following day. Jesus and His mother and His disciples walked back to Nazareth after breakfast, and so escaped the spotlight. 

By evening, all the wedding guests had returned to their own homes and villages to sleep off the wedding party for a couple of days, while the servants were cleaning and chatting about the miracle. There was no wine left, but that didn’t matter any more. 

ALIVE: Chapter 123 TWELVE Plus One

After Matthew joined the group, the band of men lead by the young Teacher and Healer from Nazareth continued to travel from town to village throughout the region of Galilee. For the first several weeks Matthew had to change from being the feared and greedy rich tax collector, to becoming an obedient disciple. He had to shed himself of his home and his treasured belongings even as he had to shed himself of his pride and arrogance. It was a difficult transformation, and it took time for Matthew to evolve, but he was determined to change. He abhorred his old self more and more as he compared himself to Jesus. Listening to Jesus every day, and watching the miracles made Matthew feel like his mind and heart were being scrubbed of thick crusty dirt, layer by layer came off until the tender flesh appeared.  One morning he woke up knowing that he was a new man, a child of God, yielding, pliable, open minded and open hearted, like a golden vessel ready to receive the nectar of the grape and to transform it into wine. It’s not that he was free from the struggle, but rather Matthew was given a glimpse of the reality of the kingdom of God within his soul. It was so shocking and so real that the vision gave him a stronghold to grasp onto and cling to for dear life. And cling he did like fingertips clutching the windowsill above a hundred foot drop to the cement floor. With the same cunning that he had used to cheat and steal; with the life-threatened determination of a parasite turned against his pride and lust, Matthew fought his inner enemy to change, one hour at a time. 

One by one each of the disciples was chosen, although each thought it was he who chose the life of a vagabond and body guard, a student of Jesus the Teacher and Wonderworker, when actually Jesus chose each man carefully until the number of this group reached the number of the sons of Jacob. Twelve. 

Twelve sons of Jacob formed twelve tribes which multiplied fast like fetal cells to become a nation, the ever expanding but finite totality of the chosen people of God, the Creator. Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham who was promised to become the father of many nations  from one son, Isaac. Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, became the father of only one nation Israel, the name G-d gave him in anticipation of the nation his sons formed. But why from twelve did the nation emerge? Why not ten so Jacob could count his sons on his fingers?

Why do twelve months, twelve full moons become a year? Who figured that out? Was it because that person observed the repetition of the four seasons? Were there four seasons where that Neanderthal lived? What was God telling us? What does the number twelve teach us?

Obviously, Jesus chose twelve men to be His disciples to replicate the twelve tribes that made up the nation of Israel, the first phase of fulfilling His covenant with Abraham. By contrast though Christ’s twelve men did not each represent one of the twelve tribes. They were twelve random great grandsons of Abraham. Right off Jesus blended the people of God, the second phase. Where the Father needed to keep them distinct, each tribe with its own land, the Levites with their responsibilities, Jesus blended them in preparation for receiving the other ethnicities into the fold and fulfilling the covenant with Abraham to be the father of many nations. By contrast also, unlike the sons of Jacob, the ‘Sons’ of Jesus were born, “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of men, but of [the will] of God.”

As for the twelve men, why did they abandon family and earned income to travel with Jesus? Could it have been an indescribable attraction to the mystery of His being that was the allure? No one that anyone had ever known had the confidence to challenge the Pharisees and their Scribes as this young man had, but at the same time the humility it took to work as hard as Jesus did.

To some, seeing Jesus in person gave them relief from their fears and worries because He showed them the possibility of breaking through the mundane, the anxieties that accompanied a purely physical existence with its illusion of being victims of nature and of other people. Like the rain and winds, harsh sun and freezing cold are uncontrollable, yet they govern our physical existence, likewise the people were affected by illness, poverty, wrath, danger and necessity. Yet, this Man, this Wonder Worker and traveling rabbi was not so affected. How could that be? How fascinating to behold! He commanded nature by stilling waves and wind, walking on water and multiplying loaves and fish as easily as He commanded organs, muscles, cells in the body to be restored. Who can do that? But the Creator? 

So they followed Him. The ranks of the disciples grew, Peter and Andrew, James and John, Phillip, Nathanael who wanted to be called Thaddeus, Matthew and Jude who adopted the name James, were soon joined by Bartholomew, and another Simon. Ten men, tall and short fair and dark, different dispositions, but all adventurous and committed to the Rabbi. 

…

On the second day of that week Jesus and His men arrived by boat at the docks at Tarichea. Looking around at the new town to assess the situation, Phillip called out, “Let’s go this way.” pointing to the street with shops selling fruits and vegetables and the ovens. Tarichea was a tidy village with colorfully painted homes abutting each other built up the side of a hill overlooking the sea.  They all followed Phillip who behaved as if he had been there before. All the men looked around while they followed him looking for the synagogue.

“Hey, Phillip, is that you?” The cluster of men stopped to let the two greet each other. “Thomas! How have you been? What are you doing here?”

“I’ve been living here with my brother and his wife for about three years.” Looking at the group, Thomas asked, “What is this? Who are these men? And what brings you to Tarichea?” 

Phillip replied, “Are you the only man in Judaea who hasn’t heard about Jesus, the healer?” He said nodding to Jesus  who stepped forward to meet Thomas. “Pleased to meet you! Yes, of course I have heard something about a man who has been aggravating the Pharisees and their scribes.” said Thomas with a satisfied chuckle. “Listen, where are you staying? Do you want to come to our house?” 

Phillip replied, “I have been waiting for you to ask!” 

“Come, follow me.” As the men followed Thomas to his house an acquaintance of his approached. “Hail Thomas, what is this? Who are all these men? Is this a party starting? Can I come?”

Thomas replied, “This is an old friend, Phillip who has become a follower of the rabbi Jesus. Have you heard of Him? I am taking them to my house. They just arrived in town. Of course you may join us Judas.”

Jesus buried in the center of the cluster of men studied the new men, Thomas and Judas, with an analytical gaze. 

“Good, let’s go.” said Judas. Both Thomas and Judas nodded to the band of men, “Pleased to meet you.” Hands were shaken and friendly expressions exchanged and then the group continued on to the house of Thomas where they were greeted by his brother and his brother’s wife. Surprising Thomas they welcomed the large group of men into their home and set about to arrange bedding and supper. Judas spent the evening with them and went to his own home with a mind filled with wanderlust. He was impressed by how well these men seemed to have no cares about finances. He had enjoyed their company. 

After supper, and after Judas left, Peter pulled Jesus aside, and asked, “What do you think? Should you ask Thomas and Judas to join us or no?”

Jesus smiled and replied, “Each of them has a role to play. I’ve been expecting them. Now you are complete.”

Perplexed by Jesus’ response, Peter quickly dismissed his confusion and replied, “Okay, I wanted to make sure that you are okay with these two. They both look a little sketchy to me.”

“Don’t worry. They’ll be fine. I’ll invite Thomas to follow Me tomorrow, and I expect Judas to ask Me if he can join us.”

Peter and Jesus rejoined the group as they continued to talk and drink wine into the night. The sister in law was a good hostess, making sure that her guest were well fed and comfortable. The party got boisterous from time to time with men talking over each other and laughter piercing the din. 

Gradually the party broke up and man after man retreated to his bed or bedroll. Jesus was the first to withdraw. 

The following morning, as usual, Jesus had gone off to pray alone. Thomas’ brother and sister came into the great-room looking at their guests, some awake, some still snoring. “Good morning, she said quietly to the men who were awake. We are going into the village to buy bread. We will be back shortly.”

“Matthew jumped up and said, “Please let me give you money. We are grateful for the shelter.” 

The brother waited and thanked Matthew who quickly found his pouch and pulled out a few denarii and handed it to him. Thomas was still asleep.

When Jesus returned all the men were awake, and eating bread.  James looked over at Jesus and asked, “Hail Master, what are we going to do today?”

…

That was the week that the eleventh and twelfth men were chosen. From that day on, the group was fixed. Yes, other people tagged along, even some women, but this was the group, the inner circle of Jesus, the Master, the teacher, the healer. 

Jesus and His men continued to make the circuit around Galilee until He was well known everywhere. They didn’t always have a generous home for men to stay in so they usually set up camp in remote places. As the pack grew to thirteen, Jesus plus His twelve, it was almost impossible to find a home willing or able to shelter them. Fortunately, it almost never rained. 

Jesus actually liked camping and traveling. From time to time, He had the sensation of Abraham leaving Ur of the Chaldeans, and what it was like when Moses left Egypt, or when the entire nation of Israel, like a swarm of bees or a huge flock of birds marched in a pack to the promise land. Oh true, in God Jesus had watched over the Wandering Jews from heaven, but this was His chance to be there, to walk the earth and walk they did for miles and miles. Jesus always helped set up camp and break it down again, He gathered wood, He worked. He found joy in being with His companions. The Father had chosen well for Him. No one argued or complained of the hardship of the vagabond life. From time to time the food supply ran down, and then they used the sensation of hunger to pray with fasting. They prayed for continued safety from serpents that also lived in the wilderness, and other predators. They prayed for water. 

Week followed week, as Jesus tirelessly preached and healed in town after town. And like the serpents, the scribes showed up at most of His talks to find fault, or to prod Him. 

Like a bookmobile filled with wisdom moving from town to town, and like a doctor making house calls Jesus didn’t wait for people to come to Him, He went and sought them out. That was His mission, that was His adult life. He was successful, expanding crowds of people flocked to see Him. 

….

One evening as they sat around the camp fire Jesus made an announcement. It wasn’t good enough that He alone could heal and conquer demons. In His conversations with His Holy Father God Jesus became increasingly aware that His mission was to multiply Himself in the world. First with His men, and through them others until humanity regained the life giving power and authority over nature bestowed upon Adam. On this night Jesus announced a trial run. 

With a thousand twinkling stars overhead illuminating the night sky, and the fire blazing at the core of their circle Jesus said in a clear strong voice that He had developed for speaking to large crowds of people “Tomorrow you are to go out two by two. I will give you authority over evil spirits. Take nothing for the journey except a staff- no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet, as a testimony against them.”

The men were dumbfounded. “What, Jesus, do you expect us to do what you can do?”

“Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. I will stay here alone. I need this time of rest and prayer, but more importantly you need to understand that you can do what I do. Not for your own benefit, but because the world needs more healing and less sickness and death. We will transform humanity, and bring the world closer to our God’s original intention.”

Silence. The men quietly pondered if or how they could do such things. They had been observing Jesus for months, but to be Him was a completely different matter. Yet, He said He would give them the authority needed. 

“Matthew you go with Andrew. John you go with Bartholomew. Thomas and Phillip. Thaddeus and James. Judas and …let me see any volunteers?” There weren’t many left.

“I’ll go with Judas.” said Simon Peter. 

“Good. Now let’s talk about what towns you will go to and when to return.”

The rest of the evening was spent in planning where they would go and what they would teach and how they would heal. Some of the men felt confident, and enthusiastic, others were concerned and insecure but each man knew that this assignment was an important part of the deal. They needed to grow in themselves. It wasn’t good enough to watch, to assist in crowd control, to provide and protect the Master, they had to be like Him. They had to do the same work He did. Jesus said He would give them the authority. That would help! They couldn’t imagine being able to preach and heal without inspiration. “After all” thought Peter, “I’m a fisherman. What do I know of healing or public speaking?” 

“I’m a tax collector, that’s all I’ve ever done. Can I wake up one morning and be a doctor or a lawyer? How is this possible except by the Spirit of God that combines my pennies with Its gold.” 

“I am little more than a child,” thought John, “but I can do this.” 

Jesus prayed over His men asking the Father to go before them, and the people who needed their Wisdom and Healing to be open to them. He strengthened them with His own confidence in them and the Holy Spirit. 

The six groups set out the following morning after a good night’s rest. Each set of men knew exactly where they would go, but not what they would find, or whether they would return with a spiritual treasure chest, or an empty bag. 

Jesus stayed at camp alone. Everyone was gone, morning noon and night, day after day alone, alone with the Father. These days, this week was His respite. Every morning He was reminded of His first such days alone in the wilderness after His baptism. He needed this extended time with His Heavenly Father to listen and to ask. Lightening and thunder, crashing tidal waves on the shore, butterflies smelling nectar, tiny fleas floating in air aim to describe the conversations of this week between Father, Creator, Hope of the world and all knowing, Son, the light and life and refuge of mankind, the perfect Adam, and Holy Spirit, the protector against all evil forces of decay, destruction, and corruption. 

Each set of men had their own adventure, but we will just follow Thomas and Phillip. 

There were only so many towns and villages in Galilee. Thomas and Phillip were sent to the one that they had been to with Jesus a few times. It was interesting how each village had its own personality, as if the people infuse each other. They were sent to Apeiranthos high on a mountaintop where the people were rugged, loud and intelligent. 

Phillip said, “There’s the synagogue, let go. You be the first to talk.” 

Thomas confidently took the lead. He walked into the synagogue with an air of strength and importance aiming to emulate Jesus. The room was sparsely populated, which was good for them. There were few men who wanted to speak, but enough to listen. When they walked in the rabbi was censoring the tabernacle. The fragrant smoke filled the room. Some men bowed out of reverence and to focus on their prayers. A speaker was reading psalm 51, the one that David wrote when He was filled with remorse about ordering Uriah the Hittite to the frontlines to be killed in battle so he, David, could take the poor soldier’s wife. David was overcome with shame, not only for his decision, but also for being so driven by lust that he had to be told of his egregious sin. 

When both the reader and the rabbi had finished, Thomas stepped forward. "My brother and I come to you from Jesus the Nazarene with greetings and teaching. May I speak?”

The rabbi, being familiar with Jesus who had visited them often replied, “Of course, speak.” Then he went and sat down to listen to Thomas.

“Love one another, do not judge, criticize and condemn your brother or sister, be satisfied with one wife and in this you will be fulfilling the law and the prophets. Have a modest opinion of yourself, for who are you but a servant of the Most High?”

A young man cried out, interrupting Thomas, “If you are sent by the Nazarene, then prove it. Heal my lameness.” He said this because he had walked with a limp since he was a boy and was run over by a cart when he darted in front of it to retrieve a ball.” 

Thomas looked at the young man with compassion, and then over to Phillip questioningly. Phillip had been praying and looked up at Thomas, and then over to the crippled young man. Phillip said, “Come to me.” The young man hobbled over to him. All eyes were on Thomas and Phillip and the young man Timeous whom they knew from birth. 

Timeous bowed his head and Phillip placed both hands on it. Thomas placed his right hand on the young man’s back. “Phillip prayed, “Lord God of all, restore the legs of this son Timeous that he may walk, and indeed run as You intended, my God. Forgive his iniquities and give him cause to worship You all the days of his life.” 

Then Thomas added in a strong voice, “Walk Timeous, don’t be timid, receive your healing.”

The young man lifted his head and straightened his back. That was the first sign that something was different. He took his first few steps and immediately saw the difference. 

Sounds of “ahhhh” came from the small crowd. 

“Go home and bring back a thank offering Timeous.” said Thomas. 

“I will, oh I will.” replied the healed young man enthusiastically. 

Seeing that, three women rushed up to Thomas and Phillip and invited them to stay at their homes. Thomas picked one and she proudly ushered the healers to her home to feed and shelter them for as long as they would stay in town.

The next day Thomas and Phillip returned to find a larger crowd at the synagogue. They anointed many sick and preached that people should repent. Phillip, to his own surprise drove out many demons. Their power and authority surprised Thomas and Phillip since this was the first time that they had been able to do such things. They knew that the power was from God and that they had no ability without God to do anything. 

…

Several days later all the disciples headed back to where they left Jesus. Peter and Judas were the first to return. They found Jesus in a state of deep contemplation and didn’t want to disturb Him so they quietly unpacked and set out to wash their clothes.

“Look who’s coming.” said Judas to Peter as he saw Phillip and Thomas walking towards the camp. 

Peter looked up and saw his friends with great joy. He scurried over to Phillip and said, “Hello buddy, let me take your satchel. How did it go for you? How many people did you heal?” Peter said partly sarcastically and partly sincerely.

Meanwhile, Thomas drifted over to Judas to greet him too.

Phillip answered “It was actually quite amazing. I felt great calm and then as if by the grace of God, people were healed! It was amazing. I could never imagine that I could do such a thing. I didn’t do it! So let me ask you, did you have to shake any dust off your shoes Peter?” 

Peter chuckled, “No, the family was good; we were well fed and taken care of. How about you?”

“We were fine too. Is anyone else back yet? Where is Jesus? Speaking of food, is there any here?”

Judas and Thomas drifted over to them and Judas said, “We were waiting for you to bring us some.”

By this time Jesus heard His friends talking and emerged from His prayer and walked over to the four disciples. He was glad to see them. “Welcome! Tell me how did you do? Now I will no longer call you my disciples, I’ll call you my Apostles, because I sent you out. The Post Office of God! and out you will go for the rest of your days. Doing what you see Me do. It’s not enough that you have been crowd control. For that we need, but that has been a sideline. What you just experienced is the real work.” 

The four returning Apostles listened carefully, each man coming to a new understanding of his life and mission. There was no response.

“Look!” said Jesus, “Here come some others! Go help them.”

By evening everyone was back at the camp. Bartholomew had carried in a whole lamb on his back for them to cook. It was a gift from the family they stayed with. Simon’s family gave them wine. The Apostles and Jesus spent the evening round the fire telling each other about their adventures. Jesus was so pleased. It had been a successful first venture out into the world as an emissary of the Master. Only Jesus understood that just as He was sent to reflect the Father in the world, His apostles were gradually becoming mirrors of Himself. Slowly growing into the image and likeness of Jesus the Messiah.

ALIVE: Chapter 122 The Inside of Capernaum

When the place was quiet again, Jesus and His men came out of their rooms to join Athanasee and his wife in the great room. They looked up at the open ceiling. 

“I am sorry this happened to your home Athanasee. I can help to repair your roof? I am very good with a hammer and saw.” said Jesus. The disciples all nodded to volunteer too. 

“No, no. We probably needed a new roof anyway. But thank you. You have your more important work to do. I will find builders to take care of this.” Athanasee’s wife looked at her husband curiously, and then nodded in agreement. 

“I am very sorry this happened to your home, we will leave you to it though. Please don’t hesitate to let us know what we can do to repay you.” added Andrew. 

“Son,” said Athanasee turning to Jesus, “Your presence blesses this home, and my household. What is a roof? Now go about your day, today we will see about a new roof, and tomorrow we celebrate with a fatted calf. Go, find more people to heal and to bless. This world of ours needs You more than it needs roofs.”

Athanasee’s wife, to confirm what her husband said hugged Jesus like a son. He returned her hug and she felt a warm glow emanate from her heart. The sensation was accompanied by pure joy and wonderment. It was a feeling that she would recall until the day she died. 

The men all thanked Athanasee and filed out the front door to head back to the sea. The troupe was easy to spot. Anyone who could break away from what he or she was doing joined them to see what would happen, and to hear what the Teacher had to say.  From time to time Jesus stopped and looked around at the crowd that His presence amassed. He felt His Father’s pleasure that so many people craved Wisdom, and sadness too that there was so much suffering. But He kept walking. 

As they were approaching a toll booth Jesus spotted the man He came for. Like Simon Peter, this man had two names, some called him Levi others called him Matthew. He was a tax collector. Jesus instinctively knew this man from inside and out. He could read him, his joys, his fears, what made him harsh, what made him greedy, but he knew his goodness too. Levi was ready for a change in his life. 

Jesus approached Levi and looked him in the eye with a look that like a magnet sucked the deepest contents of his mind and heart up to the surface. He said, “Come, follow Me. Join us.”

At first, Levi was astonished, then he melted. He was speechless. Someone, not just someone, but this healer wanted him. He was used to being shunned. More mysteriously though, the concept of dropping everything had been haunting him.  He was tired of cheating people, and he didn’t know why he did it. He had everything he needed. Guilt. Was it guilt, was it a desire to repent?

After several moments deliberating with himself Matthew replied, “I will.” He rose up. Placed all his coins in the box, put it under his arm, and said, “Let’s go.” 

The crowd looked in awe. What! Matthew the terrorist is abandoning his cushy job? They were pleased. One less threat. 

“Come to my house. I will make a big feast to mark my new life. Yes, I am going to do this. I am. Thank you for this.” proclaimed the new Matthew. To himself he added, ‘How did He know how ready I was?’

As the word spread that Levi was leaving his dastardly duty, and that he was offering a feast (using the money he extorted from many of them) the moving group grew bigger and bigger and finally arrived at his house. The guests chipped in to set up, and some women brought the stews they had been preparing for their families. Others brought tables and chairs. It seemed as if the whole town of Capernaum was there. From publicans to prostitutes, scribes of the Pharisees to fishermen all assembled for the celebration of soon being rid of the tax collector. Some feared the man who would take the job, others wanted the job. 

By sunset the goats, turning and turning on the spit, were just about done. Mouths were watering in anticipation of the hearty meal ahead. 

Jesus, His disciples with his newest disciple Matthew were seated scattered among the people. Even a disciple of John named James, son of Alpheus, came with his brother who he was visiting. James was seated to the left of Jesus with his brother to his left. He turned to Jesus and asked Him,  “With all due respect, may I ask you something?” Jesus replied, “Speak.” James mustered up the courage to ask, because he didn’t want to offend the Master, but the question had been gnawing at him, “My name is James, I am a disciple of John, very pleased to meet you.”

Jesus answered, “How is John? What brings you to Capernaum?”

James replied, “John is well. I came to visit my brother here,” he said introducing his brother with a nod. “He is a fisherman. My question is this. We disciples of John fast frequently, as do the disciples of the Pharisees. But...” and he scanned the crowd who were all eagerly anticipating the feast “your disciples don’t fast, at least that’s what I heard. Why not?”

Jesus paused to frame his reply, James patiently waited. Jesus said, “Can the sons of the bride-chamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? No. As long as the bridegroom is with them, they celebrate. But the days will come, when the bridegroom is gone, then they will fast.” James was confused by that answer. Was Jesus calling Himself a bridegroom? How odd? Where was the bride? When is the wedding?

Jesus saw the confused expression on James’ face, and decided to answer in a different way. James looked at him attentively with a slightly furrowed brow that betrayed his confusion. 

“Let Me explain it this way James. When a man has a rip in his cloak, and he goes to mend it, he uses another old cloth as a patch. If he used a new cloth, when the cloak is washed, the new cloth will shrink, and the cloak will be easily torn.” Jesus look for comprehension in Jame’s face. His furrowed brow both amused and frustrated Jesus. James was afraid to voice his confusion. ‘Did Jesus refer to Himself as a new piece of cloth? Yes, He is certainly different than anyone he had known, but cloth?!.’

Jesus decided to try one more time. “James, no one puts new wine in an old wineskin, or else the wine will burst the skin (which couldn’t stretch any more.) They put new wine in a fresh wine skin, right?”

James smiled a big toothy smile that reflected either that he finally got it or that he was going to give up. He said, “Yes! I have seen that happen! When the wine ferments poof! all over the place!” And he chuckled. 

Jesus chuckled with him. James went for the glass of wine before him and took a big swig. Jesus lifted his glass too and drank.

Meanwhile, a scribe of the most important Pharisee in Capernaum who was sitting next to Peter across the table from Jesus and Jude turned to Peter with his mouth still chewing a chunk of meat, leaned into his ear and said, “Aren’t you embarrassed? Look at your master over there eating and drinking with sinners and publicans.”  

From where He sat across from them, despite that the room was filled with chatter, Jesus managed to hear the criticism. He looked at the scribe, and as if on cue everyone at their table stopped talking. To the scribe Jesus said matter-of-factly, “They that are healthy have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. Think about what this means I desire mercy, and not sacrifice: for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners (like you) to repentance.”

The sinners chuckled. Peter smiled and nodded confidently at the good push-back. The scribe shrugged his shoulders and took another big bite of meat. The moment passed like a fly out of the room, but the power of those words lingered through the centuries, through the rise and fall of Byzantium, passed Magellan, those words were contemplated by Columbus while bravely crossing the Atlantic Ocean, it stuck in the hearts of the pilgrims, and hovered over the earth during world wars and peace treaties, gaining strength as it traveled through time, being stamped on scrolls, on parchment, on paper, in books and on computers and swam through the internet. “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”

Matthew heard those words with shame, but also with abandonment. He knew he needed to give his all, his home, his wealth, his heart to Jesus, to be healed of his greed and arrogance and to be forgiven. Mercy or sacrifice? Jesus didn’t want his money, or his sacrificial lambs. He wanted Matthew to have pity and compassion for others. For those he had cheated to proof his change of heart. 

That night as James, the disciple of John, lay in his bed at his brother’s home waiting for sleep to whisk him away to the dark place of rest for his body and mind, he thought more about the wine and wine skins, the bridegroom and the cloth. ‘How exactly does this relate to fasting? Why do we have to fast? Who is this man Jesus? James reached deep into his mind and further into his heart for the answers. We fast to discipline ourselves. To control our passions. If I can say No I won’t eat that meat, or that cake, then I am training myself to say No to myself. With that same discipline I can refrain from lingering on that angry or prideful thought. If I can say NO to myself, then I can become strong enough to say NO to the demons that try to manipulate me through my thoughts. That’s why I fast. 

But Jesus, that powerful Man has complete mastery over the devil. It is so obvious that He is not bothered in the least with the destructive temptations of the demons. How else could He heal, how else could He know so much about God? He doesn’t need to fast because He has already has the strength, the power that is the objective of our fasting. And His disciples being with Him, near Him are also protected by His power and His purity. 

Bridegroom? He called Himself a bridegroom. How strange? True, no one fasts at a wedding. It is the time of celebration of joy that two people become as one; that love united them. Being with Jesus, especially being His disciple is as being one with Him. His love joins people to Him, a cause for joy, but also because of His purity, His power over evil. To be one with Him is like being free from the evil temptation. ...as long as we are physically together. 

Okay, I am beginning to understand. Maybe I am the bride! Oh, that’s absurd. I am a man. I understand this and I don’t accept that. Okay, what else did He say? Ummm?  He is the new wine that should only be placed in a new wineskin. Would that I could become, that I could be a new wineskin. Cloth - likeness.  Old to old, new to new. He is new, like a new kind of person. This must explain why the scribes and their Pharisees reject Him. They are old wineskin, set in their ways. They are prideful and arrogant, stiff necked. I have so much to learn from this Man. Perhaps, I should follow Him. I must follow Him to really understand these strange words.’ In all that mental rambling James slipped into a deep sleep. 

He woke up the next morning feeling refreshed, feeling ‘new’. Such as he had never felt before. He told his brother that he had to go and find Jesus. He wouldn’t be back. 

James hugged his brother good bye and walked out into the village. He decided to go back to the tax collector’s house to see if Jesus was still there.  He knocked on the door, and sure enough, John opened. 

He said, “Hello, my name is James. I was at the feast last night. I want to join you. Do you have room for one more?”

“Come in,” replied John. Jesus is not here, but he will be back. Do you want to come in and wait for him?”

James still standing at the entrance looked around at the clean-up crew, and said, “I can help.”

Nathanael, hearing that looked up and said, “Good, come help me move this table.”

About an hour later Jesus walked into the house. He was so quiet that no one noticed. 

‘Ah, James!  Good to see you again. What can I do for you?” said Jesus knowing very well why James was there. 

“I want to join You. May I?”

“Of course you may, but do you want to tell John the baptizer first?”

“No, he will understand when he finds out. If I see anyone going to him, I will send the message, but I don’t want to leave you, even for a few days.”

“That’s fine. Peter!” called Jesus.”This is James, we met last night and now he wants to join us. He was a disciple of John. Will you fill him in on what my disciples do?”

Peter smiled inside and out to think of how much shock this guy was in for. Then turning to James he said, “Sure. James, let’s go for a walk. I want to go to the baker and get some bread for the house.”

As the two men walked out the door, Jesus heard Peter ask James what he did with John as the two men were walking away. 

As they were walking Peter said, “Get ready to piss off the Pharisees. I know He does this on purpose to goad them. It’s His favorite past time. He just won’t let them get away with their hubris.”

“What do you mean?” asked James. 

Peter thought for a minute, and while walking and talking said, “Yep! Perfect example. A few weeks ago. We were walking from one village to another, I don’t even remember which, we have been to so many. It was a Sabbath which was bad enough, you know, just to be walking, after leaving a synagogue. A few  Pharisees followed us to see where we were going. They love to do that, like spies, always looking for something Jesus does wrong. Jesus said, kind of loud for them to hear, ‘Who else is hungry?’ Come to think of it I was, and the others one by one caught on and agreed. Jesus said, ‘Look, there’s a field of grain, let’s eat. So we headed to the field, sneaking a peak back to make sure they were watching, which they were, even daring to come closer.”

James started to chuckle, because he guessed what was coming. 

Peter continued, “We started picking at the grain and eating it! Didn’t taste very good, but we followed Jesus’ lead and pretended that we were ravenous, eating those hard kernels. Next thing we knew, these three Pharisees, without their scribes, come rushing up to us. With all the arrogance they could muster, the shortest Pharisee said, ‘That’s illegal! And it’s Sabbath. What are you doing? Criminals every one of you! How can you even call yourselves Jews!’

“We stopped chewing on the kernels, frankly, I spit it out. It was a showdown. Nathanael and Phillip just kept chewing and grabbed more. Anyway, Jesus looked at them calmly as if He was giving them the weather report, and said, ‘Haven’t you read the Scripture? Remember when David and his men were hungry, they went into the temple and ate the showbread...which by the way, probably tasted a heck of a lot better than those pellets of grain! Jesus went on to show them how poorly they interpret the Scripture. ‘Was that legal? NO! You must know that only the priests can eat the showbread. Right?!’ He says. ‘Didn’t you read that on the sabbath day, the priests profane the sabbath themselves by performing the service, and they are guiltless.’ Then He was quiet, and waited for their come-back.”

James was fascinated. He asked, “What did they say?”

Peter replied, “Nothing! They were stone silent! So, Jesus just to anger them even more... and with a hearty laugh, Peter went on, ‘He really knows how to infuriate them! He says, ‘One greater than the temple is here.’ Referring to Himself, which after all I have seen was the absolute truth. I was watching their faces turning redder and redder. I was surprised that the little guy didn’t try to hit Him. But that’s what we are here for, body guards. You look strong Jude.”

James smiled because he was strong. 

“You know James, you think that you picked Jesus, but soon you will realize that He picked you.”

James replied, “You’re probably right.”

Peter concluded. “Then, to rub it in even more Jesus said, ‘One greater than the temple stands in front of you. If as knowledgeable as you think you are, evidently you don’t even know the meaning of the scripture that says ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ Maybe if you understood what that means, you wouldn’t have been so foolish as to condemn the guiltless.’ Then He said, and I was really sure He was going to get it, He said, ‘The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. Besides,’  then He hit them with one last dig and it was big, He said, ‘For the Son of man is lord of the sabbath.’ Now He was right, but they refused to see it.”

James said, “So then did they start fighting?”

Peter replied, “No, the other two Pharisees, held the short one back. Jesus plucked a few more grains and popped them in His mouth. As they walked away, I think I heard the little guy say, “We will get him, that guy doesn’t have long to live. Not today, but I will have the last word!” 

James said, “Doesn’t that bother you?”

“Honestly, yes it does. But is doesn’t bother Him, so we just take it.”

By then the two new friends reached the ovens where James offered to pay for five loaves of bread. 

ALIVE: Chapter, 121 The Sky Falls in Capernaum

The holy troupe, the traveling hospital of God continued to blanket Galilee with miracles. The six disciples, adapting to the phenomena of their leader lived in a very different world than ordinary people fixed with feet firmly placed on the earth, where the laws of nature are obvious. These men lived in constant amazement of Jesus who straddled heaven and earth. Who brought heaven to earth. 

They ate and slept and travelled together week after week. He often left them to pray alone. During those times, sometimes they would pray too, other times they talked to each other sensing that their lives were unusual, that their young leader was...dare they say? When they overheard the demons call Him the Son of God they didn’t know what to make of that. Did Jesus banish the demons for spewing lies? Or did He banish them for speaking the truth that He didn’t want revealed? Who could do such wondrous acts if God was not working through Him? Who else had authority over demons?

Except when Jesus went off to pray, the men ate when He ate, they slept when He slept. There were no arguments, no complaints, no bickering or blaming. Instead, the men became a family of brothers, a battalion against the enemy of sickness and despair. Neither Phillip, nor James, nor Andrew could ever look upon a healing as something matter of fact or natural. The reactions of relief, and of gratitude that emanated from most of the healed penetrated their own manly hearts. Imagine walking into a hospital, into the cancer ward with Jesus. Imagine walking into one room at a time behind Him. He takes the hand of the bedridden soul. Her eyes look into His not afraid or curious, but sensing the presence of Holiness. “Do you want to be healed?”asks the Lord, “Do you really want to be well?” 

The reply is no more than a whisper as tears trickle down her cheeks. “Yes.”

“Be made well. Show yourself to the priest, and return to the world to heal others with forgiveness, with compassion. Never judge another for that person belongs to God. You have no right to judge the servant of another.”

She sits up straighter. Her eyes gradually grow clear. “Who are You?” she asks. 

Yet, there were no hospitals when Jesus walked the rich earth.  His followers through the centuries built them to emulate Him as best as they could, to battle nature’s corruption of the body with healing. More significantly, He came to straighten the crooked path, to extinguish sinfulness from the soul, the sinfulness that caused many diseases. 

It was the fourth day of the week, the day that God created the sun and moon and stars, the day when the measurement of time began. Jesus, Peter, and Nathanael were sitting on a bench in the garden of a quaint Galilean village chatting with each other while the other disciples went to fetch food to refill their knapsacks. Jesus looked up attentively listening and waiting. He intuited that He was going to be approached by a leper. An average person, even a doctor would have cringed, if only internally because the disease was so infectious. Peter didn’t notice the leper approach as he continued talking about where they would go next, when they would leave, and whether they could afford a caravan for a change. He still had some money from selling fish.

Sure enough, the scary-looking leper recognized the Healer that he had just heard about. The leper was relieved that the Healer hadn’t left the village yet. Jesus and His disciples were easy to spot because they were the only strangers in town who were not traveling merchants. 

The leper approached the disciples and Jesus. Jesus looked straight at him, While Peter and Nathanael looked at each other and then at Jesus to see what He would do. Jesus didn’t flinch.

The leper boldly stumbled up to within an arm’s length of Jesus, fell to his knees, clenched his fingers together and begged, “Please, oh please kind Sir, if you will, I know you can heal me of this wretched disease. I am a pariah to the people and I can’t even stand myself. My brother and sister will have nothing to do with me. I am starving and I must live in a cave. I beg of you to make me clean, if You can.”

Jesus looked at the poor desperate man with his deformed face and had compassion on him. He stretched out His arm and placed His holy hand on the top of man’s head and said, “I will. Be made clean.”

Peter and Nathanael stood up stepped away from sitting Jesus and the kneeling man. They watched as if watching time-lapse photography as the man’s skin changed from white to beige, it became supple and full. His eyes cleared up and his nose actually grew a new shape! It was as if the man was being reconstructed before their eyes! 

The man wept.

Jesus stood up, and took him by the hand to help him off his knees. The former leper hugged Jesus who returned the hug. Then Jesus told him sternly, “Do not speak to anyone, but go directly to the priest in the synagogue and offer the thank-offering which Moses commanded to thank God for your cleansing. Do you hear me?”

The leper looked down at the ground and said he would. Then he turned and ran away joyfully. 

The healed man could not help himself. As he passed fellow villagers and they remarked about his transformation, he stopped and proudly, and exuberantly told person after person and group after group how the Stranger, healed him. He looked down at his hands and legs and noticed the difference. He couldn’t see his own face, but others remarked how different he appeared. 

Everyone who heard the news and saw the transformation of Misha the leper rushed to find the Healer. They made a mad dash for where they heard He had been, so that a crowd gathered around Jesus, Peter and Nathanael. The crowd was so dense that they could hardly move. Peter and Nathanael, went into crowd-control mode shouting, “I’m sorry, we must be going! Go back to what you were doing.” By then, the other disciples found them and assisted in shielding Jesus from the crowd-become-mob when they could not get their way. 

“That settles it!” said Peter, let’s go to the caravan stop. We could never walk away from here.”

He added, “and I hope the news doesn’t go ahead us.” 

Jesus exclaimed, “But I told him not to tell anyone!”

Even young John, looked at Jesus with a friendly smirk on his face, and said, “Seriously my Lord, did you expect that to happen?”

Jesus shrugged His shoulders and replied, “Well, maybe.” thinking of how obedient He was to the Father. 

The disciples surrounded Jesus with the shield of their own bodies as they slowly made their way to the docks instead, because it was closer. Fortunately, or rather by God’s Providence an empty transport boat was waiting at the stop. “Where are you going?” asked the captain.  “Away from here” replied James. “Where are you going?” “My boat is going to Capernaum” 

“Perfect” said Peter and reached into his satchel to pay the captain. 

The men climbed into the boat which quickly pulled away from the dock before anyone else could jump on. Finally, they could rest. 

“That was close! I thought those people would eat us alive!” exclaimed Andrew. Then He turned to Jesus and said, “My Lord, we can’t let that happen again. I think we should either go out in the desert where there is plenty of room; they will find you, or at least go into a house where there are walls and a door. Agree?”

Jesus looked at Andrew pensively and replied, “I suppose you are right. This is what I have you for.” And then He winked ever so slightly, and smiled. 

The next several hours the loud sound of the wind made it hard to hear, so the men either gazed out at sea or napped. Jesus’ eyes were closed. John wondered if He was sleeping or praying. 

After several hours the boat pulled into its slip at Capernaum. The captain shouted, “Everyone out!” The men filed out.

After they disembarked most eyes were on Peter as if to ask if they would be going back to his house. Peter answered, “I’m not sure my wife and mother are ready for us again. I have a friend with a bigger house on the ground, let’s go there.”

The troupe followed Peter. When they arrived at the house they were impressed by how large it was. Peter said, “Step back. Let me go first.” The disciples and Jesus waited under the big sycamore tree as Peter went to the front door and knocked. A teenage boy, probably a servant, opened the door and asked Peter to wait while he went to get his master. The disciples watched and chatted with each other. The master came to the door and invited Peter in. They spoke for a while, and then Peter emerged and gave them the high sign to come in. 

“Yes, you can stay here for a few days. I will go to my house to be with my wife and her mother. I’ll return in the morning.”

“Welcome to my home. My name is Athanasse. I am honored.” The master of the house said to the five men, looking expressly at Jesus. 

“It is we who are honored and grateful.” replied Jesus with a subtle bow of his head. The other disciples echoed Jesus, bowing and thanking their host. 

“Well, come in, come in. Let me show you to your rooms to set your things down. Make yourselves comfortable while I see about supper.”

Athanasse was thrilled. He had heard so much about Jesus, the itinerant rabbi and healer. He was even among the curious crowd on the first night when they went to Peter’s house. ‘Imagine that Jesus has come under my own roof!’ he thought to himself. Athanasse went to tell his wife and to have them gather whatever they could to prepare a feast for the evening. He suspected that the next day would be busy. Athanasse was smart enough to know that where there is honey, there are bees, and that people would start coming to his home to listen to Jesus and to be healed. He heard what had happened at Simon’s home. He needed to prepare. 

Phillip was sent by Jesus to tell Athanasse that they were going for a walk around town, and ask if they could arrange an assembly for the next morning.

“Of course, of course. I expected that. Go, but return by sunset. We should be ready by then. Shalom!” He hollered as his guests filed out of the home. After they left, the household was a buzz with preparations for the evening meal and beds for the guests and preparations for the assembly the following day. 

Outside, the men decided to split up so they wouldn’t be so obvious, and also to spread the word that there would be an assembly the next day at high noon when the fishermen would be back. 

A few blocks away from Athanasee’s house, heading toward the center of the town, Jesus stopped and they all stopped too. He said, “I’ll meet you back at the house. You should also buy food to take to them. You know what to do.” Jesus was feeling increasing comfortable and familiar with His disciples. He was their teacher and their leader. His superiority was always clear and present, no matter how many experiences of travel and confrontations with the world they shared. The disciples respected Jesus instinctively because of His powers; they could only learn so much; they would never achieve the level of their Master; but to support Him, and watch Him was an honor. These were the good days. The weeks and months when they proudly watched Jesus defy nature and human authority. Jesus told them that they should be able to do the things He did, but they were skeptical. 

Jesus was glad to be back in Capernaum. Capernaum had become a home town to Him like Nazareth, but safer. He was still saddened by how He was treated in Nazareth. On the outskirts of Capernaum He had discovered a very remote place where He could pray and listen to His Father, where no one could see Him or hear Him speak to God. It was a quiet place. No, it was a silent place. It was His most secluded place to pray in all of Galilee.  

The next morning Jesus was already up and gone by the time the disciples and the household had started stirring. Athanasse and his servants were excellent hosts. The disciples were well fed and cared for. But they were also grateful guests, making their beds and doing whatever chores they could anticipate a need for. 

The household soon buzzed with servants and guests alike setting up, cleaning up, and cooking. Each person contributed whatever he or she could to the place sensing that a great event was about to happen, as if God Himself would be present. 

The same young man answered the knock on the door and opened it to Jesus who had returned. “Hello friends!” Athanasee’s wife looked up and went straight over to her eminent guest. “Welcome! Come, let me get You something to eat. You must be hungry by now. We have eggs and bread and cheese and fruit, come. Come in.”

Jesus was grateful and thanked her for her hospitality to Him and His men. He went into the dining area and sat down at the place laid out for Him. The disciples all heard Him and went over and sat around the dining table to wait for any instructions He may have for them. 

Soon after Jesus finished His meal, the people started to arrive. They filed into the house in ones and twos. Jesus was positioned with His back against the wall to maximize the space around him. His men formed a line of defense in the front row to give Jesus room to walk around while He spoke. Athanasse and his wife put themselves to the right of the rabbi, also in the front. They sat in awe of what was happening in their own home. What a blessing! Before an hour passed the house was packed with people. No one else could enter. 

Jesus spoke to the people as if He was speaking individually to each person, to each heart. His eyes clasped the boy’s eyes, then the mature mother’s, the grandmother’s and the fisherman’s. Then He drifted over to a teenager and said, “Do you recognize that there are passions within you?” The teenager nodded. 

“That is good. A person who acknowledges his passions humbles himself and then the grace of God comes.” To the next person He said, “You should be glad at being constantly wrong, for you have pride and that is how you are humbled. Say, “My God, this is who I am. Help me.”

And to the old lady He said, “If you do not help me I will not be able to do anything. Do not despair. Whenever you make a mistake, your real self is revealed. You come to know God. Try to correct yourself. This is how you can move forward confidently and not live with the false impression that you are doing well. When your weakness displays itself, when your passions, and yours, and yours, and yours” He said pointing to people and landing on a Pharisee to whom He said boldly, “when your passions sprout up...when you get angry, or when you censure someone... grieve for yourself because you fell.” Then to the doctor of the law He said, “but you should also be glad, because your weakness was made manifest, and will then prompt you to struggle to be delivered from it.”

No sooner had Jesus finished that sentence when the crowd heard a great rumble above.

Some people wondered if the sky was falling and God had come. 

Rubble fell on people’s heads. Ladies shrieked. Children became afraid and cried. The roof was coming off of the building! The sun poured into the cool darkened room. There were men up there!! They were actually trying to lower a man on a palette into the crowded room! 

The people directly below the opening pushed those behind them to make room lest the palette fall and crush them.

Athanasse was outraged. His home was being torn apart! But there was nothing he could do to stop it, so he remembered to observe his passion and suppress it. 

Several large fishermen worked their way under the opening to receive the palette that was being lowered by ropes. 

A crippled man lay there looking both cheerful and pathetic.

Jesus was amused too.  He looked into the crippled man’s eyes and smiled because He was pleased by the faith of these people. He looked up at the ceiling and saw the proud faces of the successful friends who had lowered the man. They were peering down at Jesus and the crowd curious for their reaction. Then Jesus looked at the cripple, but also directed his statement to his faithful friends and said, “Man, your sins are forgiven.”

The Pharisees gasped. The scribes and lawyers echoed their gasps. One of the Pharisees shouted aloud for all to hear, “Who is this guy who dares blaspheme God? Only God alone can forgive sins!” The Pharisee looked around him for approval, and received a few sheepish nods. Others, the majority of people, feeling embarrassed that the Healer was being treated so poorly looked at Jesus for His response. 

Jesus confidently replied, “It doesn’t matter whether I say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’, or ‘Stand up, take your palette and walk.’ Why is your heart so darkened?” He said that the man’s sins were forgiven intentionally to goad the Pharisees. To reach deep into their psyche and challenge their knowledge of the relationship between sin and death. 

The man’s arrogant expression was echoed by a few, but only a few of his well-dressed falsely-noble friends. 

The rest of the packed crowd stared at Jesus who without a hint of arrogance, matter-of-factly added, “You should know that I have the authority on earth to forgive sins.” The crowd was silent, anticipating what they had come to see. 

Jesus turned His face from the arrogant Pharisees to look down at the man with palsy laying on the wood that had landed on the ground. The people had moved out of the way of it so that it was in front of Jesus who walked over to it. Jesus smiled at the suffering man, anticipating his relief and his joy and said to him, “Get up, take your palette and go home.” 

As if those words alone had the power of creation, like the first words God spoke, “Light Be!” And there was light. Just like that, the power of Jesus’ words poured into the broken, corrupted man and, dare it be said, he was restored! 

The man rolled over and set one foot down on the floor and then the other. He pushed himself up with his arms, from the floor to his knees. A young man went over to help him stand and he said, “No, I can do this.”  He stood erect for the first time that he could remember. The healed man looked around at the crowd. His face was radiant. His eyes sparkled, his yellow teeth shined. Then he looked at Jesus, his healer and bowed his head in awe and gratitude. Tears began flowing from his eyes. Jesus reached out his hand and the man grabbed it and kissed His hand. Jesus withdrew it. 

This time the rest of the crowd gasped while the Pharisees were stunned silent. 

The man then picked up his wooden palette proudly. He was so filled with energy that indeed he needed to walk, and not stand there any longer. He couldn’t wait to go home and show his family. 

“Thank you! Thank you my Lord! May God be glorified!” And then the healed man with his piece of wood worked his way through the crowd that opened a path for him. He left through the front door. His friends came off the roof to greet him. They joyously hugged him, one of them taking the wood from him, and walked with him to see the expression on his family’s face when he got there. 

Meanwhile, inside Athanasee’s house, the people were filled with amazement. One woman began chanting Alleluia, and everyone agreed it was all they could say. So, for the next several minutes, the glorious chants of alleluia saturated the air. 

Jesus discreetly withdrew into the bedroom. Athanasse took over and thanked the people for their attendance. The Pharisees were the first to leave, perplexed. The man who first shouted to correct Jesus needed time to process what had just happened. He was not ready to accept what he saw, but rather he went home to think about how he could spin it enough to retain his anger and arrogance. 

The people obediently filed out of the door to tell their friends and families what had happened at Athanasee’s house that day; seeing such strange things!

Athanasse and his wife stood in their emptied great-room and looked up at the huge hole in their ceiling. The sky was clear and luminous. 

ALIVE: Chapter 120, Miracles

As if a bumble bee watched Simon Peter’s mother in-in-law be healed and scurried out into the town and whispered into everyone’s ear that there was a man who could heal at Simon’s house, after the meal a large group of sick, lame and demon possessed people were gathered, their eyes looking up at the door at the top of the stairs of the elevated home. They were all starving for relief from their pain and suffering. Begging souls craved freedom from the strangulation of illness and demons. “Open to us. We beg. Healer come out and help us!” Simon’s wife looked out and reported that it looked like half the town had come to see the rabbi. 

Never before since the days of Abraham, or during the days of Isaac, or of Jacob; not during the four hundred years of slavery, nor during the days of shepherd turned king David, nor with the prophets, not even Elijah or Isaiah all this time while God, their Creator was their Lord and lawgiver, while they obeyed and worshipped the One who fashioned the sun and moon and stars with the same brilliance as He fashioned the ant and the antelope, had instant healing and relief from demon-control been an option. Never before. 

The news that a healer was in the home of Simon Peter caught like wildfire. 

Jesus heard the crowd call and excused Himself from His hosts, thanking the mother for the most delicious falafel He had ever tasted, and then He emerged from the home. He descended the long stairs looking out at the crowd that gathered, not as a crowd but one by one at each suffering person. He was reading each person’s face as a novel replete with joy and suffering.

His disciples followed Him, intuiting that their job was crowd control. As each person was brought before Jesus, He laid His hands on him or her and they were suddenly healed. Just as swiftly as the cause and the effects of the diseases were eradicated, demons emerged. Many of them crying out, “You are the Messiah, the Son of God!”

Jesus rebuked those demons, not allowing them to speak. They knew that He was the Christ, but Jesus did not want the label that could confuse and alienate the people. His mission was personal and needed to stay that way. 

The sun was setting rapidly as one by one the healed returned to their homes to continue to give thanks to the Lord and to share their joy with their families. Finally, there was only one very patient young crippled man left. He wore rags and was unshaven. A sickening sweet odor of sweat emanated from his body. His legs were deformed from birth. He could barely walk and couldn’t work like able bodied men. He had been waiting for hours, watching people be healed and being rid of the demons that plagued them more than any disease could. With every healing that he watched, the crippled man became more hopeful. No one left disappointed. He was glad to be last to have no one behind rushing him along. Finally, it was his turn. “What can I do for you?” asked Jesus. The young man whispered his misery. Jesus laid His healing hand on the man’s head and looking up silently asked His Father to heal the man’s soul, and then his body. The man’s face lit up, as bright as a flashlight, his legs straightened. He slowly grew taller. He looked down at his legs, and then up at Jesus in awe. Jesus smiled at his glowing face and prescribed the follow up therapy, “Repent as you thank and serve God who healed you.” The man assured Jesus that he would. He hugged Jesus, Who returned the hug, and sent him to run home. Then he turned and tore himself away because he was eager to run and to show his mother that he was a new man. He could work! He could marry! He could have a family of his own! He was filled with hope for a new Life. 

Jesus and his six exhausted disciples remained in the darkness of the balmy night. Young John was sleeping leaning up against a tree.  Simon said, “Let us all go inside and sleep. We have plenty of blankets.” 

Simon’s wife and mother in law were fast asleep by then, and soon also were all the new disciples and Jesus. What a day it had been! How the lives of these six men took a sharp right turn into a new world on that day. Sleep came quickly for each of them. 

Jesus was the first to rise before daybreak. He quietly opened the door and exited the home to go alone into a deserted place. To His surprise a handful of people were already waiting for Him to emerge from Simon’s house. They rushed up to the foot of the steps to hear Him teach. They tried to keep Him from leaving them, but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also because for this purpose I have been sent.” 

Phillip and James woke up too hearing the talk outside. The two men went out to see what was going on and notice Jesus trying to pull away.

James was the first to rescue Jesus, “Okay, that’s enough, you heard the rabbi. Go back to your homes. Let Him be. Go and pray to God yourselves. Now go!” One by one the men gave in and walked away disappointed. Yet, by the time they arrived at their homes, they noticed that their maladies had disappeared!

“Thank you.” said Jesus to James. “I’ll be back for you and then we will go to another town.”

It was still early enough that there were few people out. Jesus walked to the outskirts of the town and found a isolated place to commune with His Father and to listen for what His next steps should be. 

Simon Peter’s wife woke up, he nestled next to her in bed  and the couple quietly talked about their future. “I need to go. I need to follow this Man, but as long as we are in Galilee I promise I will work. I will work as often as I can and bring you and mother the income.” 

“But what are we to do, when you aren’t working?”

“Father will provide for you. Nothing can make me go back to my old life after what I have seen. I can’t explain why, but I know that I need to follow Him. Please try to understand.” said Simon. 

“After seeing my mother healed like that, I don’t think I have choice. I really thought she was on her deathbed. Okay. Please be careful and come back whenever you can. I will pack a bag for you with food.”

“Thank you my dear. I know I am leaving you in good hands. The Lord will care for you too.” they hugged and rolled out of bed each on his and her side to start their new lives apart. 

Soon the whole household was up and chatting and preparing for the morning meal. When Jesus returned, the grateful old mother fed Him again too, still amazed about her sudden healing. 

Jesus and His disciples were soon ready to venture out of Capernaum like a traveling hospital to heal, and teach and spread the word that indeed, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was among them. Jesus was clearly of God because of His authority over demons of which there were many. He didn’t even have to struggle with them; He simply spoke and they obeyed, which never ceased to astonish the new band of followers, the disciples. Anyone who witnessed the phenomenon were amazed, but for some of the healed the gifts didn’t last like a soon neglected toy. 

...

Not since the days of Moses had anyone commanded nature as did Jesus. Instead of healing, God had Moses send plagues. The first. The plague that cracked opened the door of freedom in the dungeon of Egyptian oppression and slavery was turning the river into blood. That was not a random plague; the bloody river foreshadowed the water and the blood that trickled out the Christ’s pierced crucified Body. The bloody Nile heralded a brand new chapter in deliverance. Freedom from Pharaoh foreshadowed freedom from death. The water and the blood of Christ’s pierced side, was the clarion call of salvation. Horrifying bloody water, was the first and last event of God’s plan for ultimate freedom from oppression. 

Remember my friends that what followed the bloody river were more plagues, and the stiffening of Pharaoh’s resolve to keep the Jews, God’s people in bondage. Freedom came after a long struggle and more miracles. 

To be able to walk away from the exploitation of Pharaoh only made sense if one walked  toward union with the perfect God. The water and the blood of Christ’s wound was the first sign, like the bloody river of old that God was about to do something magnificent. But we get way far ahead of ourselves by pointing out these key events in the parallel covenants. For now, centuries after the Passover, Jesus was free to travel throughout Galilee. 

...

“Where do we go first?” asked Phillip looking around at his friends and then at Jesus. 

Just about every other man shrugged his shoulders and looked at Jesus for the answer. 

With six bearded faces and the two women peering at Him for the answer, Jesus simply replied, “We go synagogue hopping! Phillip where can we find a map? I want to go into every synagogue in Galilee and in Judaea. This is where the people gather; this is where they will meet Me. We go to teach and to heal. We go to set men free from that bondage of ignorance and exploitation. We go to diminish the devil. Are you ready?!”

Simon’s wife secretly craved to join the men, but she knew that she had to stay back with her mother. She was keenly aware of how exciting this mission was, having no notion of the down sides. 

With hugs and handshakes, one by one the men thanked Simon’s wife and mother-in-law for their hospitality. 

The men filed out of the cozy home in Capernaum and into the homeless life of vagabonds. “Where do we go first?” asked young John who was brave enough to spout out a question without an answer? 

Jesus silently waited to hear if any of His new friends would step up. 

Simon Peter said, sensing the responsibility that his wife reminded him of, “Do you mind if we go over to Lake Gennesaret, I have boats there and I want to check on them.”

“Sure, it’s as good a place as any.” replied Jesus. “I don’t think I’ve been there before. Lead the way.” 

From Capernaum the men walked south towards Tiberius where they came from, well rested and full. They chatted getting to know each other better as they walked. Jesus was quiet, listening attentively to what his men thought was interesting or important. The weather was perfect for a trek such as this, not too hot as it often can be, and not too breezy. The quality of light was unique to that region. No one noticed. 

Phillip piped up to ask, “Does anyone think we should get donkeys if we are to be traveling so much?” James replied for everyone, “One more thing to take care of and to feed. No. Our own feet will take care of us.” Phillip shrugged his shoulders still wishing he had a donkey after having walked for three hours. 

...

The band of brothers arrived in the village by the lake of Gennesaret. The word that a rabbi who can heal all manner of diseases and ailments, even demon possession was spotted! Men and women filed out of their homes and and shops to go to see this super-man. By the time Jesus and His men reached the lake they were surrounded by people pressing in on them. A few young boys even entered the lake to get close enough to hear. The crowd knew enough about Jesus to yearn to hear for themselves His remarkable wisdom. Each soul sought relief from illness, but also from all manner of strife. Young men and old, women too, yearned for peace, and health, and they believed this man could give it to them. 

Jesus and the men looked around them to assess the situation. He spotted two boats on the lake. In a voice loud enough for His men to hear, He said, “Look at those boats!” 

Simon said, “Yes, they are mine. My fisherman over there, with the other one are cleaning their nets. Good idea, get into that boat and speak from there. I’ll tell my men that I’m here.” 

Jesus and Andrew climbed into the large row boat, while Phillip and Nathanael aimed to hold back the crowd to give Jesus some space.  Simon quickly  went over to tell his man what was going on with the boat and then rushed back to get into the boat himself. Simon and Andrew took the oars and pushed the boat away from the shore. 

“That’s good. Stop here.” said Jesus. 

The crowds of people were watching from the shore. Was He going to flee from them? Others sat patiently watching and waiting, knowing instinctively that what this young Man had to say could give them peace and strength to face their days, guide them gently away from self-inflicted misery. He could open their eyes to reality untainted by fear. They wanted that and they waited. 

What Jesus said to that crowd at the Lake of Gennesaret was for them, at that moment. It was not recorded. One hour later Jesus asked them to go back to their homes, kneel by their beds and individually seek the Lord God, and with fervor born of faith and inner sight to pray for continued guidance through this dangerous world. Gradually and in remarkable silence the crowd thinned out until there were only a handful of stunned contemplatives left. One of the stragglers stayed because he had no home of his own, the other because his home was filled with loud children and he couldn’t pray there. A woman refused to take her eyes off of Him. She knew the power of that moment and clung to it with every fiber of her being. There were no healing miracles that day. Just teaching that made invisible miracles occur in the souls of the select.
...

Meanwhile, back in the boat Jesus turned to Simon and said, “Let’s go fishing! Push out a bit. Over there”pointing northeast “and let down those nets into the deep.”

Simon replied, “Two problems. The good nets are being cleaned, and these are old. Besides, Master, my men said they sat here fishing all night, and took nothing.” Jesus didn’t reply, He just looked at Simon who after the pause added, “okay, as you say, of course I will let down the old nets.” And he and Andrew let down the old nets and secure them to the boat. 

By then the other boat was launched and the men who had been cleaning the nets came up to them to see what was going on. “Hey! What are you doing?! It’s mid day!” The hired fisherman  man shouted. Suddenly, Andrew felt a tug and the boat grew very heavy. So heavy that they were afraid it would sink. Simon and Andrew rushed over to where the nets were fastened to the boat and began to raise the net. It was overloaded with fish. “Hey help us! Our nets are breaking! We’re sinking!”

The other boat rush along side and let down their nets to allow the fish to swim into them too. The two boats together brought in the haul that was so great, that no one, especially on Lake Gennesaret, especially at midday had ever brought in. Such a catch, even to this day, has never happened.

When they managed to haul themselves, the boats, and the fish to shore and pulled in the nets so that swarms of fish 50 feet long and 20 feet wide were wriggling on the beach. 

Only then could all the men take a breath. The boats were safe, they were on land again. 

Simon Peter looked at Jesus who had been working hard alongside them. He fell to his knees and said, “Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” He was overcome with emotion.  

Jesus looking down at Simon on his knees and simply replied, “Fear not; from now on, you will be a  fisher of men. 

If there had ever been a doubt in Simon Peter’s mind, it vanished. Simon felt the change within himself.  He felt a noticeable softness in his heart, almost childlike innocence and acceptance of anything that he saw from Jesus, who upended the world he had known. Jesus presented him with a new mystical world where anything is possible. That was shocking and compelling. He wanted always to live there, to stay this way. He became hungry to know more. In his heart Simon Peter knew that following Jesus wasn’t just an experience, a vacation, it was a rebirth.  It was time to drop the Simon and to be called only Peter.

Peter turned the boat back over to his men, who were also still in shock, holding the cleaned nets. Now they knew why their master had to abandon his boats, even his whole fleet. These men, instead of feeling the joy of advancement in their profession, were humbled. Humbled and confused..

ALIVE: Chapter 119 Galilee

The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali

By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan

Galilee of the Gentiles

The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,

And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death

Light has dawned. Isaiah 9:1,2, Isaiah 42:7.

With the clean clothes that His mother had washed for Him and a belly full of her lovingly made stew, and a knapsack cash of fresh bread and smoked fish and honey, Jesus walked the Galilee Road from Nazareth to the Sea. Step by step He walked closer to His destiny. He was walking away from being the son of Mary and Joseph and toward His public life as the Son of God come to earth. He waited and prepared for thirty years in anonymity for this day, and alas it arrived. 

Having kissed His mother goodbye after dawn, He reached the sea at Tiberias by mid day. It was a familiar road. 

Jesus went straight to the synagogue surrounded by a fenced yard. Men, women and children gravitated there to pray or simply to talk with each other. This particular synagogue, being so close to the sea attracted many visitors to Galilee and many fishermen who brought their boats in during the hottest parts of the day. Did you know that fish form their schools, like students, at day break when the water is cool and like students they are hungry? In the heat of the afternoon, they disperse and submerge to find cooler water, giving the fisherman time to rest from their labors.

On this day the synagogue was busy. Jesus arrived and smiled to Himself seeing that the Father, from His manipulation of the sun and sea and hundreds of other details brought together a crowd to listen to Him teach. Jesus was recognized and greeted by several people who had known Him for years and were happy to see Him again. When He entered the building with the authority of a rabbi He went to the front and waited for His turn to speak. Those who had heard Jesus preach before looked forward to what He would say that day. With the fate of His cousin John the baptizer in the forefront of His mind, Jesus preached about repentance.

Surrounded by men of every age, and a few women, some standing, some sitting in chairs and children cross legged sitting on the floor of the synagogue to listen, Jesus spoke loud and clear with the knowledge and authority of a sage thrice His age. “Repent, for the kingdom of God is near. The first step that any doctor knows is to diagnose the illness. Look at yourself, not at others! As a man who sows in the sea and expects to reap a harvest, so is he who remembers wrongs done to him and prays. Look inward! How have YOU failed. How have YOU disappointed Yahweh?

If a man is ill and and recognizes his illness, his healing will be easy. Search your soul, listen to your thoughts and watch your behavior! Judge others as YOU would be judged. Repent! Change your way of thinking. 

Don’t expect instant praise and glory from God just for recognizing your sinfulness, or for an hour of repentance. 

Look at David, even after he repented of Bathsheba with tears and weeping, and God forgave him, he still suffered the war raised up against him by his son Absalom. Yet, in the strength that he gained from identifying his fault, he was able to withstand the pain of the real and dangerous threat. 

The David who yielded in such a conniving way to his lust would have killed and hated, but after his repentance, David, the child of God, accepted his suffering as deserved and did not cease loving his son. It was as if the harsh treatment of Absolom was the second phase in the lesson of repentance. Accept the penalty. It was the proof of his repentance that he offered to God. He who is chastised here, eats away at his own Gehenna.

There is no virtue more preeminent than repentance. For a man never completes the work of repentance. It is always suitable for both every sinner and righteous man who wants to gain salvation. There is no limit to perfection, for even perfection of the perfect is truly without completion. And for this reason repentance is bound neither by periods of time nor by works until a man’s death. 

If a man recognizes his sins and chastises himself, God will then take care to give him rest, because the Lord rejoices in that he, as a sinner, has passed sentence against himself for straying from the way of God; and this is a mark of true repentance.” He looked around at the crowd, reaching for the eyes of as many individuals as His own eyes could grasp in a few moments. Letting the pause allow His words to seep into their souls.

The holy silence was pierced with a loud voice that bellowed, “Ah! what have we to do with you, Jesus, the Nazarene?” The man emphasized the word Nazarene as an insult, paused and looked at Jesus who at first was taken aback. The heckler continued, “Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are,  the Holy One of God. The ugly filthy man who had been hovering in a dark corner of the synagogue for days walked up to Jesus and peered at Him with such hubris, oozing a thick air of superiority that would have melted the soul of a pious person, that would have triggered an argument or an insult from a proud person, but Jesus did not answer the man. Instead He spoke to the demon that controlled the poor sop. With the authority of a wise policeman He said in a strong loud voice, “STOP and come out of him!” 

All eyes were fixed on the heckler as they watched him instantly fall to the ground and start to squirm. For several moments the man writhed and then he was still. His eyes closed as if he had been sleeping. When They opened again the man was changed. He was no longer the heckler. A layer of dirty sweat vanished from his body.  He looked around at everyone gazing at him to see what he would do next. He wasn’t hurt at all. He twisted and pushed himself up with his hands. Standing before Jesus, he bowed his head and lowered his eyes, and whispered so only Jesus could hear him, “Forgive me.” Jesus placed His hand on the man’s shoulder in response. The purified man turned and went back to his place in the dark corner, to rest. 

The rest of the people were amazed, some hardly believing what they had just seen with their eyes. Some people remained silent, trying to process what they had seen, others started murmuring to their neighbors. “What was that? With what authority and power did that young rabbi command unclean spirits, and they obeyed? Have you ever seen such a thing?” “No, have you?”

Jesus then stepped down from the rabbi’s podium and walked out of the synagogue face forward, no stopping to recognize anyone. The audience too stood up and many quietly gathered their satchels and walked out, some to follow Him, others to go back to their work or homes, others lingered in the cool dark space to think or to pray. There was no chatter. There was much to contemplate as each hungry person searched his or her own soul for the food made by His teaching. 

It was time for the fishermen to get ready for the evening catch.

Jesus walked over to the harbor at Tiberias. He was on a mission to recruit His team of students (aka disciples) to mirror the twelve tribes of Israel, but this time His twelve would be a cohesive band of men who would learn from Him, serve and assist Him in His mission and then be sent into the world like seed cast on rich soil to multiply and cover the earth with Wisdom and Life.

While walking to the sea Jesus sensed that He was being followed by a young man named Phillip who had been in the synagogue listening to Him. He slowed down and let Phillip catch up, which he did. 

“Shalom. I heard You speak. I want to know more.” 

Jesus smiled with the confidence of a man who expected what was happening as if it was written in the script for the day. “You are welcome to come and follow Me. I am gathering disciples. You are the first. Do you accept?”

“Of course I do!” replied Phillip enthusiastically. ‘Wait, I see a friend over there by the sycamore, his name is Nathanial, can I call him over too? He is a great guy.”

“Sure, go ahead.” replied Jesus, again smiling to Himself that everything was going according to plan. 

Phillip left Jesus and walked over to Nathanael. “Nathan! Hello how are you!”

‘I’m fine, what’s up?”

“Were you just at the synagogue? Did you hear the young rabbi speak?”

“No, I just got in town. I thought I could find some work here. How long have you been in Galilee?”

“I’ve been here a few days. Listen! I think this young rabbi is the one whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote about! He is from Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

“You’ve got to be kidding! Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

“Come and see!” said Phillip.

Nathanael and Philip walked over to Jesus who was watching them and waited for them to come to Him. Jesus welcomed Nathanael by saying, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile!” Phillip chuckled at that because it was true. Nathanael could be so child-like. 

“How do you know me?” said Nathanael immodestly.

Jesus replied, “Before Phillip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 

“Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” exclaimed Nathanael. 

Jesus smiled and answered him, “Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, do you believe? You will see much greater things than this. You will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Nathanael was sold. 

Jesus said, “Come on, let’s go.” 

“Okay, said Phillip, let’s go!”

Jesus with Phillip and Nathanael in tow walked over to the harbor. Phillip was the first to spot two guys from his home town of Bethsaida, Andrew and Simon, who were rigging up their boat for the evening fishing. “Hello Simon!”

“Hey Phillip, when did you get in town?”

Andrew popped his head up and said, “Come on Simon, get to work.” Then he noticed the rabbi, Jesus. “Oh, hello, I saw you preach today. You re good. You speak with authority.”

Phillip was a little embarrassed that Andrew was speaking so casually with the man that he revered so highly.

Jesus was not offended and looked up at the brothers as if checking them off His list and simply said, “Phillip and Nathanael are my new disciples, join us too.”

Uncharacteristically Simon blurted out, “Yes! Sure.” Andrew confirmed, “Yes!” The truth is that these brothers had been discussing God and their concern that following in their father’s fishing business was not where they belonged in the world. Actually, they had been preparing for this moment for months and didn’t know it which explains why they jumped at the chance to do something else.

Simon went over to the first mate and directed him. “You know what to do. You have been in training for years. You have served my father well, continue in my place and he will take care of you.” Their father had his own boat and would find out later that his sons deserted the family business. 

The apprentice fisherman nodded joyfully at the raise in position that he humbly never expected. He bowed before his patron’s son and  thanked him profusely for the honor bestowed upon him. Just the week before his wife had given birth, his world had opened in unexpected ways. He was a man now, soon to be a father and now a full fledged fisherman!

Jesus, Phillip and Nathanael watched with pleasure the elevation of the young man. Simon and Andrew bid their mates farewell, and watched as their boat was launched and they went out to sea. Andrew looked at Jesus for approval. 

So that Andrew would have no regrets at the sudden and unexpected turn his life just took, Jesus looked Andrew in the eyes and said, “I will make you fishers of men. Come, let’s go.” 

Simon said, “Let’s first go my house in Capernaum to tell my father.  We can stay there and plan the next steps.”

“Okay.” replied Jesus. “Thank you; good idea.” 

The five men walked in a pack with a sense of purpose and excitement. They were leaving the life they had expected to lead since childhood and were walking into uncharted territory.  There was something inexplicable about this young rabbi that drew them. Nathanael called him the son of God, the realization of the prophecy of Moses. Those words just tumbled out of Nathanael and he didn’t know why he said it. Nathanael, as simple and as pure of heart as he was, sensed the auspicious day with inner excitement. He didn’t know what the future would bring, but he was sure that he was making the right decision to abandon his old plans, toss out his old expectations, open his heart to accept the unknown, and trust the young rabbi. 

As they walked in silence, each man filled with his own thoughts, his own perception of the moment, a young boy by the name of John and his older brother James were walking towards this band of men and recognized the rabbi. John clasped eyes with Jesus as he approached Him. Jesus flashed a facial greeting to the boy that stopped him in his tracks. His brother stopped too. 

“Wait a minute,” said Jesus to His new friends. Simon and Phillip looked at each other and then at James and John. Phillip shrugged his shoulders as if to predict that their group was about to increase. 

Jesus looked at James and John and waited for them to speak first.

“Greetings rabbi, my name is John, I heard you speak. You have the words of God in your heart.”

Jesus replied, “Join us, both of you. Become my students and I will show you wonders.”  

Neither brother could resist the invitation. This could have been the single most important moment of their lives until then and they sensed it. The brothers, the sons of Zebeddee looked at each other. James shot a slight nod to little John who looked up at him, and then a larger nod at Jesus and the four men with Him. James answered aloud for him and his young brother, “Let’s go. What are we waiting for? Where are we going?’ The rest of the men, chuckled to each other, and patted the backs of James and John welcoming them to the group.

“We are going to Capernaum, to my house.” replied Simon.

The six men walked in twos and threes for miles. Some in chatter, some in silent thoughts. Jesus knew their hearts, He read them by their appearance and by their souls; these men were born to be His disciples. 

Hours later the new band of brothers arrived at Simon’s house. 

“Wait here, while I go inside and let them know we are coming in.” 

‘I’ll come with you.” added Andrew.

...

Something new and different happened in Galilee and in Capernaum. Something the planet had never seen before. It didn’t start in Jerusalem, nor in Egypt. It didn’t start in London. Abraham never imagined this was possible. It wasn’t born into the world on the top of Mt. Ararat. Rock-hard laws of nature were about to be smashed. The offspring of the woman struck the serpent’s head with His heel. The great enemy of God, Satan who controlled the earth and humankind with corruption and decay recoiled at the presence of the Son of the Creator. The massive veil between heaven and earth was lifted and the energy of God circulated freely in Galilee in the man Jesus. 

The infant Jesus grew up as every infant born of woman does. He learned, He thrived, He blossomed from a bud into a pearl-white multi-petaled Grandiflora rose. He was fully human. There was nothing inhuman in Him, physically, mentally, or emotionally. At the same time He was so in tune with His Father, the Creator, the one true God that He became increasingly aware of the power of God over nature. 

Gradually as He matured into a teenager, a young man through many hours of conferring with His Father God on mountaintops and during sleepless nights in the darkness He came to learn the secrets of Life available to any human being who wants it enough to set their own ego aside and reach into heaven to touch the finger of God and receive the spark that ignited the first light and was the source of everything that followed. 

The first moment that Jesus discovered that He was able to heal, to reverse the corruption of illness, He was elated! How often He grieved as a child whenever He saw the suffering that illness brings and how He lamented at its effect on the soul of the person, whether it be another child, or a grown woman or man. He watched with great interest how often bodies healed automatically with little care, but with sleep or broth. He rejoiced at the marvel of physical design that restored health over and over again. But not always and He was curious about how to take a body the next step when it wasn’t automatic no matter how much care was given it. Then there were injuries, that gross violation of the construction of a man. And there were the demons to deal with. 

The boy Jesus learned about the power of the word, and the power of the heart for both evil and good. The people needed to see God again as Adam saw Him in the garden. Could He, would God venture out into the wilderness to where He had caste Adam and Eve? Yes. God expelled Himself from His throne room, above the heavens to enter into evil territory, the land where anger and hatred foment evil, where corruption thrives. This is the land of greed, of illness, murder, and exploitation, falsehood, tyranny, slavery and death. It was like taking a vacation to Hell. Yet, but in this cesspool flowers grow, and babies too, compassion is here, and generosity and love, the beauty of nature. The place strewn with fruit of the knowledge of Good and Evil. Have was become wise as a result as the serpent promised? That was a lie. It was the primal lie.

Simon left the band of men sitting in the square while he walked into his home.

“Hey! What are you doing here at this time of day? Are you sick too?” inquired his wife.

“No. What do you mean, ‘too?’” answered Simon. 

“Mother has a high fever, she is in bed sleeping.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Um...” Simon wasn’t quite sure how to tell her delicately that he quit his job and was bringing six men into the house for a meeting, so he just said it.

“What!! Are you crazy?” she replied. “No way! I told you that Mom is ill! I’m not having six men traipsing in this house to disturb her. Quit your job?! Have you told your father? At least he has Andrew to help him.”

“Um, Andrew quit with me.”

“Okay, so you are both insane. How are we to live? What will your father say?” She tried not to raise her voice to wake her mother, but she was furious. Simon was a little quirky but she never expected him to abandon her and his own father in one day.”

“Okay, I’ll go out and tell them that she is ill. We will find some place else to go.”

“You do that!” spewing anger as quietly as she could.

Simon opened the front door and walked down the steps to look for his new friends.  He walked around and saw them lingering around a stone fence. John and Nathanael were sitting on it. The guys were talking to each other, small talk to get to know each other. 

Simon approached and said, “I’m sorry but my wife’s mother is ill with a high fever so we can’t go into my house.”

Jesus replied confidently and with authority, “That’s okay. Let’s go.” and then He walked directly to the house and up the steps to the front door not giving Simon a chance to protest.

A little dumbfounded Simon rushed to be right behind Jesus when he went through the front door. 

His wife was folding clothes when she saw this stranger enter her home. She was a little shocked until she saw her husband right behind Him followed by a group of other men. She shot her husband an expression that would have frozen the bones of a corpse. 

Jesus said, “Show me where your mother is.”

The manner in which this Man spoke seemed to drain her of her ire, and she set down the garment she had just folded and ushered the rabbi to the bed room. 

Jesus walked over to the woman who was not asleep, but rather gazing at the ceiling, feeling her weakness and dizziness. 

He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her.  Immediately she sat up. Her eyes were clear, and she felt fine! ‘How is this possible?’ She thought. She was full of energy and gratitude. “Come my son, I want to prepare lunch for you. How about a little falafel? Would you like that?”

“Yes mama, I would like that very much.” replied Jesus. 

Then Jesus left the room to allow her to dress, and returned to the great room. His new friends looked curiously at Him inquiring with their expressions about what had just happened. Jesus simply said, “Supper will be ready soon. Who else is hungry?”

John spoke first he said, “How did you do that?” Jesus didn’t reply. 

ALIVE: Chapter 118, The Homecoming

Jesus hiked down the mountain and out of the lofty wilderness saturated with the Holy Spirit of God. When He arrived back in the center of Jerusalem, in the thick of the bustling world that He had observed from on high He broke His fast with plump fresh figs that He found on a heavily laden fig tree on His path. He picked several and carried them over to a bench under a big Sycamore and sat down to enjoy the first food He had eaten in weeks. The red sweet pulp of the fig was juicy and satisfying. He closed his eyes while He was delighting in it to enjoy the fig without visual distraction. Nothing before ever tasted so delicious. After eating all the figs, He was ready for bread. He stood up and walked over to the baker’s shop. The aroma of the baking bread lured Him in. ‘What can be heartier than a good loaf of fresh bread?’ He thought to Himself. 

Jesus looked around to observe the many people in the city going about their business, children playing and running, women hanging clothes to dry, carpenters hammering and sawing. Jesus loved life. 

Before leaving Jerusalem He went to visit the tomb of His grandparents Joachim and Anna. His mother had taken Him there whenever they were in Jerusalem. They would sit on the grassy ground and she would tell her Son everything she could remember about her parents. She still missed them very much and even though He had never met them, she wanted them to live strong in His heart. Without saying anything to His mother, Jesus silently promised that they would be among the first to arise from Hades. 

It was time to leave Jerusalem. Jesus went to make arrangements for the next caravan north. While waiting in line to purchase His fare, He overheard the men talking about the fate of John the Baptist.

“Did you hear that the Baptizer is in prison? They plan to behead him!”

“Yes, but why? What did he do?”

“I heard he didn’t do anything. His capture was the reward of a princess for pleasing the governor with dance. Her mother told her to ask for his head on a platter.”

Gasp! “What kind of evil world do we live in?”

“No one knows why God puts up with us at all.” was the reply of a life-hardened man. 

While waiting for the caravan, Jesus was deeply disturbed concerning John. Then He remembered that John had said, ‘I must decrease and He must increase.’ Nevertheless, the thought of John, the scruffy passionate servant of the Lord, being imprisoned and worse grieved Jesus. He prayed that John may meet his fate bravely and peacefully. In His meditation Jesus heard His Father tell Him to be at peace. Just as John was the forerunner of Jesus on earth who opened the door of the people’s hearts to repentance; just as he prepared the way of the Lord, so too must He be sent to Hades ahead of Himself to prepare the captives for their imminent release. With these messages from the Father, Jesus’ grief turned to peace and confidence that His infinitely wise Father knew how and when to transform evil for His purposes. Such manipulation of evil was never the preferred, clean and simple way. It was the shrewd way to victory. God always wins. 

The caravan of camels and donkeys, and of stately coaches was ready to be loaded with passengers heading north. Jesus mounted the donkey that He was directed to. The food strengthened Him. He was prepared for the several days journey back to Nazareth having a lot to think about. The trek was long and hard as it always was, six days and five nights as the beasts of burden walked from Jerusalem to Nazareth so that the men, women and children wouldn’t have to. Without complaint or argument the donkeys and camels quietly, complacently did their jobs for nothing more than grain and water as payment. 

None of the passengers could communicate with each other over the sounds of dozens of hoofs beating the ground with every step. Each man, woman and child traversed the miles and miles of road for days on end engulfed in thoughts, and when those were depleted still minds reveled in the sheer being of their own humanity and in nature. Sunshine, heat, sunset, cold, dust, less dust, breeze, no breeze. Nothing but being-ness. At planned intervals, the caravan stopped at camps for meals, and of course to feed the animals too and allow them rest. They set up their bedrolls at night and slept under the stars. The drivers built fires every evening when wood was available as their final task before taking rest. And yet from time to time the mass of passengers erupted in song. Jesus sang along with them. Music united the group, it cheered, it entertained, it filled the air with the life of sound bringing them slowly but surely closer to their destination. 

Finally, the caravan arrived in Nazareth on the evening of Shabbat. Passengers in the coaches emerged, donkey riders dismounted, camel riders slid down. Hardly anyone but a few children petted their beasts for thanks and said goodbye. More people shook hands, some hugged their fellow passengers who had become new friends. 

Jesus briskly walked away from the group as He was anxious to see His mother and father again. He hadn’t been away from them for such a long period of time before. Joseph looked so frail when he left. It was sunset when He approached the house. Jesus  walked in as He had done for years. Hearing Him enter, His brother James came to greet Him.

“Jesus! How good to see you. How was the journey?”

“Hello James” said Jesus a little surprised to see him there. “It was long as usual, but not too bad. How is father?” Then Jesus looked around at small differences He quickly noticed.

“A lot has happened since you left brother. Come sit down. Rachel,” hollered James, “fetch us some tea please.” Then turning back to Jesus, James announced, “Father passed away soon after you left.” 

Jesus was stunned by the news. He hadn’t expected it and wondered why His heavenly 

Father hadn’t told Him.

“Oh dear, where is My mother? Is she okay?”

“Yes, Jesus. Your mother moved back into her parent’s home and gave me this house.”

“James, do you mind if I go to mother now. I want to see her right away. We will have tea and talk more another time.”

“Of course,” replied James. “Go. She will be happy to see you.”

At that, Jesus picked up His satchel and headed out the door. On His way to His mother’s home, Jesus listened in His heart for words from His Father, but no words came.

When He arrived at His grandparent’s house, Jesus took a deep breath, and knocked on the door with His signature rhythmical knock that always announced His arrival, and opened it. 

Hearing Jesus’ knock Mary quickly rushed to the door. At the sight of her beloved Son, Mary flung herself into His open arms. They hugged for a good long while. 

Mary broke the silence, “Oh my Son, I am so happy to see You! Come let’s sit down. Are You hungry?”

Jesus knew that the answer His mother wanted to hear was, “Yes. I am, famished, what have you got?” 

“How did I know you were coming? I just made a lamb stew today. Come sit down my love. Oh, you will want to wash up first. Go ahead while I prepare our supper. Oh, my dear you’ll never know how happy I am to see you.” Mary was beaming, her heart was full of joy at the return of her Son. He looked different, older, wiser, stronger. Although it had not been two months since He left home, it felt like a year. So much had happened. Joseph passed away, she moved to her parents home. There where she was born, there she was weaned; to there she returned as a betrothed young lady, a graduate of the Temple School. To this home she ran after the announcement of the Archangel Gabriel. There was the bed in which her father died. No don’t look back! Here is her Son come home!

“Supper is ready!” 

Jesus entered the room fresh and clean. 

They sat down. Jesus, as man of the house, bowed His head and gave thanks to God for their meal, and expressed His gratitude for that moment. What a gift. A tear spilled out of Mary’s eye at the prayer that was as much her own; they were one in love with the Father God. 

After the prayer Jesus dug into His mother’s stew. Oh! So delicious! What a skilled cook she  was. Mary looked at her Son as He was eating, but couldn’t wait another minute to ask. “So, where have you been?”

Jesus gave her a brief summary of the baptism and the crowds of people there all seeking repentance. “Mama, It was amazing how many people sincerely wanted to be right with God they kept coming, and when I left, more people were filing in.” Jesus did not mention the announcement from heaven. Instead He told her about His hike in the wilderness, and communing with the Father. Neither did He mention wrestling with the sly tempter, nor His flight.

“And how about you, mother. Tell me what happened.” 

Mary described the shock of Joseph’s passing and the honors bestowed on the family by the village. It was her decision to move to her parent’s home; she was so happy to live here again. She was at peace, reading, visiting. And being visited. 

After supper, Mary said, ‘You must be very tired my Son.” I will make up the divan for you, and we can talk some more in the morning. 

“Thank you mama.” They hugged again and Mary withdrew into her bedroom, full of joy and peace having her Son under her roof. She fell asleep quickly and soundly as she hadn’t slept in months. 

Jesus only stayed in Nazareth with his mother for several days. He knew how much she rejoiced in His presence, especially at this time of bereavement. She told Him of her youth in the temple and how the Lord brought Joseph into her life; about what a gift he had been to her, to both of them. She was so grateful for her years with Joseph. Jesus too was grateful for His earthly father. Joseph taught Him to read, and how to study the scriptures. Jesus looked over His books and His grandfather’s holy books recalling many memories of precious times in mutual revelations as they studied together. When they weren’t working together building furniture, they were reading or hiking. Joseph became like a brother and a best friend to Jesus. 

Twice during those days back home Jesus visited Joseph’s workshop and relished in the aroma of the shaven wood. As He said goodbye to the shop, He knew He would never be a carpenter again. Yes, thought Jesus, He would miss Joseph, and mother will miss him too. 
On the Sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and stood up to read. He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book, which happened to be exactly where He wanted to read. Jesus smiled thanking the angel for saving him time from hunting for the passage. Jesus cleared His throat to get the attention of the gathered and in a clear strong voice He read, 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed Me

To preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted.

To proclaim liberty to captives

And recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. 

Then He closed the book and handed it back to the attendant and sat down. 

All eyes were fixed on Him. He hadn’t preached, He simply read. They wanted to know how this passage was relevant to them now. 

Jesus knew what they were thinking and simply gave them time for that reaction. He looked around at the curious faces hungering for Wisdom and satisfied them by adding in a clear loud voice, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

A few gasps followed. 

One man whispered to his cousin sitting next to him, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

Jesus said, “You will surely say this proverb to Me. ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum do also here in Your country.

I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you that many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when heaven was shut up for three years and six months, and there was great famine throughout the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 

And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

One by one the men in the synagogue began to comprehend the insult and grew furious.

A big burly man was the first to stand up. “We’ve heard enough!” And he went over to grab Jesus by the collar. Others followed in support. The group pushed Him out of their synagogue and shoved Him over towards the cliff, but He wormed his way out of the clustered mob and escaped back to His home. 

He quickly opened and shut the door behind Him.

“Mother, I’m home, but I’m afraid it’s time to leave Nazareth.”

“Why my dear, what happened?”

“Let’s just say, I know it’s time to move on.”

Jesus hugged His mother with a good long grateful hug for all that she had done for Him, and given Him. She wept in His embrace.  

When they separated, Jesus reached over to the table where a clean handkerchief lay; He picked it up and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, and said, “Let’s sit down and talk,”

.....

Jesus announced to His mother that He was going to Galilee, to the sea to begin the mission for which He was born. It was meaningful that this beginning, like His baptism in the Jordan would be at the sea. Water. ‘In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while the Spirit of God  like a wind swept over the face of the waters.’ In the beginning there was water. And again, the second beginning, ‘God blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, the human beings and the animals and creeping things and birds of the air; they were blotted from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark. And the waters swelled on the earth for one hundred and fifty days.’ Time and a half. 

So as in the beginning Jesus began His mission near the waters of the Galilee. The days of His youth and preparation were fulfilled. The world had arrived at the time of the third beginning. The time of restoration of man, of man’s relationship with his Creator. The time of teaching and of healing. He was ready.

On the morning that Jesus was to leave for Galilee, He and His mother spent a good long time in prayer together, the synagogue of two before the Lord. God the Father, His bride Mary, and His Son. She chanted like an angel, He prayed. The Holy Spirit filled the room with light. The true light that broke through and overcame the darkness on the first day, not the inferior light of the Sun and moon and stars that were created on the fourth day. This sacred illumination of the room happened at the height of day so that the neighbors could not notice, for indeed it was a very sunny day, and the whole village was busy with their work and their chores, while Mary and Jesus communed with God. The parting hug was a tiny tear drop compared with the flood of life they had just experienced.

Mary stood at the door watching Jesus walk away until He turned the corner and could be seen no more. And then she gently shut the door behind her. The grief of the days before Jesus’ return had vanished from her heart. Mary decided to make bread that day. And perhaps drink a little wine during supper that evening. She was in perfect peace. 

ALIVE: Chapter 117 Led into Temptation

After the 40 days of prayer and fasting in the wilderness Jesus was famished. Before He could return to civilization and a hearty meal, He encountered an invisible dark and diabolical visitor. It’s just like Satan to try to wreck the most powerful 40 day period since the Great Flood. 

Yet, it is not so surprising that after 40 days of fasting and communing with His Father that the tempter appeared, but rather what is surprising is that the scoundrel left Him alone during the 40 days. So strong must have been the power of the Presence of the Holy Trinity in that wilderness, that like a fly in the center of a tornado there was no chance at all that the demon voice could be heard. But after 40 days, like when the rains had ceased battering the Ark, and here, after the Father returned to His throne above the heavens, the serpent of old arrived at a kind of Eden to repeat its mischievous deed. It worked before. 

Again, it began with food. The devil figured that a hungry man who hadn’t even eaten a crust of bread for forty days would easily conflate eating with power as Eve had. 

Jesus was ready. The angels stepped back. 

“Do you want some company?” heard Jesus.

“Say what you have come to say.” He replied to the bodiless voice. 

Directing His attention to the stones at His feet, the voice said, “If you are the Son of God, command those stones to become loaves of bread.” 

Jesus looked down at the five smooth round stones at his feet. He did not reply right away, while He pushed the stones around with his sandaled feet. They reminded Him of the five smooth stones from the wadi that the boy David put in his shepherd’s bag and with sling in hand went to slay the giant Goliath who threatened to enslave the people of Israel again. With the blood of David coursing through His veins, Jesus heard an echo of the young shepherd’s faithful words, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”

Breaking the silence, eyes fixed on the stones at his feet, Jesus answered the voice, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’

Jesus beat the voice at its own game by associating the power of food to satisfy the body, with the power of God’s word, by which light broke through and overcame darkness. It was at that moment that Jesus understood as never before what it meant to be the embodied Word of God. With that Jesus realized how simple it was to ignore the pathetic power of hunger and of Satan.

Jesus was ready. His hunger translated in His Body as lightness and then freedom. Instead of being weaker, He felt stronger.  

Undaunted by this failure, the voice tried again, “Come with me, I want to show You something.” 

For the first time, and without any effort on His part but with sheer will He was able, like an Angel to leave His body in the wilderness and with His soul, the essence of His being, Jesus allowed the devil to grab Him by the arm and pull Him through the air. They landed on the pinnacle of the temple. He looked down at the City of Jerusalem below in awe. Jesus trembled as He had never done such a thing before since He became human. He looked around at the bustling streets, the vendors, the women and children. He saw life in its full bloom. Breaking His contemplation, the evil voice said, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” 

Hearing that, Jesus chuckled to Himself at the foolishness of the devil’s command, thinking that if He flew all the way from the wilderness to the top of the temple, how could He be harmed by jumping off the pinnacle? But Jesus, also knowing that the devil saw Him in His humanity, was trying to appeal to human vanity, a characteristic He didn’t possess. For when He condescended to leave the throne room of God to enter a vulnerable human form, and not a king but a vagabond so to speak, it was impossible for vanity to appeal to Him at all. 

Instead of mocking the voice or arrogantly pointing out its obvious foolishness, Jesus played along and simply employed the power of Scripture, the dynamic words of the Father and Creator God saying, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Shrewdly Jesus shamed the devil’s dare by answering it with Obedience. 

Unstopped by the second loss, the foolish tempter tried once more. He grabbed Jesus by the soul and took Him higher up, to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and said to Him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 

Again Jesus had to chuckle to Himself as if the two-time loser could tempt Him with all the kingdoms of the world, that the King of kings would someday already own in as much as any King can own his kingdom.  But again, in the humility that characterized the incarnation, Jesus simply replied that He had had enough of the foolishness and said, “Away with you, Satan!” And then calling again on the power of Scripture added,“for it is written, ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only Him.’” Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came to comfort Him. 

“Good job! I’m sure the Father was very proud of You there!” exclaimed several angels in unison.

Jesus heard the angels congratulate Him in His heart and smiled. It wasn’t so much the foolish appeals that the devil tried to tempt Him with, but rather the intensity of the flights and leaving His body, and overcoming nature in such a dramatic way that shocked Jesus and was the reason the angels had to come and minister to him. After thirty years on earth, the disembodied experience startled Him. 

“ Yes, I am human” He thought to console Himself. “And I know that no ordinary human could do what I have just done. But I remember that when Adam was created, he was given dominion over nature. So it is right that I could do that and more. I will have to learn how to economize the powers the Father gave to Adam, and now to Me. After all, I am the restoration of man.” 

“You really showed IT! Are you okay?” asked the littlest Angel. 

“Of course. What a fool. But, frankly I’d like to take a nap before we head back down. Is that okay?” replied Jesus forgetting His hunger completely. 

The littlest Angel replied, “Yes, You should rest. You aren’t used to that flying anymore. Take a nap. I’ll wake you when it’s time to go down and start your new job.” replied the Angel with a big smile. 

“Ahhh” replied Jesus pensively. “My new job.” And He took a deep breath of thin clean mountain air, and exhaled. “My new job.” Then He laid down on the ground and closed His eyes. Soon He fell into a deep restorative sleep. 

ALIVE: Chapter 116, The Wilderness Gate

Jesus walked away from the Jordan River, not sure of what He was to do next when He sensed a force pulling him to the outskirts of the Holy City, and He yielded to it. He walked and walked away from the river, away from the temple and away from the bustle of life in Jerusalem. 

Hours later He reached the wild. He entered a territory that was the home of beasts and murky darkness, where the tentacles of vines with their shouts of leaves clung to bare tree-limbs to hide the sun from the feet of man and beast. In the murky darkness resided all sorts of furry animals with sharp teeth and toenails, scaly reptiles, snakes, and creeping things that walk the earth. Jesus was unafraid. Confronted by a mountain His walk turned to a hike as He heaved himself up rocky ledges for hours negligent of hunger, or exhaustion. Obediently, Jesus travelled farther and farther away from civilization toward a place where He could commune with His Father without interference. 

This was the path of the prophets, the entrance to a space where they could receive their messages from the Almighty: Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Malachi, and scores of prophets and Saints. Away from the loud noises and static below, where even the need for food and sleep are shunned. Where passions are annihilated to reach a greater state of wakefulness. 

Climbing, Jesus felt like Moses ascending Mount Sinai through the cloud that surrounded it; where the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire. There Moses stayed for forty days to receive the history of Creation and the precious Commandments. With many steps Jesus contemplated God’s use of humankind to fulfill His purpose on earth. From time to time a gust of wind blew past Him. He stopped to let His pounding heart rest, and to pray. “Father, speak. I am listening.” 

At the summit Jesus set up camp and there He stayed, reminded of the innocent son of Abraham. Isaac, curious about why His father led him up there to make a sacrifice without lamb or goat. And yet, Isaac’s father carried a knife. But where was the sacrifice, thought young Isaac? Like Isaac before Him, Jesus trusted His Father without question. Even to the point of willingness to be killed. And perhaps this was what His Father had to tell Him. It was time for Jesus to learn the comprehensiveness of His mission. 

Like Moses Jesus was alone with God. Unlike Moses He was there to discuss the future and not the past. 

This unique forty day period was like a homecoming for the Son-made-man. The Logos, the Word of God, the intellect of God that resided in the flesh. It was uninterrupted time to receive instructions, perhaps even a greater measure of power, and wisdom. Not since the moments before His birth thirty years earlier had the Holy Spirit of the Son and the Father communed for so long. Without food or water, perhaps even without sleep, it was a brief time of departure from bodily needs. It was the time of reunion. 

...

There is thick black velvet curtain that hangs miles down from cumulus clouds, it stretches as wide as the horizon, and falls gently upon the earth. This velvet curtain hides the summit where the forty-day mystical reunion  occurred that prepared the thirty year old Son for His three year mission. Like the tithe, Jesus the Christ was about to sacrifice a tenth of His life. 

The hint we Aspiring Immortals have of what transpired between Jesus and His Almighty Father during those forty days in the wilderness can be imagined through the lives of the holiest people on earth, monks and Saints. The abandonment of the world for the sake of union with the Holy Trinity renders these men able to heal, to teach, to be victorious over lecherous evil. The lives of these men show us that Jesus was right when He said, “These things and more will you be able to do” and “If you say to this mountain it will be removed to the sea; ask whatever you will and it shall be done for you.” 

It is so easy to imagine that Jesus was exaggerating our capability. It is so sad to be disappointed when we are desperate to heal others, or to raise from the dead. It is so easy to think that it simply wasn’t true. 

On this earth, here and now, even while you are reading this there are a few selfless people for whom uniting with God through Jesus Christ was/is the focal point of their existence.  They achieved godliness known as Theosis. They heal, they read souls out loud, they see into the afterlife and are visited by souls with a purpose. Some become illuminated as on Tabor. These people are called Saints. Every believer is a saint with a small s. Every believer lives a degree of sainthood. The capital S Saint, proves that Jesus didn’t exaggerate human capabilities. 

I don’t dare try to imagine Jesus Christ’s 40 mornings, noons, evenings, and nights in the wilderness; it is only meaningful, and the purpose of this book, to note that those days occurred in this ordinary world.

Dear Reader,

Until this point in your reading, ALIVE has been a melding of fiction and non fiction. My aim  is to detail the events of the Bible in order to reveal more of the meaning of them.  I ask the Lord, or the Virgin Mary, or whoever is the subject of the story to tell me what actually happened so that I can be as accurate as possible even though what I write is buried beneath generations of time. The truth is that these stories really happened. I want to know more about what really happened and I want to tell that to you. What I discover in the exploration are fascinating links and insights that were waiting to be exposed for a fuller understanding of the glory and majesty of the Author of our lives and His Story. 

I try to place myself in a spiritual condition to receive, but I have no idea of my success or failure in that regard. I suspect that my stories contain elements of reality and elements of pure imagination. Some day I will face the Lord who will tell me where my embellishments were true, and which were not true. As with all the rest of my inadequacies, God, our Lord is tolerant. 

Yes, this writing has been a sacred adventure. However, what follows are true accounts of real occurrences. The miraculous is as real as the mundane. The reader who is not familiar with Saints and the power of their human lives should know about the capabilities of True Believers, warriors in the Spirit, that we may become humbled by this knowledge and reach. 

Through the lives of these two among hundreds of Saints, we see the aspect of life meant for all children of God and get a glimpse of our immortal future life, unencumbered by evil and blindness. 

As with Jesus in the wilderness for forty days, these men eat sparsely, often not at all, always fasting, and they never sleep through the night, but awaken in darkness to pray and to worship God. They seek no reward. For to do so would be to have the base attitude of a hireling. They devote their lives to God in awe of a him for they are able to perceive more and more of His majesty according to the measure of their sacrifice of pleasure, pride and willfulness. These are the men and women who are most ALIVE. To know about them is to get a hint of what transpired during Jesus 40 days in the wilderness. To intentionally unite with the all powerful God is to receive a teaspoonful of His extraordinary powers over nature. 

...

From the following books:

Saint Arsenios the Cappadocian By Elder (Saint) Paisios published by the Holy Convent of the Evangelist John the Theologian 2001

Background: Saint Arsenios was born and named Theodoros Annaitsalihos in about 1840 in Farasa, the most important of six Christian Villages of the region Cappadocia, Turkey. His father was a teacher, his mother’s name was Barbara. They had two boys who were orphaned in childhood. After an accident in which he was miraculously rescued by a figure that appeared like a monk, the child vowed to become a monk. He was raised by two aunts and was well educated. He taught abandoned children to read and write. At 26 he entered the Holy Monastery of Flaviana where he was tonsured and given the name, Arsenios.

Muslim Turkey oppressed its dwindling Christian Greek population. Gangs of young Turks would harass and harm the Christians who lived in continual fear of them. In fact, Arsenios had to teach in secret as the Turks insisted in keeping the Greeks down. Fortunately Orthodox Russia came to the rescue of the Orthodox Greeks, resulting in giving them some freedom by bearing down on the Turks whom they had fought for centuries. But because the village of Farasa was located on the outskirts of Cappadocia away from the protection of the other villages, the gangs were emboldened. 

At around 30 years old Father Arsenios  was ordained a priest and went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. When he returned to Cappadocia he went around to the various Christian villages to boost the morale of the frightened Christians. He gave them the strength to remain in their faith by curing the sick by the Grace of God. He cured both his people and the Turkish Muslims. The difficult conditions in which they lived was probably the reason Father Arsenios received the grace to perform all the miracles he did. When he cured the sick with the Grace of God, he made some of the Turks understand the enormous value of the Orthodox faith, teaching them to revere it rather than to scorn the Greek people. 

The following are a few stories from hundreds that describe an extraordinary life in Christ. 

One day, when Father Arsenios was going around to the villages with his chanter, the Turks prevented them from coming into contact with the Christians. He told his chanter, “Let’s get out of here and you’ll see, the Turks will come running to catch up with us.”

They had hardly gone a half an hour away from the village when Father Arsenios knelt down and raised his hand to heaven praying. Suddenly a tremendous storm hit the region with a great downpour of rain and a howling gale. The whole village was quaking. The Turks immediately realized their mistake and sent two mounted messengers to catch up with the holy men. They fell at the feet of Father Arsenios and begged forgiveness on behalf of the whole village. Father Arsenios forgave them. They all returned to the village, and Father Arsenios made the sign of the cross over the village at the four points of the compass.  At once the storm ceased. 

Although his cell was in the world, he managed to live outside the world, too by going into retreat in his cell to pray and read on Wednesdays and Fridays. These were the spiritually productive days because they sanctified the work of the other days. On these two days, the villagers in need of healing would take the soil from the threshold of his door and spread it on the afflicted part of their body and get well. In one account, a blind Muslim woman was dropped off at the home of Father Arsenios on a Wednesday while her brothers went into town. When a villager saw her waiting for the priest, she explained that the blind woman could not be seen on that day, and to take the soil from his threshold wipe it on her eyes. She helped her do that and the woman started to be able to see. She was so elated that she went to his door and started banging on it to see the priest. Father Arsenios opened the door. She begged for more healing; he prayed over her and her eyesight was completely restored. 

...

Some Turks who were sick considered themselves unworthy of asking Father Arsenios to read prayers over them, and asked for some ash from his censer. They dissolved the ash in water, drank, and became well. 

...

One day Father Arsenios had gone to celebrate the Liturgy at the Chapel of our All Holy Lady built high up on a cliff. After the liturgy Father Arsenios went out on the wooden balcony. A plank worked lose and he fell down the precipice.

A farmer saw his fall from the opposite side of the gorge, left his oxen in the yoke and ran to pick up what he thought would be the pieces. When he arrived he saw the body motionless, and went to touch it. Father Arsenios said to the farmer, “Don’t touch me, there is nothing the matter with me.” Father Arsenios was lying motionless because he was in rapture; just when he was falling, a Woman (Virgin Mary) took him in her arms, laid him down and left him. He got up,  climbed out of the gorge and walked up the 160 steps back up to the chapel to get his chanter and go home.

...

Things were so bad for the Greek Christians in Turkey that in Greece they eventually had to settle under the terms of the Treaty of Lausanne (1923), which made provision for the Exchange of Populations following the catastrophic Greek military campaign in Asia Minor in 1922. All the Greeks in Turkey were deported en masse to Greece, regardless of how many generations they had lived in Turkey, and all the Turks in Greece were sent to Turkey, both groups leaving their homes and their possessions behind. 

Months before the great Exchange a baby was born in Farasa. His mother was related to Father Arsenios, and his father was a just man, merciful and full of brotherly love. This couple had ten children. Saint Paisios was born July 25, 1924. When he was baptized, right before the Exchange, his parents wanted to name him Christodoulou, after his grandfather. But Father Arsenios said to his grandmother, “Ah, Hatzi-Anna, I’ve baptized so many children for you! Won’t you give one of them my name! And turning to his parents, he remarked, it’s right for you to want to leave a boy behind you to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, but don’t I want to leave a monk behind to follow mine!” And then he addressed the godmother, telling her, “Say Arsenios”. And thus he gave the child his own name and his blessing, and prophesied that he would become a monk.

Which he did and also followed him into Sainthood. This infant ultimately became Elder  Paisios who wrote the biography of Father Arsenios after interviewing all those he could find who had emigrated from Farasa who knew Father Arsenios, and he even returned to Turkey and the village to interview anyone there who had direct experience with him. He only recorded the most verifiable accounts and provided names for his biography of Saint Arsenios, snippets quoted above.

Saint Paisios of Mount Athos by Heirmonk Isaac published by Holy Monastery Saint Arsenios the Cappadocian, 2016

This book is a biography, diary, and a compilation of testimonies by hundreds who had known and experienced miracles in and through the life of Saint Paisios. 

The Elder recalled: “I was at Stravronika monastery one evening. As I was leaving, I came across a layman who wanted to speak to me outside the monastery gate. He started to tell me about his problems. It got late, and I was sick - it was the kind of thing where I could not sit and rest, and I could not stand up straight. Anyway, it got later as he spoke to me, and it finally got dark. For a second, I thought about how I was sick, and I wanted to stop. But then I said to myself, ‘He has got so many problems. Should I be thinking about myself?’ And so the layman  kept talking, and he did not finish until it was pitch black. The monastery gate had been locked, but he had somewhere to sleep - some cell he knew about.

“I took the trail going back to the hermitage. I started down the footpath, and there is a part that is narrow and steep. I did not even have a flashlight with me, so when I reached it I could not see, and I fell into some branches and bramble and got stuck. I could not see a thing, and my knapsack was around my head. ‘What should I do?’ I thought. ‘I will say Compline prayers.’ I started with the Trisagion. A moment later there was a powerful light - my head was glowing like a light bulb! It was like day all around me! I saw where I was, and I scrambled up and moved on. The light kept shining around me. My heart was full of heavenly exultation. I got back to my hermitage, got the key from where I kept it, and went into the church, and I lit the lamps; and then the light faded away.”

...

One night he heard the sounds of a violin and other instruments. Looking out the window, he saw the devil dancing. He motioned to the Elder to come out and dance also. Elder Paisios said the Jesus Prayer, and in a little while everything disappeared.

...

The stories of the miracles performed by God through His servant Paisios are amazing and inspiring. The reader who wants to believe that Jesus is fully alive and working with and through the servants of God, should find this fascinating book written by Hiermonk Isaac. 

...

After the 40 days of prayer and fasting in the wilderness Jesus felt hungry. Before He could return to civilization and a hearty meal, He encountered a dark visitor. It’s just like Satan to try to wreck the most powerful, meaningful and constructive 40 day period since the Great Flood. 

ALIVE: Chapter 115, Joseph

Her beloved Son Jesus had been gone for two weeks, the longest stretch of time apart from Him since His birth. How she missed Him. She missed His hugs, she missed waiting on him and washing His clothes and cooking His favorite foods for him. She missed laughing with him. He was so clever and He had such a wry sense of humor. She wondered when He might come back home.

Because her Son was God, Mary learned more about the Lord from Him than any other mother learns from her son, no matter how great and accomplished a son might become. Mary learned trust and patient endurance; she learned about listening and about the contrast between nature and spirit. In the last thirty years Mary learned more about God than she had learned through the Torah at school or since then. She was far from being the school girl, now in her mid forties, but she never grew out of her sense of wonder and awe. 

“I am still tired Mary.” said Joseph that morning as they were eating breakfast together in their quieter home. All of his children had moved out to have families of their own, and now with Jesus gone too the house was empty. There hadn’t been a need to escape to Mary’s family home for years. She would go there once every few months to dust and to feel near her parents, but even then, time was gradually moving Joachim and Anna further away from her consciousness. 

After breakfast Mary said, “My dear, why don’t you go back to bed. There is nothing that you were going to do today that can’t wait.”

“Yes, I will, but please don’t let me sleep too long, or I won’t be able to sleep tonight. I feel a little chill, do we have another blanket somewhere?” 

“Yes, we do, in the beautiful chest you made for me, remember?”

Joseph with his eyes looking back into a faraway time, said, “Yes. I remember making that chest for you my dear.”

“The carving is so intricate. You show much skill and patience in this piece. I have always admired it, and you as it’s maker.” 

“Thank you. Now fetch me that blanket.” Joseph was feeling weak and chilly. He was dizzy and wanted very much to go to sleep to not feel so badly anymore. 

Mary walked over to the chest and carefully opened the lid. She retrieved a blanket and went over to the bed Joseph had already climbed into. Mary covered him, tucked the blanket along the sides of his long old body, and then kissed Joseph on his forehead. 

Joseph answered her kiss with, “I love you.” 

And as always, she replied, “I know you do.” 

As quietly as she could Mary went about cleaning up after breakfast, and then decided to leave the home to let him sleep in peace. She went into the village to pick up groceries and perhaps she thought, she would visit a friend. She tried to be gone long enough to give him enough rest, but as he said, not so much that he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.

At around the sixth hour Mary returned home. She dropped her bags on the table and went into the bedroom to check on Joseph. He was still. She felt his head. It was cold! Mary was shocked! She sat down on the edge of the bed next to her husband, Joseph. She bowed her head and closed her eyes. “Oh my Joseph, where did you go?! Why did you leave me so suddenly?” She searched for his spirit in the darkness and saw him! He didn’t speak to her, but he appeared young and healthy. “Oh my Lord, receive your servant Joseph. I thank you so much for him. Please don’t let his soul linger in Hades.” Then she pulled the covers over his hardened white face.

Just as quietly as she had walked out of the house that morning, Mary once again gently shut the door behind her and walked briskly to the rabbi’s home. There was no time to waste, as the sun would be setting soon. The people she passed sensed her urgency, knowing how old and weak Joseph had become, they easily assumed the truth. 
...

The passing of Joseph was a major event in the village. Easily half of the people in Nazareth lived with a piece of furniture that he had made. Through his skill and talent Joseph imparted himself to them one by one. 

The rabbi quickly ordered his grandson to go tell the men to retrieve Joseph’s body and to  immediately prepare it for burial that evening.

Mary quickly walked over to James’s house. 

When he opened the door and took one look at Mary, he knew what she had come to say. Mary could not look James in the eye from sorrow. “Oh Mary, why don’t you stay here with my wife Mariam and I will tell my brothers and sisters.”

“Thank you James, but I will go back to our home. Tell everyone to gather there.”

James’ wife overheard and rushed to the door. She hugged Mary. “I’m so sorry. I will make something good and bring it over. Or would you like me to go home with you now; the children will be fine.” 

“No, I will see you later. Thank you Mariam.” 

The rest of the evening was surreal. Mary wasn’t sure of whether she was dreaming or awake. She hadn’t expected Joseph to depart so soon, so soon after they lost Jesus to the world. 

By the time she arrived at her home, Joseph was gone and the house was filled with visitors.

Mary gracefully played the part of a young widow. There was no time to think or pray until everyone would leave. Few people left and more and more kind and curious neighbors filled her home. A boy came running in, out of breath to announce that the rabbi was ready for the burial. 

Everyone filed out of the home and walked solemnly to the cemetery, where the hole was dug, and the rabbi was waiting for the arrival of the Mary and Joseph’s grieving sons and daughters.

There the congregation of the village prayed and wept, wept and prayed. Mary chanted with other soprano and alto voices chiming in to accompany her. The passing years had made Mary more beautiful than ever. Her voice had become like the sound of honey, sweeter, the tones rounder and more lovely than even when she chanted with her mother. The official canter bellowed out his part. The rabbi beseeched the Lord to receive the soul of their beloved with mercy and kindness. No one really knew what Joseph was experiencing at that moment. The friends and relatives of Joseph didn’t know what kind of a devoted man of God he was. Only Mary knew that a Saint was lying there still and breathless but with infinite life within him. Many believed he was just asleep. Others knew he went to Hades and was aware, but they didn’t know what that meant. 

God decreed that it was time for Joseph to enter into his rest. Joseph’s job was done when God proclaimed that Jesus was His Son at the Jordan that day, Jesus could call no man “father”. He had only one Father.

Mary no longer needed the ruse that she had a husband because even as God proclaimed Himself to be the Father, increasingly Mary, having been the vessel of God, was the original Bride of God. As the time had come for Jesus to have one Father, it was also time for Mary to have no husband but her Lord.

These were the thoughts that entered Mary’s mind at the end of the day when she was all alone in her home for the first time. Jesus was gone, and she didn’t know where, and she had no idea when she were hear from Him, or be able to tell Him about Joseph’s passing. Joseph was gone. Tearfully she thanked Joseph for his humble service to her. 

...

The first 40 days since Joseph’s passing when Mary stayed in seclusion may have been the most formative for her soul. She read and prayed. No one came over for concern of becoming unclean by entering the house of a dead man. 

When she had to go into the marketplace, she wore black and no one dared speak to her. She purchased what she needed and returned to her cave of a home, alone with Hashem in mourning. She wept, she read, she prayed, and she wept again. Never had she been so alone. Joseph was her angel manifested. He protected her, he walked beside her through dangers unspeakable. He shielded her from evil tongues when she had first become pregnant with her Son. He was her gift. For thirty years he stood and slept beside her while she grew up from a girl to a young woman and mother and now in her mature years. He was gone. Never to talk with her to give her his wisdom and counsel, to fix things, make things, provide for her, give her someone to confide in. Jesus was gone, Joseph was gone. She knew Jesus wouldn’t return home either. It was time to rely on God, Hashem, alone. 

She slept, she read, she prayed as if she was in the wilderness alone as was her Son, but she didn’t know that.

Often when she was hungry, she didn’t want to eat. Her tears were her drink. Her scripture was her food. But she did eat from time to time, almost mechanically without thinking, she would pick up a piece of hard bread. 

During one particularly lonely moment She asked God to bring Joseph back, or to make Jesus suddenly appear to comfort her, as she knew he was capable of doing. But no, this was not the time for miracles, it was the time to accept her harsh reality. 

On the morning of the fortieth day she woke up and felt light as if a boulder had been lifted from her chest. She no longer felt alone. She sensed that the room was filled with angels come to companion her. 

She washed her face diluting the dry salty tears with fresh water. She combed her hair and decided that it was time to visit his daughter Salome. 

“Oh mother, it’s so good to see you. Please come in. Let me get you some tea. I just made a loaf of sweet bread. How did I know you were coming?”

“I would like that. How have you and the children been?

“The children miss their grandfather.  We have gone to his grave almost every day to pray. They know that they will not see him, but we all feel his life flowing through our veins. Papa is with us. He will always be so.”

Mary hugged her step daughter and confirmed, “Yes, he was a very good

ALIVE: Chapter 114, Epiphany

In Judea twelve year old boys were boys no longer, but men. Young men. At twelve they went through a rite of passage, and in many cultures they still do. Childhood is over and it’s time to make one’s mark on the world.

On the day that Joseph and Mary found Jesus in the temple, like a young rabbi, He showed them that He was the man that Judaism said twelve year olds become.

In quiet subtle ways Jesus began to astound Mary and Joseph with His command of nature, small healings, walking on water. He wasn’t obvious and it wasn’t written, but He was who He was, from the day of His birth. The man Jesus was the second Adam. Adam was created in the image and likeness of God. The more one learns about the brilliance and power of God, the more one can understand the power and brilliance of Adam undefiled, and of Jesus. Yes, sadly, but purposefully Adam fell from grace; he was expelled from the garden of being God’s perfect image. His lack of trust, His disobedience separated him from his Creator and sent him away into a world of the knowledge of good and evil. 

Jesus, the young man, was in the fallen world but not of that world. He retained the innocence of Adam which explains His ability to heal and even to resurrect people from the dead. Nature was created subservient to man, and Jesus demonstrated that.

Over and over again Jesus amazed His parents. This is why it was written that when Mary and Jesus were at the wedding at Cana, and they ran out of wine, Mary said, “Do what He tells you.” They call this His first miracle. It was the first written miracle. She said that because He had been doing things like that for years. 

But Jesus was thoroughly human every moment He walked on earth. From twelve to thirty years old, he worked in the carpentry shop, came home and ate His mom’s delicious suppers. He hiked, He slept.

He was getting ready to show the world what God intended for mankind, and Most importantly, not to model it only, but He was getting ready to undo the expulsion from the Garden which resulted in death. His mission was to overcome death in humankind. He came to release the people in Hades from their prison, and to release the people on earth from the prison of ignorance, of evil, of powerlessness. There is only one Jesus, one Savior, one Messiah. One God. Jesus is His Son, and Jesus is God. Shocking, but true. 

For eighteen years, from twelve years old to thirty years old He worked, He studied, He communed with His Heavenly Father. 

Cousin John, Elizabeth’s son, grew up like a wild man who was obsessed with the great flood. After the flood, when God saw all the destruction, and Noah built an altar to the Lord and sacrificed burnt offerings to God, and He smelled the aroma, He vowed never to destroy the earth again. John pleased God by telling the people to go into the water as the doomed had during the Flood, but instead of dying, they should repent, and arise as reborn out of the water to change their ways of thinking and behaving. Baptism was the first step to undo death. It still is. Baptism is to be a victim of the Great Flood and to become a survivor of it as Noah and his family were, and to be blessed as God blessed Noah and his family, to go forth, be fruitful and multiply.

And the people came!!! They came in droves out in the wilderness that were the outskirts of Jerusalem to the Jordan River. Cousin John demanded their repentance and they agreed. He then submersed them in the River water and when they came back up for breath, it was their  resurrection from what would have been a watery death. 

…

“Mother, I am going to Jerusalem, to cousin John to be baptized.” announced Jesus one day. “I may not be back for a while.”

Mary replied, “But why? And why now my dear? Surely you don’t need to repent. Please don’t go. I will miss you.”

Jesus smiled because He knew that she didn’t really mean that. He walked over and gave her a big long hug. “Oh mama, my mama, I’ll never leave you. You know that. I live inside your heart. I’m there whenever you want me. Just call me.”

“But I won’t be able to feel your hugs when You go away.” she lamented.

At that Jesus gave her another bear hug and a big kiss on her cheek. “There, now remember that one!” 

“Let me pack you some food for your journey.” said Mary to be practical as a refuge from her longing for Him to stay. Jesus had been near her, in her everyday world his entire life of thirty years, except for those missing days in Jerusalem and a couple of trips to the sea. It was going to be a great loss and she knew it. 

“Make me a big bag of food, I don’t know when I’ll have a chance to eat again.” said Jesus to be kind and to give His mother something to do for Him. 

“When will you leave? Have you told your father yet?”

“Yes, we discussed it.”

“Okay Son. I suppose it’s time for you to go to work.”

“Thanks mama. I love you.”

“I love you too Son.”

“Never forget it!” He added. 

“I won’t.” she said and quickly turned to her kitchen to keep from descending into self pity.

The next morning Jesus was ready for His journey. He hugged and kissed His parents, and with satchel and backpack He set off for the morning caravan to Jerusalem. When they arrived several days later, Jesus asked if anyone knew where to find the Baptist. 

“I am going that way, to the Jordan River, but upstream.” said Seth another young man who was going on his own, having just the night before, contemplated his life and determined that he desperately needed a fresh beginning. 

“Good. Lead the way.” 

The two men walked and talked and walked some more in silence until they heard in the distance the resounding voice of John. They followed the sound to see a small crowd of people, some wet who had just emerged and some getting ready, one by one to be submerged. 

Jesus said good bye to Seth, and weaved his way to the bank of the river to wait His turn. 

John spotted Jesus, who he knew. Jesus saw that it was His turn and approached. John said, “I need to be baptized by You! Are You coming to me?”

Jesus replied, “Yes, please allow me to be baptized, because it it fitting for me to fulfill all righteousness.” 

John could not argue with Jesus, especially in front of everyone, although he still felt that he wanted Jesus to baptize him. So John put his right hand on Jesus forehead and forced him deep into the murky  water. He let go and then waited for Him to surface.

Then, the most amazing thing happened. The crowd was in awe as they saw the few clouds that were in the sky suddenly part, and a flash of lightening broke through the sky. Then they saw, they actually saw with their eyes the Spirit, the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on Jesus’ shoulder.

Suddenly and unexpectedly a booming voice was heard that said clearly for all to hear, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased.”

The people were shocked. John silently bowed his head and closed his eyes. After a very few quiet moments, John heard the people murmur and he raised his head. Jesus was still standing waist deep in the water. The Spirit was no longer visible on His shoulder. The clouds returned to their normal position. Jesus looked at John, who was slightly dumbfounded, and flashed Jesus a look that said, “I told you so!” Jesus smiled knowingly and simply answered, “Thank you.” Then He walked out of the River. The people opened the path for Him. They didn’t know what to say or do, so they did nothing. Seth looked at Him dumbfounded, and let his companion pass. 

Jesus picked up His backpack and satchel and walked away, many faces staring as he departed.

John went on and baptized the rest of the people waiting in line. John looked forward to the end of the day when He would pray and contemplate what had happened. 

Seth looked at Jesus disappearing in the distance and grappled with competing desires to chase after Him or to remain to be baptized. 

Many of the people who were there allowed the spectacle to dissipate in their minds, while others held it in their hearts but didn’t know what to do with it. They didn’t know what it mean for this young man to be the Son of God. Weren’t they all children of the Most High God?

ALIVE: Chapter 113, The Scare

The young boy, Jesus, almost eight years old, slept soundly that night enveloped in the love of His Father, and his tummy filled with the most delicious meal His mommy had ever made. It felt like a birthday party, but it was just the three of them in grandparents’ house. After supper they prayed together, Joseph led the prayer his head bowed low, “Lord God, mighty wonderful Lord, Creator, Counselor, Healer, Teacher, Comfortor, Holy Wisdom, You fill our hearts with joy. You have chosen this time to reveal yourself to Your only begotten Son. We are humbled, His mother and I to care for His healthy little body. What joy it must bring you Lord to watch this child run and play. When I look upon Him with Your eyes my Lord, I shrink. I melt before You. Now that You have revealed Yourself to Him, guide Him, and guide His mother and I in the way He should grow, to serve You, and to carry out the mission, the purpose for His life, whatever it is. We trust You Lord. Amen.”

Joseph looked up and saw Mary’s face, which she too had raised, glowing, tears had welled up from her heart and spilled out of her eyes. Then Joseph looked over at his Son, his little Boy. He was radiant, He looked strong and confident. If He could have been able to express how He felt at that moment, He would have said that He felt more like Himself than ever before. The announcement from God was more like a gentle greeting than a shock. It was words given to Spirit. It was love putting on a cashmere sweater. 

They slept there that night, and when Joseph and Mary woke up the following morning Jesus was gone. This didn’t surprise Mary. She knew that at first light the boy had gone to His mountain. His world was new and He was eager to speak with His true Father. There was so much to learn.

After that day, Jesus spent time, His precious time playing ball with the neighboring boys, or working with Joseph in the shop, learning the trade, or reading, or hiking. He climbed the mountain range from different trail heads for variety. Sometimes He took a book in His knapsack and spent all afternoon reading at the top of the mountain. His parents didn’t have to tell Him to keep the secret. No one, except Mary and Joseph could ever understand, or would know how to relate to the boy if they knew how unique He was. Unique, but as normal as any human being can be. It was a mystery, a mystery that only Jesus, even being the young boy He was, could comprehend. 

As He grew in stature, He grew in wisdom. As Jesus got older and because His parents trusted Him not to get in trouble He gained independence, spending more time with His friends, or in the village than at home.

Now every year the three of them went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. A group of villagers from Nazareth travelled together, some walking, some riding their donkeys. Often the children preferred to walk and sometimes race each other.

His mother would never forget the year He was twelve though, when they left him behind in Jerusalem. The group was particularly big that year, the weather being ideal, and the people forming one big group rather than two or three smaller groups which was sometimes how it went. On their way back to Nazareth, they were so used to Jesus’ independence that a day and a night of travel went by before Mary who was riding her donkey asked Joseph on his colt beside her, to go around and look for Jesus as they hadn’t seen Him since they left Jerusalem. Joseph pulled his colt out of the position he was in the pack and rode up and down the group, asking if anyone had seen his Son. He saw His friends and thought surely the child would be among them, but he wasn’t! 

When Joseph was sure that Jesus was not with them, he mustered his courage to tell Mary. He rode back up to where she was and signaled to her to come out of the pack.

When they were a short distance from the group, and stopped. Mary looked at Joseph quizzically. “Where is He? Did you find Him?” 

“The boy isn’t here. We need to go back.” said Joseph trying to sound matter-of-factly so as not to alarm Mary. 

“What?!!!! Are you sure?” she replied. 

“My dear, I have asked everyone. No one has seen Him, not even His friends. We need to go back to Jerusalem.”

Mary said a quick prayer in her heart, and then she said, “Okay, let’s go, but let me find Ruth first to tell her, just in case He turns up.”

Joseph and Mary headed back in silence, just the two of them and their loaded colts. As much as they loved the Lord and trusted Him, and they loved and trusted their Son, they couldn’t help but worry. Each parent replaying in his and her mind the last time and place he or she saw their Son. That didn’t help. They were already so far away from Jerusalem. They had to camp one night. That mean it was two whole days and nights away from Him. They felt guilty and irresponsible, but they didn’t argue and blame each other, and Mary was glad for that. It wouldn’t have helped them find their boy. ‘Where could He be? Was He alone and looking for them? Was He afraid and crying in the streets?’ 

Joseph and Mary finally arrived in Jerusalem, the big city, around noon. They were hot and dusty. They didn’t know where to begin to look. 

“Let’s just stick together.” said Mary. “Where should we go first?” They went to the center of the old city within the Sheep Gate and decided to simply sweep the city from one end to the other. Hours later, they had gone to the opposite end with no luck. ‘He must be starving by now!’ thought Mary.

“Let’s go to the temple.” said Joseph.

“Yes, the last resort.” replied Mary exhausted from worry and looking.

They dismounted their donkeys, tied them up and walked into the temple together. “At least we can pray in here.” said Mary.

Joseph was the first to spot Him sitting and talking to a group of grown men. He didn’t look concerned in the least, but just as natural as could be, as if everyone in the world knew exactly where He was. Jesus couldn’t have been happier. He was in His element sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. All who heard him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. 

When Mary spotted Him too, she was astonished. Joseph and Mary approached Him and Mary, not at all concerned about overreacting in front of the teachers shouted, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.” 

Jesus calmly replied, “Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 

Mary and Joseph looked at each other and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. They were so relieved.

“Come Son, we need to get back home. Please excuse yourself.” said Joseph.

The family exited the temple with as much dignity as they could muster after making the scene. Jesus hoisted himself on Joseph’s donkey and they rode over to the depot to see when the next caravan was leaving for Nazareth.

“We are losing Him.” whispered Mary to Joseph. He gave her a hug and they went to find supper while waiting for the caravan to take off. 

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.

ALIVE: Chapter 111, News by Camel and Angel

Joseph was focusing on an intricate carving on the back of a chair for the mayor of the village when Mustafa rushed into the workshop! 

More than three years had gone by since Joseph and Mary and their Child had come to the village. By now they were speaking to each other fairly fluently in a third language which was a combination of words from each, and through hands, eyes, and facial expressions.  The villagers had grown very fond of their Jewish aliens, and respected their diet and other rituals. Mary and Joseph tried very hard to be good neighbors by sharing their talents and culture. Neighborhood children loved playing with baby Jesus and toddler Jesus as He grew up. He was learning their language, better than His parents, but was also fluent in Aramaic. All was well. No strife, no hardship, no problems. Mary and Joseph balanced their longing to be in Nazareth with appreciation for their safety. They assumed that Herod thought he had successfully murdered the infant king, and had no tantrums since then, although he never knew for sure. How could he? No one challenged his authority. After three years had gone by in relative peace, he forgot about the whole matter. The mothers and fathers of the slain children never forgot, but being subservient could not retaliate in any way. They simply cried and prayed, and prayed more asking for God’s explanation for why He allowed this to happen, and cried because the answer never came, only the sense of loss that haunted them.

Mustafa was pleased with himself for being the bearer of news. Herod was dead!!! He rushed into the workshop to make the announcement, not thinking that it would mean the loss of their special immigrants.

Joseph looked up from his work to hear the news. Oh my! This means we can go back to Palestine! To Nazareth! Simultaneously Joseph remembered the dream he had the night before, when the angel told him of the death of Herod and that they could return. How strange that he had forgotten the dream until Mustafa reminded him.

Joseph acknowledged Mustafa, and the news, but then worked on absorbing the information into his mindset. It was another watershed moment that he was not expecting. Joseph realized that he needed to be flexible to God’s guidance. It was time to move again, just as he was finally settled into his new life in Egypt. He didn’t feel like his name sake, Joseph, he was no governor, but he definitely felt related. In fact he never felt more like a Joseph than he did in Egypt. He thought about Joseph’s mother Rachel, and how she longed to have a son, and that Joseph was the gift of many years of patience and faith. But how it must have broken his mother’s heart when he was lost. How the grief killed her. Rachel taught him that he must not demand to know God’s will immediately. Trust. Joseph continued to work on the carving while thinking and preparing for the next move. 

Just before sunset, at his usual time, Joseph put away his tools and swept the floor. He walked home as he did every day at the same time. He walked into his home, and greeted his cute Baby boy. Jesus looked up as He heard the door open and beamed at His father. Then he proudly demonstrate his ever increasing skill of running toward him cheerfully to greet his dad. As was his response to so much love, Joseph held his arms open wide for his little Boy to run into them. The he lifted little Jesus way up high and listened for his gleeful giggles. “More daddy! More Daddy!” Three more lifts was Joseph’s limit. Mary was at the stove, stirring her stew, oblivious to the news of the day. Joseph set Jesus down, and walked over to his wife. She received him lovingly and they hugged. 

Joseph wasn’t quite sure when to tell her the news. He waited until after supper. Even though Jesus was eating solid food, after supper, she washed him, and put on his nightgown. Then she laid down with Him while Joseph washed the dinner dishes. 

Once Jesus was fast sleep, Mary gently removed herself from the family bed, and went into the parlor to spend time with Joseph. 

“I have news.” he announced.

“0h yes? What?” Replied Mary. 

“Herod is dead. We can go home now.” Joseph looked at Mary for her response. She was quiet and pensive as she too needed time to process the news too.

“Well?” said Joseph after several moments. 

“Okay.” replied Mary. “Let’s talk about this tomorrow. Let’s pray now.”

“Good idea,” said Joseph.

Mary and Joseph went to their prayer rug, Joseph grabbed his books and the couple prayed, and prayed, longer than usual before getting ready for bed. Then, individually they tried to listen for direction. Joseph needed to finish the chair. Mary wanted to sort her belongings for what she wanted to distribute to her friends aNd what she wanted to take for souvenirs. Egypt had treated them well. The future was a mystery, and she had to prepare herself spiritually and psychologically for the great unknown. Do they know anything about Herod’s son? They couldn’t know until it was too late.

Jesus celebrated his 4th birthday in the village. Everyone came out for the event. Joseph amd Mary hosted the whole village. After the cake cutting they announced that they were going back to Palestine. By then, everyone in the village expected this, but were all very sad to see them go;  the family had been such a source of entertainment and benefit for the village. 

The day came, when their bags were packed and the donkeys loaded for the journey back to Israel.. Joseph said he was glad not to have to walk through the Red Sea again.  Mary poked him with her elbow at the bad joke. 

Hugs and kisses went around the village square as their Jewish aliens were departing. Some. tears fell, but there was more excitement than nostalgia on that day. Except for Fatima. Fatima was losing her lifeline. She had come to really love Mary and Jesus very much. She didn’t know how she could smile again without the joy that the little boy brought to her and the company and relationship with Mary who had been like a daughter. Fatima’s mother had passed away the year before. Mary encouraged her to reach out into the community and to find someone that might need her even more than she thought she needed Mary and Jesus. Fatima told her that she would try, but that it didn’t keep her from grieving. “Mary, there is no one in the whole wide world as special as you and your little boy.” 

“Don’t be silly Fatima. I will miss you too.” Just then Jesus ran up to her and climbed onto her lap to give her as big a hug as He could with His little arms. Fatima wept and hugged Him back. Jesus laid His little head on her chest. Fatima calmed down and closed her eyes to fix the feeling in her mind. Suddenly, a feeling of peace and warmth came over her such as she had never experienced in her life. She had a sense of comfort and optimism. She was able to let go, somehow feeling that her little family would always be with her in her heart. She looked at the little boy curiously, as if to ask, “How did you do that?”

ALIVE Chapter 110, Toddling in Egypt

Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.” Matthew 2:13-18 

Baby Jesus woke his parents up at the crack of dawn as usual. Joseph and Mary looked around the room and quickly remembered that they were in Egypt! Neither of them had ever left    their homeland before. They didn’t speak the local language. All they had with them was what they could carry in their satchels. But they felt safe and that was important.

“Let’s go for a walk.” suggested Joseph. It was time to get situated in their new home. 

Mary washed her face and hands and then cleaned up the baby in the bowl of water they were given with the room. The family dressed for their first outing. After Mary put the baby in the sling, they were ready to explore their new world. 

It is still the second day of Christmas in the compression chamber. From the time of the presentation in the temple to the third day of Christmas two and a half years have gone by. 

In this little Egyptian village foreigners, especially a family with a baby were very obvious. But babies are always a draw! First young girls came up to see the cute little face of the foreign baby in the sling. Many smiles and nods were exchanged. Some sneers. Joseph looked proudly on the scene as they soon became enveloped in a crowd of curious women and children. The young men and older men looked from afar, but were no less nosy. 

Joseph broke away from the group to speak with two of the most clean-cut men who were sitting at a table sipping their coffee and chatting with each other. They looked up at the foreigner approaching them. The older man said in his language, “Who are you? Why are you here? Why did you bring your wife and child?” 

His companion replied to him while Joseph looked on, still standing, but not understanding him, “Didn’t you hear that the Roman Herod went mad and is having all the baby boys murdered. These people must have escaped.” The old man looked at Joseph approvingly and smiled and nodded. Joseph replied with his own nod, not knowing what he was nodding about.

Then he said in his language loudly and clearly as if that would make it easier for the men to understand, “Is there a vacant house in this village?”

Joseph spoke so loud that a passerby recognized the language and approached the men. He replied to Joseph in broken Aramaic, but it was enough for communication. 

“Greetings sir. I understand that you are looking for a place to live. Perhaps I can help you. “

Joseph was relieved to have found a person with whom he could communicate. 

“Thank you.” Then Joseph gestured to the men sitting at the table with a nod and a wave, that he would join the other man with whom he could speak.”

“My name is Joseph. My wife and child need a home. Can you help?”

“I cannot, but I know someone who may be able to. Come.” 

“Thank you, first let me get my wife.”

They walked over to where Mary was still surrounded by women and children cackling to her and admiring the Baby. By then Baby Jesus had been removed from the sling, but Mary was still holding him tightly, and would not allow any of the begging women to hold Him. 

“I must go, my husband wants me. Thank you. We will see you again soon!”  And then she squirmed her way through the two layers of curiosity, and until she reached Joseph.

Joseph reached for the Baby, seeing that Mary needed to recover. Meanwhile, Baby Jesus was still calm and curious Himself. Then he turned to his new friend, and with a free arm, tapped his chest and said, “Me, Joseph”

The local replied with the same gesture, “Me  Mustafa. Come.”

Joseph and Mary, followed Mustafa to a home at the third level of the village. He knocked on the door. They waited, knocked again, waited more, and knocked more.

Finally, a man with three missing teeth opened the door. “Mustafa, what do you want?” 

Mustafa explained the predicament of the foreigners and asked if he knew of a vacant home, “How about next door to Fatima? Her mother came to live with her.”

“Good, thanks.” Replied Mustafa. 

Joseph sensed that a solution to his housing problem was being solved.

Mustafa signaled for the family to follow him. He walked briskly as a man on a mission. Mary struggled to keep up, but she thought that as long as she could see them, she was okay. The baby was being cooperative and quiet, eyes wide open bobbing up and down with Mary’s steps.

Mustafa stopped at a neat one-room block building, and knocked on the door. A gaunt woman wearing black, with a black head covering opened the door ajar and looked to see who it was. She quickly recognized Mustafa as a friend and opened a little wider. “Mustafa, how can I help you?”

Joseph stood back a ways, waiting for Mary to catch up.

Mustafa explained in their language the situation with the Roman in Palestine, and that these people managed to escape. They were looking for a home.

“Do they have money? “ she asked.

Mustafa turned to Joseph who looked up and went over to him. “Do you have money? Pay?” And with his fingers made the universal sign for money. Joseph nodded. Yes. He didn’t know how long the gold coins would have to last; then he remembered how the Lord would care for them. Surely the gold would last as long as he needed it to. He reached into his robe, and felt around until he found a coin he stashed there, and pulled it out to show the widow. 

Fatima perked up as if her prayers had been answered. A strong man, a baby, and a young  woman. Yes, this was a blessing that she never could have imagined. Fatima, asked them to wait as she shut the door. 

She returned several moments later with they key to her mother’s house. She squeezed out the door to keep it shut and weaved past Mustafa and Jospeh. She stopped at Mary and smiled and nodded bearing up to the jolt that stabbed her heart with the memory of her son who died in childhood. Indeed, except for her aged grouchy mother Fatima had no one in the world. She wanted to believe in a god, but how could she after all the suffering she had encountered?

The men caught up. By the time they arrived at the house Fatima had the door open. It was neatly furnished but very as dusty as a room that hadn’t been opened in a century. 

Mary quickly surveyed the space with her eyes and, being the optimistic person she was, she marveled at how much nicer it was than the barn, and roomier than the rooms she had been living in since coming to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Mary was so happy that she wanted to hug Fatima. She sensed the deep sadness in Fatima and looked forward to befriending her. 

Joseph thanked Mustafa, who decided that his role was over, at least for the time being and excused himself. Mustafa was wrong. Joseph and Mary needed an interpreter. Joseph handed Fatima the coin. She lit up. 

...

Indeed these years were the highlight of Fatimas life. Mary became the daughter she always wanted. Fatima cleaned and dusted the house, and then helped Mary go shopping for food in the village. Fatima did all the bartering. Fatima loved playing with the Baby. In fact, she was the first to watch Baby Jesus take his first steps. They all cheered as the toddler, who was clearly the king of the family as always the center of attention toddled and fell, and got himself back up again. Sometimes he cried from frustration but usually he was a cheerful little boy, just like his mother. 

Joseph soon found the local carpenter and befriended him. He watched him work and gave the man tips which he gratefully accepted. What he liked best was when Jospeh demonstrated new techniques. Soon, Joseph was getting his own projects and earning a living for his family. 

 Mary Jesus and Joseph blessed their home in Egypt with their presence, and were grateful and blessed for the safety, security, and love they received in Egypt. 

ALIVE: Chapters 109, His First Forty Days in a Body

Divided evenly, each of the twelve days of Christmas in the “compression chamber” lasted two and a half years, however, Day One, the first 2 1/2 years, actually the first 40 days was the most action packed time. Although I would want to write one Chapter per Day for each of the twelve days of Christmas, in Chapter 108 I stopped after the circumcision to let it sink in because it was too powerful to go on.  Imagine that God, the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, was circumcised to fulfill the covenant between God and Abraham. The covenant was that God vowed to make the 99 year old childless vagabond, the father of many nations and kings, and would possess the land currently occupied by the Cannaanites. Jesus, the king of kings, was the one to bring father-Abraham most of the nations of the earth. If God can make a 99 year old childless man the father of many nations, He can do anything! If God can give a vagabond a whole country, He can do anything. But God didn’t do this all alone. He required the faith and righteousness of Abram. 

... 

After leaving Esther’s home the little family was full and content. She had prepared a feast and brought in friends to celebrate the bris of this sweet little family from Nazareth. Welcoming strangers is a mitsvah, a good deed. After the party Joseph, Mary and Jesus went back to their room at the inn feeling content and sleepy. They were glad that the following day would be the Sabbath. Mary tidied up their room, Jesus slept, Joseph read.

When they woke up the next morning Joseph decided that the time was right for the conversation he had been meaning to have with Mary. While she was nursing, Joseph said, “When should we leave for Nazareth? We can make the presentation there. I’d like to get back to my work. Besides, what if Rachel is planning her wedding? I think I need to be there.”

Mary replied, “But we are so close to Jerusalem. How can the Son of God not have His presentation at the Temple my dear? It is fitting. We must stay down here until the presentation and then we can go back, okay?”

“Oh, of course, I didn’t think of that.” replied Joseph sheepishly. 

Mary added, “We can leave for Jerusalem whenever you want though. In fact, I’d love to go home to Jerusalem. We can check to see if mother’s house is occupied, if not, we can stay there. I can show off my baby to my house Mother and my friends at school!” 

“Aha!” said Joseph, “You are a shrewd one my dear. Okay, but promise me that we can return to Nazareth the day after the presentation, or even that afternoon.”

“I promise.” said Mary thrilled with anticipation that they would be going to Jerusalem, and then she switched sides so the Baby could suckle the other side.

Joseph said, “I will go out and look for transport, and let the innkeeper know that we will be leaving, and settle our account. We may have to wait for transport. It is still pretty busy with the census, I don’t know if I can get a coach, but I’ll try.”

“Thank you dear, I love you.” smiled Mary very pleased with her kind and accommodating husband.

“I love you too my dear.” replied Joseph matter-of-factly.

“I know! I can tell” said Mary with a big smile in her sparkling eyes.

Joseph put on his cloak and exited the room shutting the door gently behind him. Mary hummed as her Son nursed. She was excited about visiting her friends and shopping in Jerusalem. It was time for a new frock. 

Baby Jesus fell asleep nursing. Mary stopped singing and sat quietly holding him in her arms. She was afraid to put him down on the bed, lest she wake him. As she sat paralyzed in her motherliness, she wondered if her Baby was dreaming, and what He could be thinking, being the Wisdom of the Ages. She also thought of leaving Bethlehem. She would go visit Esther to let her know, and say good bye to the kind staff of the inn. She had to pack. 

Several hours later Joseph came storming into the room surprising Mary with his jubilance. “Mary, you’ll never believe this! I secured the coach that I built! It was the very one that attracted the priest and brought us together!” 

Mary laughed with her husband. “Our Lord never ceases to amaze us. How did He do that?!” added Mary joining in Joseph’s jubilance, “You know, I have never seen this coach. It must be beautiful!”

“I must admit, it was one of my finest pieces.” 

....

The little family left for Jerusalem three days later. As the coach was driving away from the village, Mary looked back at the town and thought to herself, “Oh Bethlehem of King David, and now Jesus, oh humble but magnificent village!”

The trip was very short compared to their journey from Nazareth. Both Joseph and Mary were glad for that because the Baby cried loudly most of the way. She didn’t know why and try as they did to comfort Him, nothing worked, not even offering suckle. The driver was most annoyed and they could tell that he speeded his camels. Even the camels didn’t mind galloping to Jerusalem, which made the ride bumpier and the Baby cry louder.

By the time they arrived, everyone was frazzled as frazzled as could be, except the Baby who, wide-eyed and alert, looked around at Jerusalem. What a new vantage point?! Of course the Baby didn’t know why He was so fascinated by the big city, having lost all memory of its founding and its kings and temples, but deep down inside the Child there was a subconscious sense of the profound relationship He had and would have with this sacred city.

The coach driver said good bye tersely. Joseph nodded. 

A young boy with his cart ran up to the family, spotting their satchels and offered his services which Joseph kindly accepted. 

“Let’s go to the realtor to find out if mother’s house is occupied.” suggested Mary taking charge in her town.

“Yes, do you remember where he lives?” asked Joseph

“Of course.”  she replied. Mary was glad to be home. She longed to take her baby to visit her parent’s tomb to introduce their Grandson. 

“Look who’s here,” said the realtor when they arrived at his office. “Why if it isn’t Mary and with a Baby!!!” 

“Mary blushed and said, “Is mother’s home vacant? We just arrived from Bethlehem where we had to go for the census, and there our Baby was born. I want to stay in Jerusalem until the presentation, and then we will return to Nazareth.”

“I’m afraid it is occupied my lady, but I will find you shelter. Remember the rooming house where your parents stayed when they would come to visit you as a child? I know the man who runs it now. You stay here and rest, my wife will take care of you and I will run over and ask.”

“I’ll join you.” said Joseph.

“Come, let’s go.” replied the realtor.

The two men walked briskly through the busy streets of Jerusalem and arrived at the boarding house. Fortunately, the proprietor was there. “Shalom! What have we here?”

“Shalom. Do you have a room for this man and his wife and infant?” 

The proprietor looked at Joseph to size him up and grimaced that he appeared too old to have a wife and child. Betraying his own thoughts he replied,”Yes, as a matter of fact, I had tenants leave room 3 this morning. How long will you be needing the room? “

Without hesitation, Joseph replied, “For a about a month. We want to stay until we can present our son at the Temple and then we will return to Nazareth.”

Pleased to hear the extent of the stay, the owner replied. “ Good, now sign here and pay one week in advance, every week starting today, until the week before you leave my humble home.”

The men finished their business, having gone to inspect the room and exchanging the key.  Joseph went back to fetch Mary and the Baby feeling relieved that it went so well. The Baby was fussy again, this time from becoming overly tired and overly stimulated. He was in need of a dark quiet room and his mother’s lullabies. Instead He was in a bustling city with animals neighing and people shouting and children making all sorts of children sounds. 

....

Mary was relieved too that Joseph found a room so quickly. She asked Joseph to carry the screaming Child because she needed a break. Joseph hesitated, but he was too good a man to resist, so he took the little bundle of loud emotions in his strong old arms, and directed the boy with the bags to follow them to the room. The little troop provided both entertainment and annoyance to everyone whose orbit they passed through. 

When they arrived in the room, the Baby was still fussing, interrupted only for enough seconds to gasp for His breath between whales of exhaustion, Mary quickly found the chair, sat down, and held out her arms for Joseph to pass him to her which he was happy to do. After paying the boy, and shutting the door, Joseph plopped himself on the bed. Mary hugged her baby and rocked him to get Him to settle down before His feeding so He wouldn’t get colic and make them miserable for hours more. 

...

Baby Jesus grew more awake and alert as the days passed. At almost two weeks old He was easily entertained by His mommy who made funny faces at Him to make Him smile, and she continued to sing to Him. Joseph and Mary held the Baby whenever they said their morning and evening prayers together. 

Baby Jesus was a normal baby in every way, except Mary wouldn’t know that because she had never been exposed to babies before. 

Mary enjoyed her days in Jerusalem very much. Much more than Joseph, who had no business there and continued to be anxious to get back to Nazareth. He accompanied Mary to the tomb of her parents where they lingered for hours, and her mother’s garden, and of course the school.

Joseph visited with the priest while Mary and the Baby visited with Mother and many of her other teachers. She was so proud and content to be home again. Her Baby was very cooperative and didn’t fuss until they returned to the room, where He let it be known that He was hungry and overtired. 

The family soon settled into city life. Mary being the happiest, followed by Baby Jesus. Joseph patiently waited for each sunset. 

...

It had been 33 days since the circumcision and finally the big day came when Baby Jesus was 40 days old. 

Mary bathed her little baby Boy and dressed Him in His finest outfit, the one that she had saved just for this occasion from the time that she stayed with cousin Elizabeth and they made baby clothes together. She dressed herself too in her new blue frock. She felt so elegant and so mature. 

Joseph entered the room holding the cage containing two frightened doves squawking, one for a burnt offering and one for a sin offering as required in the law. They had reason to be fidgety and loud for soon their throats would be cuts as a sacrifice of atonement on Mary’s behalf, to render her ceremonially clean. Then she could enter the temple legally and present her Son to God. 

As many times as Joseph witnessed the act of sacrificing burnt offerings and sin offerings, he still was moved to compunction watching the innocent animals die for him. Increasingly in those days, he would hear the men murmur how primitive the act was, and didn’t believe in its efficacy, but not Joseph. Joseph was aware of the chasm between him and God. There were so many laws. God must have made them for His reason, but some he couldn’t remember, others he didn’t have time to honor. He knew that he needed the offerings, if only to acknowledge the breach between his behavior and God’s will. Yes, death is truly the price of sin, the effect of sin, and he was grateful to the sacrifice for paying the price for him, to give him another chance to be more conscientious every day, with every thought, word and deed.

It had been 33 days since the circumcision. Baby Jesus had matured so beautifully, so gradually that Joseph had almost forgotten how delicate he had been. He was a little heavier; he laughed more and cried louder. 

Joseph and Mary walked to the temple without speaking. Joseph carried the Child in his strong arms. He was old, but fit from years of sawing and hammering and chiseling, of lifting logs and carrying them, or heaving them on carts. His work did not allow the man to grow weak with age. No longer was the baby in swaddling clothes. His little arms and legs stretched and He flung them around with glee. As he looked at this little Boy, it was apparent that He was happy with his little body. His little fingers discovered their ability to grasp. 

But today, as they walked to the temple He was wrapped in a blanket to keep warm. And He was calm. Whether because He sensed the gravity of the day, or because he sensed His parents’ majestic march, Jesus was cooperating. No tears, no fussing, just being. 

An hour before Mary and Joseph left their room, a pious old man named Simeon left his small apartment in Jerusalem where he lived alone, to go to the temple to pray. The days of heavy labor had been behind Simeon for many years. He was grateful for his daughter who fed him, but he chose to live alone and only go to her house for a meal when he wanted one. He needed less and less food to survive. This was an ordinary day for Simeon. He recited in his mind psalms as he walked. Once inside the temple, he stood breathing in the aromatic incense that would carry his prayers up to heaven. 

There he was on an ordinary day, living his ordinary life. His vocation as the Lord seemed to tell him in his heart was to wait. Simeon, whether it was real or not, imagined that the Lord had told him that one day he would see the Lord’s Messiah. When he, out of enthusiasm confided this to his daughter, she mocked him, and so he never mentioned it again. 

Simeon had been in the dark aromatic temple long enough for ten psalms when in came The little family. This was not unusual. Every day there was a presentation, or an offering for one reason or another. He overheard the prayers of purification and the sounds of the doves being sacrificed without looking up, for the woman was still unclean. Only, as he heard the priest pray, out of respect, Simeon silenced his own mind. 

After the mother’s cleansing,  it was time to present the Infant. Simeon then raised his old head and looked over at the little family. He watched with uncommon interest as the priest took the Child and raised Him on high to present Him to God. The Child did not cry, as all the other baby boys did. He was unusually quiet, even solemn, if it is possible for a baby to be solemn. 

Mary didn’t think it unusual, but Joseph made note in his mind. His other sons cried loudly when being lifted up, feeling vulnerable, for fear of being dropped. Simeon watched the ceremony with keen interest. When the priest finished his prayers, he turned and presented the baby to His father. Then the priest congratulated the family and walked away. 

Simeon approached the family and introduced himself. “May I please see your Child?” 

Joseph, sensing the reverence of the old man replied, “Yes you may,” and he carefully moved the blanket away from His placid face. Simeon looked at the Child and tears welled up in his blue eyes. The Baby smiled, he giggled and cooed, and even with His little arms and legs, the Baby showed pleasure to Simeon.

Then Mary and Joseph heard Simeon praising God. They heard him say quietly, only to be heard by God, “Master, now you may dismiss Your servant in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel.” 

Joseph and Mary looked at each other and then at Simeon and their Baby. They were amazed at what was being said about Him. Simeon looked up at the parents, still with wet eyes and  blessed them. He said to Mary, “This Child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” 

Mary, wide eyed listened in amazement. It was so unexpected. She didn’t know what to make of the prophesy. Ever since the Archangel first came to visit her, she knew that her life was committed to her God, to do with as He pleased. She couldn’t make plans, but only live and worship Him, and serve Him. To be the mother of His Son was the highest calling and she only hoped and prayed that she would be a good mother, and that Joseph would be a good father, teaching and training Him in the ways of the Lord, with fear and reverence, with obedience and compassion for others. Although this prophesy was a little frightening, however, she had to accept that there was always going to be the mysterious. Rather than wait for Joseph to pass Him to her, she boldly reached out to take her Baby from Joseph who gently rolled the Child into her welcoming arms. 

“Thank you kind sir. May the Lord bless you as well. We must be going now.”

“Of course” replied Simeon. “Shalom.”

As they headed out the door of the temple, an old woman, approached them too. She was thin and gaunt with white hair peeking out from under her gray hood. Her face was filled with wrinkles but her eyes reflected kindness and longing. As anxious as they were to get going, they had to stop out of respect. Mary and Joseph were used to women on the streets approaching them to admire the baby. 

“Oh my, what a beautiful baby Boy. He looks like the image of His mother! How alert!” said elderly Anna. As she was gazing at the Baby’s face she appeared startled. Anna looked more closely into the Baby’s eyes. He looked back at her cooing and gurgling. He smiled and drooled. 

“Oh my! Praise the Lord God, praise His Holy Name. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel! My eyes have seen the redemption of Israel! Oh my! Oh my Lord!” 

Joseph and Mary smiled at Anna, “Thank you for your kind words.” They tried to be patient but had so much to do to get back to Nazareth that they gently excused themselves.

“Of course.” replied the old woman and released them, staring at the family as they departed the temple, she followed them to the door and bade them farewell, and watched as they walked out of sight, her heart welling up inside her for the secret it held of what she had seen. 

When she reentered the temple, she ran into Simeon. “Oh my, my eyes beheld the Savior! He was an Infant, but I knew!”

“Yes! I saw Him too! Oh my Lord. What can this mean?”

“He was so beautiful! There was a gracefulness about that Child that I have never seen before in my life!”

Simeon bowed his head and said, “There is no one to talk about this but each other and our Lord. Praise God, we have each other as witnesses.”

“Yes, Simeon, our hearts are brimming with joy. Shalom.” The two pious people parted filled with the Holy Spirit and more content than they had ever known themselves to be. 

Meanwhile, Mary and Joseph had a full day of packing, paying and good byes before boarding their transport back to Nazareth scheduled for the following day. Joseph was very glad to finally be heading home. His patience would soon pay off. 

By the end of the day they were exhausted. Even the Baby cooperated and was sleepier than usual before sunset.

The family went to sleep early in anticipation of the big travel day before them. Within minutes Joseph was snoring loudly. Mary was able to ignore it and fell asleep herself with her mind  spinning over the reactions of the two elderly people in the temple. She was glad then not to be living in Jerusalem. It was not the time for her Holy Child to be exposed. She was glad to be whisking Him away to Nazareth.

...

That night Joseph had a dream that was as vivid as the one he had when he was told how his betrothed had become pregnant. It was not a dream, it was not a nightmare, it was a message, and instruction. An angel said to him, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him.”

Joseph woke up in a sweat and great confusion. Could it be true?! There was no other evidence, but he knew it that he could not afford to doubt himself. He had to take Mary and the Infant away, far away from Herod’s grasp. They would have to set out on foot, at night - that night, immediately. Joseph wondered how Herod found out?

The truth was that when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he ordered the killing of all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. The soldiers were very reluctant to carry out this order and delayed as long as they could. Some feigned sickness, not to be forced to murder infants. However, nothing could stop the infanticide.

Cruel infanticide for the third time. First strong Jewish babies killed to suppress the Jews who were becoming too numerous in Egypt. But not Moses. Then the first born boys were killed at Passover 80 years later. Now, the Jewish boys in and around Bethlehem were to be killed but like Moses, and like the Jewish boys at Passover, Jesus escaped by going towards Egypt instead of away from it, retracing the footsteps of Joseph and his brothers who found refuge in Egypt.  

Joseph nudged Mary who was cuddled up with the Baby and said, “Mary, I was just woken up with a dream, no not a dream, it was a clear message from the Lord, just like at the time when the angel told me that you had become pregnant by the Holy Spirit! It was irrefutable. The Lord said we must flee to Egypt. Herod plans to kill our Son!”

Mary was still sleepy and wasn’t sure if she was dreaming? The Baby was still sleeping. “What?! Now? Are you sure?” she exclaimed. 

“Yes. This is so alarming that we can’t doubt it. We must protect Him. Thank God we are already packed. Come. We will leave on foot. No one must see us.”

Mary gently picked up her Son whose whimpers turned into full a blown cry. She quickly nursed Him to quiet Him while Joseph tied up their satchels by candlelight.

Mary wrapped her growing Baby tightly and put Him in the sling. Then the Holy Family crept out of the boarding house and walked briskly down the cold dark and empty streets of Jerusalem until they were on the very southern outskirts of town, where they could take a break. Mary and Joseph sighed with relief from not being seen, which Joseph considered to be a miracle in itself as usually girds patrolled the streets of Jerusalem all night.

They walked until the sun rose and warmed them up. Mary thought of Esther and how grateful she was to have the sling. Baby Jesus slept in the sling; when He awoke, He simply looked around sensing that this was no time to fuss. The road from Jerusalem to Rafah was populated only by traders. The family finally felt comfortable enough to take a break to sit on a bolder.  Just then a caravan of Egyptian traders passed, and they were asked if they wanted a lift. 

“Yes, thank you.” replied Joseph. Mary turned the baby over to Joseph and was helped up on the donkey. They held the donkey down while Mary fastened the baby to herself. And Joseph mounted a camel thinking how fortunate they were that there were available animals to ferry them to Egypt. 

The rest of the way to Rafah was smooth and almost thrilling. 

Bobbing up and down on the donkey, Mary thought about Patriarch Moses, as if they were being sent to pay their respects to him. The giver of the Ten Commandments and the law. The one  who saved the sons of Abraham Isaac and Jacob from their oppressors. Those days were long gone, but resided in the souls of Israel. 

...

Upon arriving in Rafah and bidding their friends good bye, they inquired about a room. The village was small but hospitable. Joseph was most grateful for the gold from the Persian magi as he had no idea of how long they would have to reside in Egypt without work.

Several days into their stay, traders came to the village and reported the genocide that was occurring in Palestine. Herod had gone mad.  

Mary gasped when she heard the news. She grabbed her Baby close to her and silently thanked the Lord for warning them and for, once again making Egypt their refuge.  From her schooling Mary remembered the reading from the prophet Jeremiah, “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.” She remembered this because it stunned her upon hearing about such a tragedy. The class had discussed the relationship between that infanticide and the one when baby Moses was born. How the Lord foiled the plan of pharaoh, and how ironic that pharaoh‘s own home harbored the savior of the Jewish people. 

And here they were again. Back in Egypt, with Joseph! Mary smiled at her husband. God has a wonderful sense of literature. Joseph was the savior once again! Nothing new under the sun. With that thought she hugged and rocked her little Baby and gave God a great big kiss on the cheek, the fulfillment of the desires of billions of people then and since then.

Postscript: Matthew wrote that after the magi left, that night Joseph had the dream that he needed to take the baby Jesus and flee in the night to Egypt. But Luke wrote that He was circumcised and presented in the temple in Jerusalem and then returned directly to Nazareth.  I think it had to be both. He had to be circumcised and presented at the temple and meet Simeon and Anna. But he also fled to Egypt. But, did Herod wait 40 days before deciding to kill all the babies and toddlers up to two years old? I say yes, Herod didn’t know if or when the Persians found the infant king of the Jews. Or if they found him, how old he was. The date of birth was not exactly prophesied, only where it would be. Also, because of the census, Herod could not have known if the infant king came from some other town, and after his birth, returned there. So it is feasible that Herod  waited. In this story Joseph had the dream in Jerusalem, the night of the presentation, and left immediately that night for Egypt. It was divine Providence that Joseph had the gold enough from the magi to live on in Egypt. The Lord provides! 

ALIVE: Chapter 108, Christmastime in the Compression Chamber

Think about this; the Lord our God is the Creator of Time. 

Time. This inescapable element of life in which we live and breathe and have our being, we measure it by the sun that revolves around our heads in repetitious periods of light and darkness. 

Yet as God knows, and as many physicists have discovered, time is pliable. It is as matter to the Creator of the sun, the Orchestrator and Conductor of history. 

It is with God’s knowledge of the fluidity of Time, that the Bride of Christ, the Body of Christ, the Church declared that annually thirty years would pass as twelve days, or revolutions of the earth, between the birth and the baptism of the incarnation of His only begotten Son, and second person of the Trinity, Jesus. 

...

After the three Persian men left, Mary and Joseph were exhausted. It had been such an intense day. The aroma of the frankincense lingered to mask the earthy smell of sweaty lamb’s wool. Mary, with her baby, laid down for a much needed sleep. The Baby was carefully placed between Mary and Joseph, and as usual the two little lambs snuggled up to Mary on her other side. She and her baby were enveloped in bodily warmth. The Baby slept too, for about an hour or two. Curious about the world that He had just entered and ready to be a part of it, He wasn’t as sleepy as His mommy. He was just chilly, even in his swaddling clothes, so much had the temperature fallen when the sun fell. So He cried waking Mary and Joseph and the lambs and the goats and the donkey. Mary tried to feed Him, and though it took a few attempts, he eventually latched on. The cries that awoke every being in the manger subsided into mesmerizing sounds of sucking and contentment that lulled the sheep and even Mary, back to sleep. 

...

When the Baby woke up again, an hour before sunrise, Joseph was reminded of the many years he went without a full night’s sleep after the birth of his other children. But he was older now and too aware of the unique situation he was in to be irritated. Besides, he didn’t need as much sleep as he had as a younger hard-working man. This day after His birth was the Sabbath and the family prayed and rested. It was a perfect Sabbath, a holy Sabbath, the Infant king’s first sunrise, afternoon warmth, and sunset. He slept. He opened his eyes and looked around at His mommy, and His daddy. He smelled the animals. He took in every element of life on earth, learning quickly, as all infants do, what it means to be human. He was shifted from Mary’s arms to Joseph’s who paced around the barn jingling Him up and down. He was set down on the straw bed but didn’t like that at all and let it be known in cries of disapproval, so he was lifted again and hugged and jiggled. He sucked His mother’s milk like a baby calf every hour for twenty minutes, and twice during the day he slept soundly for an hour or two. 

The following days brought a new rhythm of life to the manger. The animals were taken out as usual early in the morning to graze in the fields. Joseph stayed close incase Mary or the Baby needed anything. Servants from the inn brought meals to the family. On the third day, a little delegation from the Inn came to welcome the infant into the world with gifts. The ladies remarked how alert the Child looked with his curious eyes wide opened, inspecting them. Mary thought she even heard Him giggle at the funny faces the ladies made to entertain him. Peek a boo. 

On the fifth day a room at the inn became available! Hallelujah!  As much as Mary cherished her pets, she was grateful to move to the domicile of the humans. Joseph moved their belongings into the room.

The baby gradually grew accustomed to the world, eating and growing, cooing and crying. The tone of His infant voice was as melodic as chimes in the breeze.

Mary loved changing His clothes, even His diaper. One lady from the inn, volunteered to wash the clothes and even the diapers for Mary as her gift. 

“That is so very kind and generous of you! Thank you!”

“Yes!” repeated Joseph, relieved that it wasn’t to be his chore.

Joseph, as patient as he was, nevertheless was anxious to return to Nazareth and his workshop. He wondered if they could return after the circumcision or if they had to wait for the days of purification of Mary. He hoped that his children were faring well without him. 

“This week has gone by so quickly!” Mary exclaimed to Joseph as she paced the room holding tight the swaddled baby who was fussing and uncomfortable, patting his back to bring up the bubble after his feeding. 

Joseph looked at his young wife admiring her vitality and her patience. He flashed back on the day that he first met her at the temple. It had only been less than two years ago. She was still so young, but she was no longer a school girl. Motherhood suited her well. Daydreaming, Joseph thought how her transformation into motherhood was like the ripening of a pear, how it goes from hard gritty crispness into a smooth succulent texture.  

Mary woke Joseph out of his daydream saying, “Is the priest expecting us?”

“Oh! I almost forgot. I will go to him today and let him know we’re coming tomorrow.”

Joseph was glad to have a reason to walk into the village.

Mary wanted to walk too, but she knew that she wasn’t permitted to as she was still unclean. 

No sooner had Joseph left when Mary heard a gentle knock on the door. She laid the baby down on the bed and went to open the door. 

“Greetings, my name is Esther. I heard you have a baby...and that your mother is not here. May I help you?” Esther was a middle age woman with exceptionally white porcelain skin, rosy cheeks and big blue eyes. She was neither stout nor thin and she carried herself gracefully although she was muscular from years of work in the fields. Esther had five grown children of her own, and she loved babies which attracted her to Mary.

“Yes, by all means, please come in!”

Esther confidently walked into the room and went straight to the bed where the baby was lying on his back looking up at the ceiling. Without asking, she scooped Him up in her arms and gave Him a hug. The baby accepted Esther and didn’t cry. 

“I think He likes you Esther. I was thinking of taking him outside for some fresh air, do you want to come?”

“Yes, replied Esther. Do you know how to wrap Him up in a sling, so you don’t have to hold him?”

“Actually, I have seen women walking around like that, but I have no idea how to do it.”

Esther was glad to hear that she could teach this young girl something. She handed the Baby to Mary and then reached into the bag she and pulled out a cloth, just the right size. “This is my gift for your Son. Now let me show you how it’s done.” 

Mary and Esther worked on the technique many times until Mary could tie her Son to her all by herself.

“This is wonderful! Now I can carry Him while I’m cooking and cleaning! What a relief! Thank you Esther. Ready to go for the walk?”

Esther and Mary walked around the property. It was a clear clean day. The smell of a burnt sacrifice wafted through the air and smelled so good, that it made the ladies hungry. The Baby fell asleep bobbing up and down hanging on His mother as has He had for so many months in the womb.

The ladies introduced themselves to each other with details of their origins, and personal history as ladies often do. Mary was surprised to hear that Esther too had been the only child of an elderly couple, except that they lived near her mother’s kinfolk and had many cousins and aunts around. Her mother passed away first and Esther kept her father for several years while she was raising her children, until he passed too. She was so grateful for the opportunity to care for him. Listening to this brought nostalgic memories of Joachim to Mary and of how much he loved her and showed it. How she missed her papa. 

“Oh my, the sun is about to set. I must be going. Have a blessed time tomorrow. I’ll come back if that’s okay with you to hear what you named the Baby.”

“Of course you can! Perhaps we will come to your house after the berit milah (bris).”

“Good idea! I will make a cake and you and your husband come over to celebrate!”

“Wonderful! Thank you Esther.” They hugged a warm new-friend hug, and Esther left Mary and her Baby, content and feeling loved. There is no better feeling.

It wasn’t long before Joseph returned and let Mary know that the priest was ready for them. Mary enthusiastically told Joseph about her visitor, as if she had been visited by an angel. He was pleased and thought to himself that Esther was a gift from the Father to this motherless young mother. 

...

The next morning the family scurried around the room gathering all that they needed. Joseph was impressed when he saw Mary skillfully wrap the Baby in the sling that Esther taught her to make. Then she grabbed her bag and they walked to the home of the priest.

“Welcome. Please set your Son down on this table and remove his swaddling clothes.” 

Joseph lifted the Baby out of the sling and unwrapped him until the baby was naked. Oh did He cry! Being so used to close confinement in the womb, and in the swaddling clothes and sling, the new experience of laying naked on a hard table was unpleasant and unwelcome and the Baby expressed that in no uncertain terms.

Mary chanted her lullaby to calm Him as best as she could from a distance. While she was chanting and the priest and Joseph were near the Baby, Mary reached for her bag and pulled out the myrrh that the Persians had given them. She reached out to hand it to Joseph who took it and turned to hand it to the priest. 

“We have brought myrrh to anoint our Son at this time.” said Joseph.

“My my! Where did you get this myrrh!” exclaimed the priest who was of the poor sort, and accustomed to the poor villagers. He received the precious myrrh and set it down beside the beleaguered baby. 

Joseph replied simply that it was a gift and left it at that. Then, Joseph picked up the knife and handed it to the priest. 

The service of circumcision began just as with every Hebrew son of Abraham since Ishmael to enjoin this child to the Covenant of Abraham with God. 

Joseph began, “bereshut moirei verabotai,” (“with the permission of my teachers and the community.”) Joseph and Mary responded in unison as they had rehearsed, “l’chaim,” (“to life.”)

Then the priest recited the blessing, “Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us concerning circumcision.”

Joseph added, “Blessed are You, L-rd our G‑d, King of the Universe, who has granted us life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this occasion.”

The priest looked at Joseph and asked, “What is this Child’s name to be?”

Joseph replied slowly and solemnly, as if he was about to emit a most sacred sound, “His name is Jesus. As he heard himself say Jesus, Joseph perceived a flashback of his vivid dream when the angel told him that he is to name the Baby Jesus, adding, “for He will save his people from their sins.” Joseph often wondered what the angel meant by that. 

Then the priest began to slice away the foreskin from the little member of the Baby who screamed and cried at the assault. Mary flinched and tears came to her eyes. Tears of compassion and tears of joy over the exalted meaning of this moment. 

Joseph continued, "Baruch atah A-donay, Elo-heinu Melech Ha’Olam, asher kideshanu bemitzvotav vetzivanu le-hach-ni-soh bivrito shel Avraham Avinu", (“Blessed are You, L‑rd our G‑d, King of the universe, Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us to enter him into the Covenant of Abraham our father.”)

Mary respond: “Ke-shem she-nich-nas la-brit kein yi-ka-neis le-to-rah oo-le-choo-pah oo-le-ma-a-sim to-vim.” (“Just as he has entered into the Covenant, so may he enter into Torah and into good deeds.”) Ba-ruch A-tah A-do-noi E-loi-hei-nu Me-lech ha-o-lam she-he-chee-ya-nu v'ki-yi-ma-nu vi-hi-gi-ya-nu liz-man ha-zeh.

After the circumcision cut, and the bandaged installed, the priest looked up at Joseph and over at the precious myrrh. With one hand on the naked Baby’s squirming  belly, he reached for the bottle of myrrh as if it was liquid gold. Joseph intervened and helped the priest by picking up the bottle quickly and opening it. The fragrance instantly like a spirit rose out of the little bottle and filled the room. Even the Baby noticed and gradually calmed down to smell the essence of a field of flowers. 

Enveloped in the fragrance of the myrrh, the priest poured it on the baby and rubbed it all over over Him, his little arms and legs, his belly and his face and neck, the he gently turned Him over and spread what was left on his hands over the baby’s back and his little buttocks. 

Calmed, His little eyebrows came together in an expression of curiosity and wonder. 

One of the angels in the room, said loudly to the other angels that the Baby sensed the familiarity of the anointing and was trying to recall it. While the archangel who came for this ceremony spoke up, “No no no. The child is being purely sensory now. He enjoys the aroma and the feeling.”

“Think what you will, and I will too.” replied the first angel, which silenced the archangel as they continued to observe Mary who just then stepped in to wrap her crying baby while chanting to Him Glory to God and Alleluia. 

...

Genesis 17:1-14

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.” Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you, and to your offspring after you, the land where you are now an alien, all the land of Canaan, for a perpetual holding; and I will be their God.” God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. Throughout your generations every male among you shall be circumcised when he is eight days old, including the slave born in your house and the one bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. Both the slave born in your house and the one bought with your money must be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

Let the circumcision sink in. How beautiful and powerful it was. Don’t let it pass you by that the myrrh that was rubbed on Jesus by Mary Magdalene for his funeral was as the myrrh that was rubbed on Him during His covenant ceremony, signifying His kingship at both ends of His earthly life.