Finding the New Teacher - Part III of Three

It turned out that after that last miracle in our synagogue in Capernaum, my – Jairus, that is - meeting the new teacher was not going to be easy. Seems he had got wind of the increasing hostility of our religious leaders and experts in The Law. As a result, he was staying away from our town and synagogue. He was meeting people on the hillsides and lakeshores of the Sea of Galilee. I also heard that, likely for similar reasons, he had also begun to make his teachings more veiled. The plain message of repentance and forgiveness was being replaced by stories, parables like our other rabbis also sometimes used.

I was pondering how to pursue my quest to talk with this Jesus when it happened, but not at all how I envisioned it. Our dear daughter became ill. Nothing we could do, no help that we could find, seemed to be leading to recovery. My wife and I were afraid she was going to die. 

Then it struck me. This Jesus had performed all kinds of miracles. Could he heal our daughter? Part of me wanted to drop everything and go and find him and ask him if he could do us this favour. But did I have enough faith? That always seemed to enter the picture. Was there some sin her mother or I had committed that needed forgiveness? That was another factor that had been part of some of these healing episodes. All these questions and doubts. What’s more, what would my associates think? Here were our spiritual leaders thinking this man had crossed a line that deserved death. What would happen to me if they learned I had gone to ask him for help? Would I lose my position as synagogue leader? or worse?

Meanwhile, our daughter was beginning to look like she was indeed at death’s door. I told my wife what I was thinking and she accepted my plan. I threw all caution to the wind and hurried out to find Jesus.

I did not have to go far. In the distance, I could see a large crowd gathering at the seashore. I practically ran to the edge of the crowd and then began jostling to get nearer to Jesus. People who knew me helped part the way for me to get through; some of them knew our daughter was ill and maybe they wondered if I was coming to get help. Suddenly, there he was, right in front of me. I looked into his eyes and was so overcome by his returning gaze I threw myself at his feet. It was like he was just waiting for me to state my case. I didn’t care anymore what anyone thought. I just wanted our daughter well.

“Teacher, rabbi,” I cried, “Our daughter is at the point of death. Please, please, come to our place and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” I could see the tears well up in Jesus’ eyes as he bent over and took my hands and pulled me to my feet. Without a word, he put his arm across my back and began walking quickly with me towards our home.

The crowd was still pressing around Jesus as we tried to make our way. People were reaching out to touch him, hoping to get his attention, to be healed. Suddenly Jesus stopped. Oh no, I thought, please, hurry. Then I caught myself. How could I be so selfish. If Jesus wanted to give his attention to someone else, I was sure he knew that he could still fulfil my wishes. Just being with him was giving me that confidence. It was strange, but I was feeling calm, no longer panicky. 

Out of the corner of my eye I had seen a woman fall to the ground behind him and just brush his cloak with her outstretched hand. Jesus turned and asked, “Who touched me?” His followers, those young men who had gathered around him said, “Jesus, the crowd is so tight – everyone is touching you.” He did not let that stop him. Still, he looked around. Sensing she could not get away, the woman whom I had seen touch him came forward and fell before him. Shaking in fear, she told him her long story. Again, I saw the look and tenderness with which he reached out to her. I can only describe it as real compassion, even love. He seemed so genuinely moved by the needs of those he encountered. He gave her his hand and said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your disease.”

The crowd had stopped in its movement as this happened but even before those words were out of Jesus’ mouth I saw some friends hurrying towards us. The looks on their faces told me everything. They rushed to my side and in hushed tones told me what no father wants to hear, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further,” they added. 

Before I could even begin to think of what to do now, Jesus, having obviously heard our friends, turned to me: “Do not fear,” he said, “Only believe.” Oh, how I wanted to do that.

Then he turned to the crowd. Raising his arm toward them he said, “My teaching, my work with you is done for now. Please leave me go and complete another work I have to do.” Turning to his followers he singled out three of them and signaled them to go with us. 

We hurried on in silence to our home. Already from a distance we could hear the keening of the mourners. It really struck me then. Our daughter was dead. What could Jesus do now? We were too late. If only we had not stopped earlier. Again, I dismissed such negative thoughts. Jesus had reassured me and, somehow, I still felt calm entering our home with him.

I could see he seemed a little irritated with all the commotion and noise. He looked around at all the mourners and spoke, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” Really? Did Jesus know something we didn’t? Jesus went on, “Can you please all leave?” Some of those present were laughing at Jesus, even sneering at him. “The girl is dead,” they insisted. But his look told them he meant business and they went outside. He guided my wife and I to our daughter’s side, with the three men close behind. Again, he reached down, took our daughter’s pale hand and said, “Little girl, get up.” I held my breath, but what did I see? Our daughter’s eyelids flickered, then her eyes opened wide. Seeing us all around she got up off the bed and rushed into our arms. Then she pulled herself away and took a circle around the room, stepping so lightly it was as if she was dancing. Indeed, with the smile on her face she was. 

We were astounded. I was sure she was dead when I had seen her lying there so pale and lifeless. Our friends would not have told us so if they did not think she was dead. Had this Jesus just raised her from death? Who was this man indeed? Before I could say anything, Jesus asked us to give her something to eat. Her mother quickly complied. While our daughter was happily munching away, Jesus said, “Don’t tell anyone what you have just seen.” With that, he turned and left, with his three followers close behind.

Meeting the New Teacher Again - Part II of Three

I, Jairus, am writing again. 

I had written earlier about the new teacher in our area, this man called Jesus. As a leader in the synagogue, one needs to do a bit of homework around whom we let teach in our synagogue – if we have the choice. As I said last time, we need to protect or Law from misinterpretation and our synagogue and the privileges it enjoys from being abused. You will recall that this Jesus had come to our synagogue one Sabbath by surprise, so I was caught off guard at the time. 

I had asked around and learned a bit more about where this Jesus came from. He was indeed the son of a carpenter, Joseph, and his wife Mary, from Nazareth. He had several brothers and sisters. When I asked about the origins of his family I was stunned to find out he was not a real Galilean, but that his ancestors were Judeans, from Bethlehem in fact. Indeed, when we had all had to go to our homelands when a previous governor, Quirinius of Syria had ordered that for a census – orders that came from the Emperor Augustus in Rome by the way – this family had returned there and that was where Jesus had been born. Could there be something to those rumours of his possibly being the Messiah? I did not dwell long on such thoughts though. If Jesus’ birth was indeed important in that regard, our religious leaders would have found that out already. Instead, I was already hearing about caution coming from them about this man, if not outright questioning of his apparent authority and powers.

Just the same, the stories of what the people believed to be miracles he performed kept coming in. When I actually got to talk about these with some of those directly involved, you could not deny the truth of their story and the strength of their faith in this man. Indeed, for some at least, the performance of a miracle not only changed them in the area of healing involved, it seemed to mark for them the beginning of a brand new phase of their lives. It was like they had been reborn in their outlook, their attitude to life and to our faith. Regardless of their circumstances, and many of these people were poor and came from backgrounds many in our society frowned on – even hated tax collectors and prostitutes! – they seemed somehow happier, more confident, more at peace and content. Sometimes I had wished I could feel that way, what with all the stress of my position.  

Some of them then began to say that, along with the healing, Jesus had told them their sins were forgiven. My ears had perked up at that. This was a new twist. None of our miracle workers had ever added that to their incantations. Only God could forgive sins. Everybody knew that. For a human to say that would amount to blasphemy. Indeed, some of our more prominent leaders I got to ask about this said they were beginning to think what Jesus was saying was blasphemous in these and other areas. He seemed to be making preposterous claims for himself, allying himself with God in an easy and familiar way that none of our other teachers ever dared.

I was beginning to feel pulled in two directions. Part of me said, stay away from this man, he is dangerous, don’t even let him back in your synagogue. Another part of me said, go and hear this man some more, make up your own mind about him. Well, my chance came sooner than I expected. I had heard that this Jesus and his followers were touring around Galilee, teaching and performing miracles. He had evidently even cured a leper. That was something none of our healers could do. Only the prayers of the priests, following the rules laid down by the prophet Moses – well, actually given by God - had ever accomplished that. And this man was no priest.

Then I had heard that Jesus was back at the place in Capernaum he called home. I heard that a crowd had gathered to hear him speak so I decided to chance it and go and hear what he had to say. I say ‘chance it’ because I knew by now that there were those among our leaders who were not in favour of him and might question my presence there as the local synagogue leader.

I had not even reached the door of the home – well, in fact, I could not get near for the crowd – when some sweaty young men carrying a stretcher rushed towards us. Apparently, the pale and twisted body lying on it was their friend who had become paralyzed, unable to walk. They were hoping Jesus could heal him. However, the crowd was so thick there was no way they were going to penetrate that mass of humanity. After some words between themselves and those around I noticed them go around the aide of the house and next thing I knew they were on the roof, tearing away at the straw and tiles! Then, they dropped the man on the stretcher down into the room! A hush came over the crowd and even I could hear Jesus speaking out loudly and clearly to the man. They had surely gotten his attention by that feat!

“Son, your sins are forgiven.” What? So, this Jesus did say those things! I heard some talking amongst those inside but I could not make out the words. Then I heard Jesus say, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk? So you might know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” then he must have turned to the man dropped through the roof again, as he followed with “I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” Before I had much of a chance to process what I was hearing the crowd parted and a young man, his face beaming but at the same time looking puzzled, as if he did not know what had just happened, passed by us. He was carrying his mat and quickly joined by his friends who had hustled back down from the roof, stretcher and all. They were so happy, slapping him on the back and saying how happy they were, but also thanking Jahweh.

Many in the crowd too were praising Jahweh and saying things like “We have never seen anything like this!”

Some of the crowd was leaving now, among them a small group of men I recognized immediately by their dress and accent to be from Jerusalem or at least Judea. Their faces were stern and they, unlike the rest of the crowd, were not praising God, but instead were talking about how this man was blasphemous and not to be listened to. They were not only saying this to themselves but warning the crowd as they passed through it and left. Fortunately, not being local men, they did not recognize me or they might have asked me why I was there. Mind you, I could have asked them the same. Seems we are all curious about what this Jesus is saying and doing.

Now, I had heard with my own ears some of the sayings our leaders have been concerned about. To tell someone your sins are forgiven, and that you have authority to do this – that seems a bit much. And to refer to himself as the Son of Man. That is a very sacred title, not used lightly. I had never heard anyone say that about anyone I knew, or anyone else for that matter, let alone about their own self. It is only a title one reads in our holy writings.

Yes, and there it is indeed connected in some places with the one to come, the Messiah. Was Jesus really saying he was The Messiah? It hardly seemed probable. He certainly did not fit our expectations in that regard.

I was really no closer to making sense of this all when another Sabbath rolled around and Jesus showed up again in or synagogue. I noticed that some of those same men, or ones like them, that I had seen at his home a few days back, were tagging along close behind him in the crowd following him. Then I noticed that one of our citizens whose hand had become shrunk and deformed was there, right in front of Jesus it seemed. A hush descended over those assembled as everyone watched to see how Jesus would react. They did not have to wait long.

Jesus saw the man and said, “Come forward.” The man hesitated but then he stepped out in front of Jesus. Jesus turned and looked at the crowd, and I saw he looked directly at those visiting religious leaders: “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill?” A flash of anger crossed his face as he said this, especially facing those visitors. It was replaced just as quickly by a look of deep sadness when no one dared to answer. I don’t blame them. Who would dare give an opinion in front of those leaders, those Pharisees and their friends. 

Turning back to the man, Jesus said, “Stretch out your hand.” People gasped as he did, not only that he was able to but that it now looked and moved perfectly normally. The man looked at his hand, opened and closed his fist, bent his wrist up and down. He was stunned, but then he realized, he had just been healed. He could not contain the joyful grin that spread across his face. He bowed and thanked Jesus profusely. The crowd’s response, indeed that of the man, was now considerably more muted than what I had sometimes seen and heard before. I understood. 

Jesus had placed his healing in the context of the Sabbath and according to our laws, or at least our traditions, that was work and not allowed. One could understand that with all that our other healers required of people to be healed, but with Jesus it was different. He did not seem to do any ‘work.’ He just spoke, and it happened. It was like how our scriptures talk of Jahweh at Creation – everything happened just by his word. Who was this man? Was there something divine about him?

The healed man could see that those visiting religious folk were not impressed. Had he just taken part in something wrong? Was he in trouble? They did not say anything to him, so he just turned and slipped away.

Meanwhile, I could hear those Pharisees, those teachers of the law, murmuring amongst themselves. They were talking about how Jesus was blasphemous, how he was breaking our laws, and that meant he deserved the death penalty. In fact, I heard some of them say as they rushed past me to leave, that they were going to report this to King Herod’s people.

Wow! Things were moving fast indeed. Would they really arrest this man? Charge him with these offenses under our law? I understood where they were coming from but I tell you, I was also deeply troubled. This man did not seem to be doing anything really wrong. Should it not be right to help people on the sabbath? What kind of god would prohibit that? Jesus seemed to say things with such authority. To him it all seemed so clear. I wished it was that clear to me. I resolved that before he came to our synagogue again, I would see if I could get an audience with him. I had a lot of questions. He seemed to have answers.

Meeting the New Teacher - Part I of Three

Shalom, my friends! Let me introduce myself. I am Jairus, and my home is in Galilee, Capernaum to be exact. Capernaum is a busy town on our Sea of Galilee. I am privileged to have the honour of being one of the leaders of our local synagogue. This is a serious responsibility. The synagogue is our local place for worship of Jahweh and the teaching of our Law. We have to be ever vigilant for correct teaching and interpretation of our Law - and staying away from politics. This last is because of the Romans, who occupy our land. They do not stand for anything that smells of rebellion.

Now, especially in Galilee, it seems our people are prone to breeding rebels. Some of these individuals have also made claims of being The Messiah. According to our holy writings, The Messiah is a descendant of our great King David, who will someday appear and free us from all oppression and restore Israel to its former glory.

I had heard of someone who was being referred to as a new rabbi. Some were even beginning to ask if he was The Messiah. But I am getting ahead of myself.

In the first place, this new teacher, oddly enough, was from Nazareth, a small village northwest of here from where no one of note had ever come. That should have been enough to quell ideas of his being The Messiah, as our prophets have written in our holy writings that he was to be born in The City of David, Bethlehem, way south in Judea. I had heard through the grapevine that he had been a top student of our teachers in Nazareth. He had been slated to go for advanced education after his bar mitzvah but then his father died. Instead, he took up his father’s trade of woodworking to support his family. That was quite a sacrifice but also a noble thing to do. The life of a rabbi would certainly have been preferable to the hard work of a carpenter. 

But then, I guess when he judged his family was capable of surviving on their own, he had left home. I had heard about his turning to teaching. He had even begun to gather around him some followers, as proven rabbis do. However, this young man had no track record yet that would have been thought to attract such disciples. Furthermore, these were not young men noted for being students, for their academic ability. They were fishermen! An odd choice for a rabbi if you ask me.  What’s more, I had heard he had performed what actually seemed to be miracles – such as healing the sick and casting out demons. Some of our people claimed to be able to do these things too. However, they had to take training as to how to do this, which was not free. As a result, the services they offered their clients, who were obliged to go through all sorts of rituals, necessarily allowed for the exchange of money, sometimes considerable amounts of such. Well, this man – his name was Jesus by the way – was reported to perform healing and exorcism on first meeting an individual and merely by his word, free! 

People were beginning to flock to where he was on a regular basis. Apparently large crowds followed him at times, seeking healing and freedom from unclean spirits. But he was also teaching, words said to be a powerful message of the need to repent and seek forgiveness, similar to another recent preacher who had appeared in our midst, one called John the Baptizer, so called because he was baptizing people who repented of their sin and wanted to turn over a new leaf. But this Jesus seemed to be adding a new twist to this message. He was saying that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. This phrase alone was enough to make one wary of what might yet come of him.

Thus, I was somewhat on edge this particular Sabbath Day when I saw a crowd approaching our synagogue and near its front, was a man, striding along, occasionally stopping to place his hand on some poor supplicant and, evidently, from what I gathered, performing some healing. Some people were calling out things like, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.” So, was this the Jesus I had heard about?

I was at the door of the synagogue when this Jesus approached. He stopped and, raising his hands and turning his face heavenward, seemed to be mouthing a prayer. Such a look of peace and determination seemed to then envelop his face. Then he looked straight at me with a look that was both gentle and powerful. Don’t ask me to explain that combination but that’s what I felt.

He bowed to me with clasped hands, walked in and sat down near the front. I quickly followed, almost pushed along by the throng. I conferred briefly with my colleagues and we agreed that, since this man was gaining recognition as a rabbi, the only polite and correct thing was to let him read the scripture and teach. One of our elders then handed him a scroll, from which he read and then began to teach.

In spite of ourselves, we were quite taken aback by his teaching. He did not go on and on reciting the sayings of rabbis from the past to explain the passage, like so many of our young teachers do. And he was so well-versed in the scriptures, the Torah! He quoted freely from it to support what he was saying. In spite of myself, I could not deny the power and authority with which he seemed to speak. It was actually quite refreshing, if I do say so myself.

Suddenly, he was interrupted by a shout, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know how you are, the Holy One of the God!” We had all turned to look at where the disturbance was coming from and could not help but catch our breath at those words. Jesus was indeed being addressed as if he were the Messiah! But the voice was coming from a disheveled figure in rags whom we all recognized immediately as someone possessed by an unclean spirit. He should not even have been in our synagogue. I was about to summon some of my colleagues to see if we could get him removed. However, before we could do so, this Jesus stopped his teaching and approached the man. Facing him square on he said in a loud clear voice, “Be silent, and come out of him!” The man fell to the floor in a writhing convulsion, shrieking and then lay still. We knew the demon was gone. Jesus reached down his hand and pulled the man to his feet. The man turned in a daze and left the building with his friends. 

The teaching session was over though. Everybody was talking at once about what they had just seen. They were amazed at the authority we had just witnessed. Some wondered who this was and what kind of new teaching this was. It was unheard of to simply command the spirits like this and see them obey. My own head was spinning from what I had heard and seen. Part of me said I had just seen one of our laws broken. Our rabbis had taught that healing was work and not to be performed on the Sabbath. However, before I could do anything further, Jesus and the crowd were disappearing down the road. I heard later they had gone to the home of one of his fishermen followers and that he had healed this man’s mother-in-law. What’s more, after Sabbath was over that evening, the house had been filled with people seeking healing and deliverance from unclean spirits. What indeed was going on here?

The Story of Mary: Catholic Version III The Ministry Years - Chapter 22 – Jesus’ Family Becomes Concerned

After the incident in Nazareth, Jesus made his home in Capernaum for the most part. After all, this was near where many of his new friends were from. He got more of a welcome in this area than in his hometown. Mary had difficulty getting used to Jesus not being around though. He had been such a pillar of support for her for so many years since his father’s death. All she could do was keep her ears open for reports that filtered back from the area around the Sea of Galilee, and these were becoming more astonishing all the time. 

Mary received stories of Jesus performing miraculous healings and driving demons out of possessed individuals. He had gone to Jerusalem to the Passover and run into some challenges there. Apparently, he had gotten angry at what he saw going on at the temple and upset some of the leaders when he tried to stop the buying and selling that went on with its money exchanging in the temple courts. Mary appreciated his zeal for his heavenly father but she grew concerned when she heard that what he was doing was raising the ire of some of the leaders. She believed that Jesus had the right idea with all the good he was doing for people. She even heard about some of his wonderful messages. But Mary knew enough about the Sanhedrin, the council that basically ran things in Jerusalem, and the High Priest’s family which ran the Sanhedrin, to be concerned. Then, there was also Herod and his supporters, and behind them all, the Romans.

Mary was unsure how to handle her growing unease. She really was not sure where to turn. Ever since the incident with Jesus in the local synagogue, she had been wary of her neighbours. Finally, she disclosed her fears to her sons James and Joseph. They did not have the wisdom and maturity Jesus had displayed at their age but they were grown up men after all and Jesus had been a good influence on them, in spite of his youth compared to them.

James response had been that they should simply go and see Jesus and talk to him about what he was doing. Having no better ideas than a face-to-face encounter, Mary accepted James’ proposal. The family made the necessary preparations and began the trek to Capernaum. 

When Mary and her children arrived at Capernaum, they went to Simon’s home. He was the one they knew best and Mary also knew Jesus spent time here. When they arrived, Simon’s family filled them in on the latest. To her dismay, Mary heard that Jesus was getting so besieged by crowds looking for help he wasn’t taking time to eat properly (John 3:20).

James, being the bolder and sometimes abrupt of her children simply responded to this news by saying they had to confront Jesus and help him rein things in. “He’s out of his mind,” was James’ opinion (John 3:21). Mary had some misgivings about that. After all, she knew Jesus firmly believed he was doing what he ought to do. He might be overdoing it, but it wasn’t that bad. 

Nevertheless, they went to the home where they were told Jesus was staying. Sure enough, the crowds so thronged the doorway as people tried to get in for help and her what Jesus was saying, it was practically impossible for them to push their way through. They asked those in front of them to simply pass on the message to Jesus that they were outside and wanted to see him.

The message was passed along. Those sitting next to Jesus told him, “Look, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you.” 3:33He answered them and said, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 3:34And looking at those who were sitting around him in a circle, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 3:35For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother (Mark 3:32-35).”

When this response was transmitted back to Jesus’ waiting family, James was of the opinion they should force their way in and talk sense into Jesus and get him to come home with them. However, Mary knew her son best. She heard in the response she received that she and her family were best not to interfere further or they might indeed be guilty of keeping Jesus from doing god’s will. She pulled James by the arm and said, “Come, let’s go home.” 

“But mother,” James replied, “What Jesus is doing is not good for him.”

Mary looked James squarely in the eye and said,” I think he does know what he is doing. He might not understand fully yet what purpose he is carrying out, but I don’t think we can or should try any harder to stop him. You know you brother believes strongly that he has a unique mission to complete. I think the best we can do is go home and pray for him, that he will receive the wisdom he needs to do the will of The Highest and that Yahweh will look after him.”

Mary felt a sadness and heaviness in her heart even as she tried to present this idea strongly to her children, perhaps trying to convince herself as well as them by putting this into audible speech. Deep inside though, she knew Jesus was doing what he felt called to do. She turned and led her children back home to Nazareth.