The Learning from the Story of the Woman Who Poured the Perfume on Jesus' Feet *

During the days of Jesus Christ, in the first half of the first century of the Common Era (CE), there lived an influential Jew named Simon in Jerusalem. He was a Pharisee and a halfhearted enthusiast in the teachings of Jesus. This Simon is not to be confused with the other Simon Peter who was a disciple of Jesus.

This influential Jew knew the social stigma and criticism that he might face from other influential Pharisees and wealthy Jews if he ever declared his partial attraction to Jesus.

Yet, he decided to invite Jesus and three of his disciples, Peter, James and John to his home for a social get together and meal because he was much impressed with Jesus’ personality and teachings.

Simon had other reasons also for inviting Jesus to his home. He was a wealthy Pharisee and the wealthy Pharisees of those days took much pleasure in publicly displaying their philanthropic acts of giving food to the poor people. Some Pharisees even blew a trumpet as they were about to give some alms to some beggar!

It was also a custom of these Pharisees to leave the doors of their house open when they provided a luncheon or a banquet for some distinguished guests. That was to allow the street beggars to come in and stand around the walls of the room behind the couches of the diners to receive portions of food that might be tossed to them by the privileged guests.

On this day when Simon invited Jesus and his disciples to his house for the meals, many others from the streets also came in, as usual.

Among the uninvited several from the streets, there was also a woman having a notorious past. This woman was well known throughout all Jerusalem as the former keeper of one of the so-called high-class brothels located very near to the court of the non-Jew people of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem.

But she had the opportunity to listen to the public discourses of Jesus in the past and she had become aware of her errors in life due to the teachings of Jesus. As a result, she had voluntarily closed up her nefarious place of business.  Having accepted the teachings of Jesus wholeheartedly in mind, she also became instrumental in influencing a good majority of her previous women associates to change their mode of living.

Yet she was not any acceptable one in the Jewish society and the influential Pharisees looked down her with utmost contempt. They still compelled her to wear her hair down as the badge of her previous taboo profession. 

When this woman came in to Simon’s house in the group of the poor on the day Simon made the arrangements for the banquet for Jesus and his three disciples, she brought with her a large flask of perfumed anointing lotion.

As Jesus, his disciples and his host reclined on the couch for eating the food; this woman approached Jesus and bent down to anoint Jesus’ feet with her perfumed lotion.

While doing this, she was also crying and her tears too fell and were wetting Jesus’ feet together with the perfumed lotion that she was pouring. Hers were the tears of gratitude she experienced in her innermost consciousness as she felt relieved from the erroneous life she had previously. This lowly human being had indeed found in Jesus some divine mercy and love that pacified and comforted her mind from remorse!

She wiped his feet with her long downed and untied hair. While doing so  she continued weeping and kissing the Master’s feet.

When the elitist host of Jesus saw all this, he thought like this:

“This man cannot be a prophet. Had he been one, he would have immediately perceived the kind of woman she is and he would not have allowed such a notorious sinner to touch him”.

Jesus could immediately sense the secret thought of his wealthy pseudo-puritanist. He told Simon like this:

“Simon, I would like to tell you a story.” Simon, hiding his inner feelings replied:

“Yes, teacher, I want to hear.” Then Jesus began to tell this for all there to hear:

“Once, there was a certain moneylender who had loaned 500 dinars to one and 50 dinars to another. But these two gentlemen could not repay their debts even after their agreed period. But the moneylender felt sympathy to both and decided to write off the debts of both. Simon, tell me, which one of the two, as per you, would feel much obliged to the moneylender?”

“I think, the 500 dinar one” Simon answered.  

“You guessed it right, Simon.” Jesus told and pointing towards the woman, he continued: 

“Simon, take a good look at this woman. I entered your house as an invited guest, yet you gave me no water for my feet. This grateful woman has washed my feet with tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss of friendly greeting, but she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You neglected to anoint me with the perfumed oil, but she has anointed my feet with precious lotions. Simon, what do you think the meaning of all these? I tell you, her sins are all forgiven and that has led her to show all these gestures of gratitude. Those who receive a little forgiveness sometimes reciprocate only a little.”

Saying this Jesus turned around towards the woman, took her by the hand and lifting her up said further like this to her:

“You have indeed repented of your sins and they are forgiven. Do not be discouraged by the thoughtless and unkind attitude of your fellow beings. Go peacefully and feel the joy and liberty of the divine world henceforth even from this world itself.”

When Simon and his elite friends sat for the meals later, they began to whisper among themselves from the astonishment they had watching and listening Jesus some time earlier:

“Who he thinks he is? How dare he to say that he forgives our sins?”

Jesus could hear their murmurs. Ignoring them he said to the woman:

“Woman, go in peace; your faith has saved you.”

As Jesus rose with his disciples to leave, he turned to Simon and said:

“I know your heart Simon. I know that you are confused with your faith and your doubts. I understand that you are now agitated in your mind by your fears about your society and by your social pride by what have just happened. But I pray for you so that you may yield yourself to the light of the divine knowledge that has already brought in by your unwelcome guest. I declare all of you that the Heavenly Father has opened the doors of His heavenly administration to all who have the faith and the desire to enter. No man or no human administration can ever prevent any other human who have sincerely repented of his or her sins and sought to enter the divine world.”

Saying this, Jesus and his three associates left Simon’s house.

Later in the same evening Jesus made the long-to-be-remembered address to his apostles regarding the relative value of the status of humans with God and their progress in the long  ascend to the Centre of the Universes. 

Jesus taught them like this:

“My children! If there exists a true and living connection between a child and its father, the child is certain to progress continuously toward the father’s ideals. True, the child may at first be slow in this process, but progress in this regard would surely happen as time passes. What is important is not the quickness of the progress, but rather its certainty. Your actual achievement is not so important considering the fact that the direction of your progress is towards God. What you are becoming day by day is of more importance than what you are today.

“Some of you saw the transformed woman earlier today in Simon’s house. At this moment of time, she is living on a level which is vastly below that of Simon and his well-meaning associates. But Simon and his associates are indeed under false illusion of spiritual progress  as they are bound by meaningless ceremonies, rituals and social customs. But this woman has earnestly started out on the long and eventful search for God and her path towards attaining the spiritual worlds is not blocked by any spiritual pride or moral self satisfaction. By the established human standards, this woman is farther away from God than Simon, but her soul is in the progressive motion and she is already on the way towards her eternal goal. The soul of this woman has tremendous spiritual possibilities for the future. Likewise, there exist tremendous possibilities in each of you for the future. It is indeed better to have a small but living and growing faith than to be possessed of a great intellect full of worldly wisdom but with no desire for spiritual progress.”    

Concluding his teaching of the day, Jesus however earnestly warned his disciples against the foolishness of a child who presumes upon the love of its father. 

The Heavenly Father, he warned them, is not to be compared to a foolishly indulgent human parent who is lax, loose or ever ready to be lenient with all evil and willful recklessness of his children. 

Jesus categorically told them when he summed up:  

“My Heavenly Father is not in any way to make allowances to those acts and practices of his earthly children who are self-destructive and suicidal to all moral growth and spiritual progress by doing willful evil. Such practices are indeed repulsive in the sight of God”.

[*Adapted from the Urantia Book]

What Benefits the Christians Get By Converting Others to Christianity?

Religion and religion based politics are nothing new to our world now. Religion based conflicts keep happening. Had it been God who determined the human affairs of religion on earth, then perhaps religious conflicts would not have arisen at all. At least that is my simple logic.

Extending that logic further, it could perhaps be concluded that God has no real place in religious affairs of the men and women of earth as it stands today. Isn't it the people who determine about the who-what-how of God rather than God Himself ? Perhaps God has determined to leave this to the people themselves for the time being till they realize the truths! But realization of the truths perfectly can happen only after all the people get truly matured in their mind capacities!

Anyway, that is not going to happen in the near future. It might take many centuries ahead before all men and women of earth develop to some equitable status in their mind capabilities as determined by their character and competence. 

Till that time they keep creating situations of conflicts among them due to varying degrees of misunderstandings arising out of imperfect comprehension of truths and untruths. The immature ones would not even allow the peace loving, mature folks among them to live in an environment of social brotherhood of peace, friendship and service!

You may be wondering why I wrote all this? Be patient, and read ahead.

I am branded as a Christian in my country India, not because I am a true follower of Jesus Christ, but because I happened to be born to parents who were too branded likewise. I have no idea about those of my ancestors who got converted to this religion abandoning whatever faith or faithlessness they had. I do not even know why they did that. Did they do that under inducements of money, power or force as some now believe? I have no idea. There are no records either.

Yet I am happy for that great decision of my ancestors. I am happy that I now belong to an indigenous Christian church, the Mar Thoma Syrian Church, which takes pride not only in its Indian character but also in its centuries' old Syrian cultural ancestry and progressive christian values. Even though it is a mere accident of time, I can't help thanking the Almighty that I got the opportunity to be born and brought up in a family that believed in Christian values rather than in any other faith systems that exist today.

Christians world over believe and practice (in varying degrees of conviction and effort) the command that Jesus Christ had believed to have told his followers as recorded in the first book of the New Testament Bible, in the gospel according to St.Matthew @ (28:19):

" Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father (God Almighty) and of the Son and the Holy Spirit" 

Just as my non-Christian friends, I too had unanswered doubts lingering in my mind for many years about the manner in which Christian missionaries and evangelists convert non-Christians to Christianity. 

What is the real motive behind Christian proselytism? 

Did Jesus really instruct his followers to baptize  all people of all nations as his disciples? Why did Jesus gave such an instruction? What did he actually mean by it? Is this the reason why Christian churches, individual evangelists and groups keep on carrying out their so-called gospel missions and conversion activities?

Why do Christian churches sponsor missionaries and try to convert non-Christians to their fold? Are they doing this for their selfish benefits? Are they doing this for taking control of all nations and making their own super power? Is it a political agenda by some vicious Christian leaders to subjugate all other religions and peoples? 

Modern democratic leaders and for that matter, even the dictators or monarchs of the world, gain power from the majority people. So, being in a majority is commonly thought as having some advantage by the minorities. It may not be a fact, but when in minority, it is always possible for the minorities to consider themselves being exploited for one reason or the other. It is not possible to form a cohesive and equitable society of people when people are all individually different in some physical or mental attributes! It is easy for clever people to inject thought poisons to divide a group of otherwise innocent individuals having varying mind capacities!

The mechanics of 'divide and rule' is nothing new in our world! 

When Christians became a majority in the world order by their centuries old collective and individualized proselytism activities, they happened to be viewed as a threat by those who happened to be in the minority faiths. Christians were a persecuted minority in the past, but in many regions of the world over the centuries, they emerged as a well-to-do and progressive class in general. Divisions in the society did not get eliminated in nations and regions even when all people became Christians. Emerging new religions and divisions within the Christendom caused conflicts to keep happening.

Where they are a minority, Christians are generally labelled as a potential threat by radical thought provokers of modern times who keep postulating their theories very convincingly. The Christian haters do get opportunities to bash the former as Christians too are nothing very different from their other human brethren with regard to their maturity levels!

In the modern world, Christian proselytism is opposed by counter proselytism which adopts both peaceful and violent means. A major Indian political party's right wing cadres have thought it best to launch mass campaigns to bring back the lost members of their faith back to their fold by controversial programs such as the 'Ghar Wapsi' (Home coming). 

In the Christian dominated western countries, the new thought is to stick to secularism as the guiding principle of democratic politics and governance rather than having governments under the banner of the dominant religion. Since that idea is again perceived as originating from the affluent Christian dominated nations, non-Christian majority nations and thinkers are apparently not very much enthusiastic to discuss about it. 

'It was their time earlier, but now it's our time!'. Such a thought also seems very logical for many. 

Writers, thinkers and leaders keep debating over these issues. I keep reading what the so-called learned men have to say about the issue of religious conversions.

Here is one such essay by a a foreign writer, perhaps from a Christian background.  

In my country, many influential writers from all faiths keep expressing their own ideas and opinions.

For example in today's Economic Times, I happen to read an article by a well known Hindu educationist, business leader and writer, Mr. T V Mohandas Pai. For the benefit of my readers, I reproduce a photo scan of what he had written, below:

In his article, he is lamenting about the inaction of the people of his community for not making use of the huge wealth of the Hindu temples for social benefits of the Hindu community which, according to him, is giving the opportunity to the Christians to lure the poor Hindus to become vulnerable to Christian proselytism.

Is he or for that matter all those who think in that lines, to conclude that it is the money and such other inducements that force the non-Christian folks to adopt Christianity? Are the evangelists using foreign funds for their missionary acts to lure and convert the hapless victims? Else, what other techniques they adopt to make this happen?

As I have written here above, I too have been thinking about the reasons behind the religious conversions that are initiated by Christian evangelists and missionaries, just as Mr Pai. Mr Pai might not have attended any Christian congregation or church or even interacted with any of those so-called evangelists or missionaries. But I have.

And to be very frank, I am surprised. I do not find any logic in any person, rich or poor, to convert to another faith because of lures of money, inducements, threats or other such influences in these modern times. At the same time I do not deny the fact about the existence of a few such persons who switch their faith for temporary material benefits. But I have not yet come across a person of that sort. If there are some, they are perhaps people with no self esteem just like those who do any thing for money, fame or for some other very selfish non-spiritual gains.

I have studied other religions very closely. Had the other religions been better to satisfy my inner spiritual urge, I would perhaps had overcome the social stigma to get converted to any one of those where I found that satisfaction! 

Perhaps people who get converted to Christianity or other religions are doing that for quenching their spiritual thirsts more than the material thirsts. In my opinion, the material or social prospects alone would not make a person in this modern times to change their faith. In most cases, they overcome the societal stigma of changing faith and convert to another religion because of some inner spiritual awakening about which only they can explain.

Since, voluntary faith conversions take place more to Christianity than to any other religion, there should be some thing special with Christianity that makes it possible.

I had the opportunity to meet several well-to-do and not-so-well-to-do  people who have converted voluntarily to Christianity in the recent times. I do get overwhelmed by their spiritual enthusiasm in their newly acquired faith and religion- some thing that either me or the lot like me do not have. In the times we live, religion and faith are very sensitive issues and therefore, I know the various difficulties they might have faced in taking the decisions to convert to Christianity. Unlike those who do religious conversions for purely temporal or beneficial physical gains such as marriage, those who do it for apparent spiritual benefits face much embarrassment in life. Yet many keep doing it. It is perhaps difficult for many to understand the logic or purpose behind it in pure material terms.

I also know several people who while outwardly retaining their original religious affiliations, remain inwardly as faithful followers of Jesus Christ. I also had occasions when a few such individuals trying to convince me- a branded Christian- to convert to the version of the christian faith that they believe as true. I often wonder why they have more of the christian faith than me!

It is not possible in these days to make a person to fall in line with your thoughts, whatever inducements you try to adopt, unless they themselves have taken such a decision willfully. Human beings are will creatures. The mere fact that they are poor or downtrodden does not change that. It is a mere foolishness to think that the poor class are will-less slaves!

Under physical force and also under conditions of torture, it might be possible to make some people to do some religious rituals or to make them verbally pronounce or denounce their faiths. But that would not make their minds to change, unless they themselves decide for a change. But, true followers of Christ have a legacy of withstanding even great violence and torture! They apparently possess a stronger will that could withstand all physical problems.

The Christian faith is based on the reality of God and the reality of life after death. By combining the old and the new together, the Christian Bible makes one understand the evolutionary aspects of faith under love, compassion and service. The contrasts between the old and the new together with the fatherly love of God to all his creations are great help for all spiritually starved persons to realize the reality of God as their divine father. The history of Jesus as depicted makes one understand the way Jesus made his followers understand the power of simplicity, service, love and humility rather than the material power.  Physical power is easier to perceive and understand, while spiritual power, though superior, is difficult to perceive. 

As with any other religion, Christianity too have been used by evil forces for meeting their vested interests. But it also possessed the self healing systems within itself to overcome such difficulties and to function as a great agent of modern civilization and progress. Perhaps it enjoyed some divine over-care during times of difficulties.

As with any faith, Christians are also not a unified or cohesive force in this world. There are several groups, churches or denominations and all have their differences and agreements of thoughts. Many follow a religion about Jesus Christ and not necessarily the religion of Jesus Christ. Yet, Christianity as it stand today is a religion that essentially nurtures human personality, values and character rather than chaining its followers under regressive mores, rituals or traditions. While they have institutionalized the churches, the churches are all essentially democratic and the individuals members enjoy freedom of expression and thought.

The foremost principle of being a Christian is the principle of loving service to fellow beings, not necessarily fellow Christians. So those who are in Christian faith are more willing to share their wealth for common good. While they contribute for a common cause, very often they are neither doing so for gaining some immediate material gain from a satisfied deity nor to please a God who would otherwise become angry.

I am a member of an Indian church. All members contribute voluntarily to the church for various purposes. Funds are required for maintaining the common infrastructure for the church as well as for doing welfare measures for others in the society who might benefit from it. Those contributions from the members help the churches to build hospitals, schools, training centers and such other things for areas and peoples who really need it. Just as the Indian Christians, all Christians in the world do it as a part of their small commitment towards making a bit difference in the lives of several of their unfortunate human brothers and sisters. Besides, most Christians feel the internal joy of sharing the spiritual wellness of being a follower of Jesus that actually helped them to become an individual capable of sharing both physically and spiritually.

St.Thomas School, Ranchi witnessing a sports meet 

for the underprivileged children of the remote schools the church members started just an year ago

At times, some Christians become too ecstatic in sharing their spiritual joy and for any onlooker it might appear as an effort by them to induce others to their fold. But as I explained, it is not possible for any one to change a person's mind by material inducements alone. I have reasons to believe that human faith under voluntary conditions can change only with some unseen divine intervention! Christians commonly believe this as the work of the all pervading effect of what they call and identify as the act of the Holy Spirit.

Once a senior bureaucrat and a Hindu by faith who was a fellow air passenger with me on a flight from Port Blair told me some thing he found as difficult to explain by any simple logic. He was the government commissioner of the Nicobar islands. How could the many remote islanders of Nicobar become Christians several decades or centuries ago? Who converted them and by what method at a time when there was no modern communication methods available? Even with all government support, he said, these islands are difficult to reach. Then how these people speaking different languages or dialects were contacted so that they changed to a new faith in large numbers? He had no answer, nor had I.

But that is the manner in which the world population got converted to Christianity. It started with the Jews, Greeks, Egyptians and the elite Romans some 1900 odd years ago. Human inducement or divine intervention? I do not know. But humans alone cannot do it. That I am sure.

If my fellow Christians start discarding their faith and embrace other faiths in large numbers, I would not get angry. I believe religious faith is a matter of personal choice. But I would be perplexed and puzzled to know the reason. My human curiosity would try finding the reasons by talking to those of my fellows who changed their faith. If I get convinced, I too would perhaps join them. Otherwise not. But would I ever get convinced to overcome the various barriers to take the decision for a conversion? I doubt. I would need an irresistible spiritual boost to over come the mind barrier. If it is like that for me, it might apply to others as well.

Why did Jesus tell his disciples the way it is written in the Bible? He was not interested in becoming the king or the emperor. But then why did he tell that way? Why did he want the whole nations of the earth as his disciples? For political power or for some thing else?

I was curious to know the details of what he might have actually told. Then quite surprisingly I got the answer in my favorite book (the Urantia Book). The book says that Jesus taught most authoritatively after he got resurrected the third day after his death on the cross. One day before his ascension, he instructed his followers about preaching the good news and about the realities of the kingdom of God to all people who live in ignorance.

Let me quote what is written in this book:

"Peace be upon you. For a full week have I tarried that I might appear again when you were all present to hear once more the commission to go into all the world and preach this gospel of the kingdom. Again I tell you: As the Father sent me into the world, so send I you. As I have revealed the Father, so shall you reveal the divine love, not merely with words, but in your daily living. I send you forth, not to love the souls of men, but rather to love men. You are not merely to proclaim the joys of heaven but also to exhibit in your daily experience these spirit realities of the divine life since you already have eternal life, as the gift of God, through faith. When you have faith, when power from on high, the Spirit of Truth, has come upon you, you will not hide your light here behind closed doors; you will make known the love and the mercy of God to all mankind. Through fear you now flee from the facts of a disagreeable experience, but when you shall have been baptized with the Spirit of Truth, you will bravely and joyously go forth to meet the new experiences of proclaiming the good news of eternal life in the kingdom of God. You may tarry here and in Galilee for a short season while you recover from the shock of the transition from the false security of the authority of traditionalism to the new order of the authority of facts, truth, and faith in the supreme realities of living experience. Your mission to the world is founded on the fact that I lived a God-revealing life among you; on the truth that you and all other men are the sons of God; and it shall consist in the life which you will live among men—the actual and living experience of loving men and serving them, even as I have loved and served you. Let faith reveal your light to the world; let the revelation of truth open the eyes blinded by tradition; let your loving service effectually destroy the prejudice engendered by ignorance. By so drawing close to your fellow men in understanding sympathy and with unselfish devotion, you will lead them into a saving knowledge of the Father's love. The Jews have extolled goodness; the Greeks have exalted beauty; the Hindus preach devotion; the faraway ascetics teach reverence; the Romans demand loyalty; but I require of my disciples life, even a life of loving service for your brothers in the flesh".[The Urantia Book, Paper 191:5.3]

My dear reader! I now have the answer to the question that was in my mind for so long. Christians are not there to defend and protect their religion or their god. It is the God that acts through many of them, if not all of them. The baptism that Jesus preached was about the baptism of the mind and a change from ignorance to wisdom and loving service. Since all men and women are children of God, there is no need for any one to make a formal declaration or a physical ritual to embrace the good things that he revealed.   

Read the above quote once again. You would know the difference!

Salient Details of Jesus' First Journey to Jerusalem from Nazareth As a Boy of Twelve Years!

One of the greatest memorable events in the childhood of Jesus was his journey from his Nazareth village to Jerusalem together with his parents, Joseph and Mary. He had just completed his school education in the Synagogue school at Nazareth. He was 12 years and eight months when he traveled to Jerusalem for celebrating the Passover festival of the Jewish people.

Map of the Land of the Jewish Peoples 

during the times of Jesus. Courtsey CCEL.Org (Click to enlarge)

The Passover feast of this year fell on Saturday, April 9, A.D. 7. A considerable company of 103 people made ready to depart from Nazareth early Monday morning, April 4, for Jerusalem. 

They journeyed south toward Samaria, but on reaching Jezreel, they turned east, going around Mount Gilboa into the Jordan valley in order to avoid passing through Samaria. Joseph and his family would have enjoyed going down through Samaria by way of Jacob’s Well and Bethel, but since the Jews disliked to deal with the Samaritans, they decided to go with their neighbors by way of the Jordan valley.

The much-dreaded Archelaus (the king of Jews who wanted to destroy babe Jesus) had been deposed, and Jesus' parents now had little to fear in taking Jesus to Jerusalem. Twelve years had passed since the first Herod had sought to destroy the babe of Bethlehem, and no one would now think of associating that affair with this much unknown boy of Nazareth.

Before reaching the Jezreel junction, and as they journeyed on, very soon, on the left, they passed the ancient village of Shunem, and Jesus heard again (from his fellow travelers) about the most beautiful maiden of all Israel who once lived there and also about the wonderful works Elisha performed there. In passing by Jezreel, Jesus’ parents recounted the doings of Ahab and Jezebel and the exploits of Jehu. In passing around Mount Gilboa, they talked much about Saul, who took his life on the slopes of this mountain, King David, and the associations of this historic spot. It was an opportunity for young Jesus to learn much about the past history of his peoples while they walked through those places.

On their second day’s journey they passed by where the Jabbok, from the east, flows into the Jordan, and looking east up this river valley, they recounted the days of Gideon, when the Midianites poured into this region to overrun the land. Toward the end of the second day’s journey they camped near the base of the highest mountain overlooking the Jordan valley, Mount Sartaba, whose summit was occupied by the Alexandrian fortress where Herod had imprisoned one of his wives and buried his two strangled sons.

The third day they passed by two villages which had been recently built by Herod and noted their superior architecture and their beautiful palm gardens. By nightfall they reached Jericho, where they remained until the next morning. That evening Joseph, Mary, and Jesus walked a mile and a half to the site of the ancient Jericho, where Joshua, for whom Jesus was named, had performed his renowned exploits, according to Jewish tradition.

By the fourth and last day’s journey the road was a continuous procession of pilgrims. They now began to climb the hills leading up to Jerusalem. As they neared the top, they could look across the Jordan to the mountains beyond and south over the sluggish waters of the Dead Sea. About halfway up to Jerusalem, Jesus gained his first view of the Mount of Olives (the region to be so much a part of his subsequent life), and Joseph pointed out to him that the Holy City lay just beyond this ridge, and the lad’s heart beat fast with joyous anticipation.

On the eastern slopes of Olivet they paused for rest in the borders of a little village called Bethany. The hospitable villagers poured forth to minister to the pilgrims, and it happened that Joseph and his family had stopped near the house of one Simon, who had three children about the same age as Jesus— Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. They invited the Nazareth family in for refreshment, and a lifelong friendship sprang up between the two families. Many times afterward, in his eventful life, Jesus stopped in this home.

They moved on, soon standing on the brink of Olivet, and Jesus saw for the first time (in his memory) the Holy City, the pretentious palaces, and the inspiring temple of his heavenly Father (God). At no time in his life did Jesus ever experience such a purely human thrill as that which at this time so completely enthralled him as he stood there on this April afternoon on the Mount of Olives, enjoying in his first view of Jerusalem. And in the later years, on this same spot he stood and wept over the city which was about to reject another prophet, the last and the greatest of her heavenly teachers!

Soon Jesus' family reached Jerusalem and they moved in to a house of one of the relatives of Mary.

While all Jerusalem was astir in preparation for the Passover, Joseph found time to take his son around to visit the academy where it had been arranged for him to resume his education two years later, as soon as he reached the required age of fifteen. Joseph was truly puzzled when he observed how little interest Jesus evinced in all these carefully laid plans.

Jesus was profoundly impressed by the temple and all the associated services and other activities. For the first time since he was four years old, he was too much preoccupied with his own meditations to ask many questions. 

He did, however, ask his father several embarrassing questions (as he had on previous occasions) as to why the heavenly Father required the slaughter of so many innocent and helpless animals. 

And his earthly father well knew from the expression on the lad’s face that his answers and attempts at explanation were unsatisfactory to his deep-thinking and keen-reasoning son.

On the day before the Passover Sabbath, flood tides of spiritual illumination swept through the mortal mind of Jesus and filled his human heart to overflowing with affectionate pity for the spiritually blind and morally ignorant multitudes assembled for the celebration of the ancient Passover commemoration. 

This was one of the most extraordinary days that the Son of God spent in the flesh of an ordinary human being; and during the night, for the first time in his earth career, there appeared to him an assigned messenger from his heavenly headquarters who reminded him: 

“The hour has come. It is time that you began to be about your Heavenly Father’s business.”

And so, even before the heavy responsibilities of the Nazareth family descended upon his youthful shoulders, there now arrived the celestial messenger to remind this lad, not quite thirteen years of age, that the hour had come to begin the resumption of the responsibilities of a universe. 

He was the Divine Creator of a large material universe which consisted of millions of planetary worlds similar or much advanced than earth. And the creator was experiencing the lowly human life as part of his own decision in accordance with the mandate of his heavenly Father. Once he experienced that life he was going to be elevated to the position of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe that he had created and would be nurturing henceforth.

And what happened in Jerusalem on that day was the first act of a long succession of events which finally culminated in the completion of the Son of God's bestowal on earth and in a way replacing of “the (care-taker) government of a universe on his human-divine shoulders.”

From now on, the most powerful divine care taker government of his universe would wait for their Creator's  approvals proceed from the human-divine personality who moved on earth as a seemingly ordinary human boy who hardly displayed any of his divine powers to his fellow human beings!

As time passed, the mystery of the incarnation became, to all of us (celestial beings), more and more unfathomable. 

We could hardly comprehend that this lad of Nazareth was the creator of a vast universe occupied by trillions of intelligent life of various orders and types both mortals and immortals. 

Neither do we nowadays understand how the spirit of this same Creator Son and the spirit of his Divine Heavenly Father are associated with the souls of mankind. 

With the passing of time, we could see that his human mind was increasingly discerning that, while he lived his life in the flesh, in spirit on his shoulders rested the responsibility of a universe.

From this time on, Jesus became increasingly self conscious of his dual nature - his divine-human nature. 

From now on, he had to take the responsibilities of his earthly family as a human and also take the responsibilities of a vast universe as its divine Creator. The human Jesus was increasingly getting aware of his divine status. 

Whatever he wished would become a reality, but this beloved Son of God was not one who would use his power and authority the way humans or even some of his subordinate celestial beings of imperfect mind status would have wished to use with such powers!

From the Mount of Olives and from the outside, on closer inspection, the temple had been all and more than Jesus had expected; but when he once entered its sacred portals, the great disillusionment began.

But the first great shock of the day came when his mother took leave of them on her way to the women’s gallery. It had never occurred to Jesus that his mother was not to accompany him to the consecration ceremonies, and he was thoroughly indignant that she was made to suffer from such unjust discrimination. While he strongly resented this, aside from a few remarks of protest to his father, he said nothing. But he thought, and thought deeply, as his questions to the scribes and teachers a week later disclosed.

Though many of the temple rituals very touchingly impressed his sense of the beautiful and the symbolic, he was always disappointed by the explanation of the real meanings of these ceremonies which his parents would offer in answer to his many searching inquiries. Jesus simply would not accept explanations of worship and religious devotion which involved belief in the wrath of God or the anger of the Almighty.

In further discussion of these questions, after the conclusion of the temple visit, when his father became mildly insistent that he acknowledge acceptance of the orthodox Jewish beliefs, Jesus turned suddenly upon his parents and, looking appealingly into the eyes of his father, said:

“My father, it cannot be true—the Father in heaven cannot so regard his erring children on earth. The heavenly Father cannot love his children less than you love me. And I well know, no matter what unwise thing I might do, you would never pour out wrath upon me nor vent anger against me. If you, my earthly father, possess such human reflections of the Divine, how much more must the heavenly Father be filled with goodness and overflowing with mercy. I refuse to believe that my Father in heaven loves me less than my father on earth.”

When Joseph and Mary heard these words of their first-born son, they held their peace. 

And never again did they seek to change his mind about the love of God and the mercifulness of the Father in heaven.

Early next day Jesus was up and on his way to the temple. On the brow of Olivet he paused and wept over the sight his eyes beheld—a spiritually impoverished people, tradition bound and living under the surveillance of the Roman legions. 

Early forenoon found him in the temple with his mind made up to take part in the discussions. Meanwhile, Joseph and Mary also had arisen with the early dawn with the intention of retracing their steps to Jerusalem. First, they hastened to the house of their relatives, where they had lodged as a family during the Passover week, but inquiry elicited the fact that no one had seen Jesus. After searching all day and finding no trace of him, they returned to their relatives for the night.

At the second conference Jesus had made bold to ask questions, and in a very amazing way he participated in the temple discussions but always in a manner consistent with his youth. 

Sometimes his pointed questions were somewhat embarrassing to the learned teachers of the Jewish law, but he evinced such a spirit of candid fairness, coupled with an evident hunger for knowledge, that the majority of the temple teachers were disposed to treat him with every consideration. 

But when he presumed to question the justice of putting to death a drunken gentile who had wandered outside the court of the gentiles and unwittingly entered the forbidden and reputedly sacred precincts of the temple, one of the more intolerant teachers grew impatient with the lad’s implied criticisms and, glowering down upon him, asked how old he was. 

Jesus replied, “thirteen years lacking a trifle more than four months.” 

“Then,” rejoined the now irate teacher, “why are you here, since you are not of age as a son of the law?” 

And when Jesus explained that he had received consecration during the Passover, and that he was a finished student of the Nazareth schools, the teachers with one accord derisively replied, 

“We might have known; he is from Nazareth.” 

But the leader insisted that Jesus was not to be blamed if the rulers of the synagogue at Nazareth had graduated him, technically, when he was twelve instead of thirteen; and notwithstanding that several of his detractors got up and left, it was ruled that the lad might continue undisturbed as a pupil of the temple discussions.

Jesus’ third day with the scribes and teachers in the temple witnessed the gathering of many spectators who, having heard of this youth from Galilee, came to enjoy the experience of seeing a lad confuse the wise men of the law. 

Simon also came down from Bethany to see what the boy was up to. Throughout this day Joseph and Mary continued their anxious search for Jesus, even going several times into the temple but never thinking to scrutinize the several discussion groups, although they once came almost within hearing distance of his fascinating voice.

Before the day had ended, the entire attention of the chief discussion group of the temple had become focused upon the questions being asked by Jesus.

Among his many questions were:

1. What really exists in the holy of holies, behind the veil?

2. Why should mothers in Israel be segregated from the male temple worshipers?

3. If God is a father who loves his children, why all this slaughter of animals to gain divine favor—has the teaching of Moses been misunderstood?

4. Since the temple is dedicated to the worship of the Father in heaven, is it consistent to permit the presence of those who engage in secular barter and trade?

5. Is the expected Messiah to become a temporal prince to sit on the throne of David, or is he to function as the light of life in the establishment of a spiritual kingdom?

And all the day through, those who listened marveled at these questions, and none was more astonished than Simon. 

For more than four hours this Nazareth youth plied these Jewish teachers with thought-provoking and heart-searching questions. He made few comments on the remarks of his elders. He conveyed his teaching by the questions he would ask. By the deft and subtle phrasing of a question he would at one and the same time challenge their teaching and suggest his own. 

In the manner of his asking a question there was an appealing combination of sagacity and humor which endeared him even to those who more or less resented his youthfulness. He was always eminently fair and considerate in the asking of these penetrating questions.

As a youth, and later on as a man, he seemed to be utterly free from all egoistic desire to win an argument merely to experience logical triumph over his fellows, being interested supremely in just one thing: to proclaim everlasting truth and thus effect a fuller revelation of the eternal God.

After the evening meal at Bethany he again declined to join the merry circle but instead went to the garden, where he lingered long into the night, vainly endeavoring to think out some definite plan of approach to the problem of his lifework and to decide how best he might labor to reveal to his spiritually blinded countrymen a more beautiful concept of the heavenly Father and so set them free from their terrible bondage to law, ritual, ceremonial, and musty tradition.

[Reproduced in part from the celestial revelation given to humans of 20th century and later: Paper-124 and 125 of the Urantia Book. It would be a wonderful experience to all those desirous and curious of knowing more about the life and teachings of Jesus and much more regarding God, humans and the purpose of life! Click the flower on the right panel to know more!]