The Urantia Book
PAPER 159
THE DECAPOLIS TOUR
159:0.1 WHEN Jesus and the twelve arrived at
Magadan Park, they found awaiting them a group of almost one
hundred evangelists and disciples, including the women's corps,
and they were ready immediately to begin the teaching and
preaching tour of the cities of the Decapolis.
159:0.2 On this Thursday morning, August 18, the
Master called his followers together and directed that each of the
apostles should associate himself with one of the twelve
evangelists, and that with others of the evangelists they should
go out in twelve groups to labor in the cities and villages of the
Decapolis. The women's corps and others of the disciples he
directed to remain with him. Jesus allotted four weeks to this
tour, instructing his followers to return to Magadan not later
than Friday, September 16. He promised to visit them often during
this time. In the course of this month these twelve groups labored
in Gerasa, Gamala, Hippos, Zaphon, Gadara, Abila, Edrei,
Philadelphia, Heshbon, Dium, Scythopolis, and many other cities.
Throughout this tour no miracles of healing or other extraordinary
events occurred.
1. THE SERMON ON FORGIVENESS
159:1.1 One evening at Hippos, in answer to a
disciple's question, Jesus taught the lesson on forgiveness. Said
the Master:
159:1.2 "If a kindhearted man has a hundred
sheep and one of them goes astray, does he not immediately leave
the ninety and nine and go out in search of the one that has gone
astray? And if he is a good shepherd, will he not keep up his
quest for the lost sheep until he finds it? And then, when the
shepherd has found his lost sheep, he lays it over his shoulder
and, going home rejoicing, calls to his friends and neighbors,
`Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.' I
declare that there is more joy in heaven over one sinner who
repents than over ninety and nine righteous persons who need no
repentance. Even so, it is not the will of my Father in heaven
that one of these little ones should go astray, much less that
they should perish. In your religion God may receive repentant
sinners; in the gospel of the kingdom the Father goes forth to
find them even before they have seriously thought of repentance.
159:1.3 "The Father in heaven loves his
children, and therefore should you learn to love one another; the
Father in heaven forgives you your sins; therefore should you
learn to forgive one another. If your brother sins against you, go
to him and with tact and patience show him his fault. And do all
this between you and him alone. If he will listen to you, then
have you won your brother. But if your brother will not hear you,
if he persists in the error of his way, go again to him, taking
with you one or two mutual friends that you may thus have two or
even three witnesses to confirm your testimony and establish the
fact that you have dealt justly and mercifully with your offending
brother. Now if he refuses to hear your brethren, you may tell the
whole story to the congregation, and then, if he refuses to hear
the brotherhood, let them take such action as they deem wise; let
such an unruly member become an outcast from the kingdom. While
you cannot pretend to sit in judgment on the souls of your
fellows, and while you may not forgive sins or otherwise presume
to usurp the prerogatives of the supervisors of the heavenly
hosts, at the same time, it has been committed to your hands that
you should maintain temporal order in the kingdom on earth. While
you may not meddle with the divine decrees concerning eternal
life, you shall determine the issues of conduct as they concern
the temporal welfare of the brotherhood on earth. And so, in all
these matters connected with the discipline of the brotherhood,
whatsoever you shall decree on earth, shall be recognized in
heaven. Although you cannot determine the eternal fate of the
individual, you may legislate regarding the conduct of the group,
for, where two or three of you agree concerning any of these
things and ask of me , it shall be done for you if your petition
is not inconsistent with the will of my Father in heaven. And all
this is ever true, for, where two or three believers are gathered
together, there am I in the midst of them."
159:1.4 Simon Peter was the apostle in charge of
the workers at Hippos, and when he heard Jesus thus speak, he
asked: "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I
forgive him? Until seven times?" And Jesus answered Peter: "Not
only seven times but even to seventy times and seven. Therefore
may the kingdom of heaven be likened to a certain king who ordered
a financial reckoning with his stewards. And when they had begun
to conduct this examination of accounts, one of his chief
retainers was brought before him confessing that he owed his king
ten thousand talents. Now this officer of the king's court pleaded
that hard times had come upon him, and that he did not have
wherewith to pay this obligation. And so the king commanded that
his property be confiscated, and that his children be sold to pay
his debt. When this chief steward heard this stern decree, he fell
down on his face before the king and implored him to have mercy
and grant him more time, saying, `Lord, have a little more
patience with me, and I will pay you all.' And when the king
looked upon this negligent servant and his family, he was moved
with compassion. He ordered that he should be released, and that
the loan should be wholly forgiven.
159:1.5 "And this chief steward, having thus
received mercy and forgiveness at the hands of the king, went
about his business, and finding one of his subordinate stewards
who owed him a mere hundred denarii, he laid hold upon him and,
taking him by the throat, said, `Pay me all you owe.' And then did
this fellow steward fall down before the chief steward and,
beseeching him, said: `Only have patience with me, and I will
presently be able to pay you.' But the chief steward would not
show mercy to his fellow steward but rather had him cast in prison
until he should pay his debt. When his fellow servants saw what
had happened, they were so distressed that they went and told
their lord and master, the king. When the king heard of the doings
of his chief steward, he called this ungrateful and unforgiving
man before him and said: `You are a wicked and unworthy steward.
When you sought for compassion, I freely forgave you your entire
debt. Why did you not also show mercy to your fellow steward, even
as I showed mercy to you?' And the king was so very angry that he
delivered his ungrateful chief steward to the jailers that they
might hold him until he had paid all that was due. And even so
shall my heavenly Father show the more abundant mercy to those who
freely show mercy to their fellows. How can you come to God asking
consideration for your shortcomings when you are wont to chastise
your brethren for being guilty of these same human frailties? I
say to all of you: Freely you have received the good things of the
kingdom; therefore freely give to your fellows on earth."
159:1.6 Thus did Jesus teach the dangers and
illustrate the unfairness of sitting in personal judgment upon
one's fellows. Discipline must be maintained, justice must be
administered, but in all these matters the wisdom of the
brotherhood should prevail. Jesus invested legislative and
judicial authority in the group, not in the individual.
Even this investment of authority in the group must not be
exercised as personal authority. There is always danger that the
verdict of an individual may be warped by prejudice or distorted
by passion. Group judgment is more likely to remove the dangers
and eliminate the unfairness of personal bias. Jesus sought always
to minimize the elements of unfairness, retaliation, and
vengeance.
159:1.7 The
use of the term seventy-seven as an illustration of mercy and
forbearance was derived from the Scriptures referring to Lamech's
exultation because of the metal weapons of his son Tubal-Cain,
who, comparing these superior instruments with those of his
enemies, exclaimed: "If Cain, with no weapon in his hand, was
avenged seven times, I shall now be avenged seventy-seven."
2. THE STRANGE PREACHER
159:2.1 Jesus went over to Gamala to visit John
and those who worked with him at that place. That evening, after
the session of questions and answers, John said to Jesus: "Master,
yesterday I went over to Ashtaroth to see a man who was teaching
in your name and even claiming to be able to cast out devils. Now
this fellow had never been with us, neither does he follow after
us; therefore I forbade him to do such things." Then said Jesus:
"Forbid him not. Do you not perceive that this gospel of the
kingdom shall presently be proclaimed in all the world? How can
you expect that all who will believe the gospel shall be subject
to your direction? Rejoice that already our teaching has begun to
manifest itself beyond the bounds of our personal influence. Do
you not see, John, that those who profess to do great works in my
name must eventually support our cause? They certainly will not be
quick to speak evil of me. My son, in matters of this sort it
would be better for you to reckon that he who is not against us is
for us. In the generations to come many who are not wholly worthy
will do many strange things in my name, but I will not forbid
them. I tell you that, even when a cup of cold water is given to a
thirsty soul, the Father's messengers shall ever make record of
such a service of love."
159:2.2 This instruction greatly perplexed John.
Had he not heard the Master say, "He who is not with me is against
me"? And he did not perceive that in this case Jesus was referring
to man's personal relation to the spiritual teachings of the
kingdom, while in the other case reference was made to the outward
and far-flung social relations of believers regarding the
questions of administrative control and the jurisdiction of one
group of believers over the work of other groups which would
eventually compose the forthcoming world-wide brotherhood.
159:2.3 But John oftentimes recounted this
experience in connection with his subsequent labors in behalf of
the kingdom. Nevertheless, many times did the apostles take
offense at those who made bold to teach in the Master's name. To
them it always seemed inappropriate that those who had never sat
at Jesus' feet should dare to teach in his name.
159:2.4 This man whom John forbade to teach and
work in Jesus' name did not heed the apostle's injunction. He went
right on with his efforts and raised up a considerable company of
believers at Kanata before going on into Mesopotamia. This man,
Aden, had been led to believe in Jesus through the testimony of
the demented man whom Jesus healed near Kheresa, and who so
confidently believed that the supposed evil spirits which the
Master cast out of him entered the herd of swine and rushed them
headlong over the cliff to their destruction.
3. INSTRUCTION FOR TEACHERS AND BELIEVERS
159:3.1 At Edrei, where Thomas and his
associates labored, Jesus spent a day and a night and, in the
course of the evening's discussion, gave expression to the
principles which should guide those who preach truth, and which
should activate all who teach the gospel of the kingdom.
Summarized and restated in modern phraseology, Jesus taught:
159:3.2 Always respect the personality of man.
Never should a righteous cause be promoted by force; spiritual
victories can be won only by spiritual power. This injunction
against the employment of material influences refers to psychic
force as well as to physical force. Overpowering arguments and
mental superiority are not to be employed to coerce men and women
into the kingdom. Man's mind is not to be crushed by the mere
weight of logic or overawed by shrewd eloquence. While emotion as
a factor in human decisions cannot be wholly eliminated, it should
not be directly appealed to in the teachings of those who would
advance the cause of the kingdom. Make your appeals directly to
the divine spirit that dwells within the minds of men. Do not
appeal to fear, pity, or mere sentiment. In appealing to men, be
fair; exercise self-control and exhibit due restraint; show proper
respect for the personalities of your pupils. Remember that I have
said: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock, and if any man will
open, I will come in."
159:3.3 In bringing men into the kingdom, do not
lessen or destroy their self-respect. While overmuch self-respect
may destroy proper humility and end in pride, conceit, and
arrogance, the loss of self-respect often ends in paralysis of the
will. It is the purpose of this gospel to restore self-respect to
those who have lost it and to restrain it in those who have it.
Make not the mistake of only condemning the wrongs in the lives of
your pupils; remember also to accord generous recognition for the
most praiseworthy things in their lives. Forget not that I will
stop at nothing to restore self-respect to those who have lost it,
and who really desire to regain it.
159:3.4 Take care that you do not wound the
self-respect of timid and fearful souls. Do not indulge in sarcasm
at the expense of my simple-minded brethren. Be not cynical with
my fear-ridden children. Idleness is destructive of self-respect;
therefore, admonish your brethren ever to keep busy at their
chosen tasks, and put forth every effort to secure work for those
who find themselves without employment.
159:3.5 Never be guilty of such unworthy tactics
as endeavoring to frighten men and women into the kingdom. A
loving father does not frighten his children into yielding
obedience to his just requirements.
159:3.6 Sometime the children of the kingdom
will realize that strong feelings of emotion are not equivalent to
the leadings of the divine spirit. To be strongly and strangely
impressed to do something or to go to a certain place, does not
necessarily mean that such impulses are the leadings of the
indwelling spirit.
159:3.7 Forewarn all believers regarding the
fringe of conflict which must be traversed by all who pass from
the life as it is lived in the flesh to the higher life as it is
lived in the spirit. To those who live quite wholly within either
realm, there is little conflict or confusion, but all are doomed
to experience more or less uncertainty during the times of
transition between the two levels of living. In entering the
kingdom, you cannot escape its responsibilities or avoid its
obligations, but remember: The gospel yoke is easy and the burden
of truth is light.
159:3.8 The world is filled with hungry souls
who famish in the very presence of the bread of life; men die
searching for the very God who lives within them. Men seek for the
treasures of the kingdom with yearning hearts and weary feet when
they are all within the immediate grasp of living faith. Faith is
to religion what sails are to a ship; it is an addition of power,
not an added burden of life. There is but one struggle for those
who enter the kingdom, and that is to fight the good fight of
faith. The believer has only one battle, and that is against doubt
-- unbelief.
159:3.9 In preaching the gospel of the kingdom,
you are simply teaching friendship with God. And this fellowship
will appeal alike to men and women in that both will find that
which most truly satisfies their characteristic longings and
ideals. Tell my children that I am not only tender of their
feelings and patient with their frailties, but that I am also
ruthless with sin and intolerant of iniquity. I am indeed meek and
humble in the presence of my Father, but I am equally and
relentlessly inexorable where there is deliberate evildoing and
sinful rebellion against the will of my Father in heaven.
159:3.10 You shall not portray your teacher as a
man of sorrows. Future generations shall know also the radiance of
our joy, the buoyance of our good will, and the inspiration of our
good humor. We proclaim a message of good news which is infectious
in its transforming power. Our religion is throbbing with new life
and new meanings. Those who accept this teaching are filled with
joy and in their hearts are constrained to rejoice evermore.
Increasing happiness is always the experience of all who are
certain about God.
159:3.11 Teach all believers to avoid leaning
upon the insecure props of false sympathy. You cannot develop
strong characters out of the indulgence of self-pity; honestly
endeavor to avoid the deceptive influence of mere fellowship in
misery. Extend sympathy to the brave and courageous while you
withhold overmuch pity from those cowardly souls who only
halfheartedly stand up before the trials of living. Offer not
consolation to those who lie down before their troubles without a
struggle. Sympathize not with your fellows merely that they may
sympathize with you in return.
159:3.12 When my children once become
self-conscious of the assurance of the divine presence, such a
faith will expand the mind, ennoble the soul, reinforce the
personality, augment the happiness, deepen the spirit perception,
and enhance the power to love and be loved.
159:3.13 Teach all believers that those who
enter the kingdom are not thereby rendered immune to the accidents
of time or to the ordinary catastrophes of nature. Believing the
gospel will not prevent getting into trouble, but it will insure
that you shall be unafraid when trouble does overtake you.
If you dare to believe in me and wholeheartedly proceed to follow
after me, you shall most certainly by so doing enter upon the sure
pathway to trouble. I do not promise to deliver you from the
waters of adversity, but I do promise to go with you through all
of them.
159:3.14 And much more did Jesus teach this
group of believers before they made ready for the night's sleep.
And they who heard these sayings treasured them in their hearts
and did often recite them for the edification of the apostles and
disciples who were not present when they were spoken.
4. THE TALK WITH NATHANIEL
159:4.1 And then went Jesus over to Abila, where
Nathaniel and his associates labored. Nathaniel was much bothered
by some of Jesus' pronouncements which seemed to detract from the
authority of the recognized Hebrew scriptures. Accordingly, on
this night, after the usual period of questions and answers,
Nathaniel took Jesus away from the others and asked: "Master,
could you trust me to know the truth about the Scriptures? I
observe that you teach us only a portion of the sacred writings --
the best as I view it -- and I infer that you reject the teachings
of the rabbis to the effect that the words of the law are the very
words of God, having been with God in heaven even before the times
of Abraham and Moses. What is the truth about the Scriptures?"
When Jesus heard the question of his bewildered apostle, he
answered:
159:4.2 "Nathaniel, you have rightly judged; I
do not regard the Scriptures as do the rabbis. I will talk with
you about this matter on condition that you do not relate these
things to your brethren, who are not all prepared to receive this
teaching. The words of the law of Moses and the teachings of the
Scriptures were not in existence before Abraham. Only in recent
times have the Scriptures been gathered together as we now have
them. While they contain the best of the higher thoughts and
longings of the Jewish people, they also contain much that is far
from being representative of the character and teachings of the
Father in heaven; wherefore must I choose from among the better
teachings those truths which are to be gleaned for the gospel of
the kingdom.
159:4.3 "These writings are the work of men,
some of them holy men, others not so holy. The teachings of these
books represent the views and extent of enlightenment of the times
in which they had their origin. As a revelation of truth, the last
are more dependable than the first. The Scriptures are faulty and
altogether human in origin, but mistake not, they do constitute
the best collection of religious wisdom and spiritual truth to be
found in all the world at this time.
159:4.4 "Many of these books were not written by
the persons whose names they bear, but that in no way detracts
from the value of the truths which they contain. If the story of
Jonah should not be a fact, even if Jonah had never lived, still
would the profound truth of this narrative, the love of God for
Nineveh and the so-called heathen, be none the less precious in
the eyes of all those who love their fellow men. The Scriptures
are sacred because they present the thoughts and acts of men who
were searching for God, and who in these writings left on record
their highest concepts of righteousness, truth, and holiness. The
Scriptures contain much that is true, very much, but in the light
of your present teaching, you know that these writings also
contain much that is misrepresentative of the Father in heaven,
the loving God I have come to reveal to all the worlds.
159:4.5 "Nathaniel, never permit yourself for
one moment to believe the Scripture records which tell you that
the God of love directed your forefathers to go forth in battle to
slay all their enemies -- men, women, and children. Such records
are the words of men, not very holy men, and they are not the word
of God. The Scriptures always have, and always will, reflect the
intellectual, moral, and spiritual status of those who create
them. Have you not noted that the concepts of Yahweh grow in
beauty and glory as the prophets make their records from Samuel to
Isaiah? And you should remember that the Scriptures are intended
for religious instruction and spiritual guidance. They are not the
works of either historians or philosophers.
159:4.6 "The thing most deplorable is not merely
this erroneous idea of the absolute perfection of the Scripture
record and the infallibility of its teachings, but rather the
confusing misinterpretation of these sacred writings by the
tradition-enslaved scribes and Pharisees at Jerusalem. And now
will they employ both the doctrine of the inspiration of the
Scriptures and their misinterpretations thereof in their
determined effort to withstand these newer teachings of the gospel
of the kingdom. Nathaniel, never forget, the Father does not limit
the revelation of truth to any one generation or to any one
people. Many earnest seekers after the truth have been, and will
continue to be, confused and disheartened by these doctrines of
the perfection of the Scriptures.
159:4.7 "The authority of truth is the very
spirit that indwells its living manifestations, and not the dead
words of the less illuminated and supposedly inspired men of
another generation. And even if these holy men of old lived
inspired and spirit-filled lives, that does not mean that their
words were similarly spiritually inspired. Today we make no
record of the teachings of this gospel of the kingdom lest, when I
have gone, you speedily become divided up into sundry groups of
truth contenders as a result of the diversity of your
interpretation of my teachings. For this generation it is best
that we live these truths while we shun the making of
records.
159:4.8 "Mark you well my words, Nathaniel,
nothing which human nature has touched can be regarded as
infallible. Through the mind of man divine truth may indeed shine
forth, but always of relative purity and partial divinity. The
creature may crave infallibility, but only the Creators possess
it.
159:4.9 "But the greatest error of the teaching
about the Scriptures is the doctrine of their being sealed books
of mystery and wisdom which only the wise minds of the nation dare
to interpret. The revelations of divine truth are not sealed
except by human ignorance, bigotry, and narrow-minded intolerance.
The light of the Scriptures is only dimmed by prejudice and
darkened by superstition. A false fear of sacredness has prevented
religion from being safeguarded by common sense. The fear of the
authority of the sacred writings of the past effectively prevents
the honest souls of today from accepting the new light of the
gospel, the light which these very God-knowing men of another
generation so intensely longed to see.
159:4.10 "But the saddest feature of all is the
fact that some of the teachers of the sanctity of this
traditionalism know this very truth. They more or less fully
understand these limitations of Scripture, but they are moral
cowards, intellectually dishonest. They know the truth regarding
the sacred writings, but they prefer to withhold such disturbing
facts from the people. And thus do they pervert and distort the
Scriptures, making them the guide to slavish details of the daily
life and an authority in things nonspiritual instead of appealing
to the sacred writings as the repository of the moral wisdom,
religious inspiration, and the spiritual teaching of the
God-knowing men of other generations."
159:4.11 Nathaniel was enlightened, and shocked,
by the Master's pronouncement. He long pondered this talk in the
depths of his soul, but he told no man concerning this conference
until after Jesus' ascension; and even then he feared to impart
the full story of the Master's instruction.
5. THE POSITIVE NATURE OF JESUS' RELIGION
159:5.1 At Philadelphia, where James was
working, Jesus taught the disciples about the positive nature of
the gospel of the kingdom. When, in the course of his remarks, he
intimated that some parts of the Scripture were more
truth-containing than others and admonished his hearers to feed
their souls upon the best of the spiritual food, James interrupted
the Master, asking: "Would you be good enough, Master, to suggest
to us how we may choose the better passages from the Scriptures
for our personal edification?" And Jesus replied: "Yes, James,
when you read the Scriptures look for those eternally true and
divinely beautiful teachings, such as:
159:5.2 "Create in me a clean heart, O Lord.
159:5.3 "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not
want.
159:5.4 "You should love your neighbor as
yourself.
159:5.5 "For I, the Lord your God, will hold
your right hand, saying, fear not; I will help you.
159:5.6 "Neither shall the nations learn war any
more."
159:5.7 And this is illustrative of the way
Jesus, day by day, appropriated the cream of the Hebrew scriptures
for the instruction of his followers and for inclusion in the
teachings of the new gospel of the kingdom. Other religions had
suggested the thought of the nearness of God to man, but Jesus
made the care of God for man like the solicitude of a loving
father for the welfare of his dependent children and then made
this teaching the cornerstone of his religion. And thus did the
doctrine of the fatherhood of God make imperative the practice of
the brotherhood of man. The worship of God and the service of man
became the sum and substance of his religion. Jesus took the best
of the Jewish religion and translated it to a worthy setting in
the new teachings of the gospel of the kingdom.
159:5.8 Jesus put the spirit of positive action
into the passive doctrines of the Jewish religion. In the place of
negative compliance with ceremonial requirements, Jesus enjoined
the positive doing of that which his new religion required of
those who accepted it . Jesus' religion consisted not merely in
believing, but in actually doing, those things which
the gospel required. He did not teach that the essence of his
religion consisted in social service, but rather that social
service was one of the certain effects of the possession of the
spirit of true religion.
159:5.9 Jesus did not hesitate to appropriate
the better half of a Scripture while he repudiated the lesser
portion. His great exhortation, "Love your neighbor as yourself,"
he took from the Scripture which reads: "You shall not take
vengeance against the children of your people, but you shall love
your neighbor as yourself." Jesus appropriated the positive
portion of this Scripture while rejecting the negative part. He
even opposed negative or purely passive nonresistance. Said he:
"When an enemy smites you on one cheek, do not stand there dumb
and passive but in positive attitude turn the other; that is, do
the best thing possible actively to lead your brother in error
away from the evil paths into the better ways of righteous
living." Jesus required his followers to react positively and
aggressively to every life situation. The turning of the other
cheek, or whatever act that may typify, demands initiative,
necessitates vigorous, active, and courageous expression of the
believer's personality.
159:5.10 Jesus did not advocate the practice of
negative submission to the indignities of those who might
purposely seek to impose upon the practitioners of nonresistance
to evil, but rather that his followers should be wise and alert in
the quick and positive reaction of good to evil to the end that
they might effectively overcome evil with good. Forget not, the
truly good is invariably more powerful than the most malignant
evil. The Master taught a positive standard of righteousness:
"Whosoever wishes to be my disciple, let him disregard himself and
take up the full measure of his responsibilities daily to follow
me." And he so lived himself in that "he went about doing good."
And this aspect of the gospel was well illustrated by many
parables which he later spoke to his followers. He never exhorted
his followers patiently to bear their obligations but rather with
energy and enthusiasm to live up to the full measure of their
human responsibilities and divine privileges in the kingdom of
God.
159:5.11 When Jesus instructed his apostles that
they should, when one unjustly took away the coat, offer the other
garment, he referred not so much to a literal second coat as to
the idea of doing something positive to save the wrongdoer
in the place of the olden advice to retaliate -- "an eye for an
eye" and so on. Jesus abhorred the idea either of retaliation or
of becoming just a passive sufferer or victim of injustice. On
this occasion he taught them the three ways of contending with,
and resisting, evil:
1. To return evil for evil -- the
positive but unrighteous method.
2. To suffer evil without complaint
and without resistance -- the purely negative method.
3. To return good for evil, to assert
the will so as to become master of the situation, to overcome evil
with good -- the positive and righteous method.
159:5.12 One of the apostles once asked:
"Master, what should I do if a stranger forced me to carry his
pack for a mile?" Jesus answered: "Do not sit down and sigh for
relief while you berate the stranger under your breath.
Righteousness comes not from such passive attitudes. If you can
think of nothing more effectively positive to do, you can at least
carry the pack a second mile. That will of a certainty challenge
the unrighteous and ungodly stranger."
159:5.13 The Jews had heard of a God who would
forgive repentant sinners and try to forget their misdeeds, but
not until Jesus came, did men hear about a God who went in search
of lost sheep, who took the initiative in looking for sinners, and
who rejoiced when he found them willing to return to the Father's
house. This positive note in religion Jesus extended even to his
prayers. And he converted the negative golden rule into a positive
admonition of human fairness.
159:5.14 In all his teaching Jesus unfailingly
avoided distracting details. He shunned flowery language and
avoided the mere poetic imagery of a play upon words. He
habitually put large meanings into small expressions. For purposes
of illustration Jesus reversed the current meanings of many terms,
such as salt, leaven, fishing, and little children. He most
effectively employed the antithesis, comparing the minute to the
infinite and so on. His pictures were striking, such as, "The
blind leading the blind." But the greatest strength to be found in
his illustrative teaching was its naturalness. Jesus brought the
philosophy of religion from heaven down to earth. He portrayed the
elemental needs of the soul with a new insight and a new bestowal
of affection.
6. THE RETURN TO MAGADAN
159:6.1 The mission of four weeks in the
Decapolis was moderately successful. Hundreds of souls were
received into the kingdom, and the apostles and evangelists had a
valuable experience in carrying on their work without the
inspiration of the immediate personal presence of Jesus.
159:6.2 On Friday, September 16, the entire
corps of workers assembled by prearrangement at Magadan Park. On
the Sabbath day a council of more than one hundred believers was
held at which the future plans for extending the work of the
kingdom were fully considered. The messengers of David were
present and made reports concerning the welfare of the believers
throughout Judea, Samaria, Galilee, and adjoining districts.
159:6.3 Few of Jesus' followers at this time
fully appreciated the great value of the services of the messenger
corps. Not only did the messengers keep the believers throughout
Palestine in touch with each other and with Jesus and the
apostles, but during these dark days they also served as
collectors of funds, not only for the sustenance of Jesus and his
associates, but also for the support of the families of the twelve
apostles and the twelve evangelists.
159:6.4 About this time Abner moved his base of
operations from Hebron to Bethlehem, and this latter place was
also the headquarters in Judea for David's messengers. David
maintained an overnight relay messenger service between Jerusalem
and Bethsaida. These runners left Jerusalem each evening, relaying
at Sychar and Scythopolis, arriving in Bethsaida by breakfast time
the next morning.
159:6.5 Jesus and his associates now prepared to
take a week's rest before they made ready to start upon the last
epoch of their labors in behalf of the kingdom. This was their
last rest, for the Perean mission developed into a campaign of
preaching and teaching which extended right on down to the time of
their arrival at Jerusalem and of the enactment of the closing
episodes of Jesus' earth career.
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