A Synopsis of Paper 132: The Sojourn at Rome

In Rome, Jesus had six months to become acquainted with the city and its people. Jesus' work during this period was entirely personal. He made valuable contact in Rome with leaders of the Stoics, Cynics, and mystery cults. Thirty of this group of thirty-two religionists later became proponents of Christianity. Jesus' contact with these leaders was one of three acts that most effected the rapid growth of Christianity in the first century; the other two were the choice of Peter as an apostle, and Jesus' talk with Stephen, whose death led to the conversion of Paul.

Some of the highlights of Jesus' various talks with the religious leaders in Rome were:

"In every age scientists and religionists must recognize that they are on trial before the bar of human need. They must eschew all warfare between themselves while they strive valiantly to justify their continued survival by enhanced devotion to the service of human progress."

"If you are ethically lazy and socially indifferent, you can take as your standard of good the current social usages."

"The spiritually blind individual who logically follows scientific dictation, social usage, and religious dogma stands in grave danger of sacrificing his moral freedom and losing his spiritual liberty."

 "Actual evil is not necessary as a personal experience. Potential evil acts equally well as a decision stimulus in the realms of moral progress on the lower levels of spiritual development."

 "Revealed truth, personally discovered truth, is the supreme delight of the human soul; it is the joint creation of the material mind and the indwelling spirit."

"Human life continues-survives-because it has a universe function, the task of finding God."

Jesus spent a great deal of time preparing religious leaders for the future. He also enjoyed learning about how people felt about life, and giving them the message of the Father's love and mercy. While he usually started conversations with people by asking questions, frequently he would end up answering questions. He taught the most to people to whom he said the least. Jesus was very fond of doing things for people.

One Roman senator, after talking with Jesus, spent the rest of his life trying to change state policy from having the government support the people to having people support the government. A slaveholder released over one hundred slaves the day after he had a long talk with Jesus. Jesus counseled a rich man who wondered what he should do with his money. Jesus advised the man to first investigate where the money came from, after which he could decide how to disburse it wisely.

One day Jesus and Ganid spent several hours bringing a lost child home to his mother. During this adventure, Jesus said, "...most human beings are like the lost child. They spend much of their time crying in fear and suffering in sorrow when, in very truth, they are but a short distance from safety and security.¼"

Jesus also talked about how we cannot reveal God to those who do not seek him. He said that people become hungry for truth either as a result of the experiences of living, or as the result of contact with the lives of those who know God. If we know God, our real business on earth is to live so as to permit the Father to reveal himself in our lives.