Paper 145
FOUR EVENTFUL DAYS AT CAPERNAUM.
1. Now that John the Baptist had been sent to his death, Jesus prepared to launch out in the first open and public preaching tour of Galilee. The news that Jesus had returned rapidly spread throughout the city, and early the next day, Mary the mother of Jesus hastened away, going over to Nazareth to visit her son Joseph.
2, Late on Friday evening Jesus' baby sister, Ruth secretly paid him a visit .... Ruth was the only member of Jesus' family who consistently and unwaveringly believed in the divinity of his earth mission ...Baby Ruth was the chief comfort of Jesus, as regards his earth family, throughout the trying ordeal of his trial, rejection, and crucifixion.
3. On Friday morning...the people crowded him so near the water's edge that he signaled to some fisherman occupying a near‑by boat to come to his rescue... After Jesus had finished teaching the people, he said to David: "As you were delayed by coming to my help, now let me work with you. Let us go fishing; put out into yonder deep and let down your nets for a draught." But Simon, one of David's assistants, answered: "Master, it is useless. We toiled all night and took nothing; however, at your bidding we will put out and let down the nets."
4. When they had proceeded to the place designated by Jesus, they let down their nets and enclosed such a multitude of fish that they feared the nets would break, so much so that they signaled to their associates on the shore to come to their assistance. When they had filled all three boats with fish, almost to sinking, this Simon fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, Master, for 1 am a sinful man." Simon and all who were concerned in this episode were amazed at the draught of fishes. From that day David Zebedee, this Simon, and their associates forsook their nets and followed Jesus.
5. But this was in no sense a miraculous draught of fishes. Jesus was a close student of. nature...On this occasion he merely directed these men to the place where the fish were usually to be found at this time of day. But Jesus' follower always regarded this as a miracle.
6. The next Sabbath, at the afternoon service in the synagogue, Jesus preached his sermon on "The Will of the Father in Heaven."...This sermon was an effort on Jesus' part to make clear the fact that religion is a personal experience. Among other things, the Master said: "You well know that, while a kindhearted father loves his family as a whole, he so regards them as a group because of his strong affection for each individual member of that family. No longer must you approach the Father in heaven as a child of Israel but as a child of God... All these generations have you had a national or racial religion; now have I come to give you a personal religion.
7. “No more should you fear that God will punish a nation for the sin of an individual; neither will the Father in heaven punish one of his believing children for the sins of a nation, albeit the individual member of any family must suffer the material consequences or family mistakes and group transgressions. Do you not realize that the hope of a better nation—or a better world—is bound up in the progress and enlightenment of the individual?"
8. Just as Jesus finished speaking, a young man in the congregation who had been much agitated by his words was seized with a violent epileptic attack and loudly cried out...This young man was not possessed of an unclean spirit or demon; he was a victim or ordinary epilepsy. But he had been taught that his affliction was due to possession by an evil spirit. He believed this teaching and behaved accordingly in all that he thought or said concerning his ailment...But Jesus did not at that time cure his epilepsy. Not until later on that day, after sundown, was this man really healed. Long after the day of Pentecost the Apostle John, who was the last to write of Jesus' doings, avoided all reference to these so‑called acts of "casting out devils," and this he did in view of the fact that such cases of demon possession never occurred after Pentecost.
9. Peter's home was near that of Zebedee; and Jesus and his friends stopped there on the way from the synagogue because Peter's wife's mother had for several days been sick with chills and fever. Now it chanced that, at about the time Jesus stood over this sick woman, holding her hand, smoothing her brow, and speaking words of comfort and encouragement, the fever left her...Amatha, Peter's mother‑in‑law, was suffering from malarial fever. She was not miraculously healed by Jesus at this time.
10. And these cases are typical of the manner in which a wonder‑seeking generation and miracle‑minded people unfailingly seized upon all such coincidences as the pretext for proclaiming that another miracle had been wrought by Jesus.
11. That Sabbath was a great day in the earth life of Jesus, yes, in the life of a universe. To all local universe intents and purposes the little Jewish city of Capernaum was the real capital of Nebadon. The handful of Jews in the Capernaum synagogue were not the only beings to hear that momentous closing statement of Jesus' sermon: "Hate is the shadow of fear; revenge the mask of cowardice." Neither could his hearers forget his blessed words, declaring, "Man is the son of God, not a child of the devil."
12. Soon after the setting of the sun...When the Master stepped out of the front entrance of Zebedee's house, his eyes met an array of stricken and afflicted humanity...The sight of these afflicted mortals, men, women, and children, suffering in large measures as a result of the mistakes and misdeeds of his own trusted Sons of universe administration, peculiarly touched the human heart of Jesus and challenged the divine mercy of this benevolent Creator Son.
13. A voice from the front yard exclaimed: "Master, speak the word, restore our health, heal our diseases, and save our souls." No sooner had these words been uttered than a vast retinue of seraphim, physical controllers, Life Carriers, and midwayers, such as always attended this incarnated Creator of a universe, made themselves ready to act with creative power should their Sovereign give the signal.
14. Jesus, looking down upon the afflicted throng, answered: "I have come into the world to reveal the Father and establish his kingdom. For this purpose have I lived my life to this hour. If, therefore, it should be the will of Him who sent me and not inconsistent with my dedication to the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven, I would desire to see my children made whole—and—" but the further words of Jesus were lost in the tumult.
15. The vast retinue descended into the midst of this motley throng of afflicted mortals, and in a moment of time 683 men, women, and children were made whole, were perfectly healed of all their physical diseases and other material disorders. Such a scene was never witnessed on earth before that day, nor since. And for those of us who were present to behold this creative wave of healing, it was indeed a thrilling spectacle.
16. Jesus desired to see these suffering mortals made whole if his Father's will would not thereby be violated. The Personalized Adjuster of Jesus instantly ruled that such an act of creative energy at that time would not transgress the will of the Paradise Father, and by such a decision—in view of Jesus' preceding expression of healing desire—the creative act was. What a Creator Son desires and his Father wills IS.
17. Chiefly because of this unintended demonstration of physical healing, henceforth throughout the remainder of his earth career, Jesus became as much a physician as a preacher. True, he continued his teaching, but his personal work consisted mostly in ministering to the sick and the distressed, while his apostles did the work of public preaching and baptizing believers.
18. But the majority of those who were recipients of supernatural or creative physical healing at this sundown demonstration of divine energy were not permanently spiritually benefited by this extraordinary manifestation of mercy. A small number were truly edified by this physical ministry, but the spiritual kingdom was not advanced in the hearts of men by this amazing eruption of timeless creative healing.
19. …the apostles of Jesus were keyed up to the highest pitch of emotional enthusiasm. From a human standpoint, this was probably the greatest day of all the great days of their association with Jesus. At no time before or after did their hopes surge to such heights of confident expectation...they were literally intoxicated with the ecstasy of their bewildered enchantment.
20. The Master was much perturbed by what had happened...Jesus refused the congratulations and adoration of the twelve and the others who had lingered to greet him, only saying: "Rejoice not that my Father is powerful to heal the body, but rather that he is mighty to save the soul. Let us go to our rest, for tomorrow we must be about the Father's business.
21. And again did twelve disappointed, perplexed, and heart‑sorrowing men go to their rest; few of them, except the twins, slept much that night...As these bewildered fishermen looked into each other's eyes, there was but one thought: "We cannot understand him. What does all this mean?"
22. Jesus…arose that Sunday morning long before daybreak and went all alone to one of his favorite places for communion with the Father. The theme of Jesus' prayer on this early morning was for wisdom and judgment that he might not allow his human sympathy, joined with his divine mercy, to make such an appeal to him in the presence of mortal suffering that all of his time would be occupied with physical ministry to the neglect of the spiritual. Though he did not wish altogether to avoid ministering to the sick, he knew that he must also do the more important work of spiritual teaching and religious training.
23. Peter could not sleep that night; so,very early, shortly after Jesus had gone out to pray, he aroused James and John, and the three went to find their Master... For more than four hours Jesus endeavored to explain to these three apostles what had happened...He sought to make plain to his personal associates the real reasons why the kingdom of the Father could not be built upon wonder‑working and physical healing. But they could not comprehend his teaching.
24. The apostles were loath to leave the great interest which had been aroused at Capernaum. Peter calculated that no less than one thousand believers could have been baptized into the kingdom. Jesus listened to them patiently, but he would not consent to return. Silence prevailed for a season, and then Thomas addressed his fellow apostles, saying: "Let's go! The Master has spoken. No matter if we cannot fully comprehend the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, of one thing we are certain: We follow a teacher who seeks no glory for himself." And reluctantly they went forth to preach the good tidings in the cities of Galilee.
U.B. 145; 1628‑1636
1. Why did Mary reject Jesus’ ministry?
2. In what sense did the draught of the fishes border on the miraculous?
3. How important was the draught of the fishes to David Zebedee’s remarkable service to Jesus?
4. How effectively in our culture do we distinguish between religion as a personal experience and religion as a group activity?
5. Why is physical healing not directly related to spiritual transformation or the establishment of a spiritual movement?
6. Why were the apostles unable to understand the behavior of Jesus?
7. Was the sundown healing a help or a hindrance to Jesus’ spiritual ministry?