Knjiga Urantije
DIO IV. Isusov život i učenja
POGLAVLJE 123 : ISUSOVO RANO DJETINJSTVO
Paper 123
The Early Childhood of Jesus
The Early Childhood of Jesus
ZBOG neizvjesnosti i tjeskobe koje su pratile njihov boravak u Betlehemu, Marija je nastavila dojiti Isusa sve dok nisu sigurno stigli u Aleksandriju, gdje se obitelj mogla skrasiti i započeti normalan život. Živjeli su kod rodbine, a Josip je ubrzo nakon dolaska pronašao posao te je mogao uzdržavati svoju obitelj. Nekoliko je mjeseci radio kao tesar, nakon čega je unaprijeđen na mjesto predradnika velike skupine radnika zaposlenih na izgradnji jedne javne građevine. To mu je novo iskustvo dalo ideju da se po povratku u Nazaret bavi ugovaranjem gradnje i graditeljstvom.
123:0.1 (1355.1)
OWING to the uncertainties and anxieties of their sojourn in Bethlehem, Mary did not wean the babe until they had arrived safely in Alexandria, where the family was able to settle down to a normal life. They lived with kinsfolk, and Joseph was well able to support his family as he secured work shortly after their arrival. He was employed as a carpenter for several months and then elevated to the position of foreman of a large group of workmen employed on one of the public buildings then in process of construction. This new experience gave him the idea of becoming a contractor and builder after their return to Nazareth.
Kroz sve ove rane godine Isusova bespomoćnog djetinjstva, Marija je budno i neprestano bdijela da ništa ne ugrozi njegovu dobrobit ili na bilo koji način omete njegovu buduću misiju na zemlji; nijedna majka nije bila tako odana svome djetetu. U kući u kojoj su živjeli bilo je još dvoje djece približno iste dobi, a među najbližim susjedima još šestoro djece čija je dob bila blizu njegove, tako da su mu mogli biti prikladni drugovi u igri. Marija isprva nije skidala oka s Isusa. Bojala se da mu se nešto ne dogodi ako ga pusti da se igra u vrtu s drugom djecom, no Josip je uz pomoć svojih rođaka konačno bio u stanju uvjeriti Mariju da bi to Isusu oduzelo dragocjeno iskustvo učenja kako se prilagoditi djeci svoje dobi. I uviđajući da bi ovako pretjerana zaštita mogla učiniti Isusa ponešto samosvjesnim i usmjerenim na samoga sebe, Marija je konačno pristala dopustiti da obećano dijete odraste kao sva druga djeca; i premda se čvrsto držala ove odluke, smatrala je svojom dužnošću uvijek budno paziti na djecu dok su se igrala oko kuće ili u vrtu. Samo nježna i brižna majka može razumjeti teret koji je Marija nosila u svom srcu za sigurnost svoga sina tijekom godina njegova dojenaštva i ranog djetinjstva.
123:0.2 (1355.2)
All through these early years of Jesus’ helpless infancy, Mary maintained one long and constant vigil lest anything befall her child which might jeopardize his welfare or in any way interfere with his future mission on earth; no mother was ever more devoted to her child. In the home where Jesus chanced to be there were two other children about his age, and among the near neighbors there were six others whose ages were sufficiently near his own to make them acceptable play-fellows. At first Mary was disposed to keep Jesus close by her side. She feared something might happen to him if he were allowed to play in the garden with the other children, but Joseph, with the assistance of his kinsfolk, was able to convince her that such a course would deprive Jesus of the helpful experience of learning how to adjust himself to children of his own age. And Mary, realizing that such a program of undue sheltering and unusual protection might tend to make him self-conscious and somewhat self-centered, finally gave assent to the plan of permitting the child of promise to grow up just like any other child; and though she was obedient to this decision, she made it her business always to be on watch while the little folks were at play about the house or in the garden. Only an affectionate mother can know the burden that Mary carried in her heart for the safety of her son during these years of his infancy and early childhood.
Tijekom dvije godine njihova boravka u Aleksandriji, Isus je uživao dobro zdravlje i nastavio se normalno razvijati. Osim nekolicine prijatelja i rođaka, nitko nije znao da je Isus bio „obećano dijete”. Jedan od Josipovih rođaka otkrio je tu činjenicu nekolicini svojih prijatelja u Memfisu, potomcima drevnog Akhenatena, te su se oni, zajedno s manjom skupinom aleksandrijskih vjernika, okupili u raskošnom domu Josipova rođaka i dobročinitelja neposredno prije povratka u Palestinu kako bi nazaretskoj obitelji zaželjeli sretan put i iskazali poštovanje djetetu. Tom su prigodom okupljeni prijatelji Isusu darovali potpuni primjerak grčkog prijevoda hebrejskih spisa. No taj primjerak svetih židovskih spisa nije bio predan Josipu sve dok on i Marija nisu konačno odbili poziv svojih prijatelja iz Memfisa i Aleksandrije da ostanu u Egiptu. Ti su vjernici ustrajali u tvrdnji da će dijete sudbine ostvariti daleko veći utjecaj u svijetu kao stanovnik Aleksandrije nego bilo kojeg mjesta u Palestini. Ta su nagovaranja odgodila njihov povratak u Palestinu još neko vrijeme nakon što su primili vijest o Herodovoj smrti.
123:0.3 (1355.3)
Throughout the two years of their sojourn at Alexandria, Jesus enjoyed good health and continued to grow normally. Aside from a few friends and relatives no one was told about Jesus’ being a “child of promise.” One of Joseph’s relatives revealed this to a few friends in Memphis, descendants of the distant Ikhnaton, and they, with a small group of Alexandrian believers, assembled at the palatial home of Joseph’s relative-benefactor a short time before the return to Palestine to wish the Nazareth family well and to pay their respects to the child. On this occasion the assembled friends presented Jesus with a complete copy of the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures. But this copy of the Jewish sacred writings was not placed in Joseph’s hands until both he and Mary had finally declined the invitation of their Memphis and Alexandrian friends to remain in Egypt. These believers insisted that the child of destiny would be able to exert a far greater world influence as a resident of Alexandria than of any designated place in Palestine. These persuasions delayed their departure for Palestine for some time after they received the news of Herod’s death.
Josip i Marija su se konačno oprostili od Aleksandrije te se ukrcali na brod svog prijatelja Ezrona koji je plovio za Jopu. U tu su luku stigli krajem kolovoza 4. godine pr. Kr., a potom se odmah uputili u Betlehem, gdje su cijeli rujan proveli savjetujući se sa svojim prijateljima i rođacima o tome trebaju li ostati ondje ili se vratiti u Nazaret.
123:0.4 (1356.1)
Joseph and Mary finally took leave of Alexandria on a boat belonging to their friend Ezraeon, bound for Joppa, arriving at that port late in August of the year 4 {scaps{scaps{b.c.}scaps}scaps} They went directly to Bethlehem, where they spent the entire month of September in counsel with their friends and relatives concerning whether they should remain there or return to Nazareth.
Marija nikada nije u potpunosti odustala od ideje da Isus treba odrastati u Betlehemu, gradu Davidovu. Josip nije istinski vjerovao da će njihov sin postati kraljevski izbavitelj Izraela. Osim toga, znao je da ni sam nije pravi Davidov potomak; činjenica da se ubrajao među potomke Davidove bila je posljedica toga što je jedan od njegovih predaka bio posinjen u Davidovu lozu. Marija je, naravno, smatrala da je grad Davidov najprikladnije mjesto za odgoj budućeg kandidata za Davidovo prijestolje, dok je Josip radije bio spreman riskirati s Herodom Antipom nego s njegovim bratom Arhelajem. Uvelike je strahovao za djetetovu sigurnost u Betlehemu i uopće u Judeji te je smatrao da će Arhelaj vjerojatnije nastaviti prijeteću politiku svoga oca Heroda nego Antipa u Galileji. Povrh svega toga, Josip nije skrivao svoje uvjerenje da je Galileja bolje mjesto za odgoj i obrazovanje djeteta, ali trebalo je puna tri tjedna da nadvlada Marijino protivljenje.
123:0.5 (1356.2)
Mary had never fully given up the idea that Jesus ought to grow up in Bethlehem, the City of David. Joseph did not really believe that their son was to become a kingly deliverer of Israel. Besides, he knew that he himself was not really a descendant of David; that his being reckoned among the offspring of David was due to the adoption of one of his ancestors into the Davidic line of descent. Mary, of course, thought the City of David the most appropriate place in which the new candidate for David’s throne could be reared, but Joseph preferred to take chances with Herod Antipas rather than with his brother Archelaus. He entertained great fears for the child’s safety in Bethlehem or in any other city in Judea, and surmised that Archelaus would be more likely to pursue the menacing policies of his father, Herod, than would Antipas in Galilee. And besides all these reasons, Joseph was outspoken in his preference for Galilee as a better place in which to rear and educate the child, but it required three weeks to overcome Mary’s objections.
Do prvoga listopada Josip je uvjerio Mariju i sve njihove prijatelje da je za njih najbolje vratiti se u Nazaret. Stoga su početkom listopada 4. godine pr. Kr. krenuli iz Betlehema prema Nazaretu preko Lide i Skitopola. Na put su pošli rano ujutro jedne nedjelje; Marija i dijete jahali su na tek nabavljenoj tovarnoj životinji, dok su Josip i petorica rođaka koji su ih pratili putovali pješice. Josipovi rođaci nisu im dopustili da sami krenu na put u Nazaret. Bojali su se putovati u Galileju preko Jeruzalema i doline Jordana, a zapadni putovi nisu bili posve sigurni za dvoje putnika s malim djetetom koji bi putovali bez pratnje.
123:0.6 (1356.3)
By the first of October Joseph had convinced Mary and all their friends that it was best for them to return to Nazareth. Accordingly, early in October, 4 {scaps{scaps{b.c.}scaps}scaps}, they departed from Bethlehem for Nazareth, going by way of Lydda and Scythopolis. They started out early one Sunday morning, Mary and the child riding on their newly acquired beast of burden, while Joseph and five accompanying kinsmen proceeded on foot; Joseph’s relatives refused to permit them to make the trip to Nazareth alone. They feared to go to Galilee by Jerusalem and the Jordan valley, and the western routes were not altogether safe for two lone travelers with a child of tender years.
Nakon četiri dana putovanja sigurno su stigli na svoje odredište. Nenajavljeno su se pojavili u svojoj nazaretskoj kući, u kojoj je više od tri godine živio jedan od Josipove oženjene braće, koji je bio doista iznenađen njihovim dolaskom. Toliko su nenametljivo obavljali svoje poslove da ni Josipova ni Marijina obitelj nisu ni znale da su napustili Aleksandriju. Već sljedećeg dana Josipov je brat preselio svoju obitelj, a Marija se po prvi put nakon Isusova rođenja mogla skrasiti sa svojom malom obitelji i uživati u vlastitom domu. Za manje od tjedan dana Josip je pronašao posao kao tesar i bili su neizmjerno sretni.
123:1.1 (1356.4)
On the fourth day of the journey the party reached its destination in safety. They arrived unannounced at the Nazareth home, which had been occupied for more than three years by one of Joseph’s married brothers, who was indeed surprised to see them; so quietly had they gone about their business that neither the family of Joseph nor that of Mary knew they had even left Alexandria. The next day Joseph’s brother moved his family, and Mary, for the first time since Jesus’ birth, settled down with her little family to enjoy life in their own home. In less than a week Joseph secured work as a carpenter, and they were supremely happy.
U vrijeme povratka u Nazaret Isus je imao oko tri godine i dva mjeseca. Sva je ta putovanja podnio vrlo dobro; bio je izvrsna zdravlja i pun dječjeg veselja i uzbuđenja zbog toga što je napokon imao vlastiti dom u kojem je mogao trčkarati i igrati se. Ipak, veoma su mu nedostajali njegovi prijatelji iz Aleksandrije.
123:1.2 (1356.5)
Jesus was about three years and two months old at the time of their return to Nazareth. He had stood all these travels very well and was in excellent health and full of childish glee and excitement at having premises of his own to run about in and to enjoy. But he greatly missed the association of his Alexandrian playmates.
123:1.3 (1356.6)
On the way to Nazareth Joseph had persuaded Mary that it would be unwise to spread the word among their Galilean friends and relatives that Jesus was a child of promise. They agreed to refrain from all mention of these matters to anyone. And they were both very faithful in keeping this promise.
123:1.4 (1357.1)
Jesus’ entire fourth year was a period of normal physical development and of unusual mental activity. Meantime he had formed a very close attachment for a neighbor boy about his own age named Jacob. Jesus and Jacob were always happy in their play, and they grew up to be great friends and loyal companions.
123:1.5 (1357.2)
The next important event in the life of this Nazareth family was the birth of the second child, James, in the early morning hours of April 2, 3 {scaps{scaps{b.c.}scaps}scaps} Jesus was thrilled by the thought of having a baby brother, and he would stand around by the hour just to observe the baby’s early activities.
Sredinom ljeta te godine Josip je sagradio malu radionicu u blizini gradskog vrela i obližnje karavanske stanice. Nakon toga vrlo je rijetko radio kao najamni tesar. Kao suradnike imao je dvojicu svoje braće i još nekoliko obrtnika koje je slao na različite poslove, dok je sam ostajao u radionici izrađujući jarmove, plugove i druge drvene predmete. Bavio se i obradom kože te izradom užadi i predmeta od platna. Kako je Isus odrastao, kada nije bio u školi, podjednako je dijelio svoje vrijeme između pomaganja majci u kućanskim poslovima i promatranja očeva rada u radionici, istodobno slušajući razgovore, vijesti i zgode karavanskih vođa i putnika pristiglih sa svih strana svijeta.
123:1.6 (1357.3)
It was midsummer of this same year that Joseph built a small workshop close to the village spring and near the caravan tarrying lot. After this he did very little carpenter work by the day. He had as associates two of his brothers and several other mechanics, whom he sent out to work while he remained at the shop making yokes and plows and doing other woodwork. He also did some work in leather and with rope and canvas. And Jesus, as he grew up, when not at school, spent his time about equally between helping his mother with home duties and watching his father work at the shop, meanwhile listening to the conversation and gossip of the caravan conductors and passengers from the four corners of the earth.
U srpnju te godine, mjesec dana prije nego što je Isus navršio četiri godine, Nazaretom se proširila epidemija teške crijevne bolesti koju su donijeli karavanski putnici. Marija se toliko zabrinula zbog mogućnosti da se Isus zarazi da je uzela oboje djece i sklonila se u seoski dom svoga brata, nekoliko kilometara južno od Nazareta, uz put za Megido, nedaleko od Sarida. U Nazaret se nisu vratili više od dva mjeseca, a Isus je silno uživao u tom svom prvom iskustvu života na selu.
123:1.7 (1357.4)
In July of this year, one month before Jesus was four years old, an outbreak of malignant intestinal trouble spread over all Nazareth from contact with the caravan travelers. Mary became so alarmed by the danger of Jesus being exposed to this epidemic of disease that she bundled up both her children and fled to the country home of her brother, several miles south of Nazareth on the Megiddo road near Sarid. They did not return to Nazareth for more than two months; Jesus greatly enjoyed this, his first experience on a farm.
Nakon nešto više od godinu dana od povratka u Nazaret, dječak Isus dosegnuo je dob svoje prve osobne i potpuno svjesne moralne odluke; i tada je u njemu počeo prebivati Misaoni Ispravljač, božanski dar Rajskog Oca, koji je prethodno služio s Makiventom Melkisedekom, stekavši tako iskustvo djelovanja u vezi s utjelovljenjem nadsmrtnog bića u smrtnom obličju. To se dogodilo 11. veljače 2. godine pr. Kr. Isus nije bio ništa svjesniji dolaska ovog božanskog Misaonog Ispravljača nego što su to bila nebrojena druga djeca koja su prije i poslije toga dana također primila Misaone Ispravljače da prebivaju u njihovim umovima i rade na konačnoj produhovljenosti tih umova te na vječnom opstanku njihovih razvijajućih besmrtnih duša.
123:2.1 (1357.5)
In something more than a year after the return to Nazareth the boy Jesus arrived at the age of his first personal and wholehearted moral decision; and there came to abide with him a Thought Adjuster, a divine gift of the Paradise Father, which had aforetime served with Machiventa Melchizedek, thus gaining the experience of functioning in connection with the incarnation of a supermortal being living in the likeness of mortal flesh. This event occurred on February 11, 2 {scaps{scaps{b.c.}scaps}scaps} Jesus was no more aware of the coming of the divine Monitor than are the millions upon millions of other children who, before and since that day, have likewise received these Thought Adjusters to indwell their minds and work for the ultimate spiritualization of these minds and the eternal survival of their evolving immortal souls.
Toga dana u veljači prestao je neposredni i osobni nadzor Vladara Svemira nad očuvanjem cjelovitosti Mihaelova utjelovljenja u obličju djeteta. Od tada pa kroz cijeli ljudski razvoj njegova utjelovljenja, briga za Isusa bila je povjerena ovom unutarnjem Ispravljaču i pridruženim serafinskim čuvarima, uz povremenu pomoć srednjih bića zaduženih za određene posebne dužnosti prema uputama svojih planetarnih nadređenih.
123:2.2 (1357.6)
On this day in February the direct and personal supervision of the Universe Rulers, as it was related to the integrity of the childlike incarnation of Michael, terminated. From that time on throughout the human unfolding of the incarnation, the guardianship of Jesus was destined to rest in the keeping of this indwelling Adjuster and the associated seraphic guardians, supplemented from time to time by the ministry of midway creatures assigned for the performance of certain definite duties in accordance with the instruction of their planetary superiors.
Isus je navršio pet godina u kolovozu te godine, pa ćemo se stoga na ovo razdoblje odnositi kao na njegovu petu kalendarsku godinu života. Te godine, 2. godine pr. Kr., nešto više od mjesec dana prije svog petog rođendana, Isusa je silno obradovalo rođenje njegove sestre Mirjam, koja se rodila u noći 11. srpnja. Sljedeće večeri dugo je razgovarao sa svojim ocem o načinu na koji se različite skupine živih bića rađaju na svijet kao zasebne jedinke. Najvrjedniji dio Isusova ranog obrazovanja proizašao je iz odgovora koje je primao od svojih roditelja na svoja promišljena i pronicava pitanja. Josip nikada nije propuštao odvojiti vrijeme i uložiti trud kako bi odgovorio na dječakova brojna pitanja. Od svoje pete do desete godine života Isus je bio prepun pitanja. Premda Josip i Marija nisu uvijek mogli odgovoriti na sva njegova pitanja, nikada nisu propuštali temeljito raspraviti njegove nedoumice i na svaki drugi mogući način pomoći mu da pronađe zadovoljavajuće rješenje problema koji je pred njega postavljao njegov budni um.
123:2.3 (1357.7)
Jesus was five years old in August of this year, and we will, therefore, refer to this as his fifth (calendar) year of life. In this year, 2 {scaps{scaps{b.c.}scaps}scaps}, a little more than one month before his fifth birthday anniversary, Jesus was made very happy by the coming of his sister Miriam, who was born on the night of July 11. During the evening of the following day Jesus had a long talk with his father concerning the manner in which various groups of living things are born into the world as separate individuals. The most valuable part of Jesus’ early education was secured from his parents in answer to his thoughtful and searching inquiries. Joseph never failed to do his full duty in taking pains and spending time answering the boy’s numerous questions. From the time Jesus was five years old until he was ten, he was one continuous question mark. While Joseph and Mary could not always answer his questions, they never failed fully to discuss his inquiries and in every other possible way to assist him in his efforts to reach a satisfactory solution of the problem which his alert mind had suggested.
Od povratka u Nazaret njihov je dom vrvio aktivnostima, a Josip je bio neobično zauzet izgradnjom svoje nove radionice i ponovnim pokretanjem posla. Toliko je bio zaokupljen da nije stigao izraditi kolijevku za Jakova, no to je bilo dovršeno mnogo prije Mirjamina dolaska, tako da je ona imala vrlo udobnu kolijevku u kojoj se mogla ušuškati dok joj se cijela obitelj divila. Dijete Isus svim je srcem sudjelovalo u tim prirodnim i uobičajenim obiteljskim iskustvima. Silno je volio svoga mlađeg brata i malu sestru te je Mariji bio od velike pomoći u brizi za njih.
123:2.4 (1358.1)
Since returning to Nazareth, theirs had been a busy household, and Joseph had been unusually occupied building his new shop and getting his business started again. So fully was he occupied that he had found no time to build a cradle for James, but this was corrected long before Miriam came, so that she had a very comfortable crib in which to nestle while the family admired her. And the child Jesus heartily entered into all these natural and normal home experiences. He greatly enjoyed his little brother and his baby sister and was of great help to Mary in their care.
123:2.5 (1358.2)
There were few homes in the gentile world of those days that could give a child a better intellectual, moral, and religious training than the Jewish homes of Galilee. These Jews had a systematic program for rearing and educating their children. They divided a child’s life into seven stages:
Među galilejskim Židovima bio je običaj da majka snosi odgovornost za odgoj djeteta do njegova petog rođendana, a zatim bi, u slučaju dječaka, otac preuzimao odgovornost za njegovo obrazovanje. Isus je te godine stupio u petu fazu života galilejskog židovskog djeteta pa ga je Marija 21. kolovoza 2. godine pr. Kr. službeno predala Josipu na daljnju poduku.
123:2.13 (1358.10)
It was the custom of the Galilean Jews for the mother to bear the responsibility for a child’s training until the fifth birthday, and then, if the child were a boy, to hold the father responsible for the lad’s education from that time on. This year, therefore, Jesus entered upon the fifth stage of a Galilean Jewish child’s career, and accordingly on August 21, 2 {scaps{scaps{b.c.}scaps}scaps}, Mary formally turned him over to Joseph for further instruction.
Iako je Josip sada preuzeo izravnu odgovornost za Isusovo intelektualno i religijsko obrazovanje, njegova se majka i dalje brinula za njegov kućni odgoj. Učila ga je poznavati i njegovati lozu i cvijeće koje je raslo uz vrtne zidove što su okruživali njihov dom. Također mu je na ravnom krovu kuće, koji je tijekom ljeta služio kao spavaonica, postavila plitke sanduke s pijeskom u kojima je Isus crtao zemljovide i stjecao prvu vježbu u pisanju aramejskog, grčkog i, kasnije, hebrejskog jezika, jer je s vremenom naučio tečno čitati, pisati i govoriti sva tri jezika.
123:2.14 (1358.11)
Though Joseph was now assuming the direct responsibility for Jesus’ intellectual and religious education, his mother still interested herself in his home training. She taught him to know and care for the vines and flowers growing about the garden walls which completely surrounded the home plot. She also provided on the roof of the house (the summer bedroom) shallow boxes of sand in which Jesus worked out maps and did much of his early practice at writing Aramaic, Greek, and later on, Hebrew, for in time he learned to read, write, and speak, fluently, all three languages.
Uz majčinu pomoć Isus je već bio ovladao galilejskim narječjem aramejskog jezika, a sada ga je njegov otac počeo učiti grčki. Marija je govorila malo grčkog, ali je Josip tečno govorio i aramejski i grčki. Udžbenik za učenje grčkog jezika bio je primjerak hebrejskih spisa — cjelovita zbirka zakona i proroka, uključujući Psalme — koji su dobili na dar prilikom odlaska iz Egipta. U cijelom Nazaretu postojala su samo dva potpuna primjerka Svetih spisa na grčkom jeziku, a činjenica da je jedan od njih bio u posjedu tesarove obitelji učinila je Josipov dom mjestom koje su mnogi rado posjećivali. Kako je Isus odrastao, to mu je omogućilo da upozna gotovo neprekidnu povorku ozbiljnih učenika i iskrenih tragača za istinom. Prije kraja te godine Isus je preuzeo brigu o tom neprocjenjivom rukopisu, nakon što mu je na svoj šesti rođendan bilo rečeno da su mu svetu knjigu darovali prijatelji i rođaci iz Aleksandrije. Ubrzo ju je već mogao čitati s lakoćom.
123:3.1 (1359.2)
Already, with his mother’s help, Jesus had mastered the Galilean dialect of the Aramaic tongue; and now his father began teaching him Greek. Mary spoke little Greek, but Joseph was a fluent speaker of both Aramaic and Greek. The textbook for the study of the Greek language was the copy of the Hebrew scriptures—a complete version of the law and the prophets, including the Psalms—which had been presented to them on leaving Egypt. There were only two complete copies of the Scriptures in Greek in all Nazareth, and the possession of one of them by the carpenter’s family made Joseph’s home a much-sought place and enabled Jesus, as he grew up, to meet an almost endless procession of earnest students and sincere truth seekers. Before this year ended, Jesus had assumed custody of this priceless manuscript, having been told on his sixth birthday that the sacred book had been presented to him by Alexandrian friends and relatives. And in a very short time he could read it readily.
Prvi veliki potres u Isusovu mladom životu dogodio se kad još nije navršio šest godina. Dječaku se činilo da njegov otac — ili barem otac i majka zajedno — znaju sve. Zamislite stoga njegovo iznenađenje kada je, nakon što je upitao oca što je uzrok nedavnog slabog potresa tla, čuo Josipov odgovor: „Sine moj, ja to doista ne znam.” Tako je započelo ono dugo i uznemirujuće razočaranje tijekom kojega je Isus postupno otkrivao da njegovi zemaljski roditelji nisu ni sveznajući ni nepogrešivi.
123:3.2 (1359.3)
The first great shock of Jesus’ young life occurred when he was not quite six years old. It had seemed to the lad that his father—at least his father and mother together—knew everything. Imagine, therefore, the surprise of this inquiring child, when he asked his father the cause of a mild earthquake which had just occurred, to hear Joseph say, “My son, I really do not know.” Thus began that long and disconcerting disillusionment in the course of which Jesus found out that his earthly parents were not all-wise and all-knowing.
Josipova prva pomisao bila je reći Isusu da je potres izazvao Bog, ali ga je već trenutak razmišljanja upozorio da bi takav odgovor odmah potaknuo nova i još neugodnija pitanja. Već je i u toj ranoj dobi bilo vrlo teško odgovarati na Isusova pitanja o prirodnim ili društvenim pojavama jednostavnom tvrdnjom da je za njih odgovoran Bog ili đavao. U skladu s tadašnjim vjerovanjima židovskog naroda, Isus je dugo bio spreman prihvatiti učenje o dobrim i zlim duhovima kao moguće objašnjenje duševnih i duhovnih pojava, ali je vrlo rano počeo sumnjati da su takvi nevidljivi utjecaji odgovorni za fizička zbivanja u prirodnom svijetu.
123:3.3 (1359.4)
Joseph’s first thought was to tell Jesus that the earthquake had been caused by God, but a moment’s reflection admonished him that such an answer would immediately be provocative of further and still more embarrassing inquiries. Even at an early age it was very difficult to answer Jesus’ questions about physical or social phenomena by thoughtlessly telling him that either God or the devil was responsible. In harmony with the prevailing belief of the Jewish people, Jesus was long willing to accept the doctrine of good spirits and evil spirits as the possible explanation of mental and spiritual phenomena, but he very early became doubtful that such unseen influences were responsible for the physical happenings of the natural world.
Prije nego što je navršio šest godina, početkom ljeta 1. godine pr. Kr., Zaharija, Elizabeta i njihov sin Ivan došli su u posjet nazaretskoj obitelji. Isus i Ivan lijepo su se proveli tijekom ovog, prema njihovu sjećanju, prvog susreta. Premda su gosti mogli ostati samo nekoliko dana, roditelji su razgovarali o mnogim stvarima, uključujući i planove za budućnost svojih sinova. Dok su oni bili zaokupljeni tim razgovorima, dječaci su se igrali drvenim kockama u pijesku na krovu kuće i na mnoge druge načine uživali u bezbrižnim dječačkim igrama.
123:3.4 (1359.5)
Before Jesus was six years of age, in the early summer of 1 {scaps{scaps{b.c.}scaps}scaps}, Zacharias and Elizabeth and their son John came to visit the Nazareth family. Jesus and John had a happy time during this, their first visit within their memories. Although the visitors could remain only a few days, the parents talked over many things, including the future plans for their sons. While they were thus engaged, the lads played with blocks in the sand on top of the house and in many other ways enjoyed themselves in true boyish fashion.
Nakon što je upoznao Ivana, koji je dolazio iz okolice Jeruzalema, Isus je počeo pokazivati osobito zanimanje za povijest Izraela te se vrlo podrobno raspitivati o značenju subotnjih obreda, propovijedi u sinagogi i blagdana koji su se redovito obilježavali. Otac mu je objasnio značenje svih tih svetkovina. Prva je bila osmodnevna svetkovina svjetala usred zime, koja je započinjala paljenjem jedne svijeće prve večeri, a zatim se svake sljedeće večeri dodavala još jedna. Njome se obilježavalo ponovno posvećenje Hrama nakon što je Juda Makabejac obnovio Mojsijevu službu. Nakon toga dolazila je rana proljetna proslava Purima, blagdan Estere i izbavljenja Izraela preko nje. Slijedila je svečana Pasha, koju su odrasli, kad god je to bilo moguće, slavili u Jeruzalemu, dok su djeca kod kuće podsjećana da tijekom cijelog tjedna ne smiju jesti kvasani kruh. Potom je dolazio blagdan prvina, svetkovina žetve, a na kraju, najsvečaniji od svih, blagdan Nove godine, Dan pomirenja. Premda je Isusovu mladom umu bilo teško razumjeti neka od tih slavlja i obreda, ozbiljno je razmišljao o njima, a zatim se svim srcem uključivao u radost Blagdana sjenica, godišnjeg razdoblja odmora za cijeli židovski narod, kada su ljudi boravili u sjenicama od granja i lišća te se prepuštali veselju i radosti.
123:3.5 (1359.6)
Having met John, who came from near Jerusalem, Jesus began to evince an unusual interest in the history of Israel and to inquire in great detail as to the meaning of the Sabbath rites, the synagogue sermons, and the recurring feasts of commemoration. His father explained to him the meaning of all these seasons. The first was the midwinter festive illumination, lasting eight days, starting out with one candle the first night and adding one each successive night; this commemorated the dedication of the temple after the restoration of the Mosaic services by Judas Maccabee. Next came the early springtime celebration of Purim, the feast of Esther and Israel’s deliverance through her. Then followed the solemn Passover, which the adults celebrated in Jerusalem whenever possible, while at home the children would remember that no leavened bread was to be eaten for the whole week. Later came the feast of the first-fruits, the harvest ingathering; and last, the most solemn of all, the feast of the new year, the day of atonement. While some of these celebrations and observances were difficult for Jesus’ young mind to understand, he pondered them seriously and then entered fully into the joy of the feast of tabernacles, the annual vacation season of the whole Jewish people, the time when they camped out in leafy booths and gave themselves up to mirth and pleasure.
Tijekom te godine Josip i Marija imali su poteškoća s Isusom u vezi njegovih molitava. Ustrajao je u tome da sa svojim nebeskim Ocem razgovara jednako prirodno kao što bi razgovarao s Josipom, svojim zemaljskim ocem. Takvo odstupanje od svečanijih i pobožnijih načina obraćanja Božanstvu pomalo je zbunjivalo njegove roditelje, osobito majku, ali ga nikako nisu mogli navesti da promijeni svoje navike. Izgovarao bi svoje molitve onako kako je bio poučen, a zatim bi ustrajao u tome da još malo „porazgovara sa svojim Ocem na nebu”.
123:3.6 (1360.1)
During this year Joseph and Mary had trouble with Jesus about his prayers. He insisted on talking to his heavenly Father much as he would talk to Joseph, his earthly father. This departure from the more solemn and reverent modes of communication with Deity was a bit disconcerting to his parents, especially to his mother, but there was no persuading him to change; he would say his prayers just as he had been taught, after which he insisted on having “just a little talk with my Father in heaven.”
U lipnju te godine Josip je predao radionicu svojoj braći i službeno se posvetio graditeljstvu. Prije kraja godine obiteljski su prihodi porasli više od tri puta. Sve do Josipove smrti nazaretska obitelj više nikada nije patila od neimaštine. Obitelj je postajala sve brojnija i mnogo se trošilo na dodatno obrazovanje i putovanja, ali su Josipovi rastući prihodi uvijek držali korak s rastućim izdacima.
123:3.7 (1360.2)
In June of this year Joseph turned the shop in Nazareth over to his brothers and formally entered upon his work as a builder. Before the year was over, the family income had more than trebled. Never again, until after Joseph’s death, did the Nazareth family feel the pinch of poverty. The family grew larger and larger, and they spent much money on extra education and travel, but always Joseph’s increasing income kept pace with the growing expenses.
Tijekom sljedećih nekoliko godina Josip je mnogo radio u Kani, Betlehemu Galilejskom, Magdali, Nainu, Seforisu, Kafarnaumu i Endoru, kao i na brojnim gradilištima u Nazaretu i njegovoj okolici. Kako je Jakov odrastao i postao dovoljno velik da može pomagati majci u kućanskim poslovima i brizi za mlađu djecu, Isus je često putovao s ocem u te okolne gradove i sela. Bio je iznimno pronicljiv promatrač te je na tim putovanjima stekao mnogo praktičnog znanja; marljivo je prikupljao spoznaje o čovjeku i načinu njegova života na zemlji.
123:3.8 (1360.3)
The next few years Joseph did considerable work at Cana, Bethlehem (of Galilee), Magdala, Nain, Sepphoris, Capernaum, and Endor, as well as much building in and near Nazareth. As James grew up to be old enough to help his mother with the housework and care of the younger children, Jesus made frequent trips away from home with his father to these surrounding towns and villages. Jesus was a keen observer and gained much practical knowledge from these trips away from home; he was assiduously storing up knowledge regarding man and the way he lived on earth.
Isus je te godine znatno napredovao u usklađivanju svojih dubokih osjećaja i snažnih poriva sa zahtjevima obiteljske suradnje i kućne stege. Marija je bila brižna majka, ali prilično stroga odgojiteljica. Ipak, u mnogim je stvarima Josip imao veći utjecaj na Isusa, jer je imao običaj sjesti s dječakom i temeljito mu objasniti stvarne i dublje razloge zbog kojih je bilo potrebno ograničiti osobne želje radi blagostanja i mira cijele obitelji. Kada bi mu se situacija tako objasnila, Isus je uvijek razumno i spremno surađivao s roditeljskim željama i obiteljskim pravilima.
123:3.9 (1360.4)
This year Jesus made great progress in adjusting his strong feelings and vigorous impulses to the demands of family co-operation and home discipline. Mary was a loving mother but a fairly strict disciplinarian. In many ways, however, Joseph exerted the greater control over Jesus as it was his practice to sit down with the boy and fully explain the real and underlying reasons for the necessity of disciplinary curtailment of personal desires in deference to the welfare and tranquillity of the entire family. When the situation had been explained to Jesus, he was always intelligently and willingly co-operative with parental wishes and family regulations.
Velik dio slobodnog vremena — kada njegova pomoć nije bila potrebna majci u kući — provodio je danju proučavajući cvijeće i biljke, a noću promatrajući zvijezde. Razvio je pomalo zabrinjavajuću sklonost da legne na leđa i zadivljeno promatra zvjezdano nebo dugo nakon vremena određenog za spavanje u tom dobro uređenom nazaretskom domu.
123:3.10 (1360.5)
Much of his spare time—when his mother did not require his help about the house—was spent studying the flowers and plants by day and the stars by night. He evinced a troublesome penchant for lying on his back and gazing wonderingly up into the starry heavens long after his usual bedtime in this well-ordered Nazareth household.
Dječje igre židovske djece u Isusovo vrijeme bile su prilično ograničene. Djeca su se vrlo često igrala oponašajući ozbiljnije aktivnosti koje su promatrala kod svojih starijih. Mnogo su se igrala svadbi i sprovoda, obreda kojima su često prisustvovala i koji su na njih ostavljali snažan dojam. Pjevala su i plesala, ali su imala malo organiziranih igara kakve su djeci kasnijih vremena donosile toliko radosti.
123:4.2 (1361.2)
The play life of Jewish children in the times of Jesus was rather circumscribed; all too often the children played at the more serious things they observed their elders doing. They played much at weddings and funerals, ceremonies which they so frequently saw and which were so spectacular. They danced and sang but had few organized games, such as children of later days so much enjoy.
Isus se, zajedno sa susjedovim dječakom, a kasnije i sa svojim bratom Jakovom, najradije igrao u zabačenom kutu obiteljske tesarske radionice, gdje su se zabavljali igrajući se strugotinama i komadima drveta. Uvijek mu je bilo teško razumjeti zašto su neke igre bile zabranjene subotom, ali se nikada nije oglušio o želje svojih roditelja. Imao je smisao za humor i sklonost igri kojima je okruženje njegova vremena i naraštaja pružalo malo prilika za izražavanje, ali je sve do svoje četrnaeste godine većinu vremena bio vedar i bezbrižan.
123:4.3 (1361.3)
Jesus, in company with a neighbor boy and later his brother James, delighted to play in the far corner of the family carpenter shop, where they had great fun with the shavings and the blocks of wood. It was always difficult for Jesus to comprehend the harm of certain sorts of play which were forbidden on the Sabbath, but he never failed to conform to his parents’ wishes. He had a capacity for humor and play which was afforded little opportunity for expression in the environment of his day and generation, but up to the age of fourteen he was cheerful and lighthearted most of the time.
Jedina prava nezgoda koja je zadesila Isusa do tog vremena bio je pad niz kameno stepenište iza kuće koje je vodilo do spavaonice na krovu natkrivene platnenom tendom. To se dogodilo tijekom neočekivane srpanjske pješčane oluje s istoka. Vrući vjetrovi, nošeni naletima sitnog pijeska, obično su puhali tijekom kišne sezone, osobito u ožujku i travnju. Bilo je vrlo neobično da se takva oluja pojavi u srpnju. Kada se oluja približila, Isus se, kao što je često običavao, igrao na krovu, koji je tijekom većeg dijela sušne sezone služio kao njegova igraonica. Dok se spuštao niz stepenice, pijesak mu je zasuo oči te je pao. Nakon ove nezgode Josip je postavio ogradu s obje strane stepeništa.
123:4.5 (1361.5)
The only real accident Jesus had up to this time was a fall down the back-yard stone stairs which led up to the canvas-roofed bedroom. It happened during an unexpected July sandstorm from the east. The hot winds, carrying blasts of fine sand, usually blew during the rainy season, especially in March and April. It was extraordinary to have such a storm in July. When the storm came up, Jesus was on the housetop playing, as was his habit, for during much of the dry season this was his accustomed playroom. He was blinded by the sand when descending the stairs and fell. After this accident Joseph built a balustrade up both sides of the stairway.
Ova se nezgoda nije mogla spriječiti. Nije se mogla pripisati nemaru srednjih bića zaduženih za njegovu privremenu zaštitu, jer su jednom primarnom i jednom sekundarnom srednjem biću bile povjerene briga i skrb nad dječakom; niti se odgovornost mogla pripisati serafinskim čuvarima. Ta se nezgoda jednostavno nije mogla izbjeći. No ovaj manji udes, koji se dogodio dok je Josip bio u Endoru, izazvao je toliku zabrinutost u Marijinu umu da ga je tijekom nekoliko mjeseci nastojala držati uz sebe.
123:4.6 (1361.6)
There was no way in which this accident could have been prevented. It was not chargeable to neglect by the midway temporal guardians, one primary and one secondary midwayer having been assigned to the watchcare of the lad; neither was it chargeable to the guardian seraphim. It simply could not have been avoided. But this slight accident, occurring while Joseph was absent in Endor, caused such great anxiety to develop in Mary’s mind that she unwisely tried to keep Jesus very close to her side for some months.
Nebeske ličnosti ne upliću se samovoljno u materijalne nezgode, uobičajene događaje fizičke naravi. U redovitim okolnostima jedino srednja bića mogu intervenirati u materijalna zbivanja kako bi zaštitila muškarce i žene sudbine, a čak i u posebnim slučajevima mogu djelovati samo u skladu s izričitim nalozima svojih nadređenih.
123:4.7 (1361.7)
Material accidents, commonplace occurrences of a physical nature, are not arbitrarily interfered with by celestial personalities. Under ordinary circumstances only midway creatures can intervene in material conditions to safeguard the persons of men and women of destiny, and even in special situations these beings can so act only in obedience to the specific mandates of their superiors.
A ovo je bila samo jedna od niza sličnih manjih nezgoda koje su kasnije zadesile ovog radoznalog i pustolovnog dječaka. Ako zamislite prosječno djetinjstvo i mladost jednog živahnog dječaka, steći ćete prilično dobru predodžbu o Isusovu odrastanju i moći ćete zamisliti koliko je brige zadavao svojim roditeljima, osobito majci.
123:4.8 (1361.8)
And this was but one of a number of such minor accidents which subsequently befell this inquisitive and adventurous youth. If you envisage the average childhood and youth of an aggressive boy, you will have a fairly good idea of the youthful career of Jesus, and you will be able to imagine just about how much anxiety he caused his parents, particularly his mother.
Isus je sada imao sedam godina, dob u kojoj su židovska djeca trebala započeti svoje formalno obrazovanje u sinagoškim školama. Stoga je u kolovozu te godine započeo svoje školovanje u Nazaretu. Dječak je već tečno čitao, pisao i govorio dva jezika — aramejski i grčki. Sada je pred njim bio zadatak da nauči čitati, pisati i govoriti hebrejski jezik. I s velikim se iščekivanjem radovao školovanju koje ga je čekalo.
123:5.1 (1362.2)
Jesus was now seven years old, the age when Jewish children were supposed to begin their formal education in the synagogue schools. Accordingly, in August of this year he entered upon his eventful school life at Nazareth. Already this lad was a fluent reader, writer, and speaker of two languages, Aramaic and Greek. He was now to acquaint himself with the task of learning to read, write, and speak the Hebrew language. And he was truly eager for the new school life which was ahead of him.
Tri godine — dok mu nije bilo deset godina — pohađao je osnovnu školu u nazaretskoj sinagogi. Tijekom te tri godine učio je osnove Knjige Zakona zapisane na hebrejskom jeziku. Sljedeće tri godine pohađao je višu školu, gdje je metodom glasnog ponavljanja napamet usvajao dublja učenja svetoga Zakona. Ovu je sinagošku školu završio u svojoj trinaestoj godini, kada su ga poglavari sinagoge predali njegovim roditeljima kao obrazovanog „sina zapovijedi” — od tada odgovornog građanina zajednice Izraela. To je uključivalo i obvezu sudjelovanja na Pashi u Jeruzalemu, pa je te godine prvi put prisustvovao Pashi zajedno sa svojim ocem i majkom.
123:5.2 (1362.3)
For three years—until he was ten—he attended the elementary school of the Nazareth synagogue. For these three years he studied the rudiments of the Book of the Law as it was recorded in the Hebrew tongue. For the following three years he studied in the advanced school and committed to memory, by the method of repeating aloud, the deeper teachings of the sacred law. He graduated from this school of the synagogue during his thirteenth year and was turned over to his parents by the synagogue rulers as an educated “son of the commandment”—henceforth a responsible citizen of the commonwealth of Israel, all of which entailed his attendance at the Passovers in Jerusalem; accordingly, he attended his first Passover that year in company with his father and mother.
U Nazaretu su učenici sjedili na podu u polukrugu, dok je nasuprot njima sjedio njihov učitelj, hazan, službenik sinagoge. Započevši s Levitskim zakonikom, prelazili su na proučavanje ostalih knjiga Zakona, a zatim Proroka i Psalama. Nazaretska sinagoga posjedovala je cjelovit primjerak Svetih spisa na hebrejskom jeziku. Do svoje dvanaeste godine nisu proučavali ništa osim Svetih spisa. Tijekom ljetnih mjeseci nastava je bila znatno skraćena.
123:5.3 (1362.4)
At Nazareth the pupils sat on the floor in a semicircle, while their teacher, the chazan, an officer of the synagogue, sat facing them. Beginning with the Book of Leviticus, they passed on to the study of the other books of the law, followed by the study of the Prophets and the Psalms. The Nazareth synagogue possessed a complete copy of the Scriptures in Hebrew. Nothing but the Scriptures was studied prior to the twelfth year. In the summer months the hours for school were greatly shortened.
123:5.5 (1362.6)
These synagogue schools, of course, had no textbooks. In teaching, the chazan would utter a statement while the pupils would in unison repeat it after him. When having access to the written books of the law, the student learned his lesson by reading aloud and by constant repetition.
Uz svoje formalno obrazovanje, Isus je počeo upoznavati ljudsku prirodu iz svih krajeva svijeta preko ljudi koji su dolazili i prolazili kroz očevu radionicu. Kako je odrastao, sve se slobodnije družio s karavanama koje su se zaustavljale kod vrela radi odmora i okrjepe. Budući da je tečno govorio grčki, nije imao poteškoća u razgovoru s većinom karavanskih putnika i vodiča.
123:5.6 (1362.7)
Next, in addition to his more formal schooling, Jesus began to make contact with human nature from the four quarters of the earth as men from many lands passed in and out of his father’s repair shop. When he grew older, he mingled freely with the caravans as they tarried near the spring for rest and nourishment. Being a fluent speaker of Greek, he had little trouble in conversing with the majority of the caravan travelers and conductors.
Nazaret je bio karavanska postaja i raskrižje putova, a njegovo je stanovništvo bilo pretežito nežidovsko; istodobno je bio nadaleko poznat kao središte liberalnog tumačenja židovskog tradicionalnog zakona. U Galileji su se Židovi mnogo slobodnije družili s nežidovima nego u Judeji. A od svih gradova Galileje upravo su nazaretski Židovi bili najliberalniji u tumačenju društvenih ograničenja koja su proizlazila iz straha od onečišćenja zbog dodira s nežidovima. Upravo su takve okolnosti dovele do poznate izreke u Jeruzalemu: „Može li što dobro doći iz Nazareta?”
123:5.7 (1362.8)
Nazareth was a caravan way station and crossroads of travel and largely gentile in population; at the same time it was widely known as a center of liberal interpretation of Jewish traditional law. In Galilee the Jews mingled more freely with the gentiles than was their practice in Judea. And of all the cities of Galilee, the Jews of Nazareth were most liberal in their interpretation of the social restrictions based on the fears of contamination as a result of contact with the gentiles. And these conditions gave rise to the common saying in Jerusalem, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
Isus je moralni odgoj i duhovnu kulturu ponajprije stekao u vlastitom domu. Od hazana je stekao velik dio intelektualnog i teološkog obrazovanja. No pravo obrazovanje — onu pripravu uma i srca za suočavanje s teškim životnim problemima — stekao je družeći se sa svojim bližnjima. Upravo mu je ta bliska povezanost s ljudima, mladima i starima, Židovima i nežidovima, omogućila da upozna ljudski rod. Isus je bio visoko obrazovan zato što je duboko razumio ljude i predano ih volio.
123:5.8 (1363.1)
Jesus received his moral training and spiritual culture chiefly in his own home. He secured much of his intellectual and theological education from the chazan. But his real education—that equipment of mind and heart for the actual test of grappling with the difficult problems of life—he obtained by mingling with his fellow men. It was this close association with his fellow men, young and old, Jew and gentile, that afforded him the opportunity to know the human race. Jesus was highly educated in that he thoroughly understood men and devotedly loved them.
123:5.9 (1363.2)
Throughout his years at the synagogue he was a brilliant student, possessing a great advantage since he was conversant with three languages. The Nazareth chazan, on the occasion of Jesus’ finishing the course in his school, remarked to Joseph that he feared he “had learned more from Jesus’ searching questions” than he had “been able to teach the lad.”
Tijekom školovanja Isus je stekao veliko znanje i primao snažno nadahnuće iz redovitih subotnjih propovijedi u sinagogi. Bio je običaj da ugledni posjetitelji koji bi se zatekli u Nazaretu tijekom subote budu pozvani obratiti se okupljenima u sinagogi. Odrastajući, Isus je slušao mnoge istaknute mislioce iz cijelog židovskog svijeta kako izlažu svoja gledišta, ali i mnoge koji se teško mogu nazvati pravovjernim Židovima, budući da je nazaretska sinagoga bila napredno i liberalno središte hebrejske misli i kulture.
123:5.10 (1363.3)
Throughout his course of study Jesus learned much and derived great inspiration from the regular Sabbath sermons in the synagogue. It was customary to ask distinguished visitors, stopping over the Sabbath in Nazareth, to address the synagogue. As Jesus grew up, he heard many great thinkers of the entire Jewish world expound their views, and many also who were hardly orthodox Jews since the synagogue of Nazareth was an advanced and liberal center of Hebrew thought and culture.
Kada su sa sedam godina polazili u školu (u to su vrijeme Židovi upravo uveli zakon o obveznom obrazovanju), učenici su imali običaj odabrati svoj „rođendanski tekst”, svojevrsno zlatno pravilo koje ih je trebalo voditi tijekom školovanja i o kojem su često govorili prilikom završetka škole u trinaestoj godini. Isus je odabrao sljedeći odlomak iz Proroka Izaije: „Duh Gospodina Boga na meni je, jer me Gospodin pomazao; poslao me da donesem radosnu vijest krotkima, da iscijelim one slomljena srca, da navijestim slobodu zarobljenima i oslobođenje duhovnim sužnjevima.”
123:5.11 (1363.4)
When entering school at seven years (at this time the Jews had just inaugurated a compulsory education law), it was customary for the pupils to choose their “birthday text,” a sort of golden rule to guide them throughout their studies, one upon which they often expatiated at their graduation when thirteen years old. The text which Jesus chose was from the Prophet Isaiah: “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the meek, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to set the spiritual prisoners free.”
Nazaret je bio jedno od dvadeset i četiri svećenička središta hebrejskog naroda. No galilejsko svećenstvo bilo je liberalnije u tumačenju tradicionalnih zakona od judejskih književnika i rabina. U Nazaretu su također bili liberalniji u pogledu svetkovanja subote. Zato je Josip imao običaj subotom poslijepodne voditi Isusa u šetnju, a jedan od njihovih omiljenih izleta bio je uspon na visoko brdo u blizini njihova doma, odakle se pružao panoramski pogled na cijelu Galileju. Za vedrih dana prema sjeverozapadu su mogli vidjeti dugi greben Karmela kako se spušta prema moru, a Isus je mnogo puta slušao oca kako pripovijeda o Iliji, jednom od prvih u dugom nizu hebrejskih proroka, koji je ukorio Ahaba i razotkrio Baalove svećenike. Prema sjeveru se u veličanstvenom sjaju uzdizao Hermon sa svojim snježnim vrhom, dominirajući obzorjem, dok je gotovo tisuću metara njegovih gornjih obronaka blistalo pod vječnim snijegom. Daleko na istoku mogli su razaznati dolinu Jordana, a još dalje stjenovita moapska brda. Na jugu i istoku, kada bi sunce obasjalo njihove mramorne zidove, mogli su vidjeti grčko-rimske gradove Dekapolisa s njihovim amfiteatrima i raskošnim hramovima. A kad bi se zadržali do zalaska sunca, prema zapadu su mogli razaznati jedra brodova na dalekom Sredozemnom moru.
123:5.12 (1363.5)
Nazareth was one of the twenty-four priest centers of the Hebrew nation. But the Galilean priesthood was more liberal in the interpretation of the traditional laws than were the Judean scribes and rabbis. And at Nazareth they were also more liberal regarding the observance of the Sabbath. It was therefore the custom for Joseph to take Jesus out for walks on Sabbath afternoons, one of their favorite jaunts being to climb the high hill near their home, from which they could obtain a panoramic view of all Galilee. To the northwest, on clear days, they could see the long ridge of Mount Carmel running down to the sea; and many times Jesus heard his father relate the story of Elijah, one of the first of that long line of Hebrew prophets, who reproved Ahab and exposed the priests of Baal. To the north Mount Hermon raised its snowy peak in majestic splendor and monopolized the skyline, almost 3,000 feet of the upper slopes glistening white with perpetual snow. Far to the east they could discern the Jordan valley and, far beyond, the rocky hills of Moab. Also to the south and the east, when the sun shone upon their marble walls, they could see the Greco-Roman cities of the Decapolis, with their amphitheaters and pretentious temples. And when they lingered toward the going down of the sun, to the west they could make out the sailing vessels on the distant Mediterranean.
Kad se nisu penjali na uzvisine kako bi promatrali daleke krajolike, šetali su okolnim krajem i proučavali prirodu u njezinim različitim raspoloženjima tijekom godišnjih doba. Isusov najraniji odgoj, osim onoga što je primio u obiteljskom domu, bio je obilježen odnosom prema prirodi ispunjenim poštovanjem i suosjećanjem.
123:5.14 (1364.2)
When they did not climb the heights to view the distant landscape, they strolled through the countryside and studied nature in her various moods in accordance with the seasons. Jesus’ earliest training, aside from that of the home hearth, had to do with a reverent and sympathetic contact with nature.
Prije nego što je navršio osam godina, Isusa su poznavale gotovo sve majke i mlade žene u Nazaretu, koje su ga susretale i razgovarale s njim kod vrela nedaleko od njegova doma, jednog od glavnih mjesta društvenog okupljanja i razmjene novosti u gradu. Te je godine Isus naučio musti obiteljsku kravu i brinuti se o ostalim životinjama. Tijekom te i sljedeće godine naučio je praviti sir i tkati. Kada je navršio deset godina, već je vješto upravljao razbojem. Otprilike u to vrijeme Isus i njegov prijatelj Jakov sprijateljili su se s lončarom koji je radio u blizini vrela. Promatrajući kako Natanijevi spretni prsti oblikuju glinu na lončarskom kolu, mnogo su puta odlučili da će i sami postati lončari kada odrastu. Natanije je jako volio dječake i često im davao glinu za igru, nastojeći potaknuti njihovu stvaralačku maštu predlažući im da se natječu u oblikovanju različitih predmeta i životinja.
123:5.15 (1364.3)
Before he was eight years of age, he was known to all the mothers and young women of Nazareth, who had met him and talked with him at the spring, which was not far from his home, and which was one of the social centers of contact and gossip for the entire town. This year Jesus learned to milk the family cow and care for the other animals. During this and the following year he also learned to make cheese and to weave. When he was ten years of age, he was an expert loom operator. It was about this time that Jesus and the neighbor boy Jacob became great friends of the potter who worked near the flowing spring; and as they watched Nathan’s deft fingers mold the clay on the potter’s wheel, many times both of them determined to be potters when they grew up. Nathan was very fond of the lads and often gave them clay to play with, seeking to stimulate their creative imaginations by suggesting competitive efforts in modeling various objects and animals.
Bila je to zanimljiva školska godina. Iako Isus nije bio izniman učenik, bio je marljiv i ubrajao se među napredniju trećinu razreda. Budući da je svoje školske obveze izvršavao vrlo savjesno, bio je oslobođen nastave jedan tjedan svakoga mjeseca. Taj bi tjedan obično provodio ili sa svojim ujakom ribarom na obali Genezaretskog jezera nedaleko od Magdale ili na selu kod drugog ujaka, majčina brata, koji je živio oko osam kilometara južno od Nazareta.
123:6.1 (1364.4)
This was an interesting year at school. Although Jesus was not an unusual student, he was a diligent pupil and belonged to the more progressive third of the class, doing his work so well that he was excused from attendance one week out of each month. This week he usually spent either with his fisherman uncle on the shores of the Sea of Galilee near Magdala or on the farm of another uncle (his mother’s brother) five miles south of Nazareth.
Premda se njegova majka pretjerano brinula za njegovo zdravlje i sigurnost, postupno se pomirila s tim izbivanjima od kuće. Isusovi stričevi, ujaci i tetke bili su veoma privrženi dječaku, pa se među njima razvilo pravo natjecanje tko će ga ugostiti tijekom tih mjesečnih posjeta u ovoj i narednim godinama. Prvi tjedan na ujakovu gospodarstvu nakon najranijeg djetinjstva proveo je u siječnju te godine, a prvo iskustvo ribarenja na Genezaretskom jezeru doživio je u mjesecu svibnju.
123:6.2 (1364.5)
Although his mother had become unduly anxious about his health and safety, she gradually became reconciled to these trips away from home. Jesus’ uncles and aunts were all very fond of him, and there ensued a lively competition among them to secure his company for these monthly visits throughout this and immediately subsequent years. His first week’s sojourn on his uncle’s farm (since infancy) was in January of this year; the first week’s fishing experience on the Sea of Galilee occurred in the month of May.
Te je godine Isus dogovorio da će u zamjenu za poduke iz sviranja harfe davati mliječne proizvode. Imao je neobično snažnu sklonost prema svemu što je bilo povezano s glazbom. Kasnije je među svojim vršnjacima pobuđivao zanimanje za pjevanje. Do svoje jedanaeste godine postao je vješt svirač harfe i neizmjerno je uživao zabavljajući obitelj i prijatelje svojim izvanrednim interpretacijama i vještim improvizacijama.
123:6.5 (1364.8)
This year Jesus made arrangements to exchange dairy products for lessons on the harp. He had an unusual liking for everything musical. Later on he did much to promote an interest in vocal music among his youthful associates. By the time he was eleven years of age, he was a skillful harpist and greatly enjoyed entertaining both family and friends with his extraordinary interpretations and able improvisations.
Premda je Isus i dalje postizao zavidan uspjeh u školi, nije sve teklo glatko ni za njegove roditelje ni za učitelje. Ustrajno je postavljao mnoga neugodna pitanja iz područja znanosti i religije, osobito o zemljopisu i astronomiji. Naročito je želio doznati zašto u Palestini postoje sušno i kišno doba. U više je navrata tražio objašnjenje velike razlike između temperatura u Nazaretu i u dolini Jordana. Jednostavno nije prestajao postavljati takva inteligentna, ali zbunjujuća pitanja.
123:6.6 (1365.1)
While Jesus continued to make enviable progress at school, all did not run smoothly for either parents or teachers. He persisted in asking many embarrassing questions concerning both science and religion, particularly regarding geography and astronomy. He was especially insistent on finding out why there was a dry season and a rainy season in Palestine. Repeatedly he sought the explanation for the great difference between the temperatures of Nazareth and the Jordan valley. He simply never ceased to ask such intelligent but perplexing questions.
U veljači je Nahor, učitelj na jeruzalemskoj rabinskoj akademiji, došao u Nazaret kako bi upoznao i procijenio Isusa, nakon što je već bio u sličnoj posjeti Zaharijinu domu nedaleko od Jeruzalema. U Nazaret je došao na poticaj Ivanova oca. Premda ga je Isusova iskrenost i njegov nekonvencionalan odnos prema vjerskim pitanjima isprva donekle iznenadio, objasnio je to udaljenošću Galileje od većih središta hebrejskog učenja i kulture te je savjetovao Josipu i Mariji da mu dopuste povesti Isusa u Jeruzalem, gdje bi imao prednosti obrazovanja i odgoja u samom središtu židovske kulture. Marija je gotovo pristala. Bila je uvjerena da će njezin najstariji sin postati Mesija, židovski izbavitelj. Josip je oklijevao. I on je bio uvjeren da je Isus predodređen za posebnu sudbinu, ali nije bio siguran u čemu bi se ta sudbina trebala sastojati. Nikada nije ozbiljno sumnjao da će njegov sin ispuniti neku veliku misiju na zemlji. Što je više razmišljao o Nahorovu prijedlogu, to se više pitao koliko bi bilo mudro poslati Isusa na dulji boravak u Jeruzalem.
123:6.8 (1365.3)
In February, Nahor, one of the teachers in a Jerusalem academy of the rabbis, came to Nazareth to observe Jesus, having been on a similar mission to Zacharias’s home near Jerusalem. He came to Nazareth at the instigation of John’s father. While at first he was somewhat shocked by Jesus’ frankness and unconventional manner of relating himself to things religious, he attributed it to the remoteness of Galilee from the centers of Hebrew learning and culture and advised Joseph and Mary to allow him to take Jesus back with him to Jerusalem, where he could have the advantages of education and training at the center of Jewish culture. Mary was half persuaded to consent; she was convinced her eldest son was to become the Messiah, the Jewish deliverer; Joseph hesitated; he was equally persuaded that Jesus was to grow up to become a man of destiny, but what that destiny would prove to be he was profoundly uncertain. But he never really doubted that his son was to fulfill some great mission on earth. The more he thought about Nahor’s advice, the more he questioned the wisdom of the proposed sojourn in Jerusalem.
Zbog tog neslaganja između Josipa i Marije, Nahor je zatražio dopuštenje da cijelo pitanje iznese pred Isusa. Isus je pozorno saslušao sve što je Nahor imao reći, razgovarao s Josipom i Marijom te sa susjedom Jakovom, klesarom čiji je sin bio njegov omiljeni drug u igri. Dva dana poslije priopćio je svoju odluku. Rekao je da, budući da među njegovim roditeljima i savjetnicima postoji toliko neslaganje, a on sam ne osjeća da je dorastao odgovornosti takve odluke niti snažno naginje bilo kojoj mogućnosti, smatra da je najbolje učiniti ono što je već učinio — „razgovarati sa svojim Ocem na nebu”. Premda nije bio potpuno siguran u odgovor, osjećao je da bi trebao ostati kod kuće „sa svojim ocem i majkom”, dodavši: „Oni koji me toliko vole mogu učiniti više za mene i sigurnije me voditi nego stranci koji mogu vidjeti moje tijelo i promatrati moj um, ali me teško mogu doista upoznati.” Svi su ostali zadivljeni njegovim odgovorom, a Nahor se vratio u Jeruzalem. Prošlo je mnogo godina prije nego što se ponovno ozbiljno razmatrala mogućnost da Isus napusti dom.
123:6.9 (1365.4)
Because of this difference of opinion between Joseph and Mary, Nahor requested permission to lay the whole matter before Jesus. Jesus listened attentively, talked with Joseph, Mary, and a neighbor, Jacob the stone mason, whose son was his favorite playmate, and then, two days later, reported that since there was such a difference of opinion among his parents and advisers, and since he did not feel competent to assume the responsibility for such a decision, not feeling strongly one way or the other, in view of the whole situation, he had finally decided to “talk with my Father who is in heaven”; and while he was not perfectly sure about the answer, he rather felt he should remain at home “with my father and mother,” adding, “they who love me so much should be able to do more for me and guide me more safely than strangers who can only view my body and observe my mind but can hardly truly know me.” They all marveled, and Nahor went his way, back to Jerusalem. And it was many years before the subject of Jesus’ going away from home again came up for consideration.