Knjiga Urantije
DIO IV. Isusov život i učenja
POGLAVLJE 156 : BORAVAK U TIRI I SIDONU
Paper 156
The Sojourn at Tyre and Sidon
The Sojourn at Tyre and Sidon
U PETAK popodne, 10. lipnja, Isus i njegovi suradnici stigli su u okolicu Sidona, gdje su se smjestili u kući jedne imućne žene koja je bila pacijentica u bolnici u Betsaidi u vrijeme kad je Isus bio na vrhuncu popularnosti. Evanđelisti i apostoli odsjeli su kod njezinih prijatelja u neposrednoj blizini, a ovu su subotu proveli odmarajući se u tom ugodnom okruženju. Proveli su gotovo dva i pol tjedna u Sidonu i njegovoj okolici prije nego što su se pripremili za posjet obalnim gradovima na sjeveru.
156:0.1 (1734.1)
ON FRIDAY afternoon, June 10, Jesus and his associates arrived in the environs of Sidon, where they stopped at the home of a well-to-do woman who had been a patient in the Bethsaida hospital during the times when Jesus was at the height of his popular favor. The evangelists and the apostles were lodged with her friends in the immediate neighborhood, and they rested over the Sabbath day amid these refreshing surroundings. They spent almost two and one-half weeks in Sidon and vicinity before they prepared to visit the coast cities to the north.
156:0.2 (1734.2)
This June Sabbath day was one of great quiet. The evangelists and apostles were altogether absorbed in their meditations regarding the discourses of the Master on religion to which they had listened en route to Sidon. They were all able to appreciate something of what he had told them, but none of them fully grasped the import of his teaching.
Nedaleko od kuće Karuške, gdje se Učitelj smjestio, živjela je jedna Sirijka koja je mnogo čula o Isusu kao velikom iscjelitelju i učitelju i koja je te subote popodne došla ovamo dovodeći svoju kćer. Dijete od nekih dvanaest godina patilo je od teškog živčanog poremećaja s grčevima i drugim popratnim pojavama.
156:1.1 (1734.3)
There lived near the home of Karuska, where the Master lodged, a Syrian woman who had heard much of Jesus as a great healer and teacher, and on this Sabbath afternoon she came over, bringing her little daughter. The child, about twelve years old, was afflicted with a grievous nervous disorder characterized by convulsions and other distressing manifestations.
Isus je naložio svojim suradnicima da nikome ne govore o njegovom boravku u kući Karuške, objašnjavajući da se želi odmoriti. Dok su apostoli poslušali Učiteljeve upute, Karuškin sluga otišao je u kuću te Sirijke, Norane, da je obavijesti da Isus boravi kod njegove gospodarice i da pozove tu tjeskobnu majku da dovede svoju oboljelu kćer na iscjeljenje. Ova je majka, naravno, vjerovala da je njezino dijete opsjednuto, da ima nečistog duha.
156:1.2 (1734.4)
Jesus had charged his associates to tell no one of his presence at the home of Karuska, explaining that he desired to have a rest. While they had obeyed their Master’s instructions, the servant of Karuska had gone over to the house of this Syrian woman, Norana, to inform her that Jesus lodged at the home of her mistress and had urged this anxious mother to bring her afflicted daughter for healing. This mother, of course, believed that her child was possessed by a demon, an unclean spirit.
Kad je Norana stigla sa svojom kćeri, Alfejevi blizanci objasnili su joj preko tumača da se Učitelj odmara i da ga se ne smije uznemiravati; na to je Norana uzvratila da će ona i dijete ostati upravo ondje dok Učitelj ne završi s odmorom. Petar ju je također pokušao urazumiti i nagovoriti da ode kući. Objasnio joj je da je Isus jako umoran od poučavanja i iscjeljivanja te da je došao u Feniciju na neko vrijeme mira i odmora. Ali sve je bilo uzalud; Norana nije htjela otići. Na Petrove je usrdne molbe samo uzvratila: „Neću otići dok ne vidim vašeg Učitelja. Znam da može istjerati demona iz moga djeteta i neću otići dok iscjelitelj ne pogleda moju kćer.“
156:1.3 (1734.5)
When Norana arrived with her daughter, the Alpheus twins explained through an interpreter that the Master was resting and could not be disturbed; whereupon Norana replied that she and the child would remain right there until the Master had finished his rest. Peter also endeavored to reason with her and to persuade her to go home. He explained that Jesus was weary with much teaching and healing, and that he had come to Phoenicia for a period of quiet and rest. But it was futile; Norana would not leave. To Peter’s entreaties she replied only: “I will not depart until I have seen your Master. I know he can cast the demon out of my child, and I will not go until the healer has looked upon my daughter.”
Zatim je Tomo pokušao poslati ženu kući, ali bez uspjeha. Ona mu je rekla: „Vjerujem da vaš Učitelj može istjerati ovog demona koji muči moje dijete. Čula sam o njegovim moćnim djelima u Galileji i vjerujem u njega. Što je to s vama, njegovim učenicima, kad tjerate one koji dolaze tražiti pomoć vašeg Učitelja?“ Nakon što je to rekla, Tomo se povukao.
156:1.4 (1734.6)
Then Thomas sought to send the woman away but met only with failure. To him she said: “I have faith that your Master can cast out this demon which torments my child. I have heard of his mighty works in Galilee, and I believe in him. What has happened to you, his disciples, that you would send away those who come seeking your Master’s help?” And when she had thus spoken, Thomas withdrew.
Zatim je pristupio Šimun Revnitelj da ukori Noranu. Šimun je rekao: „Ženo, ti si nežidovka koja govori grčki. Nije u redu očekivati da Učitelj uzme kruh namijenjen djeci povlaštenog doma i baci ga psima.“ Ali Norana se nije dala uvrijediti ovom grubošću. Samo je odgovorila: „Da, učitelju, razumijem tvoje riječi. Ja sam samo pas u očima Židova, ali kad je riječ o vašem Učitelju, ja sam pas koji vjeruje. Hoću da pogleda moju kćer, jer sam uvjerena da će je izliječiti ako je samo pogleda. Čak ni ti, moj dobri čovječe, ne bi se usudio uskratiti psima povlasticu da dobiju mrvice koje slučajno padaju sa stola djece.“
156:1.5 (1735.1)
Then came forward Simon Zelotes to remonstrate with Norana. Said Simon: “Woman, you are a Greek-speaking gentile. It is not right that you should expect the Master to take the bread intended for the children of the favored household and cast it to the dogs.” But Norana refused to take offense at Simon’s thrust. She replied only: “Yes, teacher, I understand your words. I am only a dog in the eyes of the Jews, but as concerns your Master, I am a believing dog. I am determined that he shall see my daughter, for I am persuaded that, if he shall but look upon her, he will heal her. And even you, my good man, would not dare to deprive the dogs of the privilege of obtaining the crumbs which chance to fall from the children’s table.”
Upravo je tada djevojčicu pred svima obuzeo snažan grč, a majka je povikala: „Evo, vidite da je moje dijete opsjednuto zlim duhom. Ako vas naša potreba ne može ganuti, vašeg bi Učitelja ganula, jer sam čula da on voli sve ljude i da ima hrabrosti iscjeljivati čak i nežidove kad vjeruju. Niste dostojni biti njegovi učenici. Neću otići dok mi dijete ne ozdravi.“
156:1.6 (1735.2)
At just this time the little girl was seized with a violent convulsion before them all, and the mother cried out: “There, you can see that my child is possessed by an evil spirit. If our need does not impress you, it would appeal to your Master, who I have been told loves all men and dares even to heal the gentiles when they believe. You are not worthy to be his disciples. I will not go until my child has been cured.”
Isus, koji je čuo ovaj razgovor kroz otvoren prozor, sada izađe i, na njihovo veliko iznenađenje, reče: „O ženo, velika je tvoja vjera, tako velika da ti ne mogu uskratiti to što tražiš; idi svojim putem u miru. Kćer ti je ozdravila.“ A djevojčica se istog časa oporavila. Kad se Norana udaljila s djetetom, Isus ih je zamolio da o tome nikome ne govore; i dok su se njegovi suradnici poveli prema ovom zahtjevu, majka i dijete nisu prestajale govoriti o ozdravljenju po cijeloj okolici, pa čak i po Sidonu, tako da je nakon nekoliko dana Isus spoznao da je najbolje promijeniti mjesto boravka.
156:1.7 (1735.3)
Jesus, who had heard all of this conversation through an open window, now came outside, much to their surprise, and said: “O woman, great is your faith, so great that I cannot withhold that which you desire; go your way in peace. Your daughter already has been made whole.” And the little girl was well from that hour. As Norana and the child took leave, Jesus entreated them to tell no one of this occurrence; and while his associates did comply with this request, the mother and the child ceased not to proclaim the fact of the little girl’s healing throughout all the countryside and even in Sidon, so much so that Jesus found it advisable to change his lodgings within a few days.
Sutradan, dok je poučavao apostole i komentirao ozdravljenje kćeri Sirijke, Isus je rekao: „I tako je bilo cijelim putem; i sami vidite kako su nežidovi sposobni iskazati spasonosnu vjeru u učenja evanđelja kraljevstva nebeskog. Zaista, zaista vam kažem, kraljevstvo Očevo pripast će nežidovima ako Abrahamova djeca ne budu spremna pokazati dovoljno vjere za ulazak u njega“
156:1.8 (1735.4)
The next day, as Jesus taught his apostles, commenting on the cure of the daughter of the Syrian woman, he said: “And so it has been all the way along; you see for yourselves how the gentiles are able to exercise saving faith in the teachings of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven. Verily, verily, I tell you that the Father’s kingdom shall be taken by the gentiles if the children of Abraham are not minded to show faith enough to enter therein.”
156:2.1 (1735.5)
In entering Sidon, Jesus and his associates passed over a bridge, the first one many of them had ever seen. As they walked over this bridge, Jesus, among other things, said: “This world is only a bridge; you may pass over it, but you should not think to build a dwelling place upon it.”
156:2.2 (1735.6)
As the twenty-four began their labors in Sidon, Jesus went to stay in a home just north of the city, the house of Justa and her mother, Bernice. Jesus taught the twenty-four each morning at the home of Justa, and they went abroad in Sidon to teach and preach during the afternoons and evenings.
Apostole i evangeliste veoma je ohrabrio način na koji su nežidovi u Sidonu prihvatili njihovu poruku; tijekom njihova kratkog boravka mnogi su pristupili kraljevstvu. Ovo razdoblje od oko šest tjedana u Feniciji bilo je vrlo plodno u pridobivanju duša, premda su kasniji židovski pisci Evanđelja imali običaj olako prijeći preko zapisa o ovom srdačnom prihvaćanju Isusovih učenja od strane ovih nežidova upravo u vrijeme kad je tako velik broj njegovih sunarodnjaka bio neprijateljski naklonjen prema njemu.
156:2.3 (1735.7)
The apostles and the evangelists were greatly cheered by the manner in which the gentiles of Sidon received their message; during their short sojourn many were added to the kingdom. This period of about six weeks in Phoenicia was a very fruitful time in the work of winning souls, but the later Jewish writers of the Gospels were wont lightly to pass over the record of this warm reception of Jesus’ teachings by these gentiles at this very time when such a large number of his own people were in hostile array against him.
Ovi su nežidovski vjernici na mnogo načina potpunije cijenili Isusova učenja nego Židovi. Mnogi od tih grčkojezičnih Sirofeničana spoznali su ne samo da je Isus bio poput Boga nego i da je Bog bio poput Isusa. Ti takozvani pogani dobro su razumjeli Učiteljevo učenje o istovjetnosti zakona koji vladaju ovim svijetom i cijelim svemirom. Shvatili su učenje da Bog nije pristran prema pojedincima, rasama ili narodima; da kod Oca Svemira nema povlaštenosti; da se svemirom u cijelosti i uvijek upravlja u skladu sa zakonima i da je bez iznimke pouzdan. Ovi se nežidovi nisu bojali Isusa; imali su hrabrosti prihvatiti njegovu poruku. Kroz sve vjekove nije ispravno reći da ljudi nisu bili sposobni razumjeti Isusa; oni su se bojali to učiniti.
156:2.4 (1736.1)
In many ways these gentile believers appreciated Jesus’ teachings more fully than the Jews. Many of these Greek-speaking Syrophoenicians came to know not only that Jesus was like God but also that God was like Jesus. These so-called heathen achieved a good understanding of the Master’s teachings about the uniformity of the laws of this world and the entire universe. They grasped the teaching that God is no respecter of persons, races, or nations; that there is no favoritism with the Universal Father; that the universe is wholly and ever law-abiding and unfailingly dependable. These gentiles were not afraid of Jesus; they dared to accept his message. All down through the ages men have not been unable to comprehend Jesus; they have been afraid to.
Isus je objasnio dvadeset i četvorici da nije izbivao iz Galileje zato što nije imao hrabrosti suprotstaviti se svojim neprijateljima. Shvatili su da još nije bio spreman za otvoreni sukob sa zvaničnom religijom i da nije nastojao postati mučenikom. Prilikom jedne od tih rasprava u kući Juste, Učitelj je prvi put rekao svojim učenicima: “Iako nebo i zemlja uminu, riječi moje istine moraju ustrajati.”
156:2.5 (1736.2)
Jesus made it clear to the twenty-four that he had not fled from Galilee because he lacked courage to confront his enemies. They comprehended that he was not yet ready for an open clash with established religion, and that he did not seek to become a martyr. It was during one of these conferences at the home of Justa that the Master first told his disciples that “even though heaven and earth shall pass away, my words of truth shall not.”
Tema Isusovih pouka tijekom boravka u Sidonu bila je duhovno napredovanje. Rekao im je da ne mogu stajati na mjestu; moraju napredovati u pravednosti ili nazadovati u zlu i grijehu. Upozorio ih je: „Zaboravite ono što je u prošlosti dok napredujete prema većim stvarnostima kraljevstva.“ Molio ih je da ne budu zadovoljni svojim djetinjstvom u evanđelju, već da teže postizanju punog stasa božanskog sinovstva u zajedništvu duha i među vjernicima.
156:2.6 (1736.3)
The theme of Jesus’ instructions during the sojourn at Sidon was spiritual progression. He told them they could not stand still; they must go forward in righteousness or retrogress into evil and sin. He admonished them to “forget those things which are in the past while you push forward to embrace the greater realities of the kingdom.” He besought them not to be content with their childhood in the gospel but to strive for the attainment of the full stature of divine sonship in the communion of the spirit and in the fellowship of believers.
Isus je rekao: „Moji učenici ne samo što moraju prestati činiti zlo, već moraju naučiti činiti dobro; ne samo što moraju biti očišćeni od svih svjesnih grijeha, već moraju odbiti njegovati čak i osjećaje krivnje. Ako priznate svoje grijehe, oni su vam oprošteni; stoga morate održavati savjest bez prijestupa.“
156:2.7 (1736.4)
Said Jesus: “My disciples must not only cease to do evil but learn to do well; you must not only be cleansed from all conscious sin, but you must refuse to harbor even the feelings of guilt. If you confess your sins, they are forgiven; therefore must you maintain a conscience void of offense.”
Isus je uživao u istančanom smislu za humor koji su pokazivali ovi nežidovi. Upravo su taj smisao za humor koji je pokazala Norana, Sirijka, kao i njezina velika i ustrajna vjera, toliko dirnuli Učiteljevo srce i pobudili njegovo milosrđe. Isusu je bilo veoma žao što je njegov narod — Židovi — bio tako lišen smisla za humor. Jednom je rekao Tomi: „Moj narod sebe uzima previše ozbiljno; gotovo da uopće nema smisla za humor. Teška religija farizeja nikada ne bi mogla nastati među narodom koji ima smisla za humor. Nedostaje im i dosljednosti; naprežu se oko komaraca, a gutaju deve.“
156:2.8 (1736.5)
Jesus greatly enjoyed the keen sense of humor which these gentiles exhibited. It was the sense of humor displayed by Norana, the Syrian woman, as well as her great and persistent faith, that so touched the Master’s heart and appealed to his mercy. Jesus greatly regretted that his people—the Jews—were so lacking in humor. He once said to Thomas: “My people take themselves too seriously; they are just about devoid of an appreciation of humor. The burdensome religion of the Pharisees could never have had origin among a people with a sense of humor. They also lack consistency; they strain at gnats and swallow camels.”
U utorak, 28. lipnja, Učitelj i njegovi suradnici napustili su Sidon i krenuli uz obalu prema Porfironu i Heldui. Nežidovi su ih srdačno primili i tijekom tog tjedna poučavanja i propovijedanja mnogi su pristupili kraljevstvu. Apostoli su propovijedali u Porfironu, a evangelisti su poučavali u Heldui. Dok su dvadeset i četvorica bili tako zauzeti svojim radom, Isus ih je na tri ili četiri dana napustio i otišao u obalni grad Bejrut, gdje je posjetio Sirijca po imenu Malak, vjernika koji je prethodne godine bio u Betsaidi.
156:3.1 (1736.6)
On Tuesday, June 28, the Master and his associates left Sidon, going up the coast to Porphyreon and Heldua. They were well received by the gentiles, and many were added to the kingdom during this week of teaching and preaching. The apostles preached in Porphyreon and the evangelists taught in Heldua. While the twenty-four were thus engaged in their work, Jesus left them for a period of three or four days, paying a visit to the coast city of Beirut, where he visited with a Syrian named Malach, who was a believer, and who had been at Bethsaida the year before.
U srijedu, 6. srpnja, svi su se vratili u Sidon i ostali u kući Juste do nedjelje ujutro, kada su krenuli prema Tiru, putujući na jug uz obalu preko Sarepte, i stigli u Tir u ponedjeljak, 11. srpnja. Do tada su se apostoli i evangelisti već navikli na rad među tim takozvanim nežidovima, koji su zapravo uglavnom bili potomci negdašnjih kanaanskih plemena još starijeg semitskog porijekla. Svi su ti narodi govorili grčki. Apostole i evangeliste veoma je iznenadila želja tih nežidova da čuju evanđelje i spremnost s kojom su mnogi od njih vjerovali.
156:3.2 (1737.1)
On Wednesday, July 6, they all returned to Sidon and tarried at the home of Justa until Sunday morning, when they departed for Tyre, going south along the coast by way of Sarepta, arriving at Tyre on Monday, July 11. By this time the apostles and the evangelists were becoming accustomed to working among these so-called gentiles, who were in reality mainly descended from the earlier Canaanite tribes of still earlier Semitic origin. All of these peoples spoke the Greek language. It was a great surprise to the apostles and evangelists to observe the eagerness of these gentiles to hear the gospel and to note the readiness with which many of them believed.
U Tiri su poučavali od 11. do 24. srpnja. Svaki je apostol sa sobom poveo jednog evangelista i tako su, dvojica po dvojica, poučavali i propovijedali u svim dijelovima Tira i okolice. Višejezično stanovništvo ove prometne luke rado ih je slušalo, a mnogi su bili kršteni u vanjsko zajedništvo kraljevstva. Isus je svoje sjedište imao u kući Židova po imenu Josip, vjernika koji je živio nekih pet ili šest kilometara južno od Tira, nedaleko od grobnice Hirama, kralja grada-države Tira u vrijeme Davida i Salomona.
156:4.1 (1737.2)
From July 11 to July 24 they taught in Tyre. Each of the apostles took with him one of the evangelists, and thus two and two they taught and preached in all parts of Tyre and its environs. The polyglot population of this busy seaport heard them gladly, and many were baptized into the outward fellowship of the kingdom. Jesus maintained his headquarters at the home of a Jew named Joseph, a believer, who lived three or four miles south of Tyre, not far from the tomb of Hiram who had been king of the city-state of Tyre during the times of David and Solomon.
Iz dana u dan, tijekom ovog razdoblja od dva tjedna, apostoli i evangelisti išli su u Tir preko mola Aleksandrova kako bi održavali manje skupove, a većina se svake noći vraćala u tabor u Josipovoj kući južno od grada. Vjernici su svaki dan dolazili iz grada razgovarati s Isusom na mjestu gdje se odmarao. Učitelj je govorio u Tiru samo jednom, u poslijepodnevnim satima 20. srpnja, kada je poučavao vjernike o Očevoj ljubavi prema cijelom čovječanstvu i o poslanju Sina da se Otac obznani svim ljudskim rasama. Među ovim je nežidovima vladao tako velik interes za evanđelje kraljevstva da su tom prilikom vrata Melkartova hrama bila otvorena za njega; zanimljivo je zabilježiti da je u kasnijim godinama upravo na mjestu ovog drevnog hrama bila izgrađena kršćanska crkva.
156:4.2 (1737.3)
Daily, for this period of two weeks, the apostles and evangelists entered Tyre by way of Alexander’s mole to conduct small meetings, and each night most of them would return to the encampment at Joseph’s house south of the city. Every day believers came out from the city to talk with Jesus at his resting place. The Master spoke in Tyre only once, on the afternoon of July 20, when he taught the believers concerning the Father’s love for all mankind and about the mission of the Son to reveal the Father to all races of men. There was such an interest in the gospel of the kingdom among these gentiles that, on this occasion, the doors of the Melkarth temple were opened to him, and it is interesting to record that in subsequent years a Christian church was built on the very site of this ancient temple.
Mnogi od vodećih proizvođača tirskog purpura, boje koja je proslavila Tir i Sidon diljem svijeta i toliko pridonijela njihovoj svjetskoj trgovini i posljedičnom bogaćenju, vjerovali su u kraljevstvo. Kad se nedugo nakon toga počela smanjivati opskrba morskih životinja od kojih se ova boja dobivala, ti su se proizvođači boje dali u potragu za novim staništima tih školjkaša. I tako su se raselili do krajeva zemlje, noseći sa sobom poruku o Božjem očinstvu i bratstvu ljudi — evanđelje kraljevstva.
156:4.3 (1737.4)
Many of the leaders in the manufacture of Tyrian purple, the dye that made Tyre and Sidon famous the world over, and which contributed so much to their world-wide commerce and consequent enrichment, believed in the kingdom. When, shortly thereafter, the supply of the sea animals which were the source of this dye began to diminish, these dye makers went forth in search of new habitats of these shellfish. And thus migrating to the ends of the earth, they carried with them the message of the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man—the gospel of the kingdom.
Te srijede poslijepodne, Isus je tijekom obraćanja najprije svojim sljedbenicima ispričao priču o bijelom ljiljanu koji visoko prema sunčevoj svjetlosti uzdiže svoju čistu, snježnobijelu glavu, dok mu je korijenje uronjeno u mulj i blato zemlje crnice. „Isto tako“, rekao je, „smrtni čovjek, premda njegovo porijeklo i postojanje imaju korijene u životinjskom tlu ljudske naravi, može vjerom uzdići svoju duhovnu narav u svjetlost nebeske istine i doista roditi plemenite plodove duha.“
156:5.1 (1737.5)
On this Wednesday afternoon, in the course of his address, Jesus first told his followers the story of the white lily which rears its pure and snowy head high into the sunshine while its roots are grounded in the slime and muck of the darkened soil beneath. “Likewise,” said he, “mortal man, while he has his roots of origin and being in the animal soil of human nature, can by faith raise his spiritual nature up into the sunlight of heavenly truth and actually bear the noble fruits of the spirit.”
Tijekom iste propovijedi Isus se poslužio svojom prvom i jedinom usporedbom koja se odnosila na njegov vlastiti zanat — stolarstvo. U svojoj opomeni da „dobro postavite temelje za rast plemenitog karaktera duhovnih obdarenosti“, rekao je: „Da biste donosili plodove duha, morate biti rođeni iz duha. Duh vas mora poučavati i voditi ako želite živjeti životom ispunjenim duhom među svojim bližnjima. Ali nemojte učiniti istu pogrešku kao nerazuman stolar koji troši dragocjeno vrijeme na tesanje, mjerenje i izglađivanje crvotočnog i iznutra trulog drva, a zatim, nakon što je sav svoj trud uložio u nezdravu gredu, mora je odbaciti kao neprikladnu za ugradnju u temelje građevine koja treba da odoli nasrtajima vremena i oluje. Neka se svaki čovjek pobrine da intelektualni i moralni temelji njegova karaktera budu takvi da mogu dostatno poduprijeti nadgradnju sve šire i sve plemenitije duhovne naravi, koja će tako preobraziti smrtni um i koja će zatim, u povezanosti s tim preobraženim umom, postići razvoj duše besmrtne sudbine. Vaša narav duha — zajednički stvorena duša — živi je rast, dok su um i moral pojedinca tlo iz kojega moraju izniknuti ova viša očitovanja ljudskog razvoja i božanske sudbine. Tlo duše koja se razvija jest ljudsko i materijalno, ali sudbina ovog združenog bića uma i duha jest duhovna i božanska.“
156:5.2 (1738.1)
It was during this same sermon that Jesus made use of his first and only parable having to do with his own trade—carpentry. In the course of his admonition to “Build well the foundations for the growth of a noble character of spiritual endowments,” he said: “In order to yield the fruits of the spirit, you must be born of the spirit. You must be taught by the spirit and be led by the spirit if you would live the spirit-filled life among your fellows. But do not make the mistake of the foolish carpenter who wastes valuable time squaring, measuring, and smoothing his worm-eaten and inwardly rotting timber and then, when he has thus bestowed all of his labor upon the unsound beam, must reject it as unfit to enter into the foundations of the building which he would construct to withstand the assaults of time and storm. Let every man make sure that the intellectual and moral foundations of character are such as will adequately support the superstructure of the enlarging and ennobling spiritual nature, which is thus to transform the mortal mind and then, in association with that re-created mind, is to achieve the evolvement of the soul of immortal destiny. Your spirit nature—the jointly created soul—is a living growth, but the mind and morals of the individual are the soil from which these higher manifestations of human development and divine destiny must spring. The soil of the evolving soul is human and material, but the destiny of this combined creature of mind and spirit is spiritual and divine.”
„Nije čudno da tako pitaš s obzirom na to da počinješ poznavati Oca onako kako ga ja poznajem, a ne onako kako su ga rani hebrejski proroci tako nejasno poimali. Vi dobro znate da su naši preci bili skloni vidjeti Boga u gotovo svemu što se događalo. Tražili su Božju ruku u svim prirodnim pojavama i u svakom neobičnom događaju ljudskog iskustva. Dovodili su Boga u svezu i s dobrim i sa zlom. Vjerovali su da je smekšao Mojsijevo srce i otvrdnuo srce faraona. Kad bi čovjek osjetio snažan poriv da učini nešto, dobro ili zlo, imao je običaj takve neobične osjećaje pripisivati riječima: ‘Gospodin mi je rekao: Učini ovo ili ono, idi ovamo ili onamo.’ Budući da su ljudi tako često i tako silovito podlijegali napasti, naši su preci stekli naviku vjerovati da ih je Bog tamo vodio kako bi ih iskušao, kaznio ili ojačao. Ali vi sada znate bolje. Znate da ljude prečesto u napast vode porivi njihove vlastite sebičnosti i nagoni njihove životinjske naravi. Kada se na taj način nađete u iskušenju, upozoravam vas da, dok iskreno prepoznajete napast upravo onakvom kakva jest, razumno preusmjerite energije duha, uma i tijela koje traže izražaj prema višim kanalima i idealističkijim ciljevima. Na taj način možete svoje napasti preobraziti u najviše oblike uzdižućeg smrtnog služenja, dok gotovo posve izbjegavate te rasipne i oslabljujuće sukobe između životinjske i duhovne naravi.
156:5.4 (1738.3)
“It is not strange that you ask such questions seeing that you are beginning to know the Father as I know him, and not as the early Hebrew prophets so dimly saw him. You well know how our forefathers were disposed to see God in almost everything that happened. They looked for the hand of God in all natural occurrences and in every unusual episode of human experience. They connected God with both good and evil. They thought he softened the heart of Moses and hardened the heart of Pharaoh. When man had a strong urge to do something, good or evil, he was in the habit of accounting for these unusual emotions by remarking: ‘The Lord spoke to me saying, do thus and so, or go here and there.’ Accordingly, since men so often and so violently ran into temptation, it became the habit of our forefathers to believe that God led them thither for testing, punishing, or strengthening. But you, indeed, now know better. You know that men are all too often led into temptation by the urge of their own selfishness and by the impulses of their animal natures. When you are in this way tempted, I admonish you that, while you recognize temptation honestly and sincerely for just what it is, you intelligently redirect the energies of spirit, mind, and body, which are seeking expression, into higher channels and toward more idealistic goals. In this way may you transform your temptations into the highest types of uplifting mortal ministry while you almost wholly avoid these wasteful and weakening conflicts between the animal and spiritual natures.
„No, dopustite mi da vas upozorim na ludost pokušaja svladavanja napasti nastojanjem da jednu želju zamijenite drugom, navodno višom željom, oslanjajući se na puku snagu ljudske volje. Ako uistinu želite pobijediti napasti svoje niže i manje vrijedne naravi, morate dosegnuti onu duhovnu prednost u kojoj ste stvarno i uistinu razvili iskreno zanimanje za te više i idealističkije oblike ponašanja i ljubav prema njima, koje vaš um želi postaviti umjesto ovih nižih i manje idealističkih navika ponašanja koje prepoznajete kao napast. Tako ćete biti izbavljeni duhovnom preobrazbom, umjesto da sve više budete opterećeni varljivim potiskivanjem smrtnih želja. Staro i manje vrijedno bit će zaboravljeno u ljubavi prema novome i višemu. Ljepota uvijek nadilazi ružnoću u srcima svih koje prosvjetljuje ljubav prema istini. Velika je snaga u novoj i iskrenoj duhovnoj ljubavi koja istiskuje ono staro. I opet vam kažem: ne dajte da vas nadjača zlo, nego zlo svladavajte dobrim.“
156:5.5 (1738.4)
“But let me warn you against the folly of undertaking to surmount temptation by the effort of supplanting one desire by another and supposedly superior desire through the mere force of the human will. If you would be truly triumphant over the temptations of the lesser and lower nature, you must come to that place of spiritual advantage where you have really and truly developed an actual interest in, and love for, those higher and more idealistic forms of conduct which your mind is desirous of substituting for these lower and less idealistic habits of behavior that you recognize as temptation. You will in this way be delivered through spiritual transformation rather than be increasingly overburdened with the deceptive suppression of mortal desires. The old and the inferior will be forgotten in the love for the new and the superior. Beauty is always triumphant over ugliness in the hearts of all who are illuminated by the love of truth. There is mighty power in the expulsive energy of a new and sincere spiritual affection. And again I say to you, be not overcome by evil but rather overcome evil with good.”
Snažna ambicija, razborito prosuđivanje i iskustvom stečena mudrost bitni su za materijalni uspjeh. Vodstvo ovisi o prirodnoj sposobnosti, razboritosti, snazi volje i odlučnosti. Duhovna sudbina ovisi o vjeri, ljubavi i predanosti istini — o gladi i žeđi za pravednošću — o svesrdnoj želji da pronađete Boga i budete poput njega.
156:5.7 (1739.2)
Forceful ambition, intelligent judgment, and seasoned wisdom are the essentials of material success. Leadership is dependent on natural ability, discretion, will power, and determination. Spiritual destiny is dependent on faith, love, and devotion to truth—hunger and thirst for righteousness—the wholehearted desire to find God and to be like him.
Ne dajte se obeshrabriti spoznajom vlastite ljudske prirode. Ljudska narav može naginjati zlu, ali nije sama po sebi grešna. Nemojte klonuti zbog toga što niste u potpunosti sposobni zaboraviti neka svoja iskustva zbog kojih žalite. Pogreške koje s vremenom ne uspijete zaboraviti bit će zaboravljene u vječnosti. Olakšajte teret svoje duše tako što ćete brzo steći dugoročnu perspektivu svoje sudbine, nastavak životnog puta kroz svemir.
156:5.8 (1739.3)
Do not become discouraged by the discovery that you are human. Human nature may tend toward evil, but it is not inherently sinful. Be not downcast by your failure wholly to forget some of your regrettable experiences. The mistakes which you fail to forget in time will be forgotten in eternity. Lighten your burdens of soul by speedily acquiring a long-distance view of your destiny, a universe expansion of your career.
156:5.9 (1739.4)
Make not the mistake of estimating the soul’s worth by the imperfections of the mind or by the appetites of the body. Judge not the soul nor evaluate its destiny by the standard of a single unfortunate human episode. Your spiritual destiny is conditioned only by your spiritual longings and purposes.
Religija je isključivo duhovno iskustvo besmrtne duše koja se razvija u čovjeku koji poznaje Boga, a moralna snaga i duhovna energija moćne su sile koje se mogu koristiti u suočavanju s teškim društvenim okolnostima i rješavanju složenih gospodarskih problema. Ovi moralni i duhovni darovi čine sve razine ljudskog života bogatijima i smislenijima.
156:5.10 (1739.5)
Religion is the exclusively spiritual experience of the evolving immortal soul of the God-knowing man, but moral power and spiritual energy are mighty forces which may be utilized in dealing with difficult social situations and in solving intricate economic problems. These moral and spiritual endowments make all levels of human living richer and more meaningful.
Predodređeno vam je živjeti skučen i zao život ako naučite voljeti samo one koji vas vole. Ljudska ljubav doista može biti uzajamna, ali božanska ljubav stremi van u traženju zadovoljstva. Što je manje ljubavi u prirodi nekog bića, to je veća potreba za ljubavlju i to više božanska ljubav nastoji zadovoljiti tu potrebu. Ljubav nikada ne teži samoj sebi, niti može biti darovana samoj sebi. Božanska ljubav ne može biti samosadržana; ona se mora nesebično darovati.
156:5.11 (1739.6)
You are destined to live a narrow and mean life if you learn to love only those who love you. Human love may indeed be reciprocal, but divine love is outgoing in all its satisfaction-seeking. The less of love in any creature’s nature, the greater the love need, and the more does divine love seek to satisfy such need. Love is never self-seeking, and it cannot be self-bestowed. Divine love cannot be self-contained; it must be unselfishly bestowed.
Vjernici kraljevstva trebaju posjedovati implicitnu vjeru, vjerovanje cijelom dušom, u neupitan trijumf pravednosti. Graditelji kraljevstva ne smiju sumnjati u istinu evanđelja vječnog spasenja. Vjernici moraju naučiti iskoračiti iz vreve života — izbjeći tegobe materijalnog postojanja — da osvježe dušu, nadahnu um i obnove duh u zajedništvu obožavanja.
156:5.12 (1739.7)
Kingdom believers should possess an implicit faith, a whole-souled belief, in the certain triumph of righteousness. Kingdom builders must be undoubting of the truth of the gospel of eternal salvation. Believers must increasingly learn how to step aside from the rush of life—escape the harassments of material existence—while they refresh the soul, inspire the mind, and renew the spirit by worshipful communion.
Pojedinci koji poznaju Boga nisu obeshrabreni nesrećom niti potišteni razočaranjem. Vjernici su imuni na potištenost koja prati puke materijalne prevrate; osobe koje žive u duhu nisu uznemirene previranjima materijalnog svijeta. Kandidati za vječni život prakticiraju osnažujuću i konstruktivnu tehniku suočavanja sa svim nestalnostima i tegobama smrtnog života. Iz dana u dan istinski vjernik nalazi da mu je sve lakše ispravno postupiti.
156:5.13 (1739.8)
God-knowing individuals are not discouraged by misfortune or downcast by disappointment. Believers are immune to the depression consequent upon purely material upheavals; spirit livers are not perturbed by the episodes of the material world. Candidates for eternal life are practitioners of an invigorating and constructive technique for meeting all of the vicissitudes and harassments of mortal living. Every day a true believer lives, he finds it easier to do the right thing.
156:5.14 (1740.1)
Spiritual living mightily increases true self-respect. But self-respect is not self-admiration. Self-respect is always co-ordinate with the love and service of one’s fellows. It is not possible to respect yourself more than you love your neighbor; the one is the measure of the capacity for the other.
Iz dana u dan, svaki pravi vjernik postaje sve spretniji u navođenju svojih bližnjih na ljubav prema vječnoj istini. Jeste li danas snalažljiviji u otkrivanju dobrote ljudima nego jučer? Jeste li ove godine uspješniji u preporučivanju pravednosti nego što ste bili prošle godine? Postajete li sve vještiji u umijeću uvođenja gladnih duša u duhovno kraljevstvo?
156:5.15 (1740.2)
As the days pass, every true believer becomes more skillful in alluring his fellows into the love of eternal truth. Are you more resourceful in revealing goodness to humanity today than you were yesterday? Are you a better righteousness recommender this year than you were last year? Are you becoming increasingly artistic in your technique of leading hungry souls into the spiritual kingdom?
Jesu li vaši ideali dovoljno visoki da osiguraju vaše vječno spasenje, dok su vaše ideje tako praktične da vas čine korisnim građanima koji djeluju na zemlji u suradnji s vašim smrtnim bližnjima? U duhu, vaše građanstvo je na nebu; ali u tijelu ste još uvijek građani zemaljskih kraljevstava. Dajte dakle caru ono što je materijalno, a Bogu ono što je duhovno.
156:5.16 (1740.3)
Are your ideals sufficiently high to insure your eternal salvation while your ideas are so practical as to render you a useful citizen to function on earth in association with your mortal fellows? In the spirit, your citizenship is in heaven; in the flesh, you are still citizens of the earth kingdoms. Render to the Caesars the things which are material and to God those which are spiritual.
Mjerilo duhovne sposobnosti evolutivne duše je vaša vjera u istinu i ljubav prema ljudima, a mjerilo snage vašeg ljudskog karaktera je vaša sposobnost da se oduprete njegovanju osjećaja kivnosti i uzdržite od mračnih misli prilikom duboke tuge. Poraz je najvjernije zrcalo u kojem iskreno možete vidjeti svoje pravo ja.
156:5.17 (1740.4)
The measure of the spiritual capacity of the evolving soul is your faith in truth and your love for man, but the measure of your human strength of character is your ability to resist the holding of grudges and your capacity to withstand brooding in the face of deep sorrow. Defeat is the true mirror in which you may honestly view your real self.
Dok postajete stariji u godinama i iskusniji u poslovima kraljevstva, jeste li taktičniji u svom odnosu s problematičnim smrtnicima i tolerantniji u suživotu s tvrdoglavim suradnicima? Takt je uporište društvene poluge, a tolerancija obilježje velike duše. Ako posjedujete ove rijetke i šarmantne darove, iz dana u dan postajete sve budniji i stručniji u svojim vrijednim nastojanjima da izbjegnete sve nepotrebne društvene nesporazume. Takve su mudre duše u mogućnosti izbjeći većinu problema koji neminovno prate one koji pate od nedostatka emocionalne prilagodbe, one koji ne žele odrasti i one koji odbijaju dostojanstveno ostariti.
156:5.18 (1740.5)
As you grow older in years and more experienced in the affairs of the kingdom, are you becoming more tactful in dealing with troublesome mortals and more tolerant in living with stubborn associates? Tact is the fulcrum of social leverage, and tolerance is the earmark of a great soul. If you possess these rare and charming gifts, as the days pass you will become more alert and expert in your worthy efforts to avoid all unnecessary social misunderstandings. Such wise souls are able to avoid much of the trouble which is certain to be the portion of all who suffer from lack of emotional adjustment, those who refuse to grow up, and those who refuse to grow old gracefully.
Izbjegavajte nepoštenje i nepravednost u svim svojim nastojanjima da propovijedate istinu i naviještate evanđelje. Ne tražite nezasluženo priznanje i ne težite nezasluženoj naklonosti. Badava primite ljubav iz božanskih i ljudskih izvora, neovisno o svojim zaslugama, i badava uzvratite ljubavlju. A u svim drugim stvarima vezanim za počasti i priznanja tražite samo ono što vam iskreno pripada.
156:5.19 (1740.6)
Avoid dishonesty and unfairness in all your efforts to preach truth and proclaim the gospel. Seek no unearned recognition and crave no undeserved sympathy. Love, freely receive from both divine and human sources regardless of your deserts, and love freely in return. But in all other things related to honor and adulation seek only that which honestly belongs to you.
Dan prije odlaska iz Tire i povratka u područje Galilejskog jezera, Isus je pozvao svoje suradnike i uputio dvanaestoricu evangelista da se vrate drugim putem od onoga kojim je namjeravao putovati s dvanaestoricom apostola. Nakon što su evangelisti ostavili Isusa, nikada više nisu bili s njim tako blisko povezani.
156:5.23 (1740.10)
The day before Jesus left Tyre for the return to the region of the Sea of Galilee, he called his associates together and directed the twelve evangelists to go back by a route different from that which he and the twelve apostles were to take. And after the evangelists here left Jesus, they were never again so intimately associated with him.
U utorak su napustili Ptolemaidu putujući kroz unutrašnjost prema istoku, tiberijskim putem prema Jotapati. U srijedu su zastali u Jotapati i uputili vjernike u poslove kraljevstva. U četvrtak su napustili Jotapatu idući prema sjeveru od Nazareta prema gori Libanonu do sela Zebuluna, preko Rame. U Rami su održali sastanke u petak i ostali preko subote. Stigli su do Zebuluna u nedjelju, 31. srpnja, održali sastanak te večeri i otišli sljedećeg jutra.
156:6.2 (1741.2)
On Tuesday they left Ptolemais, going east inland to near Jotapata by way of the Tiberias road. Wednesday they stopped at Jotapata and instructed the believers further in the things of the kingdom. Thursday they left Jotapata, going north on the Nazareth-Mount Lebanon trail to the village of Zebulun, by way of Ramah. They held meetings at Ramah on Friday and remained over the Sabbath. They reached Zebulun on Sunday, the 31st, holding a meeting that evening and departing the next morning.
156:6.3 (1741.3)
Leaving Zebulun, they journeyed over to the junction with the Magdala-Sidon road near Gischala, and thence they made their way to Gennesaret on the western shores of the lake of Galilee, south of Capernaum, where they had appointed to meet with David Zebedee, and where they intended to take counsel as to the next move to be made in the work of preaching the gospel of the kingdom.
Za kratkog vijećanja s Davidom saznali su da se mnogi vođe okupljali na suprotnoj strani jezera u blizini Khereze, te su se te večeri tamo uputili brodom. Taj dan su se tiho odmarali u brdima, a sutradan otišli u obližnji park gdje je Učitelj nekoć nahranio pet tisuća ljudi. Tu su se odmarali tri dana i održavali svakodnevna vijećanja kojima je prisustvovalo oko pedeset muškaraca i žena, ostataka nekoć brojne skupine vjernika koji su živjeli u Kafarnaumu i okolici.
156:6.4 (1741.4)
During a brief conference with David they learned that many leaders were then gathered together on the opposite side of the lake near Kheresa, and accordingly, that very evening a boat took them across. For one day they rested quietly in the hills, going on the next day to the park, near by, where the Master once fed the five thousand. Here they rested for three days and held daily conferences, which were attended by about fifty men and women, the remnants of the once numerous company of believers resident in Capernaum and its environs.
Dok je Isus bio odsutan iz Kafarnauma i Galileje za putovanja Fenicijom, njegovi su neprijatelji računali da se cijeli pokret raspao i zaključili da je Isusovo žurno povlačenje značilo da se toliko uplašio da ih više nikada neće uznemiravati. Smanjilo se sve aktivno protivljenje njegovim učenjima. Vjernici su ponovno počeli održavati javne skupove i postupno je došlo do učinkovite konsolidacije iskušanih i postojanih ljudi koji su ostali vjerni kroz veliko prosijavanje kojemu su upravo bili podvrgnuti svi vjernici u evanđelje.
156:6.5 (1741.5)
While Jesus was absent from Capernaum and Galilee, the period of the Phoenician sojourn, his enemies reckoned that the whole movement had been broken up and concluded that Jesus’ haste in withdrawing indicated he was so thoroughly frightened that he would not likely ever return to bother them. All active opposition to his teachings had about subsided. The believers were beginning to hold public meetings once more, and there was occurring a gradual but effective consolidation of the tried and true survivors of the great sifting through which the gospel believers had just passed.
Mandat o zatvaranju svih židovskih sinagoga Isusovim učenjima i svim njegovim sljedbenicima negativno se odrazio na pismoznance i farizeje. Čim se Isus udaljio kao predmet prijepora, došlo je do reakcije među cijelim židovskim narodom; javila se opća odbojnost prema farizejima i vođama Velikog vijeća u Jeruzalemu. Mnogi su upravitelji sinagoga počeli potajno otvarati svoje sinagoge Abneru i njegovim suradnicima, tvrdeći da su ti učitelji sljedbenici Ivana, a ne Isusovi učenici.
156:6.7 (1741.7)
The mandate to close the synagogues of all Jewry to the teachings of Jesus and all his followers had worked adversely upon the scribes and Pharisees. Immediately upon Jesus’ removing himself as an object of controversy, there occurred a reaction among the entire Jewish people; there was general resentment against the Pharisees and the Sanhedrin leaders at Jerusalem. Many of the rulers of the synagogues began surreptitiously to open their synagogues to Abner and his associates, claiming that these teachers were followers of John and not disciples of Jesus.
Čak je i Herod Antipa doživio promjenu srca i, kad je čuo da Isus boravi s druge strane jezera, na području njegova brata Filipa, javio mu je da je potpisao naloge za njegovo uhićenje u Galileji, ali da nije odobrio njegovo uhićenje u Pereji, čime je dao do znanja da Isus neće biti uznemiravan ako ostane izvan Galileje; istu je odluku priopćio i Židovima u Jeruzalemu.
156:6.8 (1741.8)
Even Herod Antipas experienced a change of heart and, on learning that Jesus was sojourning across the lake in the territory of his brother Philip, sent word to him that, while he had signed warrants for his arrest in Galilee, he had not so authorized his apprehension in Perea, thus indicating that Jesus would not be molested if he remained outside of Galilee; and he communicated this same ruling to the Jews at Jerusalem.