Main and secondary characters

• Children - Innocents
• Illness - Disability - Handicap
• Jesus Christ
• Loneliness - Isolation
• Tears - Crying
• Who is Jesus? How Christ defines himself

The Sermon of the Mount continues.

The crowd is growing larger and larger as the days go by. There are men, women, old people, children, rich and poor alike. The couple, Stephen and Hermas, is always present, although not yet associated with the old disciples led by Isaac. And there is also the new couple formed yesterday: the old man and the woman. They are at the very front, near their Comforter and they look much more cheerful than yesterday. The old man, to make up for the many months or years during which he was neglected by his daughter, has laid his wrinkled hand on the knees of the woman and she is caressing it out of the inborn instinct of a morally sound woman to be maternal.

Jesus passes near them to climb up to His rustic pulpit, and while passing He caresses the head of the old man who looks at Him as if he already saw Him as God.

• Hermas (disciple and pupil of Gamaliel)
• Isaac de Yutta (shepherd of the Nativity)
• Ishmael of Bethany
• Sarah of Bethany
• Stephen (disciple and martyr)

Peter says something to Jesus Who makes a gesture as if He wanted to say: «It does not matter.» But I do not understand what the apostle says. Peter remains near Jesus and Judas Thaddeus and Matthew join him. The other apostles are scattered among the crowd.

[Jesus teaches the crowd to act in secret, so as not to receive praise from men. He wants us to do our acts of charity and almsgiving, then forget that we did it so that we don't become puffed up with pride].

« Forget about it. Forget about the action itself. A light, a sweet voice will always be present with you and will make your day bright, sweet and happy. Because that light will be the smile of God, the honey will be the spiritual peace, which still comes from God, and the voice will be the voice of God, the Father Who will say to you: “Thank you”. He sees the hidden evil and the concealed good and will give you a reward for them. I can…»

«Master, You lie with Your own words!»

The sudden resentful remark comes from the centre of the crowd. They all turn around in the direction of the voice. There is some confusion.

Peter says: «I told You! Eh! When there is one of those over there… everything goes wrong!»

• Jude of Alphée (apostle)
• Matthew (apostle)
• Simon-Pierre - Simon de Jonas (apostle)

«Master, You lie with Your own words!»

The sudden resentful remark comes from the centre of the crowd. They all turn around in the direction of the voice. There is some confusion.

Peter says: «I told You! Eh! When there is one of those over there… everything goes wrong!» Many people in the crowd hiss and grumble against the reviler.

Jesus is the only one who remains calm. He has folded His arms and is standing, tall as He is, on His rock, with the sun in front of Him, in His dark blue tunic.

The reviler, heedless of the reaction of the crowd, goes on: «You are a bad Master because You teach what You do not do and…»

«Be quiet! Go away! Shame!» shout the crowd. And again: «Go back to your Scribes! The Master is quite enough for us! Let the hypocrites go with the hypocrites! You false masters! Usurers!…» and they continue but Jesus thunders out: «Silence! Let him speak» and the crowds no longer shout but they whisper their insults glaring at him at the same time.

«Yes. You teach what You do not do. You told us that we should give alms without being seen, and yesterday in the presence of a whole crowd You said to two poor people: “Stay and I will appease your hunger”.»

«I said: “Let the two poor people stay here. They will be the blessed guests who will give flavour to our bread”. Nothing else. I did not say I wanted to satisfy their hunger. Which poor man has not at least some bread? It was My joy to extend our good friendship to them.»

«Of course! You are cunning and You can play the part of the lamb!…»

The old man stands up, turns around and raising his walking stick he shouts: «Infernal tongue who are accusing the Holy One, do you think that you know everything and that you can accuse Him of what you know? As you do not know who God is and who He is Whom you are insulting, so you do not know His deeds. Only the angels and my overjoyed heart know. Listen, men, listen everybody and see whether Jesus is the liar and the proud man as this traitor to the Temple is saying. He…»

«Be quiet, Ishmael! Be quiet for My sake! If I made you happy, please make Me happy by being silent» Jesus begs him.

«I obey You, Holy Son. But let me say only this: the blessing of an old faithful Israelite is on Him Who assisted me in the name of God and God put that blessing on my lips for me and for Sarah, my new daughter. But there will be no blessing on your head. I will not curse you. I will not foul, with a curse, my mouth which must say to God: “Receive me”. I did not do it to her who disowned me, and I have already received a divine reward for it. But there is One who will take the place of the Innocent you are accusing and of Ishmael, the friend of God, Who assists Him.»

A chorus of shouts closes the speech of the old man who sits down again, while a man sneaks away, followed by insults. The crowds then shout to Jesus: «Go on, go on, Holy Master! We will listen only to You. Listen to us, not to those cursed birds of evil omen! They are jealous, because we love You more than we love them! But You are holy, they are wicked. Go on, speak to us. You can see that we have no other wish but to hear You. Our homes, our business? They are nothing, we left them to hear You.»

«I will speak to you. But do not be upset by what happened. Pray for those poor people. Forgive them as I do. Because if you forgive men their faults, your Father Who is in Heaven will forgive you your sins as well. But if you bear men a grudge and do not forgive them, neither will your Father forgive you your shortcomings. And everybody needs to be forgiven.

• Anonymous characters
• Ishmael of Bethany
• Pharisees
• Sarah of Bethany
• Scribes

Yesterday, I received from one who has nothing, more than all those who are rich have given Me. He is a friend, and as poor as I am. But he gave Me something that no money can buy, and which made Me happy, bringing back to Me so many serene hours of My childhood and youth, when every evening the hands of a Just One were laid on My head and I went to rest with his blessing as the guardian of My sleep. Yesterday this poor friend of Mine made Me king with his blessing. You thus see that none of My rich friends has given Me what he gave Me. Therefore, be not afraid. Even if you no longer have the power of money, providing you have love and holiness, you can still assist those who are poor, tired and distressed.

• Ishmael of Bethany
• Joseph of Jacob (Saint Joseph)

And the crowds throng incessantly. They come up from all directions: old, healthy, sick, children and young couples who wish to start their married life with the blessing of God’s word. There are beggars and wealthy people who call the apostles and give them offerings for those who are poor and they are so anxious to find a concealed place in which to do it that they seem to be going to confession. Thomas has taken one of the traveling bags and calmly pours all the money into it as if it were chicken-feed, and then takes it to the rock where Jesus is speaking, and he laughs happily saying: «Rejoice, Master! You have enough for everybody today!»

Jesus smiles and says: «And we shall start at once, so that those who are sad may be happy immediately. You and your companions will select the poor and sick people and bring them here.»

That takes a comparatively short time, although they have to listen to the cases of many people and it would have taken much longer without the practical help of Thomas, who, standing on a stone to be seen by everybody, shouts in his powerful voice: «All those suffering from physical trouble go to my right hand side, over there, in the shade.» The Iscariot follows his example as he, too, is gifted with an exceptionally powerful and beautiful voice, and he shouts: «And all those who think they are entitled to alms should come here near me. And make sure you are not telling lies because the eyes of the Master can read your hearts.»

The crowds start moving about to form three groups: those who are sick, those who are poor, and those who are anxious only to hear Jesus teaching.

• Anonymous characters
• Judas de Kérioth (apostle)
• Thomas (apostle)

The crowds start moving about to form three groups: those who are sick, those who are poor, and those who are anxious only to hear Jesus teaching. (...)

Jesus is already bending over sick people and the hosannas of the crowds punctuate each miracle.

The woman, who appears to be completely distressed, dares to pull John’s tunic, while he is speaking to Andrew and she smiles.

He bends and asks her: «What do you want, woman?»

«I would like to speak to the Master…»

«Are you not well? You are not poor…»

«I am well and I am not poor. But I need Him… because there are evils without any fever and there is misery without poverty and mine… mine…» and she weeps.

«Listen, Andrew. This woman is sick in heart and would like to speak to the Master. What shall we do?»

Andrew looks at the woman and says: «It is certainly something which is painful to tell…» The woman nods assent. Andrew goes on: «Do not weep… John, try and take her behind our shed. I will take the Master there.»

And John, smiling, begs people to let him pass, while Andrew goes in the opposite direction towards Jesus.

But they are noticed by two distressed men, and one of them stops John, and the other Andrew, and shortly afterwards they are both with John and the woman behind the shed of branches which is part of the tent.

Andrew reaches Jesus when the Latter is curing the cripple who raises his crutches like two trophies, as brisk as a skilled dancer, shouting his blessing. Andrew whispers: «Master, behind our shed there are three people weeping. But it is their hearts that ache and their grief cannot be made known…»

«All right. I still have this girl and this woman. Then I will come. Go and tell them to have faith.»

Andrew goes away (...)

All the sick people have been satisfied and they are the ones who shout most in the crowd applauding «the Son of David, glory of God and ours.»

Jesus goes towards the shed.

Judas of Kerioth shouts: «Master! What about these?»

Jesus turns around and says: «Let them wait where they are. They will be comforted, too» and He walks fast to the back of the shed where the three people in anguish are with Andrew and John. [Christ listens to these three people, who leave satisfied.]

Jesus goes back to the crowds, towards the poor people and gives them alms according to His own judgement. Everybody is now happy and Jesus can speak.

• André (apostle)
• John of Zebedee (apostle)
• Judas de Kérioth (apostle)

The severe looking Simon Zealot passes by; also Peter passes by; he is busy speaking to a dozen little children to whom he promises some olives if they keep quiet until the end of the sermon, and a thrashing if they disturb while the Master is speaking; the elderly serious Bartholomew passes by; Matthew and Philip pass carrying a cripple who would have to struggle too much to open his way through the crowd; also the cousins of the Lord pass by helping an almost blind beggar and a very old poor woman – I wonder how old she is – who weeps telling James all her troubles; James of Zebedee passes by holding in his arms a poor girl, who is certainly ill, and whom he has taken from her mother to ensure that she does not get hurt by the crowds, while the panting mother follows him; the last to pass by are Andrew and John, whom I would call the indivisible ones, because while John, in his serene simplicity of a holy child, is willing to go with his companions, Andrew, on account of his reservedness, prefers going with his old fishing companion and fellow disciple of the Baptist. They had stayed at the junction of the two main paths, to show people to their places, but there being no more pilgrims on the stony path of the mountain, the two have come together to go to the Master with the last offerings received.

• André (apostle)
• Barthélémy - Nathanaël (apostle)
• James of Alphaeus (apostle)
• James of Zebedee (apostle)
• John of Zebedee (apostle)
• Jude of Alphée (apostle)
• Matthew (apostle)
• Philip (apostle)
• Simon the Zealot (apostle)
• Simon-Pierre - Simon de Jonas (apostle)

You must know that the demon is not greater than God.

• Demons
• God
• God or Mammon
• Lucifer - Satan
• Words of wisdom

One of the men comes: «I have a daughter, Lord. Unfortunately she went to Tiberias with some girl friends and it was as if she had taken some poison. When she came back to me she was like a mad woman. She wants to go away with a Greek man… and then… Why was she born? Her mother is heartbroken and perhaps will die of grief… I… only Your words, which I heard last winter, keep me from killing her. But, I tell You, my heart has already cursed her.»

«No. God, Who is a Father, only curses an accomplished and obstinate sin. What do you want from Me?»

«That You get her to mend her ways.»

«I do not know her and she will certainly not come to Me.»

«But You can change her heart also from far away! Do You know who sent me to You? Johanna of Chuza. She was leaving for Jerusalem when I went to her mansion to ask her whether she knew that wretched Greek. I was afraid she might not know him, because she is good, although she lives at Tiberias, but since Chuza has contacts with the Gentiles… She does not know him. But she said to me: “Go to Jesus. He called my soul back from very far away and He cured me, by that call, of my phthisis. He will cure your daughter’s heart as well. I will pray and you must have faith”. I have faith. You can see it. Have mercy on me, Master.»

«Your daughter this evening will weep on her mother’s knees asking to be forgiven. You must be as good as her mother and forgive her. The past is dead.»

«Yes, Master. As You wish and may You be blessed.»

He turns around to go away… but retraces his steps: «Forgive me, Master… But I am so afraid. Lust is such a demon! Give me a thread of Your tunic. I will put it in my daughter’s pillow. The demon will not tempt her while she is asleep.»

Jesus smiles and shakes His head… but satisfies the man saying: «That your mind may be quieter. But you must believe that when God says: “I want it” the demon goes away without any further need. So keep this as a souvenir of Mine», and He gives him a small tuft from His fringe.

• Greeks
• Jeanne de Kouza
• Kouza
• Locations - Tiberias
• Paganism and pagans