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Family and kinship of Jesus Christ

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GRM 211.1-2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

They are all sitting in a circle in a thicket near Hebron and they are eating while speaking to one another. Judas, who is now sure that Mary will go to his mother’s, is in the best of spirits and endeavours to erase the memory of his bad humour with his companions and the women, by showering his attention on them. He must have gone to the village to do the shopping and he says that he has found a great difference in it since last year. «The news of Jesus’ preaching and miracles has reached this place. And the people have begun to ponder many things. Do You know, Master, that Doras has some property in this part of the country? Also Chuza’s wife has some land on these mountains and a castle of her own, as a marriage settlement. Obviously the ground has been prepared both by her and by Doras’ peasants, because some of his men from Esdraelon must be here. He… Doras told them to be quiet. But they!… I don’t think they would be silent even if he tortured them. The death of the old Pharisee greatly surprised everybody, You know? And the very good health of Johanna, who came here before Passover. Ah! Also Aglae’s lover has served You. You know that she ran away shortly after we came here. And he played havoc among many innocent people to avenge himself. So that the people concluded by thinking of You as an avenger of the oppressed and they are now expecting You. I mean the better ones…»

«Avenger of the oppressed! I really am. But in a supernatural way. None of those who see Me with sceptre and axe in My hands as king and executioner according to the spirit of the earth, is right. I certainly came to free people from oppression. From the oppression of sin, which is the most serious, of illness, of desolation; from ignorance and selfishness. Many will learn that it is not fair to oppress people, simply because one has been placed by fate in a high position, and that, on the contrary, a high position should be used to raise up those who are down at the bottom.»

«Lazarus does that, also Johanna. But they are only two against hundreds…» says Philip disconsolately.

«Rivers are not as wide at their sources as they are at their estuaries. A few drops, a trickle of water, but later… There are rivers that look like seas at their mouths.»

«The Nile, eh? Your Mother told me of the time You went to Egypt.She always said to me: “A sea, believe Me, a green-blue sea. To see it in flood is a dream!” and She told me of the plants that seem to spring from the water and of all the greenery that seemed to be left by the receding water…» says Mary of Alphaeus.

«Well, I tell you that, as the Nile at its source is a trickle of water and then becomes the giant it is, so the tiny trickle of great people who for the time being bend with love and out of love over the least of their brothers, will become a multitude later. For the time being Johanna, Lazarus, Martha, but how many, how many!» Jesus seems to be seeing those who will be merciful to their brothers and He smiles, enraptured in His vision.

211.2

Judas confides that the head of the synagogue wanted to come with him, but he did not dare to make a decision by himself: «Do you remember, John, how he drove us away[1] last year?»

«I remember… But let us ask the Master.»

And when Jesus is questioned He says that they will go into Hebron. If the people want them, they will call them and they will stop; otherwise they will pass without pausing.

«So we shall also see the Baptist’s house. To whom does it belong now?»

«To whoever wants it, I think. Shammai went away and never came back. He took away servants and furniture. The citizens to avenge themselves of his abuse of power, knocked the enclosure wall down, and the house now belongs to anybody. At least the garden does. They gather there to venerate their Baptist. They say that Shammai was murdered. I do not know why… apparently because of women…»

«Certainly some filthy plot at court!…» whispers Nathanael through his beard.

Annotation

Judas, now that he's sure Mary will go to her mother, has returned to a better frame of mind. Judas, in fact, was in a foul mood in theEMV 210.

Even Kouza's wife has land and a castle here on these mountains that belong to her personally, part of her dowry. Probably Béther's castle.

The old Pharisee's death struck people with astonishment, you know? Cf. the dramatic death of Doras in EMV 126.10.

Just like Jeanne's excellent health. Cf. Jeanne de Kouza's healing in EMV 102.7.

Judas confides that the head of the synagogue wanted to come with him, but didn't dare make the decision on his own: "Do you remember, John, how he drove us out last year?" Cf. EMV 77.8.

GRM 211.1

The Gospel as revealed to me

Detail

All the apostles - except Simon the Zealot, who is with Mary at Elise de Bet-çur - are present in the chapter, even if they don't necessarily speak. In EMV 211, Judas, John, Philip, Nathanael and Thomas intervene very briefly.

GRM 211.3-4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

They get up and go towards Hebron, towards the Baptist’s house. When they are almost there, they see a serried group of citizens coming forward rather hesitatingly. They seem curious and embarrassed. But Jesus greets them smiling. They take heart, they open out and that severe person, the head of the synagogue, whom they had met in the previous year, emerges from the group.

«Peace to you!» greets Jesus instantly. «Will you allow us to stop in your town? I am here with all My favourite disciples and with some of their mothers.»

«Master, but do You not bear us, or me, a grudge?»

«Grudge? I do not know what it is, neither do I know why I should bear it.»

«Last year I offended You…»

«You offended an Unknown man, thinking it was your right to do so. Later you understood and you were sorry you had done it. But that is past. And as repentance cancels sin, so the present deletes the past. Now I am no longer Unknown to you. So what are your sentiments towards Me?»

«Of respect. Lord. Of… desire…»

«Desire? What do you want from Me?»

«To know You better than I do at present.»

«How? In what way?»

«Through Your word and Your deeds. We have received news about You, Your doctrine, Your power, and we were told that You were involved in the liberation of the Baptist. So You did not hate him, You did not try to oust our John!… He himself admitted that it was through You that he saw the valley of the holy Jordan once again. We went to him and spoke to him of You and he said to us: “You do not know what you have rejected. I should curse you, but I forgive you because He taught me to forgive and to be meek. But if you do not wish to be anathematised by the Lord and by me, love the Messiah. And have no doubts. This is his evidence: spirit of peace, perfect love, greatest wisdom, heavenly doctrine, absolute meekness, power over everything, total humility, angelical chastity. You cannot be wrong. When you breathe peace near a man Who says He is the Messiah, when you drink the love emanating from Him, when you pass from your darkness into Light, when you see sinners being redeemed and flesh being cured, then say: ‘This is truly the Lamb of God!’ “. We know that Your deeds are those mentioned by John. Therefore forgive us, love us, give us what the world expects from You.»

«That is why I am here. I have come from far away to give to the town of John also what I give every place that accepts Me. Tell Me what you wish from Me.»

«We also have sick people, and we are ignorant. We are ignorant particularly with regards to what is love and goodness. John, in his total love for God, has an iron hand and a fiery word and he wants to bend everybody as a giant bends a blade of grass. Many give way to dejection, because man is more sinful than holy. It is difficult to be saints!… You… they say that You raise, You do not bend, You do not cauterise, You use balms, You do not crush, You caress. We know that You are paternal with sinners and You are powerful against diseases, whichever they may be, and above all the diseases of hearts. Our rabbis can no longer do that.»

211.4

«Bring Me your sick people and then gather in this garden, which has been abandoned and was desecrated by sin, after it had been made a temple for the Grace that lived in it.»

The people of Hebron spread out in all directions as fast as swallows. Only the head of the synagogue remains and together with Jesus and the disciples he goes in beyond the enclosure of the garden, to the shade of a bower where entangled roses and vines have grown wild. The population is soon back. With them there is a paralytic in a stretcher, a blind young woman, a dumb boy and two sick people, whose trouble I do not know. The last two are walking supported by other people.

GRM 211.5 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

It is not legal to accuse unless one knows, neither can one pass judgement without interrogating the accused. But nowadays a new series of sentences and accusations has been added to those already existing in respect of the usual sins or alleged offences: the ones moved against those who come in the name of God. In the past they were moved against the Prophets, now they are repeated against the Precursor of Christ and against Christ.

You are aware of it. Drawn by deception out of the land of Shechem, the Baptist is now awaiting death in Herod’s prison, because he will never submit to falsehood or compromise, and his life may be crushed and his head cut off, but they will not be able to suppress his honesty or cut his soul off the Truth, which he has served faithfully in all its divine, supernatural and moral forms. And likewise Christ is persecuted with double and decuple fury, because He does not confine Himself to saying: “It is not lawful” to Herod, but He thunders the same “It is not lawful” wherever He finds sin or knows it is a sin, without excluding any class, in the name of God and for God’s honour.

GRM 211.8

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

I invite you: “Come!”. I call you in the name of your John who is languishing because he is a saint, who was struck because he precedes Me and because he endeavoured to remove the filth from the paths of the Lamb. Come to serve God. The time is near. Do not be unprepared for Redemption. Let the rain fall on the sown ground. Otherwise it will fall in vain. You people of Hebron must be the leaders! You lived here with Zacharias and Eliza: the holy people who deserved John from Heaven; and here John spread the scent of Grace by means of his true childish innocence and from the desert he sent you the anti-corrupting incense of his Grace, which has become a wonder of penance. Do not disappoint your John. He raised the love for our neighbour to an almost divine level, whereby he loves the last dweller on the desert, as he loves you, his fellow-citizens, and he certainly implores Salvation for you. And Salvation means to follow the Voice of the Lord and believe in His Word. And from this sacerdotal town come in a body to the service of God. I am passing and I call you. Do not be inferior to prostitutes, for whom one word of mercy is sufficient to persuade them to abandon their previous life and come on to the way of Good.

Detail

Jesus speaks to the people of Hebron, the town where John the Baptist grew up.

GRM 213.4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

The people leave the synagogue and gesticulating they all speak of the prophecy and of the esteem that Jesus has of Judas. The people of Kerioth are elated at the honour conferred on them by the Messiah by choosing the town of an apostle, and precisely of the apostle of Kerioth to begin the apostolic teaching as well as at the gift of the prophecy. Although it is a sad one, it is a great honour to have received it with the loving words preceding it…

Jesus and the group of the apostles are the only ones to be left in the synagogue; they then go into the little garden between the synagogue and the house of the head of the synagogue. Judas has sat down and is weeping.

«Why are you weeping? I do not see any reason…» says the other Judas.

«Well. I almost feel like doing the same myself. Did you hear Him? We are to speak now…» says Peter.

«We have already done a little of that up on the mountain. And we will improve all the time. You and John did it successfully at once» says James of Zebedee to encourage them.

«I am the worst… but God will help me. Is that right, Master?» asks Andrew.

Jesus, Who was looking through some parchment rolls He had brought with Him, turns around and says: «What were you saying?»

«That God will help me when I have to speak. I will try and repeat Your words as best I can. My brother is afraid and Judas is weeping.»

«Are you weeping? Why?» asks Jesus.

«Because I have really sinned. Andrew and Thomas can tell You. I have been running You down and You benefit me by calling me “dearest disciple” and asking me to teach here… How much love!…»

«But did you not know that I loved you?»

«Yes. But… Thank You, Master. I will never grumble again; I am really darkness and You are the Light.»

The head of the synagogue comes back and invites them to his house, and while going there he says: «I am thinking of Your words. If I have understood You properly, as in Kerioth You found a favourite disciple, our Judas of Simon, so You prophesy You will find an unworthy one. I am sorry for that. Fortunately our Judas will make up for the other…»

«With my whole being» says Judas, who has collected himself.

Jesus does not speak, but He looks at His interlocutors and makes a gesture opening out His arms as if He wanted to say: «It is so.»

Detail

Jesus has just launched the apostles' preaching in Keroth, saying: "In the town of my dearest disciple, I won't be doing my usual teaching. We'll be staying here for a few days, and I want him to bring it back to you. For it is from here that I want direct contact to begin, the continual contact between the apostles and the people." The preaching is now over.

Annotation

I really have sinned. André and Thomas can tell. I have spoken ill of you, and you reward me by calling me "my dearest disciple" and wanting me to teach here... What love! Judas spoke out in EMV 210.

GRM 214.1-2 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Jesus is about to sit down at the table with all His friends in Judas’ beautiful house. And He says to Judas’ mother, who has come from her country house to give proper hospitality to the Master: «No, mother, you must stay with us as well. We are like a family here. This is not the cold formal banquet for casual guests. I took your son, and I want you to take Me as a son, as I take you as a mother, because you are really worth it. Is that right, My friends, that thus we shall be happier and feel at home?»

The apostles and the two Maries nod wholeheartedly. And Judas’ mother, her eyes bright with tears, sits between her son and the Master, in front of Whom there are the two Maries with Marjiam between them. The maidservant brings the food, which Jesus offers, blesses and then hands out, because Judas’ mother is strict on that point. And He always hands out starting with her, which moves the woman more and more and makes Judas proud and pensive at the same time.

They talk about various subjects in which Jesus endeavours to get Judas’ mother interested and He strives as well to make her become familiar with the two women disciples.

214.2

Marjiam is helpful in this respect as he states that he is very fond also of Judas’ mother: «Because her name is Mary like all good women.»

«And will you not love the one who is waiting for us on the lake, you little rascal?» asks Peter half-seriously.

«Oh! very much, if she is good.»

«You can be sure of that.»

GRM 214.3-4 · Volume 3

The Gospel as revealed to me

Quotation

Judas then says what he did during the day. I understand that he went to inform his mother of their visit, and then he began to speak in the country near Kerioth together with Andrew. He then says: «But tomorrow I would like everybody to come. I do not want to be the only one to be noticed. As far as possible, we should go in twos, a Judaean with a Galilean. For instance, John and I, Simon and Thomas. I wish the other Simon came! But you two (he points at Alphaeus’ sons) can go together. I told everybody, also those who did not want to know, that you are the Master’s cousins. And you two (he points at Philip and Bartholomew) can also go together. I told them that Nathanael is a rabbi who came to follow the Master. That impresses people very favourably. And… you three will stay here. But as soon as the Zealot comes, we can form another couple. And then we will change around, because I want the people to meet everybody…» Judas is sprightly. «I spoke about the decalogue, Master, endeavouring especially to clarify those parts in which this area is more lacking…»

«Do not let your hand be too heavy, Judas, please. Always bear in mind that one achieves more by means of kindness than by intolerance and that you are a man as well. So examine yourself and consider how easy it is also for you to fall and how you become upset when you are reproached too frankly» says Jesus while Judas’ mother bends her head blushing.

«Do not worry, Master. I am striving to imitate You in everything. But in the village, which we can also see through that door (the doors are open while they are eating and a beautiful view can be seen from this room which is upstairs) there is a sick man who would like to be cured. But he cannot be carried here. Could You come with me?»

«Tomorrow, Judas, tomorrow morning, definitely. And if there are more sick people tell Me or bring them here.»

«You really want to benefit my fatherland, Master?»

«Yes. So that no one may say that I have been unfair to those who did no harm to Me. I help also wicked people! So why not the good ones of Kerioth? I wish to leave an indelible memory of Me…»

«What? Are we not coming back here?»

«We will come back again, but…»

214.4

«Here is the Mother, the Mother with Simon!» trills the boy who sees Mary and Simon climbing the staircase leading up to the terrace where the room is.