Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
And when Joseph saw this miracle, he was astounded. And when the Jews saw it, they too were astounded.
Everyone, in fact, upon seeing such wonders, was astounded. Many who were there praised
Jesus and offered him thanks, but a few others denounced him--still others went and notified
the high-ranking priests and the leaders of the Pharisees that Joseph’s boy Jesus had
performed great signs and wonders in the sight of Israel. And word got around to the Israelite
tribes. BOY SCATTERS JESUS’ FISH POOL
(InTh 3(2); ArIn 19:16 21; PsMt 28,29) Galilee
Jesus left his mother in the house one day after a rain, and went to play on a riverbank
with some boys. After making some ponds they dug little channels, drawing some of the river
water into the small fish ponds. Then Jesus said to the waters: "Clarify and become fresh,"
and they all became so right away. The Lord Jesus had also formed twelve sparrows around
his puddle, placing three on each of the sides. But this all happened on the Sabbath, and
the son of a Jew named Annas, a temple priest, happened along and saw them making all of
these things and protested, "Are you making images of clay on the Sabbath Day?" Then he
hurried over to them and ruined all of their ponds. But when the Lord Jesus clapped his
hands over the sparrows he had fashioned, they took off chirping. Soon the son of Annas
the scribe again stood nearby, branch in hand before them all, this time with Joseph. And
with bitter anger, he took the willow branch and approached Jesus’ fish pond to break
down its dams that he had fashioned with his own two hands. And upon destroying the ponds
with the branch, the waters that had flowed into it streamed out again. He sealed off
the inlet, moreover, and broke down the channel supplying it. And when Jesus saw what he had
done, he was angry, and he reproached the boy who had destroyed his levees, "You disrespectful
fool! What an evil, godless, and lawless one you are! In what way were these ponds harming
you that you have felt the need to drain them?" Then the water disappeared and the Lord Jesus
reproved him, "Oh evil seed most foul! Oh, son of death! Oh, devil’s workshop! The
fruit of your seed will be powerless indeed! Your roots will parch, and your fruitless
branches wither. Behold, you will travel no further; but you also will waste away like
a tree and sprout neither leaves, nor roots, nor any fruit; and your very life will evaporate
even as this water has, and you will become as dried-up as the stick which you now hold."
Moments later, as he headed off along his way, the boy fell down before them all; withering
up suddenly and completely, thus surrendering his spirit and passing on. Then Jesus left
that place and entered into Joseph’s house. Now when the youngsters he was playing with
saw what had happened, they were astonished and went to the dead boy’s father and let
him know. He then ran over to the scene and saw that the youth was dead. The withered
boy’s parents then carried him away, grieving over the loss of this child. And they took
Jesus straight to Joseph, chastening him, "What kind of boy do you have that does such
things?" Then Joseph, trembling, took hold of Jesus and went with him and his mother
(back) into his house. BOY ATTACKS JESUS AND DIES
(ArIn 19:22 24; InTh 4; PsMt 29) Nazareth?
And after a few days had passed, Jesus was again walking home one evening through the
midst of town with a very frightened Joseph. And behold, a certain boy, another evildoer,
threw a stone at Jesus and ran quickly up to him from the front wishing to make a laughingstock
of him or even injure him if at all possible, pounding him so soundly against his shoulder
that he slammed against the ground. Jesus became furious and condemned the boy, "May
you go no further on your way (so as to) return from it unharmed! And even as you have knocked
me down, so also will you fall to the ground, but you will never recover." And in that instant
the boy fell dead. Some who had witnessed the event, however,
including the dead boy’s parents shouted, "Where could this boy have come from, seeing
how every word he speaks is true, and is carried out in fact, sometimes before he even utters
it?" They all came up to Joseph, bringing with them the parents of the dead boys. And
they started to reprove him saying, "Because your son does things like this, you may no
longer live with him alongside us in this town. Take Jesus away from here--or else kindly
teach him to bless and not to curse, for he is killing our children, since every word
of his has an immediate effect." JOSEPH ADMONISHES JESUS; HIS REPLY
(InTh 5; PsMt 29) Jerusalem
Joseph then went up to Jesus, calling the boy privately to himself. Now after Joseph
had seated himself upon his chair, the boy came and stood before him there. He then reproved
Jesus saying, "Why do you do these kinds of things? Many of these people are heartbroken
already because of you, and therefore they despise and harass us. Many of them are now
talking bad about you and deride us both on your account, and we have no choice but to
endure it." Jesus answered them, "According to the knowledge of this age, unless a father
has taught his son, he is not to be considered wise. Even so, the Father’s curse cannot
hinder any man unless he is an evildoer. I recognize that these words are not coming
from you, so for your sake I will speak no more. In either case, these people will be
punished." And those who had accused him were at that moment all made blind, and all who
saw it were terrified and taken aback, and they proclaimed, "Good or bad, everything
that this boy speaks becomes an action--and indeed, a miracle!" And when they had established
that Jesus had done this, Joseph got up and pulled him hard by the ear. Then Jesus stared
him down in all severity, crying out, "That is quite enough! For you to seek and not to
find is one thing," the boy angrily rebuked, "but for you to act in so reckless a manner
is quite another. Are you not yet convinced that I’m not truly your own? Do not provoke
me!" Then they banded together against Jesus, and denounced him to Joseph. Now when Joseph
saw what was going on, he grew fearful over the furious outcry of the Israelites. Jesus
then grabbed the dead boy by the ear and lifted him up before them all, and they could see
that he was scolding him as a father would scold his own son. The spirit of the boy was
then returned and he was raised again to life, and all were amazed at his restoration.
ZACCHAEUS TAKES JESUS AS HIS PUPIL (InTh 6:1 12,(6); ArIn 20:1 4; PsMt 30)
Jerusalem There was also a certain teacher in Jerusalem
named Zacchaeus who was standing nearby and had heard what Jesus had said to his father.
He was stunned that a mere child such as he would speak such things. And seeing that Jesus
could not be vanquished, and recognizing the power that was within him, he was incensed,
and started fearlessly, foolishly, and rudely denouncing Joseph, "Don’t you think that
you should turn your son over to me, so that he might learn worldly wisdom and respect
for other people? It is clear to me that you and Mary care more about your own son than
you do the elders of Israel and what they have to say of him. You ought to have shown
us all--the entire congregation of Israel--a little more respect, so that he might like
other children and be better liked by them, and that he might receive a proper Jewish
education." Joseph, however, questioned them, "But who is capable of taking him on and teaching
him anything? If you think that you can do it, then we are more than willing to let you
try and provide him with a common education." And a few days later he went up to Joseph,
saying, "You know, your boy really is quite clever, and he has tremendous insight. Why
not turn him over to me so that he might learn his letters? I will teach him all there is
to know of them. I will also teach him the proper way to address his elders, giving them
all their due respect as fathers and forefathers, as well as how to get along with those who
are his age." Joseph agreed and told Saint Mary.
The next day Joseph took Jesus by the hand and led him over to Zacchaeus saying, "Very
well, Rabbi, take this boy and teach him letters." "Brother," he responded, "if you will turn
him over to me, I will cast light on the Scriptures for him, convincing him that he ought to bless
everything and curse nothing." And Jesus, hearing what Zacchaeus had said, burst into
laughter and answered them, "The lessons to which you refer, and the principles that underlie
them are sufficient for an ordinary person’s education, and as such ought to be kept by
them; but your law courts are alien to me. You speak as you can understand, but I understand
much more than you can, for before the ages came about I AM. I even know when your fathers’
fathers were born; yet I have no fleshly father. You who read from the law and know about it
do indeed hold to it; but I existed before the law was given. Since, however, you imagine
that no one else’s learning is a match for your own, I will teach you a thing or two
about the things to which you refer that no one could possibly expound, unless he were
worthy. For when I am exalted in this world at last, I will bring to an end all reference
to your lineage. You see, you do not yourselves recall the occasion of your birth. I not only
know when all of you were born, but also how much longer you will live on this earth."
"Oh, oh, oh!" they all responded in amazement. "What a great and incredible mystery this
is. We have never heard any such claims before. No one else has ever said such things, not
even the prophets themselves, or the scribes, or the Pharisees. We know where this boy came
from. He is scarcely even five years old. Where does he get off saying things like this?"
The Pharisees declared, "We have never heard such claims from any other child of his years."