Kapitel 143		Paper 143
På Vej Gennem Samaria		Going Through Samaria
143:0.1 (1607.1) I slutningen af juni 27 e.Kr. forlod Jesus og de tolv Jerusalem på grund af de jødiske religiøse magthaveres stigende modstand, efter at de havde sendt deres telte og sparsomme personlige ejendele til opbevaring hos Lazarus i Betania. De gik nordpå ind i Samaria og overnattede på sabbatten i Betel. Her prædikede de i flere dage for de mennesker, der kom fra Gofna og Efraim. En gruppe borgere fra Arimatæa og Thamna kom over for at invitere Jesus til at besøge deres landsbyer. Mesteren og hans apostle brugte mere end to uger på at undervise jøderne og samaritanerne i denne region, hvoraf mange kom så langt væk fra som Antipatris for at høre de gode nyheder om riget.		143:0.1 (1607.1) AT THE end of June, a.d. 27, because of the increasing opposition of the Jewish religious rulers, Jesus and the twelve departed from Jerusalem, after sending their tents and meager personal effects to be stored at the home of Lazarus at Bethany. Going north into Samaria, they tarried over the Sabbath at Bethel. Here they preached for several days to the people who came from Gophna and Ephraim. A group of citizens from Arimathea and Thamna came over to invite Jesus to visit their villages. The Master and his apostles spent more than two weeks teaching the Jews and Samaritans of this region, many of whom came from as far as Antipatris to hear the good news of the kingdom.
143:0.2 (1607.2) Befolkningen i det sydlige Samaria hørte Jesus med glæde, og det lykkedes apostlene, med undtagelse af Judas Iskariot, at overvinde mange af deres fordomme mod samaritanerne. Det var meget svært for Judas at elske disse samaritanere. I den sidste uge af juli gjorde Jesus og hans medarbejdere sig klar til at tage af sted til de nye græske byer Fasaelis og Arkelais nær Jordan.		143:0.2 (1607.2) The people of southern Samaria heard Jesus gladly, and the apostles, with the exception of Judas Iscariot, succeeded in overcoming much of their prejudice against the Samaritans. It was very difficult for Judas to love these Samaritans. The last week of July Jesus and his associates made ready to depart for the new Greek cities of Phasaelis and Archelais near the Jordan.
1. Forkyndelsen i arkelais ^top		1. Preaching at Archelais ^top
143:1.1 (1607.3) I første halvdel af august måned slog den apostoliske gruppe sig ned i de græske byer Arkelais og Fasaelis, hvor de fik deres første erfaringer med at prædike for næsten udelukkende ikke-jøder—grækere, romere og syrere—for der boede kun få jøder i disse to græske byer. I kontakten med disse romerske borgere stødte apostlene på nye vanskeligheder i forkyndelsen af budskabet om det kommende rige, og de mødte nye indvendinger mod Jesu lære. Ved en af de mange aftenkonferencer med sine apostle lyttede Jesus opmærksomt til disse indvendinger mod evangeliet om riget, mens de tolv gentog deres erfaringer med emnerne for deres personlige arbejde.		143:1.1 (1607.3) The first half of the month of August the apostolic party made its headquarters at the Greek cities of Archelais and Phasaelis, where they had their first experience preaching to well-nigh exclusive gatherings of gentiles—Greeks, Romans, and Syrians—for few Jews dwelt in these two Greek towns. In contacting with these Roman citizens, the apostles encountered new difficulties in the proclamation of the message of the coming kingdom, and they met with new objections to the teachings of Jesus. At one of the many evening conferences with his apostles, Jesus listened attentively to these objections to the gospel of the kingdom as the twelve repeated their experiences with the subjects of their personal labors.
143:1.2 (1607.4) Et spørgsmål, som Filip stillede, var typisk for deres vanskeligheder. Filip sagde: “Mester, disse grækere og romere gør grin med vores budskab og siger, at en sådan lære kun er egnet for svæklinge og slaver. De hævder, at hedningernes religion er bedre end vores lære, fordi den inspirerer til at opnå en stærk, robust og aggressiv karakter. De hævder, at vi ville forvandle alle mennesker til svækkede eksemplarer af passive ikke-modstandere, som snart ville forsvinde fra jordens overflade. De kan lide dig, Mester, og indrømmer gerne, at din lære er himmelsk og ideel, men de vil ikke tage os alvorligt. De hævder, at din religion ikke er for denne verden; at mennesker ikke kan leve, som du lærer. Og nu, Mester, hvad skal vi sige til disse ikke-jøder?”		143:1.2 (1607.4) A question asked by Philip was typical of their difficulties. Said Philip: “Master, these Greeks and Romans make light of our message, saying that such teachings are fit for only weaklings and slaves. They assert that the religion of the heathen is superior to our teaching because it inspires to the acquirement of a strong, robust, and aggressive character. They affirm that we would convert all men into enfeebled specimens of passive nonresisters who would soon perish from the face of the earth. They like you, Master, and freely admit that your teaching is heavenly and ideal, but they will not take us seriously. They assert that your religion is not for this world; that men cannot live as you teach. And now, Master, what shall we say to these gentiles?”
143:1.3 (1607.5) Efter at Jesus havde hørt lignende indvendinger mod evangeliet om riget fremført af Thomas, Nathaniel, Simon Zelotes og Mattæus, sagde han til de tolv:		143:1.3 (1607.5) After Jesus had heard similar objections to the gospel of the kingdom presented by Thomas, Nathaniel, Simon Zelotes, and Matthew, he said to the twelve:
143:1.4 (1608.1) “Jeg er kommet til denne verden for at gøre min Faders vilje og for at åbenbare hans kærlige karakter for hele menneskeheden. Det, mine brødre, er min mission. Og denne ene ting vil jeg gøre, uanset om min lære bliver misforstået af jøder eller ikke-jøder i dag eller i en anden generation. Men I bør ikke overse det faktum, at selv guddommelig kærlighed har sine strenge discipliner. En fars kærlighed til sin søn tvinger ofte faderen til at begrænse sit tankeløse afkoms ukloge handlinger. Barnet forstår ikke altid de kloge og kærlige motiver for faderens tilbageholdende disciplin. Men jeg erklærer jer, at min Fader i Paradis styrer et univers af universer ved hjælp af sin kærligheds tvingende kraft. Kærlighed er den største af alle åndelige realiteter. Sandheden er en befriende åbenbaring, men kærligheden er den højeste relation. Og uanset hvilke fejltagelser jeres medmennesker begår i deres verdensledelse i dag, vil det evangelium, som jeg forkynder for jer, i en kommende tidsalder regere netop denne verden. Det ultimative mål for menneskelig fremgang er den ærbødige anerkendelse af Guds faderskab og den kærlige materialisering af menneskets broderskab.		143:1.4 (1608.1) “I have come into this world to do the will of my Father and to reveal his loving character to all mankind. That, my brethren, is my mission. And this one thing I will do, regardless of the misunderstanding of my teachings by Jews or gentiles of this day or of another generation. But you should not overlook the fact that even divine love has its severe disciplines. A father’s love for his son oftentimes impels the father to restrain the unwise acts of his thoughtless offspring. The child does not always comprehend the wise and loving motives of the father’s restraining discipline. But I declare to you that my Father in Paradise does rule a universe of universes by the compelling power of his love. Love is the greatest of all spirit realities. Truth is a liberating revelation, but love is the supreme relationship. And no matter what blunders your fellow men make in their world management of today, in an age to come the gospel which I declare to you will rule this very world. The ultimate goal of human progress is the reverent recognition of the fatherhood of God and the loving materialization of the brotherhood of man.
143:1.5 (1608.2) “Men hvem har fortalt jer, at mit evangelium kun er beregnet til slaver og svæklinge? Ligner I, mine udvalgte apostle, svæklinge? Lignede Johannes en svækling? Ser du, at jeg er slave af frygt? Det er sandt, at de fattige og undertrykte i denne generation har fået evangeliet forkyndt. Religionerne i denne verden har forsømt de fattige, men min Fader har ingen respekt for personer. Desuden er de fattige i dag de første til at lytte til kaldet til omvendelse og accept af slægtskabet. Evangeliet om riget skal forkyndes for alle mennesker—jøder og ikke-jøder, grækere og romere, rige og fattige, frie og bundne—og i lige høj grad for unge og gamle, mænd og kvinder.		143:1.5 (1608.2) “But who told you that my gospel was intended only for slaves and weaklings? Do you, my chosen apostles, resemble weaklings? Did John look like a weakling? Do you observe that I am enslaved by fear? True, the poor and oppressed of this generation have the gospel preached to them. The religions of this world have neglected the poor, but my Father is no respecter of persons. Besides, the poor of this day are the first to heed the call to repentance and acceptance of sonship. The gospel of the kingdom is to be preached to all men—Jew and gentile, Greek and Roman, rich and poor, free and bond—and equally to young and old, male and female.
143:1.6 (1608.3) “Fordi min Fader er en kærlighedens Gud og glæder sig over barmhjertighedens praksis, må I ikke få den idé, at tjenesten i riget skal være ensformig lethed. Opstigningen til Paradis er alle tiders højeste eventyr, evighedens barske præstation. Tjenesten for riget på jorden vil kræve al den modige manddom, som du og dine medarbejdere kan mønstre. Mange af jer vil blive dræbt for jeres loyalitet over for evangeliet om dette rige. Det er let at dø i den fysiske kamp, når dit mod styrkes af tilstedeværelsen af dine kæmpende kammerater, men det kræver en højere og dybere form for menneskeligt mod og hengivenhed roligt og helt alene at give sit liv for kærligheden til en sandhed, der er nedfældet i dit dødelige hjerte.		143:1.6 (1608.3) “Because my Father is a God of love and delights in the practice of mercy, do not imbibe the idea that the service of the kingdom is to be one of monotonous ease. The Paradise ascent is the supreme adventure of all time, the rugged achievement of eternity. The service of the kingdom on earth will call for all the courageous manhood that you and your coworkers can muster. Many of you will be put to death for your loyalty to the gospel of this kingdom. It is easy to die in the line of physical battle when your courage is strengthened by the presence of your fighting comrades, but it requires a higher and more profound form of human courage and devotion calmly and all alone to lay down your life for the love of a truth enshrined in your mortal heart.
143:1.7 (1608.4) “I dag vil de vantro måske håne jer for at forkynde et evangelium om ikke-modstand og for at leve et liv uden vold, men I er de første frivillige i en lang række af oprigtige troende på evangeliet om dette rige, som vil forbløffe hele menneskeheden ved deres heroiske hengivenhed over for denne lære. Ingen hære i verden har nogensinde udvist mere mod og tapperhed, end I og jeres loyale efterfølgere, der skal drage ud til hele verden og forkynde de gode nyheder—Guds faderskab og menneskers broderskab. Kødets mod er den laveste form for mod. Tankemæssigt mod er en højere form for menneskeligt mod, men det højeste og ypperste er kompromisløs loyalitet over for de oplyste overbevisninger om dybe åndelige realiteter. Og et sådant mod udgør det gudsvidende menneskes heltemod. Og I er alle mennesker, der kender Gud; I er i sandhed Menneskesønnens personlige medarbejdere.”		143:1.7 (1608.4) “Today, the unbelievers may taunt you with preaching a gospel of nonresistance and with living lives of nonviolence, but you are the first volunteers of a long line of sincere believers in the gospel of this kingdom who will astonish all mankind by their heroic devotion to these teachings. No armies of the world have ever displayed more courage and bravery than will be portrayed by you and your loyal successors who shall go forth to all the world proclaiming the good news—the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of men. The courage of the flesh is the lowest form of bravery. Mind bravery is a higher type of human courage, but the highest and supreme is uncompromising loyalty to the enlightened convictions of profound spiritual realities. And such courage constitutes the heroism of the God-knowing man. And you are all God-knowing men; you are in very truth the personal associates of the Son of Man.”
143:1.8 (1608.5) Det var ikke alt, hvad Jesus sagde ved den lejlighed, men det er indledningen på hans tale, og han fortsatte meget længe med at uddybe og illustrere denne udtalelse. Dette var en af de mest lidenskabelige taler, Jesus nogensinde holdt til de tolv. Det var sjældent, at Mesteren talte til sine apostle med åbenlyse stærke følelser, men dette var en af de få lejligheder, hvor han talte med åbenlys alvor og ledsaget af tydelige følelser.		143:1.8 (1608.5) This was not all that Jesus said on that occasion, but it is the introduction of his address, and he went on at great length in amplification and in illustration of this pronouncement. This was one of the most impassioned addresses which Jesus ever delivered to the twelve. Seldom did the Master speak to his apostles with evident strong feeling, but this was one of those few occasions when he spoke with manifest earnestness, accompanied by marked emotion.
143:1.9 (1609.1) Resultatet på apostlenes offentlige forkyndelse og personlige tjeneste var øjeblikkelig; fra den dag fik deres budskab en ny tone af modig dominans. De tolv fortsatte med at tilegne sig ånden af positiv aggression i det nye evangelium om riget. Fra denne dag af beskæftigede de sig ikke så meget med at forkynde de negative dyder og de passive påbud i deres Mesters alsidige lære.		143:1.9 (1609.1) The result upon the public preaching and personal ministry of the apostles was immediate; from that very day their message took on a new note of courageous dominance. The twelve continued to acquire the spirit of positive aggression in the new gospel of the kingdom. From this day forward they did not occupy themselves so much with the preaching of the negative virtues and the passive injunctions of their Master’s many-sided teaching.
2. Lektion om selvkontrol ^top		2. Lesson on Self-Mastery ^top
143:2.1 (1609.2) Mesteren var et fuldkomment eksempel på menneskelig selvkontrol. Når han blev hånet, hånede han ikke; når han led, fremsatte han ingen trusler mod sine plageånder; når han blev fordømt af sine fjender, overgav han sig blot til den retfærdige dom fra Faderen i himlen.		143:2.1 (1609.2) The Master was a perfected specimen of human self-control. When he was reviled, he reviled not; when he suffered, he uttered no threats against his tormentors; when he was denounced by his enemies, he simply committed himself to the righteous judgment of the Father in heaven.
143:2.2 (1609.3) Ved en af aftenkonferencerne spurgte Andreas Jesus: “Mester, skal vi praktisere selvfornægtelse, som Johannes lærte os, eller skal vi stræbe efter selvbeherskelsen i din lære? Hvori adskiller din lære sig fra Johannes’?” Jesus svarede: “Johannes lærte jer sandelig retfærdighedens vej i overensstemmelse med sine fædres lys og love, og det var selvransagelsens og selvfornægtelsens religion. Men jeg kommer med et nyt budskab om selvforglemmelse og selvkontrol. Jeg viser jer livets vej, som den er åbenbaret for mig af min Far i himlen.		143:2.2 (1609.3) At one of the evening conferences, Andrew asked Jesus: “Master, are we to practice self-denial as John taught us, or are we to strive for the self-control of your teaching? Wherein does your teaching differ from that of John?” Jesus answered: “John indeed taught you the way of righteousness in accordance with the light and laws of his fathers, and that was the religion of self-examination and self-denial. But I come with a new message of self-forgetfulness and self-control. I show to you the way of life as revealed to me by my Father in heaven.
143:2.3 (1609.4) “Sandelig, sandelig siger jeg jer: Den, der behersker sig selv, er større end den, der indtager en by”. Selvbeherskelse er målestokken for menneskets moralske natur og indikatoren for dets åndelige udvikling. I den gamle orden fastede og bad du; som den nye skabning fra åndens genfødsel lærer du at tro og glæde dig. I Faderens rige skal I blive nye skabninger; gamle ting skal forgå; se, jeg viser jer, hvordan alle ting skal blive nye. Og ved jeres kærlighed til hinanden skal I overbevise verden om, at I er gået fra trældom til frihed, fra død til evigt liv.		143:2.3 (1609.4) “Verily, verily, I say to you, he who rules his own self is greater than he who captures a city. Self-mastery is the measure of man’s moral nature and the indicator of his spiritual development. In the old order you fasted and prayed; as the new creature of the rebirth of the spirit, you are taught to believe and rejoice. In the Father’s kingdom you are to become new creatures; old things are to pass away; behold I show you how all things are to become new. And by your love for one another you are to convince the world that you have passed from bondage to liberty, from death into life everlasting.
143:2.4 (1609.5) “På den gamle måde søger du at undertrykke, adlyde og tilpasse dig levereglerne; på den nye måde bliver du først forvandlet af Sandhedens Ånd og derved styrket i din indre sjæl ved den konstante åndelige fornyelse af dit sind, og således bliver du udstyret med kraften til den sikre og glædelige udførelse af Guds nådige, acceptable og perfekte vilje. Glem ikke—det er din personlige tro på Guds overordentlig store og dyrebare løfter, der sikrer, at du bliver delagtig i den guddommelige natur. Ved hjælp af jeres tro og åndens forvandling bliver I i virkeligheden Guds templer, og hans ånd bor faktisk i jer. Hvis ånden altså bor i jer, er I ikke længere kødets slaver, men åndens frie og frigjorte sønner. Åndens nye lov giver jer friheden til selvbeherskelse i stedet for den gamle lov om frygten for selvbinding og slaveriet af selvfornægtelse.		143:2.4 (1609.5) “By the old way you seek to suppress, obey, and conform to the rules of living; by the new way you are first transformed by the Spirit of Truth and thereby strengthened in your inner soul by the constant spiritual renewing of your mind, and so are you endowed with the power of the certain and joyous performance of the gracious, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Forget not—it is your personal faith in the exceedingly great and precious promises of God that ensures your becoming partakers of the divine nature. Thus by your faith and the spirit’s transformation, you become in reality the temples of God, and his spirit actually dwells within you. If, then, the spirit dwells within you, you are no longer bondslaves of the flesh but free and liberated sons of the spirit. The new law of the spirit endows you with the liberty of self-mastery in place of the old law of the fear of self-bondage and the slavery of self-denial.
143:2.5 (1609.6) “Mange gange, når du har gjort noget ondt, har du troet, at det var den ondes skyld, når du i virkeligheden bare er blevet ledt på afveje af dine egne naturlige tendenser. Fortalte profeten Jeremias dig ikke for længe siden, at menneskehjertet er bedragerisk over alle ting og nogle gange endda desperat ondskabsfuldt? Hvor let er det ikke for dig at bedrage dig selv og derved falde i tåbelig frygt, forskellige lyster, slavebindende fornøjelser, ondskab, misundelse og endda hævngerrigt had!		143:2.5 (1609.6) “Many times, when you have done evil, you have thought to charge up your acts to the influence of the evil one when in reality you have but been led astray by your own natural tendencies. Did not the Prophet Jeremiah long ago tell you that the human heart is deceitful above all things and sometimes even desperately wicked? How easy for you to become self-deceived and thereby fall into foolish fears, divers lusts, enslaving pleasures, malice, envy, and even vengeful hatred!
143:2.6 (1610.1) “Frelsen sker ved åndens genfødelse og ikke ved kødets selvretfærdige gerninger. Du bliver retfærdiggjort ved tro og får fællesskab ved nåde, ikke ved frygt og kødets selvfornægtelse, selv om Faderens børn, der er født af ånden, altid er herrer over sig selv og alt, hvad der hører til kødets lyster. Når du ved, at du er frelst ved tro, har du virkelig fred med Gud. Og alle, der følger denne himmelske freds vej, er bestemt til at blive helliget til den evige tjeneste for den evige Guds evigt fremadskridende sønner. Fra nu af er det ikke en pligt, men snarere jeres ophøjede privilegium at rense jer selv for alt ondt i sind og krop, mens I søger fuldkommenhed i kærligheden til Gud.		143:2.6 (1610.1) “Salvation is by the regeneration of the spirit and not by the self-righteous deeds of the flesh. You are justified by faith and fellowshipped by grace, not by fear and the self-denial of the flesh, albeit the Father’s children who have been born of the spirit are ever and always masters of the self and all that pertains to the desires of the flesh. When you know that you are saved by faith, you have real peace with God. And all who follow in the way of this heavenly peace are destined to be sanctified to the eternal service of the ever-advancing sons of the eternal God. Henceforth, it is not a duty but rather your exalted privilege to cleanse yourselves from all evils of mind and body while you seek for perfection in the love of God.
143:2.7 (1610.2) “Dit slægtskab er grundlagt i tro, og du skal forblive uberørt af frygt. Jeres glæde er født af tillid til det guddommelige ord, og I skal derfor ikke lade jer forlede til at tvivle på virkeligheden af Faderens kærlighed og barmhjertighed. Det er selve Guds godhed, der fører mennesker til sand og ægte omvendelse. Din hemmelighed om at beherske dig selv er forbundet med din tro på den iboende ånd, som altid virker ved kærlighed. Selv denne frelsende tro har I ikke af jer selv; den er også Guds gave. Og hvis I er børn af denne levende tro, er I ikke længere selvets slaver, men snarere jeres egne triumferende mestre, Guds befriede sønner.		143:2.7 (1610.2) “Your sonship is grounded in faith, and you are to remain unmoved by fear. Your joy is born of trust in the divine word, and you shall not therefore be led to doubt the reality of the Father’s love and mercy. It is the very goodness of God that leads men into true and genuine repentance. Your secret of the mastery of self is bound up with your faith in the indwelling spirit, which ever works by love. Even this saving faith you have not of yourselves; it also is the gift of God. And if you are the children of this living faith, you are no longer the bondslaves of self but rather the triumphant masters of yourselves, the liberated sons of God.
143:2.8 (1610.3) “Hvis I da, mine børn, er født af ånden, er I for evigt befriet fra den selvbevidste trældom i et liv med selvfornægtelse og overvågning af kødets lyster, og I er oversat til åndens glade rige, hvorfra I spontant viser åndens frugter i jeres daglige liv; og åndens frugter er essensen af den højeste form for fornøjelig og forædlende selvkontrol, selv højderne af jordisk dødelig opnåelse—sand selvbeherskelse.”		143:2.8 (1610.3) “If, then, my children, you are born of the spirit, you are forever delivered from the self-conscious bondage of a life of self-denial and watchcare over the desires of the flesh, and you are translated into the joyous kingdom of the spirit, whence you spontaneously show forth the fruits of the spirit in your daily lives; and the fruits of the spirit are the essence of the highest type of enjoyable and ennobling self-control, even the heights of terrestrial mortal attainment—true self-mastery.”
3. Adspredelse og afslapning ^top		3. Diversion and Relaxation ^top
143:3.1 (1610.4) Omkring dette tidspunkt udviklede der sig en tilstand af stor nervøs og følelsesmæssig spænding blandt apostlene og deres nærmeste discipelkolleger. De havde næppe vænnet sig til at leve og arbejde sammen. De oplevede stigende vanskeligheder med at opretholde et harmonisk forhold til Johannes’ disciple. Kontakten med ikke-jøderne og samaritanerne var en stor prøvelse for disse jøder. Og ud over alt dette havde Jesu seneste udtalelser forværret deres forstyrrede sindstilstand. Andreas var næsten ude af sig selv; han vidste ikke, hvad han nu skulle gøre, og derfor gik han til Mesteren med sine problemer og rådvildhed. Da Jesus havde lyttet til den apostolske høvding fortælle om sine problemer, sagde han: “Andreas, du kan ikke tale mennesker ud af deres rådvildhed, når de når så langt, og når så mange mennesker med stærke følelser er involveret. Jeg kan ikke gøre, hvad du beder mig om—jeg vil ikke deltage i disse personlige sociale vanskeligheder—men jeg vil sammen med dig nyde en tre-dages periode med hvile og afslapning. Gå til dine brødre og meddel, at I alle skal tage med mig op på Sartaba-bjerget, hvor jeg ønsker at hvile mig en dag eller to.		143:3.1 (1610.4) About this time a state of great nervous and emotional tension developed among the apostles and their immediate disciple associates. They had hardly become accustomed to living and working together. They were experiencing increasing difficulties in maintaining harmonious relations with John’s disciples. The contact with the gentiles and the Samaritans was a great trial to these Jews. And besides all this, the recent utterances of Jesus had augmented their disturbed state of mind. Andrew was almost beside himself; he did not know what next to do, and so he went to the Master with his problems and perplexities. When Jesus had listened to the apostolic chief relate his troubles, he said: “Andrew, you cannot talk men out of their perplexities when they reach such a stage of involvement, and when so many persons with strong feelings are concerned. I cannot do what you ask of me—I will not participate in these personal social difficulties—but I will join you in the enjoyment of a three-day period of rest and relaxation. Go to your brethren and announce that all of you are to go with me up on Mount Sartaba, where I desire to rest for a day or two.
143:3.2 (1610.5) “Nu skal du gå hen til hver af dine elleve brødre og tale med ham privat og sige: ‘Mesteren ønsker, at vi går væk for os selv med ham i en periode for at hvile og slappe af.’ Da vi alle for nylig har oplevet megen åndelig irritation og stress i sindet, foreslår jeg, at vi ikke nævner vores prøvelser og problemer, mens vi er på denne ferie. Kan jeg stole på, at I vil samarbejde med mig i denne sag? På denne måde skal du henvende dig privat og personligt til hver enkelt af dine brødre.” Og Andrew gjorde, som Mesteren havde instrueret ham i.		143:3.2 (1610.5) “Now you should go to each of your eleven brethren and talk with him privately, saying: ‘The Master desires that we go apart with him for a season to rest and relax. Since we all have recently experienced much vexation of spirit and stress of mind, I suggest that no mention be made of our trials and troubles while on this holiday. Can I depend upon you to co-operate with me in this matter?’ In this way privately and personally approach each of your brethren.” And Andrew did as the Master had instructed him.
143:3.3 (1611.1) Det var en fantastisk oplevelse for dem alle, og de glemte aldrig den dag, de gik op ad bjerget. Under hele turen blev der næsten ikke sagt et ord om deres problemer. Da de nåede toppen af bjerget, satte Jesus dem omkring sig, mens han sagde: “Mine brødre, I må alle lære værdien af hvile og effekten af afslapning. I må indse, at den bedste metode til at løse nogle indviklede problemer er at forlade dem for en tid. Når I så kommer friske tilbage fra jeres hvile eller tilbedelse, er I i stand til at angribe jeres problemer med et klarere hoved og en mere rolig hånd, for ikke at nævne et mere beslutsomt hjerte. Igen, mange gange viser det sig, at dit problem er skrumpet i størrelse og proportioner, mens du har hvilet dit sind og din krop.”		143:3.3 (1611.1) This was a marvelous occasion in the experience of each of them; they never forgot the day going up the mountain. Throughout the entire trip hardly a word was said about their troubles. Upon reaching the top of the mountain, Jesus seated them about him while he said: “My brethren, you must all learn the value of rest and the efficacy of relaxation. You must realize that the best method of solving some entangled problems is to forsake them for a time. Then when you go back fresh from your rest or worship, you are able to attack your troubles with a clearer head and a steadier hand, not to mention a more resolute heart. Again, many times your problem is found to have shrunk in size and proportions while you have been resting your mind and body.”
143:3.4 (1611.2) Den næste dag tildelte Jesus hver af de tolv et emne til diskussion. Hele dagen gik med erindringer og snak om ting, der ikke havde noget med deres religiøse arbejde at gøre. De blev et øjeblik chokerede, da Jesus endda undlod at takke—mundtligt—da han brød brødet til deres middagsmad. Det var første gang, de nogensinde havde set ham forsømme sådanne formaliteter.		143:3.4 (1611.2) The next day Jesus assigned to each of the twelve a topic for discussion. The whole day was devoted to reminiscences and to talking over matters not related to their religious work. They were momentarily shocked when Jesus even neglected to give thanks—verbally—when he broke bread for their noontide lunch. This was the first time they had ever observed him to neglect such formalities.
143:3.5 (1611.3) Da de gik op ad bjerget, var Andreas’ hoved fuld af problemer. Johannes var overordentlig forvirret i sit hjerte. James var meget bekymret i sin sjæl. Mattæus var hårdt presset på pengepungen, fordi de havde opholdt sig blandt hedningerne. Peter var overanstrengt og havde på det seneste været mere temperamentsfuld end normalt. Judas led af et periodisk anfald af følsomhed og egoisme. Simon var usædvanligt oprevet i sine bestræbelser på at forene sin patriotisme med kærligheden til det menneskelige broderskab. Filip blev mere og mere ligeglad med, hvordan tingene gik. Nathaniel havde været mindre humoristisk, siden de var kommet i kontakt med den ikke-jødiske befolkning, og Thomas var midt i en alvorlig depression. Kun tvillingerne var normale og uberørte. De var alle meget forvirrede over, hvordan de skulle komme fredeligt overens med Johannes’ disciple.		143:3.5 (1611.3) When they went up the mountain, Andrew’s head was full of problems. John was inordinately perplexed in his heart. James was grievously troubled in his soul. Matthew was hard pressed for funds inasmuch as they had been sojourning among the gentiles. Peter was overwrought and had recently been more temperamental than usual. Judas was suffering from a periodic attack of sensitiveness and selfishness. Simon was unusually upset in his efforts to reconcile his patriotism with the love of the brotherhood of man. Philip was more and more nonplused by the way things were going. Nathaniel had been less humorous since they had come in contact with the gentile populations, and Thomas was in the midst of a severe season of depression. Only the twins were normal and unperturbed. All of them were exceedingly perplexed about how to get along peaceably with John’s disciples.
143:3.6 (1611.4) Den tredje dag, da de gik ned ad bjerget og tilbage til deres lejr, var der sket en stor forandring med dem. De havde gjort den vigtige opdagelse, at mange menneskelige problemer i virkeligheden er ikke-eksisterende, at mange presserende problemer er skabt af overdreven frygt og afkom af forøget ængstelse. De havde lært, at alle sådanne forvirringer bedst håndteres ved at blive forladt; ved at tage af sted havde de overladt sådanne problemer til at løse sig selv.		143:3.6 (1611.4) The third day when they started down the mountain and back to their camp, a great change had come over them. They had made the important discovery that many human perplexities are in reality nonexistent, that many pressing troubles are the creations of exaggerated fear and the offspring of augmented apprehension. They had learned that all such perplexities are best handled by being forsaken; by going off they had left such problems to solve themselves.
143:3.7 (1611.5) Deres hjemkomst fra denne ferie markerede begyndelsen på en periode med stærkt forbedrede relationer til Johannes’ tilhængere. Mange af de tolv gav virkelig efter for munterhed, da de bemærkede den ændrede sindstilstand hos alle og så den frihed fra nervøs irritabilitet, som var kommet til dem som et resultat af deres tre dages ferie fra livets rutinemæssige pligter. Der er altid fare for, at ensformighed i menneskelig kontakt i høj grad vil øge forvirringen og forstørre vanskelighederne.		143:3.7 (1611.5) Their return from this holiday marked the beginning of a period of greatly improved relations with the followers of John. Many of the twelve really gave way to mirth when they noted the changed state of everybody’s mind and observed the freedom from nervous irritability which had come to them as a result of their three days’ vacation from the routine duties of life. There is always danger that monotony of human contact will greatly multiply perplexities and magnify difficulties.
143:3.8 (1611.6) Ikke mange af ikke-jøderne i de to græske byer Arkelais og Fasaelis troede på evangeliet, men de tolv apostle fik en værdifuld erfaring i dette deres første omfattende arbejde med udelukkende ikke-jødiske befolkninger. En mandag morgen, omkring midten af måneden, sagde Jesus til Andreas: “Vi går ind i Samaria.” Og de begav sig straks af sted mod byen Sykar, nær Jakobs brønd.		143:3.8 (1611.6) Not many of the gentiles in the two Greek cities of Archelais and Phasaelis believed in the gospel, but the twelve apostles gained a valuable experience in this their first extensive work with exclusively gentile populations. On a Monday morning, about the middle of the month, Jesus said to Andrew: “We go into Samaria.” And they set out at once for the city of Sychar, near Jacob’s well.
4. Jøderne og samaritanerne ^top		4. The Jews and the Samaritans ^top
143:4.1 (1612.1) I mere end seks hundrede år havde jøderne i Judæa, og senere også dem i Galilæa, været uvenner med samaritanerne. Dette fjendskab mellem jøderne og samaritanerne opstod på denne måde: Omkring syv hundrede år f.v.t., da Sargon, Assyriens konge, nedkæmpede et oprør i det centrale Palæstina, førte han over femogtyve tusinde jøder fra det nordlige kongerige Israel bort og i fangenskab og indsatte i deres sted et næsten lige så stort antal efterkommere af kuthitterne, sefarvitterne og hamathitterne. Senere sendte Ashurbanipal endnu flere kolonier til at bo i Samaria.		143:4.1 (1612.1) For more than six hundred years the Jews of Judea, and later on those of Galilee also, had been at enmity with the Samaritans. This ill feeling between the Jews and the Samaritans came about in this way: About seven hundred years b.c., Sargon, king of Assyria, in subduing a revolt in central Palestine, carried away and into captivity over twenty-five thousand Jews of the northern kingdom of Israel and installed in their place an almost equal number of the descendants of the Cuthites, Sepharvites, and the Hamathites. Later on, Ashurbanipal sent still other colonies to dwell in Samaria.
143:4.2 (1612.2) Det religiøse fjendskab mellem jøderne og samaritanerne stammer fra jødernes tilbagevenden fra det babylonske fangenskab, hvor samaritanerne arbejdede på at forhindre genopbygningen af Jerusalem. Senere fornærmede de jøderne ved at yde venlig assistance til Alexanders hære. Til gengæld for deres venskab gav Alexander samaritanerne tilladelse til at bygge et tempel på Gerizim-bjerget, hvor de tilbad Jahve og deres stammeguder og bragte ofre meget efter tempelgudstjenesterne i Jerusalem. I det mindste fortsatte de denne tilbedelse frem til makkabæernes tid, hvor Johannes Hyrkanus ødelagde deres tempel på Gerizim-bjerget. Apostlen Filip holdt i sit arbejde for samaritanerne efter Jesu død mange møder på stedet for dette gamle samaritanske tempel.		143:4.2 (1612.2) The religious enmity between the Jews and the Samaritans dated from the return of the former from the Babylonian captivity, when the Samaritans worked to prevent the rebuilding of Jerusalem. Later they offended the Jews by extending friendly assistance to the armies of Alexander. In return for their friendship Alexander gave the Samaritans permission to build a temple on Mount Gerizim, where they worshiped Yahweh and their tribal gods and offered sacrifices much after the order of the temple services at Jerusalem. At least they continued this worship up to the time of the Maccabees, when John Hyrcanus destroyed their temple on Mount Gerizim. The Apostle Philip, in his labors for the Samaritans after the death of Jesus, held many meetings on the site of this old Samaritan temple.
143:4.3 (1612.3) Modsætningerne mellem jøderne og samaritanerne var hævdvundne og historiske; siden Alexanders dage havde de ikke haft noget med hinanden at gøre. De tolv apostle var ikke afvisende over for at prædike i de græske og andre ikke-jødiske byer i Dekapolis og Syrien, men det var en alvorlig test af deres loyalitet over for Mesteren, da han sagde: “Lad os gå ind i Samaria.” Men i det år og mere, de havde været sammen med Jesus, havde de udviklet en form for personlig loyalitet, som overskred selv deres tro på hans lære og deres fordomme mod samaritanerne.		143:4.3 (1612.3) The antagonisms between the Jews and the Samaritans were time-honored and historic; increasingly since the days of Alexander they had had no dealings with each other. The twelve apostles were not averse to preaching in the Greek and other gentile cities of the Decapolis and Syria, but it was a severe test of their loyalty to the Master when he said, “Let us go into Samaria.” But in the year and more they had been with Jesus, they had developed a form of personal loyalty which transcended even their faith in his teachings and their prejudices against the Samaritans.
5. Kvinden fra sykar ^top		5. The Woman of Sychar ^top
143:5.1 (1612.4) Da Mesteren og de tolv ankom til Jakobs brønd, blev Jesus træt efter rejsen ved brønden, så tog Filip apostlene med sig til at hjælpe med at skaffe mad og telte fra Sykar, for de havde til hensigt for en tid at bo i denne region. Peter og Zebedæus sønner ville være blevet med Jesus, men han bad dem om at slutte sig til deres brødre og sagde: “Vær ikke bange for mig. Disse samaritaner er venskabelige, kun vore brødre, jøderne, søger at skade os.” Klokken var næsten seks denne sommeraften, når Jesus satte sig ved brønden for at afvente apostlene tilbagekomst.		143:5.1 (1612.4) When the Master and the twelve arrived at Jacob’s well, Jesus, being weary from the journey, tarried by the well while Philip took the apostles with him to assist in bringing food and tents from Sychar, for they were disposed to stay in this vicinity for a while. Peter and the Zebedee sons would have remained with Jesus, but he requested that they go with their brethren, saying: “Have no fear for me; these Samaritans will be friendly; only our brethren, the Jews, seek to harm us.” And it was almost six o’clock on this summer’s evening when Jesus sat down by the well to await the return of the apostles.
143:5.2 (1612.5) Vandet fra Jakobs brønd var mindre mineralholdigt end det fra brøndene i Sychar og var derfor meget værdsat som drikkevand. Jesus var tørstig, men der var ingen mulighed for at få vand fra brønden. Da en kvinde fra Sykar derfor kom op med sin vandkrukke og gjorde sig klar til at tappe fra brønden, sagde Jesus til hende: “Giv mig noget at drikke.” Denne kvinde fra Samaria vidste, at Jesus var jøde på grund af hans udseende og påklædning, og hun formodede, at han var galilæisk jøde på grund af hans accent. Hendes navn var Nalda, og hun var et kønt væsen. Hun var meget overrasket over, at en jødisk mand talte til hende ved brønden og bad om vand, for det blev ikke anset for passende i de dage, at en mand med respekt for sig selv talte til en kvinde offentligt, og endnu mindre at en jøde talte med en samaritaner. Derfor spurgte Nalda Jesus: “Hvordan kan det være, at du, som er jøde, beder mig, en samaritansk kvinde, om noget at drikke?” Jesus svarede: “Jeg har virkelig bedt dig om noget at drikke, men hvis du bare kunne forstå det, ville du bede mig om et slurk af det levende vand.” Da sagde Nalda: “Men, Herre, du har jo ikke noget at trække med, og brønden er dyb; hvorfra har du så dette levende vand? Er du større end vor far Jakob, som gav os denne brønd, og som selv drak af den sammen med sine sønner og sit kvæg?”		143:5.2 (1612.5) The water of Jacob’s well was less mineral than that from the wells of Sychar and was therefore much valued for drinking purposes. Jesus was thirsty, but there was no way of getting water from the well. When, therefore, a woman of Sychar came up with her water pitcher and prepared to draw from the well, Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” This woman of Samaria knew Jesus was a Jew by his appearance and dress, and she surmised that he was a Galilean Jew from his accent. Her name was Nalda and she was a comely creature. She was much surprised to have a Jewish man thus speak to her at the well and ask for water, for it was not deemed proper in those days for a self-respecting man to speak to a woman in public, much less for a Jew to converse with a Samaritan. Therefore Nalda asked Jesus, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink of me, a Samaritan woman?” Jesus answered: “I have indeed asked you for a drink, but if you could only understand, you would ask me for a draught of the living water.” Then said Nalda: “But, Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; whence, then, have you this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob who gave us this well, and who drank thereof himself and his sons and his cattle also?”
143:5.3 (1613.1) Jesus svarede: “Enhver, der drikker af dette vand, vil tørste igen, men enhver, der drikker af den levende ånds vand, skal aldrig tørste. Og dette levende vand skal i ham blive en kilde til forfriskning, der udspringer til evigt liv.” Så sagde Nalda: “Giv mig dette vand, så jeg ikke tørster og ikke kommer helt herhen for at drikke. Desuden ville alt, hvad en samaritansk kvinde kunne modtage fra en så prisværdig jøde, være en fornøjelse.”		143:5.3 (1613.1) Jesus replied: “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whosoever drinks of the water of the living spirit shall never thirst. And this living water shall become in him a well of refreshment springing up even to eternal life.” Nalda then said: “Give me this water that I thirst not, neither come all the way hither to draw. Besides, anything which a Samaritan woman could receive from such a commendable Jew would be a pleasure.”
143:5.4 (1613.2) Nalda vidste ikke, hvordan hun skulle opfatte Jesu villighed til at tale med hende. Hun så i Mesterens ansigt en retskaffen og hellig mands ansigt, men hun forvekslede venlighed med almindelig fortrolighed, og hun misforstod hans talemåde som en måde at gøre tilnærmelser til hende på. Og da hun var en kvinde med en slap moral, var hun lige ved at blive flirtende, da Jesus så hende lige i øjnene og med en befalende stemme sagde: “Kvinde, gå hen og hent din mand og bring ham herhen.” Denne befaling bragte Nalda til fornuft. Hun så, at hun havde fejlbedømt Mesterens venlighed; hun opdagede, at hun havde misforstået hans måde at tale på. Hun blev bange; hun begyndte at indse, at hun stod over for en usædvanlig person, og mens hun famlede i blinde efter et passende svar, sagde hun i stor forvirring: “Men, Herre, jeg kan ikke kalde på min mand, for jeg har ingen mand.” Da sagde Jesus: “Du har talt sandt, for selv om du måske engang har haft en mand, så er ham, du lever sammen med nu, ikke din mand. Det ville være bedre, hvis du holdt op med at lege med mine ord og søgte efter det levende vand, som jeg i dag har tilbudt dig.”		143:5.4 (1613.2) Nalda did not know how to take Jesus’ willingness to talk with her. She beheld in the Master’s face the countenance of an upright and holy man, but she mistook friendliness for commonplace familiarity, and she misinterpreted his figure of speech as a form of making advances to her. And being a woman of lax morals, she was minded openly to become flirtatious, when Jesus, looking straight into her eyes, with a commanding voice said, “Woman, go get your husband and bring him hither.” This command brought Nalda to her senses. She saw that she had misjudged the Master’s kindness; she perceived that she had misconstrued his manner of speech. She was frightened; she began to realize that she stood in the presence of an unusual person, and groping about in her mind for a suitable reply, in great confusion, she said, “But, Sir, I cannot call my husband, for I have no husband.” Then said Jesus: “You have spoken the truth, for, while you may have once had a husband, he with whom you are now living is not your husband. Better it would be if you would cease to trifle with my words and seek for the living water which I have this day offered you.”
143:5.5 (1613.3) På dette tidspunkt var Nalda blevet ædru, og hendes bedre jeg var vågnet. Hun var ikke en umoralsk kvinde af eget valg. Hun var blevet skånselsløst og uretfærdigt forladt af sin mand og havde i en alvorlig nødsituation indvilliget i at leve sammen med en vis græker som hans kone, men uden ægteskab. Nalda følte sig nu meget skamfuld over, at hun så tankeløst havde talt til Jesus, og hun henvendte sig meget angrende til Mesteren og sagde: “Min Herre, jeg angrer min måde at tale til dig på, for jeg fornemmer, at du er en hellig mand eller måske en profet.” Og hun var lige ved at søge direkte og personlig hjælp hos Mesteren, da hun gjorde, hvad så mange har gjort før og siden—hun undgik spørgsmålet om personlig frelse ved at vende sig mod diskussionen om teologi og filosofi. Hun vendte hurtigt samtalen fra sine egne behov til en teologisk kontrovers. Hun pegede over på Gerizim-bjerget og fortsatte: “Vores fædre tilbad på dette bjerg, og alligevel vil du sige, at Jerusalem er det sted, hvor mennesker bør tilbede; hvilket er så det rigtige sted at tilbede Gud?”		143:5.5 (1613.3) By this time Nalda was sobered, and her better self was awakened. She was not an immoral woman wholly by choice. She had been ruthlessly and unjustly cast aside by her husband and in dire straits had consented to live with a certain Greek as his wife, but without marriage. Nalda now felt greatly ashamed that she had so unthinkingly spoken to Jesus, and she most penitently addressed the Master, saying: “My Lord, I repent of my manner of speaking to you, for I perceive that you are a holy man or maybe a prophet.” And she was just about to seek direct and personal help from the Master when she did what so many have done before and since—dodged the issue of personal salvation by turning to the discussion of theology and philosophy. She quickly turned the conversation from her own needs to a theological controversy. Pointing over to Mount Gerizim, she continued: “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and yet you would say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship; which, then, is the right place to worship God?”
143:5.6 (1613.4) Jesus opfattede kvindens sjæls forsøg på at undgå direkte og søgende kontakt med sin Skaber, men han så også, at der i hendes sjæl var et ønske om at kende den bedre måde at leve på. Når alt kommer til alt, var der i Naldas hjerte en sand tørst efter det levende vand; derfor behandlede han hende tålmodigt og sagde: “Kvinde, lad mig sige dig, at den dag snart kommer, hvor du hverken på dette bjerg eller i Jerusalem vil tilbede Faderen. Men nu tilbeder I det, I ikke kender, en blanding af mange hedenske guders religion og ikke-jødiske filosofier. Jøderne ved i det mindste, hvem de tilbeder; de har fjernet al forvirring ved at koncentrere deres tilbedelse om én Gud, Jahve. Men I bør tro mig, når jeg siger, at timen snart vil komme—selv nu—hvor alle oprigtige tilbedere vil tilbede Faderen i ånd og sandhed, for det er netop sådanne tilbedere, Faderen søger. Gud er ånd, og de, der tilbeder ham, må tilbede ham i ånd og sandhed. Din frelse kommer ikke fra at vide, hvordan andre skal tilbede eller hvor, men ved at modtage i dit eget hjerte dette levende vand, som jeg tilbyder dig selv nu.”		143:5.6 (1613.4) Jesus perceived the attempt of the woman’s soul to avoid direct and searching contact with its Maker, but he also saw that there was present in her soul a desire to know the better way of life. After all, there was in Nalda’s heart a true thirst for the living water; therefore he dealt patiently with her, saying: “Woman, let me say to you that the day is soon coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. But now you worship that which you know not, a mixture of the religion of many pagan gods and gentile philosophies. The Jews at least know whom they worship; they have removed all confusion by concentrating their worship upon one God, Yahweh. But you should believe me when I say that the hour will soon come—even now is—when all sincere worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for it is just such worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Your salvation comes not from knowing how others should worship or where but by receiving into your own heart this living water which I am offering you even now.”
143:5.7 (1614.1) Men Nalda ville gøre endnu et forsøg på at undgå diskussionen om det pinlige spørgsmål om hendes personlige liv på jorden og hendes sjæls status over for Gud. Endnu en gang tyede hun til spørgsmål om generel religion og sagde: “Ja, jeg ved, Herre, at Johannes har prædiket om omvenderens komme, ham, der vil blive kaldt frelseren, og at han, når han kommer, vil forkynde os alle ting”—og Jesus afbrød Nalda og sagde med overraskende sikkerhed: “Jeg, som taler til dig, er ham.”		143:5.7 (1614.1) But Nalda would make one more effort to avoid the discussion of the embarrassing question of her personal life on earth and the status of her soul before God. Once more she resorted to questions of general religion, saying: “Yes, I know, Sir, that John has preached about the coming of the Converter, he who will be called the Deliverer, and that, when he shall come, he will declare to us all things”—and Jesus, interrupting Nalda, said with startling assurance, “I who speak to you am he.”
143:5.8 (1614.2) Dette var den første direkte, positive og utilslørede udtalelse om hans guddommelige natur og sønskab, som Jesus havde givet på jorden; og den blev givet til en kvinde, en samaritansk kvinde, og en kvinde af tvivlsom karakter i menneskers øjne indtil dette øjeblik, men en kvinde, som det guddommelige øje så som værende blevet syndet imod mere end som syndende af egen lyst, og som nu var en menneskesjæl, der ønskede frelse, ønskede det oprigtigt og helhjertet, og det var nok.		143:5.8 (1614.2) This was the first direct, positive, and undisguised pronouncement of his divine nature and sonship which Jesus had made on earth; and it was made to a woman, a Samaritan woman, and a woman of questionable character in the eyes of men up to this moment, but a woman whom the divine eye beheld as having been sinned against more than as sinning of her own desire and as now being a human soul who desired salvation, desired it sincerely and wholeheartedly, and that was enough.
143:5.9 (1614.3) Da Nalda var ved at give udtryk for sin virkelige og personlige længsel efter bedre ting og en mere ædel måde at leve på, netop som hun var klar til at udtrykke sit hjertes virkelige ønske, vendte de tolv apostle tilbage fra Sykar, og da de så Jesus tale så intimt med denne kvinde—denne samaritanske kvinde, og alene—blev de mere end forbløffede. De lagde hurtigt deres forsyninger og trak sig til side, uden at nogen turde irettesætte ham, mens Jesus sagde til Nalda: “Kvinde, gå din vej; Gud har tilgivet dig. Fra nu af skal du leve et nyt liv. Du har modtaget det levende vand, og en ny glæde vil springe op i din sjæl, og du skal blive en datter af den Højeste.” Og da kvinden mærkede apostlenes misbilligelse, forlod hun sin vandkrukke og flygtede ind til byen.		143:5.9 (1614.3) As Nalda was about to voice her real and personal longing for better things and a more noble way of living, just as she was ready to speak the real desire of her heart, the twelve apostles returned from Sychar, and coming upon this scene of Jesus’ talking so intimately with this woman—this Samaritan woman, and alone—they were more than astonished. They quickly deposited their supplies and drew aside, no man daring to reprove him, while Jesus said to Nalda: “Woman, go your way; God has forgiven you. Henceforth you will live a new life. You have received the living water, and a new joy will spring up within your soul, and you shall become a daughter of the Most High.” And the woman, perceiving the disapproval of the apostles, left her waterpot and fled to the city.
143:5.10 (1614.4) Da hun kom ind i byen, proklamerede hun til alle, hun mødte: “Gå ud til Jakobs brønd og skynd jer, for der vil I se en mand, som har fortalt mig alt, hvad jeg nogensinde har gjort. Kan dette være omvenderen?” Og før solen gik ned, havde en stor menneskemængde samlet sig ved Jakobs brønd for at høre Jesus. Og Mesteren talte mere til dem om livets vand, gaven af den indre ånd.		143:5.10 (1614.4) As she entered the city, she proclaimed to everyone she met: “Go out to Jacob’s well and go quickly, for there you will see a man who told me all I ever did. Can this be the Converter?” And ere the sun went down, a great crowd had assembled at Jacob’s well to hear Jesus. And the Master talked to them more about the water of life, the gift of the indwelling spirit.
143:5.11 (1614.5) Apostlene holdt aldrig op med at være chokerede over Jesu villighed til at tale med kvinder, kvinder af tvivlsom karakter, endda umoralske kvinder. Det var meget svært for Jesus at lære sine apostle, at kvinder, selv såkaldt umoralske kvinder, har sjæle, der kan vælge Gud som deres far og derved blive Guds døtre og kandidater til det evige liv. Selv nitten århundreder senere viser mange den samme uvilje mod at forstå Mesterens lære. Selv den kristne religion er vedholdende blevet bygget op omkring det faktum, at Kristus døde, i stedet for omkring sandheden om hans liv. Verden burde være mere optaget af hans lykkelige og gudsafslørende liv end af hans tragiske og sørgelige død.		143:5.11 (1614.5) The apostles never ceased to be shocked by Jesus’ willingness to talk with women, women of questionable character, even immoral women. It was very difficult for Jesus to teach his apostles that women, even so-called immoral women, have souls which can choose God as their Father, thereby becoming daughters of God and candidates for life everlasting. Even nineteen centuries later many show the same unwillingness to grasp the Master’s teachings. Even the Christian religion has been persistently built up around the fact of the death of Christ instead of around the truth of his life. The world should be more concerned with his happy and God-revealing life than with his tragic and sorrowful death.
143:5.12 (1614.6) Nalda fortalte hele denne historie til apostlen Johannes den næste dag, men han afslørede den aldrig helt for de andre apostle, og Jesus talte ikke i detaljer om den til de tolv.		143:5.12 (1614.6) Nalda told this entire story to the Apostle John the next day, but he never revealed it fully to the other apostles, and Jesus did not speak of it in detail to the twelve.
143:5.13 (1615.1) Nalda fortalte Johannes, at Jesus havde fortalt hende “alt, hvad jeg nogensinde har gjort.” Johannes havde mange gange lyst til at spørge Jesus om dette besøg hos Nalda, men han gjorde det aldrig. Jesus fortalte hende kun én ting om sig selv, men hans blik i hendes øjne og den måde, han behandlede hende på, havde på et øjeblik bragt hele hendes brogede liv i et panoramisk overblik for hendes sind, så hun forbandt hele denne selvåbenbaring af sit tidligere liv med Mesterens blik og ord. Jesus havde aldrig fortalt hende, at hun havde haft fem ægtemænd. Hun havde levet med fire forskellige mænd, siden hendes mand stødte hende fra sig, og alt dette og hendes fortid kom så levende frem i hendes bevidsthed i det øjeblik, hvor hun indså, at Jesus var en Guds mand, at hun efterfølgende gentog over for Johannes, at Jesus virkelig havde fortalt hende alt om sig selv.		143:5.13 (1615.1) Nalda told John that Jesus had told her “all I ever did.” John many times wanted to ask Jesus about this visit with Nalda, but he never did. Jesus told her only one thing about herself, but his look into her eyes and the manner of his dealing with her had so brought all of her checkered life in panoramic review before her mind in a moment of time that she associated all of this self-revelation of her past life with the look and the word of the Master. Jesus never told her she had had five husbands. She had lived with four different men since her husband cast her aside, and this, with all her past, came up so vividly in her mind at the moment when she realized Jesus was a man of God that she subsequently repeated to John that Jesus had really told her all about herself.
6. Den samaritanske vækkelse ^top		6. The Samaritan Revival ^top
143:6.1 (1615.2) Den aften, hvor Nalda trak folkemængden ud fra Sykar for at se Jesus, var de tolv lige kommet tilbage med mad, og de bad Jesus om at spise sammen med dem i stedet for at tale med folket, for de havde været uden mad hele dagen og var sultne. Men Jesus vidste, at mørket snart ville komme over dem, så han holdt fast i sin beslutning om at tale med folk, før han sendte dem væk. Da Andreas forsøgte at overtale ham til at spise en bid, før han talte til folkemængden, sagde Jesus: “Jeg har kød at spise, som I ikke kender til.” Da apostlene hørte det, sagde de til hinanden: “Er der nogen, der har bragt ham noget at spise? Kan det være, at kvinden gav ham både mad og drikke?” Da Jesus hørte dem tale sammen, før han talte til folket, vendte han sig om og sagde til de tolv: “Min føde er at gøre hans vilje, som har sendt mig, og at fuldføre hans værk. I skal ikke længere sige, at der er så og så lang tid til høsten. Se disse mennesker, der kommer ud fra en samaritansk by for at høre os; jeg siger jer, at markerne allerede er hvide til høsten. Den, der høster, får løn og samler denne frugt til evigt liv; derfor glæder såmændene og høstmændene sig sammen. For her er ordsproget sandt: “Den ene sår, og den anden høster. Jeg sender jer nu ud for at høste det, som I ikke har arbejdet med; andre har arbejdet, og I skal til at gå ind i deres arbejde.” Dette sagde han med henvisning til Johannes Døberens forkyndelse.		143:6.1 (1615.2) On the evening that Nalda drew the crowd out from Sychar to see Jesus, the twelve had just returned with food, and they besought Jesus to eat with them instead of talking to the people, for they had been without food all day and were hungry. But Jesus knew that darkness would soon be upon them; so he persisted in his determination to talk to the people before he sent them away. When Andrew sought to persuade him to eat a bite before speaking to the crowd, Jesus said, “I have meat to eat that you do not know about.” When the apostles heard this, they said among themselves: “Has any man brought him aught to eat? Can it be that the woman gave him food as well as drink?” When Jesus heard them talking among themselves, before he spoke to the people, he turned aside and said to the twelve: “My meat is to do the will of Him who sent me and to accomplish His work. You should no longer say it is such and such a time until the harvest. Behold these people coming out from a Samaritan city to hear us; I tell you the fields are already white for the harvest. He who reaps receives wages and gathers this fruit to eternal life; consequently the sowers and the reapers rejoice together. For herein is the saying true: ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I am now sending you to reap that whereon you have not labored; others have labored, and you are about to enter into their labor.” This he said in reference to the preaching of John the Baptist.
143:6.2 (1615.3) Jesus og apostlene gik ind i Sykar og prædikede i to dage, før de slog lejr på Gerizim-bjerget. Og mange af beboerne i Sykar troede på evangeliet og bad om at blive døbt, men Jesu apostle døbte endnu ikke.		143:6.2 (1615.3) Jesus and the apostles went into Sychar and preached two days before they established their camp on Mount Gerizim. And many of the dwellers in Sychar believed the gospel and made request for baptism, but the apostles of Jesus did not yet baptize.
143:6.3 (1615.4) Den første aften i lejren på Gerizim-bjerget forventede apostlene, at Jesus ville irettesætte dem for deres holdning til kvinden ved Jakobs brønd, men han nævnte ikke noget om det. I stedet gav han dem den mindeværdige tale om “De realiteter, der er centrale i Guds rige.” I enhver religion er det meget let at lade værdier blive ude af proportioner og at lade fakta indtage sandhedens plads i ens teologi. Korsets kendsgerning blev selve centrum for den efterfølgende kristendom, men det er ikke den centrale sandhed i den religion, som kan udledes af Jesus af Nazarets liv og lære.		143:6.3 (1615.4) The first night of the camp on Mount Gerizim the apostles expected that Jesus would rebuke them for their attitude toward the woman at Jacob’s well, but he made no reference to the matter. Instead he gave them that memorable talk on “The realities which are central in the kingdom of God.” In any religion it is very easy to allow values to become disproportionate and to permit facts to occupy the place of truth in one’s theology. The fact of the cross became the very center of subsequent Christianity; but it is not the central truth of the religion which may be derived from the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.
143:6.4 (1615.5) Temaet for Jesu undervisning på Gerizim-bjerget var: At han ønsker, at alle mennesker skal se Gud som en fader-ven, ligesom han (Jesus) er en broder-ven. Og igen og igen indprentede han dem, at kærlighed er den største relation i verden—i universet—ligesom sandheden er den største udmelding om observationen af disse guddommelige relationer.		143:6.4 (1615.5) The theme of Jesus’ teaching on Mount Gerizim was: That he wants all men to see God as a Father-friend just as he (Jesus) is a brother-friend. And again and again he impressed upon them that love is the greatest relationship in the world—in the universe—just as truth is the greatest pronouncement of the observation of these divine relationships.
143:6.5 (1616.1) Jesus fortalte samaritanerne så meget om sig selv, fordi han trygt kunne gøre det, og fordi han vidste, at han ikke igen ville besøge hjertet af Samaria for at forkynde evangeliet om riget.		143:6.5 (1616.1) Jesus declared himself so fully to the Samaritans because he could safely do so, and because he knew that he would not again visit the heart of Samaria to preach the gospel of the kingdom.
143:6.6 (1616.2) Jesus og de tolv slog lejr på Gerizim-bjerget indtil slutningen af august. De prædikede de gode nyheder om riget—Guds faderskab—for samaritanerne i byerne om dagen og tilbragte nætterne i lejren. Det arbejde, som Jesus og de tolv udførte i disse samaritanske byer, gav mange sjæle til riget og gjorde meget for at forberede vejen for Filips forunderlige arbejde i disse regioner efter Jesu død og opstandelse, efter at apostlene var blevet spredt til verdens ende på grund af den bitre forfølgelse af de troende i Jerusalem.		143:6.6 (1616.2) Jesus and the twelve camped on Mount Gerizim until the end of August. They preached the good news of the kingdom—the fatherhood of God—to the Samaritans in the cities by day and spent the nights at the camp. The work which Jesus and the twelve did in these Samaritan cities yielded many souls for the kingdom and did much to prepare the way for the marvelous work of Philip in these regions after Jesus’ death and resurrection, subsequent to the dispersion of the apostles to the ends of the earth by the bitter persecution of believers at Jerusalem.
7. Lærdomme om bøn og gudstilbedelse ^top		7. Teachings About Prayer and Worship ^top
143:7.1 (1616.3) Ved aftenkonferencerne på Gerizim-bjerget underviste Jesus i mange store sandheder, og han lagde især vægt på følgende:		143:7.1 (1616.3) At the evening conferences on Mount Gerizim, Jesus taught many great truths, and in particular he laid emphasis on the following:
143:7.2 (1616.4) Sand religion er en individuel sjæls handling i dens selvbevidste forhold til Skaberen; organiseret religion er menneskets forsøg på at socialisere tilbedelsen af individuelle religionsudøvere.		143:7.2 (1616.4) True religion is the act of an individual soul in its self-conscious relations with the Creator; organized religion is man’s attempt to socialize the worship of individual religionists.
143:7.3 (1616.5) Tilbedelse—kontemplation af det åndelige—skal veksle med tjeneste, kontakt med den materielle virkelighed. Arbejde bør veksle med leg; religion bør afbalanceres af humor. Dybsindig filosofi bør afløses af rytmisk poesi. Livets anstrengelser—personlighedens tidsspændinger—bør afløses af tilbedelsens hvile. De følelser af usikkerhed, der opstår af frygt for personlighedens isolation i universet, bør modvirkes af troens kontemplation af Faderen og af forsøget på at realisere det Højeste.		143:7.3 (1616.5) Worship—contemplation of the spiritual—must alternate with service, contact with material reality. Work should alternate with play; religion should be balanced by humor. Profound philosophy should be relieved by rhythmic poetry. The strain of living—the time tension of personality—should be relaxed by the restfulness of worship. The feelings of insecurity arising from the fear of personality isolation in the universe should be antidoted by the faith contemplation of the Father and by the attempted realization of the Supreme.
143:7.4 (1616.6) Bøn er designet til at gøre mennesket mindre tænkende, men mere indsigtsfuld. Den er ikke designet til at øge viden, men snarere at udvide indsigten.		143:7.4 (1616.6) Prayer is designed to make man less thinking but more realizing; it is not designed to increase knowledge but rather to expand insight.
143:7.5 (1616.7) Tilbedelse har til formål at foregribe det bedre liv, der ligger forude, og derefter at reflektere disse nye åndelige betydninger tilbage på det liv, der er nu. Bøn er åndeligt opretholdende, men tilbedelse er guddommeligt skabende.		143:7.5 (1616.7) Worship is intended to anticipate the better life ahead and then to reflect these new spiritual significances back onto the life which now is. Prayer is spiritually sustaining, but worship is divinely creative.
143:7.6 (1616.8) Tilbedelse er teknikken til at se på den Ene for at få inspiration til at tjene de mange. Tilbedelse er den målestok, der måler omfanget af sjælens løsrivelse fra det materielle univers og dens samtidige og sikre tilknytning til de åndelige realiteter i hele skabelsen.		143:7.6 (1616.8) Worship is the technique of looking to the One for the inspiration of service to the many. Worship is the yardstick which measures the extent of the soul’s detachment from the material universe and its simultaneous and secure attachment to the spiritual realities of all creation.
143:7.7 (1616.9) Bøn er selvpåmindelse—sublim tænkning; tilbedelse er selvforglemmelse—supertænkning. Tilbedelse er ubesværet opmærksomhed, sand og ideel sjælehvile, en form for hvilende åndelig udfoldelse.		143:7.7 (1616.9) Prayer is self-reminding—sublime thinking; worship is self-forgetting—superthinking. Worship is effortless attention, true and ideal soul rest, a form of restful spiritual exertion.
143:7.8 (1616.10) Tilbedelse er den handling, hvor en del identificerer sig med helheden; det endelige med det uendelige; sønnen med Faderen; tiden i færd med at gå i takt med evigheden. Tilbedelse er sønnens personlige fællesskab med den guddommelige Fader, den menneskelige sjæls og ånds indtagelse af forfriskende, kreative, broderlige og romantiske holdninger.		143:7.8 (1616.10) Worship is the act of a part identifying itself with the Whole; the finite with the Infinite; the son with the Father; time in the act of striking step with eternity. Worship is the act of the son’s personal communion with the divine Father, the assumption of refreshing, creative, fraternal, and romantic attitudes by the human soul-spirit.
143:7.9 (1616.11) Selv om apostlene kun forstod nogle få af hans læresætninger i lejren, gjorde andre verdener det, og andre generationer på jorden vil gøre det.		143:7.9 (1616.11) Although the apostles grasped only a few of his teachings at the camp, other worlds did, and other generations on earth will.