Kapitel 154		Paper 154
De Sidste Dage I Kapernaum		Last Days at Capernaum
154:0.1 (1717.1) DEN begivenhedsrige lørdag aften den 30. april, mens Jesus talte trøstende og modige ord til sine nedslåede og forvirrede disciple, blev der i Tiberias afholdt et rådsmøde mellem Herodes Antipas og en gruppe særlige kommissærer, der repræsenterede Jerusalems Sanhedrin. Disse skriftkloge og farisæere opfordrede indtrængende Herodes til at arrestere Jesus; de gjorde deres bedste for at overbevise ham om, at Jesus ophidsede befolkningen til uenighed og endda til oprør. Men Herodes nægtede at gribe ind over for ham som en politisk forbryder. Herodes’ rådgivere havde korrekt rapporteret om episoden på den anden side af søen, hvor folket forsøgte at udråbe Jesus til konge, og hvordan han afviste forslaget.		154:0.1 (1717.1) ON THE eventful Saturday night of April 30, as Jesus was speaking words of comfort and courage to his downcast and bewildered disciples, at Tiberias a council was being held between Herod Antipas and a group of special commissioners representing the Jerusalem Sanhedrin. These scribes and Pharisees urged Herod to arrest Jesus; they did their best to convince him that Jesus was stirring up the populace to dissension and even to rebellion. But Herod refused to take action against him as a political offender. Herod’s advisers had correctly reported the episode across the lake when the people sought to proclaim Jesus king and how he rejected the proposal.
154:0.2 (1717.2) En fra Herodes’ officielle familie, Kuzas, hvis kone tilhørte kvindernes tjenestekorps, havde informeret ham om, at Jesus ikke havde tænkt sig at blande sig i det jordiske styres anliggender; at han kun var optaget af at etablere et åndeligt broderskab mellem sine troende, et broderskab, som han kaldte Himmeriget. Herodes havde tillid til Kuzas rapporter, så meget, at han nægtede at blande sig i Jesu aktiviteter. Herodes var på dette tidspunkt også påvirket i sin holdning til Jesus af sin overtroiske frygt for Johannes Døberen. Herodes var en af de frafaldne jøder, som ikke troede på noget, men frygtede alt. Han havde dårlig samvittighed over at have slået Johannes ihjel, og han ønskede ikke at blive viklet ind i intrigerne mod Jesus. Han kendte til mange sygdomstilfælde, som tilsyneladende var blevet helbredt af Jesus, og han betragtede ham enten som en profet eller en relativt harmløs religiøs fanatiker.		154:0.2 (1717.2) One of Herod’s official family, Chuza, whose wife belonged to the women’s ministering corps, had informed him that Jesus did not propose to meddle with the affairs of earthly rule; that he was only concerned with the establishment of the spiritual brotherhood of his believers, which brotherhood he called the kingdom of heaven. Herod had confidence in Chuza’s reports, so much so that he refused to interfere with Jesus’ activities. Herod was also influenced at this time, in his attitude toward Jesus, by his superstitious fear of John the Baptist. Herod was one of those apostate Jews who, while he believed nothing, feared everything. He had a bad conscience for having put John to death, and he did not want to become entangled in these intrigues against Jesus. He knew of many cases of sickness which had been apparently healed by Jesus, and he regarded him as either a prophet or a relatively harmless religious fanatic.
154:0.3 (1717.3) Da jøderne truede med at rapportere til Cæsar, at han beskyttede en forræderisk undersåt, beordrede Herodes dem ud af sit rådskammer. Således hvilede tingene i en uge, hvor Jesus forberedte sine tilhængere på den forestående spredning.		154:0.3 (1717.3) When the Jews threatened to report to Caesar that he was shielding a traitorous subject, Herod ordered them out of his council chamber. Thus matters rested for one week, during which time Jesus prepared his followers for the impending dispersion.
1. En uges drøftelser ^top		1. A Week of Counsel ^top
154:1.1 (1717.4) Fra den 1. til den 7. maj holdt Jesus intime råd med sine tilhængere i Zebedæus’ hus. Kun de prøvede og betroede disciple fik adgang til disse konferencer. På dette tidspunkt var der kun omkring hundrede disciple, som havde det moralske mod til at trodse farisæernes modstand og åbent erklære deres tilslutning til Jesus. Med denne gruppe holdt han møder morgen, eftermiddag og aften. Små grupper af spørgere samledes hver eftermiddag ved havet, hvor nogle af evangelisterne eller apostlene talte til dem. Disse grupper talte sjældent mere end halvtreds.		154:1.1 (1717.4) From May 1 to May 7 Jesus held intimate counsel with his followers at the Zebedee house. Only the tried and trusted disciples were admitted to these conferences. At this time there were only about one hundred disciples who had the moral courage to brave the opposition of the Pharisees and openly declare their adherence to Jesus. With this group he held sessions morning, afternoon, and evening. Small companies of inquirers assembled each afternoon by the seaside, where some of the evangelists or apostles discoursed to them. These groups seldom numbered more than fifty.
154:1.2 (1717.5) Fredag i denne uge tog lederne af synagogen i Kapernaum en officiel beslutning om at lukke Guds hus for Jesus og alle hans tilhængere. Denne handling blev foretaget på foranledning af farisæerne i Jerusalem. Jairus trak sig tilbage som øverste leder og sluttede sig åbent til Jesus.		154:1.2 (1717.5) On Friday of this week official action was taken by the rulers of the Capernaum synagogue closing the house of God to Jesus and all his followers. This action was taken at the instigation of the Jerusalem Pharisees. Jairus resigned as chief ruler and openly aligned himself with Jesus.
154:1.3 (1718.1) Det sidste af møderne ved havet blev holdt sabbat eftermiddag den 7. maj. Jesus talte til mindre end et hundrede og halvtreds, som var samlet på det tidspunkt. Denne lørdag aften markerede tidspunktet for den laveste ebbe i den folkelige respekt for Jesus og hans lære. Fra da af var der en stabil, langsom, men mere sund og pålidelig vækst i den positive stemning; der blev opbygget en ny tilhængerskare, som var bedre funderet i åndelig tro og sand religiøs erfaring. Den mere eller mindre sammensatte og kompromitterende overgangsfase mellem de materialistiske opfattelser af riget, som Mesterens tilhængere havde, og de mere idealistiske og åndelige opfattelser, som Jesus underviste i, var nu definitivt slut. Fra nu af var der en mere åben proklamation af evangeliet om riget i dets større omfang og i dets vidtrækkende åndelige implikationer.		154:1.3 (1718.1) The last of the seaside meetings was held on Sabbath afternoon, May 7. Jesus talked to less than one hundred and fifty who had assembled at that time. This Saturday night marked the time of the lowest ebb in the tide of popular regard for Jesus and his teachings. From then on there was a steady, slow, but more healthful and dependable growth in favorable sentiment; a new following was built up which was better grounded in spiritual faith and true religious experience. The more or less composite and compromising transition stage between the materialistic concepts of the kingdom held by the Master’s followers and those more idealistic and spiritual concepts taught by Jesus, had now definitely ended. From now on there was a more open proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom in its larger scope and in its far-flung spiritual implications.
2. En uges hvile ^top		2. A Week of Rest ^top
154:2.1 (1718.2) Søndag den 8. maj 29 e.Kr. vedtog jødernes råd, sanhedrinet, i Jerusalem et dekret om at lukke alle synagoger i Palæstina for Jesus og hans tilhængere. Dette var en ny og hidtil uset tilraning af autoritet fra Jerusalems Sanhedrins side. Hidtil havde hver synagoge eksisteret og fungeret som en uafhængig menighed af tilbedere og været under styre og ledelse af sin egen bestyrelse. Kun synagogerne i Jerusalem havde været underlagt Sanhedrinets autoritet. Denne summariske handling fra sanhedrinet blev efterfulgt af, at fem af dets medlemmer trak sig tilbage. Hundrede budbringere blev straks sendt af sted for at overbringe og håndhæve dette dekret. I løbet af to uger havde alle synagoger i Palæstina bøjet sig for dette manifest fra sanhedrinet, undtagen synagogen i Hebron. Lederne af Hebron-synagogen nægtede at anerkende Sanhedrinets ret til at udøve en sådan jurisdiktion over deres forsamling. Denne nægtelse af at tiltræde Jerusalem-dekretet var baseret på deres påstand om menighedens autonomi snarere end på sympati med Jesu sag. Kort tid efter blev synagogen i Hebron ødelagt af en brand.		154:2.1 (1718.2) Sunday, May 8, a.d. 29, at Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin passed a decree closing all the synagogues of Palestine to Jesus and his followers. This was a new and unprecedented usurpation of authority by the Jerusalem Sanhedrin. Theretofore each synagogue had existed and functioned as an independent congregation of worshipers and was under the rule and direction of its own board of governors. Only the synagogues of Jerusalem had been subject to the authority of the Sanhedrin. This summary action of the Sanhedrin was followed by the resignation of five of its members. One hundred messengers were immediately dispatched to convey and enforce this decree. Within the short space of two weeks every synagogue in Palestine had bowed to this manifesto of the Sanhedrin except the synagogue at Hebron. The rulers of the Hebron synagogue refused to acknowledge the right of the Sanhedrin to exercise such jurisdiction over their assembly. This refusal to accede to the Jerusalem decree was based on their contention of congregational autonomy rather than on sympathy with Jesus’ cause. Shortly thereafter the Hebron synagogue was destroyed by fire.
154:2.2 (1718.3) Samme søndag morgen erklærede Jesus en uges ferie og opfordrede alle sine disciple til at vende tilbage til deres hjem eller venner for at hvile deres bekymrede sjæle og tale opmuntrende ord til deres kære. Han sagde: “Gå til jeres forskellige steder for at lege eller fiske, mens I beder for rigets udvidelse.”		154:2.2 (1718.3) This same Sunday morning, Jesus declared a week’s holiday, urging all of his disciples to return to their homes or friends to rest their troubled souls and speak words of encouragement to their loved ones. He said: “Go to your several places to play or fish while you pray for the extension of the kingdom.”
154:2.3 (1718.4) Denne uge med hvile gjorde det muligt for Jesus at besøge mange familier og grupper ved kysten. Han tog også på fisketur med David Zebedæus ved flere lejligheder, og selvom han gik rundt alene meget af tiden, lurede der altid to eller tre af Davids mest betroede budbringere i nærheden, som havde klare ordrer fra deres høvding om at beskytte Jesus. Der var ingen offentlig undervisning af nogen art i løbet af denne hvileuge.		154:2.3 (1718.4) This week of rest enabled Jesus to visit many families and groups about the seaside. He also went fishing with David Zebedee on several occasions, and while he went about alone much of the time, there always lurked near by two or three of David’s most trusted messengers, who had no uncertain orders from their chief respecting the safeguarding of Jesus. There was no public teaching of any sort during this week of rest.
154:2.4 (1718.5) Det var i denne uge, at Nathaniel og James Zebedee led af mere end en let sygdom. I tre dage og nætter var de akut plaget af en smertefuld fordøjelsesforstyrrelse. Den tredje nat sendte Jesus Salome, James’ mor, til hvile, mens han tog sig af sine lidende apostle. Selvfølgelig kunne Jesus have helbredt disse to mænd med det samme, men det er hverken Sønnens eller Faderens metode til at håndtere disse banale vanskeligheder og lidelser hos menneskenes børn i tidens og rummets evolutionære verdener. I hele sit begivenhedsrige liv i kødet foretog Jesus sig aldrig noget overnaturligt over for et medlem af sin jordiske familie eller på vegne af nogen af sine nærmeste tilhængere.		154:2.4 (1718.5) This was the week that Nathaniel and James Zebedee suffered from more than a slight illness. For three days and nights they were acutely afflicted with a painful digestive disturbance. On the third night Jesus sent Salome, James’s mother, to her rest, while he ministered to his suffering apostles. Of course Jesus could have instantly healed these two men, but that is not the method of either the Son or the Father in dealing with these commonplace difficulties and afflictions of the children of men on the evolutionary worlds of time and space. Never once, throughout all of his eventful life in the flesh, did Jesus engage in any sort of supernatural ministration to any member of his earth family or in behalf of any one of his immediate followers.
154:2.5 (1719.1) Universets vanskeligheder skal imødegås, og planetariske forhindringer skal overvindes som en del af den erfaringstræning, der skal sikre vækst og udvikling, den gradvise fuldkommengørelse, af de dødelige skabningers evolverende sjæle. Menneskesjælens åndeliggørelse kræver intim erfaring med den pædagogiske løsning af en bred vifte af virkelige universproblemer. Den dyriske natur og de lavere former for viljesskabninger udvikler sig ikke positivt i miljømæssig lethed. Problematiske situationer kombineret med anstrengelsesstimuli er med til at frembringe de aktiviteter i sind, sjæl og ånd, som i høj grad bidrager til opnåelsen af værdige mål for den jordiske udvikling og til opnåelsen af højere niveauer af åndelig skæbne.		154:2.5 (1719.1) Universe difficulties must be met and planetary obstacles must be encountered as a part of the experience training provided for the growth and development, the progressive perfection, of the evolving souls of mortal creatures. The spiritualization of the human soul requires intimate experience with the educational solving of a wide range of real universe problems. The animal nature and the lower forms of will creatures do not progress favorably in environmental ease. Problematic situations, coupled with exertion stimuli, conspire to produce those activities of mind, soul, and spirit which contribute mightily to the achievement of worthy goals of mortal progression and to the attainment of higher levels of spirit destiny.
3. Den anden konference i tiberias ^top		3. The Second Tiberias Conference ^top
154:3.1 (1719.2) Den 16. maj blev der indkaldt til den anden konference i Tiberias mellem myndighederne i Jerusalem og Herodes Antipas. Både de religiøse og de politiske ledere fra Jerusalem var til stede. De jødiske ledere kunne rapportere til Herodes, at praktisk talt alle synagoger i både Galilæa og Judæa var lukket for Jesu lære. Der blev gjort et nyt forsøg på at få Herodes til at arrestere Jesus, men han nægtede at følge deres bud. Den 18. maj gik Herodes dog med til planen om at tillade Sanhedrin-myndighederne at pågribe Jesus og føre ham til Jerusalem for at blive retsforfulgt for religiøse anklager, forudsat at den romerske hersker over Judæa gik med til en sådan ordning. I mellemtiden spredte Jesu fjender flittigt rygtet i Galilæa om, at Herodes var blevet fjendtligt indstillet over for Jesus, og at han havde til hensigt at udrydde alle, der troede på hans lære.		154:3.1 (1719.2) On May 16 the second conference at Tiberias between the authorities at Jerusalem and Herod Antipas was convened. Both the religious and the political leaders from Jerusalem were in attendance. The Jewish leaders were able to report to Herod that practically all the synagogues in both Galilee and Judea were closed to Jesus’ teachings. A new effort was made to have Herod place Jesus under arrest, but he refused to do their bidding. On May 18, however, Herod did agree to the plan of permitting the Sanhedrin authorities to seize Jesus and carry him to Jerusalem to be tried on religious charges, provided the Roman ruler of Judea concurred in such an arrangement. Meanwhile, Jesus’ enemies were industriously spreading the rumor throughout Galilee that Herod had become hostile to Jesus, and that he meant to exterminate all who believed in his teachings.
154:3.2 (1719.3) Lørdag aften den 21. maj fik Tiberias besked om, at de civile myndigheder i Jerusalem ikke havde nogen indvendinger mod aftalen mellem Herodes og farisæerne om, at Jesus skulle pågribes og føres til Jerusalem, hvor han skulle stilles for Sanhedrinet anklaget for at have overtrådt den jødiske nations hellige love. Derfor underskrev Herodes lige før midnat på denne dag det dekret, som gav Sanhedrinets embedsmænd tilladelse til at pågribe Jesus inden for Herodes’ domæner og med magt føre ham til Jerusalem for at blive stillet for retten. Der blev lagt stærkt pres på Herodes fra mange sider, før han indvilligede i at give denne tilladelse, og han vidste godt, at Jesus ikke kunne forvente en retfærdig rettergang foran sine bitre fjender i Jerusalem.		154:3.2 (1719.3) On Saturday night, May 21, word reached Tiberias that the civil authorities at Jerusalem had no objection to the agreement between Herod and the Pharisees that Jesus be seized and carried to Jerusalem for trial before the Sanhedrin on charges of flouting the sacred laws of the Jewish nation. Accordingly, just before midnight of this day, Herod signed the decree which authorized the officers of the Sanhedrin to seize Jesus within Herod’s domains and forcibly to carry him to Jerusalem for trial. Strong pressure from many sides was brought to bear upon Herod before he consented to grant this permission, and he well knew that Jesus could not expect a fair trial before his bitter enemies at Jerusalem.
4. Lørdag aften i Kapernaum ^top		4. Saturday Night in Capernaum ^top
154:4.1 (1719.4) Den samme lørdag aften i Kapernaum mødtes en gruppe på halvtreds ledende borgere i synagogen for at diskutere det vigtige spørgsmål: “Hvad skal vi gøre med Jesus?” De talte og debatterede indtil efter midnat, men de kunne ikke finde noget fælles grundlag for enighed. Bortset fra nogle få personer, som mente, at Jesus måske var Messias, i det mindste en hellig mand eller måske en profet, blev mødet delt op i fire næsten lige store grupper, som hver især havde følgende syn på Jesus:		154:4.1 (1719.4) On this same Saturday night, in Capernaum a group of fifty leading citizens met at the synagogue to discuss the momentous question: “What shall we do with Jesus?” They talked and debated until after midnight, but they could not find any common ground for agreement. Aside from a few persons who inclined to the belief that Jesus might be the Messiah, at least a holy man, or perhaps a prophet, the meeting was divided into four nearly equal groups who held, respectively, the following views of Jesus:
154:4.2 (1719.5) 1. At han var en vildledt og harmløs fanatiker.		154:4.2 (1719.5) 1. That he was a deluded and harmless religious fanatic.
154:4.3 (1719.6) 2. At han var en farlig agitator med onde hensigter, der kunne tilskynde folk til oprør.		154:4.3 (1719.6) 2. That he was a dangerous and designing agitator who might stir up rebellion.
154:4.4 (1720.1) 3. At han var i ledtog med djævle, at han faktisk kunne være deres prins.		154:4.4 (1720.1) 3. That he was in league with devils, that he might even be a prince of devils.
154:4.5 (1720.2) 4. At han var ude af sig selv, gal, mentalt ubalanceret.		154:4.5 (1720.2) 4. That he was beside himself, that he was mad, mentally unbalanced.
154:4.6 (1720.3) Der blev talt meget om, at Jesus forkyndte doktriner, som var oprørende for almindelige mennesker; hans fjender hævdede, at hans lære var upraktisk, at alt ville gå i stykker, hvis alle gjorde et ærligt forsøg på at leve i overensstemmelse med hans ideer. Og mænd i mange efterfølgende generationer har sagt de samme ting. Mange intelligente og velmenende mennesker, selv i disse åbenbaringers mere oplyste tidsalder, hævder, at den moderne civilisation ikke kunne have været bygget på Jesu lære—og de har delvist ret. Men alle disse tvivlere glemmer, at en meget bedre civilisation kunne have været bygget på hans lære, og en dag vil den blive det. Denne verden har aldrig for alvor forsøgt at gennemføre Jesu lære i stor skala, selv om der ofte er blevet gjort halvhjertede forsøg på at følge den såkaldte kristendoms doktriner.		154:4.6 (1720.3) There was much talk about Jesus’ preaching doctrines which were upsetting for the common people; his enemies maintained that his teachings were impractical, that everything would go to pieces if everybody made an honest effort to live in accordance with his ideas. And the men of many subsequent generations have said the same things. Many intelligent and well-meaning men, even in the more enlightened age of these revelations, maintain that modern civilization could not have been built upon the teachings of Jesus—and they are partially right. But all such doubters forget that a much better civilization could have been built upon his teachings, and sometime will be. This world has never seriously tried to carry out the teachings of Jesus on a large scale, notwithstanding that halfhearted attempts have often been made to follow the doctrines of so-called Christianity.
5. Den begivenhedsrige søndag morgen ^top		5. The Eventful Sunday Morning ^top
154:5.1 (1720.4) Den 22. maj var en begivenhedsrig dag i Jesu liv. Denne søndag morgen, før daggry, ankom en af Davids budbringere i stor hast fra Tiberias med besked om, at Herodes havde givet tilladelse til, eller var ved at give tilladelse til, at Jesus blev arresteret af embedsmændene fra sanhedrinet. Modtagelsen af nyheden om denne overhængende fare fik David Zebedæus til at vække sine budbringere og sende dem ud til alle de lokale grupper af disciple og indkalde dem til et hastemøde kl. syv den morgen. Da Judas’ svigerinde (Jesus’ bror) hørte denne alarmerende rapport, skyndte hun sig at give besked til hele Jesus’ familie, som boede i nærheden, og opfordrede dem til straks at samles i Zebedæus’ hus. Og som svar på denne hastige opfordring samledes Maria, James, Josef, Jude og Ruth.		154:5.1 (1720.4) May 22 was an eventful day in the life of Jesus. On this Sunday morning, before daybreak, one of David’s messengers arrived in great haste from Tiberias, bringing the word that Herod had authorized, or was about to authorize, the arrest of Jesus by the officers of the Sanhedrin. The receipt of the news of this impending danger caused David Zebedee to arouse his messengers and send them out to all the local groups of disciples, summoning them for an emergency council at seven o’clock that morning. When the sister-in-law of Jude (Jesus’ brother) heard this alarming report, she hastened word to all of Jesus’ family who dwelt near by, summoning them forthwith to assemble at Zebedee’s house. And in response to this hasty call, presently there were assembled Mary, James, Joseph, Jude, and Ruth.
154:5.2 (1720.5) På dette tidlige morgenmøde gav Jesus sine afskedsinstruktioner til de forsamlede disciple; det vil sige, han sagde farvel til dem for nu, vel vidende at de snart ville blive spredt fra Kapernaum. Han bad dem alle om at søge vejledning hos Gud og fortsætte rigets arbejde uanset konsekvenserne. Evangelisterne skulle arbejde, som det passede dem, indtil de blev kaldt. Han udvalgte tolv af evangelisterne til at ledsage sig; de tolv apostle instruerede han i at blive hos ham, uanset hvad der skete. De tolv kvinder gav han besked på at blive i Zebedæus’ hus og i Peters hus, indtil han sendte bud efter dem.		154:5.2 (1720.5) At this early morning meeting Jesus imparted his farewell instructions to the assembled disciples; that is, he bade them farewell for the time being, knowing well that they would soon be dispersed from Capernaum. He directed them all to seek God for guidance and to carry on the work of the kingdom regardless of consequences. The evangelists were to labor as they saw fit until such time as they might be called. He selected twelve of the evangelists to accompany him; the twelve apostles he directed to remain with him no matter what happened. The twelve women he instructed to remain at the Zebedee house and at Peter’s house until he should send for them.
154:5.3 (1720.6) Jesus indvilligede i, at David Zebedæus fortsatte sin landsdækkende budbringertjeneste, og da han nu tog afsked med Mesteren, sagde David: “Gå videre til dit arbejde, Mester. Lad ikke de bigotte fange dig, og tvivl aldrig på, at budbringerne vil følge efter dig. Mine mænd vil aldrig miste kontakten med dig, og gennem dem vil du få kendskab til riget i andre dele, og gennem dem vil vi alle få kendskab til dig. Intet, der måtte ske med mig, vil forstyrre denne tjeneste, for jeg har udnævnt første og anden leder, endda en tredje. Jeg er hverken lærer eller prædikant, men det er i mit hjerte at gøre dette, og ingen kan stoppe mig.”		154:5.3 (1720.6) Jesus consented to David Zebedee’s continuing his countrywide messenger service, and in bidding the Master farewell presently, David said: “Go forth to your work, Master. Don’t let the bigots catch you, and never doubt that the messengers will follow after you. My men will never lose contact with you, and through them you shall know of the kingdom in other parts, and by them we will all know about you. Nothing that might happen to me will interfere with this service, for I have appointed first and second leaders, even a third. I am neither a teacher nor a preacher, but it is in my heart to do this, and none can stop me.”
154:5.4 (1720.7) Omkring kl. 7.30 denne morgen begyndte Jesus sin afskedstale til næsten hundrede troende, som var stimlet sammen indendørs for at høre ham. Det var en højtidelig begivenhed for alle de tilstedeværende, men Jesus virkede usædvanligt munter; han lignede igen sit normale jeg. Ugernes alvor var forsvundet, og han inspirerede dem alle med sine ord om tro, håb og mod.		154:5.4 (1720.7) About 7:30 this morning Jesus began his parting address to almost one hundred believers who had crowded indoors to hear him. This was a solemn occasion for all present, but Jesus seemed unusually cheerful; he was once more like his normal self. The seriousness of weeks had gone, and he inspired all of them with his words of faith, hope, and courage.
6. Jesu familie ankommer ^top		6. Jesus’ Family Arrives ^top
154:6.1 (1721.1) Klokken var omkring otte denne søndag morgen, da fem medlemmer af Jesu jordiske familie ankom til stedet som svar på en indtrængende tilkaldelse fra Judes svigerinde. Af hele hans kødelige familie var der kun én, Ruth, som troede helhjertet og vedvarende på det guddommelige i hans mission på jorden. Jude og James, og selv Joseph, bevarede stadig meget af deres tro på Jesus, men de havde tilladt stolthed at forstyrre deres bedre dømmekraft og virkelige åndelige tilbøjeligheder. Maria var også splittet mellem kærlighed og frygt, mellem moderkærlighed og familiestolthed. Selv om hun var plaget af tvivl, kunne hun aldrig helt glemme Gabriels besøg, før Jesus blev født. Farisæerne havde arbejdet på at overbevise Maria om, at Jesus var ude af sig selv, dement. De opfordrede hende til at gå med sine sønner og forsøge at afholde ham fra yderligere forsøg på offentlig undervisning. De forsikrede Maria om, at Jesus’ helbred snart ville bryde sammen, og at det kun kunne føre til vanære og skam for hele familien, hvis de lod ham fortsætte. Så da ordet kom fra Judes svigerinde, tog de alle fem straks af sted til Zebedæus’ hus efter at have været sammen hjemme hos Maria, hvor de havde mødtes med farisæerne aftenen før. De havde talt med lederne i Jerusalem til langt ud på natten, og alle var mere eller mindre overbeviste om, at Jesus opførte sig mærkeligt, og at han havde gjort det i et stykke tid. Ruth kunne ikke forklare hele hans opførsel, men hun insisterede på, at han altid havde behandlet sin familie retfærdigt og nægtede at gå med til programmet med at forsøge at afskrække ham fra yderligere arbejde.		154:6.1 (1721.1) It was about eight o’clock on this Sunday morning when five members of Jesus’ earth family arrived on the scene in response to the urgent summons of Jude’s sister-in-law. Of all his family in the flesh, only one, Ruth, believed wholeheartedly and continuously in the divinity of his mission on earth. Jude and James, and even Joseph, still retained much of their faith in Jesus, but they had permitted pride to interfere with their better judgment and real spiritual inclinations. Mary was likewise torn between love and fear, between mother love and family pride. Though she was harassed by doubts, she could never quite forget the visit of Gabriel ere Jesus was born. The Pharisees had been laboring to persuade Mary that Jesus was beside himself, demented. They urged her to go with her sons and seek to dissuade him from further efforts at public teaching. They assured Mary that soon Jesus’ health would break, and that only dishonor and disgrace could come upon the entire family as a result of allowing him to go on. And so, when the word came from Jude’s sister-in-law, all five of them started at once for Zebedee’s house, having been together at Mary’s home, where they had met with the Pharisees the evening before. They had talked with the Jerusalem leaders long into the night, and all were more or less convinced that Jesus was acting strangely, that he had acted strangely for some time. While Ruth could not explain all of his conduct, she insisted that he had always treated his family fairly and refused to agree to the program of trying to dissuade him from further work.
154:6.2 (1721.2) På vej til Zebedæus’ hus talte de om disse ting og blev enige om at forsøge at overtale Jesus til at komme med dem hjem, for, sagde Maria: “Jeg ved, at jeg kunne påvirke min søn, hvis han bare ville komme hjem og lytte til mig.” James og Jude havde hørt rygter om planerne om at arrestere Jesus og føre ham til Jerusalem for at blive stillet for retten. De frygtede også for deres egen sikkerhed. Så længe Jesus var en populær skikkelse i offentligheden, lod hans familie tingene køre på skinner, men nu, hvor folk i Kapernaum og lederne i Jerusalem pludselig havde vendt sig imod ham, begyndte de at føle presset fra den formodede skam over deres pinlige position.		154:6.2 (1721.2) On the way to Zebedee’s house they talked these things over and agreed among themselves to try to persuade Jesus to come home with them, for, said Mary: “I know I could influence my son if he would only come home and listen to me.” James and Jude had heard rumors concerning the plans to arrest Jesus and take him to Jerusalem for trial. They also feared for their own safety. As long as Jesus was a popular figure in the public eye, his family allowed matters to drift along, but now that the people of Capernaum and the leaders at Jerusalem had suddenly turned against him, they began keenly to feel the pressure of the supposed disgrace of their embarrassing position.
154:6.3 (1721.3) De havde forventet at møde Jesus, tage ham til side og opfordre ham til at tage med dem hjem. De havde tænkt sig at forsikre ham om, at de ville glemme hans forsømmelse af dem—de ville tilgive og glemme—hvis han bare ville opgive det tåbelige i at forsøge at prædike en ny religion, som kun kunne bringe ham selv problemer og vanære over hans familie. Til alt dette ville Ruth kun sige: “Jeg vil fortælle min bror, at jeg synes, han er en Guds mand, og at jeg håber, han vil være villig til at dø, før han tillader disse onde farisæere at stoppe hans forkyndelse.” Josef lovede at holde Ruth stille, mens de andre arbejdede med Jesus.		154:6.3 (1721.3) They had expected to meet Jesus, take him aside, and urge him to go home with them. They had thought to assure him that they would forget his neglect of them—they would forgive and forget—if he would only give up the foolishness of trying to preach a new religion which could bring only trouble to himself and dishonor upon his family. To all of this Ruth would say only: “I will tell my brother that I think he is a man of God, and that I hope he would be willing to die before he would allow these wicked Pharisees to stop his preaching.” Joseph promised to keep Ruth quiet while the others labored with Jesus.
154:6.4 (1721.4) Da de nåede frem til Zebedæus’ hus, var Jesus i fuld gang med at holde sin afskedstale til disciplene. De forsøgte at komme ind i huset, men det var overfyldt til bristepunktet. Til sidst slog de sig ned på verandaen bagved og fik ordet bragt videre til Jesus fra person til person, så det til sidst blev hvisket til ham af Simon Peter, som afbrød sin tale med det formål, og som sagde: “Se, din mor og dine brødre er udenfor, og de er meget ivrige efter at tale med dig” Nu faldt det ikke hans mor ind, hvor vigtigt det var at give denne afskedshilsen til hans tilhængere, og hun vidste heller ikke, at hans tale sandsynligvis ville blive afbrudt hvert øjeblik, når hans fangevogtere ankom. Hun troede virkelig, at Jesus efter så lang tids tilsyneladende fremmedgørelse og i betragtning af, at hun og hans brødre havde vist den nåde faktisk at komme hen til ham, ville holde op med at tale og komme hen til dem i det øjeblik, han fik at vide, at de ventede.		154:6.4 (1721.4) When they reached the Zebedee house, Jesus was in the very midst of delivering his parting address to the disciples. They sought to gain entrance to the house, but it was crowded to overflowing. Finally they established themselves on the back porch and had word passed in to Jesus, from person to person, so that it finally was whispered to him by Simon Peter, who interrupted his talking for the purpose, and who said: “Behold, your mother and your brothers are outside, and they are very anxious to speak with you.” Now it did not occur to his mother how important was the giving of this parting message to his followers, neither did she know that his address was likely to be terminated any moment by the arrival of his apprehenders. She really thought, after so long an apparent estrangement, in view of the fact that she and his brothers had shown the grace actually to come to him, that Jesus would cease speaking and come to them the moment he received word they were waiting.
154:6.5 (1722.1) Det var bare endnu et af de tilfælde, hvor hans jordiske familie ikke kunne forstå, at han måtte være optaget af sin fars arbejde. Og derfor blev Maria og hans brødre dybt sårede, da de, på trods af at han holdt en pause i sin tale for at modtage budskabet, i stedet for at han skyndte sig ud for at hilse på dem, hørte hans musikalske stemme tale med øget volumen: “Sig til min mor og mine brødre, at de ikke skal være bange for mig. Faderen, som sendte mig til verden, vil ikke forlade mig, og der skal ikke ske min familie noget ondt. Bed dem være ved godt mod og sætte deres lid til rigets Fader. Men når alt kommer til alt, hvem er min mor, og hvem er mine brødre?”Og han strakte sine hænder ud mod alle sine disciple, der var samlet i lokalet, og sagde: “Jeg har ingen mor, jeg har ingen brødre. Se min mor, og se mine brødre! For enhver, der gør min Faders vilje, som er i himlene, han er min moder, min broder og min søster.”		154:6.5 (1722.1) It was just another of those instances in which his earth family could not comprehend that he must be about his Father’s business. And so Mary and his brothers were deeply hurt when, notwithstanding that he paused in his speaking to receive the message, instead of his rushing out to greet them, they heard his musical voice speak with increased volume: “Say to my mother and my brothers that they should have no fear for me. The Father who sent me into the world will not forsake me; neither shall any harm come upon my family. Bid them be of good courage and put their trust in the Father of the kingdom. But, after all, who is my mother and who are my brothers?” And stretching forth his hands toward all of his disciples assembled in the room, he said: “I have no mother; I have no brothers. Behold my mother and behold my brethren! For whosoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, the same is my mother, my brother, and my sister.”
154:6.6 (1722.2) Og da Maria hørte disse ord, brød hun sammen i Judes arme. De bar hende ud i haven for at genoplive hende, mens Jesus sagde de sidste ord i sit afskedsbudskab. Derefter ville han være gået ud for at tale med sin mor og sine brødre, men en budbringer ankom i hast fra Tiberias med besked om, at embedsmændene fra sanhedrinet var på vej med bemyndigelse til at arrestere Jesus og føre ham til Jerusalem. Andreas modtog denne besked og afbrød Jesus og fortalte ham den.		154:6.6 (1722.2) And when Mary heard these words, she collapsed in Jude’s arms. They carried her out in the garden to revive her while Jesus spoke the concluding words of his parting message. He would then have gone out to confer with his mother and his brothers, but a messenger arrived in haste from Tiberias bringing word that the officers of the Sanhedrin were on their way with authority to arrest Jesus and carry him to Jerusalem. Andrew received this message and, interrupting Jesus, told it to him.
154:6.7 (1722.3) Andreas huskede ikke, at David havde udstationeret 25 vagtposter omkring Zebedæus’ hus, og at ingen kunne overraske dem, så han spurgte Jesus, hvad der skulle gøres. Mesteren stod der i tavshed, mens hans mor, som havde hørt ordene “Jeg har ingen mor,” kom sig over chokket i haven. Det var netop på dette tidspunkt, at en kvinde i rummet rejste sig og udbrød: “Velsignet er det skød, der har født dig, og velsignet er de bryster, der har ammet dig.” Jesus vendte sig et øjeblik væk fra sin samtale med Andreas for at svare kvinden: “Nej, salig er snarere den, der hører Guds ord og tør adlyde det.”		154:6.7 (1722.3) Andrew did not recall that David had posted some twenty-five sentinels about the Zebedee house, and that no one could take them by surprise; so he asked Jesus what should be done. The Master stood there in silence while his mother, having heard the words, “I have no mother,” was recovering from the shock in the garden. It was at just this time that a woman in the room stood up and exclaimed, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and blessed are the breasts that nursed you.” Jesus turned aside a moment from his conversation with Andrew to answer this woman by saying, “No, rather is the one blessed who hears the word of God and dares to obey it.”
154:6.8 (1722.4) Maria og Jesus’ brødre troede, at Jesus ikke forstod dem, at han havde mistet interessen for dem, men de var ikke klar over, at det var dem, der ikke forstod Jesus. Jesus forstod fuldt ud, hvor svært det er for mennesker at bryde med deres fortid. Han vidste, hvordan mennesker bliver påvirket af prædikantens veltalenhed, og hvordan samvittigheden reagerer på følelsesmæssig appel, som sindet gør på logik og fornuft, men han vidste også, hvor langt sværere det er at overtale mennesker til at afvise fortiden.		154:6.8 (1722.4) Mary and Jesus’ brothers thought that Jesus did not understand them, that he had lost interest in them, little realizing that it was they who failed to understand Jesus. Jesus fully understood how difficult it is for men to break with their past. He knew how human beings are swayed by the preacher’s eloquence, and how the conscience responds to emotional appeal as the mind does to logic and reason, but he also knew how far more difficult it is to persuade men to disown the past.
154:6.9 (1722.5) Det er for evigt sandt, at alle, der tror, de bliver misforstået eller ikke værdsat, i Jesus har en sympatiserende ven og en forstående rådgiver. Han havde advaret sine apostle om, at en mands fjender kunne være hans egen familie, men han havde næppe indset, hvor tæt denne forudsigelse ville komme til at passe på hans egen erfaring. Jesus forlod ikke sin jordiske familie for at udføre sin Faders arbejde—de forlod ham. Senere, efter Mesterens død og opstandelse, da James blev forbundet med den tidlige kristne bevægelse, led han umådeligt meget som følge af sin manglende evne til at nyde denne tidligere forbindelse med Jesus og hans disciple.		154:6.9 (1722.5) It is forever true that all who may think they are misunderstood or not appreciated have in Jesus a sympathizing friend and an understanding counselor. He had warned his apostles that a man’s foes may be they of his own household, but he had hardly realized how near this prediction would come to apply to his own experience. Jesus did not forsake his earth family to do his Father’s work—they forsook him. Later on, after the Master’s death and resurrection, when James became connected with the early Christian movement, he suffered immeasurably as a result of his failure to enjoy this earlier association with Jesus and his disciples.
154:6.10 (1723.1) Da Jesus gennemgik disse begivenheder, valgte han at lade sig lede af sit menneskelige sinds begrænsede viden. Han ønskede at gennemgå oplevelsen med sine medarbejdere som et almindeligt menneske. Og det lå i Jesu menneskelige sind at se sin familie, før han tog af sted. Han ønskede ikke at stoppe midt i sin tale og dermed gøre deres første møde efter så lang tids adskillelse til en offentlig affære. Han havde tænkt sig at afslutte sin tale og derefter besøge dem, før han tog af sted, men denne plan blev forpurret af den sammensværgelse af begivenheder, der fulgte umiddelbart efter.		154:6.10 (1723.1) In passing through these events, Jesus chose to be guided by the limited knowledge of his human mind. He desired to undergo the experience with his associates as a mere man. And it was in the human mind of Jesus to see his family before he left. He did not wish to stop in the midst of his discourse and thus render their first meeting after so long a separation such a public affair. He had intended to finish his address and then have a visit with them before leaving, but this plan was thwarted by the conspiracy of events which immediately followed.
154:6.11 (1723.2) Deres hastige flugt blev forstærket af, at en gruppe af Davids budbringere ankom til bagindgangen til Zebedæus’ hjem. Den tumult, som disse mænd skabte, skræmte apostlene til at tro, at de nyankomne kunne være deres fjender, og af frygt for straks at blive anholdt, skyndte de sig ud gennem den forreste indgang og hen til den ventende båd. Og alt dette forklarer, hvorfor Jesus ikke træf sin familie som ventede på bagsidens veranda.		154:6.11 (1723.2) The haste of their flight was augmented by the arrival of a party of David’s messengers at the rear entrance of the Zebedee home. The commotion produced by these men frightened the apostles into thinking that these new arrivals might be their apprehenders, and in fear of immediate arrest, they hastened through the front entrance to the waiting boat. And all of this explains why Jesus did not see his family waiting on the back porch.
154:6.12 (1723.3) Men han sagde til David Zebedæus, da han i hast gik ind i båden: “Fortæl min mor og mine brødre, at jeg sætter pris på, at de er kommet, og at jeg havde til hensigt at se dem. Forman dem til ikke at tage anstød af mig, men snarere at søge viden om Guds vilje og nåde og mod til at gøre den vilje.”		154:6.12 (1723.3) But he did say to David Zebedee as he entered the boat in hasty flight: “Tell my mother and my brothers that I appreciate their coming, and that I intended to see them. Admonish them to find no offense in me but rather to seek for a knowledge of the will of God and for grace and courage to do that will.”
7. Den forhastede flugt ^top		7. The Hasty Flight ^top
154:7.1 (1723.4) Og sådan var det denne søndag morgen, den toogtyvende maj i år 29 e.Kr., at Jesus sammen med sine tolv apostle og de tolv evangelister tog denne hastige flugt fra Sanhedrinets officerer, som var på vej til Betsaida med bemyndigelse fra Herodes Antipas til at arrestere ham og føre ham til Jerusalem for at blive anklaget for blasfemi og andre overtrædelser af jødernes hellige love. Klokken var næsten halv ni denne smukke morgen, da dette selskab på femogtyve bemandede årerne og trak mod den østlige bred af Galilæas Sø.		154:7.1 (1723.4) And so it was on this Sunday morning, the twenty-second of May, in the year a.d. 29, that Jesus, with his twelve apostles and the twelve evangelists, engaged in this hasty flight from the Sanhedrin officers who were on their way to Bethsaida with authority from Herod Antipas to arrest him and take him to Jerusalem for trial on charges of blasphemy and other violations of the sacred laws of the Jews. It was almost half past eight this beautiful morning when this company of twenty-five manned the oars and pulled for the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
154:7.2 (1723.5) Efter Mesterens båd fulgte et andet og mindre fartøj med seks af Davids budbringere, som havde fået besked på at holde kontakt med Jesus og hans medarbejdere og sørge for, at oplysninger om deres opholdssted og sikkerhed regelmæssigt blev sendt til Zebedæus’ hjem i Betsaida, som i nogen tid havde fungeret som hovedkvarter for rigets arbejde. Men Jesus kom aldrig mere til at bo i Zebedæus’ hus. Fra nu af, i resten af sit jordiske liv, havde Mesteren virkelig “ikke noget sted at lægge sit hoved.” Han havde ikke engang længere antydningen af en fast bopæl.		154:7.2 (1723.5) Following the Master’s boat was another and smaller craft, containing six of David’s messengers, who had instructions to maintain contact with Jesus and his associates and to see that information of their whereabouts and safety was regularly transmitted to the home of Zebedee in Bethsaida, which had served as headquarters for the work of the kingdom for some time. But Jesus was never again to make his home at the house of Zebedee. From now on, throughout the remainder of his earth life, the Master truly “had not where to lay his head.” No more did he have even the semblance of a settled abode.
154:7.3 (1723.6) De roede over til landsbyen Geresa, satte deres båd i venners varetægt og begyndte vandringen i dette begivenhedsrige sidste år af Mesterens liv på jorden. I et stykke tid opholdt de sig i Filips domæne, hvor de gik fra Geresa op til Cæsarea-Philippi og derfra videre over til Fønikiens kyst.		154:7.3 (1723.6) They rowed over to near the village of Kheresa, put their boat in the custody of friends, and began the wanderings of this eventful last year of the Master’s life on earth. For a time they remained in the domains of Philip, going from Kheresa up to Caesarea-Philippi, thence making their way over to the coast of Phoenicia.
154:7.4 (1723.7) Folkemængden blev hængende ved Zebedæus’ hjem og så de to både sejle over søen mod den østlige bred, og de var godt i gang, da officererne fra Jerusalem skyndte sig at begynde deres eftersøgning af Jesus. De nægtede at tro, at han var undsluppet dem, og mens Jesus og hans følge rejste nordpå gennem Batanea, brugte farisæerne og deres hjælpere næsten en hel uge på forgæves at lede efter ham i nærheden af Kapernaum.		154:7.4 (1723.7) The crowd lingered about the home of Zebedee watching these two boats make their way over the lake toward the eastern shore, and they were well started when the Jerusalem officers hurried up and began their search for Jesus. They refused to believe he had escaped them, and while Jesus and his party were journeying northward through Batanea, the Pharisees and their assistants spent almost a full week vainly searching for him in the neighborhood of Capernaum.
154:7.5 (1724.1) Jesu familie vendte tilbage til deres hjem i Kapernaum og brugte næsten en uge på at tale, debattere og bede. De var fyldt med forvirring og bestyrtelse. De havde ikke fred i sindet før torsdag eftermiddag, da Ruth vendte tilbage fra et besøg i Zebedæus’ hus, hvor hun hørte fra David, at hendes farbror var i sikkerhed og ved godt helbred og på vej mod den fønikiske kyst.		154:7.5 (1724.1) Jesus’ family returned to their home in Capernaum and spent almost a week in talking, debating, and praying. They were filled with confusion and consternation. They enjoyed no peace of mind until Thursday afternoon, when Ruth returned from a visit to the Zebedee house, where she learned from David that her father-brother was safe and in good health and making his way toward the Phoenician coast.