Ch. 30, Resting and Teaching by the Seaside
“Son of Man: Urantia,” 2nd edition
Chapter 30
Resting and Teaching by the Seaside
By March 10th all of the various groups had arrived at Bethsaida. On Thursday and Friday night many of them went out fishing, and then on Saturday they all attended the Sabbath services at the synagogue. There they heard an old Jew from Damascus speak about the glory of the father Abraham. Jesus spent most of this day alone in the hills. Later that night he spoke for over an hour on the mission of adversity and the spiritual value of disappointment. This was a memorable evening and the people never forgot his lessons.
Jesus was depressed about what had happened in Nazareth. The apostles could sense a line of sadness mixed in with his normally cheerful attitude. Peter was busy directing the new corps of evangelists, so John and James spent much of their time with Jesus. The women spent most of this period going from house to house in Capernaum and the surrounding villages teaching the gospel and ministering to the sick. Everyone was more or less waiting for the Passover in Jerusalem.
The Parable of the Sower
That Saturday evening Jesus and the apostles talked long into the night, so few of them were up the next morning for breakfast. Jesus decided to wander down to the shore where they kept Peter and Andrew’s old fishing boat to think about how to proceed. One of the decisions he made was to start using parables when teaching.
Jesus was only able to sit in peace for a short while. The word had spread that he was down on the shore, and by ten o’clock that morning almost one thousand people were crowded together on the beach yelling for his attention. Peter arrived and managed to make his way to Jesus in the boat where he asked him if he should say something to the people. Jesus said “No, Peter, I will tell them a story.”
Peter and Andrew’s boat had an elevated seat, and it was the custom back then for teachers to sit while talking with the people. After taking his seat and after Peter had spoken a few words to the crowd on the shore, Jesus began telling them the parable of the sower, one of the first of many that he would teach. Jesus said “A man went forth to plant his seeds for the coming harvest, and as he sowed his seed some of it fell on the path to be crushed underfoot and eaten by the birds of heaven. Other seeds fell in the rocks where there was only a little dirt and they immediately sprung up because there was no depth to the soil, but as soon as the sun shone they withered because they had no roots to get moisture. Other seeds fell among the thorns, and as the thorns grew up the seedlings were choked so that they yielded no grain. Still other seeds fell on good ground and when ripe yielded some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, and some a hundredfold.” Then Jesus said “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The apostles were puzzled. Later in evening when they were all in Zebedee’s garden, Matthew said “What is the meaning of these dark things that you are telling the people? Why are you speaking in parables to people who are looking for the truth?”
Jesus replied “I have been patient teaching all of you up until now. You are all supposed to know the secrets of the kingdom. But from now on to teach the crowds lacking your spiritual insight, and because among those crowds there are those who seek our destruction, we will present the kingdom’s mysteries in parables. This way those who want to join the kingdom will figure out the meaning of the parable and find salvation, while those trying to hurt us will be even more confused because they are trying to see without seeing and hear without hearing.’
“My children, do you see the law of the spirit that says ‘to him who has will be given, so that he will have abundance; but from him who has not will be taken away, even what he has.’
“From now on I will use many parables to teach so that our friends and others looking for the truth can find it, and our enemies and those who do not love the truth will hear me without understanding the lesson. Most of those people will not follow the truth. The prophet was correct describing these unseeing souls when he said ‘For these people’s hearts have hardened and their ears have dulled and their eyes have closed so that they cannot see the truth or understand it in their hearts.”’ The apostles did not understand the whole meaning of Jesus’ words. As Andrew and Thomas continued talking with Jesus, Peter and the other apostles went to another area in the garden and discussed his teaching.
Interpretation of the Parable
Peter and the group that was with him decided that the parable was an allegory; they believed that every part of the parable had some secret meaning so they went to ask Jesus for an explanation. Peter said “Master, we cannot understand this parable and since you said we are supposed to know the mysteries of the kingdom, we would like you to explain it to us.”
Jesus replied “My son, I do not want to keep anything from you, but first tell me what you and the others have been talking about. What is your interpretation of the parable?”
Peter was quiet for a moment, and then he said “I think that the sower planting the seeds is the preacher teaching the gospel, and the seeds are the word of God. The seeds that fell on the path to be stepped on are those people who do not understand the gospel teaching. The birds that ate the seeds are Satan, who steals what has been planted in those unknowing people. The seeds that sprang up in the rocks and then quickly withered away represent superficial people who do not think too much: people who are excited when they hear the good news of the kingdom but who stumble at trouble and fall away at temptation because they have no real understanding of God’s word. The seeds that fell in the thorny weeds are people who want to hear the message of the kingdom, but who allow worldly problems and the illusions of wealth to choke off the word of truth and not allow it to bear fruit. But the seeds that fell on fertile ground and that went on to bear thirty, sixty, and on occasion a hundred times their weight when harvested, represent the people who have heard the truth and then because they all have different levels of intelligence respond to it with various degrees of spiritual understanding.”
Jesus listened to Peter’s explanation, and then asked the other apostles if they had anything to add. Nathaniel said “Master, while I see much that I think is right in Simon Peter’s explanation, I am not in full agreement with all of it. For me the seed is the gospel of the kingdom, and the sower, those planting the seeds, are the messengers of the kingdom. The seeds that fell underfoot on the hardened path stand for the people who have not heard much of the gospel of the kingdom, those who do not care about it, and those who have turned their hearts against it. The birds that snatch away the seeds that fall on the path are a person’s bad habits, evil temptations, and human sexual desires. The seeds that fell in the rocks are those unstable emotional types of people who, lacking spiritual perception, are quick to believe and equally quick to give up as soon as the way becomes difficult. The seeds that fell in the thorns are those people who see the truth in the gospel and sense that they should follow it, but who have allowed fear, envy, pride, and jealousy to stop them. And the seeds that fell on good soil and that brought forth a harvest thirty, sixty, and a hundred fold represent the various degrees of ability and spiritual perception among the believers in the gospel of the kingdom.”
When Nathaniel finished speaking everyone else started taking sides and debating who was right, Peter or Nathaniel, while those two went into the house and continued their argument. Jesus let this continue until everyone had vented their ideas, and then he clapped his hands and brought them all together around him. He said “Before I begin, does anyone have anything to say?”
After a moment’s pause, Thomas said “Yes Master, I want to say a few words. I remember that you once warned us about doing this very thing. You told us that when using illustrations for our preaching we should use true stories, not fables. And that we should use the story that best demonstrates the one central truth that we want to get across to the people. But once we have made that main idea clear, we are not supposed to then try and turn every little detail of the story into some kind of a spiritual teaching. I think both Peter and Nathanial are wrong. I admire their efforts, but I am just as sure that any attempt to turn every part of a parable about nature into some kind of spiritual message will only confuse people and stop them from getting the main point of the parable. And I am right: look at what has happened to us. We were all in agreement an hour ago, but now we are not only divided in what we all think, each of us thinks we are right.”
Thomas’ words hit home and they all became quiet. Before Jesus resumed speaking, Andrew stood up and said “I think Thomas is right, and I would like him to tell us what he thinks the parable means.” Jesus motioned for Thomas to do so, and then Thomas said “I do not want to delay us, but since you ask I think that this parable has one great truth, which is no matter how hard we try to teach people the gospel there are going to be those who receive it and those who do not. This is just the result of the world we live in, and there is little if anything that we can do about it.”
After Thomas finished most of the others agreed with him, and then Jesus stood up and said “Good job, Thomas. You are correct about the true purpose of parables. But Peter and Nathaniel have also done you all just as much good by so thoroughly showing you the dangers of making allegories out of my parables. In your own thoughts you may sometimes learn from letting your imagination consider different angles to the parable, but it is a mistake to put those thoughts into your public teaching.” Peter and Nathaniel congratulated each other on their interpretations, and except for the Alpheus twins all of the other apostles made their own attempts to interpret the parable of the sower before they went to bed. Even Judas Iscariot offered a plausible interpretation.
Among themselves the apostles often discussed Jesus’ parables like they would an allegory, but they never again took those fantasies seriously. This was an important lesson for them and the others, especially since from this time on Jesus used more parables when teaching the public.
More About Parables
Now all that the apostles could think about were parables. The next evening they continued their discussion, and Jesus said “My beloved, you must always adjust your teachings to suit the minds and hearts before you. When you stand before a group of people with various intellects and temperaments you cannot say different words to each of them. But you can tell a story to get your teaching across, and each person will then make their own interpretation based on their spiritual perception. Let your light shine, but do so with wisdom and discretion. No man when he lights a lamp covers it up with a bowl or puts it under the bed. No, he puts his lamp on a night-stand so everyone can see the light. I tell you that nothing is hidden in the kingdom of heaven that will not be made manifest; neither are there any secrets that will not be ultimately made known. Eventually all of these things will come to light. Do not think only of the masses and how they hear the truth; also be sure of how you hear it. Remember that I have told you many times, ‘To him who has will be given more, while from him who has not will be taken away even what he thinks he has.’”
The following is a summary of that night’s discussion on interpreting parables and the reasons for using them in his public teaching:
1. Jesus advised against using either fables or allegories to teach the truths of the gospel. He recommended the free use of parables, especially those that had to do with nature. Jesus emphasized the value of using the analogy between the natural and the spiritual worlds as a means to teach truth, often suggesting that the natural world was “the unreal and fleeting shadow of spirit realities.”
2. Jesus recited several parables from the Hebrew scriptures showing that this form of teaching was not new. However, Jesus did change the way parables were used from this time forward.
3. A parable appeals to many different levels of mind and spirit. The parable stimulates the imagination, forces discrimination, and provokes critical thinking; it promotes sympathy without arousing antagonism.
4. The parable goes from the things that are known to the seeing of those things unknown. The parable uses the natural and material as a means of introducing the spiritual and the super-material.
5. Parables promote impartial moral decisions. The parable works without prejudice and gracefully puts new truth in someone’s mind with a minimum of resentment.
6. To reject the truth in a parable takes conscious action that is disrespectful of the person’s honesty, fairness, and judgment: hearing the parable forces one to think.
7. Using parables lets the teacher present new and even startling truths, while at the same time avoiding controversy and clashing with established authority.
8. When similar situations happen later in life, the parable helps the person remember the truth they once learned.
Close to the end of the evening’s lesson Jesus made his first comment on the parable of the sower. He said that first it reviewed his own ministry up to that time, forecasting what was ahead of him for the remainder of his life on Earth, and second, that it hinted at what the apostles and other messengers of the kingdom should expect in their ministry from generation to generation.
Jesus also used parables as the best way to counter the Jewish religious leaders when they said that his work was done with the help of demons and the prince of devils. By appealing to nature, Jesus was rejecting that type of teaching because back then all natural occurrences were thought to be the direct product of spiritual and supernatural forces. He also used parables because he could both get truth to those looking for it, while at the same time avoid giving his enemies too many excuses to charge him with a crime.
Before ending the meeting Jesus said “Now I will tell you the last part of the parable of the sower. I am testing you to see how you receive this: The kingdom of heaven is also like a man who cast good seed on the Earth and while he slept at night and went about his business by day the seeds sprang up and grew, and although he did not know how it happened the plant came to fruit. First there was the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And then when the grain was ripe, he put forth his sickle and the harvest was finished. He who has an ear to hear, let him hear.” The apostles often thought about this saying, but Jesus never again commented on this addition to the parable of the sower.
More Parables by the Sea
The next day Jesus was again in the boat teaching the people. He said “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who planted good seed in his field, but while he slept his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and then ran away. And when the young blades had sprung up and later were about to bring forth fruit there also appeared the weeds. Then this man’s servants came to him and said ‘Sir, did you plant good seeds in your field? Where did these weeds come from?’ And he replied to his servants ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants then asked their master ‘Do you want us to go out and pluck up these weeds?’ And he said ‘No, incase while you are gathering up the weeds you also uproot the wheat. Instead, let them both grow together until the harvest when I will tell the reapers to first gather up the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn, and then gather up the wheat to be stored in my barn.’”
After the people had asked a few questions, Jesus told them another parable. He said “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man planted in his field. Now a mustard seed is the smallest of seeds, but when it is full grown it becomes the most imposing of all herbs and is like a tree so that the birds of heaven are able to come and rest in its branches.”
“The kingdom of heaven is also like yeast that a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, and in this way all of the flour was leavened.”
“The kingdom of heaven is also like a treasure hidden in a field that a man discovered. In his joy he went out and sold all he had so he could have the money to buy the field.”
“The kingdom of heaven is also like a merchant seeking scarce pearls, and having found one of inordinate price he went out and sold everything he had so he could buy the extraordinary pearl.”
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea and it gathered up every kind of fish. Then when the net was filled the fishermen drew it up on the beach where they sat down and sorted out the fish, gathering the good into vessels while the bad they threw away.”
Jesus told the crowd many more parables. From this time forward he seldom taught by any other means. Then afterward in the evening classes he would explain his lessons in more depth to the apostles and evangelists.
The Visit to Kheresa
The crowds grew throughout the week. On Saturday Jesus went into the hills, but on Sunday the people were back. Peter preached to them in the morning and then Jesus spoke to them in the early afternoon. Afterward Jesus said “I am tired of the throngs of people; let us cross over to the other side of the lake so we can rest for a day.”
The Sea of Galilee is almost seven hundred feet below sea level and surrounded by high banks, especially the western portion. Steep gorges carve their way down to the sea. During the day the hot air rises into a pocket over the lake, and then after sundown the air quickly cools and rushes down these ravines to create sudden and violent gales that come on quickly and leave just as suddenly, especially during this time of year.
As Jesus and the apostles made their way across the lake with three other boats carrying the younger evangelists following them, they were hit by one of these sudden gales. The storm was strong, even though it was confined to that part of the lake: there was no sign of the tempest on the western shore. The wind was so strong that the waves started to wash over the boat, and a fierce gust of wind had torn away the sail before the apostles could haul it down. The shore was more than a mile and a half distant, and the apostles were hard at the oars trying to make way and stay afloat.
While all of this was happening Jesus was sound asleep under a small overhead shelter in the stern of the boat. He had been tired when they left Bethsaida, and the reason for going across the lake in the first place was to get some rest. The apostles were strong and experienced fishermen used to rowing in rough water, but this gale was one of the worst they had ever encountered. The wind and the waves were tossing the boat about like it was a toy ship in the water, and the whole time Jesus slept on unaware of what was happening.
Peter was on the starboard oar at the stern. When the boat started to fill up with water he let go of his oar and rushed over to Jesus and shook him. Once Jesus was awake, Peter said “Master, do you not know that we are in a violent storm? If you do not save us we will all die.”
Jesus went out on deck and into the rain. First he looked at Peter, then he peered through the darkness to see the other apostles struggling at their oars: Simon Peter was scared and still had not returned to his. Turning back to him, Jesus said “Why are you all so filled with fear? Where is your faith? Peace, be quiet.”
Almost immediately after Jesus scolded Peter and the other apostles, the storm quit. The atmosphere had reached equilibrium and a vast calm came across the lake. All at once the waves left and the clouds, now empty of water, vanished allowing the stars to shine through. As far as we can tell this was all a coincidence. But the apostles, especially Simon Peter, never quit believing that this episode was a miracle performed on nature. That was easy for them to believe because they thought nature was directly controlled by spirits and other supernatural beings.
Jesus explained to the apostles that he had been speaking to them, to their fear-filled minds and troubled spirits when he had told them to find peace and to be quiet; he emphasized that he had not commanded the elements to obey his words. But it did not matter. Every single person who followed Jesus persisted in putting their own interpretation on these kinds of events. From this day on they insisted that Jesus had absolute power over nature. For example, Peter never grew tired of saying “even the winds and the waves obey him.”
It was late when Jesus and the others reached the other side of the lake. The night was now calm, so they slept in the boats not going ashore until dawn. The next morning when they were all gathered together, about forty of them in all, Jesus said they were going into the hills to rest for a few days and ponder the problems in the Father’s kingdom.”
The Kheresa Lunatic
At this spot on the Sea of Galilee the shoreline was steep, sometimes dropping straight off into the water below. Jesus pointed to an area on a nearby hill, and said “Let us go up there under some shelter to rest and talk and eat our breakfast.”
The entire hillside was covered with small caves that had been carved into the rock. Many of these cavities were ancient sepulchers for placing dead bodies instead of burying them in the ground. About halfway up the hill on a small somewhat level spot was the cemetery for the little village of Kheresa below. As Jesus and the others passed close to this burial ground, a lunatic who lived in one of the small caves carved into the hill rushed up to them. This demented man was well known in these parts, at one time having been bound with chains and shackles and confined to one of the grottoes; long ago he had broken his fetters and now he roamed at will among the caves and tombs.
This man’s name was Amos, and he had mental problems that would come and go. There were long periods when he would put on cloths and behave himself around people, and during one of these episodes he had gone over to Bethsaida and happened to hear Jesus and the apostles teach. At that time he had become a halfhearted believer in the gospel, but soon after his mental illness reappeared and he fled back to the cemetery where he moaned, cried out aloud, and terrorized everyone who came through the area.
When Amos recognized Jesus he threw himself down at his feet, and said “I know you, Jesus, but I am possessed by many devils and I beg that you will not torment me.” This man truly believed that his periodic mental illness was due to evil spirits dominating his mind and body. But his troubles were mostly emotional: he was not sick.
Jesus looked at the man crouching at his feet like an animal. He reached down, took him by the hand, and helped him to stand up. Jesus said “Amos, you are not possessed by a devil; you have already heard the good news that you are a son of God. I command you to come out of this spell.”
Amos was immediately restored to his right mind. By this time, a large crowd from the village had gathered and these people, plus the swine herders from the highlands above them, were astonished to see the lunatic not only sitting with Jesus and the others but also sane and freely talking with them.
On seeing Amos with Jesus and the apostles, the swine herders left their animals and rushed into the village to spread the news that Jesus had tamed the lunatic. As soon as they were gone the dogs from the town charged on a small untended herd of about thirty pigs and ran most of them over a cliff into the sea. It was this event that occurred just by chance that started the legend that Jesus had cured Amos by casting a legion of devils out of him, putting the unclean spirits into a herd of swine, and then forcing them to rush off the cliff to their destruction in the sea below.
Before the day was over the pig farmers had spread the story far and wide, and the whole village believed Jesus had tamed the lunatic. Amos definitely believed that is what happened. He saw the pigs tumbling over the cliff right after his mind had quieted down, and he always believed that those pigs took with them the same evil spirits that had tormented his mind for so long. That belief had much to do with his cure being permanent. As for Jesus’ apostles, all except Thomas also believed that the event with the pigs was directly connected to curing Amos.
Jesus did not get the rest he wanted. The news of Amos being cured drew people from around the countryside. After only one night’s rest, on early Tuesday morning, Jesus and the others were woken up by a delegation of men from the gentiles who owned the pigs. They had come to urge Jesus and the others to leave the area. Their leader told Peter and Andrew, “Fishermen of Galilee, leave us and take your prophet with you. We know that he is a holy man, but the gods of our country do not know him and we risk losing many swine. We fear you, and we pray that you will leave at once.”
On hearing the swine herders, Jesus looked at Andrew and said “Let us return to our place.”
As they prepared to leave Amos begged Jesus to let him go back with the group, but Jesus refused and instead said “Amos, do not forget that you are a son of God. Return to your own people and show them the wonderful things that God has done for you.” Amos did so, telling everyone that Jesus had cast a legion of devils out of his troubled soul, put them into a herd of pigs, and quickly drove them to their own destruction. Amos did not stop declaring the magnificent things Jesus had done for him until he had gone into all the cities of the Decapolis.