Adapted from the Urantia Book original paper here.
1) Jesus left Rome like he showed up, without announcement. He, Gonod, and Ganid walked the Apian Way while their goods were loaded on a pack train for Tarentum.
2) Ganid asked Jesus about India’s caste system. Jesus replied that God only knows two types of people: those who want to do’s God’s will, and those who don’t. God is no respecter of people: all are on equal footing with God.
3) On mercy and justice. Jesus told Ganid that mercy is the function of the person, and justice is the domain of the government. Mercy is lavish, but justice must be precise. This is why judgement is best left to those groups society choses to make those decisions.
4) When talking to a man who had been hitting his wife, Jesus said: Man has no rightful authority over a woman unless she freely gives him that right. The measure of a man’s creative and spiritual self-consciousness is shown in his love and consideration for his wife and children.
5) Ganid got mad at two prostitutes that approached him and Jesus. Jesus told Ganid he didn’t know what had happened to the women to choose this line of work, so he shouldn’t judge them as bad or wicked. Jesus said life is hard, and sometimes people get confused about how to go forward.
6) To a miller, Jesus said to also grind up the grains of truth so they are easier for even the weak to receive. To the Roman centurion: give to your Caesar those things that are his, and to God those that are God’s. There’s no conflict between the two if Caesar doesn’t claim that that is God’s.
7) To the Mithraic priest, Jesus said he had made a mistake looking for God in man’s mysteries and philosophies. Know instead that God in Heaven has sent his spirit to live in all men, and that you are a son of God if you truly want to be like him.
8) To the Epicurean teacher, he said the greatest thrill of the human experience was knowing that spirit of God inside you, and embarking on the almost endless journey to the personal presence of God in Heaven.
9) To a Greek contractor, he said that while you build houses for men here on Earth, don’t neglect to build your own mansion in eternity: that there is a city built on truth and righteousness whose maker is God.
10) To a Roman judge, Jesus said that he too will be judged by the rulers of the universe: Be just and merciful to expect the same. To a young man who had run-away, Jesus said quit lying to yourself, be a real man, and live with courage and assurance you’re a son of God with eternal life.
11) And to the condemned criminal, Jesus said that if your repentance is true and your faith is sincere, you can ask for forgiveness of God and you need not fear meeting the judgement of the heavenly courts.
12) At Charax, Jesus, Ganid, and Gonod parted ways never see one another again in their lifetimes. Jesus said, “Peace be upon you, and may the blessing of the Father in heaven ever abide with you.” For Jesus, this point signaled the end of his period as Joshua, the teacher.
Okay, folks, that’s it for the Highlights to Son of Man: Urantia, Chapter 12, “The Return from Rome.”
This week’s Chapter 13 is titled, “The Transition Years.”
Take care everybody.