Jesus and the Young Man Who Was Afraid
Excerpt from, Son of Man: Urantia
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Godspeed, everyone.
Bob
Jesus, Gonod, and Ganid were hiking in the mountains one day when they came across a young man named Fortune. He had experienced difficult times in his life, the hardest being his father dying when he was twelve years old. As a result Fortune was afraid and depressed, and he had shied away from people for most of his life preferring instead to hide himself up there on the mountain. When the three encountered Fortune on the trail Jesus asked him why he was so depressed on such a beautiful day, and if there was any way they could help him. Fortune just ignored him, so Jesus tried a second time. He said he knew that Fortune was up there on the mountain because he wanted to be left alone, and that was all right. But then Jesus asked Fortune if he would be kind enough to help the three of them find their way through the mountains to Phenix, so they would not get lost. This request aroused Fortune’s attention because he knew all of the trails across the mountain by heart. By the time the young man was done he had drawn a map in the dirt with all of the paths leading to Phenix, and told Jesus everything they needed to know to make the trip through the mountains.
As Jesus, Gonod, and Ganid turned to leave Jesus stopped and looked back at the young man. Again, Jesus said that he knew Fortune wanted to be left alone up on the mountain in his misery. But this time Jesus also said that it would not be correct for the three of them to have accepted Fortune’s help without them at least returning the favor, and answering Fortune’s question on how to find the destiny in his heart. Jesus explained that he knew the way to the hopes in Fortune’s heart just as well as Fortune knew the paths to Phenix, and since Fortune had asked Jesus to show him the way he would not disappoint him.
Fortune was now in a predicament: he did not think that he had asked Jesus for anything and he managed to stammer that out in reply. But Jesus disagreed. He said that Fortune may not have asked him for help in words, but he did with the look in his eyes. Jesus then asked Fortune to sit with him as he explained how to joyfully serve God in heaven. After listening to Jesus, the young man dropped to his knees at Jesus’ feet and pleaded for a way out of his grief. Jesus told Fortune to get off of his knees and stand tall like a man: he said that everything Fortune was afraid of was insignificant when compared to the real things that were on his side in the universe. Jesus explained that Fortune was trying to run away from his problems, but no one can do that. Our problems are not only real, but have to be faced when and where we find them. Jesus said that Fortune had a better mind and body than most men, and that he could do many wonderful things with them if he were not sitting useless on that mountain wallowing in self-pity—the sun rose on him every morning just like it did on those people who were rich or in power. Fortune could also train his mind to solve his problems, and to have the courage to face adversity rather than submitting to fear, defeat, and depression. But for this to happen, Fortune had to put aside his human fears and open himself to the divine sprit living inside of him. If he did this it would free Fortune’s spiritual nature to come forth as living faith that he is a child of God, and release him from the error—or evil—that results from inaction.
Ending his personal sermon, Jesus told Fortune that he was now reborn of the spirit in service to humanity for the sake of God; that by casting aside his fear and cowardice to serve God he would align himself with the universe and in fact be born again, but this time born of the spirit of God. And forevermore he would overcome obstacles and disappointments by serving God in eternity and humanity on Earth. Fortune was fruitful, and became one of the early Christian leaders in Crete.
Jesus and the Young Man Who Was Afraid