The
Journey
(Part One)
By
Abp. Leslie "Mary" Trombly
Copyright(c)2002
Biblical References: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
A few weeks ago the Lord invited me to take a journey with Him to the past. Eagerly, I grabbed His hand and off we went. I asked Him where we were going and He replied,"Back to when I walked on this earth as a man." Time and space seemed but a blink of an eye and we were back in Bethlehem. I asked Him what we were doing here and He answered, "I want you to walk my life with me" felt honored, but humbled. Why did He pick me to show this to? Knowing my very thought, He said, "Because I want you to tell my people about it. I want them to know, how much my Father and your Father Loves you. I want them to know how much I love them." "But why me?" I thought. He went on to say that He had chosen me because I already had the knowledge of what it was like to walk in His footsteps, even though I have tripped and fallen many times.
As we walked the streets of Bethlehem, I saw his father, Joseph and His mother, Mary, arrive for the census. I watched as they were turned away from the inn because it was too full and the pain in Mary's face was hurtful. I knew she was preparing to give birth to our beloved Lord and Savior and the labor pains were coming hard and fast. The innkeeper showed them a cave on the side of a mountain where sheep were kept and told them they could use that. So off they went with Mary on the donkey and Joseph coaxing the animal to move cautiously over the stones to the cave. When they arrived, Joseph took the manger and emptied the water out of it into wooden buckets and dried it out. Joseph laid some straw into it so "his" son would have a place to lay his head. Such love was emitting from His face! He knew this was not his son, but God's son and he willing took the responsibility for Him after He understood what God's purpose was.
Meanwhile outside the cave there was a great noise. I asked Jesus, if we could go outside and see. He agreed. So out we went and I saw the brightest and biggest star I have ever seen standing precisely over the cave and it was the prettiest color of blue-white I have ever seen. Over on the eastern hill there were shepherds tending their flocks. As we walked towards them, I hear the most beautiful music I had ever heard. The Sky got very bright and there was a host of angels singing and an angel from the multitude saying, "Glory to God in the Highest! Peace on earth and good will toward men. For I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people! For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Savior; which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11,14) I fell down on my knees and rejoiced. The music and voices of the Angels proclaiming the Birth of the Son Of God was overwhelming and my heart and soul leaped with great joy.
We returned to the cave and saw Jesus' mother cuddling her newborn son as she lay tired and weary from the birth process. In her eyes was such love and such joy; yet a humility of spirit and body that was unlike any I had ever beheld. I watched as Joseph gently took baby Jesus from Mary's arms and lay Him in the manger, as the shepherds approached the cave. Joseph then helped Mary into a sitting position and as I watched, even the donkey and sheep in the cave were even worshipful of the new presence in their surroundings. Then came the three Wise men, whom King Herod expected to return to tell him where this "new King" was. They presented many gifts to this Holy Child and his parents, but the greatest gifts they gave were of Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh. These three gifts would play an important part in the life and death of Jesus.
Having seen all that there was to see we journeyed forth to Nazareth, where Jesus grew up as a child after King Herod has ordered all male babies under the age of two to be killed. An angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him to flee with Mary and Jesus to a safe place and they did; finally settling in Nazareth. To see Jesus as a child growing up was wonderful. He was a typical child that had to learn as any child, but there was something special about him that made him stand out above all the rest. He had wisdom beyond his years and He radiated pure love. When He was twelve, the Lord showed me His time in the temple and the frustration His parents felt because He was in His father's House going about His father's business. I was absolutely amazed at His knowledge for someone so young. I really shouldn't have been, because He is, after all, the Son of God and has all Knowledge. He was a rare child and a Holy Child.
I asked Jesus if he was given this knowledge from the time of His birth or did He retain all knowledge that He had from heaven. He replied, " I Am and always will be." For a moment I was confused, but then I understood what He meant. When we are born we are given a "spiritual veil" so we do not have the knowledge of heaven and we can chose to serve God or to turn our backs on Him. We do retain some of it as a child, but society, family and tradition blind us and hide it permanently from us because of what we are taught. How sad! Children are born with a knowing of God and man kills it. I watched as one day, a sparrow fell from a tree dead at his feet. He bent down and picked it up with such love. He held it for a moment and then suddenly it flew away. His mother was a bit upset and reprimanded Him telling Him it was not the time yet for such things.
I continued to watch as He and His father worked in his carpenter "shop" and journeyed with them as they did the various carpentry jobs that came along. Joseph was very skilled at what he did and Jesus was a quick learner. He built His mother a special chair as a present and presented it to her. You could see the kind of love and pride that only a mother can have for her child, come from her each day for her son. Yet she knew in her heart of hearts that there was deep sorrow ahead for her. You see, when they brought Jesus as a baby to the temple for circumcision, as was the law, Simeon a temple priest was granted the right by God to see His son before he died. That wish was fulfilled. But Simeon and Anna the prophetess and wife of Phanuel spoke words to her that would rip her heart then and once again later on when Jesus was crucified. Simeon and Anna both told her that her child was set to fall and rise and that he would perish by the sword.
"And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. (Luke 2:25-38)
Mary was saddened but she also knew that He was the Son of God and he was sent for a purpose. As she pondered these things in her heart she was preparing herself for what was to be. Jesus grew in knowledge and into manhood. One year before He was to start His ministry, his father, Joseph passed away and he was sorely grieved. I watched Jesus plead with His heavenly Father to bring Joseph back to life, but His father in heaven said it was not to be. Jesus was expressing every motion of grief that one could express and yet he knew that he had to understand death in order to understand life. That was what his father in Heaven was teaching Him. Had he obliged Jesus and returned his earthly father to him he never would have learned. I asked Jesus if this was a hard lesson for him to learn considering how painful it is, in the first place to lose someone you love. He answered and said, "To each of us there are things to learn so we can understand others. For me I had to understand death in order to understand life in my father's world. In heaven there is no death, pain, sorrow or sickness but in my father's world there is and I had to learn it all so I could understand it and the purpose my father had for sending me."
From my own perspective, I was now seeing Jesus as the man who walked the earth, yet God in the flesh. The human man in the flesh and The Spirit of God strongly indwelling within this tall and thin man who emitted such love and caring, while having the truth and knowledge of all things concerning His Father and His Father's world. Jesus was a humble man and quiet in a serene sort of way. He didn't let His power and Glory go to His head; nor did He boast about it. He knew His purpose and he knew His Father's will for Him and he agreed to do it. He agreed with His Father in Heaven to come here as the ultimate Sacrifice for man's sin. He would not stray from His task, ultimate purpose and goal. I was learning much about the man Jesus and how, even though He knew full well that he was God's Savior for the world, still stayed the course knowing the final outcome would end in the exit from a tomb in glorious Resurrection.
Jesus turned my attention back to the matters at hand. - the journey we were on. He smiled and said, " Now you are learning what I was like when I walked the earth. I was just an ordinary man with an extraordinary purpose while I was on this earth. No one knew that except the Prophets of old and no one understood the great Love My Father had for His people. They thought me to be a magician and the Scribes and Pharisees thought me to be a Blasphemer. You have experienced the same thing in your walk with me in your life." It was true that I had, but I still thought of how much it must have hurt His Father and Him. What I was called by non-believers or those who claimed to be "Christian" and knowing the "truth" was nothing compared to having the very people that God put in authority in His temple do to him..
The next phase of our journey took us through his three years of preaching and teaching, healing and casting out of demons. I saw John, His cousin also known as "John the Baptist" baptize Jesus in the Jordan River. Then I heard God's Voice from heaven say," This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased." The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove flew over Jesus. what an amazing sight to behold! His disciples thought at times that Jesus was plum crazy! There was one time when the Greeks came to see Jesus during the time of the feast of Passover. "The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus. Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. (John 12:21-25). They didn't understand what he meant and went to the Greeks and told them He wasn't seeing anyone right then. He was telling them about his death and resurrection. Because they didn't understand what He was saying, they thought He had lost His mind and were getting nervous. In truth He did lose His mind. He lost the mind of man and gained the mind of God.
As Jesus and I walked through all His experiences and teachings, I saw the faces of those who understood what he was saying and those who didn't. I saw doubters and scorners and those who mocked Him. I saw him raise Jarius's daughter and Lazarus when there was doubt and disbelief - even from the disciples. The disciples wanted what Jesus had but they were not ready for that. I saw Him cast demons out of the man at Gadarene and the transformation in Him that was indescribable. I saw Him take a child like any loving father would and hug him. He explained that even though we are adults, that we must be as a child in order to enter into the Kingdom of God. What does that mean? It simple means that even though we many be adults we must be as innocent as children and as open to the Spirit of God as they are. In other words have the heart and mind of a child of God. I saw the feeding of the 4,000 and the wonder on the faces of the people when they saw a few fish and loaves turned into enough food to feed them all and still have leftovers.
On thing that amazed me most in all this was when I saw the transfiguration of Jesus. Phillip and John and Peter hid behind the rocks peeping over it's edge and also watching in utter amazement and fascination. I couldn't believe that I was being allowed to see such a wonderous thing. If there was any doubt as to who He was, that certainly cleared up and erased any doubts one would have. I sensed Elijah as one of the Prophets of old and Moses as the other, though I can not be too sure. The radiance and the brilliance from them was something to behold. You had to shade your eyes as if you were shading them from the sun. I watched the clothing on Jesus become as white as snow and His whole countenance become pure radiance. I thought what an Honor! What a privilege it was to be able to see what the chosen disciples saw. I was humbled even more. Suddenly, Jesus tapped me on the shoulder and said we must hurry, because the most important part of His life is yet to be seen. I was still in total awe of all that I was seeing and quite unprepared for what I was about to see.
The rest of this journey is completed on the Easter page. It is entitled, "The Easter Story - Part Two"..
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