The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 283 -
A Father's Entreaty
WHEN JOSEPH CAME into the village and looked at the work to be done,
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there the hue and cry already came after him, especially on the part of the shriveled boy's father.
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The latter had at once sought out the parents of the dead shepherd boy and incited them against Joseph.
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And these ran hastily and desperately over to Joseph and shouted,
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'Begone from here with your terrible Child, with which every word is an accomplished deed!
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For children are always supposed to be a blessing to mankind from above;
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but your Child is only come to curse us!
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Therefore be gone from here, you bringer of woe!'
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Here the little Jesus retorted: 'If so, what then are you to Me?
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Did you, father of Annas, not tell the shepherd boy that he should kill Me?
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Did you not even promise him a good reward if he should kill Me, since he acted safely because he was not yet subject to the law?
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And behold, thus I also thought in My early enlightenment of Spirit:
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I too am still far from being subject to the law; therefore I shall also give the boy his well-deserved reward immediately.
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And if you take Me or father Joseph before the court, we too will know how to explain the law to you.
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See, thus I have thought like you and also acted upon it. How then can you find your own conduct unjust in us?'
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At these words of the little Jesus the father of the shriveled boy was seized with a great fear;
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for he saw therefrom very clearly that this little Boy also knew the thoughts and the secret resolves of men,
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and that one would have to be very careful of Him.
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Thereupon all the shouters left Joseph and the little Jesus.
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Only the father of the slain child remained before Joseph and wept for his boy and said, 'Killing is no art, but restoring to life is!
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Therefore no one should ever kill who cannot restore to life!'
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And the little Jesus replied, 'That I could do also, if I wanted to; but your boy was bad, therefore I do not want to!' - Upon these words the father began to entreat the little Boy. And the little Jesus said, 'Tomorrow, but not today!'