Commitment to the Light

CHAPTER 5

Yeshua and Miriam travel to Nazareth to stay a short time with Yeshua’s family, to hear of the events that took place in their lives while they were away, and to share with them the things that they experienced in their travels. Yeshua speaks with his Mother, Miryam, as well as to his brothers and other close kinsfolk about the events of the future that will come to pass. He explains that the time has come that he must begin the fullness of his purpose on the Earth and asks for their support.

 1 The remainder of the trip to Nazareth was uneventful. But the arrival of Yeshua and Miriam was an occasion for great celebration among their family and friends.

 2 Yeshua’s brothers desired to give a feast in honor of his return as was common custom, but Yeshua, knowing of their humble means, told them, “Thank you for your kindness, but a greater honor would be to hear of your lives since we have been gone that we may gain some of the joy that we have missed.”

 3 In accordance with his wishes, his family gathered around and shared all that had occurred with them in his absence. They spoke late into the night and the following day as well, until Yeshua and Miriam knew so much of what had transpired while they were gone that it seemed in their thoughts, as if they had never departed.

 4 During the succeeding days and nights, Yeshua and Miriam also related to their family and friends in Nazareth many of the events that had occurred to them while they were away.

 5 On the seventh day after their arrival, Yeshua and Miriam asked to speak in private with Yeshua’s earthly mother, Miryam. In accordance with their wishes, they met alone in the house of Yeshua’s brother after the midday meal, when the men went back to work and after the wives had departed to the houses of the other brothers.

 6 At last, alone and with no others, Miryam came and embraced Yeshua and Miriam, and there were tears in her eyes. “I have missed you so much,” she said wiping her eyes with her finger. “Tell me you are here now to stay, and I can grow old with all of my children to nurture me and my grandchildren to uplift me and make me feel young again.”

 7 Miriam and Yeshua stepped back, and Yeshua held his mother with a hand on each of her shoulders. He bent down and kissed her twice on each cheek, alternating one and then the other, and he said unto her, “I wish I could tell you the sweet words you wish to hear, Mother, but you know it is not my destiny to live and die as a carpenter in the village where I was born.”

 8 Miryam trembled as she replied, “I know you have a great calling, my son. I have known it from the day when you were conceived as a miracle from God. But Palestine is a small land and Galilee even smaller; can you not find a way to be who you must be and still come home each night to your family?”

 9 Yeshua pulled his mother closer, embracing her tightly, “If it were only for the people of Galilee or Palestine that I labored, I would sleep every night within the walls of my home in Nazareth.

 10 But I am the Celestine Light of Elohim come to the world, and the foundations I must lay will take me beyond this sanctuary of family and support.

 11 I must seek out those who will carry the torch of Elohim once I am gone and teach them in the ways they should go that they might spread the Celestine Light of Heaven to all the world, even though there will be but few who are ready to receive it.

 12 So too, I must confront those in power, both those over the flesh and those over the spirit, to declare that which is darkness and give that which is light, that for all time thereafter the spirit of the simple truths of Elohim will permeate the Earth and give courage to the true Children of Light, wherever they may be.

 13 Thereafter, men will have the spirit of truth to guide them if they seek it, to not be swayed by the craftiness of Caesars and priests who make laws of Elohim unto themselves and take the freedom of men and make them slaves.”

 13 Miryam was crying openly now. She hit his chest lightly with her hand, “No, Yeshua, no. Do you think the Romans will just let you tell them they are wrong? Do you think the Sadducees will simply ignore you if you speak against them? No, I tell you, no. If you do these things, you will be killed and then where will your family be?”

 14 Yeshua led his mother by the hand to a bench, and they both sat upon it. He held both of her hands as he looked into her eyes. His wife Miriam came to stand beside him, with a hand upon his shoulder, and he said unto Miryam, “Mother, there are some things that shall come to pass that you must know. You must be strong for the things which I shall tell you.

 15 Know that you shall not be alone for that which shall come to pass. Miriam will be with you, and many others dear to you that you do not even yet know. And Elohim shall ever protect you, comfort you, and provide for you.

 16 You have spoken true. I will be killed because of that which I must do. But know that no man could take my life except I willingly gave it and that I will not give it until my work is finished.

 17 Know also that my death is not the end, but the beginning, and that I must die that all men and women may have the opportunity to live.

 18 My life is like unto the building of a great edifice of the finest stone. Before the construction begins you see only the stones of which the building will be made. You may marvel at the beauty and uniqueness of the stones, but when the building is finished and the last stone is laid, you will no longer think of the stones, for they will have been transformed into something grandeur, of even greater wonder.

 19 That which is laid in mortality shall rise in immortality, far greater and more magnificent.

 20 I have come to bring the fullness of the Celestine Light of Elohim to the children of men. But even greater still, I have come to conquer the sting of death, that never more will it be the end of light and the beginning of darkness, but henceforth be the end of darkness and the beginning of light, the end of the finite and the beginning of forever.”

 21 Miryam was no longer weeping, and she softly patted Yeshua’s hand, saying, “I know you have great things to do, son, but what of your family? Do you not also have a responsibility for their welfare? Would God ask such devotion of you that your family would suffer?”

 22 “Fear not, Mother,” Yeshua replied. “Though there will be trials and tribulations for you and Miriam and our children, as the Sun brings the light of life, I promise you the eternal love of Elohim shall always guide and protect the treasures of my heart and provide the means whereby all may live and grow.

 23 If it were not so, I would not have been born into the world, for love is the greatest gift of God. And it is because of love that I have desire and commitment for all things.

 24 Love is ever faithful; it ever abides. It is only because of love that I can do what I must do.

 25 With love, you need have no fear, for you will always have peace within your heart, even when it also aches.

 26 It is because of the love of a son for his mother, because of the love of a husband for his wife, because of the love of a father for his children, and because of the love of Elohim for the Children of Light that you may know with a certainty that as great as you know me now in the flesh, you will know me even greater in the spirit.

 27 And as great as I watch over and nurture the treasures of my heart in the flesh, I shall watch over and nurture them even more in the spirit.

 28 Fear not to have me gone in the flesh, for I will be with you even more in the spirit, far more than you can begin to know on this day.”

 29 Miryam smiled at her son with contentment. “Your words comfort me, Yeshua, and I know that the power of God is in you. Therefore, there is peace in my heart that what will be is what should be. Call on me for what you will. I will never fail you or your family.”

 30 Yeshua embraced Miryam again and kissed her softly on her forehead, “Thank you for being the special daughter of God that you are. My cup overflows with the blessings that you bring into my life.”

 31 Then turning to his wife, he took her hand and put it into the hand of his mother, saying, “May you, the two greatest lights in my heart, ever embrace each other in sisterhood.

 32 May you ever be the support, one for the other: the woman who knew me as only a mother could and the woman who knows me as only the most perfect companion of my life and eternity can.”

 33 The following day, Yeshua went with Miriam to the house of Yakov and called his brothers and other close kinfolk to speak with them about the days to come, and he said unto them, “You are my closest family upon the Earth. Although you do not understand my purpose, you know I have been called of God to live a life different from all others.

 34 You have been kind through the years to give shelter and support to me and my family when called upon, without thought for your own inconvenience.

 35 On the morrow, I begin to fulfill the fullness of my purpose upon the Earth. I must step past the boundaries of Nazareth and journey into Galilee and beyond to preach the Celestine Light of Elohim. Miriam must come with me, for she is to be a witness of all things.

 36. Can I ask you now, my brothers, to love our children as your own in the days when they are here in Nazareth and we are away? To succor our children when I am not there to provide for their welfare? Will you love them, even as we love them?

 37 Can we begin, here in humble Nazareth, to lay a foundation for a Community of Light upon the Earth, where all the children are loved and nurtured by all the men and women as if they were their own?”

 38 His brothers spoke among themselves briefly about the thing that he was asking, but each had been touched by the spirit of Elohim throughout their life and knew that even as it was given to Yeshua to bring the light, it was given to them to uphold it.

 39 Yakov stepped forward, and speaking for his brothers, he laughed heartily and said, “You have been strange since you were young, Yeshua. There were times when we thought we should need to shutter you up until you became right in the head.

 40 But you have shown us the error of our thoughts and have proven by your words and deeds to be chosen of God for a mighty purpose.

 41 We fear for you, brother, for you give teachings that speak against the laws and traditions of our people and will antagonize the Romans and the Sanhedrin.

 42 Were your teachings to come from a lesser man, even one that is our brother, we would leave you to reap the pain your actions will bring.

 43 But we have also understood marvelous things from your words: things which we never would have supposed, which have given light and happiness to our lives and the lives of our families.

 44 Despite the dangers that heeding your words can bring, you have touched our hearts with your heart and our minds with the sense of your teachings so much so that even now, we can no longer believe many of the things which we believed in the past, for you have given us greater knowledge that resonates in reason, and deeper in our hearts.

 45 Verily, in the light and merit of the new, that which is old seems dark and foolish.

 46 Therefore, go where you must, be gone as you will, and Miriam too. Your children will be as our children, all of our children; where before they had a father and a mother, now they will have many fathers and mothers; where before they had only each other, now they will have many brothers and sisters.”

 47 Then everyone came and embraced one another and the love and gratitude that permeated the room from all present was great.

 48 That night, Yeshua and Miriam told their children that they would be oftentimes gone, sometimes for long periods of time. They also told them that they would now be a part of every one of their uncle’s families and that their cousins would be as brothers and sisters.

 49 At first, the children were apprehensive, but after speaking more with their parents, they became calm and began to talk about the benefits they might enjoy with such an arrangement.

 50 After the children slept, Miriam lay beside Yeshua and cuddled beneath his arm, speaking quietly, “All has transpired with both our children and your brothers as best as we could have hoped. But I feel negligent to leave without giving them additional support, for we are asking them to feed two more mouths and to teach two more minds.”

 51 “You are right, Miriam,” Yeshua answered. “But we have nothing of value to give to them. I can no longer work in carpentry, for all my time must be given to fulfill the purposes of Elohim and the treasure of the Magi is no more.

 52 Let us journey from Nazareth tomorrow. It is my desire to begin to gather disciples unto me, but let us also seek to be guided to a small treasure of the Earth that the care of our children not a burden upon our family.”