Paper 130 Overview: On the Way to Rome

The Mediterranean tour that constituted a significant portion of Jesus' twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth years (A.D. 22-23) provided an unparalleled opportunity for him to experience the diverse civilizations of the Occidental world while simultaneously mentoring the young Indian seeker Ganid. This extensive journey, spanning from Jerusalem through numerous Mediterranean cities and culminating at Charax on the Persian Gulf, represented a pivotal phase in Jesus' pre-ministry preparation. During these approximately twenty months, Jesus immersed himself in the cultural, intellectual, and religious traditions of the Roman world while forging profound personal connections with individuals from various socioeconomic backgrounds, religious persuasions, and philosophical viewpoints.

This period of extensive travel served multiple purposes in the divine plan of Jesus' bestowal mission. Through his role as interpreter and teacher to Gonod and Ganid, Jesus exercised his intellectual and linguistic capabilities while absorbing valuable insights about Eastern civilizations from his Indian companions. More significantly, the personal contacts he established with countless individuals—from merchants and scholars to slaves and laborers—afforded him intimate familiarity with the human condition across diverse cultural contexts. These experiences enriched his understanding of humanity and prepared him for his future ministry, while simultaneously transforming the lives of those he encountered through his profound spiritual wisdom and compassionate engagement with their personal struggles.

The extensive journey of Jesus and his Indian companions commenced from Jerusalem on April 26, A.D. 22, and continued until December 10, A.D. 23, when Jesus bade farewell to Gonod and Ganid at Charax on the Persian Gulf. Their meticulously planned itinerary encompassed major cultural centers of the Mediterranean world, beginning with Caesarea and proceeding to Alexandria by sea. They subsequently navigated to Lasea on Crete, continued to Carthage with stops at Cyrene, and sailed to Naples via Malta, Syracuse, and Messina. After Rome, they traveled overland to Tarentum and sailed to Athens, stopping at Nicopolis and Corinth, then to Ephesus by way of Troas, followed by Cyprus and Rhodes, Sidon, Damascus, Mesopotamia, Babylon, and finally concluding at Charax.

Jesus had acquired fundamental knowledge of Gonod and Ganid's native language during a four-month period in Damascus, where he had engaged in translation work from Greek. Throughout this Mediterranean expedition, Jesus allocated approximately half of his daily schedule to instructing Ganid and serving as interpreter during Gonod's commercial negotiations and social interactions. The remaining portion of each day was devoted to establishing meaningful personal connections with individuals he encountered—interactions that would become the distinguishing feature of this formative period. Through direct observation and dialogue, Jesus familiarized himself with the higher material and intellectual civilization of the Western world, while simultaneously expanding his understanding of Eastern cultures through discussions with Gonod, who had made three extensive journeys to China. Despite Ganid's repeated entreaties for Jesus to accompany them back to India, Jesus consistently declined, citing his obligation to return to his family in Palestine.

During their sojourn in Joppa, Jesus formed a meaningful connection with Gadiah, a Philistine interpreter employed by Simon the tanner, with whom Gonod had established business relations through his Mesopotamian agents. This encounter exemplified the profound dynamics that occur "when a great truth seeker and a great truth giver meet," resulting in "a great and liberating enlightenment born of the experience of new truth." One evening, as Jesus and Gadiah strolled along the seashore, the young Philistine directed Jesus' attention to the reputed ship landing from which Jonah had supposedly embarked on his ill-fated voyage to Tarshish, and inquired whether Jesus believed the narrative of Jonah being swallowed by a large fish.

Jesus, perceiving that this traditional account had profoundly influenced Gadiah's moral development by illustrating the futility of attempting to evade responsibility, responded with thoughtful wisdom rather than literal interpretation. He framed his answer in terms of universal spiritual principles, stating: "My friend, we are all Jonahs with lives to live in accordance with the will of God, and at all times when we seek to escape the present duty of living by running away to far-off enticements, we thereby put ourselves in the immediate control of those influences which are not directed by the powers of truth and the forces of righteousness." Jesus explained that "flight from duty is the sacrifice of truth" and that escape from light and life inevitably leads to darkness and spiritual death unless the God-forsaking "Jonahs" turn their hearts toward God. This discourse profoundly affected Gadiah, who later embraced Jesus' teachings after hearing Peter preach, and subsequently influenced Simon, a wealthy leather merchant, to accept Christianity.

In a subsequent conversation with Gadiah concerning the problem of good and evil, Jesus countered the prevailing notion that God creates both good and evil. He explained that "God is so positively good that there is absolutely no place in him for negative evil," and explained that evil originates in the "immature choosing and the unthinking misstep of those who are resistant to goodness, rejectful of beauty, and disloyal to truth." Jesus described evil as "the misadaptation of immaturity" and "the disruptive and distorting influence of ignorance," emphasizing that it becomes sin only when "consciously embraced and willfully endorsed." He clarified that the Father's endowment of free will creates the potential for error, but that such errors do not truly exist until an intelligent creature consciously chooses the wrong path. This explanation satisfied Gadiah's philosophical inquiry and provided him with a coherent understanding of a perennial theological dilemma.

The travelers' stay in Caesarea was unexpectedly prolonged due to the discovery of a defective steering paddle on their intended vessel, which necessitated manufacturing a replacement. Jesus, demonstrating his practical skills and willingness to serve, volunteered to assist in crafting the new paddle, as there was a shortage of skilled woodworkers available for the task. During their extended sojourn, Jesus and his companions availed themselves of the city's cultural offerings, with Ganid particularly captivated by Jesus' explanations of Caesarea's sophisticated water system that utilized tidal fluctuations to cleanse the city's streets and sewers. Their recreational activities included attending performances at both the amphitheater, which could accommodate twenty thousand spectators, and the theater, where they observed a Greek play—novel experiences that prompted numerous questions from the inquisitive Ganid.

A significant encounter during their stay involved a Mongolian merchant lodging at the same inn, with whom Jesus engaged in several extensive conversations, as the merchant possessed sufficient proficiency in Greek to facilitate meaningful dialogue. The Eastern trader was profoundly impressed by Jesus' philosophical insights regarding "the living of the heavenly life while on earth by means of daily submission to the will of the heavenly Father." Upon returning to Mongolia, this merchant disseminated these advanced spiritual concepts among his neighbors and business associates, initiating a multigenerational commitment to monotheistic belief that influenced his son to become a Taoist priest, followed by subsequent generations who maintained loyalty to the doctrine of the One God. The narrative observes that had Jesus' teachings been introduced to Asia by dedicated apostles like Peter or Paul, they might have found a similarly receptive audience as in the West, particularly among the "spiritually hungry Asiatic peoples," who would have readily embraced the "new gospel of the kingdom" that resonated with Philadelphia's more faithful preservation of Jesus' original teachings.

In another enlightening incident at the shipyard, Jesus engaged a young Greek named Anaxand who questioned why the Gods would permit the continued authority of an unjust workshop foreman. Rather than endorsing rebellion or resignation, Jesus offered a transformative perspective on the situation, suggesting that perhaps Anaxand had been divinely positioned to positively influence his superior through exemplary conduct. Jesus challenged conventional power dynamics by proposing that Anaxand could "assert your mastery of evil by virtue of the power of goodness and thus become the master of all relations between the two of you." He described the potential for spiritual transformation as "a marvelous and transforming experience to become the living channel of spiritual light to the mortal who sits in spiritual darkness." This guidance profoundly affected both Anaxand and his foreman, who sought Jesus' further counsel. Anaxand subsequently embraced Christianity through Philip's ministry and later served Cornelius, the Roman centurion who believed through Peter's witness, demonstrating how Jesus' seemingly incidental interactions catalyzed significant spiritual developments in the early Christian movement.

The voyage to Alexandria proved pleasant and intellectually stimulating, with Ganid's curiosity eliciting numerous explanations from Jesus. As they approached Alexandria's harbor, the impressive lighthouse of Pharos, one of the seven wonders of the world and the prototype for subsequent lighthouses, captured their attention. Jesus seized this moment for spiritual instruction, telling Ganid: "You will become like the light of life to those who sit about you in darkness, showing all who so desire the way to reach the harbor of salvation in safety." This metaphorical connection between physical and spiritual illumination deeply moved the young Indian, who affirmed his commitment to such a mission with a simple but earnest pledge: "I will."

While Gonod attended to his commercial interests in Alexandria, Jesus and Ganid devoted considerable time to the city's renowned library, which housed an unparalleled collection of nearly one million manuscripts representing the intellectual achievements of civilizations spanning from Greece to Japan. Under Jesus' guidance, Ganid undertook a comparative study of world religions, with particular attention to those acknowledging a Universal Deity. Throughout these scholarly investigations, Jesus consistently emphasized the unique contribution of Hebrew monotheism, stating: "Yahweh is the God developed from the revelations of Melchizedek and the covenant of Abraham," and noting that Jewish religion, despite its limitations, "portrayed a clearer recognition of the Lord God of Israel as the Universal Father in heaven than any other world religion." Jesus and Ganid systematically evaluated various religious traditions, concluding that Roman religion was primarily emperor worship and Greek religion more philosophical than theistic, while rejecting the mystery cults for their conceptual confusion and derivative nature. This comprehensive analysis culminated in Ganid's compilation of the world's sacred literature regarding the existence of an eternal God, a project he completed near the conclusion of their Roman sojourn.

Jesus and Ganid's experiences at Alexandria's museum—functioning not as a collection of artifacts but as a university of fine art, science, and literature—offered further opportunities for intellectual growth through the daily lectures delivered by learned professors. During their second week, Ganid, impressed by Jesus' superior understanding, suggested that Jesus himself should instruct the professors who were "befogged by much thinking." Jesus declined with characteristic humility, observing: "The pride of unspiritualized learning is a treacherous thing in human experience. The true teacher maintains his intellectual integrity by ever remaining a learner." Alexandria represented the pinnacle of cultural synthesis in the Western world, boasting the largest Jewish synagogue globally and the seat of the Alexandria Sanhedrin. Although they had hoped to attend lectures by the renowned religious philosopher Philo, who was endeavoring to harmonize Greek philosophy with Hebrew theology, his illness prevented such an encounter. Nevertheless, Jesus recommended certain elements of Greek philosophy and Stoic doctrines to Ganid, while emphasizing that these systems qualified as religions only insofar as they led individuals "to find God and enjoy a living experience in knowing the Eternal."

The night preceding their departure from Alexandria, Jesus and Ganid engaged in a stimulating intellectual exchange with a university professor regarding Platonic philosophy. After the professor's departure, Jesus and his pupil had a profound "heart-to-heart talk about Plato's doctrines." While Jesus acknowledged certain Platonic concepts concerning material things as "shadowy reflections of invisible but more substantial spiritual realities," he proceeded to establish a more comprehensive metaphysical foundation for Ganid's intellectual development through an extensive discourse on the nature of universe reality. In essence, Jesus articulated that the Infinite constitutes the ultimate source of reality, with material phenomena representing the "time-space repercussions of the Paradise Pattern and the Universal Mind of the eternal God." He explained the triad of "causation in the physical world, self-consciousness in the intellectual world, and progressing selfhood in the spirit world" as constituting the reality of the Supreme when "projected on a universal scale, combined in eternal relatedness, and experienced with perfection of quality and divinity of value."

Jesus systematically explained that within an ever-changing cosmos, only the Absolutes and that which has attained "physical status, intellectual embrace, or spiritual identity" remains immutable. He identified the recognition of the Universal Father and knowledge of the Supreme as the highest attainable level for finite creatures, emphasizing that even beings of "finality destiny" continue to experience change in the physical realm and spiritual progression. Jesus taught that divine unity with the Creator is achieved and maintained exclusively through the consistent conformity of the finite personal will to the divine will, stating: "Always must the desire to do the Father's will be supreme in the soul and dominant over the mind of an ascending son of God." He illustrated the limitations of singular perspectives using the metaphor of "one-eyed" material scientists and spiritual mystics who cannot adequately comprehend the true depths of universe reality, which are concealed in "depth of recognition." Jesus further addressed the relationship between consciousness and spiritual growth, explaining that the material mind of mortals can evolve toward divine character through the "unending creative bestowal of personality" characteristic of infinite Deity. He concluded by affirming that intelligent and progressive life constitutes "incontrovertible proof of the existence of a purposeful universe expressing the will of a divine Creator."

Upon Ganid's further inquiry about evil, Jesus elaborated on his earlier explanation, defining evil as "a relativity concept" arising from the observation of imperfections within a finite universe that obscures "the living light of the universal expression of the eternal realities of the Infinite One." He distinguished between "potential evil," which is inherent in the necessary incompleteness of finite revelation of infinity, and actual evil, which emerges from the failure to rectify "intellectual disharmonies and spiritual insufficiencies." Jesus cautioned against static concepts, which "invariably retard science, politics, society, and religion," advocating instead for dynamic truth expression that recognizes universal coordination "under the guidance of the cosmic mind, and its stabilized control by the energy and spirit of the Supreme." This discourse proved intellectually challenging for Ganid, who succumbed to slumber shortly thereafter, yet these philosophical principles would significantly influence his subsequent spiritual development and provide him with a coherent framework for understanding reality's multidimensional nature.

The travelers' primary purpose in visiting Crete was recreational—to walk the island's terrain and climb its mountains while enjoying respite from their structured itinerary. Despite the contemporary Cretans' unfavorable reputation among surrounding populations, Jesus established meaningful connections with numerous islanders, elevating their thinking and improving their living standards. These positive encounters laid the foundation for the future reception of gospel teachings when the first Christian preachers arrived from Jerusalem. Jesus' affection for the Cretan people stood in contrast to Paul's subsequent harsh characterization, which he expressed when dispatching Titus to reorganize the island's churches.

During their Cretan sojourn, Jesus engaged in a particularly significant conversation with Gonod regarding religion, which so impressed the Indian merchant that he proposed Jesus accompany them back to India—a suggestion that delighted Ganid. When Ganid later inquired why Jesus had not established himself as a public teacher, Jesus responded with a discourse on divine timing: "My son, everything must await the coming of its time. You are born into the world, but no amount of anxiety and no manifestation of impatience will help you to grow up." He employed natural metaphors to illustrate this principle, noting that "season follows season and sundown follows sunrise only with the passing of time," and referenced Moses' forty years of "watchful waiting and continued preparation" as an exemplar of patience in divine service. This teaching on awaiting the appropriate season for spiritual work reflected Jesus' own consciousness of his ministry's predetermined timing and his commitment to allow the divine plan to unfold according to the Father's will rather than human expectations.

An especially memorable incident occurred at Fair Havens when Jesus intervened to protect a slave girl from assault by an intoxicated man. When the frightened girl clung to Jesus, he maintained a safe distance from her attacker by extending his powerful arm, allowing the man to exhaust himself in futile aggression without physically harming him. This intervention demonstrated Jesus' commitment to protecting the vulnerable while avoiding unnecessary violence. Ganid, observing this incident, experienced a cultural clash of values when Jesus refrained from striking the assailant, believing the man deserved physical retaliation proportionate to his offense against the girl. The episode provided Jesus an opportunity to explain his philosophy of non-violence and the redemptive potential of compassionate restraint—a challenging concept for Ganid, who had been raised with traditional notions of justice through retribution. This practical demonstration of Jesus' ethical principles complemented the theoretical teachings he had been sharing with his young pupil throughout their journey.

While exploring the mountainous regions of Crete, Jesus encountered a solitary young man overcome by feelings of despondency and inferiority, emotional struggles exacerbated by difficult life circumstances, including the loss of his father at age twelve. Recognizing the youth's reluctance to engage in conversation, Jesus employed a masterful psychological approach, inquiring about the mountain trails and asking directions to Phenix. The young man, knowledgeable about the local geography, enthusiastically provided detailed guidance, marking out the trails on the ground with meticulous attention. As Jesus prepared to depart after expressing gratitude, he pivoted the conversation with profound insight, noting: "It would be neither kind nor fair for me to receive such generous help from you as to how best to find my way to Phenix and then unthinkingly to go away from you without making the least effort to answer your appealing request for help and guidance regarding the best route to the goal of destiny which you seek in your heart while you tarry here on the mountainside."

When the astonished youth protested that he had not verbally requested assistance, Jesus gently observed: "No, son, not with words but with longing looks did you appeal to my heart. My boy, to one who loves his fellows there is an eloquent appeal for help in your countenance of discouragement and despair." This perceptive recognition of unspoken need created an opening for spiritual counseling, as the young man knelt before Jesus imploring guidance. In his response, Jesus delivered a powerful message of self-actualization, urging the youth to "arise" and "stand up like a man." He affirmed the young man's inherent strengths, his robust physical body, capable mind, and indwelling spirit, while challenging him to transition from fear-based existence to courageous living. Jesus articulated a progressive development from physical to mental to spiritual mastery: "Set your mind at work to solve its problems; teach your intellect to work for you; refuse longer to be dominated by fear like an unthinking animal." The culmination of this spiritual psychology was Jesus' assertion that faith would vanquish fear "by the compelling presence of that new and all-dominating love of your fellows which will so soon fill your soul to overflowing because of the consciousness which has been born in your heart that you are a child of God."

Jesus' transformative counsel concluded with the declaration that the young man was experiencing spiritual rebirth—"re-established as a man of faith, courage, and devoted service to man, for God's sake." He reframed life's challenges as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles to happiness: "Trouble will invigorate you; disappointment will spur you on; difficulties will challenge you; and obstacles will stimulate you." This encounter produced lasting results, as the young man, identified as Fortune, subsequently became a leader among Cretan Christians and a close associate of Titus in uplifting the island's believers. After this revitalizing mountain experience, the travelers refreshed and prepared to sail for Carthage in northern Africa, stopping briefly at Cyrene. During this stop, Jesus and Ganid provided first aid to an injured youth named Rufus, whose father Simon would later bear Jesus' cross by Roman order, a providential connection of which Simon remained unaware.

During the journey to Carthage, Jesus primarily engaged his companions with discussions of social, political, and commercial matters, with minimal reference to religion. This period revealed Jesus' gift for storytelling, which delighted both Gonod and Ganid as he shared anecdotes from his early life in Galilee. When Ganid inquired about effective methods for cultivating friendships, having observed the natural attraction most people felt toward Jesus, his teacher offered the practical wisdom: "Become interested in your fellows; learn how to love them and watch for the opportunity to do something for them which you are sure they want done." Jesus reinforced this counsel by quoting the ancient Jewish proverb: "A man who would have friends must show himself friendly."

In Carthage, Jesus conducted an extensive and memorable dialogue with a Mithraic priest concerning the nature of immortality, time, and eternity. Jesus defined time as "the stream of flowing temporal events perceived by creature consciousness" and "a name given to the succession-arrangement whereby events are recognized and segregated." He explained that time is perceptible only in relation to objects that do not move in space as time phenomena, and that both time and space are transcended by Paradise and its Deities. Jesus explained the evolutionary nature of time perception, stating: "Animals do not sense time as does man, and even to man, because of his sectional and circumscribed view, time appears as a succession of events; but as man ascends, as he progresses inward, the enlarging view of this event procession is such that it is discerned more and more in its wholeness." He described how, with spiritual progression, "circular simultaneity increasingly displace the onetime consciousness of the linear sequence of events." Regarding space, Jesus identified seven different conceptions conditioned by time, explaining that space is measured by time rather than the inverse, and that the scientific confusion about space stems from "failure to recognize the reality of space." He noted that mind alone can partially transcend space, and that as consciousness approaches "the awareness of seven cosmic dimensions, the more does the concept of potential space approach ultimacy."

Jesus continued his exposition on the relationship between time-space and consciousness by explaining how universal reality possesses "an expanding and always relative meaning on the ascending and perfecting levels of the cosmos." He described how surviving mortals ultimately attain "identity in a seven-dimensional universe" and how the "time-space concept of a mind of material origin is destined to undergo successive enlargements" as the personality ascends through universal levels. These expansions of cosmic conception result from "augmentations of both depth of insight and scope of consciousness." Jesus concluded this metaphysical discourse by explaining that as personality progresses "upward and inward, to the transcendental levels of Deity-likeness," the time-space concept increasingly approximates "the timeless and spaceless concepts of the Absolutes." He indicated that such absolute-level concepts, while currently beyond full comprehension, will eventually be envisioned by the "children of ultimate destiny" in accordance with their transcendental attainment. This sophisticated cosmological teaching provided the Mithraic priest with a coherent framework for understanding the relationship between temporal existence and eternal reality.

The travelers' journey toward Italy included several significant encounters that exemplified Jesus' ability to transform lives through brief but meaningful interactions. On Malta, Jesus engaged with a despondent young man named Claudus who had contemplated suicide. After their conversation, Claudus proclaimed: "I will face life like a man; I am through playing the coward. I will go back to my people and begin all over again." His subsequent spiritual journey led him first to become an enthusiastic proponent of Cynic philosophy before joining Peter in proclaiming Christianity in Rome, Naples, and eventually Spain. This pattern of spiritual transformation continued at Syracuse, where Jesus rehabilitated Ezra, a disillusioned Jewish tavern keeper who lamented his inability to find God. Jesus reassured him: "If you truly want to find God, that desire is in itself evidence that you have already found him," and directed him to scriptural passages affirming God's accessibility to sincere seekers. As a result of this interaction, Ezra reestablished his connection with his ancestral faith and later, in partnership with a Greek proselyte, constructed the first Christian church in Syracuse.

In Messina, Jesus purchased fruit from a young vendor and imparted words of wisdom that altered the boy's life trajectory: "Farewell, my lad, be of good courage as you grow up to manhood and after you have fed the body learn how also to feed the soul. And my Father in heaven will be with you and go before you." This seemingly incidental exchange led the boy to embrace first the Mithraic religion and subsequently Christian faith. Upon reaching Naples, Jesus and Ganid continued their practice of identifying and assisting those in need, with Jesus providing an important lesson in discernment when he gave alms to a street beggar but declined to engage him in conversation. Jesus explained this apparent inconsistency by stating: "Why waste words upon one who cannot perceive the meaning of what you say? The spirit of the Father cannot teach and save one who has no capacity for sonship." This instruction underscored the importance of recognizing receptivity to spiritual truth rather than indiscriminately dispensing wisdom where it cannot be appropriately received or utilized. After a brief three-day interlude in Capua, the trio proceeded along the Appian Way toward Rome, eagerly anticipating their arrival in the imperial capital, characterized as "this mistress of empire and the greatest city in all the world."