Paper 147 Overview: The Interlude Visit to Jerusalem

Paper 147 chronicles a pivotal interlude in Jesus' ministry when he and his apostles journeyed to Jerusalem for Passover in the spring of 28 C.E., after spending two weeks at their Bethsaida headquarters in Capernaum. This paper reveals critical dimensions of Jesus' teaching methodology, particularly how he balanced the demonstration of healing compassion with his primary mission of proclaiming spiritual truths about the kingdom. The journey begins with the healing of a Roman centurion's servant, notable for Jesus' recognition of extraordinary faith in a gentile, and proceeds through their uneventful travel to Jerusalem, where they established a temporary headquarters at Bethany while avoiding public preaching as instructed by the Master.

The Jerusalem interlude showcases several profound teaching moments, including Jesus' discourse at the pool of Bethesda where he emphasized spiritual healing over physical cures, his delineation of six progressive levels of interpreting the golden rule, his memorable interaction with a repentant woman at Simon the Pharisee's house, and his teaching on the relationship between old and new religious truths. Throughout these episodes, we witness the growing tension between Jesus and the religious authorities, culminating in the appointment of six spies to monitor him for evidence of lawbreaking. The narrative concludes with Jesus' return to Capernaum, his defense of his disciples' Sabbath practices, and his final discourse on spiritual goodness based on Isaiah's teachings, all providing essential context for understanding how Jesus' message challenged yet fulfilled authentic spiritual tradition.

Jesus and the apostles arrived in Capernaum on Wednesday, March 17, and spent two weeks at the Bethsaida headquarters before their journey to Jerusalem for Passover. During this period, the apostles engaged in public teaching along the seaside while Jesus frequently withdrew to solitary communion in the hills, pursuing what he termed his "Father's business." Additionally, Jesus, accompanied by James and John Zebedee, made two clandestine journeys to Tiberias where they met with believers, including some from Herod's household, and instructed them in the principles of the kingdom gospel.

The influence of believers within Herod's official family proved strategically significant, as they had effectively communicated to the ruler that Jesus' proclaimed "kingdom" was spiritual in nature rather than a political venture threatening Herod's authority. Consequently, Herod maintained a relatively favorable disposition toward Jesus, choosing not to be unduly alarmed by reports of his teaching and healing activities. The narrative reveals that the genuine threat to Jesus' mission emanated not from Herod but from the religious establishment in Jerusalem, whose leaders had influenced some of Herod's subordinates against Jesus. This political reality largely explains why Jesus and the apostles conducted the majority of their public ministry in Galilee rather than in Jerusalem and Judea, where religious opposition was most concentrated and dangerous.

On the day before their planned departure for Jerusalem, Mangus, a Roman centurion stationed in Capernaum, approached the leaders of the synagogue with an urgent request that they intercede with Jesus on behalf of his gravely ill servant. The Jewish elders willingly advocated for this request, noting that the centurion had demonstrated his goodwill by building their synagogue and showing genuine affection for their nation. When Jesus agreed to accompany them to the centurion's residence, they were intercepted by friends whom the Roman officer had dispatched with a message expressing his sense of unworthiness to receive Jesus under his roof. The centurion's message revealed profound insight into the nature of authority, as he drew a parallel between his ability to command soldiers and servants and Jesus' capacity to command illness to depart merely through spoken word.

Jesus' response to this demonstration of faith was remarkable. He turned to his companions and declared, "I marvel at the belief of the gentile. Verily, verily, I say to you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." Without proceeding further toward the centurion's house, Jesus simply stated, "Let us go hence," while the centurion's friends returned to report these words. From that very hour, the servant began to recover, eventually regaining complete health. The account notes that the precise mechanism of this healing, whether through invisible beings or direct divine intervention, remained undisclosed to those who accompanied Jesus. However, the definitive reality of the servant's complete recovery stood as indisputable evidence of Jesus' power, even at a distance, and particularly highlighted his appreciation for genuine faith regardless of its ethnic or religious source.

Early on Tuesday, March 30, Jesus and the apostolic party commenced their journey to Jerusalem for the Passover, following the Jordan valley route rather than the more direct path through Samaria. They reached their destination on Friday afternoon, April 2, and established their headquarters at Bethany, as was their customary practice when visiting Jerusalem. During their passage through Jericho, Judas Iscariot made a deposit of surplus common funds at a bank owned by a friend of his family—funds that would remain untouched until their final, fateful journey to Jerusalem before Jesus' crucifixion. The journey itself was uneventful, but their arrival at Bethany precipitated an immediate influx of those seeking healing, comfort, and spiritual guidance.

The overwhelming demand for Jesus' attention necessitated establishing an overflow encampment at Gethsemane, allowing Jesus to alternate between locations to manage the constant press of crowds. During their three-week sojourn in Jerusalem, Jesus specifically instructed the apostles to refrain from public preaching, limiting themselves to private teaching and personal ministry. The group quietly observed the Passover at Bethany—the second such observance Jesus shared with all twelve apostles in Jerusalem. When they eventually departed for Capernaum, John's apostles remained in Jerusalem under Abner's leadership to continue their work advancing the kingdom message, though the full complement of twenty-four would not reunite until shortly before the commissioning of the seventy evangelists. This organizational division reflected Jesus' strategic approach to expanding his movement's reach while maintaining appropriate caution in the face of growing opposition from religious authorities.

On the afternoon of the second Sabbath in Jerusalem, John Zebedee invited Jesus to accompany him to the pool of Bethesda, a natural hot spring surrounded by five porches where multitudes of sufferers gathered seeking healing. The pool was characterized by periodic bubbling caused by gas accumulations in the underlying rock caverns, but popular belief attributed these disturbances to supernatural influences and held that the first person to enter the water after such an eruption would be healed. John's motive in bringing Jesus to this location was transparent—he hoped the sight of so many afflicted individuals would compel Jesus to perform dramatic healings that would astonish Jerusalem and draw its citizens to their message. Jesus, discerning John's intention, gently rebuked him: "Why do you go on desiring to substitute the working of wonders and the healing of the sick for the proclamation of the gospel of eternal truth?"

Rather than performing physical healings, Jesus gathered the sufferers and delivered a profound discourse on the relationship between physical affliction and spiritual health. He acknowledged the diverse origins of human suffering, some resulting from personal misconduct, others from accidents of time, and still others from inherited biological conditions. Jesus emphasized that while he and the Father work to improve temporal conditions, their primary concern is for humanity's eternal welfare. He declared that spiritual healing transcends physical cure, stating that those who hear and believe the gospel message "are passing from judgment and death to light and life." His words so inspired many listeners that they experienced spiritual revitalization, with some declaring themselves cured of physical ailments as well. One man, long afflicted with mental depression, was so empowered by Jesus' teaching that he took up his bed and walked home on the Sabbath, an act Jesus later cited to John as evidence of the transformative power of spiritual truth, noting that this quiet interaction had accomplished more than any public spectacle could have achieved.

During an evening gathering at Bethany, with Jesus, the twelve, and a group of believers assembled in Lazarus's garden, Nathaniel posed a challenging question regarding the practical application of the golden rule. He wondered how this principle could be consistently followed in all circumstances, illustrating his concern with the example of a lustful man who might interpret the rule to justify inappropriate behavior. Jesus' initial response reflected disappointment that his apostles still struggled to grasp the spiritual dimensions of his teachings. Standing and pointing directly at Nathaniel, he questioned what manner of thinking occupied his heart, asking if he could not receive these teachings as one born of the spirit rather than interpreting them through carnal understanding.

Nathaniel quickly clarified that he was not personally advocating such interpretations but was concerned about potential misapplications, prompting Jesus to delineate six progressively higher levels for understanding the golden rule: The first level, representing purely selfish and lustful interpretations, exemplified the very misinterpretation Nathaniel had mentioned. The second level incorporated sympathy and pity, elevating the application above pure selfishness. The third level engaged reason, mind, and the intelligence of experience, applying good judgment informed by high ideals and self-respect. The fourth level recognized the brotherhood of man stemming from the fatherhood of God, manifesting as unselfish devotion to others' welfare. The fifth level approached the rule from a philosophical perspective, perceiving the eternal fitness of human relationships as would an impartial third person. Finally, the sixth and highest level represented spiritual insight: treating others as one conceives God would treat them, the universe ideal of human relationships.

Jesus concluded by urging his followers to do to others what they knew he would do in similar circumstances, establishing himself as the living embodiment of this highest interpretation. This teaching so impressed the apostles that they continued discussing it long after Jesus had retired for the evening.

Simon, an influential Pharisee from Jerusalem though not a Sanhedrin member, risked professional criticism by inviting Jesus along with Peter, James, and John to his home for a social meal. As a half-hearted believer impressed by Jesus' teachings and personality, Simon represented the intellectual curiosity that Jesus' message provoked even among the religious establishment. During the banquet, following the Pharisaic custom of leaving doors open to allow beggars to receive leftover food, a woman of disreputable background entered the house. This woman, widely known in Jerusalem as a former brothel keeper who had embraced Jesus' teachings and subsequently reformed her life and business, stood behind Jesus as he reclined at the table, weeping and washing his feet with her tears, drying them with her unbound hair (the public symbol of her former profession), and anointing them with expensive perfume.

Simon's internal judgment of this situation, reasoning that if Jesus were truly a prophet, he would recognize the woman's character and reject her attention, prompted Jesus to relate a parable about two debtors, one owing five hundred denarii and the other fifty, both of whom were forgiven their debts. When Jesus asked which debtor would love the forgiver more, Simon correctly answered, "He whom he forgave the most." Jesus then contrasted Simon's minimal hospitality with the woman's extraordinary devotion, noting that Simon had provided no water for his feet, no welcoming kiss, and no oil for his head, while she had lavished attention on him through her tears, kisses, and expensive ointment. Jesus concluded, "Her many sins have been forgiven, and this has led her to love much. But those who have received but little forgiveness sometimes love but little."

By publicly forgiving the woman's sins and sending her away in peace, Jesus not only demonstrated compassion but also asserted divine authority that astonished the other guests, who whispered, "Who is this man that he even dares to forgive sins?" Later that evening, Jesus delivered a profound discourse to the apostles regarding the value of spiritual progress over social status, noting that the transformed woman, though socially beneath Simon, had embarked on an earnest spiritual journey while the Pharisees remained trapped in ceremonial illusions and spiritual self-satisfaction.

The last week of April, Jesus and the twelve departed from their Bethany headquarters near Jerusalem and began their journey back to Capernaum by way of Jericho and the Jordan. This departure came amid escalating tension with the Jewish religious leadership, who had held numerous secret meetings to deliberate actions against Jesus. Though united in their desire to suppress his teaching, they disagreed on methodological approach, particularly hoping that Roman authorities might intervene as Herod had with John the Baptist. Finding Roman officials largely unalarmed by Jesus' activities, the religious leaders determined to apprehend him on religious charges for trial before the Sanhedrin. Consequently, they commissioned six spies to follow Jesus, observe his words and actions, and amass evidence of lawbreaking and blasphemy to facilitate his eventual arrest.

These six agents encountered the apostolic party at Jericho and, under the pretense of becoming disciples, attached themselves to Jesus' following until the beginning of the second Galilean preaching tour. Their first opportunity to accuse Jesus arose during the journey when his disciples plucked and ate grain while walking through fields on the Sabbath. When confronted about this alleged Sabbath violation, Jesus responded with remarkable scriptural reasoning, citing David's consumption of consecrated bread and declaring, "The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath." His declaration that "the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath" left the Pharisees astonished and temporarily silenced. Jesus consistently approached Jewish traditions and ceremonies with positive rather than negative discourse, focusing on what his followers should do rather than condemning existing practices. He concluded by teaching that those enlightened by truth enjoy the liberty of living without self-deception through sinful license, establishing a principle of spiritual freedom that transcended legalistic interpretation.

Jesus and the twelve arrived at Bethsaida by boat from Tarichea around noon on Monday, May 3, strategically choosing water transport to temporarily evade those who had been following them on foot, including the Jerusalem spies who nevertheless located them by the following day. During one of Jesus' customary evening question-and-answer sessions, the leader of the six spies challenged him regarding his disciples' apparent disregard for fasting practices observed by both the Pharisees and John's followers. The questioner sought to expose inconsistency between John's teachings and Jesus' approach, hoping to create division among potential followers from both movements.

Jesus responded with masterful metaphorical reasoning that acknowledged the legitimate place of fasting while establishing its appropriate context within his new spiritual paradigm. He first compared his presence to that of a bridegroom whose companions naturally celebrate rather than fast during his presence, indicating that fasting would become appropriate only after his departure. He then offered two complementary illustrations, new cloth on an old garment and new wine in old wineskins, to demonstrate the incompatibility of imposing traditional practices on his revolutionary spiritual message without appropriate adaptation. Jesus affirmed that prayer was natural for "children of light" while distinguishing his approach from both Pharisaic legalism and the ascetic practices of John's disciples.

His response culminated in a balanced perspective on tradition and innovation: "That which is old and also true must abide. Likewise, that which is new but false must be rejected. But that which is new and also true, have the faith and courage to accept." This nuanced position established Jesus as one who respected authentic spiritual tradition while rejecting empty formalism, offering a framework for distinguishing genuine spiritual practice from mere religious custom.

Late into the night, after the usual listeners had departed, Jesus continued instructing his apostles by quoting extensively from the prophet Isaiah's critique of ritualistic fasting that coexisted with oppression and injustice. Isaiah had contrasted such empty religious observance with the fast God truly desired: loosing the bonds of wickedness, undoing heavy burdens, freeing the oppressed, sharing bread with the hungry, providing shelter to the homeless, and clothing the naked. These actions, according to the prophet, would cause one's light to "break forth as the morning" and bring divine guidance, satisfaction of soul, and renewed strength comparable to a well-watered garden.

Jesus built upon this prophetic foundation to demonstrate that spiritual assurance comes not through self-affliction or ritual observance but through living faith in divine truth. He challenged his apostles to transcend the temporal focus of physical deprivation and instead embrace the eternal perspective of faith-based relationship with the Father. The Master emphasized that even the ideals of Isaiah, progressive as they were for their time, represented only a foundation upon which his followers should build more advanced spiritual understanding. His concluding admonition summarized the essence of his teaching: "Grow in grace by means of that living faith which grasps the fact that you are the sons of God while at the same time it recognizes every man as a brother."

This profound integration of vertical relationship with God and horizontal relationship with humanity encapsulated Jesus' vision for authentic spiritual living—a transformative realization that begins with divine sonship and naturally expresses itself through universal brotherhood. Jesus continued elaborating on these concepts until well past midnight, investing considerable time in helping his apostles grasp the difference between external religious observance and internal spiritual reality.