Paper 171 Overview: On the Way to Jerusalem

Following his definitive sermon on "The Kingdom of Heaven," Jesus announced his intention to journey to Jerusalem for the Passover, traversing through various cities in southern Perea. This announcement, coupled with his kingdom discourse, precipitated a critical misunderstanding among his followers: they interpreted his intentions as the imminent establishment of a temporal Jewish kingdom centered in Jerusalem. Despite Jesus' consistent and explicit teachings regarding the non-material nature of the kingdom, his predominantly Jewish audience remained entrenched in their nationalistic expectations, unable to divorce themselves from the concept of a Messiah who would establish political sovereignty.

The journey toward Jerusalem represented the penultimate phase of Jesus' earthly ministry, marked by significant encounters and teachings that illuminated both the nature of his mission and the persistent misconceptions surrounding it. From Salome's ambitious request for her sons' preferential status, to Jesus' discourse on the sacrificial nature of true discipleship, his final directives to Abner's organization, and his interactions with individuals like Bartimeus and Zaccheus, each event served to further articulate the spiritual character of the kingdom while simultaneously preparing his disciples for the imminence of his rejection and sacrifice. Throughout this transitional period, Jesus continued to exhibit the qualities of graciousness, compassion, and masterful teaching that characterized his entire public ministry, even as he confronted the looming reality of his crucifixion with unwavering resolve.

Following his momentous sermon on "The Kingdom of Heaven," Jesus announced his forthcoming journey to Jerusalem for the Passover festival, indicating his intention to visit numerous cities in southern Perea en route. This proclamation, in conjunction with his teachings about the kingdom, generated widespread misconception among his followers, who interpreted these developments as signals that Jesus was finally preparing to establish a temporal kingdom centered in Jerusalem with Jewish dominance. Despite Jesus' persistent efforts to convey the non-material character of his kingdom, the deeply entrenched nationalistic ideals of his Jewish audience prevented them from comprehending the spiritual nature of his mission, leading them to persistently expect a political manifestation of Messianic rule.

This fundamental misunderstanding was exemplified when Salome, the mother of the apostles James and John Zebedee, approached Jesus with a request that revealed the pervasive misinterpretation of his mission. In the manner one would petition an Oriental potentate, she sought Jesus' promise that her sons would occupy positions of honor, one at his right hand and one at his left, in his kingdom. Jesus, addressing their misapprehension with characteristic patience, asked if they could "drink the cup" he was about to drink, to which they confidently but naively affirmed they could. While acknowledging their future participation in his sufferings, Jesus clarified that such honors were not his to bestow but were reserved by his Father for those designated. This incident provoked indignation among the other apostles, prompting Jesus to deliver a profound teaching on the inverse nature of greatness in the kingdom, where true primacy is achieved through service rather than dominion, in emulation of the Son of Man who came not to be ministered to but to minister.

On Monday, March 13, Jesus and the twelve apostles formally departed from the Pella encampment to embark on their tour of the cities in southern Perea where Abner's associates were actively engaged in ministry. This journey would extend over more than two weeks as they visited among the seventy before proceeding directly to Jerusalem for the Passover celebrations. The departure initiated a significant division among Jesus' followers; of the approximately one thousand disciples who initially encamped with the apostles and followed Jesus from Pella, nearly half abandoned the journey upon learning that Jesus intended to detour to Heshbon rather than proceeding directly to Jerusalem, particularly after hearing his challenging discourse on "Counting the Cost."

The majority of Jesus' immediate followers interpreted the disbanding of the Pella encampment as an unequivocal indication that Jesus was finally preparing to establish his kingdom in Jerusalem. David Zebedee, acting under Andrew's instructions, officially closed the visitors' camp at Pella on Wednesday, March 15, systematically liquidating the equipment and transferring the proceeds to Judas Iscariot, who maintained stewardship of the apostolic finances. David's subsequent movements during this critical period proved significant; he was present in Jerusalem throughout the tragic final week, afterward escorting his mother back to Bethsaida following the crucifixion. His later collaboration with Lazarus at Bethany was abruptly terminated when Lazarus fled persecution, ultimately leading David to establish himself in Philadelphia alongside Abner and Lazarus, where he assumed responsibility as financial overseer for the kingdom enterprises centered there. This Philadelphia community evolved into the enduring center of the "Abnerian kingdom of heaven," which propagated a distinct perspective on Jesus' teachings that differed from the Pauline interpretation emanating from Antioch, which rapidly disseminated throughout the Western world.

When Jesus and his company of nearly one thousand followers arrived at the Bethany ford of the Jordan, alternatively known as Bethabara, his disciples began to discern that he was not proceeding directly to Jerusalem as they had anticipated. While they hesitated and debated among themselves regarding this unexpected deviation, Jesus ascended a prominent stone and delivered the profound discourse that has become known as "Counting the Cost." The Master initiated this pivotal teaching by establishing the requisite commitment for authentic discipleship: "You who would follow after me from this time on, must be willing to pay the price of wholehearted dedication to the doing of my Father's will." He articulated the sacrificial nature of genuine commitment, stating that his followers must be prepared to forsake even their closest familial relationships and surrender their very lives, just as he himself was preparing to offer his life in fulfillment of his Father's will on earth.

To illustrate the necessity of calculated commitment, Jesus employed two cogent analogies that emphasized the folly of embarking on significant endeavors without adequate preparation. He compared the decision to follow him to the prudence required when constructing a watchtower, how one must first determine whether sufficient resources exist to complete the structure, and to a king's strategic evaluation before engaging in warfare, carefully assessing whether his forces could prevail against superior enemy numbers. With increasing solemnity, Jesus warned that from this juncture onward, following him would entail confronting bitter persecution and profound disappointment, requiring them to renounce all they possessed to be worthy of discipleship. He cautioned that those seeking worldly honor and glory had lost their spiritual efficacy, comparing them to salt that had lost its savor and become fit only for disposal. Following this uncompromising declaration, Jesus, accompanied by the twelve, departed for Heshbon with approximately five hundred followers, while the remainder of the multitude continued on to Jerusalem. The apostles, deeply contemplative about these sobering pronouncements, nevertheless persisted in their expectation that after a brief period of adversity, the kingdom would materialize in accordance with their long-cherished conceptions.

For more than two weeks, Jesus and the twelve apostles, accompanied by several hundred disciples, journeyed throughout southern Perea, methodically visiting all the towns where the seventy laborers were engaged in ministry. This region was home to a significant Gentile population, and since relatively few were preparing to attend the Passover festival in Jerusalem, the messengers of the kingdom continued their work of teaching and preaching without interruption. During this tour, Jesus convened with Abner at Heshbon and, acting through Andrew, directed that the seventy should proceed with their labors irrespective of the impending events in Jerusalem, instructing them to disregard entirely what was about to transpire there. He further advised Abner to permit members of the women's corps who desired to do so to attend the Passover in Jerusalem, marking their final face-to-face interaction, as Jesus poignantly stated: "My son, I know you will be true to the kingdom, and I pray the Father to grant you wisdom that you may love and understand your brethren."

As the entourage proceeded from city to city, their numbers steadily diminished as followers departed for Jerusalem, reducing the group to fewer than two hundred by the time Jesus commenced his final journey to the Passover. The apostles were acutely aware that Jesus was proceeding to Jerusalem despite the Sanhedrin's decree of death and their instructions that anyone with knowledge of his whereabouts should inform them. Remarkably, the apostles exhibited less apprehension than during the previous journey to Bethany for Lazarus's resurrection, a transformation attributable to the profound impact of Lazarus's return from death, which had solidified their conviction in Jesus' divine power. This newfound confidence, coupled with their more mature faith in Jesus' spiritual supremacy, endowed them with the courage to accompany him to Jerusalem despite the explicit threats against his life. Indeed, the majority of the apostles and many of his inner circle disciples had reached such a level of conviction that they considered Jesus immortal, having already triumphed over death, and consequently found it inconceivable that he could be subject to mortality.

On Wednesday evening, March 29, Jesus and his followers established camp at Livias during their journey to Jerusalem, having completed their tour of the southern Perean cities. That night, a clandestine arrangement orchestrated by Simon Zelotes and Simon Peter resulted in the acquisition and distribution of more than one hundred swords to those willing to bear arms concealed beneath their garments, a fact unknown to Jesus until later events transpired. Early the following morning, before the others had awakened, Jesus summoned Andrew and instructed him to assemble the apostles for a private convocation, wherein the Master delivered an explicit forewarning of the events that would soon unfold in Jerusalem.

With unmistakable clarity, Jesus admonished his apostles not to place their trust in the uncertainties of human protection as they confronted the imminent challenges. He reiterated unequivocally that they were proceeding to Jerusalem where the Son of Man, already condemned to death, would be delivered into the custody of the chief priests and religious authorities, who would pronounce judgment upon him before surrendering him to gentile hands. With prescient detail, Jesus foretold his impending humiliation, how these authorities would mock, spit upon, and scourge him before ultimately executing him, yet he also declared with certainty that on the third day he would rise. The apostles' response to this explicit prediction illustrated the power of their preconceptions; they were astonished yet unable to accept the literal import of his words. So deeply entrenched was their belief in a temporal kingdom that they would not permit themselves to comprehend Jesus' straightforward anticipation of his crucifixion.

Later that same day, certain sympathetic Pharisees approached Jesus with warnings that Herod sought his life, prompting Jesus' insightful response that Herod, having already stained his hands with John's blood, would prefer that Jesus proceed to Jerusalem to meet his end at the hands of the chief priests. Jesus then articulated a poignant lamentation over Jerusalem, historically hostile to prophets and resistant to divine messengers, expressing how often he had desired to gather her children with the tender solicitude of a hen gathering her brood, only to be rebuffed. His bewildered and confused followers, meanwhile, continued to interpret his references to "rising on the third day" not as a literal resurrection but as a colloquial Jewish expression signifying "presently" or "soon thereafter," presuming it to indicate the imminent establishment of the kingdom following a preliminary conflict with the religious authorities.

Late on the afternoon of Thursday, March 30, Jesus and his apostles, leading a band of approximately two hundred followers, approached the walls of Jericho. As they neared the city gate, they encountered a gathering of beggars, among whom was Bartimeus, an elderly man who had been blind since his youth. Having learned of Jesus' healing of the blind Josiah in Jerusalem, and discovering that Jesus had recently visited Jericho during his absence, Bartimeus had resolutely determined not to allow another opportunity to pass without appealing to the Master for restoration of his sight. Upon hearing the commotion of the approaching multitude and learning that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by, Bartimeus immediately raised his voice, crying out persistently, "Jesus, Jesus, have mercy upon me!"

Despite the admonitions from bystanders who urged him to maintain silence, Bartimeus only intensified his appeals, crying more loudly and fervently. Hearing the blind man's impassioned pleas, Jesus halted the procession and requested that Bartimeus be brought before him. When informed that the Master had called for him, Bartimeus cast aside his cloak and, guided by those nearby, made his way to Jesus. In response to Jesus' inquiry regarding his desire, Bartimeus directly expressed his wish to have his sight restored. Recognizing the blind man's faith, Jesus pronounced, "You shall receive your sight; go your way; your faith has made you whole." The healing was instantaneous, and Bartimeus remained in Jesus' company for the remainder of that day, exalting God for this miraculous intervention. The following day, as Jesus commenced his journey to Jerusalem, Bartimeus positioned himself at the forefront of the procession, publicly proclaiming throughout Jericho the extraordinary restoration of his sight.

As Jesus' procession entered Jericho with the sun beginning to set, he determined to lodge there for the night rather than continuing the journey. While passing the customs house, Zaccheus, the chief publican or tax collector, happened to be present and was deeply desirous of seeing Jesus, having heard much about this Galilean prophet. A man of considerable wealth, Zaccheus had resolved to observe Jesus firsthand during his next visit to Jericho; however, being of short stature and unable to see over the surrounding crowd, he found himself unable to penetrate the throng. Recognizing that Jesus might proceed directly through the city without stopping, Zaccheus resourcefully ran ahead and ascended a sycamore tree whose spreading branches extended over the roadway, thereby securing an advantageous vantage point.

As Jesus passed beneath the tree, he paused, looked upward at Zaccheus, and made the unexpected declaration: "Make haste, Zaccheus, and come down, for tonight I must abide at your house." Astonished by this unanticipated invitation, Zaccheus descended with such rapidity that he nearly fell in his haste, subsequently expressing profound joy that Jesus would consent to be his guest. The citizens of Jericho, meanwhile, were visibly surprised that Jesus would choose to lodge with someone widely regarded as a sinner and an apostate son of Abraham.

As Jesus and his apostles gathered at Zaccheus's residence, a proximate Pharisee audibly criticized Jesus' decision to associate with a sinner and extortioner. In response, Zaccheus stood upon a stool and publicly proclaimed his moral transformation: "Men of Jericho, hear me! I may be a publican and a sinner, but the great Teacher has come to abide in my house; and before he goes in, I tell you that I am going to bestow one half of all my goods upon the poor, and beginning tomorrow, if I have wrongfully exacted aught from any man, I will restore fourfold." Jesus affirmed this declaration by stating, "Today has salvation come to this home, and you have become indeed a son of Abraham," further explaining that the Son of Man had come precisely to seek and save that which was lost. Jesus and his companions lodged with Zaccheus that night, and the following day they resumed their journey, ascending the "road of robbers" toward Bethany en route to the Passover in Jerusalem.

Jesus' presence was characterized by the dissemination of good cheer and spiritual uplift wherever he journeyed, his being replete with grace and truth. His associates repeatedly marveled at the gracious words that emanated from his mouth, recognizing that graciousness is the ineffable aroma that emanates from a love-saturated soul. While goodness invariably commands respect, it becomes universally appealing only when infused with graciousness; indeed, goodness achieves its greatest efficacy only when it possesses the quality of attractiveness. Jesus possessed an unparalleled comprehension of human nature, enabling him to manifest genuine sympathy and demonstrate sincere compassion that was consistently practical, personal, and constructive, never indulging in the kind of pity that might intensify self-commiseration in those he sought to help.

The Master's capacity to provide profound assistance to others was directly proportional to his sincere love for each individual, perceiving them with remarkable insight that allowed him to recognize their innermost needs and aspirations. Jesus was never hurried in his interactions, always allocating time to comfort others "as he passed by," establishing himself as a consummate listener who created an atmosphere of ease and acceptance. He abstained from intrusive inquiries into the souls of his associates, with the result that those receiving his mercy experienced not so much the sensation of confession as of conferring with him, developing unlimited confidence because they witnessed his unwavering faith in them.

Jesus never exhibited curiosity about others nor any desire to direct, manage, or follow up on their affairs; instead, his presence inspired profound self-confidence and robust courage. Jesus readily discerned saving faith even in seemingly superstitious actions, such as the woman who sought healing by touching the hem of his garment, and he was consistently prepared to interrupt a sermon or detain a multitude in order to minister to the needs of a single individual, even a child. Many of the most significant aspects of Jesus' ministry occurred spontaneously, "as he passed by," dispensing health and scattering happiness with natural grace as he traversed life's pathways—a paradigm that should instruct his followers throughout all ages to minister similarly as they engage in their daily responsibilities.

The entourage did not depart from Jericho until nearly noon on Friday, having remained awake late into the previous night while Jesus expounded the gospel of the kingdom to Zaccheus and his household. Approximately halfway up the ascending road to Bethany, the group paused to partake of lunch while the multitude continued onward to Jerusalem, unaware that Jesus and the apostles intended to lodge on the Mount of Olives that night. It was in this setting that Jesus delivered the parable of the pounds: a narrative distinct from the parable of the talents, which was directed toward all disciples. The parable of the pounds was specifically addressed to the apostles and was substantively based on the historical experience of Archelaus, who had journeyed to Rome seeking imperial confirmation as ruler of Judea, only to be rejected by his subjects, who sent an embassy opposing his appointment.

In this masterfully constructed parable, Jesus drew a parallel between himself and a nobleman who departed for a distant country to receive a kingdom, leaving various servants with financial resources to manage during his absence. Upon the nobleman's return, he summoned his servants to account for their stewardship: the first had multiplied his pound tenfold and was rewarded with authority over ten cities; the second had generated a fivefold increase and received governance over five cities; while the unfaithful servant, who had merely preserved the pound out of fear, was divested of his resource, which was then transferred to the most productive steward. Through this narrative, Jesus conveyed that although the Son of Man was currently being rejected in his spiritual rule, he would ultimately return to receive from others the kingdom now being denied.

When the apostles later sought clarification regarding the distinctions between this parable and that of the talents, Nathaniel provided insightful exegesis, identifying four fundamental principles: ability constitutes the practical measure of life's opportunities; faithfulness serves as the unerring metric of human trustworthiness; the Master grants commensurate rewards for comparable faithfulness when opportunities are equivalent; and he bestows equal recompense for equivalent faithfulness when opportunities are disparate. Following their midday meal, while the crowds continued toward Jerusalem, Jesus, standing amidst his apostles in the shade of an overhanging rock adjacent to the roadway, gestured westward with characteristic dignity and grace, declaring: "Come, my brethren, let us go on into Jerusalem, there to receive that which awaits us; thus shall we fulfill the will of the heavenly Father in all things." With these words, Jesus resumed what would be his final journey to Jerusalem in the likeness of mortal flesh.