Paper 130 Overview: On the Way to Rome

Jesus traveled through the Roman world with Gonod and his son Ganid from April of A.D. 22 to December of A.D. 23. They went from Jerusalem to many cities like Alexandria, Athens, and Rome. During this trip, Jesus spent half of each day teaching Ganid and helping Gonod with business meetings.

Jesus spent the other half of each day talking to people he met along the way. He got to know many different types of people from all walks of life. Through Gonod and Ganid, Jesus also learned about the cultures of India and China, as they had visited those regions before.

Jesus, along with two natives from India named Gonod and his son Ganid, left Jerusalem on April 26, A.D. 22. They visited many cities on their journey including Caesarea, Alexandria, Crete, Carthage, and Rome. After Rome, they continued to Athens, Ephesus, Cyprus, and finally reached Charax where Jesus said goodbye to his friends in December of A.D. 23.

Jesus had learned some of Gonod and Ganid's language while working in Damascus. On this Mediterranean trip, Jesus taught Ganid for about half of each day and helped Gonod with his business meetings. The rest of his time was spent getting to know regular people along the way. Ganid asked Jesus many times to come back to India with them, but Jesus always said he needed to return to his family in Palestine.

While in Joppa, Jesus met Gadiah, who worked as a translator for a tanner named Simon. Jesus and Gadiah became good friends because Gadiah was seeking truth and Jesus was a truth-giver. One evening they walked by the sea, and Gadiah showed Jesus where Jonah supposedly began his journey to Tarshish.

Gadiah asked Jesus if he thought a fish really swallowed Jonah. Jesus answered by saying we are all like Jonah when we try to run away from our duties. He said that running from duty means sacrificing truth. When someone sincerely seeks God, even after making mistakes, God will deliver them just as the fish delivered Jonah to dry land and a new chance to serve.

In Caesarea, Jesus and his friends stayed longer than planned because their ship needed repairs. Jesus volunteered to help fix the steering paddle since he was skilled with woodworking. In the evenings, they walked around the port and Jesus explained to Ganid how the water system of the city worked with the tides.

At their inn, Jesus met a merchant from Mongolia who spoke Greek. Jesus talked with him about living "the heavenly life while on earth by means of daily submission to the will of the heavenly Father." The merchant was so impressed by Jesus' teachings that he shared them with people back in Mongolia. This led to his son, grandson, and great-grandson becoming devoted to the idea of one Supreme God.

After their time in Caesarea, Jesus and his friends sailed to Alexandria in Egypt. They enjoyed the trip, and Ganid was excited to see the great lighthouse at Pharos, one of the seven wonders of the world. Jesus told Ganid that he should be like that lighthouse when he returned to India, showing the way to those in darkness.

In Alexandria, while Gonod conducted business, Jesus and Ganid spent much time at the library, which had nearly a million manuscripts from all over the world. Jesus helped Ganid understand all the religions of the world. They made a collection of teachings from religions that recognized a Universal Deity, and Jesus always emphasized that Yahweh, the God of Abraham, was the Universal Father in heaven.

While in Alexandria, Jesus and Ganid met with a university professor who taught about Plato. After the professor left, Jesus and Ganid had a long talk about the nature of reality. Jesus explained complex ideas about God, the universe, and the meaning of life in words Ganid could understand.

Jesus taught that the source of everything real is the Infinite. He explained that when we try to know God, who never changes, we grow in spiritual understanding. Jesus also taught that life has meaning when it can adapt to new situations, and its value comes from growing toward God-consciousness. Ganid had more questions about evil, which Jesus answered before they left for the island of Crete.

On Crete, Jesus and Ganid spent their time walking, climbing mountains, and talking to the people. Jesus was able to help many Cretans improve their thinking and way of living. This made it easier for them to accept the teachings of Christianity when it came to their island years later.

While on the island, Jesus had a long talk with Gonod about religion. Gonod was very impressed and suggested again that Jesus return to India with them. When Ganid asked why Jesus had not become a public teacher, Jesus explained that everything must wait for the right time, just as fruit must wait for the proper season to ripen.

In the mountains of Crete, Jesus met a sad and fearful young man who was avoiding other people. Jesus cleverly approached him by asking for directions to Phoenix. The young man knew the trails well and carefully explained the way. Jesus then pointed out that it would be unfair for him to take these directions without offering help for the young man's own journey.

Jesus encouraged the young man to stand up like a man and use his strong body and clear mind to solve his problems. He told him that his spirit could inspire and stimulate his mind to control his body if he would release it from fear. Jesus assured him that faith would conquer fear through the power of love. The young man, whose name was Fortune, became a leader of Christians in Crete and worked with Titus to help other believers.

On their way to Carthage, Jesus told many stories about his early life in Galilee. When Ganid asked how to make friends, Jesus advised him to become interested in others and to look for ways to help them. He quoted the Jewish proverb: "A man who would have friends must show himself friendly."

In Carthage, Jesus had a memorable talk with a Mithraic priest about time and eternity. Jesus explained that time is how we perceive events flowing one after another. Animals don't understand time the way humans do. As humans grow spiritually, they begin to see events more as a whole cycle rather than just one thing after another. Jesus also discussed how space is related to time and how our understanding of both grows as we develop spiritually.

On their journey toward Rome, they stopped at several islands and cities. On Malta, Jesus talked with a discouraged young man named Claudus who was thinking about ending his life. After talking with Jesus, Claudus decided to "face life like a man." He later became a preacher and eventually joined with Peter to spread Christianity.

At Syracuse, Jesus helped a Jewish tavern keeper named Ezra return to his faith. In Messina, Jesus bought fruit from a small boy and gave him encouraging words that changed his life. When they finally reached Naples, they spent time exploring the city and helping people in need. From Naples, they continued on the Appian Way to Rome, excited to see the greatest city in the world.