Paper 133 Overview: The Return from Rome

Jesus, Gonod, and Ganid began their journey back from Rome through Italy, Greece, and Asia, eventually ending at Charax. During this trip, Jesus continued teaching and ministering to individuals while shaping Ganid's understanding of religion. This journey provided opportunities for Jesus to interact with people from different backgrounds and share teachings about mercy, justice, and spiritual truths.

Jesus had meaningful conversations with many people along the way, offering wisdom tailored to their specific needs. In cities like Corinth, Athens, and Ephesus, Jesus discussed important topics like the soul, mind, and reality with local thinkers. The journey ended with a loving farewell as Gonod and Ganid returned to India while Jesus prepared to go back to Palestine.

When preparing to leave Rome, Jesus said goodbye quietly without announcing his departure. Even after he left, small groups of those who had known him continued meeting to discuss his teachings. Gonod and Ganid sent most of their belongings ahead while they walked across Italy with Jesus.

During this part of their journey, Jesus told Ganid about equality before God when asked about India's caste system. He explained that while humans differ in many ways, in the spiritual world all people stand equally before God. Jesus taught that God sees only two groups: those who want to do his will and those who do not.

Jesus and Ganid watched a large boy bullying a smaller one on the road. Jesus rescued the smaller boy, holding the bully until the victim escaped. When Ganid tried to punish the bully, Jesus stopped him and explained the difference between mercy and justice.

Jesus taught that mercy is given by individuals while justice comes from groups or governments. He explained that people would disagree about proper punishment, which is why justice should be handled by society rather than individuals. Jesus said that true justice requires knowing all the facts and motivations, which only governments or universe administrators can properly judge.

At the ship landing in Tarentum, Jesus saw a man mistreating his wife. He gently approached the man and spoke kindly to him, helping the man realize his mistake and promise to do better. Jesus then explained how men should treat women with respect and love.

Jesus taught that men have no rightful authority over women unless freely given, and that women deserve special protection for their greater role in bearing and raising children. He explained that men and women are partners with God in creating new life, and that the Father in heaven treats all equally. Gonod was deeply moved by this teaching and decided to reorganize his own home when he returned to India.

In Corinth, Ganid began visiting the Jewish synagogue and became friends with Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue. While Ganid studied Jewish family life, Jesus taught Crispus better ways of religious living. Later, when Paul came to Corinth, Crispus and his family embraced Christianity.

One evening near the citadel, Ganid rudely turned away two women who approached them. Jesus corrected him, explaining that everyone has a divine spirit within them and these women had suffered much. Jesus invited the women to a friend's home for a meal and counsel, showing compassion rather than judgment. Later, one of these women died, but the other became a member of the first Christian church in Corinth.

Jesus and Ganid had many interesting experiences in Corinth and spoke with many different people. Jesus taught each person based on their own situation and needs, offering wisdom that would help them most.

To a miller, Jesus taught about grinding truth to make it easier for others to understand. To a Roman soldier, he spoke about being brave in heart as well as hand. To a Greek builder, he compared building physical structures to developing spiritual character. To each person, Jesus offered unique insights that connected their daily work to spiritual growth and finding God.

In Athens, Ganid was excited to visit this famous center of learning. He and Jesus enjoyed the art and learning of Greece, and they had already discussed Plato's teachings during their time in Alexandria. One evening, Jesus had a long discussion with a Greek philosopher about science.

Jesus explained that science deals with physical energy, while religion deals with eternal values. He taught that true philosophy tries to connect these two areas. Jesus said math and logic are good for material problems but not complete for understanding life. He explained that the universe is friendly to God's children when viewed correctly, seeing both facts and values as coming from the Paradise Father.

At Ephesus, Jesus and Ganid visited the famous temple of Artemis. Ganid, still influenced by his early training to respect images, bought a small silver shrine. That night they discussed the worship of human-made objects.

Later, Jesus had several talks with a progressive thinker from the local school. When asked about the soul, Jesus explained it is the part of a person that can understand truth and recognize spirit. He taught that the soul is not the same as self-consciousness but represents the potential survival value of human experience. Jesus explained that the human soul is difficult to prove by either material science or spiritual testing, yet every moral person knows of its existence through personal experience.

The travelers sailed to Cyprus, planning to rest and enjoy themselves as their Mediterranean tour was ending. They spent two weeks enjoying the mountains until Ganid became very ill with a fever. Jesus cared for him skillfully for two weeks until he recovered.

During Ganid's recovery, Jesus explained many things about nature. They also had a long talk about the human mind. Jesus taught that when animals become self-conscious, they become primitive humans. He explained that ideas are more than just sensations; they include interpretations by the personal self. Jesus taught that the human mind has qualities beyond the material world, and that conflicts in the mind can cause problems for the soul.

Antioch was a large, wicked city with half a million people. Gonod had business there, so Jesus and Ganid explored the city by themselves, avoiding the notorious grove of Daphne which Jesus refused to visit.

Jesus became quiet and thoughtful as they got closer to Palestine. When Ganid asked why he showed so little interest in Antioch, Jesus hinted he might return there someday. During their stay, Ganid helped a disgruntled Indian worker in his father's business by sharing Jesus' teachings, especially the Hebrew proverb to do with all your might whatever your hand finds to do.

The group joined a caravan traveling across the desert to Ur. Jesus helped load their twenty camels and volunteered to drive their animal. At Ur and Susa, Jesus was fascinated by the history and ruins, especially since Ur was Abraham's birthplace.

When the time came to separate, both Ganid and his father gave emotional farewells to Jesus. Ganid said, "Farewell, Teacher, but not forever. When I come again to Damascus, I will look for you." Jesus watched from the shore as they sailed away. In India, Ganid grew up to be an influential man who spread many truths he learned from Jesus. Years later, when Ganid heard about Jesus of Nazareth, he never realized this was his beloved teacher.