Paper 149 Overview: The Second Preaching Tour

The second preaching tour of Galilee began on October 3 and lasted almost three months, ending on December 30. Jesus and his twelve apostles were joined by 117 new evangelists who helped spread the gospel of the kingdom. During this tour, many people were healed by Jesus, often through their strong faith rather than by his conscious action.

The tour focused on training the new evangelists and giving them practical experience. At the same time, Jesus continued to teach about important spiritual matters like avoiding anger, developing a balanced character, finding contentment, and understanding the meaning of "fear of the Lord." The tour ended with a return to Bethsaida where the group rested before their next mission.

The second public preaching tour of Galilee began on Sunday, October 3, and continued for almost three months until December 30. Jesus and his twelve apostles were joined by 117 newly recruited evangelists and many other interested people. They visited many cities and villages including Gadara, Ptolemais, Japhia, and others to spread Jesus' message.

Before they departed, James Zebedee gave instructions to the new evangelists instead of Jesus, who said this was not his duty. After James finished, Jesus added a few words to the evangelists, saying that if they proved themselves competent and faithful, he would later ordain them to preach the gospel of the kingdom. During the tour, Jesus and John traveled together while the other apostles each took a group of evangelists with them.

By the time the group left Bethsaida, Jesus' fame as a healer had spread throughout Palestine and Syria. Even after they departed, sick people continued to arrive looking for Jesus. When they couldn't find him at Bethsaida, they would ask David where he was and then go in search of him for healing.

Jesus did not deliberately perform miracles on this tour, but many people were healed through their strong faith. An unusual series of spontaneous healings began to happen, which Jesus explained by saying, "I perceive that power has gone forth from me." The Midwayer Commission suggests these healings resulted from three factors: the strong faith of the sick person, Jesus' compassion and healing powers, and the will of the Universal Father.

Jesus understood the minds and hearts of people. If his teachings had been left exactly as he presented them, with only his life as interpretation, all nations and religions would have quickly embraced the gospel of the kingdom. Instead, his followers tried to make his teachings more acceptable to different groups, which made them less appealing to others.

Paul and other teachers made two major mistakes when sharing Jesus' gospel. First, they connected it to Jewish theology and the idea that Jesus was a sacrifice to satisfy God's justice. Second, they organized Christian teaching too much around Jesus himself rather than his message. This made it harder for non-Christians to accept his teachings. Instead, teachers of Jesus' religion should focus on common truths shared with other religions, not the differences.

Despite being well-received by common people, religious leaders in Jerusalem became increasingly alarmed and hostile toward Jesus. The Pharisees had created a systematic theology while Jesus taught in a less formal way, often using parables to make his points. When using parables, Jesus usually focused on just one aspect of the story to illustrate his message.

The religious leaders in Jerusalem were upset by recent conversions, including young Abraham and three spies who had been baptized by Peter. Fear and prejudice hardened their hearts as they rejected the gospel's truths. Jesus had earlier told the evangelists that while people's bodies and minds react differently, their indwelling spirits respond similarly to spiritual appeals. Unfortunately, many Jewish leaders had closed their hearts to the spiritual message of the gospel and began plotting against Jesus.

During this preaching tour, Jesus did little public work but conducted many evening classes with believers in the towns where he stayed. In one session, a young evangelist asked about anger, and Jesus explained that anger shows a failure of spiritual control over physical and mental nature. He quoted many scriptures about anger's harmful effects and urged his followers to let love dominate their hearts.

On the same occasion, Jesus talked about having a well-balanced character. He taught that most people need to master a specific job, but shouldn't become too specialized or narrow-minded. He pointed out that any virtue carried to extremes can become a vice and taught the importance of temperance and consistency. Jesus not only taught these principles but also demonstrated them in his own life, maintaining calm even when surrounded by enemies and critics.

While visiting evangelists under Simon Zelotes' supervision, Simon asked Jesus why some people are happier than others. Jesus explained that contentment is partly natural temperament but mostly depends on a person's willingness to be led by the Father's spirit. He quoted many scriptures about finding satisfaction from within rather than from external things.

Jesus taught that much of human sorrow comes from disappointed ambitions and wounded pride. While people should do their best in life, they should cheerfully accept their situation and make the most of what they have. Instead of seeking false peace and temporary joy, they should seek the assurance of faith and divine sonship, which bring true contentment and joy. Jesus didn't see the world as a "vale of tears" but as the birth sphere of eternal spirits - the "vale of soul making."

At Gamala, Philip asked Jesus why scriptures instruct people to "fear the Lord" while Jesus taught about approaching God without fear. Jesus explained that in the beginning, fear was the only way humans could learn reverence for God. But Jesus came to reveal the Father's love so people would worship God out of affection rather than fear.

The concept of "fear of the Lord" had evolved through history from actual fear and dread to awe and reverence. Jesus wanted to lead people further - from reverence to recognition and love. Just as children first obey parents out of fear but grow to love them for who they are, humans should develop from fearing God to loving him. Jesus taught that instead of fearing God as a king, people should love him as a Father and worship him as the center of a divine family.

With Jesus' approval, Andrew instructed David at Bethsaida to send messengers to all the preaching groups telling them to end the tour and return to Bethsaida by Thursday, December 30. By supper time on that rainy day, all the apostles and evangelists had arrived at Zebedee's home.

The group stayed together over the Sabbath, staying in homes in Bethsaida and nearby Capernaum. After this, they were given a two-week vacation to visit their families or go fishing. The few days they spent together in Bethsaida were inspiring, with the younger preachers sharing their experiences. Of the 117 evangelists who participated in the tour, only about 75 passed the test of experience and returned to continue their service after the break. Jesus stayed at Zebedee's home with Andrew, Peter, James, and John, discussing the future of the kingdom.