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A Book about Master Jesus/Chapter 4: On Living Near the Master

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Chapter 4:
On Living Near the Master

Many people think that we, Jesus' closest companions, had a much easier time climbing all the steps of the ascent to the Divine. This is certainly true, but only partially true. Yes, we were close to Jesus at that time, we lived together for three whole years — or rather, only three years… For more than a thousand days we were with Him all the time… Each moment was almost as significant as an entire life. But at first we did not fully realize the great significance of these minutes, hours, and days spent near the Master.

We certainly rejoiced in the great joy of being chosen by Him to be His closest disciples and companions! But there was much misunderstanding about how and why Jesus acted in each particular situation. We were often puzzled that He did not use the Great Power He possesses, when He could have changed events and circumstances by His will alone…

At times we were overcome with doubts, confusion, and misunderstanding. It seemed to us that since there is a Divine Teacher on Earth, all people should believe, see and understand the Truth at once! We saw that the power of Jesus is boundless, and we were convinced of it many times. It would seem that if He were to manifest this power, everything in the world would change! But He did not do it; instead, He taught, explained, and told parables… Even Jesus did not heal all those who wanted to be healed… We did not understand many things at that time, but we loved and trusted Jesus without limits.

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Here is an episode — one of many:

… It was chilly that day.

Rain clouds were to our right and left, but above us the sun was shining and the blue of the sky could be seen.

“Do you do this for us, Jesus? Do you move the clouds away from us?” — John asked.

“No, of course not, John!

“Is it worth wasting Divine Power just to disperse clouds? Even if our bodies and clothes get wet from the rain, is that a big problem? Today, the Heavenly Father Himself took care of us in this way. Maybe tomorrow He will send us and others strong rain and wind for our benefit. And this will be His Gift too.

And you will see again how every Gift of the Heavenly Father serves the good!”

… And sure enough, the next day the weather turned bad.

The streams of rain and the cold wind were very strong, and there was nowhere to take shelter at all.

Remembering Jesus' words from the day before, we tried not to murmur or ask Him to stop the wind and rain. Soon a small poor shack appeared ahead.

A family lived in it — a husband, a wife, their four children and an elderly grandfather. These people were very poor. But they welcomed us with great care. They were kind, not knowing who their guest was, but simply welcomed the drenched and hungry travelers. They shared their poor shelter and meager food with us. There were many of us… In sharing the last of their food with us, they were kind and generous!

Jesus responded to them with hidden spiritual gifts. At first, small miracles were revealed. The people were puzzled to see that the food they had brought to the table did not diminish when it was put into bowls. The food was shared and there was enough for both the hosts and us. And there was as much left as there was before. The food tasted and smelled so wonderful, even though it was simple in appearance, for it was the humble food of the poor. The food itself was magically transformed.

The eldest girl filled a bowl for her grandfather who was lying on a bed in the corner of the hut. She wanted to feed him herself, since his arms and legs were paralyzed.

The sick old man uttered:

“I don't need food, I need other things now… I see that our guest is a holy man! Have compassion on me, Lord, and pray for me, for the time has long since come, and I am still not dead! It grieves me to be a burden to my son's family. I have not gotten out of bed for over a year.”

Jesus spoke affectionately to the old man:

“It is not time for you to go yet. Today you will hear important things about God that will make a difference before you go to your Heavenly Father. Get up, come to the table and have a meal with us all!”

And the old man suddenly felt strong and rose from his bed. Everyone looked in amazement at this already great miracle of healing!

At the meal, Jesus spoke about the purpose of human life. That heart-love, kindness, and humility reveal in souls the ability to see God, to hear Him, to understand His instructions and to live in harmony with the Divine Will — in big and small things.

And the Radiance of the Divine enveloped the whole space of that poor hut, and understanding penetrated into the souls of all present. And the first touch of the Living Divine Love happened for these people. And we all also tasted the Heavenly Gifts of Love and Wisdom at this meal.

Afterward, Jesus said to us:

“Have you noticed now how wise we were to rejoice in the rain and wind? It was the weather that guided us to the house where we were needed. This is how God can guide people when they do not yet have a direct understanding of His Will.”

… And the next day many people gathered near that poor shack to hear that an old man who had been paralyzed for more than a year had been healed by Jesus.

And we witnessed Jesus' wonderful sermon about the purpose of life, about kindness, about generosity, about compassion for our neighbors. On that day, Jesus healed many people who asked him for help.

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And God often directed our Path on Earth in such ways.

Jesus knew God's plan in advance, but he patiently showed us how to understand and accept the divine guidance.

We learned from Jesus how to help people. How to live with God always! And how we need to talk about God with people who are very different in their soul characteristics!

Sometimes we were received with luxury in rich homes. Sometimes fasting and deprivation in the outside world were forced upon us by circumstances and we learned humility…

Yes, we learned not to ask Jesus for miracles that would satisfy our desires. For example, to reduce the heat of the day and lower the chill, to warm us on a cold night, to rest from long-distance treks… We found the natural shade of olive trees and hid there from the scorching sun, we warmed ourselves at night by the fire, we overcame hunger and fatigue and were strengthened in spiritual strength. And we gradually tried to comprehend the wisdom of Jesus in each of His acts. Sometimes we witnessed miraculous healings or materializations and even resurrections from the dead… We saw souls returning to bodies ready for burial, the blind seeing, lepers healed… We saw that there is no limit to the Power that Jesus can manifest.

… And there were many things that we did not understand at that time. We didn't understand why Jesus didn't always manifest His divine power. It seemed to us that it would be so easy to make everyone believe by showing great miracles again and again. And the understanding that it is impossible to force love, that love is awakened in another way… — did not come to us at once.