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Chapter 6.
Traveling with Jesus for the First Time

Jesus and His disciples were again preparing for their travels. I made them provisions for the journey.

Then I came up to Jesus and, looking down, said:

“Here, I prepared food for all of you. I don’t know: is it enough? Or is more needed? I’m sorry if I misjudged your wishes…”

“It’s fine! You’ve done a great job, Martha! But to please Me — there’s no need! You know that I have no mundane worldly desires!

“But why are you still afraid of Me, Martha? You want to ask Me something! Don’t you?”

“Yes, Jesus! I want to! You see everything that I think about and everything that I want… I’m still a little afraid of You, but… just a little… And — only sometimes…”

“But as soon as you begin to fear Me, you cease to love!

“Fear does not live in love!

“Love doesn’t get along with fear!

“Love casts out fear!

“But fear… is able to extinguish love!

“Well, speak boldly and openly: what do you want to ask?”

“Let me go now with You and with all of you!”

“It’s good that you want this, Martha! But it would be better if this were to happen later: your time has not yet come. It will come soon, but right now you will not be able to withstand all our journeys. I will invite you and Lazarus with Me a little later: when the Scripture has been fulfilled and everything that has been prophesied has come true…”

“But, I need You nearby all the time! All my spiritual work stops when You leave our house and I’m left alone!”

“That’s what I’m telling you about!

“To be near Me on this Path, only God must remain in a person’s life! He — the Most Beloved, the Dearest — must always be near. But not My body!”

“I can endure it! All the difficulties! Let me go with You and be near You! After all, Mary was able! And I’ll also be able!”

“You do not understand Me, dear Martha!

“But if this is what you want, then you may try to live a little of the life which we live! Let it be good for you and for all of us! And let this help to strengthen your aspiration to the Heavenly Father!

“I allow you to follow Me now!

“Everything will be fine and happen how you want, Martha, and how God wants to the best of you-the-soul! Everything will be good for everyone!”

“Thank You, Master!”

… I had already prepared for the journey.

Lazarus was very surprised, but he did not hinder my aspiration.

* * *

And so, my journey began with Jesus and His disciples.

An unprecedented and unspeakable joy now overfilled me!

For the first time, my life became the life of a soul that turned into a shining — like a little sun — spiritual heart!

Before, it had happened to me only for a short time. But now — I cognized the fullness and bliss of life that comes from living in a state of almost constant heart love!

I opened the eyes of the soul! And like a flower of love, I blossomed in my spiritual heart!

For the first time, I looked at everything around me, admiring the beauty — the beauty that I had previously considered as… insignificant and ordinary!

I — in delight — saw the morning dew on the grass, the flowers, the trees, the sand, and the roadside olives!

As if for the first time, I heard the songs of birds and watched their effortless flight!

I saw the sky also as if for the first time! And I could not get enough of the light clouds or of the high and cloudless blue dome over us!

It became dear for me to listen to the murmur of an ordinary stream and to feel the caress of the water, moving between my toes!

In the past, I used to go to fetch water… And I saw both trees, and grass, and flowers… But back then, I… as if did not even notice them!

And now, it was as if the “the veil of everyday life” had dropped off my eyes — and suddenly everything started shining with unspeakable beauty!

Everything was permeated with a sense of the Presence of God — the Creator and Father!

And Jesus was here beside me!

His feet touched the same sand as mine! His looks — by touches — were fondling everything that I saw: all these trees, bushes, flowers, and even the dusty path under our feet!

And on stops, His hands accepted the bowl with water or food from my hands!

His presence made everything… Holy!

I was so happy!

* * *

However, I got tired quickly and even sometimes started to lag behind… I noticed that Jesus was making stops on purpose, showing or explaining something, so that I could catch up. I was ashamed: I didn’t want to be a burden! And I tried as best as I could, although in the early days the fatigue of the body was very great.

… And how wonderful were the evenings by the fire and the conversations of Jesus!

He was already preparing His disciples for their Apostolic Service:

“You, My friends, will inherit the Deed, which was begun by Me on the Earth! Remember that I — in this body — will not always be with you!

“Though, still, I’ll be everywhere with every follower of Mine — by the Light and Divine Love, Which I teach you both to see, and hear, and embrace by souls!

“God is always with you and in you! And the Power of the Holy Spirit, flowing through your bodies, will allow you to learn to show this Power to people!

“But I emphasize that I am talking now about the Will of God, and not about the intensity of your personal desires!

“There are heirs who inherit the earthly and therefore must be able to manage the estates that were inherited.

“But you are chosen by Me to inherit not the earthly but the Heavenly!

“To carry to people the knowledge that you have received — will be the task of your lives until the last day of your stay in these bodies.

“Not every person who has received an earthly inheritance is able to wisely manage money and houses, or to contribute to the development of those lands that he or she has at his or her disposal.

“But your task is much more difficult and requires much more responsibility! Your every action in your Service must be guided by the Heavenly Father!”

“Will You give us the power to heal and to see the past and the future? Will You teach us how to make loaves and clothes out of nothing? Will You teach us how to fly and walk on the water?”

“Birds in the sky can fly, and fish swim in the waters… Flowers are dressed in beautiful outfits… Should I teach you the skills of birds, fish, and flowers?

“You will inherit something else — the Heavenly Kingdom! Is this not enough for you?

“Remember, friends:

‘The one who can control oneself, that is, one’s own thoughts and emotions, — has acquired a great advantage.

‘For example, one, who knows how to keep silent, listen carefully, and speak only about important things and at the right moment, — has mastered a very important skill.

‘The one, who has found the Heavenly Kingdom within oneself and has not lost this priceless Treasure because of external hardships and trials, is worthy of broadcasting about it to people!’

… And Jesus further taught how to become open to the reception of the Divine Light of the Holy Spirit and to direct this Light-Power through one’s bodily hands — for healing.

I still didn’t understand much of what Jesus said. But I learned to feel the Divine Light-Power.

… After this conversation, Jesus said to Andrew:

“Tomorrow tell Martha about those seven ‘lamps’* that can be lit in the human body — so that the Divine Spirit can easily fill such a body and subsequently act through it.”

… The next morning, Andrew told me about the seven centers in the human body that must be cleansed and transformed:

“Right now, your first ‘lamp’ is already lit. It is your spiritual heart. And now you can — from it — light the other six ‘lamps’, so that all seven centers that guide the soul’s forces in the body can become pure and easily conduct the Divine Light.”

… Oh, how quickly I got tired!…

Seeing this, Jesus halted much earlier than usual.

That day, He told us a little about His travels to other countries and about the beliefs of the people living there. I was interested in all this: the strange customs, the strange rites, and the unfamiliar names of Divine Teachers…

Jesus spoke, in particular, about how quickly the teachings of the sages and prophets are lost or distorted by people:

“A lot of legends had their origins in true Knowledge. And this concerns not just the stories about the history of the Jewish people.

“Sometimes in these stories, there is not much truth, but many fantasies or deliberate lies are layered. Sometimes it even happens that priests try to ‘deify’ evil and establish cults of worship to the forces of evil. So they — by means of the imposed fear — make people obey them. I’ve seen it in many of the lands that I’ve been to.

“I would like to return to people — to the most ordinary people — the eternal Knowledge about God, about the Laws of the universe, and about the great and transforming Power of Divine Love.

“For example, look at Martha: how she blossomed in these few days! I preach precisely for such people! And there are many of such people! For them —the pure and clear path of life is opened, leading to the personal cognition of the Creator!

“The one, who has acquired the simplicity of life with God, experiences the great happiness! This happiness can never run out — so long as the spiritual heart of such a person is always in the Heavenly Kingdom! In God then — is the joy of such a person! And this joy of contact with the Heavenly Kingdom is incomparable!

“Even for souls which are still small and modestly beginning their search — it is possible to achieve this happiness!

“When God dwells in your spiritual heart, the soul rejoices, sings, shines, and is ready to share this happiness with all around!

“The kind and gentle perception of everything around — then becomes natural!

“Even small souls, in contact with the Purity and Bliss of the Divine, find this Bliss!

“Feeling like children and, at the same time, disciples of God, many people can begin to live happily and study the Heavenly Kingdom, Which is revealed to pure and loving souls!

“But it is important that the aspiration to the Creator must be strong!

“If the joy of living together with God disappears, it means that such a one has lost something important in oneself. And that he or she needs to check with attention: what has become wrong in me.

“Only pure souls can become involved in the life of God.

“You will be able to tell people about God-the-Father, in particular, that He does not discriminate between His children by skin color and place of birth. God is one for all people, no matter what names people use to call Him!

“You will be able to teach about love and brotherhood between people, also about how to wisely help each other, and about the tasks assigned to each soul!

“Only a small amount of earthly goods is necessary for a joyful and peaceful life!

“How ridiculous it looks: to waste on the gathering of earthly wealth — the time that is given to everyone for such a happy life and for the work of improving oneself!

“The introduction of knowledge about the Principles of the Wise Divine Love can help very many — namely, those who will accept this Knowledge and will want to apply it to themselves! You will preach for such people! It is for this purpose — that you are learning now!”

* * *

And then there was a night under the open sky around the campfire. Jesus and all His disciples slept together.

The sky covered us with a dome of stars.

Wrapped in a cloak, I lay there and could not stop looking! I could not sleep: such was the beauty around us! I felt like a small grain — in His incredible Enormity… And the understanding came to me that behind everything that can be seen, there is the One Who has created it all. And that all the Creation is intended for the development of just such small particles. And that the existence of each one of them is significant for Him. And that every grain-soul is so small but, at the same time, so important for the Whole!

I realized that I’m not the only one who’s connected to the Everything. All of us — as souls — are connected to each other and to our Creator!