The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 240 -
The Poor Testimony Of The Worldly Neighbors
SOON AFTERWARD the company arose from the table and thanked God for the bodily as well as the spiritual food, after which most of them went out into the open.
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Only Joseph, Mary and the little Child along with James went into the great dining hall where Cyrenius was still at the table with his guests.
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He welcomed his dearest friends in a most friendly manner and wanted to get up at once and make room for them.
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But the little Child said, 'Oh stay, stay where you are, My dear Cyrenius!
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I am already satisfied if I just have the proper place in your heart!
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As concerns this place at the table here, it means nothing to Me.
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I am now going outside with James - when you have finished your meal, come out after Me!'
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Thereupon the little Child with His James ran quickly outside and there conversed with him and the other children.
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This very intelligent and quite intimate speech of the little Child with Cyrenius aroused the attention of several of the guests from the city,
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and they asked just how old this little Child might be,
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since He already talked like a grown man and seemed to be on very good terms with the governor.
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To this Cyrenius replied, 'What is it to you that I am a great friend of children?
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You have all seen that this little Child is exceptionally gifted;
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but as to how He has attained such clear understanding at the age of hardly two and a half years,
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you will have to ask His parents, who will no doubt be able to enlighten you best in the matter.
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Besides, I am greatly surprised that you as the nearest neighbors do not know this house and its inhabitants any better by now!'
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Here a few said, 'Well, and how should we really know this family better?
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To begin with, they never go anywhere, and in the second place, we just have too little time to visit this singular Jewish family which is very difficult to fathom,
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for it has such a singular, mystical manner that one does not know exactly what to make of it.
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As far as we have heard from other quite insignificant people, this family is of course very peaceful and does much good to the poor;
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but there are some who say that they have seen this house as if it were in bright flames which then went out again as quickly as one could say yes and no, and a number of other things like that.
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Therefore we just do not have the courage to visit this family;
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for the old man is nothing else than a Jewish head sorcerer,
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and it is not good to have anything whatever to do with people of that sort!'
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At this Cyrenius laughed and retorted, 'Well, in that case just keep on looking at it that way, for then this house is safe from you!' - At this the guests made big eyes at Cyrenius and did not know what to make of this.