The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 280 -
The Miracle Of The Twelve Sparrows
ONE SABBATH, when the Child was five years and a few weeks old, He went to a little brook that flowed not far from Joseph's farmstead.
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The day was truly serene, and several children accompanied the lively little Jesus there;
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for all the children of the neighbors loved Jesus very much because He was always happy and knew how to arrange many innocent children's games.
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For this reason they followed Him quite joyfully this time also.
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When the little company arrived at the brook, the little Jesus asked His playmates whether it really would be permissible to play on a Sabbath.
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Here the children replied, 'Children under six years are free from the law, and each of us is hardly six years old,
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so we may surely play on the Sabbath! Besides, our parents have never denied us this.'
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And the Child Jesus said thereto, 'Well spoken. Then let us play a game!
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But so we will not offend anyone, I will show you something very remarkable just among ourselves.
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Now you must be perfectly silent thereby.'
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At this the other children sat down on the ground which was thickly covered with grass, were altogether silent and did not stir.
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The little Jesus then took a small knife from His pocket and cut out twelve little round holes by the smoothly trod path beside the brook and filled them with water from the brook.
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Thereupon He took some soft clay from the edge of the brook and quickly formed twelve little birds in the form of sparrows and placed a sparrow beside each little hole filled with water.
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When the clay sparrows were thus put in place, the little Jesus asked His playmates the meaning of this.
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And these replied, 'What else, besides what it is? - Twelve little holes filled with water and twelve clay sparrows beside them!'
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Here the little Jesus said, 'That surely, but this likeness also has quite another meaning.
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Listen, and I will explain it to you! The twelve small holes signify the twelve tribes of Israel.
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The clear water in them is the Word of God, which is the same everywhere;
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and the dead clay sparrows represent mankind as it now generally is.
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The children of men also stand by the living water of the Word of God, but because they are too earthly, like these sparrows, they also stand dead by the pools of life which are filled with life;
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but they neither can nor wish to give heed to this, for they are dead because of their sins.
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Therefore the Lord God Zebaoth now comes in the time of greatest affliction and will restore these dead children of men to life, and they will be able to fly up to the clouds of heaven again.'
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Now this children's game was noticed by a passerby, a strict Jew who knew Joseph. The Jew thereupon hurried into the house and made a great commotion before Joseph, asking why he desecrated the Sabbath by thus allowing his children to play.
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Here Joseph at once went with him to the children and there made a false bluster for the sake of the stranger.
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At this the little Jesus said, 'That is also a great affliction. And so I give life to you clay sparrows - and now fly away!'
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And suddenly the clay sparrows took wing and flew away. Thereat all were seized with a feverish amazement, and the strict Jew said no more. - And that was the first miracle of the little Jesus when He was five years old.