26“From others,” Stands on the Rock (Peter) answered.
“So then,” he said back to him, “the family members do not have to pay, 27but, to keep from insulting them, we will pay. Go to the lake and open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a silver coin. Use that to pay the dues for both of us.”
WHO IS TRULY GREAT?
1The ones who walked the road with Creator Sets Free (Jesus) came to him. “Who is the greatest one on Creator’s good road from above?” they asked.
2He had a small child come to him and stood the child in front of them.
3“I speak from my heart,” he said to them, “unless you become like a little child, you will not find the pathway onto the good road. 4The ones who humble themselves, like this little child, will become great ones in the Land of Creator’s good road.”
He then lifted up the child into his arms.
5“The ones representing me who welcome a little child like this one welcome me.”
STUMBLING STONES
Then he spoke in a more serious manner.
6“But for the ones who put a stumbling stone in the path of one of these little ones who trust in me, it would be better for them to have a great stone tied to their necks and be drowned in the deep waters! 7This world of sorrow and pain will make many stumble, but how terrible it will be for the ones who go along with it!
8“So, if what your hand or foot does makes you stumble from the path, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to walk this life without a hand or foot than to be thrown into the fire that burns on and on.
9“If what your eye sees makes you stumble on the path, then gouge it out and throw it away! It is better for you to walk this life with only one eye than to be thrown into the Valley of Smoldering Fire.
10“So do not look down on even one of these little ones, for their spirit-messengers in the spirit-world above always look upon the face of my Father, the one who is above us all. 11For the True Human Being has come to find the lost ones and set them free.”54
THE WORTH OF THE LITTLE ONES
12“How do you see it?” he asked them. “If a man has one hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountainside to go and find the lost one? 13If he finds that lost one, I speak from my heart, he will find more joy for that one than for the ninety-nine that were not lost. 14In the same way your Father from the spirit-world above does not want to lose even one of these little ones.
HANDLING CONFLICT
15“If a tribal family member wrongs you, go to him alone and tell him. If he listens, then you have won him back. 16If he cannot see the wrong, then go to him with one or two others who have seen the wrong, so he can hear them. 17If he still will not listen, take him before the sacred family council. If he will not hear the council, then he will be the same to you as an outsider or a tribal tax collector.
18“I speak from my heart, what has been decided in the spirit-world above is what you will decide on earth. 19-20From my heart I will say it again this way: When two or three have gathered together on earth to represent me, I will be there in spirit to guide you. Then, under my guidance, whatever two or more of you agree upon and ask for will be done by my Father from above.”
QUESTION ABOUT FORGIVENESS
21Stands on the Rock (Peter) came close to Creator Sets Free (Jesus). “Wisdomkeeper,” he asked, “how many times must I forgive a brother or sister who does wrong to me? Is seven times enough?”
22“Not just seven times,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered, “but seventy times seven.”
STORY ABOUT FORGIVENESS
To help them see more clearly into the ways of forgiveness, he told them a story.
23“So then, Creator’s good road is like a ruler who wanted to collect the debt owed to him by his hired servants. 24The first one brought to him owed ten thousand horses.55 25The man could not repay him, so the ruler ordered that the man, his family, and all he owned be sold to pay for the debt.
26“The servant fell to his knees before him and said, ‘Ruler, give me time and I will repay all that I owe!’
27“The ruler felt sorry for the servant, set him free, and released him from his debt.
28“But that same servant went to one of his fellow servants who owed him only a small horse blanket.56 He took hold of the man’s throat and said, ‘Pay me all that you owe!’
29“The man humbled himself, bowed down, and pleaded, ‘Please, give me more time and I will repay you!’
30“But he would not even listen and threw the man into prison until he could pay all that he owed. 31When his fellow servants saw this, it made their hearts fall to the ground. They went to the ruler and told him the sad story.
32“The ruler had the man brought to him and said, ‘You worthless servant! How could your heart be so cold? I forgave you all your debt because you begged me to. 33Why would you not do the same for your fellow servant?’
34“The ruler was angry with him and put him in prison to be punished until his debt was paid in full.”
Creator Sets Free (Jesus) looked deep into the eyes of the ones who walked the road with him.
35“My Father from above is warning you that the same thing will happen to you unless, from your heart, you each forgive your fellow human beings.”
1After Creator Sets Free (Jesus) had finished speaking in the territory of Circle of Nations (Galilee), he left there and went to the territory of the Land of Promise (Judea) beyond the river Flowing Down (Jordan). 2Once again large crowds came to him there, and he healed them.
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE
Like hungry wolves, the Separated Ones (Pharisees) began to come in packs and test him with questions about tribal law, hoping to trap him. They knew that among the spiritual leaders there was much disagreement about how to interpret the instructions about marriage and divorce.
3Some of the Separated Ones (Pharisees) came to him. “Does our tribal law permit a man to put away his wife for any and every reason?” they asked.
4“Have you not read in the Sacred Teachings,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) asked them, “that, in the beginning of creation, from one human being the Great Spirit made two—one male and one female? 5This is why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. Together they become one flesh, 6no longer two, but one body joined together.57 No human being should tear apart what Creator has put together.”
Like sly coyotes they smiled at each other. They were sure that he could not answer their next question.
7“Why then,” they asked him, “does Drawn from the Water (Moses), in the Law, instruct that a man give his wife divorce papers before sending her away?”
8“It is because of your cold hearts of stone that Drawn from the Water (Moses) permitted this,” he answered, “but this was not the Great Spirit’s original plan for men and women.
9“But here is how I will answer you,” he told them. “Any man who sends his wife away and marries another is guilty of being unfaithful to her, unless she was the one who was not faithful.”
10The ones who walked the road with him shook their heads and said, “If this is so, between husband and wife, then it must be better not to marry.”
11“Not many can hold to this teaching,” he answered them, “but only those to whom it has been gifted. There are many reasons for not getting married. 12Some are born with no desire or ability for marriage. Some have lost their ability from what has been done to them. Others choose not to marry so they can put all their strength into walking the good road from above. The ones who have this gift are able to walk in this wisdom.”
LITTLE CHILDREN AND THE GOOD ROAD
13The people were bringing their little children to Creator Sets Free (Jesus) so he would lay his hands on them and pray, but his followers spoke harsh words to the ones bringing them.
14“Let the little children come to me!” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said to his followers. “Do not turn them away. Creator’s good road fro
m above belongs to the ones who are like these children.”
15He then took the children into his arms, laid his hands on them, blessed them, and then went on his way.
POSSESSIONS OR THE GOOD ROAD
16As he was walking on down the road, a man came to him. “Wisdomkeeper,” he asked, “what good must I do to find the life of the world to come that never fades away?”
17“Why do you ask me about what is good?” he asked the man. “There is only one who is good—the Great Spirit. If you want this life, then follow the instructions given in our tribal law.”
18“Which instructions?” the young headman asked.
“You already know them,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered. “Do not take away the life of another, do not be unfaithful in marriage, and do not take what is not yours. Be honest in all you say and do, and never cheat a fellow human being. 19Give honor and respect to your father and mother, and love your fellow human beings as much as you love yourself.”
20“Wisdomkeeper,” the man answered, “from my youth I have followed all of these instructions. What have I left undone?”
21“Only one thing remains,” he answered. “Take all of your possessions and give them to the ones who have none, and then you will have great possessions in the spirit-world above.”
Creator Sets Free (Jesus) then gave the man the same invitation that he gave to his message bearers.
“Come,” he said to the man, “and walk the road with me.”
22But when the young man heard this, his heart fell to the ground. He hung his head and walked away, for he had many possessions.
HELP TO WALK THE GOOD ROAD
23“I speak from my heart,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) then said to his followers, “Finding the way onto the good road from above is a hard thing for the ones who have many possessions. 24It would be easier for a moose58 to squeeze through the eye of a beading needle.”
25His followers could not believe what they were hearing. “How then can anyone find and walk the good road?” they asked.
26Creator Sets Free (Jesus) set his eyes firmly on them and said, “With two-leggeds this is impossible, but all things are possible with the help of the Great Spirit. Nothing is impossible for him.”
27Then Stands on the Rock (Peter) spoke up, “We have left all our possessions, and our relatives, to walk the road with you! What will become of us?”
28“I speak to you from my heart,” he answered. “When the new age has been birthed, the True Human Being will sit in his seat of honor, and you who have walked the road with me will sit in twelve places of honor, deciding what is good and right for the twelve tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel).
29“All who have given up their homes and families because they represent me will receive back much more59 than they have lost, and the life of the world to come that never fades away will be theirs.”
For they now belong to Creator’s sacred family, which will care for them.
30“But remember, many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
To help them to better understand what he was saying, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) told them another story about Creator’s good road.
WORKERS IN A VINEYARD
1“Creator’s good road from above is like this tribal member who managed a large vineyard. He went out early in the morning to find people to harvest the grapes. 2After they agreed with him on the amount for a full day’s pay, he sent them to work.
3“A few hours later he went to the trading post and saw people there doing nothing.
4“He told them, ‘If you will join the workers in my field, I will pay you well.’
5“So they went to work. Then, about midday, and again at midafternoon, he went out and found others and did the same. 6Finally, when the day was nearly done, he found a few more people doing nothing.
“‘Why are you not working?’ he asked them.
7“‘No one has hired us,’ they answered. He agreed to pay them fairly and sent them to work.
8“At the end of the day, the headman said to his manager, ‘Bring the workers in from the field and pay them, beginning from last to first.’
9“He paid the workers hired at the end of the day a full day’s wage. 10When the workers who were hired at the start of the day were paid, they expected to receive more but were paid the same amount.
11“‘We have worked all day in the scorching heat,’ they complained to the manager. 12‘Why should we be paid the same as the ones who worked only one hour?’
13“‘I am not being unfair with you, my friend,’ he said to one of them. ‘Did we not agree on the amount of a full day’s wages? 14Take your pay and go in peace. If I want to pay these men the same, what is that to you? 15Am I not permitted to be generous with what is mine? Or are you jealous because I have done a good thing?’”
Creator Sets Free (Jesus) let his followers think about the story for a moment.
16“That is why I told you before,” he reminded them, “the last will be first and the first will be last.”
A SOLEMN REMINDER
17As they journeyed on toward the Village of Peace (Jerusalem), he stopped on the way and gathered his followers around him.
18“We are on our way up to the Village of Peace (Jerusalem),” he reminded them. “There the True Human Being will be handed over to the head holy men and scroll keepers, who will put him to death. 19They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the People of Iron (Romans).60 They will treat him shamefully, whip him with cords of braided cowhide, and kill him by nailing him to a tree-pole —the cross.
“But remember,” he added, “on the third day he will defeat death and live again.”
THE GOOD ROAD IS ABOUT SERVING OTHERS
20The mother of He Takes Over (James) and He Shows Goodwill (John), the sons of Gift of Creator (Zebedee), came to Creator Sets Free (Jesus), along with her sons, and humbled herself before him to make a request.
21“What do you want from me?” he asked.
“Promise me,” she said, “that my two sons will have an honored place when your good road comes—one on your right hand, the other on your left.”
22“You do not know what you are asking,” he said to her.
He turned to her sons and asked them, “Can you drink the cup of suffering that I will drink, or endure my purification ceremony?”61
“We are able!” they answered.
23“Yes, you will drink from my cup of suffering,” he said to them, “but the place of honor on my right and left hand is not mine to give. My Father will give this honor to the ones he has chosen.”
24When the other ten message bearers heard this, they began to look down on the two brothers.
25So Creator Sets Free (Jesus) called them together and said, “Other nations, like the People of Iron (Romans), have rulers. They like to show their power over people and push them around. 26But this will not be the way of the ones who walk with me. The ones among you who would be great must humble themselves and serve all the others. 27And the ones who want to be first must become the household slave of all. 28In the same way, the True Human Being did not come to be served by others, but to offer his life in the place of many lives, to set them free.”
TWO BLIND MEN SEE AGAIN
The road to Village of Peace (Jerusalem) took them through Moon Village (Jericho).
29As they walked out from Moon Village (Jericho), a large crowd of people trailed after them. 30Not far from the village there were two blind men sitting on the side of the road.
When the blind men heard that Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was passing by, they cried out to him, “Honored One! Descendant of Much Loved One (David), have pity on us!”
31The people in the crowd scolded them and said, “Be quiet!”
That only made them cry out louder, “Honored One! Descendant of Much Loved One (David), have pity on us!”
32Creator Sets Free (Jesus) stopped walking and called out to them, “What do you want fro
m me?”
33“Honored One,” they said, “open our eyes, that we may see.”
34He felt pity for them, so he touched their eyes, and right then their eyes were opened and they could see! So they went with him down the road.
Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and the ones who walked the road with him were coming to the end of their journey. As they neared Village of Peace (Jerusalem), he began to make preparations for what would be his final week with his followers. It was now time to complete the work the Great Spirit had sent him to do.
GRAND ENTRY
1They came to House of Unripe Figs (Bethphage) at the foot of Olive Mountain, near Village of Peace (Jerusalem). There he sent two of his followers ahead of him.
2“Go into the village ahead of us,” he instructed them. “As soon as you enter, you will find a donkey tied there with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone asks you what you are doing, say to them, ‘Our Wisdomkeeper has need of them,’ and the owner will release them to you.”
4This took place to show the full meaning of the ancient prophecy, 5“Speak these words to the daughter of Strong Mountain (Zion): ‘Behold, your Chief is coming to you, in a humble way, riding upon a donkey—a colt still with its mother.’”62
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