First Nations Version

by Terry M. Wildman

  6His followers did as they were told. When they arrived at the village, they found everything just as he had said. 7They brought the donkey colt to Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and laid their outer garments on the colt, and he sat down on them.

  8From the large crowd many began to cut branches from nearby trees and spread their outer garments on the road in front of him. 9The crowd circled around him, front and back, and began to shout:

  “Hosanna!63 To the descendant of Much Loved One (David)!

  “Blessed is the one who comes representing the Great Spirit!

  “Hosannab to the highest one!”

  This humble Chief did not fit the image of a conquering ruler. Instead of a warhorse, he rode on a donkey colt. No mighty warriors rode next to him. No dignitaries came out to meet him. It was mostly the common people who welcomed him that day.

  10When he rode through the gate entering the Village of Peace (Jerusalem), the whole village was in an uproar!

  “Who is this?” they asked.

  11“He is Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the prophet from Seed Planter Village (Nazareth) in Circle of Nations (Galilee),” the crowd answered.

  SACRED LODGE KEEPER

  12Creator Sets Free (Jesus) rode into the village and to the sacred lodge. He entered the lodge and began to force out the ones who were selling and buying the ceremonial animals. He then tipped over the tables of the money handlers and the seats of the ones who were selling the ceremonial doves.

  13“It is written from the words of the prophets,” he cried out, “‘My lodge will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have turned it into a hideout for thieves!’64”

  The ancient prophecies had now found their full meaning, for this was the area of the lodge called Gathering Place for the Nations. It was here that other nations could come to learn about the Great Spirit and his ways. The holy men were keeping the Outside Nations who wanted to learn of Creator’s ways from entering into this Holy Place. They were stealing the ways of the Great Spirit from the nations.

  14After that, people who could not see or walk came to him at the lodge, and he healed them. 15The children came to him there, shouting for joy, “Hosanna65 to the descendant of Much Loved One (David)!”

  The children then made a circle around him and laughed, danced, and sang songs.

  But when the head holy men and the scroll keepers saw the wonderful things he did and heard the children shouting and singing, they burned with anger 16and said to him, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

  “I hear them,” he answered, “but have you not heard what the ancient Sacred Teachings say? ‘From the mouths of little children and nursing babies you have created praise.’66”

  17Then Creator Sets Free (Jesus) left Village of Peace (Jerusalem) and returned to House of Figs (Bethany), where he was lodging.

  A FIG TREE WITH NO FRUIT

  18The next morning, as he was returning to Village of Peace (Jerusalem), he became hungry. 19He saw a fig tree on the side of the road and went to it, but when he came to the tree, he found only leaves.

  He spoke to the tree, “You will never again grow fruit!” and the fig tree began to wither away right then and there.

  20When the ones who walked the road with him saw the tree withering, they were amazed.

  “How did it dry up and wither so quickly?” they asked.

  21“I speak from my heart, if you put all your trust in the Great Spirit and do not doubt that the Knower of Hearts hears you,” he answered them, “not only will you do what was done with this fig tree, but even if you speak to this mountain and say, ‘Be lifted up and go into the great waters,’ it will happen. 22So when you send your prayers to the Great Spirit, believe that he hears you, and whatever you ask for will be yours.”

  QUESTIONED BY THE SPIRITUAL LEADERS

  23When he arrived at the lodge, the head holy men were waiting for him. They and the ruling elders of the people came to him.

  “By what right do you do these things?” they challenged. “Who gave you this right?”

  24“First you must answer one question from me,” he challenged back, “and then I will tell you what gives me the right. 25The purification ceremony67 performed by Gift of Goodwill (John), was it from the spirit-world above, or did it come from human beings?”

  They put their heads together and talked it over. “If we say it is from the spirit-world above, he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say it is from human beings, we fear what this crowd would do, for they are sure Gift of Goodwill (John) was a prophet.”

  27So they answered him, “We do not know.”

  “So then,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said to them, “neither will I tell you what gives me the right to do these things.”

  STORY OF TWO SONS

  Then, since they would not answer him, he told them the answer to his own question about Gift of Goodwill (John)—with a story.

  28“How do you see it?” he asked them. “A man with two sons came to one of his sons and said, ‘Son, will you work in my vineyard today?’ 29At first the son told him ‘No,’ but later changed his mind and went to work.

  30“Then the man went to his other son and asked him the same. He told his father, ‘Yes, I will,’ but never went.”

  31Creator Sets Free (Jesus) looked right at the spiritual leaders and asked, “Which of the two sons did what his father wanted?”

  They said to him, “The first one.”

  “I speak truth from my heart,” he said to them, “tribal tax collectors and those who sell sexual favors will find their way onto Creator’s good road ahead of you! 32Gift of Goodwill (John) came to show the good way, but you refused to hear him. You saw how the tribal tax collectors and those who sell sexual favors put their trust in him, but not even this changed your mind to believe him.

  STORY OF THE VINEYARD

  33“Hear me,” he said to them, “and I will tell you another story.

  “There was a tribal member who planted a vineyard. He put a hedge around it, dug a pit to crush the grapes, and built a treehouse from which to watch over all the vines. He then rented the vineyard out to other tribal members for a share of the grapes. Then he traveled far away to another land.

  34“When harvest time came, the tribal member who owned the vineyard sent trusted messengers to gather his share of the grapes, 35but the renters took hold of the messengers. They fiercely beat one, killed another, and even threw stones to kill another.

  36“Then the vineyard owner sent even more messengers than at first, but they did the same to them.

  37“Finally he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’

  38“But when they saw that he had sent his son, they said to each other, ‘This vineyard will one day belong to this son. If we kill him, we can take the vineyard for ourselves.’

  39“So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him.”

  Creator Sets Free (Jesus) turned to face the spiritual leaders.

  40“When he returns, what will the owner of this vineyard do?” he asked them.

  41They answered him, “He will bring those bad-hearted ones to a bad end and then rent out the vineyard to others who will be honorable and give him the share of the harvest he deserves.”

  STUMBLING OVER THE CHIEF POLE

  42“Are you blind to the Sacred Teachings?” he said to them. “Have you not read this: ‘The tree the lodge builders threw away has become the Chief Lodgepole. This is what the Great Spirit has done, and it will fill us with wonder’68?

  43“So I say to you that Creator’s good road will be torn from you and given to a people who will bring its fruit to a full harvest. For the ones who stumble over this Chief Lodgepole will be broken into pieces, 44and when it falls on them, they will be crushed and scattered like dust in the wind.”

  45When the head holy men and the Separated Ones (Pharisees) heard his stories, they realized they were about them. 46They wanted to arrest Crea
tor Sets Free (Jesus) but feared the people, since they considered him a prophet.

  A REJECTED INVITATION

  1Creator Sets Free (Jesus) continued to speak to them using stories such as this one:

  2“Creator’s good road from above is like a chief who prepared a wedding feast for his son. 3When the feast was ready, he sent out trusted messengers to gather the ones who had been invited, but no one came.

  4“So he sent out others with this message: ‘I am serving my best meat fresh from the herd. So come, the wedding feast for my son has been prepared!’

  5“But some ignored the messengers and returned to their work, 6while others mistreated them and even killed them.

  7“When the chief found out what they had done, he was filled with rage and sent his warriors to kill those murderers and burn their village to the ground.

  8“Then the chief told his messengers, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but the ones invited have proved they have no honor. 9Waste no time, go out into the village pathways, and invite all you find to come to the feast.’

  10“So they went and did as they were told and gathered as many as they could find, whether honorable or bad-hearted. So the lodge was filled with many wedding guests for his son.

  11“When the chief came in to see the guests, he saw someone who was not wearing the proper regalia that was provided for the guests at the wedding feast. 12He said to the guest, ‘How did you get in here without the proper regalia? Why have you dishonored my son by not wearing the outfit provided for you?’

  “There was nothing the man could say.

  13“The chief called his warriors and said to them, ‘Bind him with leather straps from head to foot and throw him outside into the darkness, to weep and grind his teeth in anger.’

  14“So you can see,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said, “many are invited, but few accept his invitation.”69

  THE SEPARATED ONES ATTACK

  15The Separated Ones (Pharisees) began to scheme against Creator Sets Free (Jesus). 16They sent their followers along with some of the Friends of Looks Brave (Herodians) to spy on him.

  “Wisdomkeeper,” they said to him, “we know you always speak the truth about the Great Spirit and represent him well. You show respect to human beings and treat them all the same. 17Tell us what is right, should our tribal members pay taxes to the Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar)? Yes or no?”

  18He could see right through them and knew what they were up to!

  “Why are you putting me to the test? I can see behind your false faces!” he answered. 19“Show me one of their silver coins used to pay the tax and let me take a close look at it.”

  They found a silver coin and handed it to him.

  He took a good long look, holding it up to the sky to see it clearly. Then he turned the face of the coin toward them.

  20“Whose image and words are carved into this coin?” he asked.

  21“The Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar),” they answered.

  He handed the coin back to them and said, “Then give to this ruler the things that are his, and give to the Great Spirit the things that belong to the Great Spirit.”

  22When they heard his answer, they were amazed at his wisdom and hung their heads in silence as they walked away.

  THE UPRIGHT ONES ATTACK

  23Later that same day some of the Upright Ones (Sadducees), who say that the dead do not rise again, came to Creator Sets Free (Jesus) to question him also.

  24“Wisdomkeeper,” they said, “in our tribal law, Drawn From the Water (Moses) gave us these instructions: ‘If a Tribal Member should die before having children, then his brother should marry his widow and give her children to carry on his brother’s name.’

  25“In a family of seven brothers,” they continued, “the oldest took a wife but died without children. 26The next brother married her, but he also died with no children. A third brother married her, and like his other brothers, he died with no children. The same happened to all seven of them, 27and, last of all, the woman also crossed over to death. 28So, when they all come back to life in the new world, whose wife will she be, since all seven brothers married her?”

  29“You are asking the wrong question,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered back. “You do not understand the Sacred Teachings or the power of the Great Spirit. 30When the dead rise to life, there will be no marriage, for they will be like the spirit-messengers from the spirit-world above.”

  31Then he added, “You say you do not believe the dead will rise again. But have you not read what was told by the Maker of Life: 32‘I am the Great Spirit of Father of Many Nations (Abraham), of He Made Us Laugh (Isaac), and of Heel Grabber (Jacob)’70?

  “He is not the Great Spirit of the dead but of the living.”

  33All the people who heard him were amazed by his teaching.

  THE GREATEST OF THE INSTRUCTIONS

  34When the Separated Ones (Pharisees) heard how he silenced the Upright Ones (Sadducees), they put their heads together and came up with a plan. 35One of them, who was an expert in tribal law, would put him to the test.

  36The expert came to him. “Wisdomkeeper,” he asked, “which instruction in our tribal law stands first?”

  37Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered him, “‘You must love the Great Spirit from deep within, with the strength of your arms, the thoughts of your mind, and the courage of your heart.’71 38This is the first and greatest instruction.

  39“The second is like the first,” he added. “‘You must love your fellow human beings in the same way you love yourselves.’72 40The Law and the words of the prophets all find their full meaning in these two instructions.”

  HE SILENCES HIS ADVERSARIES

  41While the Separated Ones (Pharisees) were still gathered near him, he asked them this question, 42“How do you see the Chosen One? Who is he descended from?”

  “He is the son who is descended from Much Loved One (David),” they answered.

  43“How can the scroll keepers call him the descendant of Much Loved One (David),” he asked, “when Much Loved One (David) himself, speaking by the power of the Spirit, called the Chosen One his Honored Chief? 44For in the book of Sacred Songs he said, ‘The Honored Chief said to my Honored Chief, “Sit down beside me at my right hand, my place of greatest honor, until I defeat and humble all your enemies”73’?”

  He paused to let them think about his words.

  45Then he said, “If Much Loved One (David) calls the Chosen One, ‘My Honored Chief,’ how can the Chosen One be his descendant?”

  46None of the spiritual leaders could answer him. From that time on, no one dared to challenge him with another question.

  His great wisdom had silenced the ones who were against him.

  BAD SPIRITUAL LEADERS

  Creator Sets Free (Jesus) cared deeply about the people, so he began to warn the people and his followers about the bad-hearted spiritual leaders.

  1-2“The Separated Ones (Pharisees) and the scroll keepers are leading you down the wrong path!” he said to the people and his followers. “When they speak, they represent the lawgiver Drawn from the Water (Moses), 3so listen when they speak the truth and do what they say but do not walk in their ways. They fail to do the things they demand of others 4and tie heavy spiritual burdens on their backs, too much for them to carry, but will not lift even one finger to help them.

  5“They want to look important to others, so to look spiritual they wear large and fancy medicine pouches and long fringes on their outfits. 6They love to dress up in fine regalia, sit in the seats of honor at the gathering houses, 7and have people call them ‘wisdomkeeper’ at the trading posts.”

  Then he turned to instruct the ones who walked the road with him.

  THE GREAT WILL SERVE

  8-10“Titles such as ‘wisdomkeeper,’ ‘chief,’ and ‘spiritual guide’ are not for you. There is only one true Wisdomkeeper, Chief, and Spiritual Guide—the Chosen One—and you all belong to his family. So call no one on earth by the tit
le ‘father,’ for only the Great Spirit is truly the Father of us all. 11The great ones among you will be servant of all. 12The ones who put themselves above others will be brought down low. The ones who humble themselves will be lifted up.”

  He then turned again and began to boldly confront the bad spiritual leaders.

  SORROW AND TROUBLE

  13“Sorrow and trouble is waiting for you scroll keepers and Separated Ones (Pharisees), for you have hidden from the people the way onto the good road from above. You have failed to walk the good road yourselves, and, even worse, you have barred the way for others who were trying to find the way.

  14“Sorrow and trouble will come your way, you scroll keepers and Separated Ones (Pharisees), for with many words you make long empty prayers and trick widows into giving you their homes and possessions. You will come to a bad end when your fate is decided.74

  15“Sorrow and trouble await you blind guides with false faces, for you journey far and wide, across the great waters, to find one person who will change to your ways. When you have won him over, he becomes twice as bad as you are, a true son of the Valley of Smoldering Fire.

  16“And to the blind guides who say, ‘A promise made outside the lodge can be broken, but one made inside must be kept,’ 17you are so foolish and blind! It is not the lodge that makes the promise good, but it is the Great Spirit over the lodge who sees and hears all promises.