Urantia Book 51. The life of Jesus of Nazareth, Joshua ben Joseph, Christ Michael, Sovereign God of Nebadon. The next day Jesus taught the people from the boat on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He told them several parables to illustrate the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed which a man sowed in his field. A mustard seed is tiny, but it grows into a large bush so that birds can rest in its branches. He was saying that the church would grow to be huge, just like the mustard seed. The kingdom too is like leaven which a woman hid in three measures of meal. After the loaves were baked, they were huge because of the leaven. The evangelists are like leaven in society growing the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man discovered. In his joy, he sold all he possessed in order to buy the field. These are the people who give up all they have for the gospel….Jesus taught other parables and seldom taught the masses any other way. But during the evening lessons, he more fully expounded on his teachings to the apostles and evangelists. ****On Sunday Jesus grew tired of the crowds and suggested a trip across the lake. About half-way across a terrible wind came up. The boat was tossed all over and the apostles were terrified of drowning. Water came over the side of the boat, and Peter in his terror awoke the sleeping Jesus. Jesus came out from under his shelter, looked at Peter, looked at the darkness, looked at Peter again, and said: “Why are you all so filled with fear? Where is your faith? Peace, be quiet!” Peter mistakenly thought Jesus was addressing the storm when he said “Peace,” so from then on Jesus had power over nature, the weather and the sea. The storm ended when Jesus stopped scolding Peter, but it was just a coincidence, not a miracle.********************************* The boats put in at the village of Kheresa. Jesus had no rest. They were accosted by Amos who was said to be a demoniac. He had been chained up, but he had broken his chains. Amos groveled at Jesus’ feet but he was told to stand up. Amos then came into his right mind. This is where the legend of the devils being sent out of the demoniac and sent into a herd of pigs, which then ran over a cliff. The truth is that Amos was not possessed, and dogs chased a few pigs over a cliff. But Jesus and his followers were asked to leave the next morning (151.6.1-8).**************** A great throng met the preaching party at Bethsaida. Among them were observers from the Sanhedrin looking for a charge they could pin on Jesus. One of them, named Jarius, was looking for Jesus to heal his daughter, who was dying. Jesus went with him, and, in a frame narrative, a woman touches his garment, and is healed of a hemorrhage. The narrative then goes back to the daughter of Jarius. Upon reaching the home of Jarius, a servant announced that the daughter was dead, but Jesus told the father not to worry. He told the mother the girl was only asleep. He said to the girl: “Awake and arise.” And the girl opened her eyes and sat up. Jesus explained to the family that the girl had been in a coma following a long fever, and he had not raised her from the dead. Jesus told the woman with a hemorrhage that her faith had healed her–that no miracle had happened. But it was futile explaining these events to the apostles. They were miracle-minded and out of control (152.0-1.1-3,1-5).*********** Jesus taught the crowds during the day and the evangelists at night. He didn’t have time to be exhausted. On Friday he let his followers go home for week of rest, but many of them refused to leave him. The Master had so little rest on the Sabbath that he tried to escape on Sunday. The went to the opposite side of the lake to a pretty park, but they were followed, and by Wednesday, he had 5,000 men, women and children clamoring for his attention. And they also had to be fed. Also, there was a rumor that Jesus chose this park in which to be crowned king. The enthusiasm of the crowd was at fever pitch. The apostles and evangelists were influenced by this rumor, especially Peter, John, Simon Zelotes and Judas Iscariot. At 5PM Jesus noticed the crowd had no food and that he didn’t want to send them away hungry. Jesus said: “These people are like sheep without a shepherd. I would like to feed them. What food have we with us?” Mark the gofer revealed that they had five loaves and two fish. Jesus told Andrew to organize the people into companies of 100 and put a leader over each group (this prompted a critic to allege that Jesus was organizing a revolutionary army). Jesus divided the bread and fish, prayed over them, and passed them out. Everyone ate and there were 12 baskets left over (12 is symbolic). The UB says this was a conscious nature miracle on Jesus’ part. “The feeding of the five thousand by supernatural energy was another of those cases where human pity plus creative power equated that which happened” (152.2.1-10). Jesus’ fame was all the more enflamed by this miracle and the crowd was determined to crown him king. The idea spread like a “contagion.” The crowd had been taught that, when the son of David came, the bread of life would be bestowed on them as manna from heaven. These simple-minded people believed that the power to feed carried with it the right to rule. But Jesus cut them off at the knees. Brutally. He said as he was majestically posed in the enchanting glow of the eastern twilight: “My children, you are short-sighted and materially-minded. You would make me king, not because your souls have been lighted by a great truth, but because your stomachs have been filled with bread. How many times have I told you that my kingdom is not of this world? This kingdom of heaven which we proclaim is a spiritual brotherhood, and no man rules over it seated upon a material throne. My Father in heaven is the all-wise and all-powerful Ruler over this spiritual brotherhood of the sons and daughters of earth. Have I so failed in revealing to you the Father of spirits that you would make me a king of his Son in the flesh? Now all of you go hence to your homes. If you must have a king, let the Father of lights be enthroned in the heart of each of you as the spirit Ruler of all things.” The multitude was sent away stunned and disheartened. The apostles were shocked beyond speech, especially Peter, but Mark said: “And he refused to be our king.” Jesus told Andrew to take everyone back to the Zebedee house and pray, especially for Peter(152.3.1-3).