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128:4.1 The last four months of this year [[Jesus]] spent in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus Damascus] as the guest of the merchant whom he first met at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amman Philadelphia] when on his way to [[Jerusalem]]. A [[representative]] of this merchant had sought out [[Jesus]] when passing through [[Nazareth]] and escorted him to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus Damascus]. This part-Jewish merchant [[proposed]] to [[devote]] an extraordinary sum of [[money]] to the establishment of a [[school]] of religious [[philosophy]] at Damascus. He planned to create a [[center]] of [[learning]] which would out-rival [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria Alexandria]. And he proposed that [[Jesus]] should immediately begin a long tour of the world's [[educational]] [[centers]] [[preparatory]] to becoming the head of this new project. This was one of the greatest [[temptations]] that [[Jesus]] ever faced in the [[course]] of his purely human [[career]].

128:4.1 The last four months of this year [[Jesus]] spent in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus Damascus] as the guest of the merchant whom he first met at [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amman Philadelphia] when on his way to [[Jerusalem]]. A [[representative]] of this merchant had sought out [[Jesus]] when passing through [[Nazareth]] and escorted him to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus Damascus]. This part-Jewish merchant [[proposed]] to [[devote]] an extraordinary sum of [[money]] to the establishment of a [[school]] of religious [[philosophy]] at Damascus. He planned to create a [[center]] of [[learning]] which would out-rival [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria Alexandria]. And he proposed that [[Jesus]] should immediately begin a long tour of the world's [[educational]] [[centers]] [[preparatory]] to becoming the head of this new project. This was one of the greatest [[temptations]] that [[Jesus]] ever faced in the [[course]] of his purely human [[career]].

128:4.2 Presently this merchant brought before [[Jesus]] a group of twelve merchants and bankers who agreed to [[support]] this newly projected [[school]]. Jesus [[manifested]] deep interest in the proposed [[school]], helped them plan for its [[organization]], but always [[expressed]] the fear that his other and unstated but prior [[obligations]] would prevent his [[accepting]] the direction of such a pretentious [[enterprise]]. His would-be [[benefactor]] was [[persistent]], and he profitably employed [[Jesus]] at his [[home]] doing some [[translating]] while he, his [[wife]], and their sons and daughters sought to prevail upon [[Jesus]] to accept the proffered [[honor]]. But he would not [[consent]]. He well knew that his [[mission]] on [[earth]] was not to be [[supported]] by [[institutions]] of [[learning]]; he knew that he must not [[obligate]] himself in the least to be directed by the " [[councils]] of men, " no matter how well-[[intentioned]].

128:4.2 Presently this merchant brought before [[Jesus]] a group of twelve merchants and bankers who agreed to [[support]] this newly projected [[school]]. Jesus [[manifested]] deep interest in the proposed [[school]], helped them plan for its [[organization]], but always [[expressed]] the fear that his other and unstated but prior [[obligations]] would prevent his [[accepting]] the direction of such a pretentious [[enterprise]]. His would-be [[benefactor]] was [[persistent]], and he profitably employed [[Jesus]] at his [[home]] doing some [[translating]] while he, his [[wife]], and their sons and daughters sought to prevail upon [[Jesus]] to accept the proffered [[honor]]. But he would not [[consent]]. He well knew that his [[mission]] on [[earth]] was not to be [[supported]] by [[institutions]] of [[learning]]; he knew that he must not [[obligate]] himself in the least to be directed by the " [[councils]] of men, " no matter how well-[[intentioned]].

128:4.3 He who was [[rejected]] by the [[Jerusalem]] [[religious]] [[leaders]], even after he had [[demonstrated]] his [[leadership]], was recognized and hailed as a master [[teacher]] by the businessmen and bankers of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus Damascus], and all this when he was an obscure and [[unknown]] [[carpenter]] of [[Nazareth]].

128:4.3 He who was [[rejected]] by the [[Jerusalem]] [[religious]] [[leaders]], even after he had [[demonstrated]] his [[leadership]], was recognized and hailed as a master [[teacher]] by the businessmen and bankers of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus Damascus], and all this when he was an obscure and [[unknown]] [[carpenter]] of [[Nazareth]].

128:4.4 He never spoke about this offer to his [[family]], and the end of this year found him back in [[Nazareth]] going about his daily [[duties]] just as if he had never been [[tempted]] by the flattering [[proposition]]s of his [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus Damascus] [[friends]]. Neither did these men of Damascus ever [[associate]] the later [[citizen]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capernaum Capernaum] who turned all Jewry upside down with the former [[carpenter]] of [[Nazareth]] who had dared to refuse the [[honor]] which their combined [[wealth]] might have procured.

128:4.4 He never spoke about this offer to his [[family]], and the end of this year found him back in [[Nazareth]] going about his daily [[duties]] just as if he had never been [[tempted]] by the flattering [[proposition]]s of his [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus Damascus] [[friends]]. Neither did these men of Damascus ever [[associate]] the later [[citizen]] of [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capernaum Capernaum] who turned all Jewry upside down with the former [[carpenter]] of [[Nazareth]] who had dared to refuse the [[honor]] which their combined [[wealth]] might have procured.

128:4.5 [[Jesus]] most cleverly and [[intentionally]] contrived to detach various [[episodes]] of his life so that they never became, in the eyes of the world, [[associated]] [[together]] as the doings of a single [[individual]]. Many times in subsequent years he [[listened]] to the [[recital]] of this very [[story]] of the strange [[Galilean]] who declined the [[opportunity]] of founding a [[school]] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus Damascus] to compete with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria Alexandria].

128:4.5 [[Jesus]] most cleverly and [[intentionally]] contrived to detach various [[episodes]] of his life so that they never became, in the eyes of the world, [[associated]] [[together]] as the doings of a single [[individual]]. Many times in subsequent years he [[listened]] to the [[recital]] of this very [[story]] of the strange [[Galilean]] who declined the [[opportunity]] of founding a [[school]] in [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus Damascus] to compete with [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria Alexandria].

128:4.6 One [[purpose]] which [[Jesus]] had in [[mind]], when he sought to [[segregate]] certain features of his [[earthly]] [[experience]], was to prevent the building up of such a [[versatile]] and [[spectacular]] [[career]] as would cause subsequent [[generations]] to [[venerate]] the [[teacher]] in place of [[obeying]] the [[truth]] which he had lived and taught. [[Jesus]] did not want to build up such a [[human]] [[record]] of [[achievement]] as would attract [[attention]] from his teaching. Very early he recognized that his followers would be [[tempted]] to [[formulate]] a [[religion]] about him which might become a [[competitor]] of the [[gospel]] of the kingdom that he [[intended]] to [[proclaim]] to the world. Accordingly, he [[consistently]] sought to suppress everything during his [[eventful]] [[career]] which he thought might be made to serve this [[natural]] [[human]] tendency to exalt the teacher in place of proclaiming his teachings.

128:4.6 One [[purpose]] which [[Jesus]] had in [[mind]], when he sought to [[segregate]] certain features of his [[earthly]] [[experience]], was to prevent the building up of such a [[versatile]] and [[spectacular]] [[career]] as would cause subsequent [[generations]] to [[venerate]] the [[teacher]] in place of [[obeying]] the [[truth]] which he had lived and taught. [[Jesus]] did not want to build up such a [[human]] [[record]] of [[achievement]] as would attract [[attention]] from his teaching. Very early he recognized that his followers would be [[tempted]] to [[formulate]] a [[religion]] about him which might become a [[competitor]] of the [[gospel]] of the kingdom that he [[intended]] to [[proclaim]] to the world. Accordingly, he [[consistently]] sought to suppress everything during his [[eventful]] [[career]] which he thought might be made to serve this [[natural]] [[human]] tendency to exalt the teacher in place of proclaiming his teachings.

128:4.7 This same [[motive]] also explains why he permitted himself to be known by [[different]] titles during various [[epochs]] of his [[diversified]] life on [[earth]]. Again, he did not want to bring any undue [[influence]] to bear upon his [[family]] or others which would lead them to believe in him against their [[honest]] [[convictions]]. He always refused to take undue or unfair [[advantage]] of the [[human]] [[mind]]. He did not want men to believe in him unless their [[hearts]] were [[responsive]] to the [[spiritual]] [[realities]] [[revealed]] in his [[teachings]].

128:4.7 This same [[motive]] also explains why he permitted himself to be known by [[different]] titles during various [[epochs]] of his [[diversified]] life on [[earth]]. Again, he did not want to bring any undue [[influence]] to bear upon his [[family]] or others which would lead them to believe in him against their [[honest]] [[convictions]]. He always refused to take undue or unfair [[advantage]] of the [[human]] [[mind]]. He did not want men to believe in him unless their [[hearts]] were [[responsive]] to the [[spiritual]] [[realities]] [[revealed]] in his [[teachings]].

128:4.8 By the end of this year the [[Nazareth]] home was running fairly smoothly. The [[children]] were growing up, and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_(mother_of_Jesus) Mary] was becoming accustomed to [[Jesus]]' being away from [[home]]. He continued to turn over his earnings to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_the_Just James] for the [[support]] of the [[family]], retaining only a small portion for his [[immediate]] personal expenses.

128:4.8 By the end of this year the [[Nazareth]] home was running fairly smoothly. The [[children]] were growing up, and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_(mother_of_Jesus) Mary] was becoming accustomed to [[Jesus]]' being away from [[home]]. He continued to turn over his earnings to [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_the_Just James] for the [[support]] of the [[family]], retaining only a small portion for his [[immediate]] personal expenses.

128:4.9 As the years passed, it became more [[difficult]] to [[realize]] that this man was a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_God Son of God] on [[earth]]. He seemed to become quite like an [[individual]] of the realm, just another man among men. And it was [[ordained]] by [[the Father]] in [[heaven]] that the [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_119#119:7._THE_SEVENTH_AND_FINAL_BESTOWAL bestowal] should unfold in this very way.

128:4.9 As the years passed, it became more [[difficult]] to [[realize]] that this man was a [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_of_God Son of God] on [[earth]]. He seemed to become quite like an [[individual]] of the realm, just another man among men. And it was [[ordained]] by [[the Father]] in [[heaven]] that the [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_119#119:7._THE_SEVENTH_AND_FINAL_BESTOWAL bestowal] should unfold in this very way.

<center>[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_128 Go to Paper 128]</center>

<center>[https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paper_128 Go to Paper 128]</center>