Letters from Adina - #16a

Letter XVI (i) John tells of Jesus’ Divine Power.

The Christ casting out devils

In my last letter, dear father, I stated that it was commonly reported that this wonderful man, Jesus,  would be at the Passover, and that all men were talking of the approaching event, and really thinking more of His presence here, than of the feast itself.

Yesterday Mary's cousin John returned, and came unexpectedly into the hall of the fountain, behind the house, where we were all seated in the cool of the vines, with which Mary has covered a wall of lattice-work.

My uncle Amos was in the act of reading to us from the prophet Jeremiah, a prophecy relating to the Messias that is to come (nay, that is come, dear father), when John appeared.

Mary’s blushes welcomed him, and showed how dear he was to her. Uncle Amos embraced and kissed him and seated him by us, and called for a servant to bathe his feet, for he was dusty and travel- stained.  

From him we learned that his beloved master, Jesus, had reached Bethany, and was resting from His labours at the hospitable though humble house of Lazarus, Mary. and Martha.

When we heard this, we all rejoiced, and Uncle Amos particularly seemed to be filled with gladness.

“If He come into Jerusalem,’’ said he, eagerly, “He shall be my guest. Bid Him to my roof, O John, that my household may be blessed in having a Prophet of God step across its threshold.”

“I will tell my beloved Master thy wish, Rabbi Amos,’’ answered John.  ‘‘Doubtless as he has no home, nor friends in the city, he will abide under your roof.’’

‘‘Say not He hath no friends!’’ I exclaimed. “We are all His friends here, and fain would be His disciples.’’

“What! Rabbi Amos also?” cried John, with a look of pleasure and astonishment at the venerable Priest of God.

“Yes, l am ready; after all that I have heard and seen, - I am ready to confess him a prophet sent from God.”

“He is far more than a prophet, O Rabbi Amos!’’ answered John. “Never prophet does the works Jesus does. It seems that all power is given to Him. If you witnessed what I witness daily, as he traverses Judea, you would say that he was Jehovah descended to earth in human form!”

“Nay, blaspheme not, young man,’’ said Rabbi Amos, with some severity of reproof.

John bowed his head in reverence to the rebuke of the Rabbi, but nevertheless answered respectfully and firmly, ‘‘Never man did the works that He doeth. If He be not God in the flesh, He is an angel in flesh invested with divine power.”

“At one moment we feel as though we could embrace him as a brother dearly beloved; at another, we are ready to fall at His feet and worship Him!

I have seen him weep at beholding the miseries of the diseased wretches who were dragged into His presence, and then heal them with a touch—with a word,: and they would stand before Him in the strength and beauty of health and manhood!

I have seen him with such a voice of command, as never man had drive out devils from those who were possessed by them; and I have heard the devils submissively beg not to be sent to their own place, but to be permitted by Him to remain roaming still in the air and on the earth, until the hour of their final sentence shall proceed from the lips of God.

Even the devils are thus subject unto Him, so mighty is His power; and all diseases disappear before His eye, like the foul mists of night before the beams of the morning sun.’’

‘‘And yet,’’ said Nicodemus, a rich Pharisee who had entered as John was first speaking, and listened without interrupting, for it is his wont to come in and out as he will, being a friend of my uncle, ‘‘and yet, young man, I heard you say that Jesus, of whom you and all men relate such mighty deeds, has remained at Bethany to recover from his fatigue.

How can a man who hath the power to cure all manner of sickness be subject to mere weariness of body? I would say unto him, Physician, heal thyself!’’  

John answered him and said:

“So far as I can learn the character of Jesus, His healing power over diseases is not for His own good, but for the benefit of the multitude.

He uses His power to work miracles of love and compassion for others, to show forth the divine power in Him.

His miracles He useth only solely as proofs of his Messiahship.

Being a man with this divine power dwelling in Him for us, He is subject to infirmities as a man; he hungers, thirsts, is weary, suffers, as a man.

I have seen Him heal a nobleman’s son and restore him to strength and activity by a word, and the next moment seat Himself, supporting His aching head upon His hand, looking pale and languid, and without strength; for His labours of love are vast, and He is often overcome by them, those who follow Him to be healed not giving Him time to repose at night.

Once Simon Peter, seeing him ready to sink with very weariness after healing all day, approached Him and said: “Master, thou givest strength to others, why suffer Thyself to be weary, when all health and strength are in thee, as in a living well?”

“It is not mine to escape human infirmities by any power my Father hath bestowed upon me for the good of men. It behooves me to suffer all things. Through suffering only can I draw all men after me.”

I felt tears fill my eyes, and I was glad to see the proud Pharisee, Nicodemus, looked moved. After, a minute’s serious pause, he said,

“This man is doubtless no common prophet. When he comes into the city I shall’ be glad to hear his doctrines from his own mouth, and to witness some potent miracle.”

“Prophet He is, without doubt,’’ answered Amos. ‘‘It is not the question now whether He be a prophet or not, for the hundreds He has healed are living witnesses that he has the spirit and power of the prophets, and is truly one of them.

The question that remains is, whether he be the MESSIAS, or not?”

Nicodemus slowly shook his head, as one that doubts and then answered: ‘‘Messias cometh not out of Galilee.”

‘‘He will prove himself to be Messias with power,’’ answered my cousin John, zealously.

"When you hear Him speak, Rabbi Nicodemus, the grace of His lips, and the depths of His wisdom, will lead you into belief; and without  seeing His miracles you will acknowledge that He is the Christ.”

 At this moment, a sudden, wild, joyful cry from Mary, startled us all...

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LADY DONNA PROGRAM

The new Lady Donna Immersion in Spirituality, Academics and Citizenship @ the "I AM" School will study abridged excerpts of the Letters from Adina taken from Reverend Ingraham's original edited version of 'The Prince of the House of David', published by Cassell & Co. Ltd (1903), that reveal remarkable insights into the Living Etheric Record left by Beloved Jesus's Ministry in the Holy Land.