PHASE TEN

THE BUILDER

 

Section I--Building a Ministry
(Sunday, the twenty-sixth day of March)

 

_A_ND retiring for that night, (that is to say, on Sunday night, the twenty-sixth day of March, I returned to the house of my habitation to rebuild John's ministry, and to tell my mother and brothers about my plans. For I had come to accept that God's calling for me rest with teaching the good tidings to the poor: For I had come to recognize that I was John's twin soul and married to him, and that 'dis was my destiny.

02 And knowing that John's seven apostles were not enough to support him, a little before sunrise, I called unto me whom I would: For I designed that twelve men should be with me. And on Sunday morning, the twenty-sixth day of March, they all came to me, except for Cana, Simon's older brother who remained home because he favored his mother.

03 And when they arrived, I made that only the eleven should be with me, so that, should the Herodians succeed in destroying me, I might eventually send them out to help spread John's gospel, which was sown and now firmly rooted in me.

04 And that same Sunday morning, going off to a nearby mountainside, I taketh with me the eleven, and while there, I began by teaching them how to heal sicknesses, and how to cast out evils through the power of the spoken word.

05 And from Levi's discipleship, I yielded seven disciples, whom I shall not mention by name; except for James of Magdala, the son of Alepheus and Levi's younger step-brother who called them to me; and Judas who was later chosen to reveal me.


Section II--Building a House

 

06 And by Sunday even, we came to Levi's house again, and the multitude cometh together again, so that we could not so much as eat bread.

07 And my mother Ruth and my older brothers knowing that I was with Levi came under distress; and standing without, for they dared not enter the home of a tax collector, sent unto me, calling me home.

08 And the people sat about me; and not knowing that my blessed mother was a poor widow, they said to me: Behold Joseph thy father and thy mother are outside with thy brothers who are seeking for thee.

09 And as I rose up to go outside, answering, I saith unto them: Who is my father? and who are my brothers? that I should disobey the laws of Moses by not honouring the house of Levi and the children of light.

10 And shedding God's light about on the men and women who sat round about me, I saith unto them: Behold my new house! For whosoever shall follow the blueprints of God, as they were handed down through the words of the great architect himself, he or she is of my house. For Moses said: 'I no longer call you Jacob but Israel.* For light dwells in all the children of Israel wherever they be'.* Therefore, there are not twelve houses of light, but one.

11 And that same Sunday even, for the very first time, I began to teach the people in a non-synagogue setting, [that is to say, in the English, in an informal non-church-like atmosphere]. For many of my followers, whether brothers of sisters, said: How come this builder by all these tools, and what knowledge is this that is given to chadasa, and such wondrous works as are wrought by his hands! For hearing that I also treasured women's rights of worship, they were all in admiration at my plans to build one house of Zebul [which is, the house of habitation], undivided by tribe or by gender.

12 But when I had gone outside, the pharisees who had come down from Jerusalem, standing by the way-side like flying termites in contemptible wood, said in a worthless parable: He hath leviathan the serpent for his master, and by the power of baalzebub [the lord of flying insects], he casteth out his father.

13 And having contempt for my mother's good name, turning their attention to the unholy father who would dare to replace Adam my father, and then pointing their finger at me and then to my mother, as if I were the Son of Rebellion [who is called in the Greek, Lucifer, or the son of Satanas; and not the son of biblical Naomi], they said to both me and to my mother in a most cursive and intimidating manner: Is this fabricator not the Son of Mara? the younger brother of the four carpenters. Is not his cursed and bitter mother also standing here with Joseph his father?

14 And very much fearful of their destructive abilities, my brothers were presently all scandalized in regard of me, because they had no foundation in themselves. But my agreeable mother wept bitter tears, for she feared loosing her house completely to a would-be father, and to the carpenter's ants.

15 And having no depth in himself, when Simon had heard that I refused my mother's request, for the sake of Levi and the children of light, he tried to lay hold on me, because he said: I had become mad for disobeying the will of my new father.

16 And outraged by his shallow mindedness, answering I saith unto him who was with me from the beginning, but who is no more: The son of Adam is not without honour, but in his own country, and in his own tribe, and amongst his own friends.

17 And rebuking him, I saith unto him who would twist my words: Disagreeing with my mother or with my brothers does not mean that a man is cursing his mother or his real father. And neither does it mean disobedience from the laws of God which were handed down to Moses: If any one have ears to hear my side of the story: Let them hear!


Section III--Building a Kingdom

 

18 And defending Levi's good name, and my mother's, I saith, unto the pharisees who would dare to destroy the Chaldean 'tree of Wisdom': How can Bal, (who is the Lord of Hearts), cast down Leviathan (who is Wisdom), unless She be the master of the forest. [Which is here being interpreted to mean, according to the kabbalistic book of Genesis: How can the Lord of Hearts cast down the 'tree of Life' unless She be God].

19 And being very much embittered with the priests who would seek to divide up my father's house, the way a conqueror would divide up a kingdom, I saith unto them in a parable: If a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand because it is made of contemptible wood. But on the other hand, if Leviathan be curled up within himself, he is undivided and cannot stand because he hath no end, but is whole or circular.

20 And speaking directly to my older brothers, I saith unto them: Truly I say unto you, that all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of Adam, But he that shall curse the Holy Spirit of thy Mother, shall never have forgiveness, but shall be guilty of an everlasting sin. For no man can enter into the house of a strong but friendly woman and divide up her sons, unless he first devour the son whole, only then shall she lose her house to Zebub, the Lord of the Fly.

21 And calling the people together with my eleven disciples, I saith unto them in another parable: If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his sword, and follow me. For I am a man with an axe to grind, and a house to build.

22 For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it in the end: And whosoever shall unbind his life for John's sake and for my gospel, shall complete it. For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his mother's love! Or what shall a man give in exchange for her life, but his love!

23 For he that shall be ashamed of the sons of Levi, and of John's Gospel, in this adulterous and sinful generation: The son of Adam also will be ashamed of him, when I come into the glory of my spiritual father who is now in paradise. And having a strong desire to fulfill my father's dream for a unified Israel, I saith to them: Truly I say unto you, that there are some of you who stand here today, who shall not taste death, till they see my father's kingdom coming into power.

24 And because of my great anger, I could not do any miracles on that sun-lit day. And I worried about my mother's safety, because her eyes were filled with tears.

25 And after the twins had returned with their boat, immediately, I obliged my disciples to go to the boat, that we might go over the water to the land of Geshur, whilst I dismissed the people. And leaving my mother and brothers behind, I too went up into the boat.

 

~~~@~~~


The Song of Mark

A Paraphrase on the Gospel of Mark




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