Childhood and early education of Jesus

The Aquarian Age or the human race today is basically a spiritual age. The spiritual side of the great lessons that Jesus gave to the world may now be comprehended by multitudes of people, who are now coming into an advanced age of spiritual consciousness, through the book, The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ.

This spiritual manuscript was revealed to Levi H. Dowling, born in 1844 at Belleville, Ohio. His father, of Scotch-Welsh descent, was a pioneer preacher among the Disciples of Christ. Levi was always a student of the deeper things of life. He began preaching at the age of 16 and was pastor at 18. He became a Chaplain at the United States Army at 20 and served until the end of the Civil War. He was a student at the Northwestern Christian University in 1866-67. The next year, he began publishing Sunday school literature, song books, and children’s Sunday school papers.

Early in life, Levi had a vision in which he was told that he was to “build a white city.” This was repeated three times. The building of the “white city” was The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ. Below are excerpts from the book:

Jesus’ birthday

The home of Joseph was on Marmion Way in Nazareth where Mary taught her son, Jesus, the lessons of Elihu and Salome. Jesus greatly loved the Vedic hymns and the Avesta, but more than all He loved to read the Psalms of David and the pungent words of Solomon, as well as the Jewish books of prophecy.

When he reached his seventh year, Joachim and his wife, grandparents of Jesus, made a feast in His honor. By then, Jesus had memorized every word in the books. Joachim said, “My son, today you pass the seventh milestone of your way of life, and we will give to you, as a remembrance of this day, whatever you desire. Choose that which will afford you most delight.”

Jesus replied, “I do not want a gift for I am satisfied. If I could make a multitude of children glad upon this day I would be greatly pleased. There are many hungry boys and girls in Nazareth who would be pleased to eat with us this feast and share with us the pleasures of this day. The richest gift that you can give me is your permission to go out and find these needy ones and bring them here that they may feast with us.”

Joachim agreed, “‘Tis well. Go out and find the needy boys and girls and bring them here. We will prepare enough for all.”

Jesus ran out and entered every dingy hut and cabin of the town. Soon, 160 happy, ragged boys and girls were following him up Marmion Way. There was food enough for all and everyone was happy. The birthday gift of Jesus was a crown of righteousness.

Jesus talks with the synagogue rabbi of Nazareth

Rabbi Barachia of the synagogue of Nazareth helped Mary in teaching Her Son. One morning after service in the synagogue, the rabbi said to Jesus as he sat in silent thought, “Which is the greatest of the Ten Commandments?”

Jesus answered, “I do not see a greatest of the Ten Commandments. I see a golden cord that runs through it all that binds them fast and makes them one. This cord is love, and it belongs to every word of all the Ten Commands. If one is full of love, he can do nothing else than worship God.”

Rabbi said, “Your words are seasoned with the salt of wisdom that is from above. Who is the teacher who has opened up this truth to you?”

Jesus explained, “I do not know that any teacher opened up this truth for me. It seems to me that truth was never closed… If we open up the windows of our minds, the truth will enter and make herself at home, for truth can find her way through any crevice, any window, any open door.”

God has no favorites

That evening while Jesus and Mary sat alone, He said, “The rabbi seems to think that God is partial in His treatment of the sons of men, that Jews are favored and are blest above all men. I do not see how God can have His favorites and be just. Are not Samaritans and Greeks and Romans just as much the children of the Holy One as are the Jews?

“I think the Jews have built a wall about themselves, and they see nothing on the other side of it. They do not know that flowers are blooming over there, that sowing times and reaping times belong to anybody but the Jews. It surely would be well if we could break these barriers down so that the Jews might see that God has other children that are just as greatly blest. I want to go from Jewry land and meet my kin in other countries of my Fatherland.”

Jesus grieves at the cruelties of the sacrifices at the temple

Jesus was 10 years old, when Mary and Joseph brought him to the great feast in Jerusalem. Jesus watched the butchers kill the lambs and birds and burn them at the altar in the name of God. His tender heart was shocked at this display of cruelty.

Jesus went to Hillel, chief of the Sanhedrin, and said, “Rabboni, I am disturbed about this service of the Pascal feast. I thought the temple was the house of God where love and kindness dwell. Do you not hear the bleating of those lambs, the pleading of those doves that men are killing over there? Do you not smell that awful stench that comes from burning flesh? A God that takes delight in sacrifice, in blood and burning flesh, is not my Father-God. …My master, you are wise, and surely you can tell me where to find the God of love.”

But, Hillel did not have the answer so he cried, “There is a God of love, and you shall come with me. Hand in hand we will go forth and find Him.”

Jesus replied, “Why need we go? I thought that God is everywhere. Can we not purify our hearts and drive out cruelty, and every wicked thought, and make within a temple where the God of love can dwell?”

The master of the great Sanhedrin felt as though he was the child and that before him stood Rabboni, the master of the higher law.

Tools of the mind

When Jesus was 12, Mary and Joseph brought Him again to the temple. After the feast, they could not find Him. They inquired from the temple guards who replied that he was in the temple disputing with the doctors of the law.

When they found Him Mary said, “Why, Jesus, why do you treat your parents thus? Lo, we have sought two days for you. We feared that some great harm had overtaken you.”

Jesus answered, “Do you not know that I must be about my Father’s work?” Then, He went around and shook the hand of every doctor of law and said, “I trust that we may meet again.”

When they reached home, he worked with Joseph as a carpenter. One day, Jesus said, “These tools remind me of the ones we handle in the workshop of the mind where things are made of thought and where we build up character.”

The temple of the perfected man

Jesus continued, “We use the square to measure all our lines, to straighten out the crooked places of the way, and make the corners of our conduct square. We use the compass to draw circles round our passions and desires to keep them in the bounds of righteousness. We use the ax to cut away the knotty, useless and ungainly parts and make the character symmetrical. We use the hammer to draw home the truth, and pound it in until it is a part of every part. We use the plane to smooth the rough, uneven surfaces of joint, and block, and board that builds the temple for the truth.”

“The chisel, line, the plummet and the saw all have their uses in the workshop of the mind. Then, this ladder with its trinity of steps, faith, hope and love on it we climb up to the dome of purity in life. On the 12-step ladder, we ascend until we reach the pinnacle of that which life is spent to build – the Temple of the Perfected Man.”

During this Advent season, let us reflect on the ‘tools of the mind’ to build our character as a true Filipino.

(For more information or reaction, please e-mail at [email protected] or [email protected])