Jesus Christ -- Fiction; Jesus Christ -- Juvenile fiction; Short stories
Those who came from Jerusalem answered them: “Indeed, we have not seen
your son, but in the Temple we saw a most beautiful child! He was like
an angel from heaven, and he has passed through Righteousness’ Gate.”
They would gladly have related, very minutely, all about this, but the
parents had no time to listen.
When they had walked on a little farther, they met other persons and
questioned them.
But those who came from Jerusalem wished to talk only about a most
beautiful child who looked as though he had come down from heaven, and
who had crossed Paradise Bridge.
They would gladly have stopped and talked about this until late at
night, but the man and woman had no time to listen to them, and hurried
into the city.
They walked up one street and down another without finding the child. At
last they reached the Temple. As they came up to it, the woman said:
“Since we are here, let us go in and see what the child is like, which
they say has come down from heaven!” They went in and asked where they
should find the child.
“Go straight on to where the holy teachers sit with their students.
There you will find the child. The old men have seated him in their
midst. They question him and he questions them, and they are all amazed
at him. But all the people stand below in the Temple court, to catch a
glimpse of the one who has raised the Voice of the Prince of this World
to his lips.”
The man and the woman made their way through the throng of people, and
saw that the child who sat among the wise teachers was their son.
But as soon as the woman recognized the child she began to weep.
And the boy who sat among the wise men heard that some one wept, and he
knew that it was his mother. Then he rose and came over to her, and the
father and mother took him between them and went from the Temple with
him.
But as the mother continued to weep, the child asked: “Why weepest thou?
I came to thee as soon as I heard thy voice.”
“Should I not weep?” said the mother. “I believed that thou wert lost to
me.”
They went out from the city and darkness came on, and all the while the
mother wept.
“Why weepest thou?” asked the child. “I did not know that the day was
spent. I thought it was still morning, and I came to thee as soon as I
heard thy voice.”
“Should I not weep?” said the mother. “I have sought for thee all day
long. I believed that thou wert lost to me.”
They walked the whole night, and the mother wept all the while.
When day began to dawn, the child said: “Why dost thou weep? I have not
sought mine own glory, but God has let me perform miracles because He
wanted to help the three poor creatures. As soon as I heard thy voice, I
came to thee.”
“My son,” replied the mother. “I weep because thou art none the less
lost to me. Thou wilt never more belong to me. Henceforth thy life
ambition shall be righteousness; thy longing, Paradise; and thy love
shall embrace all the poor human beings who people this earth.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account