The Gospel According to Judas by Benjamin Iscariot
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9. Whenever stories of Jesus’ birth are reported, all faithfully record that Joseph, his father, was originally from Bethlehem, the city of David, and that a child was born to his mother Mary.
10. These were difficult times for any Jewish family. King Herod ruled by fear, and allowed the Roman soldiers to wander the length and breadth of the land doing much as they pleased. It was not unusual for young women to be defiled by these pagans.
11. Joseph must have decided that in order to avoid any confrontation with the Romans, he and his wife Mary would make the dangerous journey to the remote village of Nazareth in Galilee.
12. In Nazareth, Joseph, a carpenter, found work among those building the great city of Sepphoris, while Mary and the rest of the family settled in the village.
13. It was while Jesus was growing up in Nazareth that he was taught the traditions of Israel by his righteous father Joseph, a son of David, and his mother Mary, a true daughter of Sion.
14. Even though Jesus is always thought of as a Nazarene, he was born in Bethlehem, the city of David.
Chapter 3
Follow me
1. Jesus began his ministry as a teacher in the lakeside village of Capernaum.
2. He taught his growing band of followers that the time of God’s appearance in Israel was at hand, and that they should ignore any instructions given by corrupt local officials, a brood of vipers fleeing from the wrath to come.
see
Matt 3:7
3. Israel was facing its moment of truth, and the time had come to accept only God as the nation’s Lord and King.
see
Mark 1:14–15;
Matt 4:12–17
4. Jesus’ message quickly spread throughout Galilee, and people travelled great distances to hear him preach.
5. While he was standing by the Sea of Galilee, the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God.
Luke 5:1
6. He saw Simon and his brother Andrew, two local fishermen who were casting their nets into the sea. They had laboured unsuccessfully throughout the night, and were making their final cast.
7. Jesus watched as they pulled their empty nets out of the water.
8. He said to Simon: Cast your net once again, but this time on the other side of the boat.
see
Luke 5:4
9. Simon ignored the stranger’s advice, telling him that he knew exactly where the shoals of fish made their breeding grounds, and did not need to be told where to cast his net.
10. Andrew remained silent as he gazed at the figure standing on the shore. Unlike his brother, he decided to take the stranger’s advice.
11. Andrew cast his net on the other side of the boat, and almost immediately it became so full that it took all of Simon and Andrew’s strength to haul the catch on board.
12. Simon was overwhelmed by the stranger’s authority, and leapt out of the boat and into the sea. He waded to the shore and fell at Jesus’ feet.
13. Jesus looked at the two men and said: Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.