1 And again Jesus was taken by the Spirit to the town of Nazareth. And he always circulated through the retired Sites. And those who saw him were surprised and murmured among themselves: Truly, the child Jesus, the old man’s son, has an alert and intelligent appearance. Some endorsed: What you say is true. But Jesus did not reveal himself to them, because of their unbelief.
2 And it came to pass, as the great festival approached, that Jesus wanted to go to Jerusalem. And, in the course of the trip, he met a gray-haired old man who was supporting himself on two staffs, which he moved alternately, letting himself fall from one to the other. And he was sick in his eyes and ears. When Jesus saw him, he was surprised, and said to him: Well found you, old man loaded with years. And the old man answered: Well found you, child, only son of the great king, and firstborn of the Father. And Jesus indicated: Sit here, rest a little, and then we will continue our route. The old man nodded, saying: My son, I will carry out your order. And when they had sat down, Jesus began to question him in these terms: What is your name, old man? What race are you? From what country have you come to this?
3 And the old man answered: My name is Baltasar, I am of Hebrew race, and I come from the country of India. Jesus asked him: What are you looking for here? And the old man explained: My father was a noble prince and initiated in the art of medicine, the practice of which he taught me. But now I am helpless, and my intention is to go to Jerusalem, to beg, and thus earn my life. Jesus made him observe: Being the son of a doctor, how can you not heal yourself? The old man replied: While I was young, strong and robust, I practiced medicine. But when the lack of health put me to the test, I lost all vigor, and today I am no longer capable of anything. Jesus said: Was it during your childhood or in your old age that the illness took hold of you? And the old man replied: I was thirty years old when this illness attacked me, and my whole body was seized by a general tremor.
4 When Jesus heard this, he was surprised, and said to him: What kind of treatment do you apply to yourself? The old man answered: For such a disease, such a remedy. But Jesus asked him: Do you know how to raise the dead, make the lame walk, purify lepers, cast out demons, cure all diseases, not with remedies, but with a simple word? Upon hearing this, the old man was surprised, and said, laughing: You admire me a lot, because all this is a prodigious and impossible operation for man. Jesus replied: And why are you amazed? And the old man said: Because, being still a child, how can you know all that? Jesus answered: No one taught me, but I know it myself. And the old man conceded: If it is as you affirm, you have received that gift from God and not from men. Jesus answered: You have said it. Then the old man murmured: It seems to me that you understand the art of medicine. And Jesus declared, saying: My Father possesses the power to do all this.
5 And the old man said to him: There has never been a disciple without instruction from his teacher, nor a son without teaching from his father. I beg you to show charity to me, and the Lord will grant you a life that will last for many years. Jesus said: You speak well, but I cannot do this for free. Give me, then, a remuneration proportionate to my work. The old man indicated: And what remuneration are you asking for? Jesus said: Little thing: gold, silver, everything that we agree to in writing under contract. At these words, the old man burst out laughing. Then, reflecting, he thought: What to do? Because this boy is perfidiously making fun of me. And, loudly, he complained, saying: Child, why do you mock an old man like me? He gives alms to the poor, especially the elderly, and he does not make fun of them. And Jesus observed: You began by praising me greatly, and now you blame me. The old man answered: You have seriously irritated me. And Jesus said: Do not be angry because, being only a boy, I wanted to start a conversation with you. Then the old man answered Jesus and said, Why don’t you ask me a reasonable thing, in order to profit from me? Well, where would that fortune you claim of me come from?
6 And Jesus replied: Have you not assured me before that you were of a great family, the son of a prince and descendant of a real home? The old man granted: And I assured you nothing false, since he had an enormous fortune. But, when the disease hit me, I lost everything. And Jesus asked him: What would you prefer: to recover your opulent treasures, or to be in perfect health? The old man answered: It would be better for me to be the son of a beggar, but not to be sick. And Jesus said: If such is your desire, pay me the price of my labor. The old man said: Don’t torment me with such long speeches. Why do you persist in harassing me with these traps and deceptions? Jesus replied: Where did I speak too much? And what advice have I received from you? The old man exclaimed: For the love of God, don’t exasperate me, because I am seriously ill. Don’t make me angry. Have a little patience. I have nothing more to tell you. But, because I have sufficient powers to help you, I feel sorry for you. The old man demanded: State your prescriptions. And Jesus answering said to him: Give me a small reward for my work, and I will heal you. And the old man replied: God will give you abundant reward for your work. As for me, I care as much about dying as I do about staying alive. And Jesus told him: Your healing is not as difficult as you think. The old man said: I have nothing more than a piece of bread and two obols. Jesus I commented, festive: Here is the descendant of extremely rich people! Then the old man became angry and exclaimed, crying: Truly, must I still suffer this child, who has already bothered me to the greatest degree? And Jesus said: Old man, do not be angry! Have a little patience, so that your soul lives.
7 The old man grumbled: I used too much patience with you, without finding any hint of mercy in you. And, as the old man had said this, always in tears, Jesus asked him: Where are you going? The old man answered: To the city of Jerusalem, to beg for my bread. And, if you come after me, I will give you half of the resources with which God is pleased to gratify me. Jesus questioned: What God do you serve? And the old man answered: To the God of my fathers. Jesus warned: That is precisely the cause of your affliction. If you want to be perfect, abandon the religion of your parents, in order to be saved in soul and body. The old man said: And how could I believe your words? Jesus replied: You have tested me several times, and you have achieved nothing. And, upon hearing this, the old man reflected, saying to himself: I am very afraid that this child is not playing insidiously with me. But Jesus ordered him: Old man, answer the question I have asked you.
8 And the old man said: I am in doubt, and I don’t know what to do, or how to answer that question. It seems to me that God has sent you to me, and that you are the Lord, who searches the minds of men. Therefore, let me know what is necessary for me. Jesus exclaimed, solemnly: Do you believe that there is a God creator of all things and the only Son of him and the Holy Spirit, trinity and only divinity? The old man replied: Yes, I believe it. And Jesus stretched out his hand on the old man, and said: You are free from your scourge, and healed from your illness. And, at the same moment, the healing was a fact. And the old man, falling at the feet of Jesus, confessed his sins. And Jesus said to him: They are forgiven you. Go in peace, and the Lord be with you. The old man exclaimed: Please tell me what your name is! And Jesus answered: Why do you need to know my name? Go in peace.
9 And the old man, bowing down, prostrated himself again before Jesus, and departed peacefully in the direction of Jerusalem. And, when the inhabitants of this city saw the old immune man, they asked him: Who cured you? And the old man said: A doctor’s son, whom I met on my way, cured me with a simple word. They said: Who is that doctor? The old man confessed: I don’t know. And they went in search of him, and did not find him, because Jesus had fled from that place, and returned to Nazareth. And the old man published everywhere the miracle that had been accomplished in him.