© 2022 Bill Cooper
© 2022 The Urantia Book Fellowship
| For You Who Want Something Different From Your Life | Summer 2022 Issue — Index | Our Journey from Selfish to Selfless |
by William Cooper
The Urantia Book states that Jesus shared his personal ministry of the heavenly Father’s love and the truth of his mercy. Jesus shared the good news that all people are the faith children of this same God of love. So, we are going to look at an event in his personal ministry on a trip to Rome for more understanding of how to proclaim the good news.
Jesus spent six months in Rome with Gonod and Ganid. [Editor’s note: During the “missing years” of Jesus’ life, he was hired to tutor a merchant’s son.]
During the six months in Rome, Jesus came into affectionate and loving contact with over 500 people. He was interested in people for two reasons: (1) He wanted to learn their reaction to the life they were living, and (2) He wanted to do something to make that life richer and more worthwhile. His religious teachings were no different from those he used later in life.
Jesus’ usual method of social contact was to draw people into talking with him by asking them questions in the hope that they would also ask him questions. As a rule, to those he taught the most, he said the least. I suppose this looked like a few good questions, a few good answers, and a lot of sincere listening. Those who got the most benefit from his personal ministry were overburdened, anxious, and dejected mortals relieved to unburden their souls to a sympathetic and understanding listener.
Jesus always offered practical and immediately helpful suggestions looking toward the correction of their real difficulties. He also spoke words of present comfort and immediate consolation. Invariably he would tell these distressed mortals about the love of God and impart the information in various ways that they were a child of this loving Father in heaven.
So, briefly stated, that is how Jesus taught the good news of sonship in the midst of very practical and personal ministry to the needs of others. Let’s take a look at the Fortune story to see the style, flow and charm of Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus met Fortune in the mountains of Crete on Jesus’ journey to Rome with Gonad and Ganid. Jesus and his entourage came upon Fortune alone in the mountains. Jesus knew that Fortune was a prime candidate to benefit from his personal ministry.
As Jesus approached Fortune, he had a few seconds to pray for celestial assistance to reach Fortune’s soul with a life-changing message. This is a technique we can use as well. It doesn’t take long to utter such a prayer for all available help to open both ends of the communication channel. The prayer would be for Jesus to say graciously what needs to be said, and for Fortune to hear with his soul what he needs to hear.
Jesus’ initial approach to Fortune’s soul was a friendly greeting with a question designed to draw him into meaningful conversation. Jesus said, “Greetings my friend! Why so downcast on such a beautiful day? If something has happened to distress you, perhaps I can in some manner assist you. At any rate it affords me real pleasure to proffer my services.”
That apparently brought forth either silence or a response that, in essence said, "Go away. You can’t help. I don’t want to talk about it.”
Jesus was persistent in his effort to be of service. His second approach to Fortune’s soul was to ask Fortune to help Jesus find the best trail to Phenix. In doing this, he crafted his request carefully. He said, “I understand you came up into these hills to get away from folks; so, of course, you do not want to talk to me, but I would like to know whether you are familiar with these hills; do you know the direction of the trails?” What Jesus said can be translated as: “I won’t bother you much, but I would appreciate your help. You are probably very knowledgeable about the trails in these hills and I could use some directions.”
Jesus needed a way to engage Fortune in a conversation so that he could help him. He did that by asking Fortune something he knew about-the local trails. What young man would not have explored the trails in detail?
And this approach worked. Fortune started talking actively and drawing in the dirt. Jesus listened carefully and asked questions that were respectful of Fortune’s knowledge and willingness to help. Jesus listened to Fortune’s instructions without proclaiming the gospel. He was making a connection with Fortune in order to have an opportunity to help him.
Afterwhich, Jesus said goodbye and prepared to leave. Then, he turned to Fortune and acknowledged what Fortune was feeling. He essentially said, “I know you want to be left alone but it would not be kind or fair of me to accept your generous help in finding the best way to Phenix and then thoughtlessly go away without making an effort to answer your appealing request for help and guidance regarding the best route to the goal which you seek in your heart.”
Look at the charm of this offer. It talks about fairness, generosity, and appealing requests. How could Fortune say, “No”? Then, Jesus told Fortune that he knew the way to Fortune’s goal as well as Fortune knew the way to Phenix. Jesus offered his help to Fortune. This time Fortune responded to Jesus’ offer with enthusiasm.
Jesus’ talk with Fortune was packed with truth and wisdom for the young man. It is interesting to me that Jesus was not reasoning with him. He was not trying to persuade Fortune that what Jesus was saying was true. He was not giving facts for his material mind to consider. He was speaking truth which Fortune’s inner spirit could confirm. Jesus’ approach to help Fortune could be seen as a sequence:
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He started by offering comfort essentially saying: “Be optimistic. The big things of life are on your side. Dwell on your strengths, not your weaknesses and employ your strengths in life. You have a strong body. You have a good mind. You can do great things in life if you will go where great things are waiting to be done.” Jesus expressed a lot of confidence in Fortune and this encouraged self confidence in the young man. It lent confidence in himself and confidence that life would work out with God’s active help. Much of what Jesus said was in the nature of affirmations, affirmations of Fortune’s strengths.
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He gave practical advice basically saying: “You can’t run away from your problems, but you can set your mind to work to solve its problems. Teach your intellect to work for you. Your mind should be your courageous ally in the solution of your life problems.”
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Jesus told Fortune of the adventure that awaits him effectively saying. “Most valuable of all your potential of real achievement is the spirit which lives within you, and which will stimulate and inspire your mind to control itself and activate your body. What you must do is to release the spirit from the restraints of fear. If you do that, then your spiritual nature will begin your deliverance from the evils of inaction by the power of living faith. This very faith will vanquish your fear of men by a new love of your fellows which grows out of your new awareness that you are a child of God.”
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Finally, Jesus gave Fortune more comfort-an affirmation of what his life would become by essentially saying: “Today you are to be reborn-reestablished as a man of faith, courage, and devoted service to man-for God’s sake. Once you have become adjusted to this new life, your whole life will become one of victorious accomplishment.”
Jesus was a charming and intelligent truth teacher. We would do well to be as charming and intelligent. Jesus used his intelligence to do what others needed so that they could grasp the truth he wanted to give them. Little, if any, of this advice is unique to Fortune. It would be good advice for almost anyone.
If you don’t know what on earth you could say to overburdened, anxious, and dejected people to open the way for them to unburden their souls, you might want to look at examples from stories in The Urantia Book about Jesus’ tour of the Roman world. It is very instructive to study them to understand what Jesus was doing and how Jesus’ message was positive, confident, optimistic, and aggressive toward life for them. And of course, his graciousness, tact, tolerance, and patience were apparent.
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| For You Who Want Something Different From Your Life | Summer 2022 Issue — Index | Our Journey from Selfish to Selfless |