© 1983 Roxane Prouix
© 1983 The Urantia Book Fellowship (formerly Urantia Brotherhood)
When we read The URANTIA Book, we cannot help falling in love with some of the human beings who are described to us. Of course, there are a lot of them to appreciate, but the one I love is David Zebedee, brother of James and John. Salome, his mother, was related to Annas, the one-time high priest; and, she loved Jesus as one of her own sons. Jesus often went fishing with James, John, and David. The boys’ father had been a close friend of Joseph, the human father of Jesus. Zebedee was a boat builder and Jesus worked for him a little more than a year. In fact, Jesus became an expert in both designing and building boats, and he created a new style of boat which was safer than the older models. The four Zebedee daughters almost worshipped Jesus, Of the Zebedee sons, James was interested in Jesus as a teacher and philosopher, John cared most for his religious teachings, and David respected him as a mechanic, but took little stock at the time in his religious views.
David was an able man, efficient, worthy of confidence, and very capable. At the beginning of Jesus’ public life, David organized a messenger corps; his runners left Jerusalem every night, with relays at Sychar, Scythopolis, and Bethsaida, arriving before breakfast, giving the disciples information on the whereabouts of the Apostles. On one occasion David told Jesus; “Go forth to your work, Master…My men will never lose contact with you, and through them you shall know of the kingdom in other parts, and by them we will all know about you. Nothing that might happen to me will interfere with this service, for I have appointed first and second leaders, even a third. I am neither a teacher nor a preacher, but it is in my heart to do this, and none can stop me.” (UB 154:5.3)
David maintained permanent headquarters of the messenger corps, for the work of the kingdom, and he did this on his own initiative, but with the approval of Andrew, He employed 40 to 50 messenger runners who worked under an oath of loyalty to David, and to one another. While he was doing this work, he partially supported himself by fishing.
During the last weeks of Jesus’ life on earth, the camp at Pella was closed and David sold all the equipment and turned these funds over to Judas. His undying loyalty and devotion to Jesus was further demonstrated when, during the confusion and doubt surrounding the Master’s crucifixion and resurrection, David sent his messengers on one last mission in spite of the attempts to dissuade him-that of heralding the news of the resurrected Jesus. The simple message was, “Jesus has risen from the dead; the tomb is empty.” (UB 154:5.3)
David and Ruth, the sister of Jesus who had never doubted his mission, married. And, let us hope that these faithful and loyal humans had many children, and that some of their descendants are among us even today somewhere on Urantia.
— Roxane Proulx
Montreal Canada