Messages 2002

Jesus meets Simon Peter.

February 8th, 2002

Received by H.

Cuenca, Ecuador.

Hello, H___.

I see that yesterday and today you expected a message from Peter in which he would tell you of his first encounter with Jesus. In fact we had thought of this possibility, but we decided that I should continue with the story. In fact, it doesn’t matter so much, only that you are already very tuned in to me and perhaps that is better than exposing you to too many impressions in the beginning of your apprenticeship. So then, let us continue.

Peter was the owner of a fishing boat, a typical boat of that time, about twenty-five feet long. Well, he was not the only owner, but he had rather bought it together with his brother Andrew. It was possible for two people to manage this boat, but for fishing, they had to hire some hands as the task of rowing and pulling the nets was quite heavy.

As I have told you, the boat lay beached when Jesus and Andrew came back from John the Baptist’s camp. Peter was alone and his face was somber. It was evident that he was in a bad mood. Andrew did not take notice of this, and immediately presented Jesus to him. He told his brother what had happened in the Jordan valley, what John had said, and of the Master’s great wisdom.

Yes, of course, how could he know the Master’s wisdom, if he did not pay the slightest attention to what Jesus told him? However, you have to imagine the situation. Andrew considered himself a disciple of John the Baptist. Although he did not stay with him permanently at his camp, he visited him very often, alone or together with his friends.

H.: The biblical story indicates that John had accompanied him on this occasion.

John, the son of Zebedee, frequently accompanied him, the same as his brother James. Peter also belonged to this circle of disciples. But on this occasion, Andrew had made the trip alone.

But what I want to explain is that Andrew had absolute trust in his master John — the Baptist, of course — and if he had said that Jesus was the Messiah yearned for by the Jews, then this had to be true. And the Messiah had to possess great wisdom and power, hadn’t he? Mortals and spirits often see what they want to see, and do not see what really is. As to Jesus’ wisdom, Andrew was right. However, the practice of living a personal reality and of projecting their own ideas upon other people, and of finally considering this as reality, frequently leads to great mistakes. Do you remember what you read of the apostles, as they waited for the expected quick return of Jesus after his last appearances? You also remember that they thought that Jesus would establish a material kingdom on earth, thus projecting their ideas and filtering from the Master’s discourses what they wanted to hear, and not what Jesus really said. This is a very human behavior.

But returning to our story, Peter was very ill-humored. He listened to Andrew’s story reluctantly. He interrupted him a couple of times with a grunt, without stating “I agree” or “I don’t agree,” until the Master intervened, saying:

“Simon, what have I done to you?”

“What have you done to me? Nothing!”

“Then, what is wrong with you?”

And so, Peter told him the following:

As soon as Andrew had gone to visit the Baptist, Peter’s mother-in-law fell ill. And when I describe her symptoms to you, you will know immediately that it was a case of appendicitis, and for sure, a serious case of appendicitis, where the woman’s belly was already as hard as a wooden board.

H.: Peritonitis.

Yes, peritonitis. Well, today, a case of appendicitis is nothing serious, in general. A small routine intervention and some antibiotics are enough to cure the disease. However, that was not always so. Well, in few words, the probability that the woman would die was very high.

So, Jesus asked Peter: “Simon, why don’t you take me to your mother-in-law.”

“Do you know how to cure?” Peter asked in surprise.

Jesus smiled. “As a matter of fact, this is the Messiah’s work - to save lives.”

And so, it happened that Peter and his brother led Jesus to their house. Andrew had relapsed into his habitual silence. He loved his brother’s mother-in-law, she was a good woman, and he felt pain at the knowledge of her condition.

When Jesus saw the woman’s condition, he realized immediately the graveness of the situation, but when he placed his hands upon her, the lady fell into a profound sleep, of which she would only wake up the following morning.

In spite of Peter and Andrew’s invitation to stay and to have dinner with them, the Master said goodbye. He left the house and went to a small room that he had rented not far away from the brothers’ home.

On the following day, very early in the morning, Jesus was woken when somebody knocked vigorously on the door of his room.

“Master, Master!” somebody hollered. “Come out, quickly!”

And when he opened the door, he saw Peter, with his face as radiant as the sun.

“You healed her, you healed her, it is incredible!” Simon yelled. “She woke up this morning as if nothing had happened! Come with me!”

And so it came to pass that Jesus for the second time entered Peter’s home, and he could really verify the great success of the healing he had carried out the previous afternoon. Peter’s mother-in-law was awaiting him with a rich breakfast and a face flashing a broad smile of gratefulness. Peter insisted that Jesus abandon his small room and move in to live with them. And so he did. And from that moment on, Jesus, Peter and Andrew shared the same roof when they were in Kpar Nahum.

With this, I will end my message. Have a nice day.

Your Heavenly brother,

Judas