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CHAPTER 1
Friendship
I first met Jesus when I was a boy. I didn't know who he was but he stood out like a lone star in the sky. He was bright, serene, calm and peaceful, like no other child I had ever met. He was with his mother at the time. She called on him and he looked at her with such love. I always remember that. They were in the market buying fruit and fish. I was with my father and had just come off the boat with our catch. I was a few years older, so I thought I was wiser in my years. I showed off by swaying when I walked as if to say 'look at me out fishing like a man and you are just a boy.' We were both 13 and 16 at the time.
My voice was like a man's, his still had to break. I remember hearing that when he spoke to his mother. He spoke with such gentleness too.
They both wanted to buy some of our fish - herring, they wanted - but we had none, only sole. I remember he smiled at me while my father and Mary spoke. Little did I know how I would be affected by him and come to love him and his mother Mary in years to come.
We did not speak but his presence made an impact on me. It was when I met him years later and he called on me to join him, he said he knew that day in May that I would become his rock.
I was to become Jesus' rock in the most peculiar of ways about ten years later at a family birthday. Cousins of ours on both sides were related and we were invited. At that stage I was married to Sarah, we had a son and a child on the way. Jesus was with his mother Mary again, at that stage he was about 23. Again, his stature was striking, he smiled at everyone when they came in, I knew him immediately, I remembered his energy. The boy was now a man and his presence was felt by everyone. No one seemed to know how or why they were drawn to him, they just were. His eyes met your gaze when you looked at him and he only seemed to have eyes for you. He was truly present with everyone he spoke to, listening to their every word and tuning into their feelings. It was empathy in excellence and I had never witnessed this ever before.
It was at this family occasion we first spoke. I was introduced to Jesus by an uncle who said, "you two men could go into selling your wares together, good furniture and fresh fish are hard to come by, it would be a match made in heaven," and he laughed. Jesus then held out his two hands towards me, beckoned me to take his and he looked at me with his twinkling eyes and said, "what do you think Simon or may I call you Peter?" "But I am called Simon," I answered.
"You may be," he replied, smiling, "but to me you look like a Peter." If anyone else had dared to change my name I would have been angry and challenged them but with Jesus I knew it was meant to be. So, from then on, and I don't know how or why, but everyone referred to me as Simon Peter or simply just Peter.
The rest of the evening we talked and laughed as if we were long lost brothers. I could tell that the energy between us was special. We had a bond that no others had in the room, and it was like we just 'clicked,' - a modern-day word, I know but it is how I describe our bonding encounter.
We arranged to meet the next day, before the Sabbath. We met in Galilee and had food in a local tavern. Jesus told me many stories of his childhood, including his father Joseph and his mother Mary. He said he knew they had sacrificed a lot for him and he wanted to be able to look after his mother well. He felt that I could help do this, as he trusted me, even though we had just met. He said he remembered meeting me ten years before by the market and we hadn't spoke, as teenage boys are so emotionally shy at that age. He said he knew from that day that we would meet again and begin a journey together.
Now most men don't meet another man at a family gathering, become firm friends and agree the next day to look after one's mother. It was extremely strange but very normal at the same time. How could I say anything but yes? This man was magical and to be in his presence was truly magnificent. I knew that I was in the presence of the Son of God. At that moment I dropped to my knees in the tavern, took his two hands in mine and said: "Master, whatever you wish, I am here for you." Jesus replied, "get up Peter, sit with me like an equal. Yes, I am the Son of God and I know you realise this as you have been chosen to be an apostle - the leader of them all - but for now, we will eat and drink as brothers. I have some years yet before I start my ministry work for my Father in Heaven. Meanwhile, I want to be a carpenter, just as you are a fisherman. I wish us to be brothers and sell our wares together and support each other. I want to live like a man before my duties of truly teaching begins. Can we do this? Can we be brothers?"
I smiled, I broke bread, handed it to Jesus and said, "take this and eat with me brother, we will live like kings and then our mission will begin when you say so. Until then we will work, eat and play, and pray, for there will be wonderful opportunities for both of us.
So, we set up a business together. I would catch fish, Jesus would make furniture, do carvings and generally be very creative with wood. We linked the two trades by telling people about each other, a referral I suppose, but these days it would be called 'good networking.'
We'd meet for breakfast twice a week, once at my home and then at his. This bi-weekly ritual became something to look forward to and cherish.
At my home, Sarah would cook for us and Jesus always helped clear the table and do the dishes. When he first did this I said, "sit down Jesus, that's women's work." He was quick to reply, "and why do you say that Simon Peter? Is your wife not equal to you? Why would you think it is not becoming of you or any man to help the women in the home?" I lowered my eyes in shame as he had not chastised me before. He continued "without women, my mother, your mother, we would not be here on this earth. Neither would your son nor your new child, who is in Sarah's womb, have a chance to come and experience this world. Therefore, we men must realise that fact and think more clearly before we speak of superiority, just because we are physically stronger. Women must be respected and treated equally for they are crucial to our very existence and have to be appreciated and honoured. Women can do everything men can do and more, they can bear children, which is a generous gift to the world. Women can and will be in all roles of life in society - politics, finance, farming, construction and within the church - including leadership roles. Why would they not be I ask you or anyone? So, Peter, I ask you again, do you think that clearing the table and doing the dishes is only women's work?"
I meekly looked at Jesus in the eyes and replied, "No."
Today I am also going to tell you how Jesus and I worked so well together. He had the wonderful gift of making people feel at ease with themselves. Some have the gift of making people feel at ease in their company, but this gift was unique in that people felt comfortable and safe in their own skins, so to speak. In his presence you felt safe, loved and lovable, that's why so many people flocked to him. Just to be in his company made them honour their Divine Light within, without them even realising why.
His gifts with people transcended into our business too. While folk felt the need for new furniture or wood carvings, once they were visiting him to make an order or collect an item, he would always mention me and how tasty my fresh fish were and how I had such a selection. I would be rushed off my feet once I brought my boat in with my catch. People would be waiting for me saying, "Jesus sent us, he says your fresh fish are delicious!"
One day he asked me if he could come fishing with me. "Of course," I said, "we'll take food and make a day of it. I'll put a notice by the dock to tell people I'll be in later than usual. Let's enjoy the day."
Jesus was like a little boy with a new toy that day. He was so delighted to be going out fishing with me. I had a new boat too, as my business was so good with all Jesus' referrals. I was able to replace my old boat with a new one. This was only my third time to use it. I was excited to be taking Jesus with me.
When we were out to sea about one hour, I cast the nets and Jesus helped me. He was so interested in how I set them up and cast them out. We also lifted some pots from the day before. It was a busy few hours before we sat and had lunch. Sarah had made us delicious bread with cheese and Jesus joked about how he hoped I'd helped and not just left it to 'the woman.'
We talked about different things ... our families, our hopes and dreams. It was that day that Jesus told me of his love for Mary Magdalene and how he hoped they would marry - she had been a childhood friend and sweetheart and she was very blessed with much Light. He said he knew his journey was not going to be an easy one and he was here on earth for a very specific purpose, but he knew her role would be huge in helping him reach his mission. He said he felt that people would not appreciate her role in his life and he knew he had to keep it low-key in order to keep her safe and protected. Again, he mentioned how women were equal to men, not inferior, as many cultures portrayed. It may not be now but in years to come this would be realised by all. Some countries and cultures would embrace it, many others would not, but a time would come when the Divine Feminine would be vital to the earth and humanity.
CHAPTER 2
Balance
Jesus and I continued our business partnership and friendship for many years before we actively went out on the ministry. Much of the teachings are recorded in the gospel yet those years before are rarely recorded, so here I tell some of the 'goings on' between two friends and partners.
One day Jesus decided to ask Sarah to come to work with him in his workshop. He said he had seen a creative side to her in preparing food and arranging flowers so he knew that she would also be excellent at wood carvings as well. He felt she would have a flair for carpentry. All she had to do was learn the skills. Jesus told me that I had to stay home with our son Joshua and mind our new baby Maria, only bringing her over if she needed nursed. I smiled at his orders, knowing that although we were such close friends, the role of master and apostle would be arriving soon enough, so I might as well get used to his leadership requests.
Sarah was delighted to be asked to do something different with her creativity and it was just not the done thing for a woman to learn a trade. I left them to it and enjoyed the day spent with my two children. Joshua played and Maria slept most of the day as she was only a few months old. I had to bring her over a few times to Sarah to be nursed and I observed Jesus look at the sight of Sarah nursing Maria with such admiration and love. "Look Peter," he said, "how can it be that women can bear our children and keep them alive and grow with their own milk, yet men feel that they are better than them? It does not make any sense in my eyes, nor that of my Father. Why? Oh, why do such men not see the miracle created here and rejoice their beauty, bodies, characteristics and talents? I will show you today how your talented wife will create a wood-carving that would be proud to be built by a skilled carpenter.
I smiled, left them to it, and returned hours later when Maria needed nursed again. On my return Sarah was proudly holding a woodcarving of an owl. "Inner wisdom," she said, "that's what this owl stands for. I have always known I wanted to learn to work with wood. It's been there all along but I never knew I'd have the opportunity to try it. Peter, when I am carving, I feel the same happiness and joy I feel when I am nursing Maria. I know it's the same feelings when she suckles on me and her little hand is on my breast, and she looks at me with such love. It is the same feelings I felt today when Jesus showed me how to use the tools to carve the wood."
I looked into Sarah's eye and I noticed they were gleaming and twinkling, the same way they are when she is bathing Joshua or reading him a story, or like she said, when she is nursing Maria. Motherhood gave Sarah such joy and fulfilment, but, in my ignorance, it had never occurred to me that once a woman marries and has children, she would want to do anything else but attend to her husband and children's needs. The role of carer seemed apparent while the man did the hunter-gatherer role.
Jesus was watching my reaction and he smiled at me as if he could read my thoughts - which he probably could, "Simon Peter, what do you think of that? Sarah has found joy and passion for something other than her current role as a wife and a mother. Are you willing to give her the opportunity to do both, after all, she bore and fed your two children?" He smiled as he knew I would not argue. I nodded and embraced Sarah to say how proud I was of her and how blessed I was to have her as my wife.
From that day on, Sarah spent two days a week in the workshop helping Jesus and making a living too from the wood carvings. On these days I laid nets in the morning, looked after the children and collected the catch when Sarah came home. She was always in such high spirits after working with wood. She valued and appreciated making a contribution to the house and she cherished her days with the children instead of feeling tired by doing mother and housework chores daily.
In today's world this may be normal, but 2,000 years ago the women were to stay at home but this was not so in Jesus' eyes. He could see how balance was needed in both home and work life. He saw men sharing the role of carer and homemaker, contributing to home life as women, fulfilling their joy and purpose outside the house, contributing to their personal development and society as a whole. Sarah felt so fulfilled with her new position and sharing the family role of childcare within the household. Many of the men in the village were not pleased and made no bones about telling me so. When their wives started asking them to take this stance also and share the duties so that they could do something they had a talent for and loved to do, the answers were often, "your role is at home, I did not marry you to have to stay home myself, cook and look after the children, even for a couple of days a week. Speak no more of this woman."
Jesus was saddened by this and he vowed to preach about the importance of sharing and balance between the sexes when he started his ministry work.
CHAPTER 3
Acceptance
I have yet to talk to you of Jesus' love of people, in all that he said and in his actions. I have mentioned his warm smile and how his eyes sparkled and saw right into the soul. When I first met Jesus when we were boys, I knew that there was something very different and special about him. It was a presence like no other when he was within a certain radius, which could be felt so strongly, even if you were far away but had him within your sight. That's what I certainly felt when I first laid eyes on him at the market stalls.
Before he began his ministry and took me and the Apostles with him to spread the word, he had not yet admitted to everyone that he was the Son of God, not because he wanted to deny the fact but that he had not yet been summoned to do so. In the meantime, as I have already stated, he was living the life of a child, of a boy, of a man. During these years of growing up, Jesus was cared for by his mother, Mary and father, Joseph and the Essenes. The Essenes were the community of people whom God had chosen to look after the Holy Family and keep them safe. These people were good and kind and full of Light because they were the loving counterparts who had signed up for this time to be part of Jesus' upbringing and his story. Many of the Essenes are back now on earth, reincarnated to tell this story of how people have to look to the Light/Source/ God within. They were there to witness this over 2,000 years ago and now wish, at this time in history, to reconnect those who wish to with their souls, their true essence - which is God and Christ Consciousness.
I can give many examples of how Jesus connected with the people he met. The Essene community who looked out for him were wary when strangers talked to him as he drew many to him, from all walks of life. On one occasion he was talking to two men who were passing through. He had left his workshop to go and buy some bread for lunch. It was a day that Sarah was with him and he had said he'd get lunch that day. Sarah told me he came back with bread, cheese and two men from another land who were travelling together to see other countries and cultures.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Untold Story"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Denise Devlin.
Excerpted by permission of Balboa Press.
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