An Allegory... part 2
Chapter 3
JESUS OF NAZARETH
.... I am fully aware that the vision of the New Jerusalem came as a result of being so close to the living Stream of water and that it was a revelation to the heart, rather than to the physical part of my being. If a person will linger by it, as he ponders the King’s Manual, he will see things that cannot be viewed anywhere else on earth and they will be more real to him than the things that he sees with his eyes and hears with his ears. The book and the Stream are a wonderful combination and a treasure from the house of the King.
It was through this combination that I first came to know about the King. I learned that He often left His palace and came to country places where He would meet with common people. Sometimes, He spent much time with them, teaching them His ways. Probably, one of the most favored by Him was a shepherd boy, who had to tend his father’s sheep. The King taught him many songs, which were so full of meaning and feeling that they eventually were sung around the world. Another shepherd, taught by the King, became a world-renowned prophet. I personally know people who regularly met with Him in the woods and were taught very special things, unknown to even the most learned citizens of this world.
The King actually dedicated 33 years to walk and talk with His people. He became a carpenter in a small town, so it’s very clear that He did not want to be known as one of the elite of the earth. During that time, as well, He was in the country observing flowers and birds and watching the farmers do their work. As you can see, our King is a very special Person with a heart for living things.
A person could and should spend a lifetime studying His Book to learn about His wonderful personality, His attributes and the great works that He has done. The Stream of the Spirit of the King has a way of bringing Him to us in a spiritual way that is even more real than if He came in flesh and blood. I suppose these things sound mysterious and perhaps they are, if we are accustomed to simply being taught through our five natural senses.
It was time to move on. I had come here on a mission and I must fulfill it. There was a narrow pathway that ran along the bank, so I left the way that I had taken thus far, even though it was a bit broader and the walking was a bit more comfortable. The new pathway was still the Way of Faith, but it gave the option of walking closer to the Stream. Now that I had found it, I didn’t want to let it out of my sight....
Chapter 4
FIXING OUR EYES ON JESUS
.....The pathway that I walked along now, very close to the Stream, was difficult and in fact there were places that could not be passed without supernatural help. The person, who chooses to walk by the Stream, must understand that such is the case and for that reason, many take an alternate route. However, he who chooses the way of the Stream has the thrill of experiencing its astounding properties.
I mentioned before that the Stream makes the unseen presence of the King very real and that is, in fact, its main function. As long as we are following Him, He keeps our feet from falling. It is very different from the way people normally think things should be. It may seem strange, but I noticed that if I focused on the pathway itself and its many pitfalls, I would tend to go off the trail and sometimes slip and lose my balance. On one occasion, with a steep drop to the side, I misstepped and tumbled down the bank. I am sure it was the King Himself, who stopped my fall, gave me a hand and set my feet on solid ground.
Another strange phenomenon I experienced was that I could pay close attention to the King’s book while walking without any danger of stumbling. Even in the night hours, a light from within lit the pages and its truth shined brighter than ever. At times I could hear a voice saying, “This is the way, walk in it”, when I was about to turn aside.
For the first time, I became aware that there were other hikers nearby, because I could hear their conversations. They shouted instructions one to the other and at times it was distracting. There were a few times, when I thought to take into account what they were saying, but immediately I became confused as to the direction of the path. Weeds and brush covered it and I was not sure which way to take. These were times when I had to stop, study the pages of the Manual, once again tune my ears to the Stream and soon I felt the presence of the King and became aware of His guiding hand.
Then, I saw a traveler ahead, who was standing by the side of the path, looking the opposite direction from the Stream. I heard voices again and as I came closer, I saw a group of people in the direction that the man was looking. They seemed to be a cheerful, attractive bunch of youth and were having a good time. The man was smiling as he observed them and I stopped for a while to watch. They were playing games, making plans and talking excitedly about things that they had seen along the way. I noticed that one of them had the King’s Manual and they spent a few minutes in a circle reading and talking about it. Then they rose up to play again and, from time to time, one of them would wander too far into a dangerous area. It had deep crevices, partially covered by brush and fallen trees, and was a good distance from the Stream.
Now, I noticed that my fellow traveler had a puzzled frown on his face and I spoke to Him, “Have you been following the Stream very long?” He replied, “No, it’s a new experience for me, but I read about it in the King’s book and my heart burns, as I read. I just found the stream, when I heard these folks talking. They seem to be having a great time and I notice they also read the King’s Book. However, it seems that the most important thing to them is to have fun together and I see that some of the things that they do are dangerous.”
“I see that, as well,” I replied, “and the Manual has taught me that we need to take our eyes and ears from all else, but that which the King tells and shows us. Will you go with me and we can talk more about the King’s ways?” He agreed and we walked together.....
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