Gift from Creator Tells the Good Story 21

Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and the ones who walked the road with him were coming to the end of their journey. As they neared Village of Peace (Jerusalem), he began to make preparations for what would be his final week with his followers. It was now time to complete the work the Great Spirit had sent him to do.

GRAND ENTRY

1They came to House of Unripe Figs (Bethphage) at the foot of Olive Mountain, near Village of Peace (Jerusalem). There he sent two of his followers ahead of him.

2“Go into the village ahead of us,” he instructed them. “As soon as you enter, you will find a donkey tied there with her colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone asks you what you are doing, say to them, ‘Our Wisdomkeeper has need of them,’ and the owner will release them to you.”

4This took place to show the full meaning of the ancient prophecy, 5“Speak these words to the daughter of Strong Mountain (Zion): ‘Behold, your Chief is coming to you, in a humble way, riding upon a donkey—a colt still with its mother.’”#21:5 Zechariah 9:9-10

6His followers did as they were told. When they arrived at the village, they found everything just as he had said. 7They brought the donkey colt to Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and laid their outer garments on the colt, and he sat down on them.

8From the large crowd many began to cut branches from nearby trees and spread their outer garments on the road in front of him. 9The crowd circled around him, front and back, and began to shout:

“Hosanna!#21:9 Set us free! To the descendant of Much Loved One (David)!

“Blessed is the one who comes representing the Great Spirit!

“Hosanna to the highest one!”

This humble Chief did not fit the image of a conquering ruler. Instead of a warhorse, he rode on a donkey colt. No mighty warriors rode next to him. No dignitaries came out to meet him. It was mostly the common people who welcomed him that day.

10When he rode through the gate entering the Village of Peace (Jerusalem), the whole village was in an uproar!

“Who is this?” they asked.

11“He is Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the prophet from Seed Planter Village (Nazareth) in Circle of Nations (Galilee),” the crowd answered.

SACRED LODGE KEEPER

12Creator Sets Free (Jesus) rode into the village and to the sacred lodge. He entered the lodge and began to force out the ones who were selling and buying the ceremonial animals. He then tipped over the tables of the money handlers and the seats of the ones who were selling the ceremonial doves.

13“It is written from the words of the prophets,” he cried out, “‘My lodge will be called a house of prayer for all nations, but you have turned it into a hideout for thieves!’#21:13 Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11”

The ancient prophecies had now found their full meaning, for this was the area of the lodge called Gathering Place for the Nations. It was here that other nations could come to learn about the Great Spirit and his ways. The holy men were keeping the Outside Nations who wanted to learn of Creator’s ways from entering into this Holy Place. They were stealing the ways of the Great Spirit from the nations.

14After that, people who could not see or walk came to him at the lodge, and he healed them. 15The children came to him there, shouting for joy, “Hosanna#21:15 Set us free! to the descendant of Much Loved One (David)!”

The children then made a circle around him and laughed, danced, and sang songs.

But when the head holy men and the scroll keepers saw the wonderful things he did and heard the children shouting and singing, they burned with anger 16and said to him, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”

“I hear them,” he answered, “but have you not heard what the ancient Sacred Teachings say? ‘From the mouths of little children and nursing babies you have created praise.’#21:16 Psalm 8:2”

17Then Creator Sets Free (Jesus) left Village of Peace (Jerusalem) and returned to House of Figs (Bethany), where he was lodging.

A FIG TREE WITH NO FRUIT

18The next morning, as he was returning to Village of Peace (Jerusalem), he became hungry. 19He saw a fig tree on the side of the road and went to it, but when he came to the tree, he found only leaves.

He spoke to the tree, “You will never again grow fruit!” and the fig tree began to wither away right then and there.

20When the ones who walked the road with him saw the tree withering, they were amazed.

“How did it dry up and wither so quickly?” they asked.

21“I speak from my heart, if you put all your trust in the Great Spirit and do not doubt that the Knower of Hearts hears you,” he answered them, “not only will you do what was done with this fig tree, but even if you speak to this mountain and say, ‘Be lifted up and go into the great waters,’ it will happen. 22So when you send your prayers to the Great Spirit, believe that he hears you, and whatever you ask for will be yours.”

QUESTIONED BY THE SPIRITUAL LEADERS

23When he arrived at the lodge, the head holy men were waiting for him. They and the ruling elders of the people came to him.

“By what right do you do these things?” they challenged. “Who gave you this right?”

24“First you must answer one question from me,” he challenged back, “and then I will tell you what gives me the right. 25The purification ceremony#21:25 Baptism performed by Gift of Goodwill (John), was it from the spirit-world above, or did it come from human beings?”

They put their heads together and talked it over. “If we say it is from the spirit-world above, he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say it is from human beings, we fear what this crowd would do, for they are sure Gift of Goodwill (John) was a prophet.”

27So they answered him, “We do not know.”

“So then,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said to them, “neither will I tell you what gives me the right to do these things.”

STORY OF TWO SONS

Then, since they would not answer him, he told them the answer to his own question about Gift of Goodwill (John)—with a story.

28“How do you see it?” he asked them. “A man with two sons came to one of his sons and said, ‘Son, will you work in my vineyard today?’ 29At first the son told him ‘No,’ but later changed his mind and went to work.

30“Then the man went to his other son and asked him the same. He told his father, ‘Yes, I will,’ but never went.”

31 Creator Sets Free (Jesus) looked right at the spiritual leaders and asked, “Which of the two sons did what his father wanted?”

They said to him, “The first one.”

“I speak truth from my heart,” he said to them, “tribal tax collectors and those who sell sexual favors will find their way onto Creator’s good road ahead of you! 32Gift of Goodwill (John) came to show the good way, but you refused to hear him. You saw how the tribal tax collectors and those who sell sexual favors put their trust in him, but not even this changed your mind to believe him.

STORY OF THE VINEYARD

33“Hear me,” he said to them, “and I will tell you another story.

“There was a tribal member who planted a vineyard. He put a hedge around it, dug a pit to crush the grapes, and built a treehouse from which to watch over all the vines. He then rented the vineyard out to other tribal members for a share of the grapes. Then he traveled far away to another land.

34“When harvest time came, the tribal member who owned the vineyard sent trusted messengers to gather his share of the grapes, 35but the renters took hold of the messengers. They fiercely beat one, killed another, and even threw stones to kill another.

36“Then the vineyard owner sent even more messengers than at first, but they did the same to them.

37“Finally he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’

38“But when they saw that he had sent his son, they said to each other, ‘This vineyard will one day belong to this son. If we kill him, we can take the vineyard for ourselves.’

39“So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him.”

Creator Sets Free (Jesus) turned to face the spiritual leaders.

40“When he returns, what will the owner of this vineyard do?” he asked them.

41They answered him, “He will bring those bad-hearted ones to a bad end and then rent out the vineyard to others who will be honorable and give him the share of the harvest he deserves.”

STUMBLING OVER THE CHIEF POLE

42“Are you blind to the Sacred Teachings?” he said to them. “Have you not read this: ‘The tree the lodge builders threw away has become the Chief Lodgepole. This is what the Great Spirit has done, and it will fill us with wonder’#21:42 Psalm 118:22-23?

43“So I say to you that Creator’s good road will be torn from you and given to a people who will bring its fruit to a full harvest. For the ones who stumble over this Chief Lodgepole will be broken into pieces, 44and when it falls on them, they will be crushed and scattered like dust in the wind.”

45When the head holy men and the Separated Ones (Pharisees) heard his stories, they realized they were about them. 46They wanted to arrest Creator Sets Free (Jesus) but feared the people, since they considered him a prophet.

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