A Stranger from Afar

CHAPTER 14

In Yeshua’s fifteenth year, a man named Anish, who learned of Yeshua from one of the Magi, came to visit him from the land known today as India. He stays at a nearby inn for one year and, during that time, imparts much wisdom to Yeshua, as he is a very learned man. He teaches Yeshua about the greeting, “Namaste,” which Yeshua uses for the rest of his life. Yeshua in turn teaches Anish the ways of truth and light so the rest of his days would ever be fruitful and his.

 1 When Yeshua was in his fifteenth year, there came a traveler from the east to his parents’ house and asked for Yeshua by name. Now this man was dark skinned and told them he had journeyed a great distance from the land of Bharat to speak with Yeshua, and he brought gifts of fine spices to give to Miryam.

 2 He said, “Many years ago, I spoke with a Magus who had paid tribute to Yeshua when he was a babe. After several years to put my affairs in order, I have at last made the journey to see what had become of the child that was so proclaimed by the Magus. I wish to learn of him and perhaps have some knowledge I can impart unto him.”

 3 Now Yosef and Miryam and all their children and kinsfolk were amazed at the appearance of this stranger, but Yeshua said, “My Father has told me of your coming; peace be upon you.” And after hearing him speak thus for many years, almost everyone in Nazareth knew that he spoke not of Yosef, but of his Father in Heaven.

 4 And the visitor from afar, whose name was Anish, was welcomed. He sought lodging at a nearby inn and remained in Nazareth for one year, meeting often with Yeshua and his family.

 5 Anish and Yeshua would speak late into the night by the light of the stars and the Moon, and Anish learned more of Yeshua than any man at the time, except Yochanan. Truly, it would fill a great book to write all that Yeshua and Anish said to one another.

 6 Anish taught Yeshua many things, for he was a very learned man. Often Yeshua’s brothers and parents and kinsfolk would gather in respectful silence to hear the deep discussions on many subjects Yeshua and Anish would share.

 7 Whenever they would meet or depart, as was the custom of Anish, they would each place their two palms together with the five fingers of the left hand against the five fingers of the right hand and hold them close to their heart and with a slight bow of the head and, looking into the other’s eyes, proclaim, “Namaste,” which as Anish said means, “The light of God that is in me honors the light of God that is in you.”

 8 Concerning “Namaste,” Anish expounded, saying, “In this word, which is both a greeting and a parting, there are many truths; it speaks of one person and the spirit of God within them, respectfully acknowledging another person and the spirit of God that dwells in them.

 9 In so saying this, we accept that everyone who is blessed with “Namaste” has within them light and truth and peace, even if they have lived in darkness and deceit and violence, for the light of God can never be extinguished, only forgotten.

 10 Furthermore, “Namaste” reminds us that though we may be of different skin colors and different cultures, we are one, and we are brothers, for we have the same divine light inside of us.

 11 To say “Namaste” in humility and love is to realize that there is a magnificent oneness that connects all creation.”

 12 And Yeshua said unto him, “Verily, Anish, you have greater understanding of the ways of truth than the priests of Israel, for the light of God is a part of the heart and spirit of every person, ever guiding them with a still, small voice that they may know right from wrong, truth from falsehood, and light from darkness.”

 13 And it came to pass that Yeshua learned the history of Bharat and all the countries to the east. And Anish taught him many of the words of his native tongue and also of Persian.

 14 Anish also taught him of the religions of many other cultures and people and said unto him, “I am a student of truth and I seek out truth wherever it may be, and if you so desire, I will impart to you some of the jewels I have discovered on my journey.”

 15 Yeshua smiled warmly and answered him, saying, “With a glad heart and a willing mind, I will savor the words you have to say and will show unto you the source of all of your jewels, in return.”

 16 Thus, it was that Yeshua and Anish shared many treasures with one another. And Yeshua taught Anish of the Elohim and of their light and of all their aspects and showed him how many of the teachings of other religions and of all the jewels of truth he treasured were reflections of the pure teachings of the one true God.

 17 Anish expounded further on the foundations of religions, saying, “Some noble faiths teach that suffering and misery, birth, disease, old age, and death are inescapable realities of the journey of man.”

 18 And Yeshua replied unto him, “Believe in Elohim and follow their precepts and the pains of life will be less and death shall have no sting.”

 19 Anish answered, “It is said by some that all suffering is caused by lust, be it lust for things carnal or lust for riches or fame or any other thing, and by the ignorance of truth that creates such lust. Therefore, it is vital to seek knowledge and gain wisdom that lust will have no power over you.”

 20 Yeshua replied saying, “There are many men who have fallen to lust despite their great knowledge, for lust overcomes both the wise and the ignorant and knowledge alone gives no protection.

 21 Only those who seek out the Elohim and follow the purity of their ways will be able to conquer the fiery arrows of lust that pierce the shields of those who might otherwise do good.

 22 Verily, I say unto you only the righteous shield of Elohim never fails; therefore, only when a man turns away from God can lust have power over him, regardless of how great his knowledge is in all other things.”

 23 Anish replied, “Some say that only if you do away with the ignorance that creates lust can you do away with the lust and the suffering caused by lust and ignorance.”

 24 Yeshua responded, “Many a great man has fallen to lust in full knowledge of the evil he does, but incapable of stopping himself from doing it. Even as King David sinned in his lust for Bathsheba.

 25 And this must always be, for the carnal man is an enemy to God and to himself and to his family; this has ever been so since the beginning of time.

 26 Yet verily, lust cannot be done away with, for it is a part of the passion that is the whole of man. If you do away with passion, you destroy the passion for good, as well as the passion for evil.

 27 But if your eye is single to the glory of God and to the righteousness they ask of you, then your passion will be for good and for light, and the spirit of Elohim will be with you always and evil and darkness shall have no power over you.

 28 Of his own, man can do nothing, for lust will always prevail. But lust does not always bring men unto destruction. God has given the ability to lust unto man that they might use it to find God; and when a man has been broken by the wages of lust, he can choose to abandon hope and be further degraded, or in all honesty and without excuse, he can turn to the Celestine Light of Elohim and, in his unworthiness, ask for forgiveness and bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.

 29 Elohim so loves the repentant sinner that they will fortify them in the light. As they seek so shall they find, and never again will they be a slave to the lust that had been their master, as long as they stay faithful and true to the light of God.”

 30 Many were the things that Yeshua and Anish discussed, and many were the people that wondered, saying, “How can this be the carpenter’s son, for he speaks in ways that touch our hearts and draw us to our God.”

 31 When the priests heard of the meetings of Yeshua and Anish, they were of a mind to go and hear their words. But Yeshua, knowing the ensnaring and judgmental thoughts of some of them, warned Anish, and with much spirit and love, he departed from Yeshua and his family and the kinsfolk of Yosef and Miryam and began the journey back to his country.

 32 But he did not leave as he had come, for when he arrived, he was a mere seeker of truth, finding jewels of light only after much fruitless time searching in the mud. When he departed, it was with Elohim, the source of all truth, lighting his path that every precious moment of his life thereafter would be fruitful.

 33 Nor was Anish ever forgotten by Yeshua who thereafter greeted his kinsfolk with “Namaste,” in remembrance of his friend Anish and of the light of truth that shone forth from that greeting; but among the Children of Israel, he did not, for they would not honor what it meant.