My Dear Father:
Since I last wrote you, my faith has been confirmed by the testimony
which in one of your letters you demanded. You said, "Let me hear that
he has done an authentic miracle in attestation of the divinity of his
mission--such a miracle as was prophesied Messias shall do, as healing
the sick by a word, restoring the blind to sight, and raising the
dead--and I will prepare to believe in him."
Miracle he has performed, dear father, and one the genuineness of which
is not disputed by any one. I can give you the particulars best by
extracting from a letter written by John to Mary, a few days after his
departure to join Jesus at Nazareth:
"Upon reaching Nazareth," says the letter, "I was guided to the humble
dwelling occupied by the mother of Jesus, by a large concourse of
people gathered about it, of whom inquiring, I learned that it was to
see the new Prophet they had thus assembled. 'What new Prophet?' I
asked, wishing to know what the multitude thought of Jesus.
"'The one of whom John of the wilderness foretold,' answered one.
"'They say he is Messias,' replied another.
"'He is the Christ,' boldly asserted a third.
"Hereupon a Levite standing by, said scornfully, 'Does Christ come out
of the country of Galilee? You read the Prophets to little purpose,
if you see therein any Christ prophesied to come out of Nazareth
of Galilee.' Hereupon, seeing the faith of many staggered, I said,
'Brethren, Christ is truly to be of Bethlehem, and verily Jesus, though
now he dwelleth in this place, was born in Bethlehem.'
"'Thou canst not prove it, man!' said the Levite angrily.
"'The stranger speaketh truly,' spoke up both an old man and a
gray-haired woman in the crowd. 'We know that he was not born here, and
that when his parents moved hither, when he was an infant, they then
said he was born in Bethlehem. We all remember this well.'
"Hereupon the Levite, seeing that he had not the people with him,
passed on his way, while I went to the door of the house where Jesus
dwelt with his mother. There were two doors, one of which led into a
workshop, where I noticed the bench and tools of the occupation at
which he had toiled to support himself and his mother. But when, as I
entered the dwelling, I saw him standing, teaching those who hung on
his lips, and listened to his calm voice, and heard the sublime wisdom
of his instructions, beheld the dignity of his aspect, and felt the
heavenly benignity of his manner, I forgot the carpenter, I forgot the
man, and seemed to behold in him only Messiah the Prince, the Son of
God.
"Upon beholding me, he extended his hand, and received me graciously,
and said, pointing to five men who stood near him, regarding him with
mingled love and reverence, 'These are thy brethren, who have also come
out of the world to follow me.'
"Of these, one was Andrew, who had been, as well as myself, John's
disciple. Another was Andrew's brother, whose name is Simon, whom
Jesus, from the firmness and immovable zeal of his character, which
he seemed to understand, called also Peter, or Stone. The fourth
disciple was of Bethsaida. His name was Philip, and he followed Jesus
from having been prepared by John the Baptist to receive him. He was,
moreover, so overjoyed at finding the Christ, that he ran to the house
of his kinsman, Nathaniel, and finding him in his garden, beneath a fig
tree, at prayer, exclaimed:
"'We have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did
write, the Messias of God!'
"'Where is he, that I may behold him?' asked his relative, rising.
"'It is Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph,' Philip answered.
"Upon hearing this answer, the countenance of Nathaniel fell, and he
replied:
"'Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?'
"'Come thou and see for thyself,' answered Philip.
"Nathaniel then went with him where Jesus was. When Jesus saw him
approaching, he said to those about him:
"'Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile!'
"'Whence knowest thou me?' asked Nathaniel, with surprise, for he had
heard the words which were spoken. Jesus answered and said:
"'Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw
thee.'
"Upon hearing this Nathaniel, who knew that he was all alone in his
garden and unseen at prayer when his brother came, regarded the serene
face of Jesus steadfastly, and then, as if he beheld therein the
expression of omnipresence, he cried before all the people:
"'Rabbi, thou art the Son of God! Thou art the King of Israel!'
"Jesus looked upon him as if pleased at his confession, and said:
"'Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest
thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these. Verily, verily, I say
unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God
ascending and descending upon the Son of man.'
"The next day James, my brother, and I went to the sea of Tiberias,
but two hours distant, to see our father Zebedee, and transfer our
interests to him; and, during the afternoon, Jesus passed near the
shore on his way to Cana, when, calling us, we forever left our ships
and our father and joined him. His mother and many of her kinsfolk were
of the company, all going to a marriage of the cousin of the family.
Upon our arrival at Cana, we were ushered into the guest chamber.
"The marriage feast at length commenced. The wine which should have
come from Damascus had not arrived, the caravan having been delayed
by the insurrection near Cesarea, and the chief ruler of the town,
presiding at the feast, seeing that the wine had given out, bade the
servants to place more upon the board. The mother of Jesus, who knew
that the wine was out, and that, looking upon this as an ill omen, the
family of the bride were in great distress, turned to Jesus and said,
'They have no wine.'
"The holy Prophet of God looked grave and said, applying to her the
title which we deem most honorable of all others, 'Woman, what have I
to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.'
"She must have understood his words, all mysterious as they were to me,
for, turning to the servants, she beckoned to them, while her cheek
borrowed a rich color from her hidden joy, and her eyes kindled with
loving sympathy for those about to be relieved in their distress. When
two or three of the servants had approached, she said to them:
"'Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.'
"The face of Jesus, ever calm and dignified, now seemed to assume
a look of majesty inexpressible, and his eyes to express a certain
consciousness of power within, that awed me. Casting his glance upon
several stone vases, which stood by the door empty, he said to the
servants:
"'Fill the water pots with water.'
"In the court, in full sight from the table, was a well to which the
servants forthwith went with jars, which I saw them fill with water,
bear it in upon their heads, and pour it out into the water pots, until
they had filled them all to the brim.
"In the meantime the governor of the feast and the majority of the
guests were absorbed in conversation and did not observe what was
taking place.
"'Draw out now and bear unto the governor of the feast,' said Jesus to
the servants.
"They obeyed, and pouring rich, blood-red wine from the jars which I
and others had seen filled up with simple water from the well, the
amazed servants bore it to the chief of the feast. He had no sooner
filled his goblet and tasted it, than he called to the bridegroom, who
sat in the middle of the table, and said:
"'Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine, and when men
have well drunk, then that which is worse; but thou hast kept the good
wine until now.'
"'Who hath brought this wine?' asked the bridegroom, drinking of the
water that was made wine. 'Whence it came, sir, I know not.'
"Then the servants and others told that they had filled the six water
pots with water to the brim, at the command of Jesus the Prophet, and
that when they drew out, behold it flowed forth wine instead of water!
Upon this there was a general exclamation of surprise, and the governor
of the feast, crying out, 'A great prophet indeed hath been among us,
and we knew it not!' rose to approach and do honor to Jesus; but he had
already conveyed himself away, at once rising and passing out through
the door, and seeking the solitude of the gardens."
The rumor of the miracle at Cana has reached Jerusalem since I began
this letter, and I hear that it has produced no little excitement in
the market-places and courts of the Temple. Rabbi Amos, on his return
from sacrifice, a few minutes ago, said that he saw, in the court of
the Temple, more than thirty priests with rolls of the Prophets in
their hands, engaged in looking up the prophecies of the Christ.
Your affectionate daughter,
Adina.