P.1402 - §4 Although Jesus was
poor, his social standing in Nazareth was in no way impaired. He was one of the
foremost young men of the city and very highly regarded by most of the young women.
Since Jesus was such a splendid specimen of robust and intellectual manhood,
and considering his reputation as a spiritual leader, it was not strange that
Rebecca, the eldest daughter of Ezra, a wealthy merchant and trader of
Nazareth, should discover that she was slowly falling in love with this son of
Joseph. She first confided her affection to Miriam, Jesus' sister, and Miriam
in turn talked all this over with her mother. Mary was intensely aroused. Was
she about to lose her son, now become the indispensable head of the family?
Would troubles never cease? What next could happen? And then she paused to
contemplate what effect marriage would have upon Jesus' future career; not
often, but at least sometimes, did she recall the fact that Jesus was a "child
of promise." After she and Miriam had talked this matter over, they
decided to make an effort to stop it before Jesus learned about it, by going
direct to Rebecca, laying the whole story before her, and honestly telling her
about their belief that Jesus was a son of destiny; that he was to become a
great religious leader, perhaps the Messiah.
P.1402 - §5 Rebecca listened
intently; she was thrilled with the recital and more than ever determined to cast
her lot with this man of her choice and to share his career of leadership. She
argued (to herself) that such a man would all the more need a faithful and
efficient wife. She interpreted Mary's efforts to dissuade her as a natural
reaction to the dread of losing the head and sole support of her family; but
knowing that her father approved of her attraction for the carpenter's son, she
rightly reckoned that he would gladly supply the family with sufficient income
fully to compensate for the loss of Jesus' earnings. When her father agreed to
such a plan, Rebecca had further conferences with Mary and Miriam, and when she
failed to win their support, she made bold to go directly to Jesus. This she
did with the co-operation of her father, who invited Jesus to their home for
the celebration of Rebecca's seventeenth birthday.
P.1403 - §1 Jesus listened
attentively and sympathetically to the recital of these things, first by the
father, then by Rebecca herself. He made kindly reply to the effect that no
amount of money could take the place of his obligation personally to rear his
father's family, to "fulfill the most sacred of all human trusts--loyalty
to one's own flesh and blood." Rebecca's father was deeply touched by
Jesus' words of family devotion and retired from the conference. His only
remark to Mary, his wife, was: "We can't have him for a son; he is too
noble for us."
P.1403 - §2 Then began that eventful talk with Rebecca. Thus far in his life, Jesus had made little distinction in his association with boys and girls, with young men and young women. His mind had been altogether too much occupied with the pressing problems of practical earthly affairs and the intriguing contemplation of his eventual career "about his Father's business" ever to have given serious consideration to the consummation of personal love in human marriage. But now he was face to face with another of those problems which every average human being must confront and decide. Indeed was he "tested in all points like as you are."
P.1403 - §3 After listening
attentively, he sincerely thanked Rebecca for her expressed admiration, adding,
"it shall cheer and comfort me all the days of my life." He explained
that he was not free to enter into relations with any woman other than those of
simple brotherly regard and pure friendship. He made it clear that his first
and paramount duty was the rearing of his father's family, that he could not
consider marriage until that was accomplished; and then he added: "If I am
a son of destiny, I must not assume obligations of lifelong duration until such
a time as my destiny shall be made manifest."
P.1403 - §4 Rebecca was
heartbroken. She refused to be comforted and importuned her father to leave
Nazareth until he finally consented to move to Sepphoris. In after years, to
the many men who sought her hand in marriage, Rebecca had but one answer. She
lived for only one purpose--to await the hour when this, to her, the greatest
man who ever lived would begin his career as a teacher of living truth. And she
followed him devotedly through his eventful years of public labor, being
present (unobserved by Jesus) that day when he rode triumphantly into
Jerusalem; and she stood "among the other women" by the side of Mary
on that fateful and tragic afternoon when the Son of Man hung upon the cross,
to her, as well as to countless worlds on high, "the one altogether lovely
and the greatest among ten thousand."
P.1403 - §5 The story of Rebecca's
love for Jesus was whispered about Nazareth and later on at Capernaum, so that,
while in the years to follow many women loved Jesus even as men loved him, not
again did he have to reject the personal proffer of another good woman's
devotion. From this time on human affection for Jesus partook more of the
nature of worshipful and adoring regard. Both men and women loved him devotedly
and for what he was, not with any tinge of self-satisfaction or desire for
affectionate possession. But for many years, whenever the story of Jesus' human
personality was recited, the devotion of Rebecca was recounted.
P.1404 - §1 Miriam, knowing fully
about the affair of Rebecca and knowing how her brother had forsaken even the
love of a beautiful maiden (not realizing the factor of his future career of
destiny), came to idealize Jesus and to love him with a touching and profound
affection as for a father as well as for a brother.
P.1404 - §2 Although they could
hardly afford it, Jesus had a strange longing to go up to Jerusalem for the
Passover. His mother, knowing of his recent experience with Rebecca, wisely
urged him to make the journey. He was not markedly conscious of it, but what he
most wanted was an opportunity to talk with Lazarus and to visit with Martha
and Mary. Next to his own family he loved these three most of all.
P.1678 - §5 Of all the daring
things which Jesus did in connection with his earth career, the most amazing
was his sudden announcement on the evening of January 16: "On the morrow
we will set apart ten women for the ministering work of the kingdom." At
the beginning of the two weeks' period during which the apostles and the
evangelists were to be absent from Bethsaida on their furlough, Jesus requested
David to summon his parents back to their home and to dispatch messengers
calling to Bethsaida ten devout women who had served in the administration of
the former encampment and the tented infirmary. These women had all listened to
the instruction given the young evangelists, but it had never occurred to
either themselves or their teachers that Jesus would dare to commission women to
teach the gospel of the kingdom and minister to the sick. These ten women
selected and commissioned by Jesus were: Susanna, the daughter of the former
chazan of the Nazareth synagogue; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, the steward of
Herod Antipas; Elizabeth, the daughter of a wealthy Jew of Tiberias and
Sepphoris; Martha, the elder sister of Andrew and Peter; Rachel, the
sister-in-law of Jude, the Master's brother in the flesh; Nasanta, the daughter
of Elman, the Syrian physician; Milcha, a cousin of the Apostle Thomas; Ruth,
the eldest daughter of Matthew Levi; Celta, the daughter of a Roman centurion;
and Agaman, a widow of Damascus. Subsequently, Jesus added two other women to
this group--Mary Magdalene and Rebecca, the daughter of Joseph of Arimathea.
P.1680 - §2 Mary Magdalene became
the most effective teacher of the gospel among this group of twelve women
evangelists. She was set apart for such service, together with Rebecca, at
Jotapata about four weeks subsequent to her conversion. Mary and Rebecca, with
the others of this group, went on through the remainder of Jesus' life on
earth, laboring faithfully and effectively for the enlightenment and uplifting
of their downtrodden sisters; and when the last and tragic episode in the drama
of Jesus' life was being enacted, notwithstanding the apostles all fled but
one, these women were all present, and not one either denied or betrayed him.
P.2008 - §3 Standing near the cross
at one time or another during the crucifixion were Mary, Ruth, Jude, John,
Salome (John's mother), and a group of earnest women believers including Mary
the wife of Clopas and sister of Jesus' mother, Mary Magdalene, and Rebecca,
onetime of Sepphoris. These and other friends of Jesus held their peace while
they witnessed his great patience and fortitude and gazed upon his intense
sufferings.
P.2010 - §5 The sandstorm grew in
intensity and the heavens increasingly darkened. Still the soldiers and the
small group of believers stood by. The soldiers crouched near the cross,
huddled together to protect themselves from the cutting sand. The mother of
John and others watched from a distance where they were somewhat sheltered by
an overhanging rock. When the Master finally breathed his last, there were
present at the foot of his cross John Zebedee, his brother Jude, his sister
Ruth, Mary Magdalene, and Rebecca, onetime of Sepphoris.
P.2013 - §6 While all this was
going on, the women were hiding near at hand so that they saw it all and
observed where the Master had been laid. They thus secreted themselves because
it was not permissible for women to associate with men at such a time. These
women did not think Jesus had been properly prepared for burial, and they
agreed among themselves to go back to the home of Joseph, rest over the
Sabbath, make ready spices and ointments, and return on Sunday morning properly
to prepare the Master's body for the death rest. The women who thus tarried by
the tomb on this Friday evening were: Mary Magdalene, Mary the wife of Clopas,
Martha another sister of Jesus' mother, and Rebecca of Sepphoris.
Quotes are from the Urantia Book.