son."

Despair darkened Mary's expression. "Do you mean that what the people
are saying about him is true?" she asked.

"No, no. I didn't mean that," Jude said quickly. "He is different in
another way. He is ... he is not like us any more." He tried to describe
Jesus but could not.

"Well, what happened?" Mary was relieved but puzzled. "What did he do?"
Jude then told her all that he had seen from the moment he had entered
the courtyard. She listened, wondering at the son who had left her home
only a few months before. When Jude finished she turned to leave.

"Wait, mother!" said Jude. "Don't you want to see him?"

"There is no reason for us to see him, my son," replied Mary quietly.
"He doesn't need us to care for him. This is God's work that he is
doing." That same day Mary returned to Nazareth, filled with wonder at
the things that had happened.

Not only Mary but the disciples too were amazed at Jesus' power. Even
the Zealot, the most eager to start spreading the news of the Kingdom,
saw how much he needed to learn before attempting to do Jesus' work. At
the table that evening, Simon spoke the feeling of them all.

"Master, how shall we ever be strong enough to be your missionaries?"

"Whoever knows God, lives by his power, Simon," answered Jesus. "The
evil one does not rule such men."

"But I believe in God, Master," said Simon. "Yet I cannot heal anyone."
He paused and then added in a tone of despair, "I could never have
answered that scribe!"

"Simon, if you had real faith in God--even a tiny grain--you would be
able to do great things."

"I have prayed many times and still I do not have the strength," said
Simon humbly.

"Listen to me," said Jesus. "Suppose you were to go to a friend's house
late at night and say: 'Friend, will you lend me three loaves of bread?
A visitor has arrived unexpectedly and I am out of food.' Suppose he
were to answer: 'Don't bother me. I'm in bed and the door is locked. I
can't get up.' What would you do?"

After a pause, John answered, "Why, you just keep on knocking until he
_does_ get up!" The disciples smiled.

"True!" said Jesus. "He may not get up because of friendliness, but if
you keep on knocking, he'll give you the bread just to get rid of you!
But God is your friend! Will he not give you what you ask? But you must
not grow weary in asking.

"In a certain town," he continued, "there was a very unfair judge. He
didn't care about anyone. There was a poor wid