I have recently watched “The Chosen” series about the adult life of Jesus Christ and His apostles, and although many parts of the series are a modern portrayal of His life, I found other parts to be somewhat of a “stretch” in terms of the King James version of the Bible. I cherish the memory of my father, a minister, standing in the pulpit, making the stories of the Bible come to life for his congregations. I understand that some people today need to have the stories described in terms of our times so that they can understand them, but I prefer the more traditional approach to those beautiful stories. For the benefit of those who find King James too difficult to compare to today’s problems, I will try to tell the stories with the things that Jesus said. I am not a minister, but I hope that you will hear my father’s words through my interpretations.

A child wandered into the forest where Jesus had built a small camp site, and He spoke to the shy girl with a gentle voice. The next day, she and her friends came to visit Him, and they wanted Jesus to talk to them about why their parents seemed to argue so much. He responded, “Adults need to remember to be like children when they try to solve their problems.” When the child returned the next day, Jesus was gone, but he had built her a small doll house. He always wanted the children to come to Him because they would inherit the earth, and He knew they sought Him out for the love they were not getting from their parents. Maybe, there is more of a connection to our family problems today than most adults realize. It is quite possible that they would treat their children more respectfully if they really loved them.

Simon, James, and John were fishing along the shore when Jesus approached them. They were not successful in their attempts and were very frustrated that no fish were being caught. He said, “Put your nets on the other side of the boat, and they will be filled with fish.” Sure enough, the boat was filled to overflowing, and they rejoiced in their catch. When they returned to the shore, Jesus said, “You will be fishers of men and follow me!” A secondary story involved an older priest called Nicademus; he said, “We can base our lives on the past, but we need to keep our eyes on the future to gain true wisdom.” Although the three men did not understand Jesus, they decided to follow Him. Believing was a struggle for them, but they realized that the wind moved their boats in the past across the waters. That wind was the spirit of God, and they believed that spirit would help move them into the future with Jesus as their guide. The elder priest said, “What you give up will be surpassed by what you learn.” When Jesus healed a leper along the road, His three students tried to defend Him, but He said that he did not need protection. He came so that others may be healed of all nationalities, those who sin, and those with ailments. When the group spent the night at a shelter, Jesus said to His students, “Whoever believes in Me shall have Eternal life. Follow me and you will see more.” We do have to give up the things of this world to follow Jesus. When love is at the center of all that we do, the world will be made more beautiful, and we will be “Christ with flesh on.”

An adulteress who had six husbands came to a well for water and encountered Jesus. Jesus knew her background and still offered her “Living Waters that will spring up in My Father’s Kingdom.” Latter on, Rayma, the daughter of the wine maker for a wedding, told Jesus that her father thought he was a blasphemer for turning water into wine at the wedding. Her father also told Thomas that he was wrong to follow Jesus and was concerned that Rayma wanted to follow Him, as well. Knowing that Rayma’s father did not believe, Jesus said, “I ask a lot of those who believe; I ask little of those who do not.” Turning to His students, Jesus said, “The heart and bones will break, but I bring the light to a darkened world. Our stories commit us to act for the good of others.” The students began to understand Jesus’ boundless love in all people and in all situations. When I take communion, I know that I am eating and drinking the body and blood of Jesus Christ. He is the light of the world, as well as the peace, love, hope, and grace that the world needs today, perhaps more than at any other time in history.

Jesus and His students shared a meal with a poor family, and Jesus tells the family that He brings the Good News of the Kingdom to them. “Seek and ye shall find.  All are worthy of the Kingdom of God.” After the meal, Jesus went for a walk by Himself, and some pharisees threw stones at Him. The Sons of Fury, James and John, wanted revenge, but Jesus tells them that He does not need protection. They should be careful of those who are on the wrong road to salvation. He says, “Not being careful with your abilities may cause harm to others.” Today, so many people think that they are doing the right things, but in reality, they are doing the wrong things to help solve our problems. A case in point is our elected officials who claim to be doing good things for Americans, but in reality, their decisions will undoubtedly harm Americans and make our lives harder than they need to be.

Another student, Nathaniel, wants to join Jesus’ group but is afraid of joining because he questioned whether Jesus knew of his arrogance as an architect and that he had failed miserably because of it. Nathaniel said, “People define us by our pasts, not by our current status.” Upon hearing this, Jesus says, “I saw you under that tree when you were so angry about failing, but the students in my group use their hands in manual labor to learn about life. Do not ridicule laborers for their confidence rests in my love.” A John the Baptist follower, Phillip, joined the group and wanted to work with Nathaniel. At first, Nathaniel resisted working with Phillip, but Jesus said to him, “You wanted to build something to bring souls closer to God. So work with Phillip to build it. Remember: If we do not make time for friends, we will not have any.” Phillip encourageed Nathaniel by saying, “There is no mountain high enough or any pit deep enough that God is not with you.” Seeing his faith, Nathaniel began to build a temple of friendship with Phillip. We could build so many more bridges today if we would only love one another rather than fight with one another. God gave us free will, but how are we using it? What are we doing to make others’ lives better?

As their lives began to intertwine in Christian love, Jesus and His students began to grow in their understanding of each other and what Jesus expected from them. It was the custom of the times that a woman could not be educated, and as Thomas fell in love with Rayma, he worried that she wanted to learn how to read. He was upset that she wanted to learn from someone other than himself. Jesus’ word was spreading faster than his students thought possible. John believed that with this fame would come enemies. The one called Mary, who had been healed of demons in her younger years, believed that Jesus’ students could not be holy without Him. Many of the students were confused about His expectations of them. I have striven to educate myself to the highest levels, but there are times when I question what my next purpose should be in my life. When those times come, I go to God and ask for His direction. In recent months, His answer has been for me to become a Stephen’s Minister to help people with a wide variety of spiritual and emotional problems. I hope that I am carrying out Jesus’ purpose for my life.

Realizing that Jesus’ miracles and words were creating tense times when Jesus spoke to crowds, His students began to worry about His safety. Jesus said, “Do not be anxious about anything.” Another student who was training to defend the Jews against the Romans saw Jesus healing others and wanted to find his lost brother to bring him to Jesus. When Simon, the warrior, found his brother beside a “supposed healing fountain,” Simon cried out to Jesus, “Jesus, heal my brother for he believes in You.” Jesus healed the cripple while some pharisees watched in the crowd, but it was the Sabbath. According to the pharisees, He was not allowed to do so. They called Him a blasphemer. Upon leaving the crowd, Jesus’ students questioned why He healed on the Sabbath. He said, “Sometimes, you have to stir up the waters.” If our nation is to survive the negativity of our current situation, we need to be willing to follow Jesus’ answer to the students. We need to be willing to sacrifice for the good of all peoples. And as the students-soon-to-be-apostles realized, they, too, would be asked to make sacrifices for the good of many nations.

So as I describe these stories in terms of Jesus’ statements, I am troubled by why our world needs a more current version of the Bible. Is it because the original Bible is hard to read and to understand, or do we feel we need twenty-eight new versions to believe that He is our Savior? I am glad I had a father who could take the original Bible and make it relatable to his congregations even before there was this onslaught of new Bibles. Because of his great knowledge, I do not need twenty-eight versions. All I need is my King James, and the Word is safely secured in my mind, heart, and soul. One thing is certain. We are all chosen, but only those who believe in Jesus Christ will have an Eternal home with God, our Father.

Anna Hartt