From This Day the Light Goes Forth

CHAPTER 34

After returning to the Community of Light at Lake Gennesaret, Yeshua asks Cephas to form and administer the community. When Cephas chooses only men to be on the council, Yeshua speaks to him about the merits of balance in all things and overcoming the incorrect teachings and prejudices he has previously known.

 1 And it came to pass that Yeshua, Miriam, and the disciples that came with them arrived at the delta of Gennesaret, and for some days, each stayed mostly with their families, taking care of family business.

 2 After the first day and night of visiting with the members of the community, Yeshua and Miriam retired to their house to fast and pray and did not join the community for meals for three days.

 3 The Community of Light at the delta was growing with new members, in addition to the several families that already resided there. Before going into seclusion to fast and pray, Yeshua asked Cephas to form and administer the community, to call others to be a council, and to help all the men to be immediately employed in fruitful labor that benefited both their families and the community.

 4 Now Cephas pondered greatly upon the men he should call to be a Council of Elders to help him plan for the activities and policies of the community.

 5 Thinking only in his mind and without prayer, he concluded that he would need to ask all of the disciples that Yeshua had asked to specifically follow him so he would not offend anyone’s sensibilities.

 6 As most of the disciples would often be away from the community, traveling with Yeshua, he considered who among the new men he should also call upon. Unable to come to a conclusion, on the fourth day after their return, he went to visit Yeshua at his house in Capernaum to get his advice, for Yeshua said he would be in seclusion for three days only.

 7 Yeshua questioned him, asking, “How many men do you think to call for the Council of Elders?”

 8 And Cephas answered him, saying, “I thought twelve would be the best. It is a sacred number, sufficient to get a variety of advice, but not too large to become undermined by an overabundance of opinions.”

 9 Yeshua nodded and asked, “How many men, including those of both strength and vigor and the old and weak, who are not among those I have called to walk with me in my journeys, do you count among the Children of Light in the community?”

 10 Cephas pondered this for a moment and then answered, “Including those who have just come from Capharsalama and Gurion and his eldest son who came with their families from Ptolemais while we were in Bethany and those who already lived here at the north end of the lake, we have eighteen men firmly committed to the community, plus those you have called as disciples.”

 11 “That is a small number to choose twelve from without offending the six who were not chosen,” Yeshua replied.

 12 Cephas raised his eyebrows and nodded in agreement, but added, “I only thought to call eleven as I would be the twelfth. But even then, you are correct that the other seven might take offense.

 13 Perhaps, my err is that twelve is too many and that a smaller number such as six or even two others besides myself would be better.”

 14 “Did you pray to Elohim to seek guidance before you decided upon the number twelve?” Yeshua asked.

 15 Cephas answered, “I prayed about how many the council should be, but I neglected to ask for guidance about who should be numbered in the council, assuming this would be easy for me to know of my own accord.”

 16 “Then it must be that eleven is the right number for the council with you as the twelfth, even as the light has been revealed to you in your thoughts by Elohim,” affirmed Yeshua. “But now you must pray more earnestly and discover who should be numbered among the eleven.”

 17 Cephas nodded in agreement and prepared to depart that he might find a quiet place to pray for guidance, but Yeshua reached out and grasped his arm, saying, “One more thing, my brother; before you ask of Elohim, you must be open to receiving the answer, and you are not quite in that place of wholeness.”

 18 Cephas looked with wide-eyed surprise at Yeshua, saying, “What could I have done to be unworthy of an answer? I promise you that I strive mightily each day to live up to the Celestine Light and do not feel unworthy to seek Elohim in prayer in any way.”

 19 Yeshua smiled and answered him, saying, “My brother, I did not say or mean to imply that you are unworthy, for surely you are a pillar of the light.

 20 Nor is anyone ever unworthy to seek the comfort and guidance of their Father and Mother in Heaven in prayer.

 21 Many pray in all sincerity, humility, and worthiness, but cannot receive the counsel they seek because in their pride or prejudice or cultural or religious upbringing, they are incapable of accepting the answer.

 22 It is of this that I spoke. Your Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother will answer your prayers and give you the guidance and inspiration you seek; yet your cup will not be full, for it has a mouth that is too narrow and cannot gather all the wisdom poured into it. Therefore, most will be spilled upon the ground and lost to your understanding.”

 23 “I do not comprehend why,” Cephas stammered. “You know my heart is in a good place, and my eyes seek only the light. If there is something in my character or customs that blocks me from the fullness of the Celestine Light, please reveal it to me that I might unblock this dam.”

 24 Yeshua answered plainly, saying, “You have only chosen men for your council, yet women outnumber men in our community, and every decision made for the community affects them as much as the men. Where the men are often away because of work, the women are always here.

 25 Exclude the women from the council and you deny yourself the wisdom of those who see all things from a different perspective.

 26 Exclude the women and you also exclude those who are present almost every hour of every day and thus better prepared to understand the dynamics and immediate needs of the community.

 27 A good council will have both men and women and be stronger because of it. From the men, there will be an understanding of the currents of the outside world.

 28 From the women, there will be an understanding of the currents of the Community of Light.

 29 From the men will come strength and wariness and protection.

 30 From the women will come compassion and welcome and action without rashness.

 31 Each is a branch of the tree of light, and for the tree to grow large, the needs of all the branches must be considered and the gifts of all branches must be accepted.

 32 Cut away more than half the branches of a tree and the tree will soon die or only live as a scrub of what it could have been. But nourish all the branches and the leaves and the roots and the shoots and the buds, and the tree shall grow magnificent beyond comprehension.

 33 So it is with men and women and all things within the Community of Light.

 34 I know your heart and your head, Cephas. Both desire that which is right, but both are swayed by the customs and teachings you have grown up with, concerning the proper place and duties of women.

 35 If you truly follow me, you must overcome that which you have lived all of your life and live the teachings that I have given you in fullness.

 36 Only then will the mouth of your cup be wide enough to receive all of the wisdom and blessings your Heavenly Father and Mother pour upon you every day.”

 37 Cephas listened very intently to the words of Yeshua, but squirmed a little uncomfortably in his skin as he began to answer him, saying, “This is a hard thing you speak, Yeshua, for women are . . . they are . . . it is hard for me to say what they are.

 38 You know I have a love for my wife. I do not treat her as my property as is my right by law, and as many men do their wives, but show her respect and consider her happiness and not only how she can please me.

 39 But her thoughts are very simple. She only knows how to clean and cook and garden and take care of the children. Her emotions come upon her easily, sometimes in a most unbecoming manner, and I know the wives of many men are far worse than her.

 40 In honesty, I do not see how women could be of any help in a community council. Let them do the things that they do, but how could they give any useful advice outside of the tiny world they live within? And how they decide to cook or clean or take care of the children is of no consequence to the community as a whole.”

 41 Yeshua looked to his wife, who had been listening in silence as he spoke to Cephas, and asked, “Miriam, how would you answer Cephas?”

 42 And Miriam said unto him, “Good Cephas, I too know your heart and your head, and I admire you for both. But your understanding of women is like an empty chest. It has nothing at all inside of it. But that can be a good thing if you are willing to listen and learn, for there is much space to fill it with scrolls of knowledge.”

 43 Before she could continue, Cephas interrupted, saying, “Wait, Miriam, I do not speak of you when I speak of women, for you are like unto a man in your knowledge and experiences in the world.

 44 I know you have the greatest favor of Yeshua, and I would not hesitate to ask you to be on the council. But surely there is not another woman like you in the entire world, and in any case, like the other disciples, you travel with Yeshua.

 45 The rest of the sisters of the community are lights to us all, but would it not be a mockery of wisdom to ask them to sit in council with men?

 46 And even if I could persuade my head to abandon the law and all I have understood my entire life, could we expect the same to occur with all of the other men of the community?”

 47 Miriam scoffed, “What part of me do you find is like a man? Is it my long hair which I do not hide, for many men also have long hair?”

 48 “No, it is not your hair, Miriam. As I said, it is your understanding of the dealings of men and the places you have been, even to Egypt, and the knowledge you hold from being with Yeshua these many years.

 49 “When I first met you, I did not understand why Yeshua allowed you such freedom, but having come to know you more, I understand you are like a brother to us. But in that you are surely unique.

 50 And even understanding all that I have said, it is still difficult to accept all that is given to you by Yeshua. For in the end, you are still just a woman. And in the eyes of the law and of men, you should not be allowed to be the way that you are allowed to be. I do not mean to offend, only to speak in honesty.

 51 For me, it is enough that Yeshua has said this is the way it should be. If there is rebellion inside of me, it comes from the adversary, not from the light of Elohim, and I will steadfastly follow the light of Elohim wherever it leads, and heed not the darts of the adversary within.

 52 But even as you know more than other women, so too have I been blessed to understand more than most men, because of my longer association with Yeshua and my dealings with men in the world.

 53 Therefore, I can bring myself to accept and live this higher truth: that some women can be considered equal to men in a few select areas; even that some women might be capable of serving on a community counsel.

 54 But let us be honest, not just with one another but about this situation. Though I might accept for some women to be elevated thus, do you believe that except for you, the other men in the community would accept it?”

 55 Miriam let out a deep breath before speaking and then said unto him, “I believe that the other men in this community are more uplifted in their understanding than you credit them.

 56 Consider that every man in the Community of Light is here by their own choice.

 57 And why are they here? Because they have heard the teachings of Yeshua and some have seen his miracles, and they want to follow him and be a part of that which he establishes.

 58 Yeshua has made no secret that he has come to upturn the laws and traditions and much more than that as well. Surely, there can be no man in our community without that most basic understanding, for almost everything Yeshua does and says is contrary to the law and tradition.

 59 Therefore, I think if you, as the disciple he has chosen to lead our community, as a lifelong resident and leader of Bethsaida, and as a fisherman of three boats, speak to our community as one, both the men and the women, and speak the words you have heard from Yeshua and give an account of his teachings about women, there will be no dissension.

 60 Surprise perhaps, some confusion perhaps, but no dissension. For every man here is a son of Elohim, a Son of Light. Even as every woman here is a daughter of Elohim, a daughter of light.

 61 When they see or hear the light, it will dance in their hearts, no matter how different it may be from all they have known.

 62 Though they may not understand the fullness of the Celestine Light at that moment, they will have a deep desire to learn and understand it, no matter how simple their life has been.

 63 I know that is true, Cephas. I am not so different than other women, even as you are not so different than your brothers of light in our community.

 64 Speak and they will listen. Testify of the truth and they will believe. Live the Celestine Light and they will live it also.”

 65 Cephas was humbled by Miriam’s words and said, “Thank you, Miriam. You have opened my eyes and heart greater than they were before, and I will ponder and pray about the words you have spoken. But even now there is a greater peace in my heart about this.”

 66 Looking then to Yeshua, he asked, “Miriam is correct to say that all will follow that which you say to do, even if it is contrary to what they have known.

 67 I did not mean to make this such a large issue, only to seek advice. Perhaps, you can give us a sermon about this on the Sabbath and then the path will be laid for all to understand that which would seem to many to be contrary to the laws of nature.”

 68 Rather than answer him, Yeshua looked from his eyes into Miriam’s and gestured for her to answer for him. And she said unto Cephas, “Another reason we are blessed above all the generations of the world to have Yeshua among us is that we can have a testimony of him from what we have seen and what we have heard, and because of this, we can be special witnesses to the world of the Celestine Light he has brought.

 69 On a dark and dreary day, not far away, Yeshua will part from us and rise to the Heaven from whence he came to dwell again with our Celestine Father and Mother.

 70 He walks among us and gives us the Celestine Light of Heaven that we might teach the light to others. Once he is gone from this world, it will only by the words we speak and write, and the things which we do, that the people of the world will learn of the brilliance of the Celestine Light he brought. Even then, it will only be held by a few.

 71 I speak to you now because he desires me to grow in my confidence and stature while he is still here to teach and nurture me. It is the same for you, brother Cephas. The day will soon come when you must stand alone and lead the Children of Light on the paths that Yeshua has blazed.

 72 The day has not yet come when you must stand alone, but the day has come when both of us must not be afraid to stand.

 73 And for this cause, Yeshua desires me to speak to you rather than speaking himself, even as he desires you to speak to our community about the council and women and the true Celestine Light of Elohim.”

 74 And it came to pass that two days after the Sabbath, Martha came to the community with her children and the children of Yeshua and Miriam in the company of her brother Lazarus, and there was great joy in their family with the reunion and among all the people of the community, especially with Miryam, the grandmother of the children of Yeshua and Miriam.

 75 And it came to pass that on the next Sabbath, Cephas spoke to the community, to the men on the right and the women on the left.

 76 He had contemplated and prayed about the Council of Elders and the words of Yeshua and Miriam, and in his heart, there was now a great understanding.

 77 Because of this, he had the Celestine Light of Elohim upon him, and his countenance exuded the light. It seemed to radiate from his very pores.

 78 He spoke with a great and majestic voice that pierced the hearts of all that heard his words. And even as Miriam had predicted, although he spoke contrary to all they had assumed and believed about women, there was a resonance in their hearts and no dissension among them.

 79 As he concluded his talk, Cephas called the men and women he had chosen by the guidance of prayer and contemplation, to be the eleven who would be the Council of Elders for the Community of Light.

 80 And numbered among them was Martha of Bethany, the wife of Yochanan the Baptizer and second wife of Yeshua, and Miryam of Nazareth, the mother of Yeshua, and Shabala, the wife of Cephas.

 81 And among the men was Gimiel of Capharsalama.

 82 Then Yeshua rose among them and said unto them, “My brothers and sisters of light, remember this day; remember this place. Tell it to your children, that they may tell it to their children and they to theirs, unto every generation.

 83 For on this day, at this place, with this action, you have witnessed the beginning of the expansion of the Celestine Light of Elohim upon the Earth.

 84 And the light shall expand throughout all the world and to generations unborn, even all the generations of man, by the words and deeds of those who know and love the light.

 85 Though the light will be fought, though it will be resisted, though men will try to pervert it and change it to their desires, it will never be stopped, and from this day, the world will begin to change.

 86 Never forget you were here at the beginning, on the very first day. On this day, I call each of you to a high and holy calling. You are special witnesses called of Elohim to hold the Celestine Light to cherish the light and bring the light unto the world. So let it be.”