Reading Notes: Infancy Gospel Part B

This second half of the Infancy Gospel has been extremely interesting to read. None of these stories I have heard before when studying the Bible in Confirmation. It is interesting to hear all these stories of Jesus performing miracles for people even when he was merely a child. It exaggerates the extent of his divine power and love that at the age most children learn to crawl or walk, he was performing miracles and changing lives. How strange it must have been to be Mary and have to low life and sickly people of the world coming to her and her son asking for his healing touch and grace.

I love how in majority of the first few stories is about how women with leprosy would bath baby Jesus in scented water and then would pour his bath water over themselves. After they did this, they were cured of their leprosy and would sing his praises. It makes me think of all the Christian hymns and songs that talk about being washed clean by Jesus. Or how in baptism we are washed clean from our sins by the water of Christ. It was a subtle foreshadowing I think of rituals that would become custom in the Christina faith. 

My favorite story out of this section is the "Two Robbers". It is so amazing to hear the first encounter of Jesus and the two slaves who would be accompanying him up on the hill of Golgatha. Even stranger is hearing Jesus tell his mother that the day of his crucifixion will come and the very men who would have robbed him will be on either side of him while he dies. I especially appreciate that Titus's good character shows through so early on and that the Lord recognizes it and promises to reward him with life forever together in paradise.   

The quote at the end of the story "The Rival Women" has to be one of my favorite Bible versus in a while. "They digged a well, and made it deep, but fell themselves into the pit which they prepared."After reading this quote I went and found the full verse from the King James version. To me, this quote speaks the idea that you reap what you sow. If you do evil towards other than you will reap the consequences that you tried to inflict upon others. 

Jesus and the robbers

Bibliography:
Infancy Gospel as told by Luke and Mathew