I’ve been living here for as long as I can remember. It’s a pretty peaceful place, where everyone gets along, at least most of the time. I’m content with it, and even though this place is quite simple, even primitive, you might say, I’ve no aspirations to go elsewhere.

In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. (Luke 1)

A young family has moved into our village. I don’t know them, but others say that, some years ago, they lived here. As the story goes, this young married couple left to go to Bethlehem for the census. But after the census, they didn’t return until now, years later, with a young child in tow.

There was also a prophet, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped there with fasting and prayer night and day. At that moment she came and began to praise God and to speak about the child to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2)

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’ When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who is to shepherd my people Israel.”’

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him.  It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying,

‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace,  according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.’

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. (Luke 2)

You may remember the story about Simeon, my father. Your gospel of Luke records his encounter with the baby Jesus. Actually, you might have guessed that I was the source of Luke’s account. I was.

I knew Jesus as a boy. In fact, we were, by all accounts, best friends. Growing up together in the small village of Nazareth, we did almost everything together. We played, did chores, roamed the hillsides, shared secrets and together, we learned the traditions of our Jewish faith. And also, the stories of our long Jewish heritage, the history of Israel.

“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.’ His mother said to the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the jars with water.’

As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishers. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

We Samaritans have few visitors. Especially Jewish visitors. Very few. I won’t go into all of the reasons why. But just understand that it goes back centuries. Many centuries. Even though we are cousins of a sort, they consider us as half-breeds.

I am writing to you now, some years after my encounter with Jesus. As you might imagine, the experience of that encounter left a very deep impression on me. It still does. And I can report to you that, in my time, everyone who knew Jesus in person, was left with such an impression. It may be hard for you, across the centuries, to relate, because on the surface, Jesus did not seem so impressive. And even in my case, it wasn’t until we had gone much deeper in our talk before I came to realize what a remarkable person he was. I honestly can say that at first, I totally underestimated him.

I knew I would get in trouble. But I had to do what I did. Well, I guess I didn’t actually have to, but at the time, it seemed like the thing to do. Let’s just say that I felt a strong urge to come forward and offer what I had, even though it wasn’t actually mine to give.

“The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Hello. Do you remember me? The little boy? Remember, I provided the loaves and fishes that Jesus used to feed a multitude. Surely, you remember, right?

The last you heard from me was when Jesus asked me why I hadn’t eaten, and I replied that it didn’t matter, since anyway, I would be killed when I got home! Do you remember that?

Yes, I was the boy who offered his loaves and fishes to Jesus, and then watched as he multiplied them to feed a crowd of thousands.

This story is about navigation. I’m sure it will be familiar to you, because it can be found in all four of the Gospels. You’ll find some differences in the accounts, but don’t worry about that. 

Just to recap: after the first of two miracles when he fed a multitude, Jesus commanded his apostles to row back across the Sea of Galilee. It was night, and pitch dark.

I was in the boat with the others. And I saw what the others saw. And like the others, I had a hard time believing it, even though we were all witnesses to it. I still do have a hard time believing it, in fact. Overall, this was one of the strangest nights I can remember.

“Once while Jesus was standing beside the Lake of Gennesaret and the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he saw two boats there at the shore of the lake; the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little way from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.’ 

You could call me an “accountant.” In my day, of course, we had no such term. Still, even in the first century, there was a need for good financial record-keeping. And that was my job. My employer? No one less than Herod, also known as Herod Antipas or Herod the Tetrarch.