A Gospel In Which The Young Jesus Withers A Child Who Vexes Him

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Just found out the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, a Gnostic Gospel about a young Jesus using his powers for evil. It begins when Jesus is playing in a stream on the Sabbath (“Big no-no!” I say things like big no-no now). He dams up a little pool, and then this happens:

III. But the son of Annas the scribe was standing there with Joseph; and he took a branch of a willow and dispersed the waters which Jesus had gathered together. And when Jesus saw what was done, he was wroth and said unto him: O evil, ungodly, and foolish one, what hurt did the pools and the waters do thee? behold, now also thou shalt be withered like a tree, and shalt not bear leaves, neither root, nor fruit.  And straightway that lad withered up wholly, but Jesus departed and went unto Joseph’s house. But the parents of him that was withered took him up, bewailing his youth, and brought him to Joseph, and accused him ‘for that thou hast such a child which doeth such deeds.’

IV. After that again he went through the village, and a child ran and dashed against his shoulder. And Jesus was provoked and said unto him: Thou shalt not finish thy course. And immediately he fell down and died. But certain when they saw what was done said: Whence was this young child born, for that every word of his is an accomplished work? And the parents of him that was dead came unto Joseph, and blamed him, saying: Thou that hast such a child canst not dwell with us in the village: or do thou teach him to bless and not to curse: for he slayeth our children.

V.  And Joseph called the young child apart and admonished him, saying: Wherefore doest thou such things, that these suffer and hate us and persecute us? But Jesus said: I know that these thy words are not thine: nevertheless for thy sake I will hold my peace: but they shall bear their punishment. And straightway they that accused him were smitten with blindness. And they that saw it were sore afraid and perplexed, and said concerning him that every word which he spake whether it were good or bad, was a deed, and became a marvel. And when he saw that Jesus had so done, Joseph arose and took hold upon his ear and wrung it sore. And the young child was wroth and said unto him: It sufficeth thee to seek and not to find, and verily thou hast done unwisely: knowest thou not that I am thine? vex me not.’

Later, Jesus throws an old woman “who hath outlived her usefulness” into a pit, and everyone gets even madder at him and he goes away “to ponder in a cave.” When he comes back he says a spell to restore everyone:

And when the young child ceased speaking, immediately all they were made whole which had come under his curse. And no man after that durst provoke him, lest he should curse him, and he should be maimed.

Obviously, they should have kept this stuff in. If anything were to make me bow down to Jesus and be all “loving” of him, it would be if he could use his powers to wither me. I would bow down to that Jesus strongly.

 

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