Jesus Overwhelms

His Teachers

By

The Twelve Apostles

The Unexpected Challenge

There was also at Jerusalem one named Zaccheus, who was a schoolmaster. And he said to Joseph, “Joseph, why not send Jesus to me, that He may learn His letters?” Joseph agreed, and told St Mary. So they brought Him to that master; who, as soon as he saw Jesus, wrote out an alphabet for Him. And the master bade Him say Aleph; and when He had said Aleph, the master bade him pronounce Beth.

Then the Lord Jesus said to him, “First tell me the meaning of the letter Aleph, and then I will pronounce Beth.” And when the master threatened to whip him, the Lord Jesus explained to him the meaning of the letters Aleph and Beth. Jesus also told him which letters were the straight figures of the letters, which the oblique, and what letters had double figures; which had points, and which had none; why one letter went before another; and many other things Jesus began to tell him, and explain, of which the master himself had never heard, nor read in any book.

The Lord Jesus further said to the master, “Take notice how I say to you.” Then Jesus began to clearly and distinctly say Aleph, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, and so on to the end of the alphabet. At this the master was so surprised, that he said, “I believe this boy was born before Noah.” And turning to Joseph, he said, “You have brought a boy to me to be taught, who is more learned than any master.”

He said also to St Mary, “This your son has no need of any learning.”

They brought him then to a more learned master, who, when he saw Jesus, said, say Aleph. And when He had said Aleph, the master bade Him pronounce Beth, to which the Lord Jesus replied, “First tell me the meaning of the letter Aleph, and then I will pronounce Beth.” But this master, when he lift up his hand to whip him, had his hand immediately withered, and he died.

Then said Joseph to St Mary, “Henceforth, we will not allow Him to go out of the house; for everyone who displeases Him is killed.”