INFANCY GOSPEL OF JAMES CHAPTER 14 - 19

JAMES 14

I And Joseph was greatly afraid
And left her alone where she stayed,
And pondered what he ought to do.
And Joseph said “If I take cue
To hide her sin, I shall be found
In conflict with YHWH’s law on ground,
And if I show to Israel’s folk,
I fear that the child is the stroke
Of an angel, and then I’ll be
Betraying innocent degree
To judgement to be put to death.
What shall I do? I’ll let her breath
Go from me in a secret way.”
And the night came upon his day.
2 And see an angel of the Lord
Appeared in his dream and adored
To say “Don’t be afraid of this
Child, for what’s in her is the kiss
Of the Holy Spirit, and she
Shall bear a son and your decree
Shall be to call his name Jesus,
For he shall save his people thus
From their sins. And Joseph arose
From sleep and glorified as chose
The God of Israel who had shown
This favour to her hardly grown:
And he watched over her alone.

If Mary was naïve to say the birth
Was without work of man upon the earth,
What is there left to say of Joseph then?
He chose belief of dream instead of wen
Of human wisdom come into his den.
If Muslims now kept to the divine law
That Allah vouchsafed to them for their awe
They would not take a pregnancy to show
The woman had sinned when she had a go.
Beloved, in face of evidence for bad
Let me remain always among the glad
To give no credence to the rumour that
A daughter or a son of You had sat
In sinners’ way. Keep me out of such fat.

JAMES 15

1 Now Annas the scribe came to him
And said to him “Why were you dim
Not to come to our gathering?
And Joseph said to him a thing:
I was tired with the journey, and
I rested the first day at hand”.
And Annas turned and saw Mary
Was pregnant with a child to see.
2 He went to the priest hastily
And said to him, “Joseph, to whom
You bore witness has sinned to doom.”
And the priest said “What did he do?”
And he said “The virgin and true
That he got from temple of YHWH,
He has defiled her secretly,
Stolen her marriage without fee,
And not declared it in the ear
Of Israel’s folk to make it clear.”
The priest replied and said “Indeed
Did Joseph take so little heed?”
And Annas the scribe said “Send out
Officers, and they’ll find no doubt
The virgin’s pregnant and grown stout.”
The officers went out and found
It was as he said round and round,
And they brought her and Joseph to
The place of judgement as was due.
3 And the priest said “Mary, why did
You do this, and also you hid
Your debased soul forgetting God
Your Lord, and you lived on the sod
Of the Holy of Holies and
Were nourished by the angel hand
And heard the hymns and danced before
The Lord, why have you played the whore?”
But she wept bitterly and said
“As YHWH my Ælohim lives, led
Am I in purity with Him
And have not known any man dim.”
4 And the priest said to Joseph then,
Why did you do this thing again?”
And Joseph said “As YHWH my God
Lives I am pure upon the sod.”
And the priest said “Bear no false tale
But speak the truth: you did prevail
To lie with her by stealth and yet
Not declare it in judgement set
Before the folk of Israel met,
And have not bowed your head beneath
The mighty hand to get the wreath
Of blessing on your seed?” But he
Joseph stood there just quietly.

Beloved, the circumstances round the head
Of innocent and poor are always led
To make those in the judgement seat surmise
That they are evil in all good men’s eyes.
So Joseph and the Virgin both remain
In silence before man and the throne’s gain.
There’s nothing to be said when evil brew
Is cast out in the sight of earthly crew.
The rumour and the whisper and the glint
Of evil eye is clearer than the print.
Beloved, I too have stood up to condemn,
And I too have been quartered in the hem
Of accusation I could not reply.
Save all of us, Beloved, at least we try.

JAMES 16

1 And the priest said: Restore the lady
Virgin whom you took with hand shady
Out of the temple of the Lord.
And Joseph wept before the Lord.
And the priest said “I’ll make you drink
The water of conviction, think,
Of the Lord, it will make appear
Your sins before your eyes in fear.
2 And the priest took thereof and made
Joseph drink and sent him thus paid
Into the hill-country. And he
Returned both hale and sound. And he
Made Mary also drink and sent
Her, to the hill-country she went.
And she returned both hale and sound.
And all the people marvelled round,
Because sin appeared not in them.
3 And the priest said “If the Lord God
Has not made your sin show on hem,
Neither do I condemn or prod.”
And he let them go. Joseph took
Mary and left for his own nook
Rejoicing, glorifying still
The mighty God of Israel.

How lovely and how kind the story goes!
The text of Moses for this law just shows
The drink administered to wife and not
To husband with the fatal, dusty drought.
But here both man and woman bear the pain
Of the test from the tabernacle train.
I praise You, my Beloved, that You saw fit
To let the test fall on the bull with wit.
Beloved, if every theologian and
If every priest not to mention the manned
Were ready to come in such love and stand
As that priest did, the world would be as planned,
A paradise of hope and peace, how grand
A place to feast and enjoy where we sit!

JAMES 17

1 Now there went out royal decree
From Augustus the king on spree
That all that were in Bethlehem
Of Judea be writ on stem.
And Joseph said “I’ll set down my
Sons, but this child, for what and why
Shall I record her? As my wife?
No, I’m ashamed and on my life.
Or as my daughter? but all men
Of Israel know and know again
That she is not my daughter here.
May the Lord’s will come and appear.”
2 He saddled the she-ass, and set
Her on it, and his son he let
Lead it and Joseph followed on.
3 They came within three miles near drawn,
And Joseph turned himself around
And saw her looking at the ground
With a sad face, 4 and so he said
To himself, “Maybe the time’s spread
That pains her to give birth instead.”
5 And once again Joseph turned back
To see her laughing in the track,
6 And asked her, “Mary, what’s with you,
That I see laughter from you true
At one time and another time
I find you sad and without rhyme?”
7 And Mary said to Joseph then,
It is because two folks I ken
With my eyes, the one weeping by,
And still lamenting as they cry,
The other with joy and no sigh.
8 And they were half-way there and then
Mary said to him, “Take again
Me down from the donkey, for that
Which is in me presses the fat
To come out. And he took her down
From the donkey and without frown
Said to her “Where shall I take you
To hide your shame from neighbour’s view?”
For the place was a desert hue.

The pictures that my infancy bestowed
Failed in the showing of the donkey’s load.
Indeed the Virgin sat upon the beast,
But only Joseph guided it unceased.
But here I read he set his son to take
The bridle and lead donkey for his sake.
No tiny band of refugees are these,
But a whole clan of young men on their knees.
Beloved, I joy to know that You took care
More than the artists thought who spoke their share.
Sweet Mary did not have to be afraid
Of bandit or of beast come on parade
With all the sons of Joseph there to make
Her journey to and fro a piece of cake.

JAMES 18

I And he found a cave there and brought
Her into it, and his sons taught
He set beside her: and went out
To find a midwife of the stout
Hebrews in Bethlehem about.
2 “Now I Joseph was walking, and
I found I walked not, came to stand.
And I looked in the air and saw
The air in amazement and awe.
I looked up to the zenith and
Saw it was still come to a stand,
And the birds of the sky stood too
As motionless and all their crew.
And I looked on the earth and saw
A dish set and the workmen’s paw
Stretched to the dish, and they that chewed
Were frozen and chewed not the food.
And those who put stew to their lips
Were motionless as though in grips
Of looking up toward the sky.
And see a flock of sheep went by,
But took no step, while he who led
Them lifted up his staff for dread,
But did not strike, and hand stayed high.
I saw the flowing river nigh,
And the kids bent to taste the wet,
And everything motionless set.
Then of a sudden all returned
To motion and went on unspurned.”

Beloved, perhaps You do not understand
How at some times all heaven in a band
And earth stand still and for a moment wrought
Seem frozen in eternity and plot.
You who are timeless and know everything
Perhaps never experience such a ring.
But Joseph touched eternity with sound
And found the blessing frozen to the ground.
The night is bright as day when You adorn
The sky with hope of coming of the morn,
And all things weep and joy without delay
When You turn peaceful night into the day.
Beloved, I too stop for a moment’s round
To find divinity in all that’s found.

JAMES 19

I A woman came down from the hill,
And she said to me, “Man not still,
Where are you going?” and I said
“I’m looking for a midwife bred
Of the Hebrews.” And she replied
And said to me, “Do you abide
Of Israel?” And I said to her,
“Indeed, I do.” It did occur
She said “And who is the wife that
Is giving birth in the cave’s flat?”
And I said “One betrothed to me.”
And she said to me, “Is not she
Your wife?” And I said to her then,
“It is Mary brought up in den
Of YHWH’s temple, and I received
Her as wife by lot unreprieved;
And she’s not my wife, but conceived
By the Holy Spirit.” And so
The midwife said to him in tow,
“Is this the truth?” And Joseph slow
Said to her, “Come up here and see.”
And the midwife went faithfully.
2 And they stood in the cave on spot,
And see a bright cloud shadowed lot.
The midwife said “My soul today
Is magnified, because the way
My eyes have seen marvels’ display:
For their salvation now is born
To Israel as once was sworn.”
And right away the cloud withdrew
From the cave, and a light in view
Came so our eyes could not outdo.
But step by step that light withdrew
Until the young child came in view:
And it went back and took the breast
Of its mother Mary caressed.
And the midwife cried out aloud
And said “Great is the thing allowed
To me today, that I have seen
This new sight and yet live serene.”
3 The midwife went out of the cave
And Salome met her in wave.
And she said to her, “Salome,
Salome, a new sight I pray
To tell you. A virgin gave birth,
Something beyond her estate’s worth.”
And Salome said “As YHWH my
God lives, and so if I don’t try
And prove her estate, then will I
Not believe that a virgin could
Bring forth a child as woman should.

If Salome doubts of the virgin birth,
Then do not blame me who, though of no worth,
Doubt too, Beloved, of everything You do.
You made me of the doubting sort of crew.
If Salome, that great lady of faith
Could doubt Your grace at whisper of a wraith,
Then I, whose faith is not a mustard seed,
Remain to doubt and doubt again each creed.
Beloved, though I rest in Your bosom kept
Sweeter on earth than any palace swept,
I doubt and doubt again, while heavenly quires
Resound with praises, and the divine fires
Kindle and burn in my heart of desires.
My doubting heart too has looked up and leapt.

AUTHOR: THOMAS G. MCELWAIN

Copyright © 2007 Adams & McElwain Publishers and Thomas McElwain First Published in two volumes, The Beloved and I 2005, and Led of the Beloved, 2006. Second Edition, 2010 Third and revised edition, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this verse commentary on the sacred Scriptures may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from publisher.

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