Henry Imler July 11th, 2008

I love reading apocryphal literature.  Too many awesome and hilarious things happen in them not to read them.  Take chapter 17-22 in the Acts of Thomas.  In chapter 17, Thomas has been sold as a slave to an Indian merchant by good ole Jesus and finally having an audience with the king.  After showcasing his talents, the King says: “Will you build me a palace?” “Oh yeah,” says Thomas, as he is sketching the plans for a grand palace on the ground, “Just give me the money and I’ll build you your palace.”  So the king gives Thomas a bunch of money and leaves.  He even sends him more silver and gold from time to time.  This is where we pick up the text in chapter 19:

But Judas was going about in the villages and cities and was ministering to the poor, and was making the afflicted comfortable, and was saying: “What is the king’s shall be given to the King and many shall have rest.”  And after a long time, the king dispatched messengers to [Thomas], and sent [the following] message to him: “Send me word what you have done and what I shall send you.”  And Judas send him word:“The palace is built, but its roof is wanting.”  Then the king sent to [Thomas] silver and gold, and sent him word: “Let the palace be roofed.”  And the Apostle was glorifying our Lord and saying: “I thank you Lord who died that you might give me life, and who sold me that I might be a liberator of many.”  And he did not cease to teach, and to relieve those who were afflicted, saying: “May your Lord give you rest, to whom alone is the glory; for he is the nourisher of the orphans and the provider of the widows, and he ministers unto all those who are afflicted.”

In chapter 20 people start getting word to the king that Thomas isn’t building anything and that instead, Thomas was giving to the poor, teaching them about a new God and healing the sick among other things.  “And when the king heard these things, he smote his face with his hands, and was shaking his head.”  In chapter 21 the king calls Thomas over and is like: “Thomas, my son (I called him son), have you built me my palace?” Thomas says: “I have built you the palace.”  Then the king is like: “When can we go see this awesome palace you built for me with my money?”  Thomas responds: “You can not see it now, but when you have departed this world.”

That is just great.  What an excellent tale about viewing material wealth as a means to minister to those in need and to further the kingdom of God on earth wrapped in hilarity.  What an powerful metaphor, considering helping those in need as building palaces of the Kingdom of God on earth; to envision the kingdom of God, not as a political kingdom, nor a physical one, but as the just lives of people living in peace, harmony, and for the Lord.  While this tale is certainly noncanonical and is not binding in the least, it does aid in teaching me a godly truth.

• Christianity , Humor , Religion , apocryphal literature
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