In The Flesh, My Story
Author: Michael Gabriele
Publisher:self-published, 2017
I’m convinced that the best way to get to know a person intimately if you can’t sit down with them is to read their autobiography. The second-best way is to read their biography. When it comes to the Son of God, we have neither in the true sense of the words. What we have is a pretty consistent account of the last three years of His life on earth.
Michael Gabriele, a professional writer for more than 25 years has taken those accounts of Christ’s life provided in the Gospels, and rewritten them, with vivid details, almost always sticking to the original, as if Christ was narrating them. What results is a most moving piece of literature. The book is a novel. That helps perhaps to avoid those that would criticize the author’s every word. But even though Gabriele adds his own interpretations of what Jesus “might” have been thinking, his desire to present the unique perspective, the well-versed student of New Testament Scriptures cannot easily find much straying from the facts.
The book is divided into 30 chapters taking us through the key events in the life of Jesus – all from his perspective. The author attributes to Christ a transparency in describing the content and context, and more importantly, the Lord’s imagined thoughts and intents. So much so, that often it ran shivers up my spine in a most positive way.
I can only share some of my feelings as I soaked it all in and allowed myself to be transported to the land where Jesus walked and taught and performed miracles and ultimately died. Needless to say, I felt I knew Him better once I had finished.
Throughout the book we get a sense of Jesus’ relationship with, and love for, His Heavenly Father, often referring to Him as Dad.
Gabriele’s writing skills are superb. Giving us spiritual insights that we otherwise may well miss. Here are some examples that speak for themselves:
· “These (carpenter)tools that had practically become extensions of my own hands would never be part of my life again.”
· On leaving his earthly mother to begin His ministry: “I will take with me the perseverance you taught me, the love you showered upon me and the will to please God that you demonstrated every day.” What a model for all mothers.
· On the early lack of faith of his disciples, and by inference, us: “These were my brothers. Still too stubborn at times to readily allow faith and trust to guide them, I nonetheless cherished them like my own.”
· On being approached by the 10 lepers while walking with His disciples: “My entire group took an obedient (to the lepers’ request) step backward. I stepped forward.” That to me was so powerful an expression of who Jesus is and what He does.
· On dealing with Judas who wanted Jesus to lead an insurrection against Rome: “You, Judas, are my friend . . . here . . .in the present. . . with me. Disturbing yourself with fantasies of future events will only bring stress and distraction from the most important here and now.” I wrote on the margin of the book, “Good advice.”
· On Martha greeting Jesus after Lazarus had died: “Such faith. Such a selfless heart. She did not reproach me, asking where I had been. She did not beg me to bring her brother back or grovel through desperate sobs to turn back time. She did not ask or suggest anything. Rather, Martha freely put the matter into my hands.” Amen. That’s the lesson we need to learn.
The reader also learns a lot that he/she may have simply missed in reading the Gospels. For example, while Jesus’ first two disciples were brothers, I had not noticed that the second pair He chose were fishing competitors of the first two. That speaks to His desire that we are to minister with even those that we have competed with in the past.
There is an intense description of what Jesus went through in communication with His Father before being able to calm the waters that scared His disciples while He had slept. Gaining that perspective and understanding alone, is worth the price of the book. And it goes on:
· In response to being questioned on His teaching style: “I illustrate with parables because those who are open to the truth will find meaning in my words, while those who are filled with pride will not.”
· Gabriele provided me a new understanding of “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” He uses one of Christ’s disciples to do so, on the occasion of the rich young man that would not sell his all to follow Jesus, when he has the disciple saying, “I guess those who have many things find it difficult to imagine life without them.” Bingo.
· When Martha was complaining about Mary not helping, the author effectively helps us to understand that when we choose the “right thing” for God, the other things are also taken care of.
Throughout the book, we can also see the desire of Christ to mentor His disciples preparing them for greater works after He was gone. The care, patience, love, and prayer with which He does that comes out over and over again.
One of my favorite parts was Christ considering the imposition He was placing on Lazarus in bringing him back from the dead, a desirous state for many who believed in life after death as Lazarus did. Well worth the read.
Sharing with us what may have been going through Christ’s mind as He headed for the last time to the Garden of Gethsemane and then on to various Roman rulers He had to appear before, Gabriele gives us a fascinating and emotional account of what may have transpired between Christ and His Father at the time.
Both my wife and I rated the book “excellent” but she wisely reminded me, as I know the author would (after all, he did call it “a novel”), that it is not the inspired word of God. Agreed, but it provided a window into His Word that is most valuable.
This is a great book for anyone preaching on the various accounts of Jesus’ life from the Gospels to read from during their sermons in order to provide their audiences with some very vivid perspectives. Worship leaders or pastors choosing to recreate short dramas or monologues on the life of Christ would benefit greatly from this work.
n Ken B. Godevenos, President, Accord Resolutions Services Inc., Toronto, Ontario, June 29, 2018, www.accordconsulting.com
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