“The man (John) is pouring water from the conch shell to anoint Jesus for a special task. The use of anointing shells originally came from Hinduism but is now used for special ceremonies in Thailand and surrounding countries. Jesus shows his willingness to identify with this tradition by raising his hands in a wai position indicating surrender.”
“Adult activities are only for adults and the activities of child are only for children. Usually only very elderly Thai adults will spend time with children, but here we see Jesus doing it. The shaved hairstyles are different for the different boys and girls. Those with two pony tails are actually boys with two crowns of hair indicative of either great intelligence or belligerence.”
“Successful Thai gatherings are always crowded. Four people carrying a wooden bed is a symbol of death to Thai people. Here Jesus symbolizes resurrection by raising the man from the sick bed back to health in body and soul.”
“People of high status would ride horses or elephants when they travel. Joseph and Mary are not rich so they walk to escape danger. They must travel through wild countryside where no one is around to help them.”
“Fishermen relied upon their folk knowledge in order to survive. It is strange that they did not know what to do in the midst of a storm but Jesus did.”
“The shaded area under the second floor of the house is where the activities of home take place. Here, the young child and his mother are modeling clay water buffalo.”
“In the religious cultures of Asia, it is often believed that people are blind because of their past karma. The blind often resort to begging in order to survive. Here the blind man stretches out his arms in a polite way to receive a donation but instead he connects with a healing touch. The onlookers are shocked to see Jesus making physical connection with a lowly beggar with bad karma.”
“The elders are both religious and political as indicated by their clothing. Thai scripture is written on folded palm leaf manuscripts and raised on small tables. The object in the bowl is used for ceremonial purposes. The boy’s hair will be cut at age twelve when, according to Thai tradition, he becomes a complete person. This makes his young wisdom all the more amazing.”
