The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Second Journey of the Lord: Nazareth - Cave at Bethabara (First Feeding of the People) - Mountain of Prayer - Walking on the Sea of Galilee (Peter's test of faith) - By ship to Genneseret in the bay with the same name
- Chapter 111 -
About true prayer.
When we all were back onshore, the Centurion said: "Lord, now I have abundance proof that You are either the highest God Himself or a Son of Him; for this no mortal could have done!"
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Thereupon all fell on their knees and wanted to worship Me.
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However, I instructed them to rise from the ground and said to them: "Listen, all this God and I do not need, since the only true prayer consists of the sincerest love for God, the Father in heaven and equally for your fellow-men who are your neighbours. All other prayers have no value before God and also not to Me.
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God also never taught the people to honour Him with lips and keep their hearts cold. But since Samuel prayed audibly in front of the people, equally so several of the prophets, and because David sang to God the Lord his psalms and Salmo his High Song, the people came to empty lip prayer and to cold sacrifices.
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However, before God such prayers and sacrifices are repulsive! Who cannot pray in the heart should rather not pray at all, so as to not behave improper before God. God did not give feet, hands, eyes, ears and lips to man to pray vainly and vacuously, but only the heart!
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However, man still can pray with feet, hands, eyes, ears and lips; namely with feet if he goes to the poor and brings them assistance and consolation; with the hands if he grabs the needy under the arms; with the eyes if he loves looking at the poor; with the ears if it pleases him to listen to God's word actively and does not closes them in front of the poor; and finally with the lips if it pleases him to talk to the poor, desolate widows and orphans in a comforting manner and according to his power and strength speaks a mitigating word on behalf of prisoners to those who often imprison innocent people, so that they can be released.
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Thus man also prays with lips if he teaches the uneducated the true faith, the right recognition of God and all kinds of useful virtues. All this is then also a God pleasing prayer.
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Since you know this now, do accordingly, - and there will never be any lack of blessings from God! For it says: worship God in the spirit and all truth.
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It is, however, written that man should pray uninterruptedly, if he does not want to fall in temptation; but how foolish and completely clownish would it be if God would insist on an incessant lip prayer from man! For this man had to lie on his knees day and night and continually cackle empty, heartless and pointless lip prayers, just like the birds in the air! When would they perform a necessary work? But if you with hands, feet, eyes, ears and lips are constantly active and in your hearts always love God and your poor fellow-men, you pray truthfully and by action incessantly to God, Who therefore always will bless you and one day in the beyond will give you the most blissful, everlasting life! - Have you understood all this well?"
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Say all: "Yes, Lord and Master, this is so clear and true how clear and true the light of the sun and we will do all accordingly!"
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Says I: "Good then, my dear friend, let us return to the city!"
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Ebahl asked some of the eight boatmen to come with us; he wants to give them bread, wine, fish and fruit for their stay. - Immediately six come along and Ebahl provides them with everything copiously.