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 112 -
Home discipline.
When we got into the house the children too wanted to keep Me company.
2
Ebahl nonetheless, keeping tight domestic discipline forbade it, especially to the girls and the two wives saying: "You have now seen, found out and heard enough; remember it and do accordingly and you shall not go unblessed, as the Lord also said unto you down at the sea. - But go back to your work now!"
3
The girls and the two mothers excuse themselves heavy heartedly and go to their rooms, of which Ebahl's house had many, for it was the largest house in Genezareth.
4
Whereupon I say to Ebahl: "Friend, why did you get rid of them? Behold, it is indeed good to keep up a good domestic discipline with the children, and it is highly laudable to protect the girls from the world; but behold, here where I am there is no threatening world but only a most blessed heaven, and this you should not deny your little ones!"
5
On hearing Me saying this, Ebahl said: "Oh, if they just don't get tiresome to You, then I shall have them returned here at once! But my children love to gape about and chatter, and I removed them so as not to let them become irksome to You."
6
Say I: "What could be bore-some to Me in this world other than men's great malice? - Go and bring them all back!"
7
Ebahl went and brought them all back to Me again and the youngest girl promptly sat with Me and started to cuddle and hug Me.
8
However, Ebahl rebuked her and said that this was bad behaviour.
9
But I said to him: "Friend, let her be; since she already has chosen the very best part! I say to you and all of you: Who does not come to Me like this little girl, will not find the way to the kingdom of God! She already has found it! With love, and this with the hottest love, you must come to Me if you want to harvest everlasting life!
10
This little girl proves by deed what she feels in her heart; but you make clever speeches and keep your heart cool! Do you still not realize who I could be and also actually be?"
11
Here all fall down and Ebahl took My feet and kisses them all over and says after a while of confused reverence: "Lord! I have felt it for quite some time, I only lacked the courage!"
12
Says I: "Now, do not punish the girl who gave you all the courage, to come to Me on the water! Here she again gave you the courage, to love Me! Oh, this little girl is exceedingly dear to Me! She already has what you still have to search for and will not find so soon! Strive therefore for the true, living love for God and your fellow-men and you will have an abundance of mercy and blessings!"
13
Says the Centurion: "Apart from my wife and my several children now located in Rome, I never felt love towards anyone, yet always acted honestly, with fairness and justice, administering the law not according to its severity but rather its mildness, always getting off rather well. But now I feel that one can love people and do them good out of love, this means one can oneself want to provide people by strength and opportunity what one recognizes as right and necessary towards oneself, - and this is love of neighbour.
14
If therefore one loves one's neighbour like that then one surely also loves God thereby, if however in loving God one considers that God Himself must be the first and most perfect love, on account of which alone He created the material and spirit worlds, then this lucid thought must also awaken the greatest love towards God the Creator within created man, and man cannot then do other than love God as the most loving Creator of all things, out of all one's vital forces.
15
If nevertheless after all that I have seen and heard from You these last few days I accept without any misgivings that You are either the primordial Creator Himself or at least His son from eternity, showing and teaching us to recognize God and Yourself, then it necessarily follows that I too have to love You above all. Even if I don't possess the courage to hug You as did this tender maiden, I nevertheless hug You in my heart and praise You above everything! And I think that this is appropriate.
16
Says I: "It is alright like this; however, it is better if the love grows like with this little girl! - Just look at her, doesn't she actually glows out of love for Me!"