The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
First journey of the Lord: Kis - landing place at Sibarah - Nazareth
- Chapter 55 -
The relation of the people to their leaders.
After this, Cyrenius asks Me whether it were advisable to release the Pharisees, Elders, Levites and Scribes from his sharp edict as they appear in his view to be fully converted.
2
Say I: "One should not as an empowered legislator be precipitating and enacting a new law! Once a law is enacted, one should even less precipitate in abolishing a given law, for here the law of sensibility should guide. Behold, when enacting a new law you shall make enemies of all on whom the law imposed; if you abolish the law, none shall thank you but rather reproach you as weak and say triumphantly: 'Do you see a tyrant! Seeing himself outnumbered by enemies, who is toying to re-ingratiate himself with the people by suddenly abolishing the tough law. But he shall have few friends among the people, for once someone is a tyrant is so a second time and doubly so when re-gaining power!'
3
It is therefore better to let a given law stand than abolish it too soon; but one can instead secretly lapse it, and whose transgressions against it occur, one can show leniency and not sentence too strictly. When a new leader emerges, it is then up to him to either completely abolish the laws his predecessor enacted or to enact wilder ones commensurate with the spirit of the people; or be it that the people themselves came to you to ask it, whereupon you can remove the stricter portion of an enacted law but always retaining the option of re-implementing it in all severity if traces of pursuing the wilful digressions can be found which the law is designed to alleviate.
4
Behold, this is the cleverness with which every regent should lead his subjects, if he desires to rule with gladness! A half-hearted careless regent shall come to the constantly sad insight that he should not have allowed the people to grow over his head through excessive pliability!
5
For peoples relate towards regents the way children relate to their parents. Strict but also wise parents shall have good, obedient and obliging children who will love and honour their parents, whilst over-pliable parents shall soon have their children growing over their heads, expelling and driving them from home.
6
Love coupled with earnestness and wisdom is the eternal law; he who acts accordingly shall not stray, and the resulting fruits shall taste good and precious. Have you indeed fully understood Me?"
7
Says Cyrenius: "Yes, Lord, completely, and it has always been thus in the world. An excessively good and pliable regent's' reign shall soon be over, but a too tyrannical one rarely lasts long. It seems to me that in the middle path rest wisdom, bliss and their lasing solidity?"
8
Say I: "Indeed, so it is: midway, as I have shown you. But now let us return home, as afternoon has quite come along."
9
Asks Cornelius: "But are these elderly citizens who were going to stay here, already asleep? These people could surely carry out their praiseworthy honouring of the Sabbath at home without disturbing those present with their sonorous snoring! For these people's snoring make one want to run away - a phenomenon most obnoxious to me. I can put with plenty of hardship, but a sleeper's snoring can drive me to exasperation!"
10
Say I: "Now, now, just let that be. Whilst snoring they commit no sin. It is good that they are snoring, for had they been awake, they may have overheard what could have extremely offended them, which would not be good. But having slept soundly they neither heard nor saw any of all that took place and hence have taken no offence and behold, that is good. But let us go now and let these people sleep!"
11
After that we began moving towards the door but the Pharisees and Elders rushed to the half open door, quickly opening the entire big door, saying: "Lord, it is written: 'Lift up your heads, o ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the king of glory - To Him be all our praise and honour from eternity to eternity'."
12
And Cyrenius says with friendly mien: "Indeed, so it is and shall remain forever! The Lord be with you always."
13
And they shout: "And with your spirit, that you may show us grace as He does. Because until now your decrees have oppressed us severely, worse than death. But since we have ourselves now become fully His disciples, imposing your laws upon ourselves voluntarily, your tough decrees are to us now as if non-existent. Yet we nevertheless thank you for these very decrees for without them we may easily have turned into betrayers of this most holy matter. We hence no longer ask you to abolish the enacted, severe laws; for we, as ourselves like minded, believing and acting like yourself ourselves abolish them to the last iota through our own doing or omitting for all time!"
14
Says Cyrenius: "In that sense I also waive the laws, and I am of the certain hope of never having to re-impose the laws on you. Let yourselves therefore not be misled again and strictly heed what the two angels of God have counselled you, and thus we shall remain the best of friends in God, and my rule shall not oppress you. And should it transpire that your new superintendent of your schools intends to persecute you for being friends of Jesus, the Lord from eternity, besides being friend of the sympathetic Romans as well, and you shall surely find your path to me, - whereupon steps shall be taken to uphold and protect your physical and above all spiritual rights to the best ability! And here I say once more: the Lord be with you."
15
And they all shout out again: "And with your spirit forever!"
16
Thereupon they bow down deeply before us and we pass through the wide-open door and head for home, where an ample meal consisting of bread, wine and diverse sweet and fully ripe fruits awaits us. We seat ourselves at the tables, saying thanks and gradually consuming everything the tables hold, - remaining seated till dusk with all kinds of uplifting speeches and conversations.