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 68 -
A Gospel for the well-to-do.
The residents make their way home, returning the completely healed father to his children and his exceedingly depressed wife who at first can hardly trust her senses, then breaking out into a torrent of tears of thanks and joy, at once rushing out to Me with her ten children, all thanking Me on their knees for this unheard-of favour, at the same time asking Me to allow her to serve My house and anyone I can suggest with all her strength in every possible manner.
2
I say to her: "Everything you will do to the poor for the sake of My name will be considered as if you had done it to Me."
3
The wife cries for joy and thanks, saying: "Lord, You truest Master, given us from the heavens. I posses a great fortune, half of it I want to let the poor have immediately whilst the other half I want to hold in trust for them so that they can always find something with me. For I believe that it is good so, being aware of the poor not capable of managing large wealth economically, usually spending too much at the start and then having nothing in times of need."
4
Say I: "Do so, dear woman! So should all the rich act, then the poor would never have to suffer need because destitution is an evil thing, often leading the poor into greater vice than wealth. The wealthy at least officially stay as within his reputation before the world and rarely offends the world as much as the poor, whose want often makes him ready for the worst deeds; but the merciless rich, who often uses the poor for carrying out his iniquity is, notwithstanding all his worldly honour a thousand times worse than the poor. Because the poor becomes depraved on account of his destitution, whilst the rich is the creator of vice through his inconsumable excess.
5
But the way you dear woman now want to, and also shall use your wealth, same becomes a blessing from the heavens and shall both temporally and everlastingly yield its stewards the greatest profit. For which reason he who seeks to be really virtuous, let him be always thrifty and economical, so that in times of need he is enabled to support the poor and the weak.
6
I tell all of you: Let your love for your children burn like a light, but your love for the children of poor parents should be a blaze. For no one in the world is poorer than a poor, deserted child, be it a boy or a girl which makes no difference. Whoever gives a home to such a poor child in My name and cares for it bodily and spiritually like for his own blood, he takes Me in and with Mine also Him Who sent Me into the world and fully one with Me.
7
If you want to grow God's blessing in your houses and gain a rich harvest like from a well cultivated field, establish in your houses nurseries for poor children and you shall be covered with blessings like a swollen stream covers the lower plains it floods with sand pebbles. However, if you send poor, hungry little children away, and that in anger as if they had already done almost irreparable damage to you, then the blessing will escape from your houses like the dying day from the persecution of the fast approaching night. Woe betide the houses that have been caught by such a night. In truth, their day will never again begin to dawn. And now, My dear woman, go home and do what you had intended to do, and think above all of the poor widows and orphans."
8
After this lesson the woman rises with her children, they thank Me once and finally she exclaims aloud: "O God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, how great, kind and holy You are and how endlessly mighty and wise for giving us poor sinners a man from Your heart who is capable of healing all our maladies, physical and spiritual! To You, holy Father, be all praise, all love, and all glory everlastingly! O You dearest Father, how good You are to those who rely solely on You! You do severely punish all who disregard Your commandment, but when the repentant sinner entreats You: 'Dear holy Father, forgive me who am so weak', oh then the holy, kind Father promptly grants his request and helps him with His almighty arm out of every distress.
9
Men, do take an example from me all of you! I, too, was a sinner and God punished me mightily with His at all times holy scourge, but I did not waver in my truest, repented my sins and prayed fervently to the Father in heaven. And look He, He alone, granted my supplication and helped me in a wonderful way out of my greatest and most terrible distress.
10
Therefore, do turn to Him and rely solely on Him. For where no man is able to help He comes and helps the one in distress. Therefore, all praise Him unceasingly! For He alone can help everyone truly ! And to you, dearest emissary from the heavens, once more my thanks, for you must yourself be a holy instrument in the hand of almighty God!"
11
This exclamation which, unknowingly to the woman, concerned Me alone, cost Me some tears of deepest emotion, so that I had to turn away from her.
12
Cyrenius noticed this and said: "Lord, what is it that You are weeping?"
13
And I replied: "Friend, there are not many little children like this one on earth. Should I, as the Father Whom she praised so fervently, not be able to be moved to tears for joy? Oh, I tell you: More than any other father. Behold, all women should be like this one, and she gives Me indescribable joy. But she shall also realise what it means that I wept over her for great joy."
14
After these words I wiped the tears from My eyes, saying to the woman still in the glow of love alone for God, through and through, and to her children: "You My beloved woman! Since your love for God and your faith are so mighty as these has rarely been before, I can't let you go the way you are now. Let your husband be sent for through your oldest son, that he may come out, as I have quite a few important things to discuss with him!"
15
The boy at once runs off to town and soon returns with the healed father.
16
I say to the two on arrival: "Friend, for the purpose of your not being healed fully only physically, but primarily also in soul, which shall live everlastingly, and for the purpose of knowing where you stand in all that has taken place here, I have had you summoned out here. Firstly you shall be My guest throughout this evening together with your dear wife and children, and second you shall see and hear quite a few things from this you shall easily discern, as to Who is He that healed you. After you and your wife shall become aware of this you shall be also more at ease a thousandfold, and you shall realise that you have truly been completely healed.
17
But before dinner time comes we want to take the short road to the new synagogue built by Jairus, his wife, and his daughter, her husband Borus, Cyrenius, Cornelius, Faustus, Kisjonah, your wife and your children shall accompany us. There you will be shown something that shall strengthen your faith considerably."
18
Says the healed whose name was Bab: "Master, what you wish shall be done in the way you wish it. I am willing to follow you to the end of the world."
19
Upon these words of Bab we immediately went to the synagogue which walking at a moderate pace could be reached in a quarter of an hour, but very comfortably in half an hour.