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 75 -
The Lord rebukes Judas.
Say I to Judas Iscariot: "Brother Thomas' complaint concerning you is justified. I tell you: admonish your heart and become human. As a devil I find you loathsome and you may go. For My company is a hallowed company because it is pervaded by the Spirit of God, and in such a company a devil cannot and may not abide."
2
These words make Judas immediately go on his knees before Thomas begging his forgiveness.
3
But Thomas says: "Friend, the apology is not due to me, but to Him against Whose holy teaching you have wronged me badly."
4
So Judas gets to his feet, quickly walks over to me, prostrates himself before Me and begs My forgiveness.
5
And I say to him: "Admonish yourself in your heart, for without the inner true betterment your plea with your tongue only is quite worthless before Me since I see your heart and find it altogether bad. The just outwardly friendly form may be compared to a snake that by its graceful coils beguiles the little birds of the sky so that they fly into its jaws to be devoured. I tell you: Beware that you do not fall prey to Satan before long. For he does not like to let go of that which he calls his own."
6
Following these words Judas stood up again and said to Me: "Lord, You call the dead from their graves and they live; why do You allow my heart to perish in the grave of perdition? I do want to become a better man, but still cannot, because I cannot change my heart. Therefore, do reform my heart and I shall be a new man."
7
Say I: "Precisely therein lies the great secret of a man's self-development. I can do everything for man, and he still remains man. But his heart is his very own on which he must work completely independently if he wishes to prepare for himself eternal life. For if I first put the file to a man's heart, he would become a machine and never gain free independence. However, when man receives the teaching about what he has to do to shape his heart for God, he must also voluntarily observe it and shape his heart in accordance with it.
8
Once he has done that and cleansed and scoured his heart, only then do I enter it in spirit and abide in it, and the whole man is then reborn in the spirit and cannot ever again be lost since he has become at one with Me just as I Myself am at one with the Father from Whom I have gone forth and come into this world to show and pave for all human beings the way they have to walk in the spirit in order to attain to God in the fullness of truth.
9
Therefore, you have to start cultivating your heart like everybody else, otherwise you are lost, - even if I had called you a thousand times from the grave into the life of the flesh."
10
Says Judas Iscariot: "Lord, then I am lost. For I have a wayward heart and cannot help myself."
11
Say I: "So listen to the brothers and do not be angry when they admonish you in a loving and friendly way, for thereby they are helping you to cultivate your heart.
12
Look at Thomas whom all your rudeness does not deter from admonishing you wherever you begin o give too much free play to your evil heart. Do listen to his words of warning stemming from his concern for you, then your heart will gradually improve. However, if you will not accept any advice you will soon perish and, as already said, fall prey to Satan; for then not I, but Satan will be dwelling in your heart.
13
Therefore, beware above all of anger and greed, otherwise you will become a child of eternal death, for remorse and repentance beyond the grave have little value and cannot be of much use to an impure, black soul. Go now and ponder on these My words."
14
Judas now withdraws pondering, does indeed make a half-way decision to change his ways according to My words and says to Thomas: "Now you will see, brother, how Iscariot will become a new man and maybe even an example for all of you. For Iscariot is very capable provided he has the will. Now he wills it and as a result will accomplish much."
15
Says Thomas: "Brother, if you boast already in advance, the action will most likely remain in the background whereby you will or can become an example too, but not one to be followed, only a deterring one, - and there is not much chance of a betterment for you in this world.
16
For behold, if you do wish to become better than all of us are who know our great weaknesses also without your example and are fully aware of how miserable and unworthy we are before the Lord, then you would have for all eternity to regard yourself as lower before the Lord than your brothers and not ever think of wishing to become an example to be followed by us, but always regard yourself as the least and lowest. Then you will indeed be, without wishing to be, that which you now in your still considerable pride plan to become. -Therefore, live according to this precept which has grown for you not on my ground, but on the holy ground of the Lord, the foundation of which is true humility and self-denial, then you will, in accordance with the order of God, achieve that which you wish to achieve. - Do now go to the Lord and ask Him whether I have advised you properly and truthfully."