THE GREAT GOSPEL OF JOHN
VOLUME 5
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus in the region of Caesarea Philippi. (cont.) Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 16
- Chapter 126 -
Brotherly love as a regulator of thrift.
1
(The Lord) Yes, another of you says secretly, it would all be fine with the self-check; but from where can we get the ever correct measure of pure feeling and knowledge? The person grows from the cradle into the traditional feelings and finds all actions right which are in harmony with such feelings; yes, if he acted against them he would think to have committed a sin.
2
Let us assume a people consider thrift to be a recommended and praised main custom which says: Whoever saves in youth and maturity, must not suffer want in old age, and whoever does not work or save shall also not eat!
3
My dear friends! These basic principles, praiseworthy in themselves, are very well known to Me. They can and should exist and be maintained wherever a nation lives in communities, but only ever in the noblest sense. But in order that it should exist among human society only in such a sense and never be downplayed or exaggerated, a durable and very reliable regulator must be placed at their side. But what is to be the regulator? Nothing and no one other than alone the true and pure neighborly love, whose wise first principle must be to do, from the heart, to the fellowman all that one would reasonably and wisely wish the other to do to one.
4
Whoever considers this principle will soon become aware that this principle like no other will encourage all other people to a certain industriousness and also to the true and noble thrift; for if it is unpleasant for me that another one is lazy alongside my activity, I should not be lazy by his side!
5
If everyone does this out of true, noble neighborly love, there will soon be very few in a community whom one can call 'poor'. Apart from the lame, the infirm, the blind, the deaf and leprous, there will be few others who will be a burden to a community; but these should indeed then be cared for courteously with the friendliest heart.
6
Then a community will have one or even several teachers who do not have time to earn their living with the work of their hands. These should then be cared for by the community, so that they will not need to spend their time determined for the teaching of your children and yourselves with work in the fields! That is also an act of particular love for one's neighbor, which is high on the list. For he who provides you most actively with spiritual and thereby the truest treasures of life, you should not allow him to suffer want in his physical sphere.
7
But whoever has such grace from Me and has been called to be a teacher of the people in My name, should consider that he has received grace from Me for free and therefore should not allow himself to be paid a reward for spreading it to others! A genuine teacher will pass on what he has received for free from Me also free of charge. But those who it was shared with should then out of true love for Me indeed take the teacher that I have sent to them with all love of their own initiative and not allow him to be in need in any way; for it goes of course without saying that what they do to a messenger from Me will be seen as if they had done the same onto Me Myself!
8
But what they do, they should always do with great joy, so that the heart of the teacher will not become sad about the hardness of the hearts of the community members, and he should see with a joyful heart how My word from his mouth immediately begins to bear the noblest fruit of the true, inner life.
9
You now see that the true, noble and "let's say "sensible love for one's neighbor is the very most reliable goal to keep in sight for this earthly life, in order to investigate whether and how pure it is in the soul. Therefore use it above all, and you will soon reap the most blessed fruits for the barns of eternal life in the light of My spirit within you! What do you think now, Mathael, as regards the pure maintenance of this teaching of Mine that you have now received? Is it to be kept pure by all people until the end of time, or not?"
10
Mathael says, quite moved by the truth of My words, "Lord, just a short rest and I will thank You also with my tongue for this too greatly important revelation and guide to all of my thoughts! Yes, this praise must be spoken out loud! But now my heart is still too moved and contrite, therefore just allow my soul a little rest, oh Lord, You eternally most wise!"