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 142 -
Roklus' suggestions for reforming the Essenian institute.
1
(Roklus) "As far as the other scientific games are concerned, they can remain; for we have in any case never made any other use of them that to provide a very innocent entertainment from time to time for the guests. We can also destroy them however, and no one can have anything against it. But above all the artificial full moon must be removed; for firstly it is too cloddy and is no longer suitable for the optical deception of the most foolish people. The speaking trees, bushes, statues, columns, springs and rivers will be destroyed and in their place something better will be placed. The electrical things however can remain, likewise the various concave mirrors; since these things belong to the field of science, and one can heal various diseases with their help. Also our pharmaceutical arts and the art of making, sculpting and flattening glass also belong to this.
2
In short, what still exists among us as some purely scientific matter in truth can remain, and everything else will end! And when it ends, we are therefore not accountable to anyone; for the institute is our possession, with which we can dispose as we wish through the irrefutable right through the laws of Rome. If we want to do something for the people, we can do it, because we want to ourselves, since we do not stand in the service or fold of anyone. We are people and lords for ourselves and as Romans and subordinates ourselves we have the legal protection just as well as any Roman for us; in addition we also possess so much treasure and fortune that we could not use up even in a thousand years living like Croesus. I then even see in purely worldly respect not at all before whom we should be ashamed! We have no further secrets now before the Lord! But He would be the only one before whom we would have to be ashamed; but with Him we have evened out the issue. If He is now good to us, since He certainly knew in advance that we will set His will into fulfillment until the end of time as purely as we have kept it until now, He will also remain good to us not only until the end of time, but instead also eternally in the other world.
3
Look and consider how highly stupid it would be for every one of us if we wanted to lead a blind man astray if he stumbled over a stone on the path that is unfamiliar to him and fell to the ground and injured himself. Ah, if he could see, one could certainly say to him: Friend, what are the two eyes in your head for? But one cannot make such a criticism to a blind man; for he does not have the illumination of life, and for him no sun goes up or down. If we were also spiritually blind, and no one could grab us under the arms and lead us onto the correct path! But if we often fell on the path which we did not see, who can call us to a humiliating account?! Did we know then what we know now? From whom should we have learned it? But now we know, we will also act accordingly, just as we have acted until now according to what we knew.
4
It is now not an issue at all of whether we got away with our honor at the new transformation of the institute for our own sakes or not, but instead it is only a matter of that we do not appear before the eyes of the world as suspicious of fraud, because in the future we want to and will work for the well-being of the people on the field of truth, and for that we need a good trust and a certain good honor from the part of the people that we are to teach and lead, which we must not give away at any price if our efforts should bear good fruit.
5
Therefore everything is already in a very good order, and we can get rid of everything and it will not be anything remarkable. Only the lunar and solar eclipses alone will catch us a little, at least in the beginning, because these will certainly continue to exist! Then soon a number of all sorts of people will come and they will say: Why do you allow such horrors to happen to us?! Are we sinners before you and the gods, why do you not warn us at all so that we can atone and bring you and the gods our sacrifices?! What sort of an answer will we give them then?
6
Look, there is the actual hook and spear! Well, without a necessary lie it will be very difficult to pull ourselves out of the trap with the purest divine truth! But a necessary lie should never more pass over our lips according to the will of the Lord! What can we do then?! Oh, you very desperate story! As is said, my oxen once stand firm on the mountain and may not pull the plough further up the steep cliff!"
7
One of the company says, "Well, then ask now the Lord and Master over all things! He will certainly give you the right advice in this respect! We can turn it over in our heads for years and will never bring forth something wise from it! But now we are at the source and can receive the best advice. Would we not be fools, if we did not want to find out in such an important opportunity by the very wisest lord of all things what should be done in order to not do damage to the good of the kingdom of God before the blind world humanity?!"
8
Roklus says, "In any case you are indeed right, and I can of course do that for the good of the spread of His divine teaching; but we must indeed only then also consider very respectably well first that our seeking in His divine love and wisdom is not in itself already a too great foolishness, with which we then should not come to Him consequently, in that we would thereby either lay our still too great foolishness or a much too small reverence for His undeniable divinity in full view!"
9
Yet another from the company says, "Yes, yes, you think very correctly and fairly; but do you know, that does us all no good! When someone calls for help from the water, few will pay attention and be careful to see whether he fell in through an unhappy event or through his own, willing foolishness "but instead he who begins to swallow water truly no longer thinks about what actually brought him into the water, but instead 'help, help!' is his cry of fear. Whether he can be helped or not, that is then certainly a different matter and depends casually on the cleverness of the person to whom the unfortunate man has called for help. That is my opinion!"
10
Roklus says, "You have quite hit the nail on the head! Therefore I will also ask the Master of all Masters now! I will hurry to Him and will present to Him our need!"