The Great Gospel of John
Volume 7
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and his adversary. Gospel of John, Chapter 9
- Chapter 199 -
The Lord talks about the scribes.
2
What they tell you to do is mostly correct and true, but they themselves are not doing what they are teaching you. They compel you to carry heavy and often unbearable loads and they put these on the shoulders of the people, but they themselves do not want to touch it with one finger.
3
All works that appear to be good, they only are doing to be considered by men as the servants of God. Therefore they attach a great deal of importance to their memoranda (these were the notes of those who paid dearly for great and long prayers and offerings for their well being). That is why the hems on their robes are so big (the big hems on their robes indicated severe and unceasing offerings and prayer service, which however only consisted of wearing bigger hems).
4
During meals they like to sit at the head of the table - also in the schools - and they attach great importance to be greeted on the market place (a big place where many people were gathering), and to be called 'rabbi' by men.
5
But you, even if you would be and want to become My disciples, should not allow to be called like that. Because only One is your true Master and that am I (Christ). You are only equal brothers among one another.
6
From now on you should not call anyone on Earth in the full sense of the truth 'father', because only One is your true Father, namely the eternal One in Heaven.
7
And again I say to you that at no time you should allow to be called 'master' in My teaching and to be greeted that way, because now you know who your Master is.
8
Also there should not be any difference in rank among you as it is existing now in the temple and the world of men, but let the greatest and highest among you, be the servant and helper of the other brothers. Because he who exalts himself will be humbled down. However, he who out of love for his brothers humbles himself down will be exalted."
9
When the Pharisees heard this teaching of Me and looked at Me angrily, the whole people cried out at Me: "O Master, You alone are truthful. This is how it should be among all men, then this Earth would already be a true Heaven. But as it goes now among the people, when everyone often for a small thing wants to be more and higher than his fellowman, this Earth is a true Hell, because in the imaginative delusion of grandeur one person persecutes the other and oppresses the weak with his unsatisfied pride. O poor and weak humanity of this Earth, for many it would be better if they were never born.
10
O Master, we can see that Your word is a true word of God, but those who hear it, are with their skin and hair in Hell. Therefore, Your godly word will also not serve them as salvation, because the ones for whom it is most concerned are the ones who do not bother at all. For already now they show their teeth out of anger and watch like hungry wolves and hyenas, anxiously waiting for a lamb on the pasture."