The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 114 -
The New Order For Heaven And Earth
WHEN THE EVENING MEAL was over and all had brought the Lord a song of praise with Joseph, one of the youths said to Mary,
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'Mary, o elect among the women of the earth, do you not remember me any more? Am I not he who so often played with you in the temple and always brought you something good to eat and a sweet drink?'
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At this Mary was startled and replied, 'Yes, I recognize you! You are Zuriel, an archangel. But you sometimes also teased me greatly when you spoke to me but did not allow me to see you.
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Sometimes I had to beg you for hours before you let me see you.'
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The youth answered, 'See, o elect among mothers, that was the will of the Lord who loves you beyond measure.
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And just as your heart, as the seat of love, beats constantly and pushes and teases your whole being,
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so also is the way of the Lord's Love that He constantly pushes, pinches and teases His loved ones, but in just that manner molds their lives and makes them durable for eternity.'
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Mary was highly pleased at this explanation and praised the great kindness of the Lord.
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Here another youth also turned to Mary and said, 'O blessed maiden! Do you recognize me also? It is not much more than a year since I visited you in Nazareth.'
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Mary recognized him by his words and answered, 'Yes, yes, you are Gabriel! Truly, none is like you, for you have surely brought to the earth the greatest tidings of salvation to all peoples.'
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And the youth answered Mary: 'O maiden, in the first part you are mistaken! See, in the bringing to pass of the greatest act the Lord has already begun with me to make use of the littlest and least means.
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Therefore I am no doubt the least and littlest in the kingdom of God, but not the greatest! To be sure, I have brought the earth the greatest and holiest tidings,
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but because of that I am not as if no one were equal to me in greatness, but in fact the opposite, as I am indeed the least in the kingdom of God.'
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Here Mary as well as Joseph wondered at the great humility of the youth.
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At this the Baby said: 'Yes, this angel is right! In the beginning the greatest was the nearest to Me.
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But he exalted himself and wanted to be equal to Me and wanted to surpass Me and therefore alienated himself from Me.
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And for that reason I built heaven and earth and established the order that only the least should be nearest to Me!
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Now I have chosen all lowliness of the world for Myself, therefore only those will be the greatest with Me, who like Me are the least and lowest in the world as in themselves.
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So you, My Gabriel, are right in your way, and the mother is also right. And thus you are the greatest because you are the least of and in yourself.'
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While the Baby was speaking these words to Gabriel, all the youths fell down on their knees and worshiped Him.
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In the meantime Eudokia considered back and forth, for she did not know what to make of these more than beautiful youths.
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To be sure she heard how these youths were called arch-heralds, and that from the kingdom of God - but she supposed Palestine as well as Upper Egypt to be that. She therefore asked if they were perhaps envoys.
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And one of the youths replied, 'Eudokia, just be patient! See, we will remain here for three days, and in that time we will surely become better acquainted.' And Eudokia was satisfied with this and soon retired.