The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 158 -
The Meaning Of True Rest On The Sabbath
UPON ARRIVING at the villa, Joseph at once told his four oldest sons to look after the animals and then to soon retire.
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This the sons did, but they soon returned and reported to Joseph,
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'Father, it is amazing: The cattle as well as the donkeys are now fed and watered, but their cribs are still filled and the water buckets are full to the brim. How is that possible?'
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Here Joseph went to look for himself and found the declaration of the four sons confirmed.
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Therefore he returned and asked the still present youths whether they had done this on the Sabbath.
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The youths answered in the affirmative, and Joseph very doubtfully asked the youths,
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'How is it that you are servants of the Lord and are not inclined to keep the Sabbath holy?'
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Gabriel thereupon replied: 'Oh you chaste man, how can you put such a question to us?
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Did this day not elapse like any other? Did the sun not rise and set like on any other day? Did not the morning - noon - and evening wind blow today?
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When we stood by the sea, did you not see the active motion of its waves? Why then would it not observe the Sabbath?
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How could you walk, eat and drink and draw breath today - and did not prohibit your heart from beating?
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'See, you Sabbath-fearing man, everything that is and happens in the world actually exists only through the power of activity bestowed upon us by the Lord and is led and governed by us!
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Now if we would rest throughout one day, say, would not the whole creation quickly perish?
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See, thus we must keep the Sabbath only by our labor from our love to the Lord, but not in idle inactivity.
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'True rest in the Lord thus consists in true love of the heart towards Him and in uninterrupted activity accordingly, so God's eternal order may be upheld.
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Everything else is an abomination before God full of human folly.
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Consider this well and do not on any Sabbath shy away from doing good, and you will fully resemble the Lord, your as well as my Creator!'
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Following this talk all the youths fell down on their faces before the Baby and thereupon disappeared.
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And Joseph engraved these words deep in his heart and afterwards was not so scrupulous on a Sabbath.