The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 239 -
One Flock And One Shepherd
THEREUPON JOSEPH said to James, 'You have spoken most wisely in the name of the Lord although I, along with the others, still cannot grasp what you have spoken.
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But since I recognize the wisdom of God in you just the same,
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and we were all finally given a select and very tastily prepared fish for our table,
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I would also like to have you explain what this highly palatable and select fish finally represents.
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The Lord will surely reveal to you what is good also,
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since He has just shown you what is and will be bad for all the world.'
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And James replied, 'Dear father Joseph, that does not depend on me, but on the Lord alone.
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I am only a weak instrument of the Lord and can only speak when the Lord loosens my tongue.
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So do not request of me what I do not have and therefore cannot give you,
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but turn to the Lord in the matter - if He will give it to me, then you shall immediately receive it from me as He gives it!'
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Here Joseph turned to the little Child and asked in a low tone of voice,
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'My Jesus, let me know the meaning of the good fish also!'
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But the little Child replied, 'Joseph, you can see that I have not quite finished with My fish, so be patient.
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Cyrenius also is still far from finished with his meal; so we two still have half an hour's time,
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in which much can be deliberated and decided on.'
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Thereupon He turned to James and said to him,
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'James, while I am eating this small piece of fish, you may as well speak what comes to your mind.'
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The little Child then ate of His fish again, and James promptly began to speak as follows:
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This last good fish represents the Lord's love and His great compassion which He will bestow upon mankind in that time when all the world will stand on the abyss of eternal death.
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But before this the cooks will have to withstand a strong judgment.
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'Only after this judgment will that time come which the prophet Isaiah has already foretold.
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And this time will remain on the earth and will not be taken from it henceforth, and the earth will be transformed into the likeness of the sun,
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and her inhabitants will also dwell on the sun's great fields of light and will shine as they do.
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And the Lord will be Lord alone and will be the Shepherd Himself, and all the shining inhabitants will be one flock!
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And thus the earth will remain forever, and her inhabitants forever, and the Lord will be among them forever - a Father to His children in eternity!
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There will be no more death; whoever lives then will live forever and will never see death! Amen.'
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Here James was silent again, and the whole company was altogether speechless from surprise at the great wisdom of James - whereupon the little Child finally said, 'And now I have finished with the fish - therefore: Amen - to this also!'