The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 92 -
Build Me A Temple in Your Hearts
THIS GREATLY EMBARRASSED the three priests, and they did not know what to do, for they did not dare reveal their desire to Joseph in the presence of the Child.
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Here the Baby looked at them and said in a very firm tone of voice:
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'Would you not like to make an idol out of Me also?
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There on yonder little hill you would like to build a temple, in it erect a wood-carving after Me on a golden altar and then sacrifice to this wood-carving according to your custom.
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Just attempt something like that, and I tell you truly: the first one who takes one step for that purpose and stretches out only one finger shall be a dead man on the spot!
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'Now if you really want to build Me a temple, then build one that is alive in your hearts!
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For I am alive, and not dead, and therefore want living, but never dead temples!
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And since you already believe that the fullness of the Deity dwells in Me bodily, am I Myself then not enough of a living temple before You? Why should there also be a wood-carving and a stone temple in preference to Me?
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For what is more, I - or some meaningless temple and wood-carving of Me?
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If the Living One is with you and among you, of what good and useful purpose then is one that is dead?
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Oh you blind fools! Is it not more that you love Me, than if you were to build Me a thousand temples of stone and exercise your lips in them for a thousand years while dressed in hemmed garments in front of carved images of Me?
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And if a poor man who was naked and hungry and thirsty came to you,
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but you were to say: See, he is a half-god, for thus do these high beings appear,
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so let us make an image of him and then set it up in a temple, so we might worship it! -
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Tell Me, if you did that, would it really have been any help to the poor man, even though you were to form his image of pure gold?
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And will it not be more advantageous to the poor man if you clothe him according to your love and then hand him food and drink?
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'Is God not more alive than every man on the earth, since everything has its life from Him?
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Is God perhaps blind, who created the sun and gave you a seeing eye?
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Or is He deaf, who made your ear for you, and He without feelings, who gave you your senses?
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See, how foolish it would be to think and speak like that!
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Accordingly it follows that God is the most perfect Life Itself, therefore the most perfect Love. How then will you honor and worship Him as one that is dead? -
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Consider this, so you may be healed of your blindness!'
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These words caused the three priests to fall to the ground, for they grasped their divine truth and spoke no more that day.