The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
First mission of the messengers. Great teaching mission
- Chapter 135 -
Matthew the tax collector's talk to his fellow disciples. The Lord's hints for His missionaries. Judas and Thomas talk. Simon of Cana's financial question. The Lord's Word about money and money-orientation of the time.
After choosing the twelve disciples as My messengers and forerunners, giving them a condensed course on what they should do, the chosen twelve nevertheless fervently besought Me for complete directions on what to do, say and teach and on their demeanour and on what should be their lot every now and then. Because they all had no mean fear of the many Pharisees and scribes.
2
The only one with a trifle more courage - Matthew the tax collector, addressed the twelve's diverse misgivings as follows; 'What of it! I am a Greek and they can't do much to me. I have a healthy tongue as well and two powerful arms and on top of that I have documented Roman citizenship, on which no cheeky Jew can lay his hands; and so I can at least officially cope with them; our Lord's almighty Spirit however shall protect us against clandestine and murderous harassment and so I have an abundance of the best weapons even against the most irascible adversary and hence do not fear hell even in its entirety. But you are for the most part Galileans, which is tantamount to anti-Templers and are more Greek than Jewish, counting the Romans as your friends; what should you fear under such circumstances? Yet we have to in any case be full of courage when it comes to carrying out such endlessly great holy things. Let the earth be blasted to rubble; a real man has to stand his ground on this, contemptuous of death and not sway like the reeds. But I too am all for exhaustive and full directions for this holy endeavour; because we indeed must know what we are to do and say.'
3
All took courage with this rousing talk from Matthew the tax collector and they began to itch at the shoulders, as if about to wing away rather than march.
4
Thereupon I stood in their midst, saying to them; 'Let you concentrate in spirit then; I want to tell you everything you need to know, leaving out nothing.
5
You shall not actually on your first assignment experience everything I tell you, but after I shall have ascended Incarnate from this earth to My heavens, to prepare for you an everlasting dwelling-place in My Father's house, you then shall experience everything that I shall reveal to you for all time to come. Pay attention therefore and take in what is for now and what for afterwards.
6
But what I shall now tell you, those too shall find out more or less who shall fully step in your shoes after you, in My name. You, Matthew the scribe however take down everything I am about to say, as you did on Gerizim; because this must not be lost to the world, as it is to be a biting witness against it.'
7
Matthew gets ready for writing and I say to the twelve;
8
'First of all do not travel upon the roads of the heathens.
9
That is, do not like the heathens go about throwing your weight around and avoid also notoriously wild peoples; for you are not to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom of God to dogs and swine. Because a swine remains a swine, whilst a dog always avidly returns to his vomit. This therefore is what I am saying, that I counsel you not to travel upon the roads of the heathens.
10
Likewise, do not go to the cities of the Samaritans! Why? With these I have in your very presence already placed an apostle and they have firstly no need of you and secondly you would be badly received by the Jews, when they find out that you have joined forces with their most hated adversaries. (Matt. 10:5)
11
When you come to them, preach and say and show them in an understandable manner how the kingdom of heaven has come near unto them. (Matt. 10:7) And if they will hear you and accept your sermon, make their sick whole, cleanse the lepers, resurrect their dead, - wherever desirable as shown you by your spirit, physically and spiritually with all and above all! (NB. Matthew did not record this, because by the commandment to awaken the dead, mainly the spiritual awakening is to be understood.)
12
Drive out the devils from the people and safeguard them against the former's return. But, above all, mark well, do not accept payment from anyone because you received from Me freely and freely should you pass it on in My name (Matt. 10:8). - This supplement I added at the time mainly on account of Judas Iscariot, who had began to secretly calculate how much payment he would ask for one or the other help rendered. For resurrections, particularly of those dead who had meant much to the very rich, he was going to demand a thousand pounds! Since I at once noticed such arithmetic in the traitor's heart, I also at once added the above supplement, to which the concerned one reacted with a sour face, which did not escape Thomas, who was facing him and who could not resist making the comment; 'Now, now, you are cutting the face of someone working out interest at usury rates, but having his calculations crossed through with arm-thick lines by the law courts!'
13
Says Judas; 'My face is none of your business. Shall I in the end have to give account to you for my face? I am called and chosen the same as you, why are you then constantly correcting me?'
14
Says Thomas, 'I am not correcting you, but a question for you on some occasions surely will be admissible? Why was it you did not cut such sour face when the Lord was enduing us with all sorts of powers, showing us how we could and should exercise them? But as soon as the Lord said that we should do it freely, your face turned to vinegar; why? Did you suffer the cramps, that your cheeks and brow were so sourly distorted? Speak openly if you have the guts!'
15
Says Judas to Me, 'Lord, could you not reprimand him for once, otherwise his constant insinuations might start to offend me?'
16
Say I, 'Friend! If someone imputes sin to the innocent, the latter laughs it off in his heart, for same at once absolves him. If however someone is accused of something, even if by sheer coincidence, of which nevertheless that person really is guilty, - say, will that person also laugh it off? Oh no! I tell you that person shall be infuriated at the person who reproached him as if by accident and not become his friend for sure. Hence do not let it trouble you, otherwise in the end you shall be admitting guilt!'
17
Hearing this, Judas at once cuts the happiest of faces, in order not to betray guilt. But Thomas says to himself, 'I know you fox, you won't get away.'
18
But Simon of Cana asked, 'Lord, what are we to nevertheless do if someone were to offer us gold, silver or coined iron, for some healing? Are we to not accept that either? There are many poor to whose aid we could come with such money.' - Judas, uninvited, quite agreeingly says, 'Yes, yes, that's exactly what I think. If anyone has gold, silver or iron forced upon them for some help rendered, one ought to surely accept it for the purpose indicated by Simon of Cana?'
19
Say I; 'Not so, My brethren! I say unto you: you should carry neither gold, nor silver, nor iron under your belts, because a proper workman is worthy of his gold. (Matt. 10:9) But he who will not work, when sound, neither should he be fed! For it is written: By the sweat of your brow shall you earn your bread. But nowhere is it written that a workshy one should prepare his food from alms, consisting of gold, silver and iron. Yet the weak, old and sick should in any case be taken into care by the community as a whole.
20
A time shall nevertheless come when mankind shall be ruled by gold, silver and iron, determining their worth before the world. But this shall be an evil time; the light of faith shall then go out, whilst love of neighbour shall grow hard and cold like the iron.
21
Hence you ought not on your journey to take a bag, or two coats, nor a staff! Because, as I have said, a proper workman is worthy of his food. (Matt. 10:10).