The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
In Cana in the valley
- Chapter 223 -
The five Pharisees' opinion on the Lord. One Pharisees' view: He is either God or a devil! The Pharisees' opinions on socialism. Hints on teaching.
Following this, the disciples step over to Me, asking why I was so secretive with the Bethlehemites.
2
Say I, 'Are you still uncomprehending, as if you had never heard Me utter a wise word yet? These regard Me as no more than an exceptionally gifted physician, who effects such healings with the help of secret natural forces.
3
They are not ignorant of the Essene sect, who have some quite considerable knowledge in the secret art of chemistry, by means of which they are capable of healing quite a few maladies and also are capable of producing quite a few phenomena which the layman regards as obvious miracles. If you consider this, then you can't expect anything to come out of this other than their taking Me for an Essene chief, hence of the highest rank, whose knowledge is supposed to be capable of harnessing the most diverse natural forces and direct them to his liking.
4
Had I therefore revealed Myself to them straight-out as the Son of the Most High, and hence the promised Messiah, how would these steel-hard Jews have started raging beyond measure, taking Me for a self-arrogating magician, in league with Satan; and then also as such blasphemed Me beyond measure, and the healing of their sick would then have been the ultimate bone of contention! But thinking Me at this stage as merely an arch-Essene of the highest order, they go home happily, praising God for enduing man with such secret knowledge and power as to enable him to render suffering man the surest and most miraculous help.
5
My instruction to them therefore was just enough to, upon quieter and more mature reflection at home, conclude that I might not be an Essene after all, since the moral and social fundamentals I expounded to them flatly contradict those of the Essenes. At home they shall be soberly comparing My exposition with the doctrine of the Essenes in their possession, and after detecting the most glaring contradictions, begin to pause, just as the five already stopped in their tracks on hearing My Words, because as said, My teaching of them is more than just the exact opposite to that of the Essenes.
6
They would have liked to question Me further, but I cut them off, and they left, not daring to put another question; for they realised that regarding My deed, I could be on the one hand an Essene chief of the highest rank indeed, yet not according to My address to them. But on their way home, and pre-occupied only with this phenomenon, they are thinking: 'Could the Essenes perhaps have two doctrines - one exoteric and official, just for blind mankind, and one esoteric for themselves? But that, on the other hand, that I had been direct with them and as one versed in Scripture, gave them throw-away lines of the inner doctrine, leaving them to work out the rest by themselves.
7
One of the five however is maintaining that there must be something totally different to me than an Essene of the highest order. He now is saying to the other four: 'I on my part cannot take him for an Essene, because I only recently discussed all their doctrines and customs with one Essene who was most forthright about it. Yet he knew nothing about a second, secret doctrine. I therefore regard the Nazarene Saviour as a totally different and unprecedented phenomenon. He is either a god or a devil, which however I doubt very much, as his doctrine is one of the most altruistic I ever encountered; a devil on the other hand is a supreme tyrant and hence a self-proclaimed enemy of socialism'.
8
Behold, such a conversation the five are already having on the way, and they are so steeped in it that they are hardly aware of whether their feet are carrying them forward.
9
My cherished friends, when teaching, one has to proceed most carefully; one need not blurt everything out straight-away, or serve all foods at once at a dinner. One enters a house quietly , and quietly knocks at one or the other door. And when giving a dinner, one serves a second course only after the guests have consumed the first. Otherwise, in the case of being a visitor, one's rudeness shall become notorious; and as a cheeky gatecrasher, one will achieve little or nothing on the host's premises. Whilst, on the other hand, the host would take away the guests' appetite if he were to set a medley of different foods on the table simultaneously; whereas, in proper sequence, the guests' appetite would be preserved, and the latter would praise the host for his superb hospitality.
10
And behold, just so must one proceed with teaching, if one is to accomplish something. Do you comprehend this now?'
11
Say the disciples, 'Yes, Lord, we understand it all now, as You have spoken with exceeding wisdom, as always.'
12
Say I, 'Very well, then let us all go to the morning meal.'