The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
In Cana in the valley
- Chapter 224 -
Kisjonah and Baram compete in love. Importance of introspection. Introspection disturbed by Satan.
Thereupon we rise from our resting benches, going to the garden where an abundant morning meal awaits us that Baram had continued to prepare for us.
2
Kisjonah however remarks to Baram, 'Brother, what are you doing? Do you think my storehouse, larder and wine cellar are empty?'
3
Says Baram, 'I know only too well, brother, that a thousand quests a day would not consume your reserves in a thousand years; but praise God that I don't count among the poor of this land, and so allow me the pleasure of serving the Lord with my limited means! Let it be a lively day at your cooking stoves again tomorrow.'
4
After that, Kisjonah and Baram embrace and kiss one another and then sit down at the table too, consuming a splendid fish, with bread and wine.
5
After the meal however, Kisjonah inquires about what shall engage us in the afternoon, or whether perhaps I planned another excursion, so that he may provide for our needs.
6
Say I, 'Friend and brother. Let nothing trouble you. Whatever time shall present, that shall be seized upon. But today's and tomorrow's time shall deliver nothing or little other than ourselves, and hence we shall have no need for special preparations. Towards evening tomorrow, Philopold shall arrive, and he shall have a few things to relate.
7
But until noon we shall do some exercises in introspection, by the cool of the shady trees.
8
For truly I tell you: Nothing is of greater benefit for the whole man than a temporary introspection. Whoever wishes to become acquainted with himself and his powers must sometimes search and contemplate his within.
9
Since this is so very necessary we shall before noon practice this, and following the midday meal we shall go out to sea and see what will be happening there.'
10
Some do not know how to go about this introspection and ask Me what to do. But I say, 'Relax and ponder quietly on your actions and the to you well-known will of God and whether you have complied with it at different times of your life, then you have contemplated your within and have made it increasingly difficult for Satan to enter your heart. For Satan seeks eagerly through all kinds of external meaningless trickery to prevent a person from such introspection.
11
For, once man has through practice acquired a certain accomplishment in introspection, he easily discovers within himself the traps Satan has set him and is then able to properly destroy and eliminate them and energetically take precautions against all further deceitfulness of this enemy. Of this Satan I quite aware and is, therefore, busily occupied with engaging the soul in all kinds of diverting trickery and then finds it quite easy, unnoticed behind the scene, to lay a snare for the soul in which it gets so entangled that it can no longer manage an introspection, and this is very bad.
12
Thereby the soul is more and more separated from its spirit which it can no longer awaken, and that is already the beginning of the second death within man.
13
Now you know wherein introspection consists. Practise this quietly from now until noon and do not let any external thing disturb you. For Satan will certainly not refrain from diverting you through one or the other external spectacle. But then remember that I have foretold you this and return again quickly to your within.'
14
Now they all relax and everyone begins quite energetically with his introspection. This continues without disturbance for a full hour.