The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
In Sychar and surroundings (at Mount Gerizim)
- Chapter 36 -
At Sychar. The Lord points out to John, the Gospeller, that not everything is suitable for recording. The promise of the present Revelations. 'It is enough that you believe and love Me!' About the Messiah and His kingdom. Words of blessing for the doctor and the woman. Joram and Irhael joined conjugally. The Lord does not sleep.
After that John asks Me: 'Lord, this surely I ought to write down! This is more than the sign at Cana! This for once is a true sign of whither You have come!
2
I said: 'This too let go; because that which you are recording is a sign for the world, but the latter does not have the cognition for grasping this! To what end such effort then? Do you think the world shall believe such? Behold, those present believe because they see it; but the world, which walks in the dark, would never believe that such took place here, because night cannot possibly imagine the works of light. Should you try to tell it about the works of light it will laugh at you and deride you in the end. Let it therefore suffice you to record only that which I work publicly, before all the world; that which I work in secret however write only in your heart, but not on parchment.'
3
But there shall indeed come a time when all these secret things shall be revealed to the world; but a lot of unripe fruit shall be falling off trees until then. Because verily, the trees have brought forth much, yet hardly a third shall come to ripeness! Yet the two fallen-off thirds shall first have to be trodden, and rot and wither, so that they may be dissolved by rain and be driven into the stem by a mighty wind for second birth.'
4
Says John: 'Lord, this is too deep; who should grasp it?'
5
Say I: 'There is no need of it; suffice it that you believe and love Me, - the deeper comprehension shall be coming after the spirit of Truth shall have been poured out over you. But until this has taken place, quite a few of you, in spite of all these signs shall be offended by My name!
6
Because the Messiah's kingdom shall not be a kingdom of this world, but a kingdom of spirit and Truth in My Father's kingdom, eternally, and there shall be no end to it for evermore! Whoever shall have been received into this kingdom shall have everlasting life, and this life shall be of a bliss which no man has yet seen, heard of or felt in his heart!'
7
Said Peter, who had long been silent: 'Lord, who shall ever actually become capable of this?'
8
Say I: 'Dear friend, the day is already late and our bodies need rest in order to be strong for work tomorrow! Let us therefore bring this day to a close and travel by good light tomorrow! Let everyone therefore seek his resting-places. The disciples, some of whom are very tired, say thanks and at once lay down.
9
Only I and the doctor and the woman remain awake. And with the disciples soon soundly asleep, both fall down on their knees before Me and thank Me fervently for the unspeakable graces I had bestowed upon them and their entire house. They also ask Me whether I would let them join up and follow Me.
10
But I said to them: 'This is not essential for your blessedness. If you do however want to follow Me then it is enough if you follow Me in your heart! But you should remain in this country as My witnesses, as many sceptics shall arise around here shortly; to these you shall bear good witness of Me.' Thereupon all again revert to their natural state and soon the disciples are sound asleep.
11
Only I, the physician and the woman remain still up. Both then fall on their knees before Me, fervently thanking Me for the inexpressibly great graces I bestowed upon them and their whole house. At the same time they as My permission to join My company and follow Me.
12
But I tell them, 'This is not necessary towards your salvation. If, however, you do wish to follow Me, it is sufficient if you follow me in your hearts. You should stay here in this land as My witnesses, for soon there will arise many doubters and to them you shall bear good witness of Me.
13
And you, My dear Joram, from now on shall be a perfect physician! On whoever you shall lay your hands in My name shall get better immediately regardless of how sick they may be. At the same time however you should enter upon a perfect and indissoluble matrimony, since with your present togetherness you would be an offence to the blind who regard only externals and have no idea about the within.
14
You Joram need not fear Irhael any more, as she is now fully whole of body and soul. And you, Irhael, now have a man from the heavens and shall be completely happy with him, since he is not a spirit out of the earth but from above.'
15
Says the woman: 'Oh Jehovah, how good you are! When is it Your will that we should officially join hands before the eyes of the world?'
16
Say I: 'I have already joined you, and this union alone is valid in heaven and on earth, and I say unto you; not since Adam's time has there been a more perfect union than yours, since I Myself have blessed your union.
17
But tomorrow morning a lot of priests and other people and officials of this town shall come here; to these make it known, that they may be aware of your being a proper married couple now before God and all the world. If you beget children however then bring them up in My teaching and then baptise them in My name, the way you shall see many of My disciples baptise tomorrow, and the way John, of whom you will have heard, baptises in the Jordan; thus, My dear Joram, I shall empower you tomorrow to afterwards baptise everyone who believes in My name.
18
But go to your rest now! But for the sake of chastity refrain from touching one another during My stay in this house! But during this time do not trouble yourselves about table and larder, because for the duration of My stay in this house, as also today, table and larder shall be provided for from above. Do not however tell this to anyone before time because men will not comprehend it. But when I am gone you can make it known to the more enlightened ones. Now however do take your rest, although I Myself shall be watching! Because the Lord must not sleep or rest since such sleep and complete rest would be the death and undoing of beings! Because even if all the world were to sleep the Lord nevertheless keeps awake and maintains all beings.'
19
After these words the two thank Me and retire to their separate chambers for the necessary rest. But I remain seated in My chair till morning.