The Great Gospel of John
Volume 10
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in Abila
- Chapter 63 -
The true celebration of the Sabbath.
So we all rested undisturbed until the morning of a Sabbath, which was however not especially important to these Jews, for they were more inclined to be a gentile than a Jew. Nevertheless, the eldest came already early in the morning asking for Me, to know if I and My disciples were strictly keeping the Sabbath, since it was appointed by Moses as a day of the Lord that had to be strictly hollowed.
2
I said: "To hollow the Sabbath according to the precepts of Moses is right and good for every Jew, but from now on every day is a day of the Lord, and the one who does good deeds for his fellowman according to My teaching hollows truly the Sabbath. So you do not have to behave differently today, now that it is Sabbath, than on any other day.
3
Man has the same needs for his body on a Sabbath than on any other day and has to fulfill them as possible. He only should refrain from heavy servile work in exchange of a salary. However, if he can by that do anything useful for one or more of his fellowmen, the Sabbath will not be desecrated by that, even if he takes on no matter what heavy servile work, and I will bless him for that. But if such opportunity does not come up, it is good to rest on a Sabbath and to occupy ones mind with the things of the spirit. For with the heavy work of a working day, the soul is not well capable to think deeply in himself about spiritual things and to raise himself to God. And for this reason, Moses had ordained the Sabbath.
4
But that it is not allowed to eat or to drink on a Sabbath after sunset and also before sunrise, and that he also may not do good physical deeds for his fellowman, like the Pharisees are teaching in Jerusalem and also in other places in the synagogues, that is nonsense which indicates that the teachers themselves never understood or observed the teaching of Moses. And by teaching such things, they have totally distorted the spirit of the teaching of Moses and the prophets for the Jews. So you can do today as you have done before, then you will not violate the Sabbath for Me.
5
You only should not perform the lowest job for a meager salary for the gentiles, not today, or on any other day. But if they also will accept My teaching and will consider and treat you also as their fellowmen, you can perform for them also, in all love and brotherly friendship, all kinds of good services, so that there will be peace and unity among you. With this, you know now everything what concerns the true sanctification of the Sabbath.
6
Even the wisest gentiles say that it is better to serve a fellowman - when the conditions ask for it - than to go to the temple and serve a god there who does not need the service of men for Himself. And so, the only true God never needs the service of men for Himself. But what He needs is that, out of love for Him, and from that same love, men would perform good deeds among each other.
7
For love is the true fertilizer for the soul for eternal life, and God created humankind for the purpose that they should develop into eternal life. True religion, the only one pleasing to Me, consists thus mainly that people should serve one another mutually in My love. And if this is the religion that is most pleasing to Me, then the Sabbath will never be violated by that.
8
For it was written by a prophet in the time that the Jews were adhering too much to the outer ceremony - like the Pharisees are doing now: 'Look, this people honors Me with the lips, but their heart is far away from Me.'
9
Thus, from now on, serve Me only in your heart and abandon the dead ceremony, then you will sanctify the Sabbath every day in a manner that is most pleasing to Me. Did you understand this now?"
10
The Jew said: "Yes, o Lord, Lord, and that is why we will sanctify the Sabbath according to Your meaning."
11
Then the old man went at once to his family and explained to them how I wanted to have the Sabbath sanctified, with which they all completely agreed. Then they soon began to prepare the morning meal at which Veronica was again very helpful to them.