The Great Gospel of John
Volume 4
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 171 -
Simon explains some of the verses of the Song of Solomon.
Says I: "Quite excellent! If I Myself would have explained to you and all the others the verses of the High Song and in comparison My admonishing words on the mountain, I would have used exactly the same words. You therefore have explicated a good case to My fullest satisfaction. But since you have become the explainer of the High Song, you could try another few verses from the first chapter! Or is there somebody else among you who want to try this?"
2
Say all: "Lord, we are still not capable, although it seems to us that we are up to it!"
3
Says Simon: "O Lord, in this regard I'm fully confident; I suddenly understand this very well and certainly also quite correct!
4
A further verse says: 'I'm black, but quite lovely, you daughters of Jerusalem, like the hut of Kedar, like the carpets of Salomon.' This translated to our natural tongue can mean nothing else than: 'I, the Lord, now in the world with you blind and often haughty people, mostly not recognized and deeply despised by your high world, but in Myself I'm still full of the deepest meekness and gentleness, patience and love for you daughters of Jerusalem!'
5
Who are the daughters of Jerusalem? They are haughtiness, pride, lust for power and avarice of the descendants of Abraham; these are the beautified daughters of Jerusalem, to whom, however, the despised, thus the black Lord before them, the first human of all humans, was still merciful and benevolent and is more lovelier and more loving than the from outside wretched looking hut of Kedar (Kai-darz), which, however, from the inside was abundantly equipped with all kind of treasures for distribution among the justified poor and suffering and also lovelier than the most valuable carpets of Salomon, which outer surface was of a dark-grey, rough material, but the lower and inside was made from the most precious Indian silk, interweaved with the finest gold.
6
It further says: 'Look at me, how black I am (before you daughters of Jerusalem); since the sun (your worldly pride) has burned me (before your haughty worldly face)! My mother's children are angry with me.' Who else can be Your mother in You, o Lord, than Your everlasting wisdom, just as the Father in You is Your everlasting Love? Your mother is also equal to Your everlasting order, who's angry children are filling with You, o Lord, the everlasting infinite space and by their order are angry about the great disorder of the children of Israel.
7
Since this holy order 'was placed as guardian of the vineyard', which means: Your will united with all You powers of heaven, has given to mankind this order through laws, so that by it the vineyards, which are human societies, stay withing the order of the heavens.
8
'But my vineyard, which I had, I have not guarded!' Which means: 'My everlasting, divine, inaccessible height and depth I have placed outside the flood!', - of which Your very much accessible presence here is hopefully for everybody the most solid proof. You have left the highest and most inaccessible and brightest heaven, to appear here in the deepest humility, thus black before the children of this earth, and to guide the justified poor into Your chamber, the just hut of Kedar. - O Lord, tell me, if I have interpreted also the next two verses as asked by You, correctly!
9
Says I: "Quite right; therefore give us also the explanation of the sixth verse added to the five!"
10
Says Simon: "To You my fullest love and my innermost gratitude, that You, o Lord, found me young fellow worthy, to uncover through your mercy and love for those who love You, the deep secrets which since they have been written, not been uncovered by nobody until now. My soul rejoices about this mercy beyond measure. Nevertheless, there is no haughtiness in it; to the contrary I'm getting increasingly more modest, the more I recognize and understand Your everything and my complete nothingness. But You, o Lord, knows it, that I always have something to do with good humour, and the delightful wine encourages me more so, and therefore with this required sixth verse I cannot otherwise, irrespective of its seriousness, to add a little humour to it!"
11
Says I: "Just speak as your heart and tongue is grown!"
12
Continues Simon: "If Salomon or his soul filled with all wisdom, had the opportunity to be present in our midst, he surely would not have written down the sixth verse; since in the sixth verse Salomon says: 'Tell me, you, who my soul loves, where you are grazing, where you are resting at midday, so that I do not have to move to and fro between the herds of your learners!' Since then Salomon's and through him his people's soul would have found You pasturing Your sheep in the morning, midday, evening and also at midnight; thus always active and not only resting at midday!
13
I mean, the everlasting midday of Your rest - which is this infinitive long period of time when You not like now were among the people, but have left them to Your learners who always became sillier and haughtier - is over now and a new and everlasting life morning has risen, and those who have recognized you, will surely not search for you to and fro among Your now quite stupid and sluggish becoming learners.
14
What do You think, o Lord: did I at least have to some extend touched on the right meaning?"
15
Says I: "Completely, despite the humour, which you have added here quite befittingly! Since we also have seen now that also the High Song of Salomon can be revealed and you, Simon, yourself have taken on a totally different opinion, also your corrector Gaby should tell us something interesting; I actually want to know from his own mouth the reason why he so highly regarded the High Song of Salomon, without having understood it in the slightest way! - Gaby, open therefore your mouth and tell us something!"