The Great Gospel of John
Volume 4
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 188 -
On excessive humility.
After the black has made this rather worthy speech to his companions, I called the leader and asked him, if he and his companions were not hungry and thirsty, and, if they would be hungry and thirsty, what they wish to have to eat and to drink. Since the trip along the sea is exhausting, and they surely need something to eat and to drink, and therefore they should let hear there voices, and they will be served immediately!
2
Says Oubratouvishar: "O what mercy! You everything in everything asks a wretched earthworm that he should express his needs before You, You most elated, everlasting spirit! However, the worm rolling in the dust before You, because of exceedingly overpowering reverence does not dare to express one word before Your divinity, in order not to say a clumsy word to You, everlasting Most Holy, which might displeases You, making You look at us with angry eyes. We still have from Egypt a few bags full of dried figs and dates, also some twice backed bread, which should be sufficient for our short stay here taking into account our moderation! Therefore I bring You with the most thankful and remorseful heart my little or even nothing meaning gratitude for Your exceedingly large mercy granted to us!"
3
Says I: "Yes friend, if you always come to Me with such immense and more then three quarter unnecessary reverence, it will be even for Me nearly impossible, to give you a light which you can take to your fatherland! By the way, you are not really honouring Me a great deal, by regarding yourself, apparently also being My work, as nothing and placing yourself deeply below the dignity of a worm rolling in the dust of all nothingness! Because through such low self-consideration of yourself before Me, your Creator, you also downgrade Him quite extensively, who has created and formed you out of His highest wisdom and love!
4
See, if a person shows you a work of art, which he has made, and you buy it from him for yourself, because you like it, would you thereby honour the wise artist, if you praise above all his other works and the artist himself, but for the marvellous piece of art which you have bought, you cannot find enough bad words of criticism, because it now belongs to you?
5
See, this manner of humility before Me is therefore not at all wise, but foolish and boorish! Since if you regard yourself as too bad and worthless, you thereby say quite easily understandable to My face, that I am a wretched bungler regarding My whole creation.
6
Ah, if you also recognize My value in a justified manner in yourself, and does not regard yourself as too infinitive small, wretched and bad, in order to discuss this and that with Me, you are honouring Me in yourself and recognizes My divine excellence also on your own ground; with such disposition, you can draw from My presence this true and living use, for which you actually have travelled here. By the way your exceedingly great humiliation before Me, is not a sin from your side towards Me; since it is based in your arch-devout education from childhood.
7
But now you also have received a right opinion about this; since with this your current opinion, we would not get along with each other; because you would have a continuous unlimited devout shyness about Me, and it would force you, to leave this place as soon as possible, which is too unbearable holy for your devout feeling, and back in Memphis and finally back home you would twaddle a great deal about My for you extraordinary and unbearable holiness! And this would be the only use, which you for yourself, for your people and your people's descendants have taken from here! Would you be content with that?
8
Certainly not! Since during a more illuminated moment of your life, you had to ask yourself loudly by saying: 'Yes, what is this now all about?! Have I undertaken such a far and difficult trip upon my own decision, only to continuously despair of such deepest reverence on the so labouriously found place of destination? No, this was such a terrible delight and bliss, of which I do not want a repetition for the rest of my life!' See, this is what you would have, for making the trip to here!
9
Therefore it also says here, to let reason prevail a little and think, what is right and fair in every situation of life, and you will get trough everywhere with goodness and honesty and you always will profit the living use for life. Let go of your excessive reverence for Me! Love Me as your Creator, Father, Master and Lord with all life's strength, and also love your brother like yourself, and you will do more than enough! And if you want to address Me, simply call Me Lord and Master, what I actually am, - everything else, however, does not belong here!"