The Great Gospel of John
Volume 4
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 31 -
Hebram's and Risa's self-reflections.
Risa writes this very deep into his heart and goes to his colleagues, who start to congratulate him to his luck; but he opens his mouth and tells them word by word what he heard from Raphael.
2
When he finished, Hebram said to him: "This is truly a marvellous speech, just like coming from the mouth of God; but some remark about it should be made, not the speech itself, but about him who gave us the speech. It contained many and even noteworthy true words, coming in good order successively into being; but the speaker, nevertheless, first spoke rather than acted! Nevertheless, I find this quite in order; since every good action, must certainly always be preceded by a good teaching, otherwise it is impossible for the actor to receive any directive for his actions.
3
However, at the heart of reason Raphael is still right; since man soon knows what is good and right. Simple laws give it to him! He only needs to properly will, and a good action cannot stay away. But the knowledge on its own, appears to me as a too small motive to act good, especially with very material people, who are only too easily seduced to act badly by a selfish material advantage. In this case the pre-teaching must be expanded to such an extend, that thereby the disciple is given clear, tangible and irrefutable proofs as motives to act good, so that it must appear to the disciple nearly impossible to act against them, just as it is impossible to cross the sea without a boat.
4
Once one have brought a disciple thus far, then doing good is an easy matter; but without the added tangible and solidly proven reasons, it will always remain a problem, whose goodness is well recognized, but since the doing accordingly is, nevertheless, connected to some difficulties and self-renunciation, one rather gives in to dear sluggishness and tiresome selfishness and leaves the many good deeds for better days. Without change one follows one's carnal desires and after thirty years one is still the same animal person, as one was, quite actually, in the cradle. Therefore according to my unprevailing opinion, it is also important to add to the above mentioned proofs to the teaching of doing good, which require quite a lot more than saying: 'This and that you should do, because it is good, and this and that you should not do, because it is bad and evil!'"
5
Says Risa: "You are quite right, but, nevertheless, basically you say nothing else as was tangible clearly described by Raphael, namely, that only he should teach and speak who is called by the Lord in the spirit. Such a teacher will give to his disciples the teaching together with the necessary proofs to motivate them to act, just as the angel Raphael unfailingly convinced me to act. But if both of us would perform as teachers, we certainly would talk a lot of silly stuff, and if a sharp and well polished speaker would come along and started to put some really powerful opposing arguments to us, in the end he would confuse us, and perhaps we even had to dance to his whistle! But if we act good, with all mind reasons of the world, he would not be able to find the slightest objection or opposing remark. Therefore, for many it is better to act than to teach. - Is this still not quite clear to you?"
6
Says Hebram: "O yes, now absolutely, and also earlier, and it is good! People are strange, - I notice this by myself! Just think of it: When we were reading and studying the script often enough, how inconceivable sublime the wonderful stories, events and here and there occurring teachings, appeared to us filling us with the deepest reverence! Finally, because of our highest reverence making us blind, we did not dare to pronounce the spirit of God which here and there actively appeared! When reading something about an appearing angel, we were touched by it to our inner core! Moses appeared so big, that nearly all mountains seemed to bend before his name!
7
Now we stand before the same God who thundered his laws on Sinai! The same angel who has guided the young Tobias, walks among us like an ordinary person and teaches us with sweet words to recognize the will of God! In addition miracles over miracles of the most unheard manner occur on a continues basis, - but, nevertheless, everything appears to us already quite ordinary, as if we are used to it since childhood. Tell me, what might be the reason for it!
8
We are supposed to be completely overwhelmed by surprise and adoration, - but instead are as blunt as an old, rusted sword of an old warrior! What might be the reason for it? If I think about it, I could shear off my own head from my body from annoyance!"
9
Says Risa: "Be calm, friend! The Lord wanted it like that; if we, which is understandable, keep on to dwell in a state of highest excitement of our souls, we would miss a lot of what happens and is said here. The Lord knows how to keep our souls within the boundaries of soberness, and therefore we can cold-bloodedly listen and observe everything what occurs and is said here - even if it is of an incomprehensible high nature -, and record it even deeper in our souls. If this is all over, our souls will start to become excited in a most colossal manner! Oh, we will not escape it! But for now it is much better like it is! - Do you have a different opinion?"
10
Says Hebram: "Not at all, - your opinion is again perfectly correct, and most certainly it is like that! But it does no harm if one reminds oneself, that one easily feels too little uplifted during this most holy extraordinary opportunity which never occurred before, while reading the extraordinariness of the past has touched us so deeply and made us so excited. If this spiritual sluggishness would depend on us alone, I had to regard it as a big and most coarse sin of life; but if, according to your opinion, the Lord causes this in us by His almighty will, we mus be grateful to Him, and everything He speaks and does, we must more seriously and deeper contemplate and think about it, how we can turn His word into full action. But that Zinka is such a deep spiritual man - while he was and still is only a senior servant of Herodes! -, is a riddle to me! Where did he got his overwhelming wisdom from and collected so much experiences?"
11
Said Risa: "That I don't know; but a big lord like Herodes, surely would have checked out his servant very thoroughly, before making him one of his first and most senior servants. In addition Zinka was according to his own testimony a special friend of the prophet Johannes and certainly would have learned quite a lot regarding important matters of life, and it is therefore no wonder that he is wiser than us. He will talk about something which I am very curious about. - But now it appears if the Lord wants to say something, thus let us keep quiet for a change; since from our talk does not rise much brightness in anyway!"