The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord on the Mount of Olives (John Chapter 8)
- Chapter 243 -
The consequences of the wrong conception of the world beyond.
Only the pharisees were not in agreement and the scribe said: "This matter sounds of course quite hopeful; but it does not agree with the concept of an opposite everlasting reward. Since if the good person is compensated for his good actions, for his patience of pain and suffering of all kind, with an everlasting reward, also the malefactor, living in continuous luxury on this earth, should receive everlasting punishment.
2
And if one would preach to the people that finally also from hell a redemption is possible, then there will be even more malefactors on earth! Now, the fear for an everlasting punishment in hell, prevents many people from committing evil actions, and the hope for reaching everlasting bliss, encourages people to do good! But if we accept that also the damned have a possible chance to become blissful, then also the good will turn more and more to them, and the pure good will become so scarce on earth like diamonds. This is quite a consolation for a weak heart, - but the feeling for justice is thereby diminished. This is my very straight opinion."
3
Said I: "For you it might be straight, but for Me it is very crooked! If you believe that either hell or heaven are serving as a motivation to prevent people from doing evil and guide people to do good, you are still filled by an utterly wrong believe; for the very evil person laughs about your hell and your heaven, and the very good is good also without your hell and without your heaven. Since heaven and hell as put by yourself, are really suited to make every person as evil as possible.
4
Since who does good for only the reward, lends his money against high interest, and who does this, has no neighbourly love and even less so any love for God. For who does not love his neighbour, whom he can see, how can he love God whom he cannot see?
5
But lets take away heaven and hell and afterwards look at your devout people! They will begin to rage and rave even worse than an extremely profit greedy broker, for whom his debtor has run away with his loan money; and because they do not have to fear punishing hell anymore, such people can only be restrained by sanctioned world laws.
6
Already in the beginning the people acted badly, when the elders described to their children hell as hot as possible and painted heaven with all colours of light and all indulging comfort for human senses. Thereby they effectuated a kind of fear for God, which however never turned into any true love for God and the neighbour because hell was much easier to attain, but degenerated into an even bigger fear in weaker souls and with the stronger souls of more inner light it effectuated a complete indifference towards God and towards their fellow-men. For these stronger persons believed for themselves in nothing, but in pro forma they played along, to keep the common people in their believe, so that they would not rise against those for whom they had to work, so that they could prepare for themselves a heaven on earth non plus ultra, for the lost believe in a God, heaven and hell.
7
The further result of it is the current nearly total godlessness among the people, who long since would have risen with the biggest rage against the master people and would have asked them for the reason why they have to serve and submit to them, if it wasn't for the worldly laws of Rome sanctioned by the sword preventing them from doing so.
8
See, all this is a result of such feeling of justice in the human soul, which always just like you preaches to the people with the sharpest words, that God always rewards the good in heaven, but as a consequence of His relentless justice, He also punishes the evil forever in the most terrifying hell with most unheard tortures forever without any relief!
9
O you fools! Does there exists a father with only a little love for his children, who would throw one of his children, who committed a mistake against his order, for the rest of his life into a dungeon and on top of it punishes him daily for as long he lives?! If no human father could do this, who basically as a person is bad, how much less will the Father in heaven do such, who is the everlasting and purest love and goodness Himself!
10
Or just imagine for yourself a truly wise and quite reasonable person on earth! Will he ever approve of an everlasting punishment for a sinner, or will he award such punishment to anybody? Surely not, - and even less so the most wise God!
11
But I say to you, that in future among My true followers, no punishment not even temporary penalties should exist, although until now it said: 'Life for a life, eye for an eye and tooth for tooth.' If someone slaps you in the face, do not hit him back, but hold for him the other cheek, so that he can give you another slap, otherwise he cannot have peace with you, and that there will be peace and unity between you! If someone has struck you and you have lost an eye, do not do the same to him, but forgive him and as someone suffering, you will better his heart. Never repay evil with evil, and as My true disciples you will have peace in the world and thereby show, that you are truly My disciples!"