The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
At the Sea of Galilee (John 6)
- Chapter 46 -
A test for the disciples of the Lord
This had a thundering effect so that many of them became quite appalled about this and said: "Lord, why did You not say this much earlier?! Truly, we would have discovered such an unworthy person among us a long time ago and got rid of him for ever, if You in Your great patience did not want to lay hands on him Yourself!"
2
I said: "I have told you all often enough that everything in this world has its own time and measure. At harvest no clever farmer will reap the weeds with the pure wheat, but instead only the pure ears of wheat, and he will have all the weeds that have grown up wildly among the wheat collected into bundles by his servants in order to burn it to fertilize the field.
3
For this reason I have said to you all earlier that truly no-one can come to Me unless it has been granted him by the Father (John 6:65), who is Love and Life and Truth in Himself, just as I am by My Father and thus also to the same degree by Me, since I am in the Father and He is in Me.
4
Surely, no one of you should believe to be already truly with Me because he moves around with Me, listens to My words and marvels at My signs - but only he alone is truly with Me who has an inner, very pure love for Me and who believes without a second thought everything that I teach, and that I, presently the Son of Man, have come from the Father and am one with Him in the spirit."
5
Then the disciples, including the Greek Jews and the twelve, said: "Yes, if so, then our travels with Him are of no use! The hardness and the incredible we do not understand - and thus we cannot believe it. Loving Him completely quite purely is also a thing, since He now truly behaves towards us in a way that little fondness for Him can fill us. Therefore we shall now just go back to our Moses; for he is clearer and more understandable for us. Loving God in any case only means keeping His commandments and thus we hope to one day become blessed even without believing in this puzzling lesson."
6
As a result of this many then withdrew and no longer walked with Me, although later they thought quite hard about these My words. (John 6:66) But since I did not say a word to any of those leaving, that he should stay and have patience, also those who stayed began to make very troubled faces and did not know what to do, - whether also they should leave or stay.
7
Then I said to them all in a friendly and questioning tone of voice: "You do not want to leave as well, do you? (John 6:67) You are as free before Me as every man on this earth."
8
Then Simon Peter said to Me: "Lord, to whom shall we go? You alone have the words of life, even if we are not able to understand them immediately in all their depths. (John 6:68) At the right time You will enlighten us about it, when we are more worthy of Your higher light than now. And we have believed that from the beginning and recognized that You are the Christ and the living Son of God, and so we cannot possibly ever leave You again, oh Lord! (John 6:69) Lord, just do not send us away, and still have patience with our great weaknesses!"
9
I said: "That is good and right, and so it shall remain! But since we are remaining here in this open model school in Capernaum, I cannot avoid revealing something else to you. You all know how last year in this area I chose you twelve out of the many disciples - and behold, nonetheless there is a devil among you!" (John 6:70)