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 52 -
On temptation and weakness. Train the thinking!
When we all had eaten and drunk sufficiently, the innkeeper asked Me whether we wanted to take some rest, since it was already quite late in the night.
2
But I said: "Whoever is compelled to rest, should go and rest; but I am not compelled to do it, and thus I will not take any rest now. In addition it is not at all good for the body to go to sleep immediately after a meal; therefore we will remain awake for another couple of hours. But whoever is compelled to rest may also do so!"
3
Everyone said: "No, no, oh Lord, we will remain awake with You until morning if You so desire! For we know only too well that with You everything has an innermost inexplicable significance, and so there is certainly something behind it, and so we will remain awake!"
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I said: "You are right; stay awake and ensure that none of you fall into temptation!"
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My old disciples asked Me: "Lord, at Your side what should be capable of leading us into temptation?! For indeed we have experienced many a thing at Your side, and it has led us very little into any sudden temptation."
6
I said: "Oh, do not pride yourself in that; for the spirit of temptation goes about like a hungry roaring lion and seeks to consume people! You cannot be awake enough and pay enough attention to every gust of wind of incitement, however gentle! If such an incitement brings a man even a hair's breadth to the side in his mind, he already will have to use great force of will to get back to his original standpoint. All of you, remember this well; for as long as a person lives in this world, thinks, desires and acts, his flesh weighs more heavily than his soul."
7
Philip said: "That is indeed very true, and I have perceived that all quite well in myself; but in these advanced years of mine no temptation has any effect on me any longer. I have only one mistake, and that consists of a sort of weakness of faith that appears from time to time, that is, basically I believe everything of course that come from Your mouth, oh Lord - but when now and then my mind does not immediately understands everything, then my faith also becomes weak, and I immediately fall into all sorts of dubious questions, at which no bright answer sinks into my soul from somewhere and soon after I begin to have small doubts. That is the only temptation that still creeps over me from time to time. You, oh Lord, could indeed free me from that however, and thereby would make me into the happiest person!"
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"If I did that through My inner power, you would no longer be a free man, you would fall into great lethargy and would thereby soon be at the end of practising the ever-higher gain of the true life force of your soul.
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Therefore everyone should carry his burden willingly and practice himself continuously in all good things of inner life! At the right time his measure of life will become full and only then will he have a true and indestructible joy about the very bread which he has attained through the sweat of his brow.
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Imagine a very effete person who from the cradle on has never been forced to take part in any activity. He ate and drank the best meals, out of necessity learnt only to speak and never carried apart from his clothes any burden. If such a person then has to carry a load of only a few pounds for any distance, he will hardly be in a position to do that, because ha has never practised his physical strength in the least. But if he then nonetheless begins to practice his bodily strength through a gradually increasing activity, within a few years he will be able to lift greater loads with ease and carry them along. But would he achieve a higher bodily strength if he always allowed other people to lift and carry loads for him?!
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And behold, it is just the same with you and your think strength! You have exercised it too little since your childhood, but only now in your later years you began to exercise a little more, and therefore you should not be surprised if you do not understand and perceive some matters as fast as some others.
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But I am a just teacher and leader and do not carry My disciples over still so craggy and rugged roads and footpaths in My arms, but instead I allow them to walk themselves, so that in future they will become strong to walk without injury any still so difficult path.
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However if a too great obstacle gets into someone's way, I indeed will give him a light and the strength to safely master even such a great obstacle. But above all must every person do as much as lies within his powers; whatever is beyond, will be given to him at the right time. - Have you now understood that well?"
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Philip said: "Yes Lord, I have understood that very well, and I will make every conceivable effort to become as strong as ever possible in my thinking and belief!"