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 68 -
The cause of the fear of death.
Said I: "That people like you until now could not have attained the certain consciousness of life of the soul after the death of the body, I already have shown to you the reason and you will have understood it; but the fear for the bodily death does actually not lies so much in the uncertain consciousness of the life of the soul after the loss of the body, but a great deal more in the love for the world and in self-love. Through these two types of love, the soul is more and more mixed into its flesh and the result of this is, that thereby the feeling of dying, vanishing and ceasing to exist becomes increasingly strong in her and must express itself in all kinds of fear.
2
See, the primordial fathers of the people of the earth, did not have any fear for the death of the body, but often only a longing for it, to become free from the body becoming frail. Because of their God pleasing way of live, from time to time they had bright glances and visions into the beyond and thereby attained a clear and true consciousness about life of the soul after the loss of the body.
3
But in current times almost all faith of man in God has extinguished! From where should the bright consciousness of a life of the soul after the bodily death, originate?!
4
I say to you: If nearly in general man already doubts the foundation of all life, it is no wonder anymore, if one strongly doubts the life of the own soul after the death of the body.
5
Go to the Sadducees and you will find that they are people who firstly are very material and love the world and themselves above all, secondly do not at all believe in a God and thirdly totally denying the immortality of the human soul and scold everyone a fool who believes in any which way in the immortality of the human soul, which is nothing else than a crazy phantasy picture of an insane person, who wants to prove it by empty speeches.
6
Look further at the true cynics, scholars of the world wise Greek Diogenes! They are even true enemies of life and they curse any force, which gave them life without their permission. Indeed, they live extremely well-behaved and sober and despise all luxuriousness, yes even the slightest comfort of life. For them the biggest relief is death, after which they do not expect life, but extremely desirable non-existence.
7
Therefore you still can today find people in India who interact with souls of deceased people just like with still living people and talk to them about thousands of secret matters. These people do not have the slightest trace of fear for the bodily death, - to the contrary, the day when a person dies is for them a true cheerful day and the birth of a child into this world a real sad day.
8
See, as such regarding your question people are very different! What is highly feared by one nation, is not feared at all by another nation with different teachings and expectations. But the people who fear death of the body the most are the Jews, and the reason for it is their great love for the world and sensuous desires. Who maintains them with so much care like the Jews, must loose in time all higher light; since nothing is more harmful for the right and living light of faith than sexual misconduct, all kinds of lecherousness and real carnal whoring, which for a long time already is a worse common practice with the Jews than even the most darkest heathens. This sin really suffocates the soul in the mud of the flesh and even kills the flesh itself. If however so, from where should such a soul take the bright light of life consciousness?!
9
You are now a person who pleases Me a lot and at the right time I will place again the life consciousness in your soul; but during your younger days you also have quite keenly submitted to fleshly pleasures, and see, this is with you the main reason why you despite your questioning studies could not have come to a fully true and infallible light! In your present more chaste life, you will also attain more of the inner life light and not ask like you have asked just now. - Did you now have understood Me quite well?"
10
Said the innkeeper: "O yes, I have understood You only too well and say together with the Romans: Hinc ergo illae lacrimae ("Thus those tears!", which means: This is thus the reason!)! Yes, yes, Lord, You omniscient, my youth follies have consumed a lot of the life strength of my soul and now in my older days I quite well notice the loss. The only question remains, how can one replace it to at least some extend."
11
Said I: "For as long a person lives on this earth and has a complete living serious will, everything is still possible, about which David provides for you a living and tangible example; since also he has at a certain time, which is not unfamiliar to you, sinned a lot in the sphere of the desires of the flesh. But at the right time he changed, out of love for God did not sin anymore and therefore became a man according to the heart of God. Since truly, I say to you, in heaven there is more joy about a sinner, who as such acknowledges his sins, abhors them, has true regret, exercises a right and reasonable penitence and betters himself from the foundation and does not sin anymore, than about ninety-nine righteous people who never needed penitence! Or is it not the case among people that a person has more joy about was lost and found again, even if it was of a very insignificant nature, than about his great treasures who never got lost?! See, it is the same with God, and if it was not like that, truly, you would not have Me as a guest in your inn!
12
It is true that your youth sins have caused you some harm, for your flesh and also for your soul; but since you have recognized this and has completely turned away from sin, I have come to you in your house to fully heal you from your maladies.
13
But where I have entered once, there also is the fullest forgiveness of all sins and the light and the everlasting life has entered itself. I can therefore tell you that a great salvation has come over your house and yourself, and the results of that will make you more closely familiar with it then I Myself now; for I now only given you the teaching and the promise, but only in the fulfilment will you discover the fulness of truth in you."