The Great Gospel of John
Volume 7
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord on the Mount of Olives. (cont.) Gospel of John, Chapter 8
- Chapter 43 -
Agricola's question on the nature of Raphael. The blessing of patience.
After the three stepped into the dinning room, Lazarus immediately wanted to tell everybody in great detail all that happened with the Greeks outside.
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However, I Myself said to him: "Brother, spare yourself the trouble; see, for we certainly know everything! The thirty Greeks are apparently a good find for our cause; but first they must be completely straightened out. The hard heathen stones of doubt must first be dissolved, just as My Raphael has completely destroyed the stones in their hands; then we will make progress with them, and they will become very useful forerunners for My actual disciples in their country. - But now sit down at the table and eat and drink!
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When you have been strengthened, we will go outside, and until midnight you will see a few things out of the sphere of the glory of God; since, except for a very few, you have matured enough to be able to endure higher, divine revelations, and this night is for us as favourable as not soon likely a second one."
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Upon these My words everybody hurried eating his evening meal; since after this My announcement all present were very curious about all that will emerge in the end.
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Now Agrikola came to me and asked Me, saying: "Lord and God, just tell me for once, who actually is this wondrous youth! I already asked You about him, but You told me that I myself will recognize him after a while. But I have not been able to by myself to understand what I should make of him. He eats and drinks as we do, actually a great deal more than us, at which occasion he takes on a complete human appearance. But when he speaks, works and acts, he looks completely different; then he definitely does not stand for any nonsense and performs wonderful things, that, being only a slightly weak person and yet still halfway belonging to the priest class - meaning, our better Roman priesthood, makes you come to naught.
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Since in the sphere of duty of my high public office I mainly have to look after all the priesthood in the whole great Roman empire and have with such opportunity also obtained a detailed knowledge of all theologies which are practiced in the whole empire, which also explains why I have studied the teachings of the Jews very thoroughly. As a person in my position, to whom all secrets must be disclosed, I have experienced quite a few things on this earth and have here and there seen and met old and young people with very extraordinary talents and abilities, which even with my not too small an intellect stunned me.
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But compared to this youth everything else is pure nothing, whose outer very girlish appearance, according to our Roman appraisal, is seldom a sign of a great spirit. The so called Adonis and Venus are generally seen by us to be the most spiritless people, with only a very exceptions. And this young person is by large the most beautiful I ever laid my eyes on. If he were dressed in women's clothes, he would be the most beautiful maiden on this whole earth. Nevertheless, this person possesses such a large divine spirit, that to him, just like Yourself, o Lord and Master, everything is possible. You see, o Lord, that I cannot suppress my curiosity about this very unusual young person any longer, and therefore finally tell me, what is it with this youth!"
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I said: "Friend, if I, just were be afflicted with any weaknesses like you people, then I would tell you straight away, what the circumstances of this youth are; but because I certainly do not have any human weaknesses and in My spirit from eternity can see, what would be best for the educational sphere of a soul, I never tell anybody a word, which I a few days later may keep anymore, and therefore it has to stay that way, that you will well and clearly recognise this young person quite out of yourself.
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You also have heard how patience is a primeval spirit of God in a person and like any of the other spirits it must be strengthened and developed, if a person wants to reach the true inner perfection of life. And thus I want it here to be the case with you, that your patience should soften your often isolated excessive earnestness and zeal. And see, based on this very sound reason I will not tell you what you so urgently want to know; because patience is to a person what a soft rain is to the earth. It softens the burning desires in the heart of a person, so that they do not develop into a wild, stormy and often all-destroying passion. If you understand this well, find your way with patience and you will receive everything, for which you feel a noble thirst in your soul."
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Said the Roman: "Yes Lord, Master and God, not even the wisest of all people of the whole earth can argue with You, since You are the everlasting love, wisdom and truth Yourself, and therefore you are also here right; since a God, who can be negotiated with like a Greek fruit merchant, would not be a God, but only a weak and moody person, - and who could depend on the promises of a weak God?!"
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Said I: "See, now you have spoken the complete truth again! Stay therein and exercise yourself in the right patience, you will soonest reach the light of inner life! You Romans have from ancient times a good saying, whereby one should hurry slowly (lat.: festina lente), and this means 'to exercise patience'. - But let us now all go outside, where we will learn many things!"