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 89 -
The story of the Roman about the might of the Nubian.
The Lord: "Upon this, the mysterious man said: 'I am still a real and true man, as many could be found in ancient times whose task in life consisted in bringing the inner spirit within oneself to full maturity and to keep their soul from suffocating in the mire of the material passions of the body.
2
You, however, already for a long time, are no more human, but are simply human larvae who have to use iron weapons to defend themselves against an external enemy and still cannot conquer their greatest enemy, the sensual passions of their body, so that the spirit within them can be awakened, become free and mighty.
3
Of what use is this external life to you if by this you cannot awaken your inner spirit and make it free and mighty? A human being becomes only a human being when he has found himself in his spirit. But with your lifestyle this cannot ever be done, because in this way you are moving further away from the goal of becoming a true man, instead of coming closer to it.
4
Yes, also among you from time to time there are men who are on the right way, although they did not reach the goal completely. But you are quickly and wildly suppressing and persecuting them, and so they cannot reach the goal completely. And spiritually you remain completely dead. And after a short, difficult earthly life you finally die like animals, and your fate is eternal death.
5
Now you think in your great blindness of life that I, as a solitary Egyptian wise man, am just saying this to be more respected by you. But I am saying this because you are very wrong. However, in order to show you that I have spoken the full truth and that a true man, by the will of his inner spiritual man, is more capable to perform things, I will now give you a few proofs of the real living power of a true man, so that on your way back you can preoccupy yourselves with deeper thoughts.
6
Do you see that giant eagle there high in the sky? I will it, that it must alight here at my feet and do what I command it. And there it is already.' Seeing this, we were petrified, and the man commanded the big eagle to bring him a noble fish from the Nile.
7
Within a few moments the fish was already there, and the man said: 'Look, in this way, the whole nature serves the true man.'
8
After that, he opened up the fish, removed the bowels and placed it on a stone plate, which obviously was very hot, because the rather big fish was fried all through within a few moments. This we noticed when the man let us taste the fish, which we found to be very well fried and very tasty.
9
Then the man said: 'Look, thus also dumb nature serves the true man. But I will give you a further example of how a true man is lord over the whole nature. You have now eaten the fish, which this eagle has brought us from the Nile and which was then fried on this stone plate. But now you are looking around and wondering what I have to drink, except for the muddy water of the Nile. Also this I will show you. Look at this rock, how it is dry and heated up by the glow of the sun, and yet it will give us immediately plenty of delicious fresh water. I will it. And there you already have plenty of water to drink. Go and quench your thirst.'
10
We went to it and drank, and it was very pure, fresh water.
11
And again, the strange man said: 'Look, also in this way this element serves the true man.'
12
Then we asked him if he was living here all alone in this wilderness or if he had any companions, maybe disciples, practicing the ways of true life under his guidance.
13
He said: 'This wilderness is for you a wilderness indeed, but for me it is more than your Elysium of which you are dreaming, which does not exist anywhere else except in your blind fantasy. For me, your city would be an unbearable spiritual wilderness, because not one true man can be found in it.
14
Indeed, as a person I am alone here, but as a true spiritual man not at all, because first of all there are a few disciples with me for whom the true, inner life has become a complete reality, and they find this wilderness very pleasant. They dwell just like me in palaces like the one over there in which I have been residing for almost 50 years and where several true men have already lived before me. My few disciples of both sexes come to me from time to time to receive of me new rules of conduct by which they can continue to perfect their inner life.
15
So there is company in my vicinity, but not in this cave where I am totally living alone. For your eyes it would look like deep darkness in this cave, but for me there is more light in it than for you here in broad daylight. For, when the innermost of man has become light and clear through his eternal spirit originating from the One true God, as a light from the primordial light, then for the true man there is no longer night and darkness anywhere. But with you, already your inner life-light is the deepest darkness. How great must then be your own darkness. Yes, a proverb of yours already states that you also cannot see the densest forest between the trees.
16
From this cave of mine I can oversee the whole Earth, its nature, its creatures and men and its great cities full of pride, and I can know all things that are happening anywhere. Besides, I can look into other worlds, which you call stars, and can delight in the only divine eternal love, wisdom and might. And so you see, this is my second company.
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However, I also can associate with all the spirits at any time, and through them become more and more wise. And this is my third company.
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But because the will of a true man on this Earth has a for you inconceivable might and power, working far around him, I am able - in case of necessity, facing an evil worldly enemy of us true men - to procure myself a fourth company, which I can even show you. However, with the assurance that you do not have to fear anything because you are under my protection, because not a hair of your head will be touched. Look, I will it, and there it is.'
19
Within moments we were surrounded by a herd of lions and panthers, against which hundreds of the bravest soldiers would never be able to defend themselves. We were seized with fear and terror, but the man commanded the animals and they all disappeared again. And the man said: 'If necessary, I could call together even larger herds of these warriors. However, now you have seen and experienced enough to see how a true man is lord over the whole nature and its powers, and thus I will let you go back now in peace from where you have come.'
20
One of us still asked him whether he could not give us some hints, so that also one of us, living according to them, could come on the way for the attainment of this true human dignity.
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The man said: 'That will be difficult for you who are already too full of the whole world and the temptation of its enticing pleasures, and have no knowledge whatsoever of the One, only true God. Because the most important is the knowledge of the One true God, and through that to know yourself and, through the spirit out of God, the laws which you have to keep strictly in order to come to the inner true life. But then you must seriously break with the whole world and its idle sensual pricks, and this will be very difficult for you, considering your accustomed way of life.
22
But within a not too long future, also awakened teachers from Asia will be coming and will let you know the only true God and His laws. Listen to them, believe, have a deeper understanding and act accordingly, then also you will be set on the right way by which you can at least advance to a state where after you have shed your body you can, at least as souls, attain to the true life's perfection. Now I have told you all that is useful to you. Go in peace from here and do not ever, as worldly people, desire to enter this region. Only perfected men, and chosen by God, will in future times be allowed to do so unpunished.'
23
When the remarkable man had said that, we could not stay any longer, because a mysterious force grabbed us and was pushing us back irresistibly, so that we could not even look back at the region where we had met, seen and had spoken with the extraordinary man, and by that we reached the ancient city of Memphis already in the early morning of the following day. It is understandable that this event greatly occupied our minds during the entire long journey back."