The Great Gospel of John
Volume 8
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and His adversaries
- Chapter 153 -
The Lord teaches the Romans.
On this I said: "Friend, I surely know best of all how bad things are in Rome and its countries elsewhere, and I also have shown you these bad conditions with the purpose that you should - wherever such things are still happening - keep the young people who were entrusted to you far away from it. But in Rome there are still people who just like you feel no pleasure in all those abominations and who are despising them. And those should no more be miraculously fertilized beforehand so that My Word can take root in them, for they are already fertilized for that.
2
But those who are still attached to the old, bad manners and customs cannot, no matter how, be made more mature and receptive for My teaching by any preceding miraculous fertilization. For them something totally different must come in order to wake them out of their intoxication. Of this will also be taken care of at the right moment and the right place.
3
But already now, several people who still adhere strongly to the old, bad festivities and the wild, warlike amusement of the people will begin to distance themselves from it when they will come to speak with you about what you have heard, seen and experienced here.
4
But in order not to let you Romans return to Rome without the miraculous fertilizer that was desired by you for the sowing of My teaching, I will, as a result of your strong faith in Me, give you the power to heal all sick and crippled people by the laying on of hands, which will give great power and effect to your words.
5
However, with the power that I have given you now, you certainly should not boast about it, and do not let people admire or honor you for that, but tell and show those who are healed to whom they actually owe their healing, and to whom actually all honor, praise and thanks are due. I give you this power from the might of My will for free. Therefore, heal the people who need your help for free also.
6
And I give you this power in such increased manner, so that you also can heal the people who are far away at no matter what distance, if you, in thoughts and with a firm faith and firm will, will lay hands upon them in My name.
7
Provided with this power, you will - if you will use it wisely - bring many people who are in the dark, to believe in the only true God. By that, you will bring them to the light of life and to the full truth, and consequently bring also their souls to eternal life.
8
But do not participate in the many old, heathenish stupidities, not even for the sake of outer appearance, because watching it would only fill your heart with anger and embitter it towards the fools of the world, and if the heart is filled with gall it will not benefit the soul.
9
Always remember that the greatest power and might of the spirit in man reveals itself in love, patience, meekness and mercy, wherein it reveals itself in great activity, for if you cannot bring a fool on the right track with love and patience, you will even less accomplish it with anger and rage. Although it is also necessary that now and then, where it is needed, one has to act with the right seriousness, but behind this seriousness, love should always lighten up in the garment of the true good will. If this is not the case, then seriousness is nothing else than a blind and useless noise, which leads to much more harm than advantage.
10
But where you will easily notice at first sight that one or the other person or also a number of people are too firmly and too deeply buried in all kinds of idolatrous stupidities of the world and who have no ear and even less a heart for the voice of the truth, then turn away from them and do not associate with them, except if such a fool would come to you to listen to one of you, or if something is wrong with him and he seeks your help. If this happens, then show him in wise and understandable words his stupidities, and if he has accepted that, give him then also the help he asked for. But give him, together with the help, the admonition that from then on he should not persevere in the old stupidity and its sins, because his affliction will become still much worse a second time than the first time for which you have helped him. If you will always follow this advice of Mine, you easily will be able to work and act in My name and you will also richly reap the best fruits of life.
11
Once you will have educated good disciples yourself in My name, you can also lay hands on them. Then they will also by that perceive the power in themselves, which I have already given to you now by My will.
12
But I want to point out to you once more that neither one of you, nor later one or the other of your disciples would ever step out of the boundaries of true love, self-control, patience, meekness and mercy, for such stepping out of the boundaries would all too soon lead to all kind of hatred, persecution and war against you. So be especially attentive to this if you do not want to sow instead of blessing, discord, offence, anger and persecution among the people.
13
It is true that in this world there still will be great discord among the people and the evil consequences thereof, just like on a field when many weeds come up between the purest wheat, but the pure wheat, although it is not flourishing that abundantly, will and has to remain pure wheat. And it always should be said of you that you did not sow weeds between the wheat on he field of life. Engrave these words of Mine very deep in your heart, then your works will be richly blessed. Have you all well absorbed all this in you?"
14
With surprised happy faces the prominent Romans said: "Yes, Lord and Master, and we thank You also with all our heart for such great mercy that You now, without daring to ask You about this, just gave this to us out of the endless fullness of Your love. And that we have now really received this power from You, we have felt deeply within us when You gave it with the almightiness of Your will, because there was as a stream of fire passing through us, and we felt immediately a mighty power of faith and will in us, so that we are now really convinced that we could immediately in Your name and with our will, level whole mountains with the valleys. And no matter how much Your power in us, which You have granted to us, may increase, we will always only make wisely use of it in case of real need insofar as You have advised us and for which You have given us this power only by Your mercy. O Lord and Master Jesus Jehovah Zebaoth. Is it well like this?"