The Great Gospel of John
Volume 8
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and His adversaries
- Chapter 78 -
The importance of an example.
Marcus, the Roman, and also Agricola said unanimously: "Lord and Master, we have well understood it and we perceive also that the clearing up of the mentioned haze of the love for the world must with every human being be an absolute necessary condition, for otherwise he never can truly and really enter Your Kingdom conclusively in himself. But we think that this haze of worldly love, which remains tenaciously in place between the sight of the soul and the Kingdom of God, might be difficult to wipe away, and this for extremely many reasons.
2
For sure, the Earth with its numberless many different attractions for amusement is and remains for the young, physical healthy and who is well provided with the necessities of life an all the more greater temptation, because such a person does not have the slightest idea of the inner glorious things of the Kingdom of God that has only barely germinated in him and that he could not receive from his worldly education, no matter how moral it may be.
3
Now, when one should say to such a person that he should not attach so much importance to all the beauties of the Earth because such earthly love hides as a thick haze the glory of the higher and eternal Kingdom of God and will hide it from the eyes of his soul, will he then not say: 'Then show me those glories, then I will turn my back on those of this Earth'? Now how can we wipe away that worldly haze with such a person who is finally also right in his own way?
4
But then, these are still maybe people of the worldly good kind, and we can well imagine that a tree does not fall down with one blow, no matter how sharp the axe may be - and with time comes also advice. But there are also a lot of people who are in every respect dependant on their worldly position. Firstly, the priesthood is part of it, then the largely branched group of government officials and finally the mostly still very rude soldiers. With all these many legions of people - actually the vast majority of it - the haze of worldly love is definitely a dark mass. How can this be wiped away? We do not want to talk here about the servants and slaves, who are also human beings, but who usually have a very low level of general education. The wiping away of the haze of worldly love - which still will have to happen first - will already be a hard job for most Jews. How difficult will it be for other nations on Earth. Since this first job - no matter how difficult it may be - is very important, we ask You, o Lord and Master, to explain further to us how we should proceed to avoid working in vain.
5
I said: "My dear friends, the fact that this work is not easy and will cost a lot of efforts and sacrifices before the desired result will be visible, I know best of all, but I give you also the means and the necessary help to achieve this on the right places as good as I am doing this now with you - and I cannot give you more than I have Myself. On the right hour and the right time, My Spirit will show you fully clearly what you have to do to achieve that which is necessary for receiving God's Kingdom.
6
By that, people will become aware what is lacking and failing to them, and then they will make effort in many ways to reach that which they surely will notice to you. For I also say in your language: exempla trahunt . For if someone will notice to you what it means to possess God's Kingdom, then he surely will come and ask: 'How did you actually achieve that?' And look, then it also will be easy for you to speak, and then these hazes will soon be illuminated by your words and deeds, just as yours are by My words and deeds.
7
But that you now already directly in about 1 year or even in 1 day have to equalize all mountains and hills with the valleys, I am not asking from you at all. It is sufficient that each one of you with his own good and reasonable will, does only that what he can do. For the rest I will take care Myself. I surely will not ask more from you than I can do Myself - taking into account the free will of men. Or should it not be foolish of a strong father to demand from his still weak children that they would carry much heavier loads than he can carry himself? I say to you - and you will experience it yourselves - that the yoke that I have put on you is soft and the load is easy to carry.
8
But despite that, the world will resist to leave its false light behind, and at the time when the light from the Heavens will already be accepted by a lot of people, it will fight heavily against the penetration of the pure heavenly light, and then much innocent blood will be shed. But finally God's Kingdom will obtain the victory forever, and all the false light of the world will go down and loose all value, like false gold and silver in the eyes of the expert.
9
But when people can also experience joy at the beautifully adorned Earth, I have never forbidden, if by that they always will think of the One who has made the Earth and adorned it so beautifully, for this will be uplifting for their heart and mind. For he who looks at the works of God with the right eyes, may also enjoy them with a pure joy. The friends of the beautiful nature of the Earth are certainly also better people and they are easy to make them mature for God's Kingdom.
10
But the friends of the dead treasures of the Earth - the friends of its Mammon - are difficult to bring to a better light. You can see this with the Pharisees, many other rich Jews and with the many merchants, moneychangers and traders. To proclaim these people the Kingdom of God would be the same as to wash the Mores to make them white. These kinds of people are like pigs, which you never should feed with the pearls from the Heavens.
11
Because people of this kind will have to wash off their deadly sins on the bare moon, and they always will be quite some distance away from the Kingdom of God, for they will never be permitted to come into the New Jerusalem. People who are weaned from every love for God and for their fellowman, are also weaned from the Kingdom of God in themselves. So they must remain in their black apparent light. Their habitation will be on the moon, but only on that side where he turns unchangeably and immovably to the matter of this Earth.
12
What I now have said here to you is indeed something new, but it is true. Perhaps at another opportunity we will spend a few more words on that, although I do not take pleasure to waste words on pig stalls and dungeons for fools. Did you all understand this well now?"
13
All of them thanked Me for this lesson and we went again to sit at the table. We took again some bread and wine, and Matthew wrote a few things down of what he had heard.