The Great Gospel of John
Volume 8
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and His adversaries
- Chapter 98 -
The watchfulness of the soul.
When Marcus had spoken these words, a fiery red glow coming from behind a mountain became visible.
2
All asked Me what it was and for the meaning of it.
3
But I said: "Friends, it is hardly worth to pay the least of attention to such very common natural appearance. At the back of that mountain that is not so high, shepherds have gathered today a pile of dry wood and they set fire to it now because it is already quite dark, and this is now burning and will soon be completely burned up. That is the meaning of this appearance."
4
Agricola said: "There is truly not much in it for the salvation of men."
5
I said: "That certainly not, but the Pharisees have also noticed this fire from Jerusalem and certainly know how to conclude all kinds of meanings from it. Over those hills, travelers are on their way to Tyre who will visit Jerusalem on their way back, and by them the Pharisees will again be contradicted, what still will be the best effect of this appearance.
6
But in the house our female cooks are now ready with the evening meal. This night will not give us many more interesting things to see, let us therefore go into the house and partake of the evening meal."
7
I just had said that when a servant came from the house to tell us that the evening meal was prepared. We went then also immediately into the house, went to sit at the table and took the well-prepared fish, as well as the bread and the wine. Everybody was cheerful because I also was cheerful.
8
Mary of Magdalon told Mary and Martha different stories about the temple servants, and how they made many efforts to seduce her and to have her on their side, and what kind of great presents they had brought to her. However she thought: 'the poor will well need that', and so she simply and solely had given in to the temple servants for the sake of the poor. But even this way of letting her to be seduced to sin had a bad effect on her, because shortly after that, she became possessed by 7 evil spirits, and she really had a lot to endure and to suffer from them. And she still related about many things of the time of her suffering and also how I had set her free from those evil spirits, at which occasion she again had turned to Me in all love, with all the earnestness of her heart.
9
But I calmed her down and told her that she now should eat and drink.
10
On this, Marcus asked Me again if the evil spirits who had been driven out from this woman, were also of the same kind as those from Illyria.
11
I said: "Most surely, because only such still extremely materialistic spirits, or rather souls, will do this when they receive the opportunity for it. And how such opportunities can exist, I have shown you, as far as this was necessary for you to know. We will therefore not talk about this further, for I wanted to have more rest here than was the case on the Mount of Olives. But see, I had been busier with all of you here than on any other day on the Mount of Olives. But this does not matter now, for as long as it is day, one should also work. Only later when the night comes and the darkness, when never a good work can be done, one can take rest. But whoever will sleep at night should not sleep too deeply, so that he can hear when maybe thieves are breaking into his house, trying to appropriate the possession of the deep sleeper."
12
Now Peter said: "Lord and Master, when in the evening, one happens to be very sleepy because of the often hard work, then it surely is very difficult to watch over oneself during the sleep. How can be taken care of that?"
13
I said: "Of course not as you have understood it, but no matter how deeply the body of a human being sleeps, then still his strong soul in Me is watching, and he will surely awaken the body when this is necessary.
14
And I have said this now to you so that all of you will keep your soul pure, for an impure soul is finally just as materialistic as his body and cannot watch over it, since also the spirit who is in the soul cannot watch over him when he is firmly asleep, because then the soul cannot and does not want to notice anything of its influence."
15
Now Thomas said: "Lord and Master, we know very well that our soul is still by far not pure enough, but what should we do in order to take care that they will become so pure that You can be satisfied and glad about it?"
16
I said: "Well, this I already have told and shown you very often. Always act accordingly, then the fire of your love for God and your fellowman will soon give your souls everything that is still lacking to them. When I will be ascended and will pour out My Spirit over you, then also your souls will be pure like pure gold, but until then you should endure in full love and real patience."
17
With that the disciples were satisfied and they did not ask Me anything further that evening.