The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in Kis at the Sea of Galilee
- Chapter 127 -
About eating different kinds of flesh and fruits.
Then the Indo-Jews asked Me if a Jew was allowed in case of necessity - as was the case in their country, and if they are well prepared - to eat the flesh of also other, not really unclean animals, which are not mentioned in the book of Moses that they are fit for human consumption.
2
And I explained it to them and said that in case of necessity the flesh of almost every animal can be eaten, but without blood, and every animal should be prepared in its own manner, as I had extensively described on other occasions.
3
And Kisjona and the Indo-Jews were very glad that I had in a certain way abolished the old rules of Moses regarding the eating of flesh.
4
However, this was somehow strange to the 7 Pharisees, and the scribe said: "Lord and Master, You certainly are the only One who have the undisputable right to give laws to men and to abolish them also as You please. But still, it is also written that the one who twitches one law, violates the whole law, because one law is the foundation of the other law, and thus also of all laws. How should we understand this?"
5
I said: "If it was not a matter of conscience to you to abolish almost all the rules of Moses and put instead of that your worldly and selfish laws, while you were never Lord and Master who possesses all power in Heaven and on Earth, then how can you ask Me if the law has not been twitched if I advice and allow you in case of necessity under certain conditions of preparation to eat the flesh of also other animals that Moses did not allow the Jews to eat?
6
That which comes into man through the mouth by a correct and efficient preparation to alleviate his hunger will never spoil him, but that which comes from the heart out of the mouth, clothed in words or thoughts - like lies, malicious slander, perjury, dirty and obscene language, cursing, gossip, violation of someone's honor, temptation to harlotry and adultery, and seductive speeches for all kinds of sins and vices - that is what really spoils the whole man. But that which comes into man by a good and efficient preparation as food for the body, and which also is removed from the body through the natural way, that, as already said, does not spoil man.
7
But I still did not say that you should do it that way, but only that you can do it in this and that way in case of necessity, and by that I did not abolish any rule of Moses.
8
Did not David, the man after God's heart, take the show breads that apart from the high priest no one was allowed to eat, and satiated himself with it when he was hungry? Did he abolish Moses by that?
9
If you want to be My disciples, then let in future not your heart be seized anymore by such senseless thoughts, and finally be completely captured by them."
10
When the 7 heard what I said, they realized their blindness, thanked Me for this clarification and did not ask Me such things anymore.
11
Our Samaritans who also listened to all this with great attention and who were strict followers of the Mosaic teaching, did at first not agree among themselves that I allowed the 4 Indo-Jews to also eat the flesh of other animals, being prepared in such and such way, but when they heard what I replied to the blind question of the 7 temple servants who had changed their clothes, they agreed with Me and praised My wisdom among each other.
12
The chief spokesman said: "Now we have heard from His mouth what can be done in case of necessity, without committing a sin. What He says to this or that person is also valid for us, similar to the laws of Moses, which are actually not exclusively given to the Israelites but to all men on Earth, and to which every human being should conform himself when he really comes to know them. And now we have heard from His mouth what someone can and may do in case of necessity regarding the nourishment of his body, and we will also conform ourselves to that in case of necessity.
13
Of course our rabbi's will not be very pleased with that and they will shake their head because they teach that a real orthodox Jew must rather pine away than to satiate himself with an unclean food that is not, according to Moses, blessed by God. But by these words of the Lord, the old nonsense will have to give way for the most pure understanding, which lightens up as a morning sun from these words, and every intelligent Samaritan will therefore praise the love and wisdom of the Lord his life long.
14
Now if only someone would ask the Lord if in times of need, also the different fruits and herbs and roots that the soil often produces in great quantities, may be eaten when they are prepared in a certain manner, in order to satisfy his hunger with that."
15
When the Samaritan had spoken out this wish, Kisjona had the idea to ask Me concerning the different herbs and fruits of the trees and the soil - which kind of these, apart from those that were used until then, could be used to nourish men in case of necessity, and how these had to be prepared.
16
And I named the herbs, the roots and also the fruits of the trees, and many shrubs and also various beans, and showed them also in clear wordings how all that should be planted, gathered and stored up, and finally how all that should be prepared and can be savored by men, for which they all could not thank Me enough.