The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord's journey through Samaria
- Chapter 55 -
The splendor on the table during the morning meal.
After I had finished this explanation, the innkeeper came with his healed son to tell us that the morning meal would soon be put excellently prepared on the table. And at the same time he asked Me very respectfully for advice to know what he should do, because his wife and children were continuously bothering him to tell them who I am and from where I came, since I was able to make the blind eye of his son completely healthy again without any other helping means. He, as well as his son did not want to betray Me because I forbad them.
2
But I said: "Since I quickly will continue My way after the morning meal, you can then reveal to them who I am and from where I came, because if you would tell them now directly, My presence would soon be known in the whole city, and then you will really be in trouble because of the crowding of the people in your house. After My departure you still will have a lot to do with the curious ones. How much more would that be the case now while I am still present."
3
The innkeeper and his son were completely satisfied with this and he left to take care of the morning meal.
4
It was immediately put on the table in silver platters, as well as the wine in big silver cups. My platter and cup of wine were made of the purest gold, and I asked the innkeeper why he did this, since I am never pleased with such earthly splendor.
5
And he bowed deeply before Me and said (the innkeeper): "O Lord and Master, it is true that I know that You are never pleased with such things, and that, when we honor and praise You, that You are only pleased when it is done with a heart that is filled with pure love, but in me You have already found someone who has honored and praised You above all in his heart and who from now on wants to honor and praise You even more in this manner. And I thought that I would commit a sin if I would not also give You, as the highest Lord of Heaven and Earth, the honor in the way that is already given to men who are of a certain esteem.
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For You have created the whole Earth with everything that it contains, and thus also its gold and silver. And so also these metals - which have been recognized by men for already a long time as the most noble and thus also the most valuable - are testifying of Your love, wisdom, might, greatness and honor. And therefore, in my simplicity, I think that it is better that You as Creator of also the gold and the silver should be honored in our human manner with these metals, instead of committing a shameful usury with it or for its sake to wage the most bloody wars and to call out as from Hell a thousandfold calamity over poor humanity."
7
I said: "Yes, yes, you are of course right in this. If all men would think the same as you, and their heart would have the same attitude, then gold, silver, pearls and all costly precious stones would not bring them disaster. But because men consider it important to honor God with gold, silver, pearls and precious stones they begin to think quite differently and have thus also soon a different attitude, and so it would be very unwise from God if He would let Himself be honored with that which caused the most and greatest disasters among people at all times.
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Also the patriarchs of the Earth thought like you, and they honored God before golden and silver altars and performed their honoring prayers of praise in temples that were richly adorned with gold, silver and all kinds of precious stones, as you can see in the temple in Jerusalem. But what was the result of that? Look, precisely by that the mentioned metals, pearls and precious stones became extremely precious in the imagination of the people.
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When finally they estimated a too high value to these things with witch they worshipped God, they began to delve more and more into the ground to search for gold, silver, and pearls and precious stones. By that they slowly forgot God and thought that they would already highly honor God and receive enormous merciful gifts when they could lay in His honor a big piece of gold, silver or a lot of precious stones on the altar.
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But since all men were not so capable to find what is mentioned to please God, they asked the patriarchs - who were also priests at the same time - how many sheep, cows, oxen or also calves and bulls they had to offer God instead of so and so much gold and silver to please Him as much as the one who offers pure gold and silver to God.
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Then the elders and priests noticed very soon that it was easily possible and also more or less harmless to combine a profitable business with religion, and that it was also very useful to religiously uplift and reassure the people. And so the priests began to weigh the gold, silver, pearls and precious stones and to determine their value according to the number of several animals, and later also according to the amount of grain, fruits, good construction wood, wine, dress materials and also a lot of other things.
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Through this, originated the exchange dealings and the illicit trade, the evil usury money changing, then envy, hatred, anger, persecution, lying, cheating, lewdness and earthly splendor, importance, superiority, pride and contempt among the people, since they did not measure their value anymore according to their inner soul's nobleness, but only to the weight of the gold and silver, pearls and precious stones, to the extent of the flocks, fields and vineyards and the greater possession of still other things.
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That the poor were envious of the rich and began to reduce their riches by all kinds of tricks, and that it did not take long before theft, robbery and murder came soon after that, is obvious, because when materialism prevails more and more, the spiritual goes to ruin, and finally God will become for men an old, worn-out, insignificant and useless concept whom they cannot imagine anymore. Then total godlessness and through that, all imaginable evils are common for everyone in the most unscrupulous way. Men take up arms, and a part of the people, who think that they are better, try to subdue the evil part with violence, and when this succeeds, there will be laws upon which are the most severe punishments when they are not observed. And this is how dictators - and opposite of them the slaves - arise on Earth.
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Look, all this is the result when men use the gold, the silver, the pearls and the precious stones for no matter what outer worship, thinking that these things are the most pure and most noble matter.
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What concerns the outer worship and glorification of God, this has already been taken care of by God Himself since eternity, because that is why He created Heaven and the whole visible nature, this whole Earth, the moon, the sun and the numberless stars that are celestial bodies of such magnitude that can hardly be spoken out, and that are full of light and the most beautiful things, and little creatures on their very big and vast plains and fields, and this is sufficient for the outer glorification of the great God and Master over everything since eternity, and thus He does not need gold and silver, no pearls and no cut and polished stones of this Earth.
16
The only true worship and glorification that is pleasing to God consist of and should always consist of a pure heart that loves God above all and fellowman as oneself, and thus also - which is the same - by faithfully keeping the commandments that He gave to all men through Moses. All the rest is vanity and foolish, also when it is done by a pure person who is pleasing to God. It is true that God is outwardly honored by certain people like the Pharisees and the pagan priests and priestesses who worship idols, and also by apparent pious people who are servants only with the eyes, and by hypocrites while they themselves are completely not believing in Him and have never believed in Him, and this for money and other considerable offerings, but this is not only worthless to God but it is an abomination in His eyes, and this is also the case with everything that is grand and brilliant in the eyes of the world. Remember this, My friend, since you have heard it now from the mouth of the One who does not let Himself be honored and praised by no matter what kind of matter, but only by a pure heart that is completely dedicated to Him and with a dedicated will."
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Being very embarrassed the innkeeper said now: "O Lord and Master since eternity, if this honoring from me, which is also outwardly, as I can clearly see now, is not pleasing to You, then everything should immediately be arranged differently."
18
I said: "Just leave everything as it is now, for the fishes are well prepared and will this time also taste us well in golden and silver platters, and the wine also. But leave it out next time."
19
The innkeeper was satisfied with this, and we began to partake of the morning meal.