The Household of God
Volume 1
The early history of mankind
- Chapter 153 -
TRUE FELLOWSHIP BETWEEN ENOCH AND THE KNOWN ABEDAM
Following this speech by Abedam the known, all were even more amazed and no one had an answer for him.
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After a while Enoch rose, gave Abedam his hand and said:
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"Truly, most beloved brother Abedam, it would surely not be against divine order if sometimes the children rose before the wise as true preachers of wisdom and set right the various follies of the teachers who imagine themselves so extremely wise. You have now removed a great burden from my heart.
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"How happy and serene in God could I already often have been if your words had reached my ears earlier.
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"Therefore, it will remain true forever: What the Lord, our most loving Father, has withheld from the wise He gives in abundance to the weak and the children.
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"Yes, it is so true! The explorer of God is an idle offender and a great fool. He goes to no end of trouble while the little children, happily and carefree, receive from the hand of the holy Father the precious bread of the true everlasting life with joy and gratitude.
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"Oh, how great is men's folly!"
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And the known Abedam added: "And, dear brother Enoch, not to forget my foolishness. For you know how things stood with me not so long ago.
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"However, what I have now said is too obvious, brother, than that even a blind man should not have noticed it immediately.
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"Still, I am in no way a teacher to you, but only you are mine in the Lord. Amen."
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And Enoch said to Abedam: "Brother Abedam, what do you still want to learn from me? Maybe a little folly to add to your freedom?
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Look, I myself am actually like you, and not for an entire earth full of wisdom do I want to give away even the least bit of love. Therefore, I have not ever spoken a word to someone following my own vain impulse, but whenever I spoke I did this urged by the inner, divine spirit and afterwards often did not know what I had said since it was not I, but only the divine spirit speaking through my miserable mouth.
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"Look, brother, in this respect none of us has an advantage over the other. But now there is something that makes me a fool before you, and that is the fact that I often within myself pondered over the works of God and - according to your statement - rated them considerably.
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"Now tell me and judge for yourself, which of the two of us has a greater or lesser advantage over the other and is thus more entitled to be a teacher and a true example to him?
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"Earlier on the way here I have actually given you a lesson, but then I did not know you as I do now, and thus my lesson was a slight encroachment on the right of divine love. But what I then said to you was not in order to indicate to you as if I was more awakened than you, but I did it purely out of love for you. However, I now regret that I taught him who is for me a great master of humility."
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And the known Abedam replied to Enoch: "Brother, do not make me sad; I am only cheerful on the lowest rang. When you begin to raise me only a little bit, my happiness vanishes; for look, it is my nature that only the greatest lowliness gives me bliss.
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"Why should one brother elevate the other above him for no apparent reason?
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"Brothers shall remain brothers to each other. If one lacks something the other shall with his reserve hurry to his aid and vice versa, so that none of them has an advantage over the other. What is the use of it if one brother - most likely allowed by the Lord for the benefit of the brother brings out of his heart a somewhat better word and the other one because of that begins to almost idolize him?
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"So do remain my dear brother Enoch and give me as a brother always willingly from your abundance when you see that I lack something, and do not regret what you have given to your brother, - and I shall do the same. If then all will act like that it will hardly ever come to a quarrel between the brothers and I firmly believe that such an attitude among brothers has been founded deep within divine order already from eternity. And so let us remain henceforth and forever. Amen."
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Enoch was moved to tears, embraced Abedam, gave him a brotherly kiss and said:
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"Yes, brother in the Lord and all the love out of Him, you have felled a tree with one cut How simple and yet how divinely true your words are and they will remain so in eternity.
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"And so let all of us remain, not only temporally, but also eternally. Amen. "