The Earth
THE SPIRITUAL EARTH
- Chapter 63 -
Ceremonial ecclesiasticism
Where is the benefit in all the churches that are filled with idolatry, and that indicate the observance of all the different kinds of foolish self-renunciation? The most sensible thing to do would be to let the stream take its course. When it reaches the ocean it must give itself up. And it would be just as foolish to swim upwards against this stream, because the more vigorously you resist the waves, the stronger will they strike your brow. The best solution is to let the stream flow, as and whither it flows - but distance yourself in your heart from it as far as you can, and seek the secure path to pure truth.
As an individual, it would be folly to oppose something that has established itself more and more as a certain norm over the centuries. It would be like a war between one soldier against a thousand: what could one man do against so many? The same applies to anyone who would oppose a common order that has been in existence for a long time. Even if his opinions were absolutely correct, what could he do if the great majority are blind and deaf?
I never look at the exterior of a human being, but at all times only at the interior. Therefore, any honest Christian may cheerfully attend a divine service in a house of prayer; if he be with Me in his heart, no harm will come to him.
But he who is annoyed by this divine service should remain outside, because no one is forced to attend. And even if one were to be so forced, it would not be harmful, because it is nonetheless better to perform a certain devotion in a house of prayer than to go hunting or gambling on holy days, or to conduct usurious business, or to scheme intrigues, or such like.
Should you not like the sermon, then observe the verses of the Gospel that have been read. You will gain enough to enable you to reach eternal life, if only you follow the few verses properly. Therefore you lose nothing when you enter a house of prayer, where you may still find something that reminds you of Me. But he that renounces himself out of mere hate towards such idolatry does not gain anything better, but usually something worse. This leads Me to the question: Of what benefit will it be to you?
In My lifetime on Earth, the temple at Jerusalem was solely a temple of idolatry. It was by no means a house of God. Yet I, as Jehovah, prohibited no one from visiting the temple or making his offering. I Myself frequently preached in the temple, and there forgave the adulteress her sins. My students were never prohibited from visiting the temple. Why should anyone here be annoyed at going into a house of prayer? If one enters a house of prayer truly in My name, then I will be with him. And as long as I remain there, he should be able to remain there.
And besides that, no one should summon lightning and brimstone from Heaven until I hurl it. I know best when it will be needed.
As long as it please the majority of human beings to support this ecclesiasticism under all kinds of circumstances, that is how long it will last. He who finds these pompous ceremonies pleasing may continue to remain with them, and he will also continue to be a fool.
Whosoever seeks Me sincerely will also find Me. I will accept him, and I will prefer him to a whole world of fools. The reason I do not do much about these things is because of the general circumstances, and why I allow them to occur is a sign for you that these things are of very little importance to Me.
Since there are, however, some individuals who love Me above all, such human beings mean more to Me than the whole world. I will let such individuals revel in all the fullness of My grace, and I will offer the dregs to the world in her folly. One human being means much more to Me than a whole world full of fools. How often has the grass been mowed on some meadows? How is that possible? Because the grass grows again. This also applies to humans on Earth who are fools and want to remain fools.