THE GREAT GOSPEL OF JOHN
VOLUME 5
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus in the region of Caesarea Philippi. (cont.) Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 16
- Chapter 12 -
On bossiness.
Say I: "Yes, My very dear friend, it will be very difficult for Me, to admit that you or your companions, who have a different opinion, are correct! Imagine a pole that sticks somewhat loosely in the ground; in order for it to firmly hold something, it has to be beaten firmly into the ground. Two somewhat unskilled carpenters still young in their profession come along and one of them, who considers himself more competent, says to his companion, 'Brother, our craftsmanship is equal, to be sure; nevertheless, give me the mallet so that I can strike the staff's head first because I am very good at hitting the nail right on the head!' "'Fine', says the other, 'let us see how capable you are to accurately hit the nail's head!' Thereupon, the first one takes the mallet and strikes hard. He hits the staff but only grazing it on the left side, which in no way made the staff more stable. His fellow laughs and says, 'Give me the mallet back; the staff will never stick in the ground firmer than before with such treatment of its head!' The one who did not hit the staff on its head says, 'Here, take the mallet and try your luck!' This one also strikes hard, however, does not hit the nail's head either, but grazes it on the right side. A quarrel starts between them about who had taken the best strike. It is understandable that they do not agree with each other easily; when two people start quarreling, the quarrel will not end until a stronger and more skillful person comes along and shows the two who are quarreling how to hit the nail right on its head. After that the two can also do it; but without the third person, the two would have just quarreled for a while about which strike had been better and whether the strike on the left was better than the one on the right.
2
You see, it is exactly the same with your dispute, and ultimately I must be the third one, who will put an end to your wisdom quarrel by hitting the nail on its head in front of you; otherwise on the way you could come to a bloody fight on whether the imperfect strike on the left was better than the equally imperfect strike on the right!
3
Thus neither you nor your companions have found the truth regarding the performed miracle and whether a spiritually perfect person could perform such a miracle, but have just grazed that truth left and right!
4
That I will hit the nail right on its head is certain; but before I take the certain strike for you, you must go to your companions and tell them that neither the left nor the right opining party is right, but that each has barely grazed the truth. First you must settle the fact that you do not know and understand anything in this matter. Only then come back and I will tell you what is true and right to know and think in this matter!"
5
Thereupon, the black leader goes to his companions and tells them everything. These, however, say quite smartly, "It is quite good that the Lord Himself has given us this advice because it is good not only for now but for all future times. How often did it happen among us that one judged a matter one way, a second another way and a third even more differently! Which of the three had the correct judgment consistent with the complete truth? Not one had hit the staff on its head, often probably barely grazed it! It had to be decided by a common council and by the majority of votes who was right in their assessment of a matter or action; and it certainly often happened that the majority of votes acknowledged as being right exactly the one who had struck farthest from the staff. How many unnecessary spats would have been hindered if we had received such wise advice from someone back then! But we did not have this holy advice and got into strife and discord only because each one of us wanted to be the wisest one.
6
But it had its good part because this constant squabble has increasingly awakened our thirst for the pure truth. Without it we surely would have never chosen you, Oubratouvishar, as our guide; but without you we would have never come to Memphis, and without Memphis less likely ever here where now we can hear the purest truth from the one who is the eternal source of all life, all existence and all things. Go and give our dearest gratitude for the godly, wisest advice given to all of us, advice that we want to honor and will honor most actively and truthfully in our actions from descendant to descendant. No strife about it among individual brothers!"