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 133 -
The relationship of the children of God with the political laws of the state.
At this Roklus says, "But, Lord, what about the compliance with the political laws of the state? Surely one has to observe them, regardless of how much one has become one's own master!? Or can these laws be dealt with in the same manner as those of the great prophet Moses?"
2
Say I: "But, friend, how can one call rules of state laws? By law is meant only the proclaimed will of God ; your rules of state are nothing but the very changeable will of a man and can never deal with anything but the most external and material conditions of physical life. If they are good, you will approve of them and accept them with your free will; once you have done that, you have already mastered the rules of state and can no longer come under judgment because of them. But if they are bad, you have the liberty to free yourself of them and to move to where there are wiser laws or to make the legislator aware in the very gentlest way of the shortcomings of some laws and give him a correct and good advice. If he accepts the advice, you will well be able to remain; but if he in his domineering arrogance does not accept your advice, then move on! For the Earth is large and has many lands and peoples and kingdoms and kings and princes."
3
Once you are pure in your inside, then everything will also be clean; for to the clean all things are clean because he can see the reason for everything, which is to say: For the seer everything during the day is illuminated, and even the night is not lightless for a sharp seer, while to the blind everything is dark and the day has no advantage over the night for him.
4
Therefore whoever is once in the full order within, is also a lord over all disorder that can occur anywhere in the world in one way or another. But because he is a lord and in himself cannot slide into any disorder any longer, he may and can basically exist well in every political society, however it may be created and organized; for he sees clearly where he has to go.
5
I Myself am now on this Earth and subject Myself, according to My external personality, to the order prescribed by the emperor of Rome and never contradict it, not even for appearance's sake! Do I thus lose order in My innermost divine being? Oh not at all "I am who I am, unchanged, and My advice will also be accepted by those who bear the power of the ruler in their hands, and I am therefore a master and lord over them, and no one asks Me and says: Lord, why do you do that?
6
Believe Me that someone who has truly become lord over himself can also easily become lord over a whole nation; and no one will say to him: Friend, how can you do such a thing? For the people will make him into it themselves, in that they will hurry to him in droves and will seek advice. But what is a wise advisor but a wise legislator? Whoever gives these laws, however, will also be a lord over those who have received the laws from him! Or are Ouran, Mathael, My noble friend Cyrenius here, Cornelius, Faustus and Julius not rulers and commanders and have nonetheless accepted laws from Me and call Me their Lord? Why did they do that then? Because they have got to know very brightly the truth and its power and strength in Me more than enough! But what I now say and do, that and many other greater things you will also do in the near future and will thus have to bring forth quite the same effects on the whole dear Earth.
7
Certainly a decided courage is needed for this, which does not fear the death of the body; but how should he fear something that carries eternal life in the highest clarity and quite perfectly has become a lord of life in itself and must know very well that firstly those who may well kill the body are not able to do any more damage to the soul and its eternal spirit of life, and that secondly the soul makes a never pronounceable gain through losing the heavy body for ever, which all the treasures of this earth would never be able to take away!
8
But whoever sees such a thing in oneself in life's highest and deepest basic clarity, well, will he perhaps have fear of physical death?! And even if he did still, he would resemble obviously a fool who laments that he has been freed from his straitjacket and instead is clothed with the robe of the highest and most liberal freedom and clarity of eternal life! But that is not thinkable, therefore the necessary courage will also most certainly not be lacking for you at the right time.
9
Therefore, do strive above all to become perfect masters over your own self and you will also be masters over all the laws and all judgment and not subject to the curse of some foolish worldly law.
10
What you become yourself, however, make sure that all those who will learn from you the innermost order of life will become as well "then they will become your true friends and brothers and will give no other laws anymore because they like you will see that the innermost law of life replaces all the others and makes them fully useless!"