The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 202 -
Worldliness, The Enemy Of The Inward Life
FOLLOWING THESE WORDS James also bent down to the little Child and inquired of Him,
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'Listen, my beloved Jesus, my tender little Brother! Once You become critical, it is almost impossible to put up with You!
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Would You not like to give me such a reprimand as You just gave mother Mary?
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You undoubtedly can do it - but then I shall also sulk against You because You did not invite me to the game, since I would have taken part in it with all my heart.'
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Here the little Child said, 'Oh do not be concerned, James, that I shall say anything to you -
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for your constant attentiveness to Me is well know to Me.
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Besides, we quite often share the same fate, and there you are no better off than I am.
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See, when you oftentimes go out with Me and then carry Me home again, sometimes all the way from the city when you have something to do there and then take Me with you,
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no one comes to meet us! We leave without any other company, and when we come home again, not a soul comes to receive us -
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as we went forth alone, so also do we come back alone.
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And if we now and then come a quarter of an hour too late, we get a good dressing down also.
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And when we are at home, we may not even stir if we do not want to be scuffed.
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And as much as is sometimes talked about all manner of things, say whether we are also counted among the interesting things which might be considered worthy of mention with a few words during the day.
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'But when some acquaintance from the city sends word and says: I shall visit you on Monday,
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our house already looks forward to it three days in advance and talks about it afterwards for another three days.
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And when the friend comes, everything runs to meet him, and when he leaves, he is accompanied to the door of his house.
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But when we come and go, not a cat in the house stirs.
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Instead the word is, when such a nimble-tongued city gossip comes here: James, you had better go outside now with the little Child,
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and then we promptly go outside by ourselves and may not come back until it has pleased the gossip to depart, accompanied by the entire house.
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Only when Cyrenius or Jonathan comes do we also count a little, if important considerations do not hinder it.
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So do not worry that I shall say something to you which could hurt you - for we both are truly treated the same as concerns esteem and love!
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If we do not stir during the whole day nor open our mouths, then we are well-behaved! And this well-behaved is in fact our whole reward. Are you satisfied with that? I am not!'
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When Joseph and Mary heard this, they were both afraid. But the little Child put them at ease and admonished, 'Just a little improvement in the future. The past is over and done with!' - And James wept from great joy in His heart.