The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 250 -
The Wages Of The World
JONATHAN now took ten of the best fish and gave them to his cook to be quickly prepared.
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Then he assisted his helpers in bringing the catch partly into barrels and partly into the smoke shed.
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In a quarter of an hour the fish were ready to eat, and all members of Joseph's family went to partake of the morning meal.
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When the meal was completed it was already close to noon, and Joseph announced,
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'Now we must lose no time in getting home.
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And you, brother Jonathan, will accompany me and will spend the day at my house.'
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And Jonathan, full of joy in his heart, replied,
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'Oh brother, there is nothing I would rather do, for you know that I love you beyond measure!'
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Thereupon Jonathan again took three large casks full of the choicest fish and in an exuberant frame of mind went to the villa with Joseph and his family.
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When they arrived there, they were greatly surprised to see that all of the burned-out citizens were gone,
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and that the house stood there quite empty with all its doors open.
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At this Joseph said, That is not a good sign;
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for thieves appear to have been active here! They are the sort who flee when they have robbed a house, while an honest man remains.
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Go inside, my sons, and see whether anything is left in the house, and then come and tell me!'
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And the four sons went and searched the house and found it to be completely plundered with the exception of the livestock in the stable.
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The larder was also empty, and not a penny was to be found in the money chest.
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Since the four sons found matters to be in this state, they became very sad and returned and made all this known to Joseph.
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Here Joseph became angry at the baseness of people who for charities reward their benefactors with this sort of gratitude.
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And he declared grimly, 'Truly, if it were in my power to punish such infamous rabble in a way that would hurt them most, I would immediately let fire rain from heaven on the heads of such thieves!'
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Here the little Child went over to Joseph and said: 'Now, now, father Joseph, you are very severe today!
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The thieves have after all still left you Me, so how can you be so very angry with them?
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See, the thieves have only benefited your house very greatly in that they have thus made it clean!
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'For truly, where in the future a house (the heart of man) is not thus cleansed, I shall not move into it!
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This house is now purified from all worldly dross, and thus I like it very well!
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For to begin with, it is open in all of its closets and rooms,
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and secondly it is fully cleansed and thus is now quite suited for My entry; so do not be angry with the thieves, that their sin may not become greater!'
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Joseph and all the others took these words to heart, and the little Child finally asserted:
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'See, all mankind acts toward Me like these burned-out thieves toward this house, but I still do not let fire rain from heaven.
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And in like manner do none of you curse those who do evil for good, so you will be true children of the one Father in heaven!' - These words completely becalmed Joseph, and he went into his house in good spirits.