The Childhood of Jesus
The Gospel of James
Biographical Gospel of the Lord
- Chapter 64 -
Joseph Counts God's Love As Man's Greatest Wealth
WHEN JAMES had finished his story, Joseph said to him,
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'Yes, so it is and has always been and will always be - one must love God more in the least of His works than all the splendors of the world!
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For what after all can all the gaudy splendors of the world give a human soul?
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David himself had to flee before his own son, and Solomon finally had to bitterly taste the displeasure of the Lord because he strove too much after the splendors of the world.
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Now God gives us new life with every second, so why should we not love Him more in the least of His works than all the world, which passes away and is filled with carrion and rubbish!
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And we are all convinced among ourselves that this our Baby is from above and is called God's Son.
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He is therefore no trifling part of God, and it is also but reasonable that we love Him more than all the world.
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Look at the pagan Cyrenius. It is not because of us that he is kind to us, but because of the Baby, for his heart tells him that according to his concepts a most high Deity stands in closest contact with this our Child, which is why he fears and loves Him.
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Now if a pagan does this, how much more then must we do so, who fully know whence this Baby came and who His Father is!
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Therefore all our attention should be directed toward this Baby at all times, for the Child is more than we and all the world!
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Take an example from me also, and see how many sacrifices I, an old man, have already made for this God-Child!
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But I made them freely and with great love, because I love God more than all the world.
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Now did we ever lose anything on account of that? - Oh, no! We have still gained after each sacrifice!
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All of you therefore do and think the same and you will never lose anything, but only gain greatly at all times!
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Besides, this Child is anyhow of such a gentle nature that it is truly a joy to be with Him.
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Only very rarely does He cry. He has never been sick, and when one coaxes Him, He looks about so blithely and cheerfully and smiles at every human being in such a cordial way that one is touched to tears by Him.
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And now that He also has wondrously begun to speak all at once, one could just overwhelm Him from sheer love!
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Therefore, my children, consider well who this Baby is, and be sure to tend and take care of Him with all possible care!
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For otherwise He could fittingly punish you if, as our greatest wealth, you should value Him less than all the meaningless follies of the world.
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These words brought all the five sons to tears, and all arose from the table and gathered around the crib of the Child.
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At this the Baby looked at His brothers in a most friendly way, blessed them and said, 'Oh brothers, become as I am if you want to be eternally happy!' And the brothers wept and ate nothing that evening.