The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Again in Kis
- Chapter 199 -
Parable of the great pearl, and of the net. Ahab's understating of the foul fishes. A good householder uses the old as well as the new.
The Lord, 'The Kingdom of heaven also is like unto a merchant who searched all the lands for good pearls. (Matt. 13:45) And he found a pearl of inestimable value, inquiring of its price, and when told, he returned to his city, sold everything he had and then went and bought the big pearl (Matt. 13:46), which in turn was of thousands-fold greater value than what he paid. Have you understood this metaphor?'
2
Say the disciples, 'Yes, Lord, this too we understand; for such merchant we all are, having left everything on Your account. You, however, to us are the big, priceless pearl.'
3
Say I, 'This parable also you have understood in all truth; for thus it is with the kingdom of heaven! But hearken unto another parable!
4
The Kingdom of Heaven yet again is like unto a net that is cast into the sea for the catching of all kinds of fish (Matt. 13:47), and when the net is full, the fishermen draw it to shore, whereupon they take out the good fish, placing them in a container, but the sick and foul they throw away! (Matt. 13:48)
5
Thus it shall also be at the end of the world! The angels shall go out and separate the wicked from the righteous (Matt. 13:49) and shall cast them into the furnace of their own wicked hearts, and there shall be great wailing and gnashing of the teeth. (Matt. 13:50), which is a true darkness of the evil soul, which shall constantly be in search but not find what will gratify its evil love. And after a while I asked the disciples, who were pensive about this metaphor; have you also understood this parable?'
6
And these said, 'Yes, Lord, this parable too we have properly understood now. It resembles the one You told at the coast of Jesaira: "He who has, to him shall be given that he may have more abundantly; but he who has not, from him shall be taken also what he has."
7
And Ahab added, 'By the sick and foul fishes I understand mainly the Pharisees and all those idle Scribes who constantly proffer their old wares, praising nature and its productiveness, but despise and persecute everything ever so brilliant that contemporaneity has to offer! These too surely would be foul and sick fishes? What is there in being a scribe and Pharisee in the brain but take oneself to be measurelessly better than other men, and to even receive sacrifices and tithes from those men, probably better brothers and sisters, yet having a hollow, stone-hard and unfeeling heart?!
8
Hence I believe that in future, he who is initiated into the kingdom of Heaven in his heart according to Your Word shall surely have to discard the old, spoilt and foul doctrinal junk of the Pharisees, laying an entirely new foundation for Your teaching; for Your teaching is wise and just, and hence diametrically opposed to that of the Pharisees.
9
Well do I know indeed that Moses and the other prophets prophesied out of Your spirit; but how distorted are they now! And since You are now here Yourself to reveal Your will to us, what for still the foul and sick Moses, as also all the prophets?!
10
Who in his heart according to You, O Lord, has actively become a learner in the Kingdom of Heaven, no longer needs a Moses and prophets!'
11
Say I, 'You are quite right in what you are saying, except for a small detail which consists in the fact that a true teacher of the law, that is one who has become a learner in the Kingdom of Heaven, must be like a wise householder who produces from his store both old and new to offer to his guests (Matt. 13:52) for their enjoyment. Or should one, when the new wine is filled into the skins, pour out the good old wine, or throw out the old grain when the new crop has been gathered into the barns? Therefore, a true teacher of the law, a learner in the Kingdom of Heaven, must know and observe the old Scripture as well as My new Word.'
12
Says Ahab, 'But surely only Moses and the prophets, excluding the no doubt partly distorted laws of the land, the empty rules of divine service, which can no longer be of any use since all of us are politically subject to the Roman laws anyway?'
13
Say I, 'That goes without saying. What has to be omitted from the ancient law for the sake of true love of one's neighbor, you find already written down. Here are now My two friends from Sychar who are witnesses to My extensive Sermon on the Mount which deals with all these things.' With this Ahab is quite satisfied.