The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Second day in Sychar
- Chapter 92 -
The Lord and Matthew. A proper order always is helpful - examples in washing and gathering up of stones from the field. About God's omniscience. The guidance of men. About guardian spirits. 'God is love!' About the relationship of God as purest love, and men. Exhortation to departure for Capernaum.
When Matthew had finished his several verses the day after I had healed the nobleman's son from Capernaum, he showed Me his work, which I commended, as it was concise and to the point. But after packing his writing utensils he comes to Me asking how much writing material he shall need at Capernaum. If he is to keep more tablets unpacked then it should be easier to remove them from the main pack now rather than at Capernaum!
2
Say I, ' The four shall suffice, but I nevertheless have to make you aware of a small error in the ordering of your things! Basically there is not much to it, but since with Me everything has to have its proper order, it is unwise of you to first tie up your pack and ask Me only afterwards how many tablets you shall need. Had I now said, 'You shall need five at Capernaum, then you would now have had to untie the entire pack for just one tablet, which would have caused you unnecessary effort. But, prompted by My secret inspiration, you had to keep the exact number out and thereby save yourself the effort of re-opening the pack. But as I remarked already, there is not much to it, but often the advantage of the right order in all things, even if seeming ever so trivial, can be of great benefit.
3
Behold, if someone washes in the morning, at midday and evening, starting with his face and only then the hands, then he won't get his face clean so soon, because going over same with dirty hands; but washing the hands first he shall be finished with his face more quickly, by rubbing it with clean hands.
4
A man with a stony field cleared same with much effort, but he kept the following good order: first he gathered the largest stones, stacking them out of the field in a rectangular pile; this he did with the smaller stones also and so on down to ten different piles holding stones of similar size.
5
Neighbours who saw him do it and who had cleared their fields by just tossing all their stones into one ordinary heap remarked, 'Look at the fool fussing with his stones!'
6
But a builder passed by the road adjacent to his field. Seeing the ten regular heaps he went to the man whom his neighbours called a fool and bought the stones off him for forty silver groshen; because in this order he was able to use them straight away. When the neighbours saw it they came up and said, 'Sir, why didn't you come to us? Behold, we have similar stones and would have given them to you for just a few groshen, whereas here you paid forty silver groshen for the same stones!' - But the builder said, 'Your stones I would have to first sort out, which would take much work, time and effort; but these here are already sorted, just as I need them now, and so I rather overpay for these than accept yours free!' Thereupon the neighbours of course started sorting their stones, but it was too late! Because the builder had enough with those he bought from the first, and these neighbours went to much effort for nothing!
7
Hence always keep the best order in all things! When someone then comes with an offer he is sure to always go for the best order. A later effort is often and many a time in vain! Do you follow this picture?'
8
Says Matthew, 'O Lord, how should I not understand it? Is it not as bright and clear as the midday sun?
9
But only one thing I would still like to find out from You, how was it possible for You to know that I shall require four tablets at Capernaum? Because divine omniscience still is the greatest puzzle to me! Sometimes You know everything and arrange Your ways without asking anyone, yet at other times You ask and act like one of us, as if You did not know what happened or will happen! How come? Lord, please give me a little light on this!'
10
Say I, 'Friend! I would very much like to reveal this thing to you, but you could not grasp it; therefore let us leave it! But a time shall soon come when you shall easily grasp and comprehend such secrets.
11
But this much I can say to you for now, that although God can know anything He likes in spite of man's freedom of will, yet when He chooses not to know, so that man would act freely, then He will also not know. Do you understand that?!'
12
Says Matthew, 'Lord, if so then man's life on earth is most dangerous indeed! Which moderately knowledgeable person does not know the many enemies which confront poor mankind everywhere with all sorts of adversities, causing man's demise therewith?! If without knowing so You permit this to go on just like that, then the health of the soul should fare badly!'
13
Say I, 'Not quite as badly as you think! Because firstly everyone shall be living in accordance with his beliefs and loves; and secondly man is free to at any moment call upon God for protection, and God shall turn His countenance towards him who pleads and help him in every adversity!
14
Besides, everyone has been assigned a guardian angel anyway who has to guide him from his birth to his grave. Such a guardian angel always influences a person's conscience and only begins to keep further and further away from his ward when the latter, guided by his self-love, has voluntarily relinquished all faith and all love for his neighbour.
15
Thus man on this earth is by far not as forsaken as you think, for everything depends on his free will and actions whether he wishes to be supervised and guided by God or not. If he wishes it, God will wish it too; but if he does not wish it, he is absolutely free as far as God is concerned and God does not take any further notice of him, except that he receives what according to universal order every natural man is destined to have as the natural life and what is needed to support it. But that is as far as God will and can go with such a person because of his inviolable freedom. Only when a man with his heart's free will seeks and implores Him, God will always come to meet such a man on the shortest possible way, provided he seeks and prays in downright earnest.
16
But if a person only seeks and prays tentatively in order to convince himself whether where God and His promises are concerned there is anything to it, he will not be considered by God or his prayer granted. For GOD IS IN HIMSELF THE PUREST LOVE and looks only upon those who come to Him in their heart's pure love and seek Him for His own sake, wish to learn to know Him with gratitude as their Creator and have the fervent wish to be guarded and guided by Him personally.
17
Oh, as concerns those who come to God in this way, He knows every moment only too well how things are with them, and He teaches and guides them personally in everything. However, of those who will have nothing to do with God He certainly does not take any notice.
18
And when once in the beyond they will be standing before God, calling fervently and saying: "Lord, Lord!", God will answer them: "Out of My sight, you strangers, for I have never known you!". And such souls will then have to suffer and struggle considerably until they will be able to approach God as recognised by Him. Do you now understand this?'
19
Says Matthew, 'Yes Lord, this I understand now quite well, plainly and clearly. But should I not at once record this great teaching, which ought to and must greatly encourage men to constantly search for and pray to God, that He would guide and lead them along the right paths?'
20
Say I, 'No, My dear friend and brother, because man would never grasp such teaching in its right and living fullness! Hence you need not record it, except perhaps at a later stage - for yourself or a few brethren.
21
But now, if you all are ready to continue our journey to Capernaum, then let's be on our way! Whoever will, let him follow us, but whoever prefers to stay, let him stay! I must go there, as there is much misery there, as well as in the small towns around the lake, which is a Galilean sea.'