The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Second Journey of the Lord: Nazareth - Cave at Bethabara (First Feeding of the People) - Mountain of Prayer - Walking on the Sea of Galilee (Peter's test of faith) - By ship to Genneseret in the bay with the same name
- Chapter 104 -
The Lord blesses Ebahl's family. Rebuking the Essenes.
Hereafter I blessed the children and the two wives as one, as they were both of one mind and heart, never arguing or bickering. After the blessing, I sent the two wives and sixteen children on their way, saying to Ebahl: "You can be well pleased with your children, for there is not a spoilt one among them, neither spiritually nor in the natural sense. All are bursting with health and have crystal pure hearts, full of piousness and obedience, whilst your two wives are still youthful of appearance. The sickly air of this place does not seem to affect your house."
2
Says Ebahl: "Indeed, for the locals, the air and water is quite harmless, but not so for strangers; for these sometimes need to tarry here for only two days and then taken so ill that they sometimes don't leave the sick bed for a year. Once they have gotten over the sickness however, they can stay as long as they like, yet remain well.
3
Yet it is a great pity for this land, for we find it hard to get labourers and the foreign travellers, unless for special business, avoid this area like an ass, whilst a good half of those coming with urgent business remain with us sick. Likewise some good two thirds of Roman soldiers are bed ridden and now physician can master their sickness. After one or maybe two years they recover by themselves remaining well.
4
The oddest thing is that not two of them ever get the same sickness! One contracts fever, another some pestilence, a third diarrhea, a fourth a burning cough, and thus everyone something else, and no physician knows what to do with the sick. And so there are a great number come down with all kinds of sickness in our little country, and none that can be helped. Mortality however is quite low, but that much greater the number of constantly suffering.
5
Perhaps it is possible for You to heal all the sick and then give us a remedy for our country at large through which people can guard against the onslaught of this area's maladies?"
6
Say I: "Since I shall tarry here for a few days anyway, the native sick shall find out from the healed that I am here. Those who come shall be helped, but those that don't come shall not be healed; for none in the entire country is so sick as to not be able to make their way here!"
7
Says Ebahl: "If it please You, my godly Master, then I would dispatch messengers all over the country!"
8
Say I: "Let that be, for they shall soon enough find out everywhere."
9
Soon thereafter several healed ones, among them Pharisees and Scribes from Jerusalem and two Essene brethren arrive to thank Me for the healing and to if possible learn of Me the science of how I instantly heal the sick just through the word.
10
But I wouldn't have much to do with them, saying only: "What are you seeking? Your obsession is this world and its costly matter, but here we are dealing with the purely spiritual. If however you have never comprehended what matter is, how would you comprehend the purely spiritual? And you Essenes in particular, preaching a god and a resurrection to your believers, working costly miracles for gaining followers for your blind doctrine. Your principles are: 'one has to benevolently deceive and lie to people in order to make them happy, for truth kills this earth's well-being'.
11
If the lie were the basis on which to make people happy, how would you want to hear the truth from Me now? You lack everything for the recognition of God's kingdom on earth, and you are the very last, although you wold be first! Verily if you remain as you are, you shall never have a share in the kingdom of God!
12
Of what use your good will to make people happy through deception and lie in a worldly sense if you therewith kill the souls of the blind?
13
My basis for making mankind happy however is: at any cost to the body and all its prospering, save the soul and prepare for it a true, eternal life.
14
But how shall you feel in the beyond where those you deceived shall be your judges? You do not believe of course that it shall be so, but it shall nevertheless be as I now told you.
15
If you don't believe My words, then believe on account of My works, which no man has worked before Me!
16
Yet if My works are genuine and true, bearing witness to My words, then surely My words are bound to be true?
17
None can tell you about India except he who has been there, having come from there; none likewise can advise you about the beyond other than He who has come to you from there - and I am He!
18
He who believes My words shall have life eternal; but he who does not believe shall go over into everlasting death. For My words are not like those of a man of this world; they are life and give life to him who receives them into his heart, acting in accordance with them and their all-enlivening spirit!
19
The words that you Essenes preach to the people are all lies and deception, because you do not yourselves believe what you teach. For you have a twofold doctrine: one for the people and one for yourselves, of which you say among yourselves that it is true but that the people must not hear of same, in order to be contented and happy through the purported lie.
20
Yet I say unto you that you have nonetheless given the people more truth with your purported lie than yourselves! Because that which you regard as truth is a complete lie, but what you teach the people is only a half lie, wherefore you were also tolerated on God's part.
21
However, in future teach the truth and believe in it yourselves, then you will become worthy and rewarded servants in the vineyard of God; however, stay away forever from lies and deceit and never make use of it, otherwise an evil judgement will befall you soon!"
22
Say the two Essenes: "Master, we recognise indeed that you have spoken correctly, and concerning us two, we shall do everything possible to preach your words in our large society, yet we cannot guarantee anything. Our brethren are by no means cruel, one can speak quite freely behind closed doors and also get a hearing, but it is quite another thing as to whether the matter discussed shall have any effect. But we two shall speak and in advanced are assured to be heard with the greatest attention!"
23
Say I: "Do your part, and God shall not fail to do His. Accept the full truth, and this shall make you free everlastingly."
24
Say the two Essenes: "Lord and Master, permit us to remain here for the term of Your stay."
25
Say I: "You are free and can stay for as long as you choose."