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 132 -
About the nature of fear.
When the sun had gone down however, a very cool and hefty wind began to blow from a midnight direction, so that all began to fear anew, and the Centurion said: "Well, if this wind continues to grow in intensity, then it may in the end still thrust us down into the abyss, whilst its considerable nip is not too pleasant either."
2
Say I: "Let the wind blow, for this is its hour! But remember that it is not the master of Him Who created it through His will, holding it fast and letting it blow when He wills it!"
3
With this explanation the Chief was happy, laying himself down firmly on the ground nonetheless, with the others following his example.
4
Only Jarah stood firmly by My side and said: "But Lord, why is it that these people are so frightened, for they have surely being taught by many signs that You also a master of all the elements!? This intrigues me especially about Your own disciples! Ah, it would be different if You were not here, but since Your are here Yourself, it amazes me quite a bit! - Lord, if it please You then tell me the reason for this phenomenon!"
5
Say I: "Behold, this is the world in their intestines, not fully cleared out yet! Were this fully excluded, as in your case then, like yourself they would not fear and would not be capable of fearing, since the spirit is sufficiently powerful to make all nature subject to itself.
6
Behold, we now stand upon a mountain-top never before trodden by man! As you can see the cliff-faces are so steep in all directions that they are not in a natural way passable either up or down; you saw how, after we scaled half the mountain with natural strength, all possibility to climb the perpendicular walls disappeared. The Chief and the others asked: 'What now?' But I climbed ahead over the walls with you, and all followed us without the least fatigue. - How was that possible?
7
Behold, the spirit within man made this possible! During that time I awoke the spirits in all of them, and these carried their flesh hulls up to this height. Since their spirits were not however accustomed to such activity yet, when I loosened My grip on them somewhat, they went over into their bodies again for rest, resulting in the physical body's filling with fear. Had the spirit within their hearts remained fully awake however, then they would not fear; for the spirit would itself have filled the soul with the most lucent confidence, and put the most living conviction into the heart that all of nature must be subject to it. But since, on account of the old world, a portion of which their souls stills bore within them, this could not yet permanently take place, their soul is still troubled by some of the worldly fear which you still perceive with them here.
8
The soul lives itself either through a wrong direction into her flesh or through a right direction into her spirit, which is always one with God, like the light is one with the sun. If such a soul lives into its flesh which in itself is dead and only for a certain time, if the body is not harmed, receives a life from the soul, the soul in everything becomes one with its flesh.
9
When the soul lives gradually more and more into the flesh, so as to finally becomes fully flesh itself, then she is also overcome by the feeling of destruction, which is a property of the flesh; and this feeling is then the fear which finally makes man in all things absolutely incapable and weak!
10
It is however an entirely different matter with a person who from his earliest youth lived into his spirit! There the soul forever does not see any possible destruction! Its feeling is akin to the state of its eternally indestructible spirit; it can see and feel no more death, being one with its eternally live spirit, who is lord over all the visible natural world, with the result that all fear is far from the still incarnate man; for where there is no death there is no fear!
11
Hence man should concern himself as little as possible with the things of the world, so that his soul would become one with the spirit and not the flesh! For what does it profit a man to gain the entire world for his flesh but suffer exceeding harm in his soul?- For all the world which we now see in its wide surrounding, with its passing glories shall pass like water-bubbles and also this sky with its stars in due course; but the spirit shall remain forever, together with every one of My words.
12
But it is inexpressibly hard to help people who have firmly settled into the world, for they see and plant their life into the vain things of the world, living in constant fear and being in the end utterly unapproachable along spiritual paths! However, if one approaches them along the natural and worldly path, then one not only benefits them nothing but only fosters their judgement and therewith death of their soul!
13
Who from the world-people wants to save his soul, must apply a great force to himself and must as much as possible start to live in self-denial with regard to worldly things. If he does so diligently and keenly he then shall save himself and enter into life; if not then he cannot be helped in any way other than great sufferings in things of the world, so that he learns to despise the world and its glories, turning to God and beginning to search out the spirit within him, to gradually unite with it. I say unto you: The blessedness of the world is the death of the soul! - Tell Me now, My most beloved Jarah, whether you have understood all this."