The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus in the Vicinity of Caesara Philippi (Matthew 16)
- Chapter 197 -
About terrestrial man's limits of knowledge.
1
(and turning to Josoe): "What do you say now to this dear Jarah's most appropriate and accomplished answer?"
2
Says Josoe: "Oh Lord of all life, this fair maiden has probably been no terrestrial maiden for a long time; she, the most glorious Jarah, is a personified celestial light of the first order, compared to which I am hardly the tiniest star! I too, through Your grace have had experiences like few mortals, for it is, no joke to have spent, by my estimation, two years in the world of spirits and borne up two years later as a decayed corpse in a tomb, to finally return with fullest consciousness, through Your grace and most wonderful mercy on this Earth. Yet I nevertheless openly admit it that I hardly feel worthy of becoming a feeble and untalented pupil to this maiden. If she wants to show me the love of giving me limited instruction then I shall accept same with the greatest thankfulness in the world."
3
Says Jarah: "Yes, my dear Josoe, you are a princely son and I the daughter of a Jew who is a mere innkeeper of Genezareth, - therefore, in a worldly sense, it would be most arrogant and pert of me to approach you; but if you are willing to descend from your exalted position down to me poor one, you shall find open arms and the door open to my most humble and shabby hut!" - Josoe makes big eyes to this weighty address, not knowing how to respond.
4
But Cyrenius says to Josoe: "Behold, my Josoe, this is as much as to say: you are to sit over with Jarah and talk to her. Go and do so, because I am myself quite curious about everything you shall discuss!"
5
Says Josoe: "Ah, dearest Jarah never let on about wanting me to sit with her, but rather about my speaking to her if, as a princely son, I should want to descend to her level! Of course Jarah doesn't seem to realize that firstly, I am no princely son and, secondly, that aristocratic pretentiousness is further from my nature than heaven is from Earth. I am all just for truth! Anything below it I despise most vehemently, whilst anything above it, such as God's mysteries, I worship, not demanding elucidation in what does not become the worms and dust of this Earth!
6
In God there is the fullness of the most infinite wisdom, of which there is hardly a dust particle in us! That which we know is only fragmentary, and we shall never find our way from Alpha to Beta, let alone to Omega. There are myriads of lights shining in heaven; who knows them? We don't know the two big ones, let alone the countless small ones, whereas God's wisdom is as innate everywhere as light in the eye!
7
We know whatever God wants to reveal to us, but over that there reigns, for man's soul only holy yet endless night. And man should never dare to lift the holy darkness over this endless night, for this night would swallow him like the sea swallows a stone that some naughty boy flung into it.
8
We humans are vessels whose measure has been firmly set. Once that is full, one cannot fill it further; if however man is given a large measure once, then he shall yet be able to put much more into same, and it shall not easily overflow as it is now the case.
9
Men on this Earth indeed have diverse measures, but mine obviously belongs to the smallest variety. Dearest Jarah has obviously been more richly provided than I, wherefore I cannot compete with her on equal terms; but if she wants to pass on something out of her great excess, then I shall always gratefully accept it. Yet I am nevertheless not able to sit over with her; because firstly, she is much wiser than I, and secondly it would not at all be appropriate for me to do so!?