The Great Gospel of John
Volume 3
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 163 -
Suggestions for the mission work in the vineyard of the Lord.
I say to Floran, "Friend! Your flesh does not tell you that, but instead the spirit that is within you from above! There is a spirit in Stahar as well, it is true; but it is still dormant and so his flesh speaks more than his spirit. But each man worries above all about what is dearest to him. The dearest thing for someone through whom an animated spirit speaks is his spirit, therefore his care is directed above all towards what concerns his spirit; but he who is more flesh and thinks and desires from the flesh loves the flesh the most and he therefore cares above all about his flesh and pushes the care for his spirit into the background.
2
That's how people and things are in this world; but when our Stahar is of a more animated spirit, he will also take care above all of those things which are of the spirit.
3
You see, that is the correct concern for the spirit, that your heart will be full of love for God and for your neighbor!
4
It is easy to love good and honest people and to get on with them; but to go to the sinners and bring them to the correct path; that is a task which demands much self-denial.
5
For if you walk in the street with a whore and an adulteress, people will point their fingers at you and do things to you which will not honor you before the world; but if you bring the whore and the adulteress back to the correct path, you will be given a great reward from God, and the smallest part of this is of more value than a whole world full of the most shining honor.
6
Whoever brings a lost person back to Me will receive more reward than one who has guarded well a hundred lambs on a safe pasture. For it is a very easy task to keep an honest person honorable and virtuous; but to lift someone who is despised by everyone up to honor again and to make a virtuous hero out of an arch-sinner says significantly more! And only that is seen favorably to Me - but the former is only work of a lazy fellow!
7
I am the all-highest, if you will accept that, and I seek and take only the despised and lost in the eyes of the world. For the healthy certainly do not need a doctor!
8
If you accordingly want to completely be My true disciples and servants, you must also be what I am in all things.
9
If you see a blind man strolling on the street and also see that the path he is treading is a highly dangerous one particularly for a blind person, will you not immediately take the blind walker by the arm and say to him: Listen, friend, the path that you are now walking is very dangerous; let me lead you so that you do not fall off a precipice! And if he then trusts your word, will you be ashamed to lead a blind man? Certainly none of you all!
10
But a sinner is often much blinder spiritually than the physically blind; therefore who can be ashamed to take a blind man by the arm?!
11
Therefore in the future let no sinner be too great for you so that you are ashamed to be a leader for him!
12
Remember this lesson above all, and consider it in your hearts, and you will begin to see clearly and plainly the light path of life and everything else coming from it!
13
But now ships on the sea are nearing this shore; these are bringing the guests we talked about. They will bring you much light."