The Great Gospel of John
Volume 3
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 177 -
The dignity of human free will.
I say, "Yes, listen, my dearest! That is something of the greatest necessity on the planet where people are designated to become by their own effort true children of God!
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The least spiritual limitation by Me of the freest will would totally ruin my purpose
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Therefore here (on Earth) the freest room for development must be provided completely, right down to deep below the worst hell in order to achieve every thinkable burden, as well as up above every heaven in order to achieve the highest virtue, otherwise there is nothing that can be done in order to become the children of God on this Earth which was designated for this!
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And there is the secret reason why even the most wonderful religion will be trodden on like dirt in time!
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No one will be able to say about My teaching that it demands even something unnatural, unfair and impossible; and yet in time such hardships and impossible to carry out adjuncts will set in, which no man will be able to observe in their entirety.
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One will massacre people in their hundreds and thousands in an exaggerated eagerness, worse than the wildest forest beast, and will believe that they are performing an extremely pleasant service for God.
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Yes, I Myself will have to let Myself be caught and finally even killed by the people, if they want it, in order to give the people the freest and highest playground for their will; for only through this highest and very most unlimited freedom were people placed on this Earth completely in a position to rise to the truest and most perfectly god-like children and gods themselves in all things.
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For as I Myself am God from eternity to eternity only through My very most unlimited strength of will and power, likewise the children of My love must be it too eternally!
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But in order to become that, every spiritual education is needed, which does not yet suit you so well. But just think about it a little and you will find that it cannot be possibly otherwise!
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Where the highest is to be reached, the lowest must also be available!"
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Here Cornelius considers a little and says after a while, "Yes, yes, Lord, it is beginning to dawn a little in my heart! I should understand things well; but there are still some clouds and fog, through which my soul still does not yet see the full light. In certain moments however, I notice that it is becoming lighter and then I understand some things, and so I understand now also that it would not be possible for me to raise any doubts against this; but there we cannot speak at all of me being in full clarity and at home in this familiar sphere of wisdom!
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You, oh Lord, could certainly put an only somewhat powerful light in my heart in this sphere as well!"
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I say, "I could certainly do that - but then the stronger light would not be yours, but only purely My work and also something alien in you; you would not need to seek then, nor to ask or to knock anywhere.
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But I want, and must want, every man to progress along the path that I have shown you and to achieve with his own effort and sacrifice what he needs for here and for afterwards, otherwise he will never be able to become fully self-acting and therefore never independent.
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Full independence however is one of the most necessary prerequisites to receive the highest possible blessing.
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Look at a very well-placed servant! He has almost everything under his master that his highly prosperous master has; he can enjoy the best dishes and drink the wine from his master's guest table. If his master makes a journey on water or across land, he takes his servant with him, and whatever the master enjoys there, his servant enjoys also. But nonetheless the bliss of both is different.
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The servant often thinks, "I have a good master and he does not demand anything from me that I could call unfair, and I am very well respected and looked after; but if I ever get above myself, he could nevertheless say to me: My boy, I looked on you like my own son and therefore demanded only an easy and minor service from you. But you got above yourself and began to play the master; therefore I can no longer use you as my servant. Therefore leave my house! Then I would have to go and would be a beggar; but my master would remain the lord of his possessions.
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You see, my good friend, this thought often ruins the servant's bliss! But the master is truly happy - whether he is already very fond of his faithful servant or not, he does not need to fear that he will lose him; for he could easily get hundreds in the place of this one. He remains nonetheless the wealthy master and independent owner of very many goods and immeasurable other treasures. His blessing can therefore not be dulled, while the casual blessing of the servant can come to an end at any moment. And you see, it is the same here!
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As long as I, as the Lord of all life and all light, must inspire life and light into you all at once, you are only my slaves and servants; for I can provide you with life and light as long as I alone want to. From where will you then get light and life?! Must not the thought alone of the possibility of what I said awake in you a very significant disquietude?!
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But wherever some anguish, fright or disquietude can be awakened in a soul, there is no possible chance of a perfect blessing!"