The Great Gospel of John
Volume 4
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 224 -
On hungering for spiritual food.
1
(The Lord:) "The ordinary worldly person can of course not even dream about the true and highest life's value; since, if his belly is sufficiently provided for, why should he be concerned about all the other important issues of life?! He then has plenty to eat and also to drink if he is thirsty, has a beautiful and comfortable dwelling, a soft bed, nice clothes and still many other luxuries of life, and also does not have any shortage of beautiful and appealing maidens and other lavishness things! What should such a holder of earthly goods still be lacking?!
2
The poor beggars must of course reach for the shelter of all kinds of wisdom and recognition which is continuously provided to them by their hungry imagination, to win over the favour of any rich to live off him and entertain him in return; however, about all this nothing can be regarded as true, other than the need of the hungry wise and the sluggishness of his hands, and that he rather fills his hungry stomach with his effortless imagination and phantasy about any God and about the everlasting life of the human soul, than with the more troublesome work of his hands!
3
See and recognize from this life true picture, if someone with ample earthly possessions is lacking anything! What does the most important self-recognition means to him, while without it a true recognition of God is unthinkable? Will he ever, what he surely is lacking in the highest degree, ever begin to look for? Most certainly not; since he suffers no hunger and no thirst, which are supposedly the levers, by which the work shy, poor beggars are encouraged to wisdom and knowledge!
4
How could he otherwise recognize what he is lacking for a true life? Only hunger and thirst - according to the well provided for indulger's opinion - are the only motives for any activity; who thus do not suffer any hunger or thirst, does not need to look for any wisdom! In short, who according to his own opinion does not have anything lacking, also has no desire for anything, and who has lost nothing, what should he search for as if he has lost something?!
5
It is the same with a teaching, which has been delivered. Who thinks that he has understood it completely, will not ask any further questions. The satisfied does not ask for more food; if he gets hungry again, then he will of course look again for food. But what will he do if the food master is not present? Will he be able to prepare a meal for himself?
6
Therefore everyone of you should now look for food, for as long the food master is among you! When he will return again from where he has come, many will begin to look for the right food; but then it will be difficult to obtain some.
7
Many of you who are now around Me, are earthly well provided for and immensely rich with all kind of earthly treasures and now strive with all zeal after spiritual food, which is not brought to the daylight from the gold tunnels of the earth! It will be given to you in abundance, however, you should not think that quantity is sufficient to clearly understand everything.
8
You quite well understand each word spoken to you by Me, as far you as people can understand it; however, everything which is hidden therein in endless abundance, you will not be able to understand! You also do not ask about it, because you do not recognize what you are not understanding! But why do you not recognize it, and why did Oubratouvishar recognized this about you, that you have not fully understood My explanation? Because his primordial perfected outer-soul-life-ether penetrates your rather still imperfect quite easily, just like you can feel in an even pitch dark night if some ones head has many hair or if he is bald, if you touch his head with your hands!
9
With your still very weak outer-life-sphere your feeling starts only there, where the body begins; beyond this your souls do not have any little spark of feeling!"