The Great Gospel of John
Volume 4
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 97 -
The right pursuit of brotherly love.
1
(The Lord:) "But now I see in some of you an evil thought rising, which Satan has secretly whispered to you! The thought reads as follows: It costed you a lot of troubles and work to obtain the gold for you and your descendants, and you should waste it to those who squandered their lives with all kind of sluggishness?! Let them work and earn their bread from you, and be scantily rewarded according to merit! Who cannot and does not want to work, should perish like a dog on the open street!
2
Oh, I say to you, this is an evil thought that was given to you! How should a blind work? And still he is your brother who has the same right to live just as you are, who can see and hear and have straight limbs. How should poor old people and weak children of impoverished parents work, who does not have the necessary strength for it? How should the lame and cripples work for your wages, which you want to pay in the most scarce manner possible?
3
How should those people work, who are looking for work day by day and does not find anything? Since to whoever they come to, they are referred away, for there currently is no work for them. Nevertheless, your evil thought still rebukes them to look for work, which he cannot find anywhere else just as with you. This person will eventually turn into a beggar; then you revile him and call him a lazy day thief. Another becomes a thief; he will be chased like a wild animal, you abuse him and then throw him into the dungeon. A third even becomes a robber and murderer or at least a street robber. If you catch him, he is sentenced, thrown into the dungeon for a short while and afterwards tortured and killed.
4
See, these are mostly the results of your evil thoughts, which very secretly the lord of darkness has breathed into you at all times. But from now on it should be different! Such thoughts belong to the hell, - but in your souls they should never rise again.
5
It therefore is not required by you, that you should distribute all your possessions among the poor, while being a disciple of mine; however, you should become wise administrators of the property entrusted to you, so that you should not let suffer and languish the blameless poor, if coming to your door!
6
Look here the friend Ebahl from Genezareth! He has, since he is an innkeeper, accommodated thousands of all kinds of locals and also foreigners, and this never with aversion or with a kind of timidity for the sake of his own, - and still his wealth was never reduced! To the contrary, he now owns so many earthly treasures, that he could buy himself a large kingdom; but he only values all those treasures for one reason, and this is, that it places him in the position, to support even more poor people. He does not think of his whole house and about his children only in so far, that they all should become strong in the recognition of the one and only true God; therefore I look after everything else about his house, and guaranty you, that his house never will suffer any shortages!
7
But to the fearful, I leave the provision for their house to them, and never shower their storage rooms with wheat and grain, and their cellars will not overflow with wine. Their garden trees will not be sagging with the gravity of My blessing, and their ponds will not become too clouded because of too many of the most noble fish, and their herds in the fields will not be the fattest ones! Since, like here so also there, - and nowhere a too great profit can be expected! Who builds with a weak trust in Me, should also harvest according to his trust! I will give to everyone according to his trust and according to his believe, which is always a fruit of the love to Me and to the neighbour.
8
Therefore be always and constantly merciful, and you will always find mercy with Me! The way you are behaving towards the poor brothers and sisters, I will behave towards you. I say and advise it to all of you: Be always prepared to serve each other, outbid each other to do good, truly love each other, just as I love you, and you will show to all the world that you are truly My disciples and in your spirit are fully My true children.
9
This is the destination of all My children, that they on this earth should continuously exercise themselves regarding the business in My heavens; since there everything has to do with love only, and each wisdom which does not originate from the flame light of love, will forever never find any acceptance in My heavens and likewise will not get anything to do!"