The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
At the Sea of Galilee (John 6)
- Chapter 139 -
The haggler Jews.
On this afternoon I visited with the colonel, the captain and their family members a few poor Jews, who operated all kinds of trade and haggling ins this area but profited only a little thereby because the clever Greeks were everywhere ahead of them. The colonel and the captain gave them some presents; I however advised them to move back home and do work with their hands, which they were good at, to earn their daily bread. Since in the country where someone is born with only few talents, he should stay and feed himself and his dependants fairly. Only people with many and great talents belong to the whole world, just like the sun, because with their spiritual light they should illuminate the life ways of all other people.
2
Thereupon one Jew said: "Master, why are we provided with only so few talents by Jehovah for the travels through this poor world? Could He not provided us also with many talents?"
3
Said I: "O indeed; but He knows best what is good for every person, and therefore He provided you with just the right amount of talents as it is necessary for you. No person is blest because of his many talents, since the credit for it does not belong to that person but only to God. To whom is given a lot, will also be held accountable for a lot; however, to whom is given only little, will also only be held accountable over a little. The same sin will one day on the scale of divine justice have a much heavier weight for the rich talented, than be committed by a poor talented. For if the law giver himself acts against his own laws, then this is worse as if someone sins against it, whom the law was given to. Therefore never envy someone to whom God has given many and great talents; because such will also have to endure a lot more on earth. Therefore be glad that God has provided you only with a few talents!"
4
When the Jew heard this, he said: "Master, you have spoken quite wise and right, and it is so; but I think if someone walks at night with very little light, he surely falls much easier into the abyss than he who has a sun to illuminate his way! Once one is lying shattered and dead in the abyss, it is afterwards irrelevant if one has found death in the abyss with little light or with a lot of light. And therefore I think that the one gifted with a lot of light is better off as the one provided with only a little light, because the first notices the abyss from far away and can avoid it, while the one gifted with only a little light, often does not see the abyss although he is already standing right at the edge."
5
Said I: "In that you are quite right; but this is the very reason why the one with only a little light should nicely stay at home, where he knows the earth, on which he is standing, also at night and can walk with safe steps on it. In ones own house everybody will know it best where to go and not make any lapses; but in a large, foreign house, which inner layout he does not know, he will not get along very well with his weak light. Those who God gave less light, He loves quite a lot, because thereby He sets up there life trial assignments as easy as possible, while He sowed a lot of thorns on the paths of the gifted spirits and it is quite difficult to walk on them. Therefore, you small Jewish spirits, get up and travel back to your country! There you will find employment, congruously of your light, in abundance; but no wheat grows for you here."
6
Then also the colonel said: "Yes, yes, my dear people, the Lord is completely right! According to my good knowledge things are quite wretched and bad for you here and I truly cannot make your circumstances any better here. Move therefore back to your country; there you surely will find better opportunities than here! Your wheeling and dealing earns you nothing and our work you cannot perform because you are not trained for it; therefore you will be much better off at home. So that you can get more easily back to your country, out of love for this Master, who is also a Jew, I will give you some travel money."
7
When the poor Jews heard this, they rushed home where they were lived brought back their children and said that with those the trip to far behind Bethlehem would be troublesome, since they did not owned any pack animals anymore.
8
Then the colonel said: "I will also give you a fair number of pack animals; but then you have to depart immediately! And if you still keep on be staying, I would be forced to remove you by force!"
9
Thereupon all agreed immediately that they rather leave already today than tomorrow. After that all means are put into action and within one hour they had collected everything and immediately started with their departure.
10
They counted seventy heads and therefore became quite a burden for this town who had quite a lot of local poor people. However, at home most of the Jews owned land and left it to bad servants to work it, because they thought that through their wheeling and dealing they would make greater profits. However, they impoverished and through Me were freed from their great suffering.
11
This was surely also a quite good deed! Therefore every true follower of My teaching should strive to free similar prisoners from their suffering if he has the means for it, and I will repay him already here and even more in the beyond, as I have already in advanced repayed at this opportunity the colonel with a thousand pounds of purest gold, because I knew in advance what he would do!
12
Further more nothing especially note worthy happened in this town. The disciples have fully converted the three priests and I also have blessed a faithful doctor, so that he, by laying on of hands in My name, was able to fully cure many sick. And so also the following day passed quickly.