The Great Gospel of John
Volume 7
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord on the Mount of Olives. (cont.) Gospel of John, Chapter 8
- Chapter 1 -
A sunrise and its correspondence.
All eyes were now directed towards the rising sun and all admired the wondrous red of dawn. Graceful groups of nebula showed above the horizon, which became increasingly brighter and brighter and all say that they haven't seen such a beautiful sunrise for a long time.
2
And I said to the many bystanders: "See, such a sunrise is very similar to the spiritual dawn of life in man and also to the rise of the spiritual sun of heavens in his soul!
3
If man hears the word of God, it begins to dawn in his soul. If he believes and trusts the heard word, it becomes lighter in him. He then starts to experience an ever increasing joy in the teaching and becomes active accordingly. Such deeds are then reddened by love, just like those lovely morning clouds, and it becomes brighter and brighter in man. Upon such joy of towards good and truth out of God, man reaches an ever brighter realization about God, and his heart lights up in total love for God, very similar to this now bright shining red of dawn. His realizations about God and through it also about himself and his great destination, are growing to such an extend, just like the beautiful places of the surrounding earth becomes visible through the extensive glow of dawn.
4
But it gets still brighter and brighter. The little clouds closest to the rising sun - just like the deeds out of pure love for God - change to bright shining gold. Suddenly the morning lights up, and see, the sun itself rises in all glory of light and majesty above the horizon, and like the new day is born out of the night through the power of the sun's light, man will be reborn through the power of the word of God and through the ever increasing love for God and his fellow man; therein consists the spiritual rebirth of man, that he gets to know God more and more and therefore also loves Him more and more.
5
If he succeeded in bringing his heart to truly glow, it will become brighter and brighter in him, and the glowing will turn into a brightest flame of light, and the spirit of God rises like the morning sun, and it will become a perfect day in man. But it is not a day like a day on this earth, which again ends in the evening, no, this is then an everlasting day of life and the full new- or rebirth of the spirit of God in the soul of man.
6
Verily I say to you: In whom such a day will dawn in his soul, he will no more see, feel or taste death for ever, and upon leaving his body he will be similar to a prisoner in a dungeon who was pardoned, and whose prison guard will come to him with a friendly face to open the prison door and say to him: 'Get up; you have been pardoned and you are free! Put on these clothes of honour, leave this prison cell and walk from now on free in view of him who showed you such mercy!'
7
As a prisoner will have the highest degree of joy in such mercy, in the same manner and so much more will a person be full of joy when he is reborn in the spirit and an angel comes to him and says: 'Immortal brother, leave your prison cell, put on the robe of light of honour in God, and come and walk hereafter free and independently in the fullness of everlasting life in the face of God, whose great love has shown you such mercy; because from now on you will not be required to carry such heavy and mortal body ever again!'
8
Do you think such a soul will feel sad, if My angel comes to it in such a manner?"
9
Says the Roman next to Me: "Lord, how can anyone feel any sadness under the given circumstances? This surely belongs only to those worldly people who live in self-love, selfishness and complete ignorance of God and their souls; because they know nothing about a life of the soul after the death of the body, - and even if they heard something about it, they will not believe it, as I know many of them. As yet and according to my outer presence I'm only a heathen, but since my youth did I believe in the immortality of the soul of man, and after the visions the life of the soul after death of the body this became an undoubted certainty. But if you tell this to the other worldly people, they just laugh at it, shrug their shoulders and regard in the end everything as an act of a lively fantasy and imagination.
10
Yes, for such people, who very much love their lives, death of the body will be something terrible; but for us - and especially from now on, where we have received from You, the Lord of all life, the highest assurance about the soul and its everlasting life after death of the body - the death of the body cannot frighten us any longer, particularly if no too great physical pain occurs beforehand, through which the body is tortured and tormented to death. But even in such circumstances must the opening of the prison gate by the warden be most welcomed! - This is my opinion and also my firm belief; in this regard everybody else can think and believe what he wants!"
11
All said: "Yes, we also think and believe likewise; who is able anyway to love the life of this world which is the actual hell in its fullest blossom and abundance?!"
12
I said:"Yes, that is so! Therefore I say to you: He who loves the life of this world, shall lose the true life of the soul; but who does not love this life and flees the way it is, shall gain life, this means, the true, everlasting life of the soul.
13
Do not get blinded by the world and do not listen to its deceptions; since all her properties are futile and transient! If you want to gather treasures in this world, then search for those which cannot rust or be eaten by moths! Those are treasures for the spirit to an everlasting life, for which you should do everything in your power to obtain. But to whom is also given material treasures, he should use them as brother Lazarus, and in exchange he shall harvest treasures of heaven. He who has in abundance, should give in abundance, and he who has only little, should give little.
14
He who will give to a thirsty person out of true neighbourly love a drink of fresh water from his well, will be repaid in the beyond; because he who shows love to his neighbour, shall also find love in the beyond. Verily, it does not matter how much someone gives, but the main point is, in what manner he gives to his poor neighbour. Someone who gives with joy and out of true love, gives twice, and he will also be rewarded in the beyond accordingly.
15
If you have in abundance, you can, as I said, give in abundance. If you have given it with joy and a great deal of friendliness, then you have given to the poor twice. If you yourself do not own much but have given to your even poorer neighbour a portion from the little you have with joy and friendliness, then you have given tenfold, and it will be given back to you in the beyond likewise. Because what you have done to the poor in My name, is the same as if you have done it to Me.
16
If you want to find out with each charity and noble deed, if and how I Myself approve of it, just look into the face of the person to whom you have done good in My name just as I have explained it, and it will clearly and distinctively show you the true degree of My approval.
17
Only what is done out of true love, has value before God; but anything that has been done according to the sheer measure of the intellect, has a low value for the recipient and even a lower value for the giver. I say to you: It is more blissful to give than to receive.
18
But for now, let us walk a little and have a look at the countryside towards Bethany! We will see large groups of a wide variety of traders, since the great market starts today and will continue for five days."