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 177 -
The craving for honor. Pride and humility.
Now we entered the large inn of Nicodemus where a well-prepared evening meal was already waiting for us. But because now among My disciples there were quite a number of temple servants who secretly were still attaching a great importance to their rank of the old order of the temple, there was a disagreement among them about who would take place at the head of the table or more at the foot of the big table. As a result of that, our scribes and the two Pharisees who were converted this midday, took out of habit at once the most important seats, and by that they did not notice that I Myself had not yet taken a seat, nor the Romans, the 3 magicians from India and the men from Upper-Egypt, what to Nicodemus and also to Lazarus was clearly not very pleasing.
2
I went up to them and said: "Listen, in My Kingdom there is no rank at all. There is only: the one who exalts himself will be humiliated, the one however who behaves modestly will be exalted.
3
If you are invited as guest and you go to table for the feast, then do not sit right away at the most important place, which the host might have reserved for somebody who is still more important. Then, if that person would come, and the host would say to you: 'Friend, go and sit further to the end of the table because I have reserved this seat for more important people', would you then not find this very unpleasant if the host had to make you ashamed in front of the whole party?
4
However, if you are invited as guest and humbly would sit at the lower end, and the host comes and says to you: 'Friend, go and sit at the head, at the most important place, because the seats there below are reserved for the more common guests', then this will certainly be very pleasant to you. And one of your most important lessons and foundations of life must then remain: the one who exalts himself will be humiliated, and the one who humbles himself down will be exalted.
5
So it will also once be in My Kingdom. The one who will be there the smallest and the least will also be the greatest. For in Heaven everything is contrary to the worldly rank here. What is important and brilliant in the eyes of the world is in Heaven very small and insignificant and without any splendor and pomp.
6
This lesson has to be written down. And where My gospel will be preached, this also should be faithfully preached to all men.
7
I am the Lord Myself and yet, look now, I am meek and humble with all My heart. Be you all like that, then from this it will appear that you are truly My disciples."
8
Then the Pharisees stood up from their places, visibly painfully hurt, and wanted to sit immediately completely at the end.
9
But I said: "Remain seated where you are sitting now. Because with us it makes no difference where somebody is sitting, because the honor of the place depends on the person who occupies it. If I am Lord, then I am the same on any place that I occupy, and another will not become Lord by occupying such a place.
10
What advantage would it be to you if for instance you would go to Rome and sit on the throne of the emperor, and he would submit to this joke and sit next to you on a simple wooden bench? By this, you will never be an emperor anyway, and he also will remain the mighty emperor on the wooden bench. Therefore, the honor of a place does not depend on the place itself but always only on the one who occupies it. So, you can remain on your seat."
11
Then I went with My disciples and with Raphael, Lazarus and Nicodemus to sit completely at the end. And Agricola said: "O Lord and Master, now I see all too clearly where for every man the true first place is. With every true man is the first rank hidden in the depth of his true humility. Also we Romans have for this an old and good proverb. It says: 'Laus propria sordet' (own praise stinks), and I discovered now by Your words that this is so. And I feel good to know that we Romans, without revelation, by thinking and experience have discovered a truth that now in the light of Your wisdom looks much better than all those new institutions in your (Pharisees) temple that was built by the most wise of all kings on the Earth."
12
I said: "Look, therefore, the light, also of the Jews will be taken away and be transferred to you gentiles, just like it is written with the prophets."
13
The one Pharisee said: "Then what will happen with the Jews?"
14
I said: "This I have already told you and described sufficiently, and in the night-signs you were able to read it. Because you have now become a 1,000 times more gentile than people who are somewhere existing on Earth. Therefore, you Jews will be scattered as chaff before the storm among all people of the Earth and they will never again possess a land and a king."
15
The scribe said: "But the Lord has promised an eternal throne to David."
16
I said: "O yes, this for sure, and so it will also be, but not materially as you may think, but spiritually.
17
According to My Word, everybody will become a David within himself forever in My Kingdom. However, I tell you, from now on, be obedient in this world to every worldly authority, be it bad or good, because the power that it has, is given from above.
18
Let no one of you strive to be a ruler on Earth, for the one who should rule over the people in one way or another, will be called for that from above, and it will be given in his heart how he has to rule his peoples. Proud and haughty men must be ruled by a proud and haughty king, and good and humble ones will also be given similar rulers, and under their scepter they will live happily and well. Thus, in the future it all will depend completely on the people how their rulers will be. Remember this very well.
19
But, because the food has already been served, we will eat and drink now and strengthen ourselves."
20
After that, everything became quiet and everybody ate and drank whatever was set before him.