The Great Gospel of John
Volume 7
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and his adversary. Gospel of John, Chapter 9
- Chapter 203 -
The future of Jerusalem.
One of the moderate Pharisees said again: "Master, I and more people among us, can surely see that You are a mighty Teacher and You are speaking freely and openly, irrespective of persons. And it is also entirely true that the prophets have revealed the true way to life to every man. Well, these revelations should be more than sufficient for man. Why then is it allowed that there are still kings and rulers of the world with their own bad worldly laws, and by that, they are harming poor, weak mankind the most? According to me, this would really not be necessary. Because, how man has to live and act according to the will and the unchangeable order of God has been completely explained in the revelations. Then for what reason are all those imperious and greedy monarchs, kings and now even emperors allowed?"
2
I said: "In the beginning God did not ordain or prescribe this, because He gave to man true and righteous leaders and judges who were enlightened in the spirit. But in the course of time, when the people was doing well and when they were rich in everything that was good and valuable that the Earth was containing, they were no more satisfied with the simple and modest leaders and judges. They began to grumble and wanted during the time of the faithful Samuel a king who also had to radiate such magnificence just like the kings of the other heathenish people who committed idolatry with their kings.
3
When Samuel related to God what the people was requiring from him at any cost, God spoke in His wrath to Samuel: 'This people has regarding to Me committed already more sins of the worst kind than there is grass on the whole Earth and sand in the sea. And now they want to add to their many sins the greatest of all, being no more satisfied with My reign, they want to have a king like the ungodly heathens. Yes, to this ungrateful people will be given a king as a sharp rod and scourge, under which they will howl and mourn.'
4
Look, this and still more has God said to the people as a warning in order to dissuade them from this foolish wish.
5
But when all this did not help and the people were stubbornly holding fast to their demand, God gave instruction to His helper Samuel to anoint Saul as king of the Jews.
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Look, everywhere where the nations were not satisfied with the meek reign of God there was a king, and they absolutely wanted to have a man among them as their king.
7
Was this also not because of the evil will of the people whom Satan often had thrown into unbearable misery? God has warned the people often and long enough in the most diverse regions of the world not to chose a man as king and to provide him with all earthly power. He showed them all the bad results that would come from it, but the people closed their heart and their ears for the voice of God and they themselves have caused their misery. And what they have caused themselves, they also have to take upon themselves.
8
Yes, if an entire people would unanimously beg God to lead them, and rule and reign over them again, just like it was the case in the beginning, truly, then God would not leave the serious pleading of a people unanswered. But because those same kings have always too much favorites at their side, and are not granting any freedom to the people who want it differently, and most of the time because they are forming and educating them already from the cradle in favor of the king, the people feel the pressure of the king, but they do not know where to ask for help. For the rulers realized since the beginning of their sovereignty that a people who are enlightened would soon separate themselves from them.
9
Therefore they tried with the help of false prophets - of who you are a sad remnant - to mislead the people and to make them blind for the one and true God. And because of that, they cannot find anymore the right way to God on their own without the men who for this reason were called by God. And they continue to live in their usual common idolatry, trying by all means - no matter how bad they are - to get only earthly advantages. If then a true prophet, called by God, will come, then he is not only not recognized as such, but he is also persecuted as a blasphemer and oftentimes he is killed, just like it has been very often the case with you.
10
And when this is so, how can God help such a people that fell so deep, when despite their great misery they stubbornly refuse all help that God offers them? And if such is the case with you, it has no sense to ask the question why, apart from the revelations, God has also allowed worldly governors who harm the people with their worldly laws.
11
Do the people want something else or do you? If you would want it, you would faithfully listen to Me and act according to My teaching. For I, the Lord Himself, have come to you because I want to save you. But what do you do? You are doing nothing else except to deliberate to see how you can catch and kill Me. And if you and many thousands with you will do that, then ask yourselves, who except Me, can still save and help you?"
12
The Pharisee said: "Master, You are always accusing us as if we have defiled our hands with the blood of the prophets. Yet, we are not responsible for what our fathers have done in their blindness. If we had lived with our present knowledge and insight at the time of the prophets, then we certainly would not have stoned them. Also at the time of Samuel we did not call for a king. But if we as a punishment must have a king, we prefer him to be a Jew than a gentile. In fact, I only want to hear from You why do we now as Jews have to be dominated by gentile laws?"
13
I said: "The reason for this is that you already since a long time have rejected the laws of Moses and the prophets, and instead of that you have introduced your own evil and absurd prescriptions. You preferred these worldly prescriptions instead of God's wise commandments, and for this reason God has allowed everything to happen to you what you have always wanted and still want. Because if you would prefer God's commandments and the teaching of the prophets instead of the laws of the world, then you would listen to Me, would convert yourselves and act according to My teaching. I preach nothing else than the old Word of God from which you have deviated so much that you are no more capable to recognize that this is the word which is coming from My mouth. However, you hate and persecute Me as if I were a sinner and a criminal, and thus you will stay under the power of the rod and the sword of the gentiles.
14
However, it is also written: 'Behold, I will send prophets, wise men and true scribes. Some of them you will kill and even crucify like the gentiles are doing, and again others you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from one city to another, so that the blood of all the righteous ones will come over you, from the pious Abel who was struck down by Cain, until the blood of Zacharias who was a son of the pious Berechiah and who you have killed between the veil of the temple and the altar of offerings. Truly, I say to you: because you have acted that way and still are acting that way, all this has come over you, and still worse things will come over you, because you yourselves want it that way and are also bringing it about.
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O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophets and stones those who are send to you. How often did I want to gather your children as a hen keeps her chicks under her wings. And you, children, did not want to be brought under the protection of My wings. Therefore, this house of yours will become lonely and deserted, so that even no screech owls and crows will come within its walls!
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Do remember that, so that when it soon will come over you and your children, you will remember, that I have told you beforehand and how it was also shown to you in an image during the night by a phenomenon in the sky."
17
Now the Pharisee was asking Me from where I had that knowledge to predict such evil things over the city. And when I would come back again if I would leave Jerusalem, because he would speak good words about Me before the high priest.
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I said: "With all those who are with Me I will soon leave the temple and you will not see Me coming earlier than when you will shout: 'Hail to Him who comes in the name of the Lord."
19
Upon this, the Pharisee went back again to the others and said: "Friends, fighting with Him is useless. This I have noticed already since the beginning. Now, already for 5 hours we have been working on Him and have accomplished nothing, except that, because of our obstinacy, we have the people against us. The question is now: who will be able to bring them on our side again?"
20
Nobody reacted on this remark of the Pharisee and all of them left the temple.
21
I warned the people once more and comforted them. After that, also I left the temple together with all those who belonged to Me. We went again to the Mount of Olives where a delicious meal was already waiting for us.