The Great Gospel of John
Volume 7
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
From the Lord's years of youth
- Chapter 213 -
True worship of God. Jesus as an example for men.
A the end of Joseph's story a highly ranked counselor said to Cyrenius: 'If all this appears to be true what is being said about this Man, He simply must be a God, because nobody has ever heard that a natural man, only by the power of his will can accomplish such wonderful deeds. We also have seen a lot of magicians who accomplished all kinds of wonderful deeds, but most of the time the people quickly discovered how and with what kind of means they did it. Also, apparently in the far back country of Egypt there are men who by their will and their look are capable of taming animals, but all this is nothing compared to the power of this Man.
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He wills it, and the elements are submitting to His will. He commands the animals of the sea, just like a general his troops, and they obey His command. As far as I am concerned I do not need any further sign as proof that His whole Being must be of a complete godly nature. Because whoever is capable of doing what this Man can do and of what He is capable of, must also be able to accomplish all other things. I dare to say about this Man that He also could create a world if He wanted that. Therefore, we should give Him honor.'
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Now I said to that counselor: 'Then how would you go about it to give Me godly honor?'
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The counselor said: 'Well, just like we are worshipping the supreme god Jupiter or like Your priests are worshipping their invisible Jehovah.'
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I said: 'Friend, I truly feel nothing for both worships, because neither one nor the other is a correct and true worship of God.
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The true and for God valid worship consists of the following: firstly that one firmly and without doubt believes in only one true God who created Heaven and Earth and all that is in it. Secondly that one loves this only and by faith recognized God above all and lives and acts according to His will, and thirdly that one loves also his fellowman as himself.
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Look, out of these 3 things consists the true worshipping of God. All other things are idle and have for God not the slightest value.
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Only that which is done in love means truly something for God, but whatever one does out of a certain fear for God's might, in order to put God in a soft and a more gentle mood, is for God an abomination. Because for the accomplishment of the so-called religious acts, which are taking place with all possible ceremonial, there are always certain priests who are chosen. Therefore, these are considering themselves as much more dignified than the other people, and they look down on them. They let themselves be greatly honored and are full of pride. Finally they think they are gods and speak out of their own arbitrariness justice over their poor fellowmen who are often a 1.000 times better than the conceited and imperious priests. Do you really think that God will feel any joy and pleasure at such puffed-up vulgar worships, which are being carried out by the priests who have now been described and who are dearly paid by the people?
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I say to you: when such a worship is being carried out in honor of God, and God, in His supreme wisdom would feel any joy at it, He would not be a God but would be like the priests on duty, a blind dumb man full of pride and full of lust of power. How can one think that the true God would be capable of this, who by His eternal love, wisdom and might has created everything out of Himself, and by His eternal goodness and mercy lets it also exist eternally? Where in God's entire infinity is there a being that with success could resist God and would be able to stand up against Him? Everything that the endless space of creation contains is God's thought and will anyway. If God would not want this Earth to exist anymore if it would want to fight against Him, He only has to will that it would not exist anymore, and it will not be there anymore. And therefore, God does not need any other worship of men - those who He wants to make and educate to become His true children - except that they would love Him as a true, holy Father above all and would always like to do that which He is showing them to be His will.
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Therefore, I say to all of you here: whatever is great in the eyes of the world, is for God an abomination. But truly great for God is a humble person who loves Him above all and his fellowman as himself, and who does not exalt himself as a lord above them but is only like a friend who wants to do them good.
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Take an example on Me. As I am, there is no second one in the world. Heaven and Earth are under My might and My authority, and still, I am meek and humble with all My heart, and I am here to serve you, high and low. Do likewise, then you will honor Me in the best way.