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 223 -
The way to spiritual perfection.
When all heard these words of Mine they said among themselves: 'He is totally right and nothing can be said against it, but already since our birth we are too deeply immersed in the world and we will not so easily be able to completely detach ourselves from it. According to His speech, which had good arguments, everybody must - by working on it, out of one's own free will - raise out from his material state to the free spiritual state. And moreover, we cannot cherish special hope for extraordinary help from the true God, because the will of man would already thereby experience a certain coercion while it has to stay free forever. In order to work on it only individually, men as we, have apparently too little strength, courage, will and real persistent patience, and therefore it will be for each one of us very difficult - without getting tired and falling down regularly - to make progress on the ways which He has shown to us.
2
Indeed, it would be very good to reach the pure spiritual state, and it also would be endlessly more valuable than all the treasures of the whole Earth, but the way to it seems very long and bumpy. That is why, finally, it should maybe not be superfluous to ask Him how long it takes to reach the full, purely spiritual state when one walks according to his conscience, loyally and zealously the ways of life, which He has advised. Because it is certainly much easier to work if, before going to work, he knows - when he works diligently - how much time he must count before it is totally finished. Because it is and remains difficult to start a work if we cannot see beforehand how much work is necessary to finish it, and consequently we can also not know when the goal will be reached. Let us present the just now mentioned question to Him.'
3
This question was asked to Me and I gave the following answer on that: 'Spiritual works and spiritual ways are not meted in hours and meters but entirely according to the power of the will, the faith and the love for God and fellowman.
4
He who could at once deny himself in such a way that he gives up everything that is of the world and - in the right measure - would give his treasures to the poor, only out of pure love for God, and would not yield to the flesh of women, would truly be perfected in a very short time. But he who obviously needs more time to purify himself of the earthly dross and appendages, must also wait longer until he reaches the complete happy making state of true spiritual perfection.
5
You are highly ranked statesmen and you must exercise your profession, and this is according to God no obstacle that could keep you away from walking rightly on the ways I have shown you. However, this gives you precisely the means with which you can reach true spiritual perfection all the more easier and sooner.
6
But do not think that you are the office and the honor and the respect of the office. Honor and respect of the office is the law, and you are only its laborers. However, if you are faithful, good and honest, then you yourselves are partakers of the honor and the respect of the law and the merit of the law regarding the people who are protected by the law and are peaceful and safe, and this will then also be to your advantage before the face of God.
7
And you are also extremely rich men, but also your riches are no obstacles for the attainment of the pure spiritual state if you will handle it well, being not thrifty and stingy by the support of the poor, with true love for God and for fellowman, like good and wise fathers towards their children. Because in the same measure in which you are showing love to the poor, God will always reward you spiritually and if necessary also naturally.
8
And if you think that God is not helping at all the one who with full dedication continuous to walk seriously on the way to God's Kingdom and to the life of the spirit when now and then he becomes tired and weak, then you are greatly mistaken. I say to you: once he who has in all seriousness set foot on that way, will also without knowing it be helped by God in order to progress and finally also to certainly reach the goal.
9
Of course, God will not compel with His omnipotence the unification of the soul with the Spirit out of Him, but He will enlighten the heart of man more and more and fill it with true wisdom from the Heavens, and by that, man will grow spiritually and become stronger and will be able to conquer easier and with more confidence all obstacles, which for his greater trial could still come on his path.
10
The more love for God and his fellowman man will truly begin to feel in himself and the more merciful he becomes in his mind, the greater and stronger has then also become God's Spirit in his soul. Because the love for God and from that to fellowman is now exactly God's Spirit in the soul of man. To the same extend as this love will increase and grow, also God's Spirit will grow in him. And when finally the whole man has become pure and charitable love, then the complete unification of the soul with God's Spirit in him has taken place. Then man has reached forever the supreme goal in life that God had set for him.
11
God Himself is within Himself supreme and purest love, and the same is also the spirit that is given by God to each human being.
12
If the soul will, by his free will, become completely like the love of the Spirit out of God, then it is also clear that he will become one with the Spirit out of God that is in him. And when he will become like that, then he is also perfected. And of this, no certain time can be determined. However, the soul's own feeling must say and indicate this.
13
True, pure and living love is in itself completely unselfish. It is full of humility, active, full of patience and compassion. It will never unnecessary burden anyone and will gladly tolerate everything. It does not take pleasure in the need of its fellowman, but is always trying to help everyone who needs help.
14
So also, pure love is chaste in the highest degree and does not feel pleasure in the lustfulness of the flesh. But the purity of the heart is all the more pleasing to him.
15
If the soul of man will also become like that by the efforts of his free will, then the soul is as his spirit and is then also perfected in God.
16
And now you know very precisely what you have to do in order to reach the pure spiritual perfection. He who will strive entirely for it will also be perfected the soonest.
17
And he who will be zealous and will seriously do his best to walk on this way will always truly and surely be helped by God to reach the supreme goal of life. Of this, all of you can be sure. For if God came already to help you through Me while you hardly suspected that there existed such a way, how much more will He come to help you when you will walk on it by your own activity. Did you understand this?'
18
All of them were full of amazement about My teaching words, and even Joseph said: 'I almost never have heard Him talking so wisely and truly.'
19
Then he turned to Me and said: 'Why did you never teach our priests that way? If one of them had been present here he surely would start to think differently about You.'
20
I said: 'I feel more capable to convert the fish in the sea than our rabbis. I also advice you that neither James nor you would tell anything at home of what has happened here, because then you will have great trouble with the rabbis. For their heart is more hardened than the hardest stone and their soul is much more impure than a swine in a stinking pool, and I rather would build a 1.000 stalls for the swine of the Greek and other gentiles no matter from where they are than to waste one word to our extremely dumb, dark and malicious rabbis in Nazareth, Capernaum and Chorazin. However, there still will be a time when I also will open My mouth there too, but not to comfort them but as a judgment over them when their evil measure will be full.