The Great Gospel of John
Volume 8
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and His adversaries
- Chapter 92 -
About the institution of the Sabbath.
Look, since the first times of men it has been a custom to divide the week into 7 days. This division was derived in a natural way from the quarters of the moon, and from a supernatural way that was revealed to them from the 7 Spirits in God of which you also have heard something, but have never understood one little word.
2
Now, out of the 7 Spirits it is the 7th that purifies as it were and softens throughout all 6 preceding ones with retroactive force, and this 7th Spirit is actually called 'Mercy'. And look, also for this reason, God has through the mouth of Moses destined the 7th day as Sabbath so that you can abstain from servile work for your own belly on that day, and during the gathering before the tent in which the Ark was standing, would look after your poor brothers and sisters, widows and orphans, and actually would take care of them, for in this consists the whole law of Moses and all prophets, namely that you in complete faith in God and out of love for Him would profess the works of true mercy to your poor fellowman, and this is also the only true and for Me pleasing religion.
3
But when this is so and can impossibly be different, then how could Moses, even in his worst dream, ever have imagined that the Sabbath was set apart by God for the reason that on that day no Jew should not and may not do a work of mercy for his poor fellowman?
4
Now do you really think that honoring God means that someone stays the whole day firstly in complete laziness and then in the temple in Jerusalem or elsewhere in a synagogue, in another place or in his house, mumbling and bawling several times the 10 commandments and a few psalms of David and still other things from the Scripture without feeling, without thinking, thus without using his brains, himself or let them be mumbled and bawled by a priest to whom he gives an offering because he believes that the mumbling and bawling from the mouth of a priest is more powerful and is more pleasing to God than from himself? Oh you fools. Think about it, if it is possible that the all-wise God could ever be pleased with such foolishness and ridiculous acts, which were only thought of by you and never by Moses or by the prophets, and which you even have made as a law, and if He who is eternally unchangeably the same, is satisfied with it or will ever be satisfied with it.
5
Yes, men who recognize God and love Him above all should also pray to Him in their heart. But how? In the first place by observing His will in the right way, by practicing the works of neighborly love, and in the second place in their heart they should talk to God fervently and full of love in this way:
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'Our loving Father, who lives in Your Heavens. Let Your Kingdom of eternal love and truth actually come. Let Your only holy will, the existence of all beings, be a reality also among us, as this is done in all Your Heavens and spaces of creation. Give us, Your children the bread of life. Forgive us our debts, just as we have forgiven our brothers who have offended us. Let no temptation and provocation for sin come upon us, which we in our weakness can hardly or not at all resist, but free us from all evil. Your name be always sanctified, highly praised and glorified above all, for Yours is all love, wisdom, power and might forever.'
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Look, this is a real prayer to God if this is fervently, truthfully and in full seriousness spoken out in the heart of someone. But also this prayer has no value, even if it is spoken out a 1.000 times by someone with the mouth, but it has to be spoken out in the heart fervently, truthfully and with a full serious will, and man should also show by means of his deeds what the words of his heart mean, otherwise all that praying is an abomination in the eyes of God, because the eternal living God, who is love, wisdom, power and might Himself, does not let Himself be honored by false and dead words from the lips and from senseless offerings and ceremonies, but only by works according to My will. But these can and should be practiced by men every day and not only on the Sabbath. If man does that, then he makes of every day a true Sabbath and he does not have to wait for the 7th day of the week, which is for Me not more valuable than another day. Look, this is now My opinion. And you, scribe, temple servant, can now reply if you think that there is reason for it."
8
The scribe said: "O Lord and Master, this I will now and also forever omit to do, for only now I have clearly perceived that You are truly the anointed of God. Yes, You are right in every respect, and the fact that You are blaming us temple servants is true and more than justified. But unfortunately we are imprisoned by the temple and cannot do anything in favor of this highest true godly matter that You have now explained.
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But You, o Lord, are powerful. Do according to Your mercy, love and wisdom whatever is pleasing to You. But even if we remain in the temple, we will truly not speak one harmful word against You in any assembly. But when there is an opportunity, we will show the high priest what this case is all about. But if You would like to indicate to us specifically what we have to do, then we also will do that in order to be mercifully accepted by You. Lord and Master, what is Your will with us and regarding us?"
10
I said: "I have told you already a few things by which your intellect will have discerned My will. Act accordingly, then you also will receive life. The temple will not hinder you in your heart to believe in Me and to act according to My will, and, wherever this is necessary, also to acknowledge Me before the world, for I also say to you: whoever will acknowledge Me before the world, will also be acknowledged by Me before My Father in Heaven. And now you can travel again to Jerusalem, but when the temple servants will ask you concerning Me, then do not tell them anything about Me. My blessing be with you all. Amen."
11
The temple servants were moved and then they stood up, thanked Me for the lessons and for delivering them out of their confusion. Since it had already become quite dark, they went on their way home, and Lazarus gave them a few escorts with torches, which was very much appreciated by the temple servants. But we went again into the hall and took place at our table. Only now the Romans expressed their joy about everything I had said so openly and godly true to the temple servants.
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All of them asked Me now for the true prayer that I had shown the temple servants. But then Raphael came to Agricola and handed it to him, written on parchment, and the Romans could not thank Me enough for that.
13
Then I said to Lazarus: "Brother, we have now worked again. Let us therefore bring some wine and bread for food, so that we can strengthen ourselves."