The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in Nahim in Judea
- Chapter 41 -
The question of the disciples about the darkening of the pure teaching of Christ.
Then they all said: "Yes, Lord and Master, that which You have clarified again to us now we have understood, but despite the many things that we have heard about this from Your mouth it is still not completely clear why You each time allow a long-lasting deep spiritual night in this world after a light has come from Your Heavens among the people.
2
All of us, who have now received the pure teaching from Your mouth, will as active witnesses of Your personal presence, deeds and teaching pass it on just as pure to the other people, and our successors will do that also. And if there would be someone who would maybe preach in Your name another gospel to the people, then You will see it and know it very clearly. Your power will surely be able to shut the mouth of such a prophet. If that would happen, we cannot see how Your pure and godly teaching can ever be falsified and finally be changed into a very dark and coarse paganism."
3
I said: "You still do not understand many things, which I surely can see. And I still have many things to tell and explain to you, but you still would not be able to grasp and bear it. However, when after My ascension I will have poured out My Spirit of all truth over you, it will guide you into all wisdom, and then you will understand and grasp everything which by far you still cannot understand and grasp now.
4
But look, be very attentive to what I still will say to you. I will not give you a teaching, but only many meaningful examples from which it will become clear why you still cannot understand and grasp many things, despite the fact that you have already seen and heard so many things from Me.
5
Just look and observe the light of the sun and its many different effects it has on the creatures of even only this Earth, and the rain that falls upon the soil and its many different effects on the surface of the Earth, on the plants, animals and men. In one and the same field there are healthy herbs, but between them also poisonous weeds. From where do the poisonous herbs take their poison, while they still are shone by one and the same sun, have their roots in the same soil and are moistened by the same rain and dew and are brought to life?
6
Look, this is caused by the inner spirit that changes the light and the rain in its characteristic properties. The lion, the panther, the tiger, the hyena, the wolf and still a great number of other animals of prey feed themselves with the flesh of gentle animals and are also shone and warmed up by the same sun and they quench their thirst with the same water as the gentle and tame house animals. Then from where comes their wildness? Look, this is produced by their inner spirit that changes the gentleness in themselves into a devouring wildness.
7
Or just enter a house where you can meet the parents who are blessed with many children. Those children have all one and the same father, one and the same mother, eat the same food at the table of their parents, receive the same teaching and the same care, but one child is physically strong, the other weak, another child is cheerful and zealous in everything, and again another child is grumpy and lazy. Again another of those children has many talents and learns and understands everything easily. Again another is full of good will, but he lacks talents, he learns with difficulty and understands everything only slowly and seldom in the manner the lessons should be understood. So you will see still a lot of other differences among these children. Yes, what is the reason for that? Would you also here not like to say: 'But Lord and Master, why do You allow this? For which wise purpose can this be good for?'
8
Yes, look, also this is because of the inner free spirit, which accomplishes all that. If it were not so, then there also would not be a free inner spirit, which task it is to develop and form itself to an independent existence.
9
How this is possible and why this is so, I already have shown you at different occasions and also explained it enough to you visually, but still you do not understand deeply enough such things because the eternal Spirit of all truth and wisdom has still not completely permeated and filled your souls.
10
However, if you will consider more in detail these images that were represented now, then with little effort it will soon become clearer to you how the purest light out of My Heavens can and will in time be changed into the deepest darkness, and that I finally have to allow this even more than that I would tie up the free spirit of life in man with all My power and authority.
11
How would you like an Earth on which one thing would look exactly like the other as one eye looks like the other? How would you like the people when they would look the same in everything like the sparrows, when no one would be wiser and stronger than his fellowman who would look exactly like him? I think that such mathematically equal world would bore you in a very short time. And would that be different in My free Heavens if there would not be an endlessly much greater diversity and variety?
12
Or what would you think of My wisdom if I would have given all creatures only the shape of an egg? Look, as it is, it is all very correct and good. Now, as I said, you cannot see the reason of a lot of things, but the time will come that all of you will grasp and understand that. So let us be satisfied with what has been given to us until now.
13
But there is still food and wine before us on the tables, so let us also do something for our body. Then we will go to rest for the night and early in the morning we will be on our way again. Whereto, the Spirit of the Father will tell us."
14
The Greeks were extremely amazed about these words of Mine and they praised and honored Me. But I continued to eat and drink undisturbed, and all the others did the same. After the meal I stood up, and the widow let a good bed be prepared for Me and My disciples. The Greeks however stayed at their tables.