The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in Galilee
- Chapter 72 -
The Kingdom Of God.
Now the innkeeper said with deep awe and respect: "O Lord and Master, Your deeds are very wonderful, but Your words are truly pure truth and life, because when You act, then also a blind person can notice that in Your will there is more than human force and might, but when You speak, then one can really recognize completely that You are the Lord Himself, because the wisdom of Your words is greater than the most bright light of the sun at noontime.
2
But now also I should take the freedom to ask You, o Lord and Master, a question for the sake of the Kingdom of God. If You mercifully would allow this to me, I will speak."
3
I said: "Just say what you want, and I will answer you."
4
Now the innkeeper said: "Lord and Master, to Your dear disciples and besides that, also to me and my chief helper who was healed by You, You have spoken many very wise things about Your 2nd coming and thus also about the coming of the Kingdom of God on this Earth. But one thing caught my attention, and that is concerning the Kingdom of God on Earth that will exist somewhere in the faraway future, and that it will thus also really come on the Earth.
5
So You also said that the Kingdom of God will in no way come among the people with outer splendor, but that it is already deep inside man, and that he only has to search it, find it and develop it in himself.
6
But I am of the opinion that for us all who are here in Your presence, it is clearly not in us, but still very far outside of us, and that we can say with the greatest confidence: Look, here is Christ, who is since eternity the anointed Lord of all glory, and He Himself is everything in all, and thus also the eternal Kingdom of God and the Life and the Truth. Since You are now with us, Your Kingdom is not in us but with us, amongst us.
7
Will this very holy occurrence also be the same during the time that You mentioned or will Your 2nd coming still be very different from Your present coming?"
8
I said: "O My dear friend, you have spoken now very well, and I can say that it was not your flesh and blood that inspired you in this, but only your spirit. But still, during the future return of the Son of Man it will be as I have clearly said to you all.
9
You are completely right when you say that the Kingdom of God has come to you in Me and is now with and among you, but this is still not sufficient to attain to the eternal life of the soul and keep it completely, for although the Kingdom of God has come to you in Me, it has by that not yet penetrated in your inner self, which only can and will happen when you will have completely accepted My teaching in your will and thus also in everything that you do, without considering the world. Once this will be the case, you will say no more: 'Christ, and with Him the Kingdom of God has come to us and He lives with us and is among us', but you will say: 'Now it is not I who lives, but Christ lives in me'. When this will be the case with you, then you will also completely understand that the Kingdom of God does not come with outer pomp and splendor to and in men, but that it develops only inside of man and draws the soul into the eternal life of that Kingdom of God and will keep him permanently in it.
10
It is true that the way has to be shown to man first from the outside by God's word, which comes to man from the Heavens and by which man can say: 'Peace be with you, for the Kingdom of God has come near', but therefore man is still not yet in the Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom of God not in him.
11
Only when man begins to believe without doubting, and makes his faith alive by acting according to the teaching, the Kingdom of God develops itself in man, as the life in a plant develops itself unmistakably in spring from the inside when the plant is shone by the light of the sun, warms up and is by that urged to inner activity.
12
Although all the life is stimulated and awakened from the outside, the originating, the development, the unfolding, forming and strengthening comes always from the inside.
13
So also, animals and men must first absorb their food in them from the outside, but this absorbing of food and drink is still by far not the real feeding of the body, but this happens only after, from the stomach to all the parts of the body. As the stomach is in a way the life-feeding heart of the body, so is also the heart of man the feeding stomach of the soul for the awakening of the Spirit from God in himself, and My teaching is the true food of life and the true drink of life for the stomach of the soul.
14
So in what I am teaching men I am a true nourishing bread from the Heavens, and acting according to that teaching is a true drink of life, a very good and strong wine that by its spirit awakens the whole man to life and enlightens him throughout by the illuminating blazing flame of the fire of life. Whoever will eat that bread and will drink that wine, will no more see, feel or taste death in eternity.
15
If you have understood this now, then act also accordingly, then My words will become full, living truth in you."