The Lord's Sermons
- Sermon 2 -
Second Sunday in Advent. John's Inquiry
St. Matthew XI, 2-6: "Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another: Jesus answered and said unto them. Go and shew John again those tings which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me."
St. Matthew XI, 27-30: "All things are delivered unto me of my Father; and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, und I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
(December 4, 1871)
When John was in prison he sent some of his disciples to Me to ask whether I was the promised Messiah, who was to liberate the people from oppression and raise them to that spiritual dignity for which they had actually been created, - or whether he had to wait for another.
This question, whether I am actually the one about whom the prophets had spoken, has again arisen in the minds of those who lack a clear understanding. They slightly suspect a future spiritual state, by which the old, traditional religious customs will be partly abolished and partly reduced to their proper measure, and that is why they, too, are sending their disciples that they may ask: "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?"
These disciples or adherents of the actual, true religious teaching are still prejudiced by the religious principles impressed upon them since their childhood, which sometimes misrepresent My teaching and, together with the ceremonies, have always been confusing for the believer.
These men or disciples, who are the leaders of religious movements, are not yet free from prejudices. They are asking Me within their hearts: "Are we doing the right thing or not?" And I, who am now through My servants presenting the teaching as I once did and keep on explaining it, say to them: "Look at what I am doing. See how My children unterstand the love of God and their neighbour. See the miracles that willpower works in some individuals, not like once through My own hand, but in a way that in many cases will confound your scholars and physicians."
At that time I said: "You are like children! You have piped and your playmates did not want to dance; you have mourned and they did not want to lament!" And now I am again saying: "In your childish minds you believe and hope that men will follow your leaders, but you shall see the contrary! You men will be mourning together with your leaders, but you will be unable to draw tears from anyone, nor awaken any pity!"
As it was once, it is also today and shall always be: The Kingdom of Heaven must suffer force! With force the old Adam must be driven out and the new one put on with a firm will, otherwise all efforts at reform are futile. A compromise, partly to adhere to My teaching and partly to rites of obsolete institutions, will not work. I am a spirit, and he who wants to worship Me must do so in spirit and in truth. To worship with truth means: with unshakable faith - with force. And whoever seizes heaven with force shall also take possession of it.
Men had then and have still now a wrong idea of John, My forerunner, and of Me. They saw John from their own, worldly viewpoint and thus they looked upon Me as one who would improve the worldly conditions. And every forerunner and earnest fighter for My teaching will fare as did John; he will be understood as little as I am who have been among you with My teaching already for some years, revealing Myself to you directly and indirectly through My scribes and servants.
People everywhere, even if they know My teaching or are now getting to know it, want to adapt it to life in such a way that no sacrifice or self-abnegation is needed in order to become My disciples, My children.
What I once said about the city of Judah applies still today to the great cities of your earth. Where there should be the greatest englightenment, there reigns the greatest darkness. And in those cities where I reveal Myself directly to the people, I am ignored most of all, just as once in Cana where I performed the first miracle in public.
Although over a thousand years have passed, mankind has remained the same.
I once said: "No man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son." And I regret to have to say also now: "Only the divine love knows in its highest sense Me, the love that is active in unison with wisdom."
Men want to find Me, but do not know how to seek. Both, those who lead and those who are being led are still prejudiced and, like Moses, they have a threefold cover over their eyes. And even if I want to lift it and call to them: "Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest!" - they do not understand My call. They do not yet know the voice of their shepherd and are like lost sheep that shall reach the light of love, truth and full awareness only after a lengthy groping in the dark.
What I once said will apply also today: "These things will be hidden from the wise and prudent, but revealed to the simple who seek with their heart."
All the reformers now leading the believers and hoping for better spiritual conditions will have to relinquish many of their pet ideas, and so will their followers. They will have to go through many a bitter experience until they comprehend the words I once spoke: "My yoke is easy and My burden is light!" Learn from Me meekness, gentleness and the love of your fellowmen or, where religion is concerned, tolerance, then you will find peace of mind and be able to pass this peace on also to others who still lack it.
As at that time, prior to My years of ministry, all these things took place and John preached in the desert as My forerunner, it is now too - prior to My actual coming. My forerunner is again My direct revelation to individuals.
The spiritual wind is blowing. It comes from My heavens in order to cleanse your spiritual atmosphere, which is heavy with all kinds of evil vapours. This spiritual wind is the awakener, purifier and carrier of a new age, so that mankind can be brought closer to its spiritual destination and finally comprehend the meaning of religion in its spiritual sense and what it means to worship Me in spirit and in truth.
Men are still sticking to ceremonies and rites - a sign that they are still very material, that they desire and understand only that which is material. Only when they will be spiritually educated and recognize that I, as a spirit, do not need material expedients in order to be understood by them, when they will realize what spirit and spiritual education actually mean, only then will they also realize how far they have strayed from the right path. They were responsible for My words that only I as the Son knew the Father and He Me, although I once personally taught on earth how this knowledge could also be given to you humans, all of whom carry a spark of My divine Self in your hearts, which keeps urging you towards becoming one with Me.
All the now following explanations of the gospels for each Sunday of the ecclesiastical year will show you how mankind's spiritual education advances in stages and how you yourselves, carried by the spiritual current, have already for quite some time been walking towards the road of enlightenment in order to become that for which I have created, educated and destined you.
Awake, My children! Do not close your ears to the voice crying in the wilderness, to the dictations which I am giving you in such abundance! Awake and listen to the celestial harmonies that are sent to you from on high to prove to you that you are of spiritual origin and have a different destination and mission than to live merely in that which is of the world.
The spiritual wind is blowing through all the hearts; and if thousands do not understand its sound, you who can explain its movements and its purpose should not be deaf. Awake, throw all worldly things far behind you! You are spirits, inhabitants of another, greater, infinite, everlasting world! Do not forget that this transient life on earth is only a trial life! The greater, indeed the greatest, part is awaiting you in a world where the sun no longer sets, where night is banned and only light, equivalent to love, permeates all heavenly spheres as a stimulator.
Let Me advise you to interpret and comprehend those words of the gospel which I spoke more than a thousand years ago in their highest spiritual sense. They hold My entire fatherly love for My children. Already at that time I wanted to prove to the Jewish people what love a Creator as a Father can and must have. However, they did not understand Me. And now - I must admit - mankind on the whole understands Me even less.
Once I exclaimed: "My yoke is easy!" - and I repeat this also today: "How can a yoke of love be other than easy, and must not a burden be lighter if love helps to carry it?"
Make sure you understand this! Let be the world, it can give you pleasure only for moments, but it can never satisfy you for any length of time. For with the gaining of some worldly possession the pleasure of anticipation ceases. This is not the case in the spiritual world. My Kingdom is infinite. Spiritual possession has no limits and, therefore, everlasting progress is possible. With every stage greater enjoyment, greater power and greater ability is attained.
Whilst in material things certain conditions and circumstances are needed to achieve a desired success, spiritual progress offers at all times the opportunity to advance. Whilst in worldly things we are mainly dependent on others, in the spiritual your own innermost being is the greatest storehouse where all the treasures of an infinite world of the spirit are lying concealed. It is within you that I can reveal Myself as the Father, as the Son and as the Supreme Spirit. On this revelation depend your peace and equanimity and, thanks to it, you learn to regard all the troubles in your life not as punishment but as wise and necessary trials. Then you begin to fully comprehend the words: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden!" Love, a heavenly Father's everlasting, infinite love, has put this burden upon you, but it also helps you carry it.
Then the suffering and troubles of temporal life are no longer misery, but blessings from a Father Who does not want to make of His children worldly masters, but spiritual pioneers for His teaching of love - already here and one day in that everlasting kingdom.
Do take all of this to heart! The ultimate achievement will prove to you the final words of this chapter of the Gospel (Matt. XI,30): "For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light!" Amen.