The Three Days in the Temple
Conversations of the twelve year old Jesus
- Chapter 27 -
Joram acknowledges the Boy Jesus as the Messiah, asks His advice and the explanation of Isaiah Chapter 53:3. The detailed answer of the Boy Jesus.
JORAM said: "Dear Boy, we are really very sorry if we have offended you in any way, and that you now want to leave us so soon! Listen to me, you dear divine Boy! For I want now to say quite openly a few little words to you and I think that you will not interpret them unkindly, and that if I then ask your advice you will not shut your mouth before us and before me!"
2
I said: "Speak then, although I know what you will say, and what advice you need: but nevertheless speak out your mind aloud, because of the others; it is more necessary for them to hear it aloud than for us two."
3
At that Joram stepped closer to Me and said: "That you are infallibly He who is promised us, and whose arrival is awaited anxiously by all Jews and with them by other nations also - of that all doubts have left me; and what has most opened my eyes was your absolutely exact knowledge of the most inner, wicked machinations of the temple, since of old!
4
For it is thus, and has been so for a very long time already, and because it unfortunately is thus, this was also the only reason that the considerable country of Samaria has completely separated from us, and that we are not much better off now with Galilee than with Samaria. Of the Spirit, there is nothing more left with us: it is only by enforced policy that we keep up the small authority of the temple.
5
I was of course compelled to be a partner in the black discipline of the walls of Solomon, but although aware of the evil, I could as a single man do nothing against it, as with us every effective resolution depends on the great council and there the majority of votes turns the fatal scale. I, with my single voice, was of course on such occasions as you have disclosed before us, never for, but ever against; but that was of no use to the condemned persons.
6
I comprehend only too clearly that the temple cannot last thus more than seven decades; and yet on the other hand, it is all the same an eternal pity that this old, venerable institution has evidently to perish, and that all the more certain as, very close to us, the Essenes and the Sadducees are beginning to get very much the better of us.
7
But here the very serious question now arises as to what could possibly be done to preserve the temple for the next centuries! Within you, you divine Boy, there seems to be represented in all fullness and abundance that wisdom which, in my opinion, might alone give authoritative advice.
8
And now at last as you already are said to be the Promised One - of which fact, as I said, I for myself have no longer the least doubt - there still is something extremely strange about the Messiah, just in the very same Prophet Isaiah!
9
Here you have the 53rd Chapter. What is written there is quite strange about the august Messiah who is quite identical with Jehovah, and is the Same Being! His human nature is mentioned, and it said that many will be offended at Him, because His form is more marred than that of the other persons and His visage more than that of the sons of men. (Isaiah 52:14)
10
And there, behold, it is further written: 'He was the most despised and the least esteemed, full of pain and sickness: He was so despised that we hid our faces from Him therefore we regarded Him not.' (Isaiah 53:3)
11
Truly if I look at your quite perfect form which is moreover very graceful, and if I also see now how appreciated you are, it surely does not thoroughly agree with the prophet! Or what did the prophet mean to say thereby?"
12
I said: "Yes, this will be the final true sign, that even I Myself as the Promised One. For with Me everything that is said shall be almost literally fulfilled: however, as to what concerns My bodily form, the assertion of the prophet does not apply but the prophet expressed there, figuratively speaking, only a completely perverted mood and mode of thought of the present generation, which, compared with My mood and My mode of thought, will appear like an ugly shape which is shrunken up by all kinds of sickness and much pain.
13
I shall therefore also be very much despised by the rich and the prominent people of this world, and they will flee before Me as before a corpse, and if it is permitted from above, they will persecute Me like the worst criminal, as has been already obviously shown by your attitude against Me: for were I, being as a child of man, to stand before you not under Roman protection, and had the time already come when permission had been granted you over My exterior human nature, I should never have escaped out of your hands alive.
14
But as you are now for the greatest part, so also will you henceforth remain until the great Judgment shall once come upon you, which the prophet Daniel foretold when he was standing in the holy places.
15
But all that might also happen differently if you would recognize your great errors and would repent, and be completely converted! But this will scarcely ever be the case with you, and so My advice for you, herewith already given, is hopeless! For you are too much attached to your earthly authority and your earthly treasures, and these will bring you into judgment. It is not I who shall break the rod over you - although I could do so through My power - but you yourselves and your worldliness will bring that upon you!'
16
But now you think I ought to give you good advice: you would sit in judgment on it, and consult how this might be given to the people without their perceiving it. Yes, yes, you would consult about it, and your money and your worldly authority would then step forward and say: 'We will remain what we are, and will first wait so see if that judgment will break upon us; for an institution that is so old and so well established, will, all the same, surely not be intimidated by a boy out of Galilee!' Then My advice will be rejected by the majority of votes, and you will be just the same as you are now, in fact much worse.
17
Put away your heaps of gold and silver, put away your many and more than precious stones and your great masses of pearls; distribute much among the poor, and give the great surplus to the Emperor who alone has the right to collect the treasures of the earth and to use them in the time of need; live only on that which Moses assigned to you, repent of your many evil deeds, and expiate your great sins though works of true love to your neighbors; have no secrets from the people but be true, just, and loyal in your speeches and actions! Always persevere in that, and never set yourselves obstinately against men awakened by the Spirit of God. Thus the judgment shall be withheld, and the temple shall exist until the end of the world!
18
For God the Lord will not have men like unto machines of His omnipotence, but He will have them as quite free, self working and independent children! He does not, in all eternity, need your offerings and your prayers, but so that you recognize Him in your hearts, love Him above everything, and your poor fellowmen just like yourselves: do all for them, that you can wisely desire to be done to you, and thus shall you find again all mercy from God, and shall be pleasing unto Him even as her dearest children are to a mother, and He will then protect you as a lioness her young ones, and will take care of you as a hen of her chickens!
19
Are you able to do that? O yes! You could easily do it if you had the right will for it, but in this you are lacking, and have always been lacking; even as all prophets and seers who have preceded Me, even so, I have spoken to deaf ears and hearts!"