67.6 «I will come… Have you any news of the Baptist, since you are a Judaean and you live with the mighty ones?»
«I know that he is still in jail, but they want to set him free, because the crowds are threatening a revolt, if they do not get their prophet. Do You know him?»
«Yes, I do.»
«Do You like him? What do You think of him?»
«I think no one has been more like Elijah than he is.»
«Do You really consider him the Precursor?»
«Yes, he is. He is the morning star announcing the sun. Blessed are those who through his preaching have prepared themselves for the Sun.»
«John is very severe.»
«Not more with others than he is with himself.»
«That is true. But it is difficult to follow him in his penance. You are more kind, and it is easy to love You.»
«And yet…»
«Yet… what, Master?»
«Yet, as he is hated because of his austerity, I will be hated because of My goodness, because they both preach God, and God is disliked by the wicked. But it is to be thus. As he precedes Me in preaching, so he will precede Me in death. Woe to the killers of Penance and Goodness.»
«Why, Master, have You always such sad forecasts? The crowds love You. You saw that…»
«Because I am sure. Humble people do love Me. But the crowd is not all humble and of humble people. But I am not sad. It is a placid vision of the future and compliance with the will of the Father, Who sent Me for that. And I have come for that. Here we are at the Temple. I am going to the Bel Nidrasc to teach the crowds. If you wish, you may stay.»
«I will stay with You. There in only one thing I wish: to serve You and let You triumph.»
They enter the Temple, and it all ends.