GRM 68.1
The Gospel as revealed to me
Quotation
I have not come to scandalise or to teach people to break not only the Law, but also the custom. On the contrary, I have come to teach respect, humbleness and obedience and to remove scandals.
Notes for this theme
Reading comfort
GRM 68.1
I have not come to scandalise or to teach people to break not only the Law, but also the custom. On the contrary, I have come to teach respect, humbleness and obedience and to remove scandals.
GRM 68.2-3
«Here, Master, the official.»
«Peace be with you. I ask to teach Israel, amongst the rabbis of Israel.»
«Are You a rabbi?»
«Yes, I am.»
«Who was Your teacher?»
«The Spirit of God Who speaks to Me in His wisdom and enlightens every word of the Holy Scriptures for Me.»
«Are You greater than Hillel, since You say You know all doctrines, without a teacher? How can one be formed if there is no one forming him?»
«As David was formed, an unknown little shepherd, who became a powerful and wise king by God’s will.»
«Your Name?»
«Jesus of Joseph of Jacob of the House of David, and of Mary of Joachim of the House of David and of Anne of Aaron. Mary, the Virgin married in the Temple by the High Priest, according to the law of Israel, because She was an orphan.»
«Who can prove that?»
«There must still be some Levites here who will remember the event and who were the same age as Zacharias of the class of Abijah, My relative. Ask them, if you doubt My sincerity.»
«I believe You. But who will prove to me that You are capable of teaching?»
«Listen to Me and you will judge for yourself.»
«You are free to do it… But… are You not a Nazarene?»
«I was born at Bethlehem of Judah, at the time of the census decreed by Caesar. Banished by unfair orders, the children of David are now everywhere. But the family is of Judah.»
«You know… the Pharisees… all Judaea… throughout Galilee…»
«I know. But be reassured. I was born at Bethlehem, at Bethlehem Ephrathah, whence My family comes; if now I live in Galilee, it is only to fulfil the given sign…»
The official goes away a few yards, hastening to where they call him.
68.3
Judas asks: «Why did You not say that You are the Messiah?»
«My words will say so.»
«Which is the sign to be fulfilled?»
«The union of Israel under the teaching of the word of Christ. I am the Shepherd of Whom the Prophets speak and I have come to gather all the sheep of every region, I have come to cure the sick ones and put the wandering ones on a good pasture. There is no Judaea or Galilee, no Decapolis or Idumaea for Me. There is only one thing: the Love that sees with one glance only and joins in one embrace only in order to save…»
A Temple magistrate comes to see who Jesus is.
GRM 68.2
«Your Name?»
«Jesus of Joseph of Jacob of the House of David, and of Mary of Joachim of the House of David and of Anne of Aaron. Mary, the Virgin married in the Temple by the High Priest, according to the law of Israel, because She was an orphan.»
GRM 68.3
I am the Shepherd of Whom the Prophets speak and I have come to gather all the sheep of every region, I have come to cure the sick ones and put the wandering ones on a good pasture. There is no Judaea or Galilee, no Decapolis or Idumaea for Me. There is only one thing: the Love that sees with one glance only and joins in one embrace only in order to save…
GRM 69
Jesus leaves the Temple with Judas. Judas wants to go with him, but Jesus tells him that he needs to pray with the Father. He affirms that the spirit must always take precedence over the flesh, and that the flesh must almost be killed in favor of supernatural life. Judas then asks how we can be unconcerned about the flesh, and evokes the commandment "Thou shalt not kill". Jesus replies that we must eat with continence, without poisoning ourselves or overeating, as this flatters the taste. He then returned to the subject of suicide, and spoke about it at length. Christ declares that he who commits suicide sins through pride. Judas points out that people commit suicide out of despair, but Jesus says that despair is nothing other than pride: for we believe that we have no help anywhere, not even from God, who is a Father and can reach out to us. Judas points out that all those who committed suicide in Scripture before his coming sinned, but the Master declares that they will have been able to receive God's Mercy, even if it is never permitted to do violence, to oneself or to others. After the coming of the Word, on the other hand, the sin of suicide will always be severely condemned by God's Justice if the sinner commits suicide, declaring that he is forever separated from God and cannot receive God's forgiveness. Since life is a gift from God, we must love it, and use it to gain eternity.
Judas understands Christ's thought, but finds it hard to apply. They talk about Christ's temptation, then Jesus talks about angels (pure spirits) and man, king of creation, whom Jesus has come to rehabilitate.
About to leave Jesus, Judas asks him if he can't take him somewhere other than the olive grove, to make him "better considered". But while Jesus thanks him for his consideration, he likes to stay in this humble environment. He will come for all, for the little ones as well as for the great, but will remain above all where humility is to be found. Finally, the two men part shortly afterwards.
GRM 69.1
I know it is difficult to amend one’s way of living. But I am here to help you. I am here to help man to become the son of God once again, to recreate himself by means of a new creation, of an autogenesis wanted by man himself.
GRM 69.4
Man was the perfection of creation. He had the spirit of the angel and the full beauty of the animal, complete in all its animal and moral parts. There was no creature equal to him. He was the king of the earth, as God is the King of Heaven, and one day, when he would have fallen asleep for the last time on the earth, he would have become king with the Father in Heaven. Satan tore the wings off the angel-man and he replaced them with the claws of a beast and with intense yearning for filth, and lured him into becoming a being which is better described as a man-demon, rather than simply a man. I want to eradicate the disfigurement worked by Satan, as well as the corrupted craving of the contaminated flesh. I want to give back to man his wings, and make him king once again, co-heir of the Father and of the Celestial Kingdom. I know that man, if he is willing, can do what I say, to become once again king and angel. I would not tell you things you could not do. I am not one of the rhetors who preach impossible doctrines.
GRM 69.6
I will meet the poor as well as the rich, slaves as well as kings, pure people as well as sinners. But if I have to be grateful to those who supply Me with bread and a roof that I may carry on My work, whatever the roof and the bread may be, I will always give My preference to the humble. The great ones already have so many joys. The poor have but their honest conscience, a faithful love, children and the joy of being listened to by those who are above them. I will always be bent over the poor, the afflicted, and sinners.
GRM 70
Jesus arrives at Jonah's house in the olive grove of Gethsemane. Jonas tells him that John has come, and Jesus immediately goes to meet him. They meet again, and the young disciple is happy. He informs him that he has left Docco with Simon, who has gone to find Lazarus in Bethany. John thinks that Simon is very competent, but the Master tells him that he too acts very well.
They arrive at the house and have a meal with their host. Then they go out into the olive grove, where they see Jerusalem, and Jesus comments on the Temple, which is no longer the Holy Place it should be. John then proposes to go and see Hanne and Caiaphas and a rich fish merchant to talk about Jesus and to make him less weary, but the Lord declines the invitation and speaks of that of Judas, who had made him a similar proposal to "be better regarded". John believes that Judas will be better than them because he is better educated, but Jesus teaches him that this is not the case, and that it is often the hearts that are untouched by knowledge that know how to love the most. That said, he asks him to be a friend to Judas, to help him become a better man.
Meanwhile, John mentions Simon Peter and the purse he received from a stranger (Matthew). He gives him the money and Jesus says he'll distribute it to the poor, so Judas will find out about their habits. John understands who it is and is surprised, but gives news of Thomas, who has gone to meet Philip and Bartholomew. Jesus then tells him that he wants the Twelve to love each other without preference, like a holy family.
Finally, he declares that he is going to pray, and John wants to stay with him, but he soon falls asleep, and Jesus continues the prayer in silence, while his apostle rests on his heart.
Finally, Jesus gives a dictation comparing Judas and John. The former keeps his way of thinking and seeing, the latter strips himself of all self to be "the disciple". He is the model for all apostles, while Judas is the very type of all failed apostles.
GRM 70.3
«I do not want to be the one who starts war. There will be war in any case. Because I shall be the cause of a silly human fear for some, and the cause of reproach for others. But this must be written in their book, not in Mine.»