«Master» says Elias. «That woman… the woman who is in John’s house… three days after You left and we were pasturing the sheep on the meadows of Hebron — they belong to everybody, the meadows, and they could not send us away — she sent her maid to us with this bag and told us that she wanted to speak to us… I don’t know whether I did the right thing… but the first time I gave the bag back to her and said: “I do not want to listen to her”… Then she sent this message: “Come in Jesus’ name” and I went. She waited until her… well, the man who keeps her, had gone… She wanted to know so many things. But I… didn’t tell her very much. Out of prudence. She is a prostitute. I was afraid it might be a trap for You. She asked me who You are, where You live, what You do, if You are a gentleman… I said: “He is Jesus of Nazareth, He goes everywhere, because He is a Master, and He goes around Palestine teaching”; I said You are a poor man, a simple workman, made wise by Wisdom… Nothing else.»
«You did well» says Jesus, and Judas at the same moment exclaims: «You did the wrong thing! Why did you not say that He is the Messiah, the King of the world? The proud Roman woman should be crushed under the blow of God’s splendour.»
«She would not have understood me… In any case how could I be sure that she was sincere? When you saw her, you said what she is. Was I to throw holy things, and everything that is Jesus is holy, into her mouth? Was I to endanger Jesus, giving too much information? Anyone may hurt Him, but I will not.»
«John, let us go and tell her who the Master is, and explain the holy truth to her.»
«Not me. Unless Jesus tells me.»
«Are you afraid? What can she do to you? Do you loathe her? The Master did not.»
«I am not afraid neither do I loathe her. I feel sorry for her. But I think that if Jesus wanted, He could have stopped to teach her. He did not do it… it is not necessary for us to do it.»
«At that time there were no signs of a conversion… Now…
79.5
Show me the bag, Elias.» And Judas, who is sitting on the grass, empties the bag on his mantle. Rings, armlets, bracelets and a necklace roll out: yellow gold on the dark gold of Judas’ mantle. «They are jewels!… What can we do with them?»
«They can be sold» says Simon.
«They are troublesome things» remarks Judas, who, however, admires them.
«That’s what I told her, when I took them; I also said: “Your master will beat you”. She replied: “They do not belong to him. They are mine and I do what I want with them. I know it is the gold of sins… but it will become good if used for the poor and the holy. That they may remember me” and she was crying.»
«Go and see her, Master.»
«No.»
«Send Simon.»
«No.»
«Well, I’ll go.»
«No.» Jesus’ «No» is sharp and peremptory.
«Was I wrong, Master, in speaking to her and taking that gold?» asks Elias, when he sees Jesus so serious.
«You did nothing wrong. But there is nothing more to be done.»
79.6
«But perhaps that woman wants to redeem herself and she needs to be taught…» Judas objects once again.
«There are already in her so many sparks capable of starting a fire which will burn her vices and purify her soul and repentance will render her innocent once again. A few minutes ago I spoke to you of the yeast which is mixed with the flour and turns it into holy bread. Listen now to a short parable.
That woman is the flour. A flour in which the Evil One has mixed his hellish powders. I am the yeast. That is, My word is the yeast. But if there is too much chaff in the flour, or if sand, or little stones or ashes are mixed in it, is it possible to make bread with it, even if the yeast is good? It is not possible. It is necessary to patiently remove the chaff, the ashes, stones and sand from the flour.
Then Mercy passes by and offers the first sieve… The first one: made from short basic truths, which may be understood by one entangled in the net of total ignorance, vice and Gentilism. If the soul accepts it, the first purification begins. The second takes place by means of the sieve of the soul itself, which compares its own being with the Being that revealed Itself. And the soul is horrified. And it starts its work. By means of a more and more particular operation, after the stones, the sand and the ashes, it reaches the point of also removing that part of the flour consisting of grains too heavy and too coarse to make good bread. The soul is now ready. Mercy then passes by once again and penetrates into the flour now ready — that is a preparation too, Judas — and raises it and turns it into bread. But it is a long operation: an operation of the “will power” of the soul.
That woman already has within herself the minimum which was fair to give her and which may be used by her to accomplish her work. Let her do it, if she wishes to, but we must not disturb her. Everything upsets a soul which is working: curiosity, unadvised zeal, intolerance as well as excessive compassion.»
79.7
«We are not going to see her, then?»
«No. And that none of you may be tempted to, let us leave at once. There is shade in the wood. We will stop at the foot of the Terebinth Valley. And we will part there. Elias will go back to his pastures with Levi: Joseph will come with Me as far as the Jericho ford. Later… we will meet again. You, Isaac, continue what you did at Juttah, going from here, through Arimathaea and Lydda, to Doco. We will meet there. It is necessary to prepare Judaea, and you know how to do it. Exactly as you did at Juttah».
«And what about us?»
«You? You will come, as I said, to see My preparation. Also I am prepared for My mission.»
«Did You go to a rabbi’s?»
«No.»
«Did You go to John?»
«I was only baptised by him.»
«Well, then?»
«Bethlehem spoke with its stones and its hearts. Also where I am taking you, Judas, the stones and a heart, Mine, will speak to you and give you the answer.»