March 16, 2009

THE GOSPEL OF PEACE BY THE DISCIPLE JOHN –Part 6

Published by the C.W. Daniel Company Limited – 1937

And Jesus spoke to them in parables: “you are like the prodigal son, who for many years did eat and drink, and passed his days in riotousness and lechery with his friends. And every week without his father’s knowledge he incurred new debts, and squandered all in a few days. ‘And the moneylenders always lent to him because his father possessed great riches and always paid patiently the debts of his son. And in vain did he with fair words admonish his son, for he never listened to the admonitions of his father, who besought him in vain that he would give up his debaucheries which had no end, and that he would go to his fields to watch over the labour of his servants.

And the son always promised him everything if he would pay his old debts, but the next day he began again. And for more than seven years the son continued in his riotous living. But, at last, his father lost patience and no more paid to the money lenders the debts of his son. ‘If I continue always to pay,’ he said, ‘there will be no end to the sins of my son.’ Then the moneylenders, who were deceived, in their wrath took the son into slavery that he might by his daily toil pay back to them the money which he had borrowed. And morning until night by the sweat of his face he watered the fields, and all of his limbs ached with the unaccustomed labour. And he lived upon dry bread, and had naught but his tears with which he could water it. And three days after he suffered so much from the heat and from weariness that he said to his master: ‘I can work no more, for all my limbs do ache. How long would you torment me?’ ‘Till the day when by the labour of your hands you pay me all your debts, and when seven years are passed, you will be free.’ And the desperate son answered weeping: ‘But I cannot bear so much as seven days. Have pity on me, for all my limbs do burn and ache.’

And the wicked creditor cried out: ‘Press on with the work; if you could for seven years spend your days and your nights in riotousness, now must you work for seven years. I will not forgive you till you pay back all your debts to the uttermost drachma.’ And the son, with his limbs racked with pain, went back despairing to the field to continue his work. Already he could hardly stand upon his feet because of his weariness and of his pains, when the seventh day was come—the Sabbath day, in which no man works in the field. Then the son gathered the remnant of his strength and staggered to the house of his father.

And he cast himself down at his father’s feet and said: ‘Father, believe me for the last time and forgive me all my offences against you. I swear to you that I will never again live riotously and that I will be your obedient son in all things. Free me from the hands of my oppressor. Father, look upon me and upon my sick limbs, and harden not your heart.’ Then tears came into his father’s eyes, and he took his son in his arms, and said: ‘Let us rejoice, for to-day a great joy is given me, because I have found again my beloved son, who was lost.’

And he clothed him with his choicest raiment and all the day long they made merry. And on the morning of the morrow he gave his son a bag of silver that he might pay to his creditors all that he owed them. And when his son came back, he said to him: ‘My son, do you see that it is easy, through riotous living, to incur debts for seven years, but their payment is difficult by the heavy labour of seven years.’ ‘Father, it is indeed hard to pay them, even for seven days.’ And his father admonished him saying: ‘For this once alone has it been permitted you to pay your debts in seven days instead of seven years, the rest is forgiven you. But take heed that in the time to come you do not incur more debts. For I tell you truly, that none else but your father forgives you your debts, because you are his son. For with all else you would have had to labour hard for seven years, as it is commanded in our laws.’

“’My father, I will henceforth be your loving and obedient son, and I will not any more incur debts, for I know that their payment is hard.’

“And he went to his father’s field and watched every day over the work of his father’s laborers. And he never made his laborers work hard, for he remembered his own heavy labour. And the years passed, and his father’s possession increased ever more and more beneath his hand, for the blessing of his father was upon his labour. And slowly he gave back tenfold to his father all that he had squandered in the seven years. And when his father saw that his son used well his servants and all his possessions, he said to him: ‘My son, I see that my possessions are in good hands. I give you all my cattle, my house, my lands and my treasures. Let all this be your heritage, continue increasing it that I may have delight in you.’ And when the son had received his inheritance from his father, he forgave their debt to all his debtors who could not pay him, for he did not forget that his debt also had been forgiven when he could not play it. And God Blessed him with long life, with many children and with much riches, because he was kind to all his servants and to all his cattle.”