THE GOSPEL OF PEACE BY THE DISCIPLE JOHN - Part 11

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

Love the Lord they God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength: this is the first and greatest commandment.’ And the second is like unto it: ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself.’ There is none other commandment greater than these.

And after these words they all remained silent, save one, who called out: “What am I to do, Master, if I see a wild beast rend my brother in the forest? Shall I let my brother perish, or kill the wild beast? Shall not I thus transgress the law?”

And Jesus answered: “It was said to them of old time: ‘All beasts that move upon the earth, all the fish of the sea, and all the fowl of the air are given into thy power.’ I tell you truly, of all creatures living upon the earth, God created only man after his image. Wherefore, beasts are for man, and not man for beasts. You do not, therefore, transgress the law if you kill the wild beast to save your brother’s life. For I tell you truly, man is more than the beast. But he who kills a beast without a cause, though the beast attack him not, through lust for slaughter, or for its flesh, or for its hide, or yet for its tusks, evil is the deed which he does, for he is turned into a wild beast himself. Wherefore is his end also as the end of the wild beasts.”

Then another said: “Moses, the greatest in Israel, suffered our forefathers to eat the flesh of clean beasts, and forbade only the flesh of unclean beasts. Why, therefore, do you forbid us the flesh of all beasts? Which law comes from God? That of Moses or your law?”

And Jesus answered: “God gave, by Moses, ten commandments to your forefathers. These commandments are hard,’ said your forefathers, and could not keep them. When Moses saw this, he had compassion on his people, and would not that they perish. And then he gave them ten times ten commandments, less hard, that they might follow them. I tell you truly, if your forefathers had been able to keep the ten commandments of God, Moses would never had need of his ten times ten commandments. For he whose feet are strong as the mountain of Zion, needs no crutches; but he whose limbs do shake, gets further having crutches, than without them. And Moses said to the Lord: ‘My heart is filled with sorrow, for my people will be lost. For they are without knowledge, and are not able to understand thy commandments. They are as little children who cannot yet understand their father’s words. Suffer, Lord, that I give them other laws, that they may not perish. If they may not be with thee, Lord, let them not be against thee; that they may sustain themselves, and when the time has come, and they are ripe for thy words, reveal to them they laws.’ For that did Moses break the two tablets of stone whereon were written the ten commandments, and he gave them ten times ten in their stead. And of these ten times ten the Scribes and Pharisees have made a hundred times ten commandments. And they have laid unbearable burdens on your shoulders, that they themselves do not carry. For the more nigh are the commandments to God, the less do we need; and the farther they are from God, then the more do we need. Wherefore are the laws of the Pharisee and Scribes innumerable; the laws of the Son of Man seven; of the angels three; and of God one.

“Therefore, I teach you only those laws which you can understand, that you may become men; and follow the seven laws of the Son of Man. Then will the angels also reveal their laws to you, that God’s holy spirit may descend upon you, and lead you to his law.”

And all were astonished at his wisdom, and asked him: “Continue, Master, and teach us all the laws which we can receive.”

And Jesus continued: “God commanded your forefather: “Thou shalt not kill.’ But their heart was hardened and they killed. Then Moses desired that at least they should not kill men, and he suffered them to kill beasts. And then the heart of your forefathers was hardened yet more, and they killed man and beasts likewise. But I do say to you: Kill neither men, nor beasts, nor yet the food which goes into your mouth. For if you eat living food, the same will quicken you, but if you kill your food, the dead food will kill you also. For life comes only from life, and from death comes always death. For everything which kills your foods, kills your bodies also. And everything which kills your bodies kills your souls also. And your bodies become what your foods are, even as your spirits, likewise, become what your thoughts are. Therefore, eat not anything which fire, or frost, or water has destroyed. For burned, frozen and rotted foods will burn, freeze and rot your body also. Be not like the foolish husbandman who sowed in his ground cooked, and frozen, and rotten sees. And the autumn came, and his fields bore nothing. And great was his distress. But be like that husbandman who sowed in his field living seed, and whose field bore living ears of wheat, paying a hundredfold for the seeds which he planted. For I tell you truly, live only by the fire of life, and prepare not your foods with the fire of death, which kills your foods, your bodies and your souls also.”