Galilee was rich in poor men and poor in rich men. And it might have
been thought that Jesus, the friend of the poor, was the right man in
the right place there. And yet His teaching took no hold in that land.
A few rich men among a multitude of poor have all the more power
because they are few, and they used all their influence with the people
to dethrone the Prophet from His height, and to undermine His career.
These illustrious men found their best tools in the Rabbis, who
circulated the sophism that the people who followed the teaching of
this man must quickly come to ruin. For the poor, who willingly gave
up their last possessions, must become poorer, and the rich, who
pursued their advantages, must become still richer, which implied that
not the rich but only the poor would accept the Prophet's teaching,
since we know that Jesus especially called on the rich to alter the
tenor of their ways, and always for the benefit of the poor. But, they
answered: The rich will not alter the tenor of their ways, they will
consume the gentle disciples of Jesus, as the wolf the sheep. Many
were impressed by that view, and lost courage: The Prophet means well,
they reflected, but nothing is to be gained by adopting His methods.
Then it became known that Jesus had allowed Himself to be anointed. To
allow Himself to be anointed meant that He regarded Himself as the
Heaven-sent Messiah! And that was hostile to the existing order of
things, to the king. So said the preachers in the synagogues, the
houses, and the streets, but they were silent over the fact that the
anointing was the work of a poor woman who desired to heal His sore
feet. In fact, the preachers cared nothing for the people or the king
but only for the letter of the law.
When the woman who had anointed His feet saw that He was despised
because of her, she went silently apart by herself. No human being
cared so much for Him, and none left Him so calmly. She did not go
back to the old man she had married out of pity, and forgotten--out of
love, but she went to relations at Bethany. Since the Prophet had
raised her up before all the people, her relatives no longer closed
their doors to her, but received her kindly.
Jesus was aware how His native ground tottered under His feet, how the
people began to shun Him more and more, how the inns made difficulties
about receiving Him. So He went, with those who were true to Him, out
into the rocky desert of Judaea. He gained new adherents on the way,
and people came from the surrounding places with pack and staff to hear
the wonderful preacher. Some had had enough of the barren wisdom of
the Pharisees, others were disgusted with the bad administration of the
country, and with the fine promises of the Romans, they were ruined by
the agricultural depression, or in despair over the low level of men's
minds, over the barbarism of men. There were some, too, who had fled
before the robber bands of Barabbas which infested the desert to their
undoing. They came into His presence, hungering for the living word on
which to feed their starving souls. John said to them: "His teaching
is nourishment. His word is flesh. Who eats of His flesh and drinks
of His blood will not die."
They wondered at those words. How were they to understand what was
meant by eating His flesh and drinking His blood?
Then John; "The word is like flesh, it nourishes the soul. Manna was
sent from Heaven for our ancestors, yet they died. His word is bread
from heaven which makes us immortal." They remembered another saying:
"His flesh is food indeed!" And they explained that a man's body is
destined to be consumed by the spirit, like tallow and wick by flame.
So man, in order to become divine, must attain the divine life through
the medium of humanity.
They remained with Him day and night in their thousands, and were
satisfied. And many entreated Him to pour water over their heads as a
token that they were His adherents and desired to be pure.
It was a starry night in the desert, one of those nights when the stars
shine down in sparkling brilliance and envelop the rocks in a bluish
shimmer and vapour, so that it seems like a resurrection of glorified
souls. One of the disciples looked up at the stars shining in the sky
in holy stillness, and said: "Brother, this infinitude of space makes
me afraid."
The other disciple: "I rejoice over that infinite space."
"My terror causes me to flee to my Heavenly Father."
"I take my joy to my Heavenly Father."
They were all lying on the ground in a wide circle round Jesus. They
wished to rest, but the night was too beautiful for sleep.
And one of them began to say softly: "This is like the Kingdom of God."
Another lifted his head, which had been resting on his arm, and said:
"Do you know, then, what the Kingdom of God is like?"
The first speaker was silent for a space, and then replied: "No,
indeed, I don't know, but I like to think about it. He speaks so often
of the Kingdom of Heaven, I should like to know something more definite
about it."
"Shall we ask Him?"
"You ask Him."
"I dare not."
"Let us ask John. He knows Him best, and possibly can tell us
something."
John was lying on the sand with his head on a stone. His soft hair was
his pillow. But he was not asleep. They crept up to him, and boldly
asked him where the Kingdom of Heaven was, of which the Master so often
spoke. Was it under the earth or above the sun? Would it begin soon
or in a thousand years?
John said; "How long have you been with Him?"
"Seven weeks."
"And you don't know yet where the Kingdom of Heaven is? Then you do
not understand His language."
"He speaks the language of our fathers."
"He speaks the language of the Kingdom of God. Remember, the Kingdom
of Heaven is where God is. God is where Love is, where trustful,
self-sacrificing, glad Love is."
"And where is that?"
"Where do you think?"
"I think Love must be in the heart."
Whereupon John answered: "Then you do know where the Kingdom of Heaven
is."
The two looked at each other, but did not quite seem to know. Then
John went to Jesus, who was sitting on a rock and looking out into the
darkness as if it was full of visions. His countenance was as bright
as if the stars had lent it their brilliance.
"Master," said John, "we cannot sleep. Tell us of the Kingdom of
Heaven."
Jesus turned round, and pointing to the disciple nearest him, said: "To
you is it granted to know the Kingdom of Heaven. To the others it can
only be explained through parables. For the Kingdom of God is not
built of wood or stone like a temple, it cannot be conquered like an
earthly empire, it cannot be seen by mortal eyes like a garden of
flowers, neither can we say it is here or there. The Kingdom of God
must be conquered with the power of the will, and he who is strong and
constant will gain it. His eye and his hand must be continually set to
the plough which makes furrows in the kingdom of earth for the great
harvest. He who sets his hand to the plough, and looks at something
else, he is not dedicated to the Kingdom of God. But to him who
earnestly seeks it, it comes overnight. The seed thrown on the field
yesterday has sprung up--man knows not how. The seed is the Word of
God which was scattered on all sides. Part falls on the wayside, and
the birds devour it. Part falls among thorns, and is choked. A part
falls on a thin covering of earth, it comes up but is parched by the
hot sun. Only a very small quantity falls on rich earth and bears much
fruit. So it is with the tidings of God. Evil inclinations devour it,
earthly cares choke it, burning passions parch it, but the heart that
desires God receives it, and with him the word becomes the Kingdom of
Heaven."
More and more heads were lifted up. "He is speaking." Then all
bestirred themselves and listened.
Jesus raised His voice and went on; "Some of you who listen to Me have
the Kingdom of Heaven within you. But be careful! The enemy comes in
the night and sows weeds. Hear more. The word is like a grain of
mustard-seed. It is the smallest of all seeds, and yet it becomes the
biggest tree. Perhaps without your knowledge a word has fallen into
your heart. You are scarcely aware of it, you pass it by, but it grows
secretly, and all at once enlightenment is there, and you have the
Kingdom of Heaven. Then, again, it is like yeast, and stirs up and
changes your whole being. The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure
hidden in a field. A man finds it and buys the field. And it is like
a pearl for which a merchant gives all his wealth. But it is also like
a lamp which a man must feed with oil lest it be extinguished. If it
goes out, you will have no light, and suddenly comes the attack. And
hear this also: the Lord of the Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who at
urgent request remits all his slave's debts. But the slave does not
remit his debtor's debt, but lets him be cast into prison. So the king
summons him before his judgment-seat and says: I have shown you mercy,
and you have shown your fellow no mercy. So now I shall have you put
upon the rack until you have paid me your debts to the last farthing.
Who does not show mercy to others, to him shall no mercy be shown."
Jesus was silent, and a shudder of terror passed through the crowd.
John went to the man who had just questioned Him, and said: "Do you
understand now what He means by the Kingdom of God?"
"I think so."
"That is enough for the present. It is mercy, blessedness, and
justice. . . . Consider, it was night He chose in order to unveil the
Kingdom of Heaven. For it is not visible to the outward eye, but to
the inward eye. Man, if you possess the Kingdom of Heaven, you possess
it in your soul. If it is not there, you seek it elsewhere in vain."
"But," someone ventured to say hesitatingly, "it must also be somewhere
else. The Master Himself says: 'Father who art in heaven.'"
John answered him: "The Kingdom of Heaven is wherever you are, wherever
you come with your faith and with your love. Only do not think that
you are obliged to understand such mysteries with your reason."
And the man asked no more.
Then an old man tottered up and ventured to ask Jesus what he should
do. He was a worldly man, had never lived save for earth, and he was
told it was now too late to change. "How shall I reach the Kingdom of
Heaven?"
Then Jesus spoke as follows:
"There was once a man who employed labourers for his vineyard. He
engaged one in the morning, another at noon, and the last towards
evening when the day's work was almost over. And when the pay-hour
came round, he gave each good wages. Then those who had been hired in
the morning and at noon complained that they had worked much longer in
the toil and heat of the day, and ought therefore to receive more wages
than he who only began towards evening, and had scarcely laboured for
an hour. Then said the master of the vineyard; 'I told you beforehand
the wages I should give you, and you were content. What is it to you
how much I give the other? Let him come to me late, or let him come to
me as soon as it is morning. The chief thing is that he comes to me.'"
Then the old man began to weep for joy that although he came so late to
the vineyard of Jesus, he would still be employed.
Since the Master was so ready to speak, others came to Him at this
time, and entreated Him to clear up some matters which they did not
understand. Once he related a story of a king who, when the guests he
had invited to his wedding-feast refused to come, invited the people
out of the highways. They came, but one had not a wedding garment on,
and the king ordered him to be cast into the outer darkness. The
Master intended it as a parable, but they could not understand it. The
king was too severe, they argued; he must have known that people from
off the highways would not be wearing wedding garments.
Jesus was silent, but James observed: "Why, guests must know that it is
not seemly to go to a king's wedding in torn and dirty clothes. All
are freely invited, but he who comes unwashed and presumptuous will be
cast out into the darkness. No one is admitted who is unprepared."
Another of His parables concerning the Kingdom of Heaven disturbed
them. It was that of the unjust steward whom his master praised
because he had prudently used the money entrusted to him in order to
provide for himself. The steward knew that he would be dismissed, and
secretly remitted to his master's debtors a part of their debts, so
that he might stand well with them. And he did right! "But, can we
purchase the Kingdom of Heaven with goods that are not ours?"
A mule-driver interposed: "I understand the story thus: None of us has
any property on earth. We are all only the stewards of the property
and when we give of it to the needy, we are unjust stewards because we
give what is not ours, and yet we do right."
Some shook their heads over this interpretation; the rich and those
learned in the Scriptures could not understand it. But Jesus said in
prayer: "I praise, O Father, that Thou revealest many things to the
simple that are hidden from the worldly wise. Blessed are those who
are not offended by My teaching!"
Now the disciples always discussed together anything that was not quite
clear. Thomas did not exactly understand what the Master meant by the
word truth, by saying that He was the truth, that we must pray to God
in truth, and that he who is of truth would understand God's word.
What did John, the youngest of them, say? "The children of the world
call it truth if they break a stone with a hammer and find that it is
chalk; they call it truth to know the difference between the fishes in
the sea and the worms on the earth, and to be able to measure the
dimensions of the sky with figures; they call it truth when it is
established that a seed of corn germinates, and a man's body turns into
dust after death. Truly, every one can see those things with his own
eyes. But is man's eye the truth? And did He say: 'You shall _know_
the truth'? No; He said: 'You shall _be_ the truth.'"
To _be_ the truth! To be void of guile and falsehood! To be true and
open in mind and heart!
So they sought to increase their knowledge of the Kingdom of Heaven;
hourly and daily did many a one rejoice because he had found what the
wise men of the ages had sought after.
The poor, the despised, and the unhappy came to Him more and more.
That strange desert camp was often filled with the sick, the
over-burdened, and the despairing. Many came from afar full of great
troubles, yet borne up by hope, and then when they saw Him, tall and
earnest, standing there and teaching men in deep sayings, their courage
deserted them; they could not trust Him. They were full of fear. Then
He spread out His hands and exclaimed:
"Come, come unto Me, all that are over-burdened and oppressed; I will
relieve you. I am not come to judge and to punish. I am come to find
what is lost, to heal what is sick, and to revive what is dead. I am
come to the sad to console them, to the fallen to raise them up. I
give Myself for the redemption of many. My power is not of this world.
I am Master in the Kingdom of God, where all are blessed in trustful,
joyful love. Come to Me, all ye who have erred and gone astray. I
have joy and eternal life for you."
The disciples looked at each other in astonishment: He had never before
spoken with such divine gentleness. The people, sobbing, crowded round
Him; His words were as balm to their wounds. They wondered how it was
possible for a man to speak so proudly, lovingly and divinely. They
gave themselves up to Him, filled with trust and enthusiasm; in His
presence the hungry were fed, the blind made to see, the lame walked,
doubters believed, the weak became strong, and dead souls lived.
Simon always rejoiced greatly whenever new wanderers came by and,
withdrawing from their companions, took a vow to follow the Master's
teaching. He was exceedingly angry when they refused, alleging that it
was not possible to accomplish what He demanded of them. Jesus related
a story in connection with Simon's emotions. "A man had two sons, and
told each of them to go and work in his field. One said, 'Yes, father,
I will go at once.' But afterwards he reflected that the work was
hard, and he did not go. The other son told his father to his face
that he would not go into the field; it was too much labour. When he
was alone he thought, 'I will do my father's will,' and he went into
the field and worked. Which of the two, in your opinion, did right?"
A man learned in the Law replied: "He who promised to go. For it
stands written; 'He who declares himself ready to obey the Law.'"
But Jesus was vexed at that reply, and said in sorrow: "It is
extraordinary how falsely you interpret the Law. Sinners who sincerely
repent will find their way to the Kingdom of Heaven before such
expounders of the Law."
From that time forward Simon rejoiced no more over empty promises, nor
did he vex himself over the refusals of those who would perhaps come
later to take up the heavy work. Patiently as once he had waited at
the lake for the fish to come to his nets, he now waited until they
came. And he understood a mystic saying of his Master: "All are
called; many come, few remain."