Jesus answered: ‘Well hast thou said, O brother; wherefore tell me, Who created man out of nothing? Assuredly it was God, who also gave him the whole world for his benefit. But man by sinning hath spent it all, for by reason of sin is all the world turned against man, and man in his misery hath naught to give to God but works corrupted by sin. For, sinning every day he maketh his own work corrupt, wherefore Isaiah the prophet saith: Our righteousnesses are “as a menstruous cloth.”
‘How, then, shall man have merit, seeing he is unable to give satisfaction? Is it, perchance, that man sinneth not? Certain it is that our God saith by his prophet David. Seven times a day falleth the righteous“; how then falleth the unrighteous? And if our righteousnesses are corrupt, how abominable are our unrighteousnesses! As God liveth, there is naught that a man ought to shun more than this saying: “I merit.” Let a man know, brother, the works of his hands, and he will straightway see his merit. Every good thing that cometh out of a man, verily man doeth it not, but God worketh it in him; for his being is of God who created him. That which man doeth is to contradict God his creator and to commit sin, whereby he meriteth not reward, but torment.
‘Not only hath God created man, as I say, but he created him perfect. He hath given him the whole world; after the departure from paradise he hath given him two angels to guard him, he hath sent him the prophets, he hath granted him the law, he hath granted him the faith, every moment he delivereth him from Satan, he is fain to give him paradise; nay more, God willeth to give himself to man. Consider, then, the debt, if it is great! [a debt] to cancel which ye would need to have created man of yourselves out of nothing, to have created as many prophets as God hath sent, with a world and a paradise, nay, more, with a God great and good as is our God, and to give it all to God. So would the debt be cancelled and there would remain to you only the obligation to give thanks to God. But since ye are not able to create a single fly, and seeing there is but one God who is lord of all things, how shall ye be able to cancel your debt? Assuredly, if a man should lend you an hundred pieces of gold, ye would be obliged to restore an hundred pieces of gold.
‘Accordingly, the sense of this, O brother, is that God, being lord of paradise and of everything, can say that which pleaseth him, and give whatsoever pleaseth him. Wherefore, when he said to Abraham, “I will be thy great reward,” Abraham could not say: “God is my reward,” but “God is my gift and my debt.” So when thou discoursest to the people, O brother, thou oughtest thus to explain this passage: that God will give to man such and such things ifman worketh well.
‘When God shall speak to thee, O man, and shall say: “O my servant, thou hast wrought well for love of me; what reward seekest thou from me, thy God?” answer thou: “Lord, seeing I am the work of thy hands, it is not fitting that there should be in me sin, which Satan loveth. Therefore, Lord, for thine own glory, have mercy upon the works of thy hands.
‘And if God say: “I have pardoned thee, and now I would fain reward thee”; answer thou: “Lord, I merit punishment for what I have done, and for what thou hast done thou meritest to be glorified. Punish, Lord, in me what I have done, and save that which thou hast wrought.”
‘And if God say: “What punishment seemeth to thee fitting for thy sin?” do thou answer: “As much, O Lord, as all the reprobate shall suffer.”
‘And if God say: “Wherefore seekest thou so great punishment, O my faithful servant?“ answer thou: ”Because every one of them, if they had received from thee as much as I have received, would have served thee more faithfully than I have done.”
‘And if God say: “When wilt thou receive this punishment, and for how long a time?” answer thou: “Now, and without end.”
‘As God liveth, in whose presence my soul standeth, such a man would be more pleasing to God than all his holy angels. For God loveth true humility, and hateth pride.’
Then the scribe gave thanks to Jesus, and said to him, ‘Lord, let us go to the house of thy servant, for thy servant will give meat to thee and to thy disciples.’
Jesus answered: ‘I will come thither when thou wilt promise to call me “Brother,” and not “Lord,” and shalt say thou art my brother, and not my servant.’ The man promised, and Jesus went to his house.
While they sat at meat the scribe said: ‘O master, thou saidst that God loveth true humility. Tell us therefore what is humility, and how it can be true and false.’
[Jesus replied:] ‘Verily I say unto you that he who becometh not as a little child shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.’
Everyone was amazed at hearing this, and they said one to another: ‘Now how shall he become a little child who is thirty or forty years old? Surely, this is a hard saying.’
Jesus answered: ‘As God liveth in whose presence my soul standeth, my words are true. I said unto you that [a man] hath need to become as a little child: for this is true humility. For if ye ask a little child: “Who hath made thy garments?” he will answer: “My father.” If ye ask him whose is the house where he liveth, he will say: “My father’s.” If ye shall say: “Who giveth thee to eat?” he will reply: “My father.” If ye shall say: “Who hath taught thee to walk and to speak?” he will answer: “My father.” But if ye shall say: “Who hath broken thy forehead, for that thou hast thy forehead so bound up?” he will answer: “I fell down, and so did I break my head.” If ye shall say: “Now why didst thou fall down?” he will answer: “See ye not that I am little, so that I have not the strength to walk and run like a grown man? so my father must needs take me by the hand if I would walk firmly. But in order that I might learn to walk well, my father left me for a little space, and I, wishing to run, fell down.” If ye shall say: “And what said thy father?” he will answer: “Now why didst thou not walk quite slowly? See that in future thou leave not my side.”
‘Tell me, is this true?’ said Jesus.
The disciples and the scribe answered: ‘It is most true.’
Then said Jesus: ‘He who in truth of heart recognizeth God as the author of all good, and himself as the author of sin, shall be truly humble. But whoso shall speak with the tongue as the child speaketh, and shall contradict [the same] in act, assuredly he hath false humility and true pride.
‘For pride is then at its height when it maketh use of humble things, that it be not reprehended and spurned of men.
‘True humility is a lowliness of the soul whereby man knoweth himself in truth; but false humility is a mist from hell which so darkeneth the understanding of the soul that what a man ought to ascribe to himself, he ascribeth to God, and what he ought to ascribe to God, he ascribeth to himself. Thus, the man of false humility will say that he is a grievous sinner, but when one telleth him that he is a sinner he will wax wroth against him, and will persecute him.
‘The man of false humility will say that God hath given him all that he hath, but that he on his part hath not slumbered, but done good works.
‘And these Pharisees of this present time, brethren, tell me how they walk.’
The scribe answered, weeping: ‘O master, the Pharisees of the present time have the garments and the name of Pharisees, but in their heart and their works they are Canaanites. And would to God they usurped not such a name, for then would they not deceive the simple! O ancient time, how cruelly hast thou dealt with us, that hast taken away from us the true Pharisees and left us the false!’
Jesus answered: ‘Brother, it is not time that hath done this, but rather the wicked world. For in every time it is possible to serve God in truth, but by companying with the world, that is with the evil manners in each time, men become bad.
‘Now knowest thou not that Gehazi, servant of Elisha the prophet, lying, and shaming his master, took the money and the raiment of Naaman the Syrian? And yet Elisha had a great number of Pharisees to whom God made him to prophesy.
‘Verily I say unto thee, that men are so inclined to evil working, and so much doth the world excite them thereto, and Satan entice them to evil, that the Pharisees of the present day avoid every good work and every holy example: and the example of Gehazi is sufficient for them to be reprobated of God.’
The scribe answered: ‘It is most true’: whereupon Jesus said: ‘I would that thou wouldst narrate to me the example of Haggai and Hosea both prophets of God, in order that we may behold the true Pharisee.’
The scribe answered: ‘O master what shall I say? Of a surety many believe it not, although it is written by Daniel the prophet; but in obedience to thee I will narrate the truth.
‘Haggai was fifteen years old when, having sold his patrimony and given it to the poor, he went forth from Anathoth to serve Obadiah the prophet. Now the aged Obadiah, who knew the humility of Haggai, used him as a book wherewith to teach his disciples. Wherefore he oftentimes presented him raiment and delicate food, but Haggai ever sent back the messenger, saying: “Go, return to the house, for thou hast made a mistake. Shall Obadaih send me such things? Surely not: for he knoweth that I am good for naught, and only commit sins.”
‘And Obadiah, when he had anything bad used to give it to the one next to Haggai in order that he might see it. Whereupon Haggai, when he saw it, would say to himself: “Now, behold, Obadiah hath certainly forgotten thee, for this thing is suited to me alone, because I am worse than all. And there is nothing so vile but that, receiving it from Obadiah, by whose hands God granteth it to me, it were a treasure.”
‘When Obadiah desired to teach anyone how to pray, he would call Haggai and say: “Recite here thy prayer so that every one may hear thy words.” Then Haggai would say: “Lord God of Israel, with mercy look upon thy servant, who calleth upon thee, for that thou hast created him. Righteous Lord God, remember thy righteousness and punish the sins of thy servant in order that I may not pollute thy work. Lord my God, I cannot ask thee for the delights that thou grantest to thy faithful servants, because I do nought but sins. Wherefore, Lord, when thou wouldst give an infirmity to one of thy servants, remember me thy servant, for thine own glory.”
‘And when Haggai did so,’ said the scribe, ‘God so loved him that to every one who in his time stood by him God gave [the gift of] prophecy. And nothing did Haggai ask in prayer that God withheld.’
The good scribe wept as he said this, as the sailor weepeth when he seeth his ship broken up.
And he said: ‘Hosea, when he went to serve God, was prince over the tribe of Naphtali, and aged fourteen years. And so, having sold his patrimony and given it to the poor, he went to be disciple of Haggai.
‘Hosea was so inflamed with charity that concerning all that was asked of him he would say: “This hath God given me for thee, O brother; accept it, therefore!”
‘For which cause he was soon left with two garments only, namely, a tunic of sackcloth and a mantle of skins. He sold, I say, his patrimony and gave it to the poor, because otherwise no one would be suffered to be called a Pharisee.
‘Hosea had the book of Moses, which he read with greatest earnestness. Now one day Haggai said to him: “Hosea, who hath taken away from thee all that thou hadst?”
‘He answered: “The book of Moses.
‘It happened that a disciple of a neighbouring prophet was fain to go to Jerusalem, but had not a mantle. Wherefore, having heard of the charity of Hosea, he went to find him and said to him: “Brother, I would fain go to Jerusalem to perform a sacrifice to our God, but I have not a mantel wherefore I know not what to do.”
‘When he heard this. Hosea said: “Pardon me, brother, for I have committed a great sin against thee: because God hath given me a mantle in order that I might give it to thee and I had forgotten. Now therefore accept it, and pray to God for me.” The man, believing this, accepted Hosea’s mantle and departed. And when Hosea went to the house of Haggai, Haggai said: “Who hath taken away thy mantle?”
‘Hosea replied: “The book of Moses.”
‘Haggai was much pleased at hearing this, because he perceived the goodness of Hosea.
‘It happened that a poor man was stripped by robbers and left naked. Whereupon Hosea, seeing him, stripped off his own tunic and gave it to him that was naked; himself being left with a little piece of goat-skin over the privy parts. Wherefore, as he came not to see Haggai, the good Haggai thought that Hosea was sick. So he sent with two disciples to find him: and they found him wrapped in palm-leaves. Then said Haggai: “Tell me now, wherefore hast thou not been to visit me?”
‘Hosea answered: “The book of Moses hath taken away my tunic, and I feared to come thither without a tunic.” Whereupon Haggai gave him another tunic.
‘It happened that a young man, seeing Hosea read the book of Moses, wept, and said: “I also would learn to read if I had a book.” Hearing which, Hosea gave him the book, saying: ‘Brother, this book is thine; for God gave it me in order that I should give it to one who, weeping, should desire a book.”
‘The man believed him, and accepted the book.
‘There was a disciple of Haggai nigh to Hosea; and he, wishing to see if his own book was well written, went to visit Hosea and said to him: “Brother, take thy book and let us see if it is even as mine.”
‘Hosea answered: “It hath been taken away from me.”
‘“Who hath taken it from thee?” said the disciple.
‘Hosea answered: “The book of Moses.” Hearing which, the other went to Haggai and said to him: “Hosea hath gone mad, for he saith the book of Moses hath taken away from him the book of Moses.”
‘Haggai answered: “Would to God, O brother, that I were mad in like manner, and that all mad folk were like unto Hosea!”
‘Now the Syrian robbers, having raided the land of Judaea, seized the son of a poor widow, who dwelt hard by Mount Carmel, where the prophets and Pharisees abode. It chanced, accordingly, that Hosea having gone to cut wood met the woman, who was weeping. Thereupon he straightway began to weep for whenever he saw anyone laugh he laughed, and whenever he saw anyone weep he wept. Hosea then asked the woman touching the reason of her weeping, and she told him all.
‘Then said Hosea: “Come, sister, for God willeth to give thee thy son.”
‘And they went both of them to Hebron, where Hosea sold himself, and gave the money to the widow, who, not knowing how he had gotten that money, accepted it, and redeemed her son.
‘He who had bought Hosea took him to Jerusalem, where he had an abode, not knowing Hosea.
‘Haggai, seeing that Hosea was not to be found, remained afflicted thereat. Whereupon the angel of God told him how he had been taken as a slave to Jerusalem.
‘The good Haggai, when he heard this, wept for the absence of Hosea as a mother weepeth for the absence of her son. And having called two disciples he went to Jerusalem. And by the will of God, in the entrance of the city he met Hosea, who was laden with bread to carry it to the labourers in his master’s vineyard.
‘Having recognized him, Haggai said: “Son, how is it that thou hast forsaken thine old father, who seeketh thee mourning?”
‘Hosea answered: “Father, I have been sold.”
‘Then said Haggai in wrath: “Who is that bad fellow who hath sold thee?”
‘Hosea answered: “God forgive thee, O my father; for he who hath sold me is so good that if he were not in the world no one would become holy.”
‘“Who, then, is he?” said Haggai.
‘Hosea answered: “O my father, it was the book of Moses.”
‘Then the good Haggai remained as it were beside himself, and said: “Would to God, my son, that the book of Moses would sell me also with all my children, even as it hath sold thee!”
‘And Haggai went with Hosea to the house of his master, who when he saw Haggai said: “Blessed be our God, who hath sent his prophet unto my house”; and he ran to kiss his hand. Then said Haggai: “Brother, kiss the hand of thy slave whom thou hast bought, for he is better than I.” And he narrated to him all that had passed; whereupon the master gave Hosea his freedom.
And that is all that thou desiredst, O Master,’ [said the scribe].
Then said Jesus: ‘This is true, because I am assured thereof by God. Wherefore, that every one may know that this is the truth, in the name of God let the sun stand still, and not move for twelve hours!’ And so it came to pass, to the great terror of all Jerusalem and Judaea.
And Jesus said to the scribe: ‘O brother, what seekest thou to learn from me, seeing thou hast such knowledge? As God liveth, this is sufficient for man’s salvation, inasmuch as the humility of Haggai, with the charity of Hosea, fulfilleth all the law and all the prophets.
‘Tell me, brother, when thou camest to question me in the temple, didst thou think, perchance, that God had sent me to destroy the law and the prophets?
‘Certain it is that God will not do this, seeing he is unchangeable, and therefore that which God ordained as man’s way of salvation, this hath he caused all the prophets to say. As God liveth, in whose presence my soul standeth, if the book of Moses with the book of our father David had not been corrupted by the human traditions of false Pharisees and doctors, God would not have given his word to me. And why speak I of the book of Moses and the book of David? Every prophecy have they corrupted, in so much that do-day a thing is not sought because God hath commanded it, but men look whether the doctors say it, and the Pharisees observe it, as though God were in error, and men could not err.
‘Woe, therefore, to this faithless generation, for upon them shall come the blood of every prophet and righteous man, with the blood of Zechariah son of Berachiah, whom they slew between the temple and the altar!
‘What prophet have they not persecuted? What righteous man have they suffered to die a natural death? Scarcely one! And they seek now to slay me. They boast themselves to be children of Abraham, and to possess the beautiful temple. As God liveth, they are children of Satan, and therefore they do his will: therefore the temple, with the holy city, shall go to ruin, in so much that there shall not remain of the temple one stone upon another.’
‘Tell me, brother, thou that art a doctor learned in the law—in whom was the promise of the Messiah made to our father Abraham? In Isaac or in Ishmael?’
The scribe answered: ‘O master, I fear to tell thee this, because of the penalty of death.’
Then said Jesus: ‘Brother, I am grieved that I came to eat bread in thy house, since thou lovest this present life more than God thy creator; and for this cause thou fearest to lose thy life, but fearest not to lose the faith and the life eternal, which is lost when the tongue speaketh contrary to that which the heart knoweth of the law of God.’
Then the good scribe wept, and said: ‘O master, if I had known how to bear fruit, I should have preached many things which I have left unsaid lest sedition should be roused among the people.’
Jesus answered: ‘Thou shouldst respect neither the people, nor all the world, nor all the holy ones, nor all the angels, when it should cause offence to God. Wherefore let the whole [world] perish rather than offend God thy creator, and preserve it not with sin. For sin destroyeth and preserveth not, and God is mighty to create as many worlds as there are sands in the sea, and more.’
The scribe then said: ‘Pardon me, O master, for I have sinned.’
Said Jesus: ‘God pardon thee; for against him hast thou sinned.’
Whereupon said the scribe: ‘I have seen an old book written by the hand of Moses and Joshua (he who made the sun stand still as thou hast done), servants and prophets of God, which book is the true book of Moses. Therein is written that Ishmael is the father of Messiah, and Isaac the father of the messenger of the Messiah. And thus saith the book, that Moses said: “Lord God of Israel, mighty and merciful, manifest to thy servant the splendour of thy glory. Whereupon God showed him his messenger in the arms of Ishmael, and Ishmael in the arms of Abraham. Nigh to Ishmael stood Isaac, in whose arms was a child, who with finger pointed to the messenger of God, saying: ”This is he for whom God hath created all things.“ Whereupon Moses cried out with joy: ”O Ishmael, thou hast in thine arms all the world, and paradise! Be mindful of me, God’s servant, that I may find grace in God’s sight by means of thy son, for whom God hath made all.”
‘In that book it is not found that God eateth the flesh of cattle or sheep; in that book it is not found that God hath locked up his mercy in Israel alone, but rather that God hath mercy on every man that seeketh God his creator in truth.
‘All of this book I was not able to read, because the high priest, in whose library I was, forbade me, saying that an Ishmaelite had written it.’
Then said Jesus: ‘See that thou never again keep back the truth, because in the faith of the Messiah God shall give salvation to men, and without it shall none be saved.
And there did Jesus end his discourse. Whereupon, as they sat at meat, lo! Mary, who wept at the feet of Jesus, entered into the house of Nicodemus (for that was the name of the scribe), and weeping placed herself at the feet of Jesus, saying: ‘Lord, thy servant, who through thee hath found mercy with God, hath a sister, and a brother who now lieth sick in peril of death.’
Jesus answered: ‘Where is thy house? Tell me, for I will come to pray God for his health.’
Mary answered: ‘Bethany is the home of my brother and my sister, for my own house is Magdala: my brother, therefore, is in Bethany.’
Said Jesus to the woman: ‘Go thou straightway to thy brother’s house, and there await me, for I will come to heal him. And fear thou not, for he shall not die.’
The woman departed, and having gone to Bethany found that her brother had died that day, wherefore they laid him in the sepulchre of their fathers.
Jesus abode two days in the house of Nicodemus, and the third day he departed for Bethany; and when he was nigh to the town he sent two of his disciples before him, to announce to Mary his coming. She ran out of the town, and when she had found Jesus, said, weeping: ‘Lord, thou saidst that my brother would not die; and now he hath been buried four days. Would to God thou hadst come before I called thee, for then he had not died!’
Jesus answered: ‘Thy brother is not dead, but sleepeth, therefore I come to awake him.’
Mary answered, weeping: ‘Lord, from such asleep he shall be awakened on the day of judgment by the angel of God sounding his trumpet.’
Jesus answered: ‘Mary, believe me that he shall rise before [that day], because God hath given me power over his sleep; and verily I say to thee he is not dead, for he alone is dead who dieth without finding mercy with God.
Mary returned quickly to announce to her sister Martha the coming of Jesus.
Now there were assembled at the death of Lazarus a great number of Jews from Jerusalem, and many scribes and Pharisees. Martha, having heard from her sister Mary of the coming of Jesus, arose in haste and ran outside, whereupon the multitude of Jews, scribes, and Pharisees followed her to comfort her, because they supposed she was going to the sepulchre to weep over her brother. When therefore she arrived at the place where Jesus had spoken to Mary, Martha weeping said: ‘Lord, would to God thou hadst been here, for then my brother had not died!’
Mary then came up weeping; whereupon Jesus shed tears, and sighing said: ‘Where have ye laid him?’ They answered: ‘Come and see.’
The Pharisees said among themselves: ‘Now this man, who raised the son of the widow at Nain, why did he suffer this man to die, having said that he should not die?’
Jesus having come to the sepulchre, where every one was weeping, said: ‘Weep not, for Lazarus sleepeth, and I am come to awake him.’
The Pharisees said among themselves: ‘Would to God that thou didst so sleep!’ Then said Jesus: ‘Mine hour is not yet come; but when it shall come I shall sleep in like manner, and shall be speedily awakened.’ Then said Jesus again: ‘Take away the stone from the sepulchre.’
Said Martha: ‘Lord, he stinketh, for he hath been dead four days.’
Said Jesus: ‘Why then am I come hither, Martha? Believest thou not in me, that I shall awaken him?’
Martha answered: ‘I know that thou art the holy one of God, who hath sent thee into this world.’
Then Jesus lifted up his hands to heaven, and said: ‘Lord God of Abraham, God of Ishmael and Isaac, God of our fathers, have mercy upon the affliction of these women, and give glory to thy holy name.’ And when every one had answered ‘Amen,’ Jesus said with a loud voice:
‘Lazarus, come forth!’
Whereupon he that was dead arose; and Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Loose him.’ For he was bound in the grave-clothes with the napkin over his face, even as our fathers were accustomed to bury [their dead].
A great multitude of the Jews and some of the Pharisees believed in Jesus, because the miracle was great. Those that remained in their unbelief departed and went to Jerusalem and announced to the chief of the priests the resurrection of Lazarus, and how that many were become Nazarenes; for so they called them who were brought to penitence through the word of God which Jesus preached.
The scribes and Pharisees took counsel with the high priest to slay Lazarus; for many renounced their traditions and believed in the word of Jesus, because the miracle of Lazarus was a great one, seeing that Lazarus had conversation with men, and ate and drank. But because he was powerful, having a following in Jerusalem, and possessing with his sister Magdala and Bethany, they knew not what to do.
Jesus entered into Bethany, into the house of Lazarus, and Martha, with Mary, ministered unto him.
Mary, sitting one day at the feet of Jesus, was listening to his words, whereupon Martha said to Jesus: ‘Lord, seest thou not that my sister taketh no care for thee, and provideth not that which thou must eat and thy disciples?’
Jesus answered: ‘Martha, Martha, do thou take thought for that which thou shouldst do; for Mary hath chosen apart which shall not be taken away from her for ever.
Jesus, sitting at a table with a great multitude that believed in him, spake, saying: ‘Brethren, I have but little time to remain with you, for the time is at hand that I must depart from the world. Wherefore I bring to your mind the words of God spoken to Ezekiel the prophet, saying: “As I, your God, live eternally, the soul that sinneth, it shall die, but if the sinner shall repent he shall not die but live.”
‘Wherefore the present death is not death, but rather the end of a long death: even as the body when separated from the sense in a swoon, though it have the soul within it, hath no other advantage over the dead and buried save this, that the buried [body] awaiteth God to raise it again, but the unconscious waiteth for the sense to return.
‘Behold, then, the present life that it is death, through having no perception of God.
‘They that shall believe in me shall not die eternally, for through my word they shall perceive God within them, and therefore shall work out their salvation.
‘What is death but an act which nature doth by commandment of God? As it would be if one held a bird tied, and held the cord in his hand; when the head willeth the bird to fly away, what doeth it? Assuredly it commandeth naturally the hand to open; and so straightway the bird flieth away. “Our soul,” as saith the prophet David, “is as a sparrow freed from the snare of the fowler,” when man abideth under the protection of God. And our life is like a cord whereby nature holdeth the soul bound to the body and the sense of man. When therefore God willeth, and commandeth nature to open, the life is broken and the soul escapeth in the hands of the angels whom God hath ordained to receive souls.
‘Let not, then, friends weep when their friend is dead; for our God hath so willed. But let him weep without ceasing when he sinneth, for [so] the soul dieth, seeing it separateth itself from God, the true Life.
‘If the body is horrible without its union with the soul, much more frightful is the soul without union with God, who with his grace and mercy beautifieth and quickeneth it.’
And having said this Jesus gave thanks to God; whereupon Lazarus said: ‘Lord, this house belongeth to God my creator, with all that he hath given into my keeping, for the service of the poor. Wherefore, since thou art poor, and hast a great number of disciples, come thou to dwell here when thou pleasest, and as much as thou pleasest, for the servant of God will minister to thee as much as shall be needful, for love of God.’
Jesus rejoiced when he heard this, and said: ‘See now how good a thing it is to die! Lazarus hath died once only, and hath learned such doctrine as is not known to the wisest men in the world that have grown old among books! Would to God that every man might die once only and return to the world, like Lazarus, in order that men might learn to live.
John answered: ‘O master, is it permitted to me to speak a word?’
‘Speak a thousand,’ answered Jesus, ‘for just as a man is bound to dispense his goods in the service of God, so also is he bound to dispense doctrine: and so much the more is he bound so to do inasmuch as the word hath power to raise up a soul to penitence, whereas goods cannot bring back life to the dead. Wherefore he is a murderer who hath power to help a poor man and when he helpeth him not the poor man dieth of hunger; but a more grievous murderer is he who could by the word of God convert the sinner to penitence, and converteth him not, but standeth, as saith God, “like a dumb dog.” Against such saith God: “The soul of the sinner that shall perish because thou hast hidden my word, I will require it at thy hands, O unfaithful servant.”
‘In what condition, then, are now the scribes and Pharisees who have the key and will not enter, nay hinder them who would fain enter, into eternal life?
‘Thou askest me, O John, permission to speak one word, having listened to an hundred thousands words of mine. Verily I say unto thee, I am bound to listen to thee ten times for every one that thou hast listened to me. And he who will not listen to another, every time that he shall speak he shall sin; seeing that we ought to do to others that which we desire for ourselves, and not do to others that which we do not desire to receive.’
Then said John: ‘O master, why hath not God granted this to men, that they should die once and return as Lazarus hath done, in order that they might learn to know themselves and their creator?’
Jesus answered: ‘Tell me, John: there was an householder who gave a perfect axe to one of his servants in order that he might cut down the wood which obstructed the view of his house.
‘But the labourer forgot the axe, and said: “If the master would give me an old axe I should easily cut down the wood.” Tell me, John, what said the master? Assuredly he was wroth, and took the old axe and struck him on the head, saying: “Fool and knave! I gave thee an axe wherewith thou mightest cut down the wood without toil, and seekest thou this axe, wherewith one must work with great toil, and all that is cut is wasted and good for nought? I desire thee to cut down the wood in such wise that thy work shall be good.” Is this true?’
John answered: ‘It is most true.’ [Then said Jesus:] ‘As I live eternally,’ saith God, ‘I have given a good axe to every man, which is the sight of the burial of one dead. Whoso wield well this axe remove the wood of sin from their heart without pain; wherefore they receive my grace and mercy; giving them merit of eternal life for their good works. But he who forgetteth that he is mortal, though time after time he see others die, and saith. “If I should see the other life, I would do good works,” my fury shall be upon him, and I will so smite him with death that he shall never more receive any good.’ ‘O John,’ said Jesus, ‘how great is the advantage of him who from the fall of others learneth to stand on his feet!’
Then said Lazarus: ‘Master, verily I say unto thee, I cannot conceive the penalty of which he is worthy who time after time seeth the dead borne to the tomb and feareth not God our creator. Such an one for the things of this world, which he ought entirely to forsake, offendeth his creator who hath given him all.’
Then said Jesus to his disciples: ‘Ye call me Master, and ye do well, seeing that God teacheth you by my mouth. But how will ye call Lazarus? Verily he is here master of all the masters that teach doctrine in this world. I indeed have taught you how ye ought to live well, but Lazarus will teach you how to die well. As God liveth, he hath received the gift of prophecy; listen therefore to his words, which are truth. And so much the more ought ye to listen to him, as good living is vain if one die badly.’
Said Lazarus: ‘O master, I thank thee that thou makest the truth to be prized; therefore will God give thee great merit.’
Then said he who writeth this: ‘O master, how speaketh Lazarus the truth in saying to thee “Thou shalt have merit,” whereas thou saidst to Nicodemus that man meriteth nought but punishment? Shalt thou accordingly be punished of God?’
Jesus answered: ‘May it please God that I receive punishment of God in this world, because I have not served him so faithfully as I was bound to do.
‘But God hath so loved me, by his mercy, that every punishment is withdrawn from me, in so much that I shall only be tormented in another person. For punishment was fitting for me, for that men have called me God; but since I have confessed, not only that I am not God, as is the truth, but have confessed also that I am not the Messiah, therefore God hath taken away the punishment from me, and will cause a wicked one to suffer it in my name, so that the shame alone shall be mine. Wherefore I say to thee, my Barnabas, that when a man speaketh of what God shall give to his neighbour let him say that his neighbour meriteth it: but let him look to it that, when he speaketh of what God shall give to himself, he say: “God will give me.” And let him look to it that he say not, “I have merit,” because God is pleased to grant his mercy to his servants when they confess that they merit hell for their sins.
‘God is so rich in mercy that, albeit the water of a thousand seas, if so many were to be found, could not quench a spark of the flames of hell, yet a single tear of one who mourneth at having offended God quencheth the whole of hell, by the great mercy wherewith God succoureth him. God, therefore, to confound Satan and to display his own bounty, willeth to call merit in the presence of his mercy every good work of his faithful servant, and willeth him so to speak of his neighbor. But of himself a man must beware of saying: “I have merit”; for he would be condemned.’
Jesus then turned to Lazarus, and said: ‘Brother, I must needs for a short time abide in the world, wherefore when I shall be near to thine house I will not ever go elsewhere, because thou wilt minister unto me, not for love of me, but for love of God.’
It was nigh unto the Passover of the Jews, wherefore Jesus said to his disciples: ‘Let us go to Jerusalem to eat the paschal lamb.’ And he sent Peter and John to the city, saying: ‘Ye shall find an ass near the gate of the city with a colt, loose her and bring her hither; for I needs must ride thereon into Jerusalem. And if anyone ask you saying, “Wherefore loose ye her?” say unto them: “The Master hath need thereof,” and they will suffer thee to bring her.’
The disciples went, and found all that Jesus had told them and accordingly they brought the ass and the colt. The disciples accordingly placed their mantles upon the colt, and Jesus rode thereon. And it came to pass that, when the men of Jerusalem heard that Jesus of Nazareth was coming, the men went forth with their children eager to see Jesus, bearing in their hands branches of palm and olive, singing: ‘Blessed be he that cometh to us in the name of God. Hosanna, son of David!’
Jesus having come into the city, the men spread out their garments under the feet of the ass, singing: ‘Blessed be he that cometh to us in the name of the Lord God; hosanna, son of David!’
The Pharisees rebuked Jesus, saying: ‘Seest thou not what these say? Cause them to hold their peace!’
Then said Jesus: ‘As God liveth in whose presence my soul standeth, if men should hold their peace, the stones would cry out against the unbelief of malignant sinners.’ And when Jesus had said this all the stones of Jerusalem cried out with a great noise: ‘Blessed be he who cometh to us in the name of the Lord God!’
Nevertheless the Pharisees remained still in their unbelief, and, having assembled themselves together, took counsel to catch him in his talk.