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April 23rd, 2003
Received by H.R.
Cuenca, Ecuador.
Why didn’t you write down what I have told
you?
[H.R.: It seemed so incomplete. I could not
grasp it all.]
You grasped enough.
[H.R.: Then it is very short.]
A message’s value does not depend on its
length. Write now. I will help you.
[H.R.: I was thinking of a subject that has intrigued
me for a long time. In the Padgett messages, we are given to understand
that we have to ask God for His Love, we have to ask for His Forgiveness,
for His Mercy. We have always to ask for those things. I understand
that this is due to the fact that He respects our free will. On
the other hand, who would seriously reject His Forgiveness or Love?
He knows of our needs before we ask Him. However, it seems to be
a law that we first have to ask in order to later receive.]
I see this a little bit differently. As you will remember, I delivered
this message in the context of the Temple sacrifices in Jerusalem
and the existing tensions between Jesus and the Temple hierarchy.
[H.R. Yes. I remember this well.]
And I also told you a parable that Jesus used
to illustrate this idea.
[H.R.: I remember this, too. But I could not manage
to grasp the parable. It did not come through.]
Well then let’s repeat all of it now.
One of the reasons why there were such fierce tensions between
Jesus and especially the Sadducees, was the fact that the Master’s
teachings indeed led to the conclusion that the sacrifices in the
Temple were unnecessary. Of course, Jesus did not preach this idea
openly, he didn't attack the institution of the Temple, but when
one started to analyze his teachings, it became quite clear that
religion was undoubtedly an individual matter between people and
God. No institution was necessary, no sacrifice was necessary —
with respect to the slaughter of animals or the delivery of goods
to the priesthood — and the only thing that was really necessary
was the good will of people and their intention to come closer to
God.
For us, this idea was revolutionary — and a little bit worrying,
to say the least. When people grow up in a specific religious environment,
they simply accept all associated institutions without questioning
them. It is very difficult then, to imagine that those institutions
were unnecessary, superfluous, and even harmful, because they substituted
empty ritual for true delivery of people.
So, Jesus proceeded to tell us the following parable:
Once there lived a rich man who had a beautiful rose garden, the
most beautiful in the entire country. Every day in the morning he
went out and cut flowers, which he used to adorn his house. One
day, when his birthday celebration was approaching, two of his servants
decided to give him a present, in order to thank him for his kindness
and to find favor in his eyes. Each of them thought, “My master
has all sorts of things. But what he likes most are flowers. I will
give him a bunch of roses."
The first servant cautiously sneaked into his master’s garden
and cut some roses, gathering in this way a precious bouquet.
The second servant went to his own small garden, where he also
grew roses. Of course, they could not be compared with his master’s
flowers, but with good intention and with sacrifice he was able
to pick a bouquet, which he hoped would find favor in his master’s
eyes.
When the two servants finally entered the house to give their presents,
the master of the house realized at once what had happened.
He called the first servant and said to him: “You have taken
what is already mine, and you have tried to gain my favor. But what
you have done is nothing else than to flatter your own vanity."
And he expelled him.
He called the second servant and said to him: “You have sacrificed
for my sake what is yours. I will name you my steward and you will
be the man of my trust."
Then, Jesus proceeded to explain to us the parable. God is already
the owner of all His creation. He does not need us to sacrifice
something that is already His. But within His creation, He has separated
two things for the exclusive use of men, two things they may dispose
of freely: Love and free will. Therefore, when people wish to sacrifice
something in order to find favor in the eyes of the Lord, they should
subordinate their will under His, and they shouldl give their love
to Him.
It did not turn out so difficult, did it?
Well, I am happy that we have finally managed to conclude this
message. It is another small stone in the colorful mosaic of Jesus’
life we are piecing together.
God bless you,
Judas
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