SCRIPTURES

Yeshua

Wisdom

Enlightenment

Chapter 10

Invitation to come and follow – Asking in faith – A preacher accuses the Teacher – Parable: The Wicked Tutor and the Frightened Children – Parable: The Obedient Son – Parable: The Saint and the Sinner – Parable: The Outlaw Who Saved a King’s Son – Beware the righteousness of churchgoers – Woe unto hypocrites and churchgoers – Had you lived in Yeshua’s day

1 On a certain day in the spring of the year, the Teacher, as was his custom, went walking in a garden place, and there gathered unto him a multitude of the poor and the common.

2 And being filled with love towards them, he spoke, saying: “Come unto me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, that from such things as you are made to fear, even therefrom would I set you free.

3 For old things are passed away. Behold, I make all things new again. Come, therefore, unto me, that from your bosom might spring forth floods of living water.

4 And whosoever shall come unto me, even that one shall I not turn away; for though you be filled with deep sorrow, I will turn aside the darkness from before you that you might have an abundance of joy.

5 Whosoever, therefore, shall follow after me, even unto that one shall the Spirit of God abide and not depart. But whosoever shall stand apart from me, even that one shall stand far from the kingdom of God.

6 Whosoever among you, therefore, who would ask with faith exceeding, unto you shall be given full measure overflowing; and whosoever will seek, believing that they shall receive, shall take unto themselves a multitude of blessings; and unto that one who would but knock, shall the door of understanding be opened.

7 For which of you having son or daughter, if they come seeking bread, will give a stone instead? or, If they ask for drink will give them a cup filled with bitterness?

8 If you then being human only would give good things unto your children, how much more shall your Heavenly Father give unto them that ask?”

9 And when he had said these things, there arose to stand before the people a preacher who thought to contend against him, saying:

10 “You devil! Who appointed you to speak unto the people? By what church were you ordained unto this ministry? For you have made yourself the friend of sinners and fornicators, and with skillful words would you lead them into that hell which God has appointed unto the wicked.

11 Would you have us believe that God would appoint unto the children of men such a one as you? Are there not in the churches men more worthy than you to do the will of God? Repent you sinners, lest you perish forever in that fire which is unquenchable, and this man with you!”

12 Now when the preacher had said these things, there arose a great commotion among the people gathered there, for some grew fearful, and others were made angry, evensomuch that they would cast the preacher out from among them.

13 But the Teacher standing forth, forbid them, saying: “Why will you be made to tremble, or again, why will you give place to anger because of this man? Have you no faith concerning the love of your Father who is in Heaven?”

14 And turning to the preacher, he spoke, saying: “Come now and listen, and I will give answer. There was a certain man rich and powerful, who had many children which he loved above all else.

15 And on a certain day, he hired a tutor to teach unto his children the issues of life.

16 Now it so happened that the rich man was called to journey unto a far country, and he called forth the tutor and spoke to him, saying: ‘Watch over my children with care till I return, and when I am come again, I will pay you according to your faithfulness.’

17 So the father journeyed unto a far country, and while he was away, the servant ruled harshly over the children, thinking that by such harshness he might keep them well until the father came again unto his own.

18 But the children grew fearful of the tutor and in the silent watches of the night, they would weep for the return of their father that perchance he might restore again their joy.

19 Now it so happened that the children went to play in the forest nearby, and as they played they became lost in the tangle of the wood.

20 And when the children did not come home, the servant grew angry thinking the children willful and disobedient, and taking a switch, he went seeking after them.

21 But the children, when hearing him calling after them in anger, feared greatly and ran deeper into the forest; for the children thought it better to be lost than to be laid hold of by the one who was set to watch over them.

22 Thus did the father lose the children which he loved above all else; and the servant growing more and more angry cursed the children, calling them wicked and sinful and deserving of great punishment.

23 Whosoever has ears to hear, let them hear and bring forth answer: What shall the father do to such a man as this, who by the harshness of his way caused the father to lose the children whom he loved?

24 Be not as the churchgoers are: For they pride themselves in being righteous above all others, and they proclaim aloud that except a person believe as they do, then shall that person perish forever in hellfire. I tell you truly, they shall not escape their reward.

25 Come now and hear again, for there was a certain man who had two sons, and he went to the first and said: ‘My son, go and work in the fields today, for the harvest is great and the laborers are few.’

26 And the son said: ‘I will not.’ But afterward, he repented and went forth to labor in his father’s field all that day and the next also.

27 And the father went to the second son and said: ‘My son, go and work in my fields today, for the harvest is great and the laborers are few.’ And the second son, thinking himself more righteous than the first, said: ‘I will go and labor.’ But he went not.

28 Come now and tell me: Which son did the will of his father?” And the people answered aloud: “The first son.”

29 And the Teacher, turning to the preacher said: “I tell you truly, that sinners and fornicators will go into the kingdom of God long before you do. For what did the Father require of you except that you do justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with your God?

30 Hear now this other also: For there lived in a certain town, a churchgoer who thought himself righteous. And as it happened, he went walking about the town on a certain day, and there came to him a drunkard dressed in rags and foul smelling; for there had befallen him a sorrow greater than he could bear.

31 And putting up his petition to the churchgoer, he was rebuked. For the churchgoer was filled with loathing and with indignation said aloud: ‘Do not touch me! Did you not know that drunkenness is sin before God? Go now you sinner and repent, lest some worse thing fall upon you.’

32 And so speaking the churchgoer went to his house again to make himself clean. And unto whatsoever of his companions he would meet, he would speak evil of the drunkard, proclaiming all the while his own righteousness.

33 But in the night, the drunkard laid himself down upon the pavement to sleep. And as he slept a harlot came walking by and seeing him sleeping there had compassion.

34 And taking him to her own house, she comforted him, and with much care nurtured him back to health. And when he was whole again, she sent him again unto his own house.

35 Which of these two was the saint and the sinner? I tell you truly, that the harlot was accepted of God, for she was filled with mercy.

36 For such mercy as you would give unto another, even therewith, shall you draw to your soul the mercy of God. For love is made to cover a multitude of sin, and whosoever is filled with love, notwithstanding their own transgressions, even they shall receive an abundance of pardon from God.

37 Consider how the children of men are made to lament and sorrow as a people who know not their way. Shall God not have mercy unto the least of these, to restore them again unto himself?

38 Think not, therefore, that I am come to condemn the world, for I came neither to judge nor to punish; but rather to make whole again the children of men, that they might be healed of great affliction.

39 Therefore, hear again this parable: For once there was a king who had an only son. And one day as the child was playing with his companions, he became lost in a thick and dreadful forest.

40 Now when the king heard concerning the loss of his son, he called forth his guards to seek for him. Yet for all their many efforts, they could by no means find him.

41 And the king wept, being filled with sorrow. And one of the guards seeing his distress, spoke unto the king, saying: ‘My lord, there lives at the edge of the forest a certain man greatly skilled, a hunter and tracker of great renown. Surely he will find your son and restore him again unto you.’

42 But the chief minister hearing this, rebuked the guard and turning to the king, said: ‘My lord, surely you will not call such a man as this to find your son? For, behold, this man is an outlaw and a brigand, caring neither for the laws of men nor the sanctity of the church.’

43 But the king, grieving, could think only of his son who was lost, and gathering about him his many guards, he journeyed to the outlaw’s house.

44 Now when the company approached, the man came from his house to inquire. And the king on seeing him, told him of all that had happened.

45 When the man heard this, he was deeply moved for the father’s sake. And he spoke to the king, saying: ‘Grieve not, my lord, neither fear any more. For I shall go into the forest and bring again the son which is lost.’

46 So the man turned himself to the forest and the king journeyed home again. And not many days thereafter, the man returned to the king bearing upon his shoulders the son who was lost, laughing and making merry.

47 And when the king saw this, he leaped for joy, and running forth, took again to his bosom his only son. And the king declared aloud: ‘Where in all my kingdom is such a man so noble found?’

48 And he gave the man great lands and he built for him a mansion there, and he decreed by law that the man should never again be called outlaw and brigand, but rather that he should ever be the king’s own friend.

49 Whosoever has ears to hear, let them hear. For I came not to do my own will, but to do according to the will of my Father who is in Heaven; that I might find again the children of his soul, to restore them again unto eternal life.

50 Therefore, whosoever would find place in the bosom of God, let them hear and understand: Beware the righteousness of churchgoers who for a pretense would do service to God. Whited sepulchers are they, filled with dead men’s bones.

51 Woe unto you hypocrites, for you shut up the kingdom of Heaven against everyone but yourselves only, and for a pretense make long prayers, thinking yourself better than all others.

52 Woe unto you hypocrites, for you hold Bibles to your bosom as though you would take to your soul the word of God, yet inwardly you are filled with all manner of corruption, for you devour widow’s houses for money’s sake, and you are filled with loathing against the poor who have not so much as a pillow to rest their head on.

53 Woe unto you hypocrites, for you encompass the world round about with a multitude of missionaries that you might make one convert, and when you have made him, you make him twofold more the child of hell than you yourselves.

54 Woe unto you hypocrites, churchgoers filled with pride! For you pay tithe of all that you own and fast often, yet you have forgotten the more weighty matters altogether: mercy, love, forgiveness; these ought you to have done and not left undone.

55 For this cause has God rejected even all your gifts and offerings, for you were without compassion altogether, neither cared you for the sufferings of others but thought to yourselves instead: ‘Surely they suffer because of some wickedness.’

56 Woe unto you hypocrites, for you make clean the outside for appearance sake only, that you might appear beautiful and praiseworthy before others, but inwardly you are filled with all manner of uncleanliness, being made blind towards your own transgressions.

57 Attend, therefore, to the affairs of your heart and make yourselves clean every whit, for every tree which brings forth evil fruit, even that tree shall God uproot and cast away.

58 Consider how blind you are made to become, for you say to yourselves that if you had lived in the days of Yeshua you would surely have been his disciples.

59 You generation of vipers! Did you not know that all they who consented unto the death of this righteous one, were even everyone churchgoers like unto yourselves, believing that they were elected above all the rest?

60 Why pretend you, therefore, among yourselves saying that if you had lived in Yeshua’s day, you would surely have been his disciples? For I tell you truly that he received not his authority from church leaders as you do, but rather he was appointed by God unto the people.

61 Woe unto you churchgoers, hypocrites! Repent you and weep aloud, for you are become as the scribes and Pharisees of old. For either you love the tree and hate its fruit, or else you love the fruit but hate the tree that bore it.

62 Behold, your house is left desolate, and all your righteousness made unclean because of pride. How then shall your sins be covered and whereunto shall you find refuge, seeing that God shall demand of you an accounting.”

63 Thus spoke the Teacher unto all who were gathered there. And raising his hands to Heaven, he blessed them and sent them again to their own homes.

WISDOM 10