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6. my kingdom of God is such th
blessed, and that every one who
me becomes blessed."

7.

1erstand e flesh, refore and

And, having dismissed John's disciples, began to speak to the people as to the ki dom of God John announced. He said:

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"When you went to John in the wilderness to be baptized, what did you go to see? The orthodox teachers of the law also went, but did not understand that which John announced. 16. And they thought him nothing worth. This breed of orthodox teachers of the law only consider that as truth which they themselves invent and hear from each other, and that as law which they themselves have devised. But 18. that which John said, that which I say, they do not hearken to, and do not understand. Of that which John says, they have understood only that he fasts in the wild places, and 19. they say: In him is an evil spirit.' Of that which I say, they have understood only that

12.

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the other a tax-gatherer. The orthodox man Lk.xviii. 11. prayed thus: 'I thank Thee, God, that I am not as other men, I am not a miser, nor a libertine ; I am not a rogue, not such a worthless fellow as that tax-gatherer. I fast twice weekly, and give away a tithe of my property.' But the taxgatherer stood afar off, and dared not look up at the sky, but merely beat his breast, and said: 'Lord, look down upon me, worthless as I am.' Well, and this man was better than the orthodox, for the reason that whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted."

After this, disciples of John came to Jesus, and said: "Why do we and the orthodox fast much, while your disciples do not fast? For, according to the law, God commanded people to fast." And Jesus said to them: "While the bridegroom is at the wedding, no one grieves. Only when the bridegroom is away, do people grieve. Having life, one must not grieve. The external worship of God cannot be combined with works of love. The old teaching of the external worship of God cannot be combined with my teaching of works of love to one's neighbor. To combine my teaching with the old, is the same as to tear off a shred from a new garment and sew it on an old one. You will tear the new and not mend the old. Either all my teaching must be accepted, or all the old. And having once accepted my teaching, it is impossible to keep the old teaching, of purification, fasting, and the Sabbath. Just as new wine cannot be poured into old skins, or the old skins will burst and the wine run out. But new wine must be poured into new skins, and both the one and the other will remain whole."

▼. 33.

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Mt. xi. 2,

CHAPTER III

THE SOURCE OF LIFE

The life of all men has proceeded from the spirit of the Father

("Hallowed be Thy Name")

AFTER this, John's disciples came to ask 3. Jesus whether it was he of whom John spoke; whether he was revealing the kingdom of God, 4 and renewing men by the spirit? Jesus answered and said: "Look, listen, and tell John, whether the kingdom of God has begun, and whether people are being renewed by the spirit. Tell him of what kingdom of God I 5. am preaching. It is said in the prophecies that, when the kingdom of God shall come, all men will be blessed. Well, tell him that 6. my kingdom of God is such that the poor are blessed, and that every one who understands me becomes blessed."

7.

And, having dismissed John's disciples, Jesus began to speak to the people as to the kingdom of God John announced. He said: "When you went to John in the wilderness to be baptized, what did you go to see? The orthodox teachers of the law also went, but did not understand that which John announced. 16. And they thought him nothing worth. This breed of orthodox teachers of the law only consider that as truth which they themselves invent and hear from each other, and that as law which they themselves have devised. But 18. that which John said, that which I say, they do not hearken to, and do not understand. Of that which John says, they have understood only that he fasts in the wild places, and 19. they say: 'In him is an evil spirit.' Of that which I say, they have understood only that

I do not fast, and they say: 'He eats and
drinks with tax-gatherers and sinners - he is
a friend of theirs.' They chatter with each
other like children in the street, and wonder
that no one listens to them. And their wis-
dom is seen by their works. If you went to
John to look at a man attired in rich clothes,
why, such dwell here in palaces. Then, what
did you go to seek in the desert?
because you think John was the
prophets? Do not think this.

Did you go same as other John was not

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19.

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IO.

a prophet like others. He was greater than all prophets. They foretold that which might be. He has announced to men that which is, namely, that the kingdom of God was, and is, on earth. Verily, I tell you, a man has not been born greater than John. He has declared the kingdom of God on earth, and therefore he is higher than all. The law and Lk. xvi. 16. the prophets, all this was needful before John. But, from John and to the present time, it is announced that the kingdom of God is on earth, and that he who makes an effort enters into it."

And the orthodox came to Jesus, and began asking him: "How, then, and when, will the kingdom of God come?" And he answered them: "The kingdom of God which I preach is not such as former prophets preached. They said that God would come with divers visible signs, but I speak of a kingdom of God, the coming of which may not be seen with the eyes. And if any one shall say to you, 'See, it is come, or it shall come,' or, See, it is here or there,' do not believe them. The kingdom of God is not in time, or in place, of any kind. It is like lightning, seen here, there, and everywhere. And it has neither time nor place, because the kingdom of God, the one which I preach, is within you."

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xvii. 20.

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Ja. iii. After this, an orthodox believer, one of the 2 Jewish authorities, named Nicodemus, came to Jesus at night, and said: "You do not bid us keep the Sabbath, do not bid us observe cleanliness, do not bid us make offerings, nor fast; you would destroy the temple. You say of God, He is a spirit, and you say of the kingdom of God, that it is within us. Then, what kind of a kingdom of God is this?"

3.

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And Jesus answered him: "Understand that, if man is conceived from heaven, then in him there must be that which is of heaven." Nicodemus did not understand this, and said: "How can a man, if he is conceived of the flesh of his father, and has grown old, again enter the womb of his mother and be conceived anew?"

And Jesus answered him: "Understand what I say. I say that man, besides the flesh, is also conceived of the spirit, and therefore every man is conceived of flesh and spirit, and therefore may the kingdom of heaven be in 6. him. From flesh comes flesh. From flesh,

spirit cannot be born; spirit can come only 8. from spirit. The spirit is that which lives in you, and lives in freedom and reason; it is that of which you know neither the beginning nor the end, and which every man feels in him. 7. And, therefore, why do you wonder that I told you we must be conceived from heaven?"

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Nicodemus said: "Still I do not believe that this can be so."

Then Jesus said to him: "What kind of a teacher are you, if you do not comprehend 1. this? Understand that I am not interpreting some learned points; I am interpreting that which we all know, I am averring that which 12. we all see. How will you believe in that which is in heaven if you do not believe in that which is on earth, which is in you yourself?

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