Leo Tolstoy Archive
Written: 1908
Source: From RevoltLib.com
Transcription/Markup: Andy Carloff
Online Source: RevoltLib.com; 2021
John told that, in order for the kingdom of God to come, people needed to purify themselves with the spirit of God. “What does it mean to purify yourself with the spirit of God?” - Jesus thought. – “If to cleanse by the spirit means to live not for your body, but for the spirit of God,” - Jesus thought, - “then truly the kingdom of God would come, if people lived by the spirit of God; because the spirit of God is one and the same in all people. And having all the people lived by the spirit, all people would be united, and the kingdom of God would come true. But people cannot live only for the spirit, people have to live for their bodies, also. But if they will live for their bodies, will serve body, take care of it, then they will all live apart, just as they live now, and the kingdom of God will never come. What can be done?”- Jesus thought. – “It’s impossible to live only by the spirit, yet to live by the body, as worldly people live now, is bad, and if continue to live this way, then everybody will live apart, and the kingdom of God will never come. What should I do? To kill myself in my body,” - thought Jesus, - “I can't, because the spirit dwells in the body, according to the will of God. To kill myself means to go against the will of God.” - And, having thought about it, Jesus said to himself: “It looks like I can’t live by the spirit alone, because the spirit lives in the body. I can’t live by the body alone, either, to serve the body, the way all people live. Neither can I rid of the body, kill myself, because the spirit lives in the body according to the will of God. What can I do? I can live in the body, as God wants it, but while living in the body, serve not the body but God.” And, having reasoned that, Jesus came out of the desert and went to towns and villages to preach his teaching. (Matthew 4, 3-10; Luke 4, 3-15)
Questions:
1) That did Jesus think after the sermon of John?
2) What would have happened if people lived by the spirit alone?
3) What happens when everyone lives for their body?
4) Why you can’t get rid of your body?
5) How else should you live?