Page:Philochristus, Abbott, 1878.djvu/148

140 For of all things Jesus misliked that we should repeat his words by rote; nor did he even bid us copy his actions exactly (but he even said that a time should come when we should do greater works than he had done); and the like also of his words. For this cause perchance, Jesus spake afterwards to us also, even to us his disciples, sometimes in dark sayings; to the intent that we might ponder, and ask and know the truth. For albeit we often feared to ask him questions (because of our folly and our want of faith), yet did he ever desire us to question him; teaching us that only to them that knock, is the door opened; and only to them that hunger is given of the bread of Life.

When we went forth from the chamber, Gorgias said, "What meaneth the Prophet? Doth he say that whosoever is rich, he shall be made richer? And whosoever is poor, shall he also be made poorer?" Hereat we all smiled; for we knew that our Master spake not of money, but of wisdom: and one made answer to Gorgias to this effect. Then said Judas, "But if Jesus mean wisdom, then how sayeth he, 'With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you?'" But Jonathan the son of Ezra replied, "Is not this even according to the saying of the Wise, 'Man is born to learn in order to teach?' And again, 'He that learneth the Law and doth not teach it, he it is that despiseth the Name of the Lord.' Therefore the meaning of Jesus is, that if a man teach others what he hath learned, the angels give into his bosom a hundred-fold reward." To this Nathaniel agreed, and he added, "The reward is not as a price that is paid, so many shekels for so much teaching; but it is even as the rain cometh from the cloud, or as heat cometh from the fire. Even so doth wisdom come from teaching. For wisdom is not as a dead block that wasteth with the using, but as a living thing