Memra 14: On the Upright and the Perfect

Memra 14: On the Upright and the Perfect The upright do not sin and are not condemned; the perfect, however, do not return and are not diminished. The upright do not commit adultery and do not oppress and do not wrong and do not seek what is not their own; the perfect, however, do not acquire and do not seek and do not labor; and they do not inherit land; and they do not work for the sake of food and clothing, but they live on grace in a mendicant manner. The upright do not speak except "yes" and not concerning every matter; the perfect, however, speak only as the Lord wills, because neither "yes" nor "no" passes through them and is diminished. The upright are holy from the evil of the land, but not from its gain and its goods and its partnership; the perfect, however, abstain from the whole inheritance of the land that is visible and from all its evils and from all its gain and from all its treasures and from the pairing of purchase and from all its desires. The upright separate unclean animals from clean and eat from them; the perfect, however, abstain from clean and from unclean. The upright seek and acquire, but not for eternity, and they exist in the world as strangers; the perfect do not seek and do not acquire and do not fix their mind on the land. The upright separate good from evil and have compassion on them; the perfect, however, as they surpass them, place them.

The upright uproot anger and are extended in mercy; the perfect, however, are not only extended in anger, but also love their murderers and pray for them. The upright seek their own from where they have lent or deposited, without increase and without interest; the perfect, however, neither lend nor borrow, beyond endurance and patience and humble clothing. The upright are headstrong and do not become angry, but if they are disturbed, they are so with humility, and they teach with love. The upright feed the hungry and clothe the naked and rescue the oppressed from their possessions and from their coverings; the perfect, however, give all their possessions in one day to the needy and the oppressed, and take up their cross and go after their Lord in spirit, and in spirit serve him, while loving all the living and praying for them. The upright have one or two gates in heaven, and knock at them five times a day; the perfect, however, the whole heaven is gates before them, and all day long they gaze in wonder, and confess and glorify the Lord, and from glory to glory they walk in spirit, and see the Lord as in a vision in their heart. The upright inherit here from the city of the perfect; the perfect, however, are in the future and in the heavenly Jerusalem with the Lord, because they have become like him.

The upright are not able to do all the will of the Lord unless they come to holiness and are stripped; the perfect, however, do and are with the Lord. The upright do not know all the ways of the Lord by day unless they come to holiness and are stripped; the perfect, however, do and hear the voice of the Lord as he said: "My voice the hearer hears, and after me he comes," and he does not know the voice of the deceiver. The upright praise God in the earth and turn away from evil; the perfect, however, attain height and depth and length and breadth, with all the saints who were perfected, they attained and conquered and ascended to the heavenly Jerusalem. The perfect are those who reach their thirst and the Jerusalem of heaven and the spiritual paradise. And the upright, many of them reach to be lacking, and many are beneath the perfect. The upright are not disturbed and do not err from the commandments of the Lord in uprightness; the perfect, however, increase and go up beyond them and enlighten all the erring. And he whose heart is pure sees the Lord; but he whose heart is not pure cannot see him, but inherits the place that is fitting for him. The upright do not curse anyone and do not call anyone "empty" or "fool" or "madman," and do not lie about anyone; the perfect, however, honor and bless everyone and teach everyone not to lie to his companion.

And every person according to his running and according to his worthiness and according to the humility of his thought and according to how he humbles himself, thus is he raised. And the rest, every person is rewarded according to what he has done, whether good or evil, from this world in that world according to his deeds, whether good or evil, as the Apostle said: For each one has a place before the judgment seat of Christ, that each person may be rewarded in his body for what he has done. There are persons whose affliction is harder than that of their companion, and there are those upon whom mercy will be shown, because they have been merciful and are delivered from affliction. But as for one who hears the word of the Lord, or of uprightness or of perfection, he does not come to judgment, but rather he comes because he is to be praised before the judgment seat of Christ for the whole world, or because he is to stand as an example for sinners, as the Lord said: When one hears my words, he passes from death to life. But the man of spirit, that one who knows the truth and has become perfect, judges every person and is not judged by any person. Blessed are you, Lord Jesus Christ, how righteous you are and how good you are: your greatness is not to be measured, and your goodness is not to be compared. And every person, as you desire, thus he finds you. And as the constraint of his nature to keep your law, thus he increases, and the more he humbles himself, thus he is praised. The end of Memra 14: On the Upright and the Perfect.