Iesus Rebukes Peter For His Haste.
1. NOW on the morrow as they were coming from Bethany, Peter was hungry, and perceiving a fig tree afar off having leaves thereon, he came if happily he might find fruit thereon, and when he came he found nothing but leaves, for the time of figs was not yet.
2. And Peter was angry and said unto it,
Accursed tree, no man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever.
And some of the disciples heard of it.
3. And the next day as Iesus and his disciples passed by, Peter said unto Iesus,
Master, behold, the fig tree which I cursed is green and flourishing, wherefore did not my word prevail?
4. Iesus said unto Peter,
Thou knowest not what spirit thou art of. Wherefore didst thou curse that which God hath not cursed?
And Peter said,
Behold Lord I was a hungered, and finding leaves and no fruit, I was angry, and I cursed the tree.
5. And Iesus said,
Son of Jonas knewest thou not that the time of figs was not yet? Behold the corn which is in the field which groweth according to its nature first the green shoot, then the stalk, then the ear—would thou be angry if thou camest at the time of the tender shoot or the stalk, and didst not find the corn in the ear? And wouldst thou curse the tree which, full of buds and blossoms, had not yet ripe fruit?
6. Verily Peter I say unto thee, one of my twelve will deny me thrice in his fear and anger with curses, and swear that he knows me not, and the rest will forsake me for a season.
7. But ye shall repent and grieve bitterly, because in your heart ye love me, and ye shall be [as] an Altar of twelve hewn stones, and a witness to my Name, and ye shall be [as] the Servants (of servants) and the keys of the Church will I give unto you, and ye shall feed my sheep and my lambs and ye shall be my vice-gerents[1] upon earth.
8. But there shall arise men amongst them that succeed you, of whom some shall indeed love me even as thou (who being hotheaded and unwise, and void of patience) shall curse those whom God hath not cursed, and persecute them in their ignorance, because they cannot yet find in them the fruits they seek.
9. And others being lovers (of themselves) shall make alliance with the kings and rulers (of the world) and seek earthly power, and riches, and domination, and put to death by fire and sword those who seek the truth, and therefore are truly my disciples.
10. And in their days I (Iesus) shall be crucified afresh and put to open shame, for they will profess to do these things in my Name.
And Peter said,
Be it far from thee Lord.
11. And Iesus answered,
As I shall be nailed to the cross, so also shall my Church in those days, for she is my Bride and one with me. But the day shall come when this darkness shall pass away, and true Light shall shine.
12. And one shall sit on my throne (who shall be a Man of Truth and Goodness and Power) and he shall be filled with love and wisdom beyond all others, and shall rule my Church by a fourfold twelve and by two and seventy [as] of old, and that only which is true shall he teach.
13. And my Church shall be filled with Light, and give Light unto all nations (of the earth) and there shall be one Pontiff[2] sitting on his throne [as] a King and a Priest.
14. And my Spirit shall be upon him and his throne shall endure and not be shaken, for it shall be founded on love and truth and equity, and light shall come to it, and go forth from it, to all the nations (of the earth) and the Truth shall make them free.
LECTION 70. 1-5. -Long has Iesus suffered reproach, for those words so falsely attributed to him, in place of the impulsive Peter, who spoke them, and with whose character they were in full harmony.
Definition: a person who rules or manages
Definition: a former title of the pagan high priest at Rome, later used of popes and occasionally of other bishops, and now confined exclusively to the pope