Compassion and Care: From The Essene Humane Gospel of Christ, Part 1 of 2

“And at another time while Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem, He came upon a camel overladen with wood, and the creature could move no further up the hill. And Jesus looked upon the driver who did beat him mercilessly and cruelly, but even the severe blows would not make the camel move one step further.

Jesus disturbed at the ill treatment of this poor innocent creature, said unto the driver: ‘For what reason beat thou, thy poor brother?’ And the man answered Jesus and said, ‘I know not that he is my brother, for is he not only a laboring creature, and made to serve me?’

But Jesus said unto him, ‘Has not the Eternal Father in Heaven made of the same substance, thy camel and also thy children; and have ye not one breath of life, which ye have both received from above? Know ye not, that man was to serve the creatures ye so mercilessly beat and not the creatures serve man? For truly, men sow and reap, but the creatures know not; think ye, therefore, to show mercy on those weaker than ye in mind, and the True God will return mercy unto thee.’

‘For by an animal’s strength, he is not judged, but the compassion of his owner is judged and weighed in the scales. Learn ye the justice and mildness of the righteous, who treat all of God’s creatures even as brothers and sisters of the great Household of God, and ye shall greatly be rewarded, for he who treats a poor creature with compassion and kindness even loves his own flesh and cherishes it.’ […]”