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JUST HOW did the Lord Jesus live from His twelfth to His thirtieth year?
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He constantly felt the Presence of the almighty Deity within Himself as a living Power; He knew within His soul that everything in the whole creation was and eternally must be subservient to His slightest wish.
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Moreover, He felt the greatest urge within His soul to rule over everything.
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Pride, a desire for power, for complete freedom of will, for a life of pleasure, for women and for other such infirmities, as well as anger were the chief weaknesses of His soul.
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But He fought against all of these powerful and deadly inclinations of His soul from the will of His soul.
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He humbled His pride by means of want; but what an indeed harsh measure this was for Him to whom all things belonged, and He nevertheless might not call anything "My own".
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He tamed His desire for power through the most willing obedience toward those who like all men were like chaff before Him.
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Although it was an infinitely difficult thing for Him to do, He assaulted His eternal, supreme freedom by submitting Himself to men as a slave-like servant to perform the lowliest tasks.
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He fought against His most powerful urge to lead a life of pleasure by frequent fasts - from want as well as from the free will of His soul.
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He combatted His desire for women through repeated hard work, through simple fare, through prayer and through keeping company with wise men.
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Indeed, in this matter He had to carry an exceptionally great burden, for His appearance and the sound of His voice were most captivating,
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for which reason the five truly beautiful daughters of Cyrenius were one and all violently in love with Him and vied amongst each other to please Him the most.
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Such love did indeed please Him; but for all that He had to say to each at all times: 'Noli Me tangere!'
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Furthermore, since He saw through the malice of men at a glance and saw their cunning and hypocrisy, their dishonesty and selfishness,
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it is easy to understand that He was quickly aroused and could very easily be hurt and angered;
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but here He tempered His divine character with His love and His thereupon following compassion.
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And thus He practiced all manner of most arduous self-denial throughout His whole life, so He thereby might rebuild the eternal order which had been shaken to its very foundation.
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Thus it can easily be seen how' it was that Jesus as a human being spent these eighteen years amid constant temptations and the combating thereof.
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And since this has now been presented in a manner which should be of benefit to everyone, all that remains to be told is the three-day discourse with the wise men and scholars in the temple, but which, as well as a number of other matters, cannot be given at this time.
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So be content with this for now, and the other will follow when you say to the servant,
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'Come to us, brother, in the name of the Lord, and stay and dwell with us!' -
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This work is herewith completed, and I bestow My blessing My grace upon you for ever and always! Amen. Amen. Amen.
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