The Gospel of Barnabas · Chapter 183
True Humility and False Humility
While they sat at meat the scribe said: 'O master, thou saidst that God loveth true humility. Tell us therefore what is humility, and how it can be true and false.'
Jesus replied: 'Verily I say unto you that he who becometh not as a little child shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.'
Everyone was amazed at hearing this, and they said one to another: 'Now how shall he become a little child who is thirty or forty years old? Surely, this is a hard saying.'
Jesus answered: 'As God liveth in whose presence my soul standeth, my words are true. I said unto you that a man hath need to become as a little child: for this is true humility. For if ye ask a little child: "Who hath made thy garments?" he will answer: "My father." If ye ask him whose is the house where he liveth, he will say: "My father's." If ye shall say: "Who giveth thee to eat?" he will reply: "My father." If ye shall say: "Who hath taught thee to walk and to speak?" he will answer: "My father." But if ye shall say: "Who hath broken thy forehead, for that thou hast thy forehead so bound up?" he will answer: "I fell down, and so did I break my head." If ye shall say: "Now why didst thou fall down?" he will answer: "See ye not that I am little, so that I have not the strength to walk and run like a grown man? so my father must needs take me by the hand if I would walk firmly. But in order that I might learn to walk well, my father left me for a little space, and I, wishing to run, fell down."
While they were eating, the scribe said: 'O Master, you said that God loves true humility. Tell us, then, what humility is and how it can be true or false.'
Jesus replied: 'Truly, I tell you that anyone who does not become like a little child will not enter the kingdom of heaven.'
Everyone was amazed when they heard this and said to one another: 'How can someone who is thirty or forty years old become a little child? Surely this is a difficult saying.'
Jesus answered: 'As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, my words are true. I told you that a person must become like a little child, for this is true humility. If you ask a little child, "Who made your clothes?" he will answer, "My father." If you ask whose house he lives in, he will say, "My father's." If you ask, "Who gives you food?" he will reply, "My father." If you ask, "Who taught you to walk and speak?" he will answer, "My father." But if you ask, "How did you injure your forehead, and why is it bandaged?" he will answer, "I fell and broke my head." If you ask, "Why did you fall?" he will answer, "Do you not see that I am small and lack the strength to walk and run like a grown man? My father must hold me by the hand if I am to walk steadily. But so that I might learn to walk properly, my father left me alone for a little while; I tried to run, and I fell."'
While they sat at meat the scribe said: 'O master, thou saidst that God loveth true humility. Tell us therefore what is humility, and how it can be true and false.'
Jesus replied: 'Verily I say unto you that he who becometh not as a little child shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.'
Everyone was amazed at hearing this, and they said one to another: 'Now how shall he become a little child who is thirty or forty years old? Surely, this is a hard saying.'
Jesus answered: 'As God liveth in whose presence my soul standeth, my words are true. I said unto you that a man hath need to become as a little child: for this is true humility. For if ye ask a little child: "Who hath made thy garments?" he will answer: "My father." If ye ask him whose is the house where he liveth, he will say: "My father's." If ye shall say: "Who giveth thee to eat?" he will reply: "My father." If ye shall say: "Who hath taught thee to walk and to speak?" he will answer: "My father." But if ye shall say: "Who hath broken thy forehead, for that thou hast thy forehead so bound up?" he will answer: "I fell down, and so did I break my head." If ye shall say: "Now why didst thou fall down?" he will answer: "See ye not that I am little, so that I have not the strength to walk and run like a grown man? so my father must needs take me by the hand if I would walk firmly. But in order that I might learn to walk well, my father left me for a little space, and I, wishing to run, fell down."