The Gospel of Barnabas · Chapter 202
The Physician and the Sinner
'Tell me, by whom is the physician more loved: by them that have never had any sickness, or by them whom the physician hath healed of grievous sickness?'
Said the Pharisees to him: 'And how shall he that is whole love the physician? Assuredly he will love him only for that he is not sick; and not having knowledge of sickness he will love the physician but little.'
Then with vehemence of spirit Jesus spake, saying: 'As God liveth, your own tongues condemn your pride, inasmuch as our God is loved more by the sinner that repenteth, knowing the great mercy of God upon him, than by the righteous. For the righteous hath not knowledge of the mercy of God. Wherefore there is more rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine righteous persons.
'Where are the righteous in our time? As God liveth in whose presence my soul standeth, great is the number of the righteous unrighteous; their condition being like to that of Satan.'
The scribes and Pharisees answered: 'We are sinners, wherefore God will have mercy on us.' And this they said tempting him; for the scribes and Pharisees count it the greatest insult to be called sinners.
Then said Jesus: 'I fear that ye be righteous unrighteous. For if ye have sinned and deny your sin, calling yourselves righteous, ye are unrighteous; and if in your heart ye hold yourselves righteous, and with your tongue ye say that ye are sinners, then are ye doubly righteous unrighteous.'
Accordingly the scribes and Pharisees hearing this were confounded and departed, leaving Jesus with his disciples in peace, and they went into the house of Simon the leper, whose leprosy he had cleansed. The citizens had gathered together the sick unto the house of Simon and prayed Jesus for the healing of the sick.
Then Jesus, knowing that his hour was near, said: 'Call the sick, as many as there be, because God is mighty and merciful to heal them.'
They answered: 'We know not that there be any other sick folk here in Jerusalem.'
Jesus weeping answered: 'O Jerusalem, O Israel, I weep over thee, for thou knowest not thy visitation; because I would fain have gathered thee to the love of God thy creator, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst not.'
'Tell me, who loves a physician more: those who have never been ill, or those whom the physician has healed from a serious illness?'
The Pharisees said to him: 'How can a healthy person love the physician? He may value him because he is not ill, but without knowing sickness he will love the physician only a little.'
Then Jesus spoke with great force of spirit: 'As God lives, your own words condemn your pride. Our God is loved more by the sinner who repents and recognizes the great mercy shown to him than by the righteous person, who has not experienced God's mercy in the same way. Therefore there is more rejoicing in the presence of God's angels over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people.'
'Where are the righteous in our time? As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, many appear righteous while being unrighteous; their condition is like Satan's.'
The scribes and Pharisees answered: 'We are sinners; therefore God will have mercy on us.' They said this to test him, for the scribes and Pharisees regarded being called sinners as the greatest insult.
Then Jesus said: 'I fear that you are people who appear righteous while being unrighteous. If you have sinned but deny your sin and call yourselves righteous, you are unrighteous. But if in your hearts you consider yourselves righteous while your tongues call you sinners, then you are doubly unrighteous beneath an appearance of righteousness.'
When the scribes and Pharisees heard this, they were confounded and departed, leaving Jesus and his disciples in peace. Jesus and the disciples entered the house of Simon the leper, whom he had cleansed of leprosy. The townspeople had gathered the sick at Simon's house and begged Jesus to heal them.
Jesus, knowing that his hour was near, said: 'Bring all the sick, for God is mighty and merciful enough to heal them.'
They answered: 'We do not know of any other physically sick people here in Jerusalem.'
Jesus answered through tears: 'O Jerusalem, O Israel, I weep over you because you do not recognize the time of your visitation. I wished to gather you into the love of God your Creator as a hen gathers her chicks beneath her wings, but you refused.'
'Tell me, by whom is the physician more loved: by them that have never had any sickness, or by them whom the physician hath healed of grievous sickness?'
Said the Pharisees to him: 'And how shall he that is whole love the physician? Assuredly he will love him only for that he is not sick; and not having knowledge of sickness he will love the physician but little.'
Then with vehemence of spirit Jesus spake, saying: 'As God liveth, your own tongues condemn your pride, inasmuch as our God is loved more by the sinner that repenteth, knowing the great mercy of God upon him, than by the righteous. For the righteous hath not knowledge of the mercy of God. Wherefore there is more rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth than over ninety and nine righteous persons.
'Where are the righteous in our time? As God liveth in whose presence my soul standeth, great is the number of the righteous unrighteous; their condition being like to that of Satan.'
The scribes and Pharisees answered: 'We are sinners, wherefore God will have mercy on us.' And this they said tempting him; for the scribes and Pharisees count it the greatest insult to be called sinners.
Then said Jesus: 'I fear that ye be righteous unrighteous. For if ye have sinned and deny your sin, calling yourselves righteous, ye are unrighteous; and if in your heart ye hold yourselves righteous, and with your tongue ye say that ye are sinners, then are ye doubly righteous unrighteous.'
Accordingly the scribes and Pharisees hearing this were confounded and departed, leaving Jesus with his disciples in peace, and they went into the house of Simon the leper, whose leprosy he had cleansed. The citizens had gathered together the sick unto the house of Simon and prayed Jesus for the healing of the sick.
Then Jesus, knowing that his hour was near, said: 'Call the sick, as many as there be, because God is mighty and merciful to heal them.'
They answered: 'We know not that there be any other sick folk here in Jerusalem.'
Jesus weeping answered: 'O Jerusalem, O Israel, I weep over thee, for thou knowest not thy visitation; because I would fain have gathered thee to the love of God thy creator, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and thou wouldst not.'