The Childhood and Youth of Jesus · Part 2 · Chapter 277

Dumas' amazement and questions concerning the Child. Joseph's Socratic-philosophical answer. Dumas' praise of the philosophers. The Infant's speech to Dumas about prophets and philosophers. 10 August 1844

01] And Joseph, observing how Dumas troubled himself to understand whence the little Child had obtained such wonderful skills, said to him:

02] "Brother, I remember very well that you have studied the wisdom of the Greeks and have often recited to me the wise principles of Socrates.

03] And there it was said: Man does not need to learn anything, for he only needs to awaken his spirit by way of remembrance.

04] And then man will have what he needs for all eternity.

05] See, you have often told me this as a wise teacher of youth!

06] Now look, when your principle is thus correct, what more is needed?!

07] Here you see nothing else than a living confirmation of your Socratic principle.

08] My Child's spirit has been awakened early on by a process inherent to His nature and therefore this Child-man has enough for all eternity,

09] so we do not need to give Him anything in addition to what He already has within Himself!

10] Do you not consider this true, as true as one and one is two?"

11] At this Dumas clutched his brows and spoke with a certain pathos:

12] "Yes, so it is! – And so it was me, who got something of this wisdom across to these Jewish fools!

13] But of course you are not one of those; for you are virtually the only one with whom I can have an intelligible discussion about the divine Socrates, Aristotle, Plato and others.

14] Surely, we also have some great men, such as the prophets and the first great kings of this people;

15] but in practical matters, they are not as useful as the old wise men of Greece.

16] For our prophets spoke a language that they perhaps understood as little as we do now.

17] In contrast, the old Greeks are something else really;

18] for they say clearly and precisely what they want and are therefore of the highest value to practical people.

19] That is surely due to the fact that they were teachers of the people, just like me."

20] Joseph smiled on this occasion; for he saw his old worshipper of the Greeks, unchanged as ever, and a self-adulator at the same time.

21] He agreed with him on this, in order to avoid bringing his Child under suspicion.

22] But the Infant Himself went over to Dumas and said to him:

23] "But friend! – You are still very ignorant and blurry in your mind, if you place the Jewish

wise men second to the philosophers of the Greek;

24] for the former spoke from God, – but these are speaking from the world!

25] And as you are still full of the spirit of the world, and empty of the spirit of God, you understand worldly matters better than divine matters!"

26] To Dumas, this felt like a jolt in the ribs. He yawned in an erudite manner and merely said to Joseph in Latin: "Dixit – puer ille! Ego autem intellego eius ironiam quam acerbam. Dixi!" (The Boy has spoken! But I can see how sharp-witted He is! – I have spoken!). Thereupon he disappeared, and Joseph, being left alone, also continued on his way. –