Similitude 1

He said to me, “You know,” he said, “that you servants of God are living in a foreign land, for your city is far from this city. If, then, you know your city, in which you are going to live, why do you prepare fields here, lavish displays, buildings, and useless dwellings? Whoever prepares these things for this city cannot return to his own city. Foolish, double-minded, miserable man, do you not understand that all these things belong to another and are under another’s authority? For the lord of this city will say, ‘I do not want you to live in my city. Leave this city, because you do not follow my laws.’ You, then, who have fields and dwellings and many other possessions—when he casts you out, what will you do with your field, your house, and everything else you prepared for yourself? For the lord of this land rightly says to you, ‘Either follow my laws or leave my land.’ What, then, are you going to do, since you have a law in your own city? For the sake of your fields and your other possessions, will you completely renounce your own law and live by the law of this city? Take care that it is not harmful for you to renounce your law. For if you later want to return to your city, you will certainly not be received, because you renounced the law of your city, and you will be shut out of it. Take care, then. Since you are living in a foreign land, prepare nothing more for yourself than what is sufficient for your needs, and be ready, so that whenever the master of this city wants to cast you out because you oppose his law, you may leave his city, go to your own city, and live by your own law joyfully and without insult. Take care, therefore, you who serve the Lord and have Him in your heart. Do the works of God, remembering His commandments and the promises He has made, and believe Him that He will fulfill them if His commandments are kept. Instead of fields, therefore, purchase souls in distress, as each of you is able; visit widows and orphans and do not neglect them; and spend your wealth and all your lavish resources on fields and houses of this kind, which you received from God. For the Master enriched you for this purpose, so that you might perform these ministries for Him. It is far better to purchase fields, possessions, and houses of this kind, which you will find in your own city when you arrive there. This kind of lavishness is good and holy. It brings neither sorrow nor fear, but joy. Therefore do not practice the lavishness of the nations, for it is harmful to you who are servants of God. Practice instead your own kind of lavishness, in which you can rejoice. Do not counterfeit, do not touch what belongs to another, and do not desire it, for it is evil to desire what belongs to another. Do your own work, and you will be saved.”