Chapters From the New Apocrypha/The Kingdom of Heaven
Now as Jesus tarried by the wayside with his disciples, there came unto him certain of the Pharisees, tempting him and asking him questions.
And Peter rebuked the Pharisees because of their importunity.
But Jesus saith unto Peter: Suffer them to ask of me what they will.
For verily I say unto thee, I am the Truth. And the Truth feareth not, but answereth every man according as He will.
Verily it profiteth a man to seek wisdom. And if he come to me the wisdom that I shall give him shall never fail.
Then murmured the Pharisees among themselves, saying, How can this be? Is not this man Jesus, the carpenter's son?
And yet he saith, I will give ye wisdom.
Is not wisdom of the Greeks?
Then said they unto Jesus, Master, it is written in the Scriptures by our father Moses that the Lord God made man of the dust of the ground:
And again, God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament.
And God called the firmament Heaven;
And His throne is established in Heaven of old, even from everlasting.
How sayest thou then, the Kingdom of Heaven is within us?
Because of their unbelief Jesus looked upon them sorrowing.
Now there was a spring of water by the wayside.
And Jesus saith unto the Pharisees: Behold the water! Tell me, cometh the water from the earth or from the heavens?
Some answering said, From the earth;
But others said, From the Heavens;
And they disputed among themselves.
Then saith Jesus unto them, What did David say unto you?
Truth shall spring out of the earth and righteousness shall look down from Heaven.
And as the waters are, even so is the Kingdom of Heaven.
For it cometh down from the mountains, and it riseth up out of the valleys.
And even as the waters rain down from the Heavens, and a pool forms in the hollow of a rock;
In the morning it is there; and behold the sun cometh, and at eventide the pool is no more.
And thou can'st not tell whither it goeth.
Yet in His own way God hideth the waters. As they were in the pool in the morning so shall they be in the clouds of night.
And they shall come again upon the mountain tops and upon the sea;
And the waters shall be good to drink, or they shall be brine, as God hath ordained.
But whether here or there, or above in the Heavens, or in the deep places of the earth, the waters cannot be lost.
Even so shall the Kingdom of Heaven be.