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The Gospel of St. Luke
GA 114

25 September 1909, Basel

Lecture Nine

You will have gathered from the lecture yesterday that a record such as the Gospel of St. Luke cannot be understood unless the evolution of humanity is pictured from the higher vantage-point of spiritual science—in other words unless the transformations that have taken place in the whole nature and constitution of man during the process of evolution are kept in mind. In order to understand the radical change that came about in humanity at the time of Christ Jesus—and this it necessary for elucidation of the Gospel of St. Luke it will be well to make a comparison with what is happening in our own age—admittedly less rapidly and more gradually but for all that clearly perceptible to those possessed of insight.

To begin with we must entirely discard a frequently expressed idea to which mental laziness gives ready assent, namely, that Nature, or Evolution, makes no ‘jumps’. In its ordinarily accepted sense, no statement could be more erroneous than this. Nature is perpetually making jumps! This very fact is essential and fundamental. Think, for example, of how the plant develops from the seed. The appearance of the first leaflet is evidence of an important jump. Another is made when the plant advances from leaf to flower; another when its life passes from the outer to the inner part of the blossom; and yet another, very important jump has been made when the fruit appears. Anyone who ignores the fact that such jumps occur very frequently will entirely fail to understand Nature. When such a man turns his attention to humanity and observes that development in some particular century proceeded at a snail's pace, he will believe that the same will be the case during other periods. It may very well be that in a particular period development is slow, as it is in the plant from the first green leaf to the last. But just as in the plant a jump occurs when the last leaf has developed and the blossom appears, so do jumps continually occur in the evolution of humanity. The jump made when Christ Jesus appeared on Earth was so decisive that within a comparatively short time the old clairvoyance and the mastery of the spiritual over the bodily nature were transformed to such an extent that only remnants of clairvoyance and of the former power of the soul-and-spirit over the physical continued to exist. Hence before that drastic change took place it was essential that whatever of the ancient heritage survived should once again be gathered together. It was in this milieu that Christ Jesus was to work. The new impulse could then be received into mankind and develop by slow degrees.

In another domain a jump is also taking place in our own epoch, but not so rapidly. Although a longer period of time is involved, the parallel will be quite comprehensible to those who understand the character of the present age. We can most easily form an idea of this jump by listening to people who approach spiritual science from one sphere or another of cultural life. It may happen that the representative of some religious body comes to a lecture on spiritual science ... what I am saying is quite understandable and is not meant as censure. He listens to a lecture let us say on the nature of Christianity, and says afterwards: ‘It all sounds very beautiful and fundamentally speaking is not at variance with what we ourselves preach. But we put it in a way that is intelligible to everyone, whereas only a few individuals can understand what is being said here.’ This statement is frequently made. But whoever says or believes that his is the only right way of presenting Christianity overlooks one essential, namely that he must judge according to facts, not according to his personal inclinations. I once had occasion to reply: ‘No doubt you believe that you are presenting the truths of Christianity in a form suitable for everyone. But beliefs prove nothing; only facts decide. Does everybody go to your Church? Thus facts prove the contrary. Spiritual Science is not there for people whose spiritual needs you are able to satisfy; it is there for people who demand something else.’

We are living in an age when it is becoming impossible for human hearts to accept the Bible as it has been accepted during the last four or five centuries of European civilization. Either mankind will receive spiritual science and through it learn to understand the Bible in a new way, or, as is now happening to many who are unacquainted with Anthroposophy, men will cease to listen to the Bible. In that case they would lose the Bible altogether and with it untold spiritual treasures—actually the greatest and most significant spiritual treasures of our Earth evolution! This must be realized. We are now at the point where a jump is to take place in evolution; the human heart is demanding the spiritual-scientific elucidation of the Bible. Given such elucidation, the Bible will be preserved, to the infinite blessing of mankind; without it the Bible will be lost. This should be taken earnestly by those who believe that they must at all costs adhere to their personal inclinations and the traditional attitude towards the Bible. Such, therefore, is the jump now being taken in evolution. Nothing will divert a man who is aware of this from cultivating Antroposophy, because he recognizes it as a necessity for the evolution of humanity.

Considered from a higher point of view, what is happening at the present time is relatively unimportant compared with what took place when Christ Jesus came to the Earth. In those days the stage reached in the evolution of humanity was such that the last examples were still in existence of its development since primeval times, actually since the previous embodiment of the Earth. Man was developing primarily in his physical, etheric and astral bodies; the Ego had long since been membered into him but at that time was still playing a subordinate rôle. Until the coming of Christ Jesus the fully self-conscious Ego was still obscured by the three sheaths: physical body, etheric body and astral body.

Let us suppose that Christ Jesus had not come to the Earth. What would have happened? As evolution progressed the Ego would have fully emerged; but to the same extent as it emerged, all earlier outstanding faculties of the astral, etheric and physical bodies, all the old clairvoyance, all the old mastery of the soul and spirit over the body would have vanished. That would have been the inevitable course of evolution. Man would have become a self-conscious Ego, but an Ego that would have led him more and more to egoism and to the disappearance and extinction of love on the Earth. Men would have become ‘Egos’, but utterly egotistical beings. That is the point of importance.

When Christ Jesus came to the Earth man was ready for the development of the Self, the Ego; for this very reason, however, he was beyond the stage where it would have been permissible to work upon him in the old way. In the ancient Hebrew period, for example, the ‘Law’, the proclamation from Sinai, was able to take effect because the Ego had not fully emerged and what the astral body—the highest part of man's constitution at that time—should do and feel in order to act rightly in the outer world was instilled, impressed into it. The Law of Sinai came to men as a last prophetic announcement in the epoch preceding the full emergence of the Ego. Had the Ego emerged and nothing else intervened, man would have heeded nothing except his own Ego. Humanity was ready for the development of the Ego but it would have been an empty Ego, concerned with itself alone and having no wish to do anything for others or for the world.

To give this Ego a real content, so to stimulate its development that the power of love should stream from it—that was the Deed of Christ Jesus on the Earth. Without Him the Ego would have become an empty vessel; through His coming it can become a vessel filled more and more completely with love. To those around Him Christ could speak to the following effect: ‘When you see clouds gathering, you say: there will be this or that weather; you judge what the weather will be by the outer signs, but the signs of the times you do not understand! If you were able to understand and assess what is going on around you, you would know that the Godhead must penetrate into the Ego. Then you would not say: We can be satisfied with traditions handed down from earlier times. It is what comes from earlier times that is presented to you by the Scribes and Pharisees who wish to preserve the old and will allow nothing to be added to what was once given to man. But that is a leaven which will have no further effect in evolution. Whoever says that he will believe only in Moses and the Prophets does not understand the signs of the times, nor does he know what a transition is taking place in humanity!’ (Cp. Luke XII, 54–57). In memorable words Christ Jesus said to those around Him that whether or not an individual will become Christian does not depend upon his personal inclination but upon the inevitable progress of evolution. By the words recorded in the Gospel of St. Luke concerning the ‘signs of the time’, Christ Jesus wished to make it understood that the old leaven represented by the Scribes and Pharisees who preserve only what is antiquated, was no longer sufficient and that belief to the contrary could be entertained only by those who felt no obligation to put aside personal inclinations and judge according to the necessity of the times. Hence Christ Jesus called what the Scribes and Pharisees desired, ‘Untruth’—something that does not tally with reality in the outer world. That would have been the real meaning of the expression.

We can best realize the forcefulness of these words by thinking of analogous happenings in our own day. How should we have to speak if we wished to apply to the present age what Christ Jesus said of the Scribes and Pharisees? Are there, in our own times, any who resemble the Scribes? Yes indeed! They are the people who will not accept the deeper explanation of the Gospels and refuse to listen to anything that is beyond the range of their own faculties of comprehension—faculties that have been unaffected by spiritual science; these people refuse to keep pace with the strides in knowledge of the foundations of the Gospels made through spiritual science. This is really everywhere the case when efforts—no matter whether of a more progressive or more reactionary character—are made to interpret the Gospels, for the fact is that the capacity for such interpretation can develop only on the soil of spiritual science—there and there alone. Spiritual science is the only source from which truth about the Gospels can be derived. That is why all other contemporary research seems so barren, so unsatisfactory, wherever there is a genuine desire to seek the truth.

To-day, as well as the ‘Scribes and Pharisees’ there are the natural scientists—a third type. We may therefore speak of three categories of men who want to exclude everything that leads to the spiritual, everything in the way of faculties attainable by man in order to penetrate to the spiritual foundations of the phenomena of Nature. And those who, among others, must be impugned at the present time, if one speaks in the sense of true Christianity, are very often the holders of professorships! They have every opportunity for comparing and collating the phenomena of Nature, but they entirely reject the spiritual explanations. It is they who hinder progress; for humanity's progress is hindered wherever there is refusal to recognize the signs of the times in the sense indicated.

In our days the only kind of action consistent with discipleship of Christ Jesus would be to find the courage to turn—as He turned against those who wished to confine truth to Moses and the Prophets—against people who retard progress by rejecting the anthroposophical interpretation of the scriptures on the one side and the phenomena of Nature on the other. Now and then there are really well-meaning people who occasionally would like to bring about a kind of vague reconciliation. But it would be well if in the hearts of all such people there were some understanding of the words spoken by Christ Jesus as related in the Gospel of St. Luke.

Among the most beautiful and impressive parables in that Gospel is the one usually known as the parable of the unjust steward. (Luke XVI, 1–13.) A rich man had a steward who was accused of wasting his goods. He therefore decided to dismiss the steward. The latter asked himself in dismay: ‘What shall I do? I cannot support myself as a husbandman for I do not understand such work, nor can I beg, for I should be ashamed.’ Then the thought occurred to him: In all my dealings with the people with whom my stewardship brought me into contact, I had in mind only the interests of my lord; therefore they will have no particular liking for me. I have paid no attention to their interests. I must do something in order to be received into their houses and so not be utterly ruined; I will do something to show that I wish them well. Thereupon he went to one of his lord's debtors and asked him: ‘How much owest thou?’—and allowed him to cancel half the debt. He did the same with the others. In this way he tried to ingratiate himself with the debtors, so that when his lord dismissed him he might be received by these people and not die of starvation. That was his object. The Gospel continues—possibly to the astonishment of some readers: ‘And the lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely.’ Those who set out to elucidate the Gospels to-day have actually speculated about which ‘lord’ is meant, although it is absolutely clear that Jesus was praising the steward for his cleverness. Then the verse continues: ‘For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.’ This is how the sentence has stood for centuries. But has anyone ever reflected upon what is meant by ‘the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light?’ ‘In their generation’ stands in all the different translations of the Bible. But if someone with only scanty knowledge were to translate the Greek text correctly, it would read: ‘for the children of this world in their way are wiser than the children of light,’ that is to say, in their way the children of this world are wiser than the children of light, wiser according to their own understanding—that is what Christ meant. Translators of this passage have for centuries confused the expression ‘in their way’ with a word that actually has a very similar sound in the Greek language; they have confused it—and do so to this very day—with ‘generations’, because the word was sometimes also used for the other concept. It hardly seems possible that this kind of thing should have dragged on for centuries and that modern, reputedly good translators, who, have endeavoured to convey the exact meaning of the text, should make no change. Weizsacker, for example, gives this actual rendering! Strangely enough, people seem to forget the most elementary school-knowledge when they set about investigating biblical records. Spiritual science will have to restore the biblical records in their true form to the world, for the world to-day does not, properly speaking, possess the Bible and can have no real grasp of its contents. It might even be asked: Are these the genuine texts of the Bible? No, in very important parts they are not, as I will show you in still greater detail.

What is the meaning of this parable of the unjust steward? The steward reflected: If I must leave my post I must gain the affection of the people. He realized that one cannot serve ‘two masters’. Christ said to those around Him: ‘You too must realize that you cannot serve two masters; the one who is now to enter the hearts of men as God, and the one hitherto proclaimed by the Scribes and the interpreters of the books of the Prophets. You cannot serve the God who is to draw into your souls as the Christ-principle and give a mighty impetus to the evolution of humanity, and the other God who would hinder this evolution.’ Everything that was right and proper in a bygone age becomes a hindrance if carried over into a later stage of evolution. In a certain sense the process of evolution itself is based upon this principle. The Powers which direct the ‘hindrances’ were called at that time by a technical expression: Mammon. ‘You cannot serve the God who will progress, and Mammon, the God of Hindrances. Think of the steward who, as a child of the world, realized that one cannot serve two masters, not even with the help of Mammon. So too should you perceive, in striving to become children of light, that you cannot serve two masters!’ (Cp. Luke XVI, 11–13.)

Those living in the present age must also realize that no reconciliation is possible between the God Mammon in our time—between the modern ‘scribes’ and scientific pundits—and the direction of thought that must provide human beings to-day with the nourishment they need. This is spoken in a truly Christian sense. Clothed in current language, what Christ Jesus wished to bring home to those around Him in the parable of the unjust steward was that no man can serve two masters.

The Gospels must be understood in a really living way. Spiritual science itself must become a living reality! Under its influence everything it touches should be imbued with life. The Gospel itself should be something that streams into our own spiritual faculties. We should not only chatter about the Scribes and Pharisees having been repudiated in the days of Christ Jesus, for then once again we should be thinking only of an age that is past. We must know where the successor of the Power described by Christ Jesus for His epoch as the ‘God Mammon’ is to be found to-day. That is a living kind of understanding—which is also such a very important factor in what is related in the Gospel of St. Luke. For with the parable that is found only in this Gospel there is connected one of the most significant concepts in all the Gospels: it is a concept we can engrave into our hearts and souls only if we are able once again, and from a somewhat different angle, to make it clear how Buddha, and the impulse he gave, were related to Christ Jesus.

We have heard that Buddha brought to mankind the great teaching of compassion and love. Here is one of the instances where what is said in occultism must be taken exactly as it stands, for otherwise it might be objected that at one time Christ is said to have brought love to the Earth, and at another that Buddha brought the teaching of love. But is that the same? On one occasion I said that Buddha brought the teaching of love to the Earth and on another occasion that Christ brought love itself as a living power to the Earth. That is the great difference. Close attention is necessary when the deepest concerns of humanity are being considered; for otherwise what happens is that information given in one place is presented somewhere else in a quite different form and then it is said that in order to be fair to everybody I have proclaimed two messengers of love! The very closest attention is essential in occultism. When this enables us really to understand the words in which the momentous truths are clothed, they are seen in the right light.

Knowing that the great teaching of compassion and love brought by Buddha is given expression in the Eightfold Path, we may ask ourselves: What is the aim of this Eightfold Path? What does a man attain when from the depths of his soul he adopts it as his life's ideal, never losing sight of the goal and asking continually: How can I reach the greatest perfection? How can I purify my Ego most completely? What must I do to enable my Ego to fulfil its function in the world as perfectly as possible?—Such a man will say to himself: If I obey every precept of the Eightfold Path my Ego will reach the greatest perfection that it is possible to conceive. Everything is a matter of the purification and ennoblement of the Ego; everything that can stream from this wonderful Eightfold Path must penetrate into us. The point of importance is that it is work carried out by the Ego, for its own perfecting. If, therefore, men were to develop to further stages in themselves that which Buddha set in motion as the ‘Wheel of the Law’ (that is the technical term), their Egos would gradually become possessed of wisdom at a high level—wisdom in the form of thought—and they would recognize the signs of perfection. Buddha brought to humanity the wisdom of love and compassion, and when we succeed in making the whole astral body a product of the Eightfold Path, we shall possess the requisite knowledge of the laws expressed in its teachings.

But there is a difference between wisdom in the form of thought and wisdom as living power; there is a difference between knowing what the Ego must become and allowing the living power to flow into our very being so that it may stream forth again from the Ego into all the world as it streamed from Christ, working upon the astral, etheric and physical bodies of those around Him. The impulse given by the great Buddha enabled humanity to have knowledge of the teaching of compassion and love. What Christ brought is first and foremost a living power, not a teaching. He sacrificed His very Self, He descended in order to flow not merely into the astral bodies of men but into the Ego, so that the Ego itself should have the power to ray out love as substantiality. Christ brought to the Earth the substantiality, the living essence of love, not merely the wisdom-filled content of love. That is the all-important point.

Nineteen centuries and roughly five more have now elapsed since the great Buddha lived on the Earth; in about three thousand years from now—this we learn from occultism—a considerable number of human beings will have reached the stage of being able to evolve the wisdom of the Buddha, the Eightfold Path, out of their own moral nature, out of their own heart and soul. Buddha had once to be on Earth, and the power that mankind will develop little by little as the wisdom of the Eightfold Path proceeded from him; after about three thousand years from now men will be able to unfold its teaching from within themselves; it will then be their own possession and they will no longer be obliged to receive it from outside. Then they will be able to say: This Eightfold Path springs from our very selves as the wisdom of compassion and love.

Even if nothing else had happened than the setting in motion of the Wheel of the Law by the great Buddha, in three thousand years from now humanity would have become capable of knowing the doctrine of compassion and love. But it is a different matter also to have acquired the faculty to embody it in very life. Not only to know about compassion and love, but under the influence of an Individuality to unfold it as living power—there lies the difference. This faculty proceeded from Christ. He poured love itself into men and it will grow from strength to strength. When men have reached the end of their evolution, wisdom will have revealed to them the content of the doctrine of compassion and love; this they will owe to Buddha. But at the same time they will possess the faculty of letting the love stream out from the Ego over mankind; this they will owe to Christ.

Thus Buddha and Christ worked in co-operation, and the exposition given has been necessary in order that the Gospel of St. Luke may be properly understood. We realize this at once when we know how to interpret correctly the words used in the Gospel. (Luke II, 13–14.) The great proclamation is to be made to the shepherds. Above them is the ‘heavenly host’—this is the spiritual, imaginative expression for the Nirmanakaya of the Buddha. What is it that is proclaimed to the shepherds from on high? The ‘manifestation (or revelation) of the wisdom-filled God from the Heights!’ This is the proclamation made to the shepherds by the Nirmanakaya of Buddha, pictured as the ‘heavenly host’ hovering over the Nathan Jesus-child. But something else is added: ‘And peace be to men on the Earth below who are filled with a good will’—that is, men in whom the living power of love is germinating. It is this that must gradually become reality on Earth through the new impulse given by Christ. To the ‘revelation from the Heights’ He added the living power, bringing into every human heart and into every human soul something that can fill the soul to overflowing. He gave the soul not merely a teaching that could be received in the form of thought and idea, but a power that can stream forth from it. The Christ-bestowed power that can fill the human soul to overflowing is called in the Gospel of St. Luke, and in the other Gospels too, the power of Faith. This is what the Gospels mean by Faith. A man who receives Christ into himself so that Christ lives in him, a man whose Ego is not an empty vessel but is filled to overflowing with love—such a man has Faith.

Why could Christ be the supreme illustration of the power of ‘healing through the word?’ Because He was the first to set in motion the ‘Wheel of Love’ (not the ‘Wheel of the Law’) as a freely working faculty and power of the human soul; because love in the very highest measure was within him—love brimming over in such abundance that it could pour into those around Him who needed to be healed; because the words He spoke, no matter whether ‘Stand up and walk!’ or ‘Thy sins are forgiven thee’, or other words—issued from over-flowing love. His words were uttered from overflowing love—love transcending the limits of the Ego. And those who were able to some extent to experience this were called by Christ ‘the faithful’. This is the only true interpretation of the concept of Faith—one of the most fundamental concepts in the New Testament. Faith is the capacity to transcend the self, to transcend what the Ego can—for the time being—achieve. Therefore when he had passed into the body of the Nathan Jesus and had there united with the power of the Buddha, Christ's teaching was not concerned with the question: ‘How shall the Ego achieve the greatest possible perfection?’ but rather with the question ‘How shall the Ego overflow? How can the Ego transcend its own limits?’ He often used simple words, and indeed the Gospel of St. Luke as a whole speaks to the hearts of the simplest men. Christ said, in effect: It is not enough to give something only to those of whom you know for certain that they will give it back to you again, for sinners also do that. If you know that it will come back to you, your action has not been prompted by overflowing love. But if you give something knowing that it will not come back to you, then you have acted out of pure love; for that is pure love which the Ego does not keep enclosed but releases as a power that flows forth from a man. (Luke VI, 33–34.) In many and various ways Christ speaks of how the Ego must overflow and how the power overflowing from the Ego, and from feeling emancipated from self-interest, must work in the world.

The words of greatest warmth in the Gospel of St. Luke are those which tell of this overflowing love. The Gospel itself will be found to contain this overflowing love if we let its words work upon us in such a way that the love pervades all our own words, enabling them to make their effect in the outer world. Another Evangelist, who because of his different antecedents lays less emphasis upon this particular secret of Christianity, has for all that summarized it in a short sentence. In the Latin translation of the Gospel of St. Matthew we still have the genuine, original words which epitomise the many beautiful passages about love contained in the Gospel of St. Luke: Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur. ‘Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.’ (>Matt. XII, 34.) This expresses one of the very highest Christian ideals! The mouth speaks from the overflowing heart, from that which the heart does not confine within itself. The heart is set in motion by the blood and the blood is the expression of the Ego. The meaning is therefore this: ‘Speak from an Ego which overflows and rays forth power (the power of faith). Then do thy words contain the Christ-power!’—‘Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh!’ this is a cardinal principle of Christianity.

In the modern German Bible this passage is rendered: ‘His mouth overflows whose heart is full!’1In the English versions of the New Testament the correct meaning has been preserved. (See Matt. XII, 34, also Luke VI, 43. These words have for centuries succeeded in obscuring a cardinal principle of Christianity. The absurdity of saying that the heart overflows when it is ‘full’ has not dawned upon people, although things do not generally overflow unless they are more than full! Humanity—this is not meant as criticism—has inevitably become entangled in an idea which obscures an essential principle of Christianity and has never noticed that the sentence as it stands here is meaningless. If it is contended that the German language does not allow of a literal translation of Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur into ‘Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh’ on the ground that one cannot say ‘The abundance of the stove makes the room warm’—that too is senseless. For if the stove is heated only to the extent that the warmth just reaches its sides, the room will not be heated, it will be heated only when a superabundance of warmth comes out of the stove. Here we light upon a point of great significance: a cardinal principle of Christianity, one upon which part of the Gospel of St. Luke is based, has been entirely obscured, with the result that the meaning of one of the most important passages in the Gospel has remained hidden from humanity.

The power that can overflow from the human heart is the Christ-power. ‘Heart’ and ‘Ego’ are here synonymous. What the Ego is able to create when transcending its own limits flows forth through the word. Not until the end of Earth evolution will the Ego be fit to enshrine the nature of Christ in its fullness. In the present age Christ is a power that brims over from the heart. A man who is content that his heart shall merely be ‘full’ does not possess the Christ. Hence an essential principle of Christianity is obscured if the weight and significance of this sentence are not realized. Things of infinite importance, belonging to the very essence of Christianity, will come to light through what spiritual science is able to say in elucidation of the sacred records of Christianity. By reading the Akashic Chronicle, spiritual science is able to discover the original meanings and thus to read the records in their true form.

We shall now understand how humanity advances into the future. The Bodhisattva who became Buddha five or six centuries before our era, ascended into the spiritual world and now works in his Nirmanakaya. He has risen to a higher stage and need not again descend into a physical body. The powers that were his as Bodhisattva are again present—but in a different form. When he became Buddha at that time, he passed over the office of Bodhisattva to another who became his successor; another became Bodhisattava. A Buddhist legend speaks of this in words which give expression to a deep truth of Christianity. It is narrated that the Bodhisattva, before descending to the incarnation when he became Buddha, removed his heavenly tiara and placed it upon the Bodhisattva who was to be his successor. The latter, with his somewhat different mission, works on. He too is to become a Buddha. When—in about three thousand years—a number of human beings have evolved from within themselves the teachings of the Eightfold Path, the present Bodhisattva will become Buddha, as did his predecessor. Entrusted with his mission five or six centuries before our era, he will become Buddha in about three thousand years, reckoning from our present time. Oriental wisdom knows him as the Maitreya Buddha.2Among countless references to Maitreya Buddha in the vast literature of Buddhism, special attention may be called to the chapter entitled ‘Maitreya, the future Buddha’, in Buddhist Scriptures, translated by Edward Conze (Penguin Classics).

Dr. Steiner spoke of Maitreya Buddha in many lecture-courses and in considerable detail in the following lectures: Buddha and Christ. The Sphere of the Bodhisattvas, given in Milan, 21st September 1911; Jeshu ben Pandira, Lecture 1, 4th November 1911, and Jeschu ben Pandira, Lecture 2, 5th November 1911, both lectures given in Leipzig.]

Before the present Bodhisattva can become the Maitreya Buddha a considerable number of human beings must have developed the precepts of the Eightfold Path out of their own hearts and by that time many will have become capable of this. Then he who is now the Bodhisattva will bring a new power into the world.

If nothing further were to have happened by then, the future Buddha would, it is true, find human beings capable of thinking out the teachings of the Eightfold Path through deep meditation, but not such as have within their inmost soul the living, overflowing power of love. This living power of love must stream into mankind in the intervening time in order that the Maitreya Buddha may find not only human beings who understand what love is, but those who have within them the power of love. It was for this purpose that Christ descended to the Earth. He descended for three years only, never having been embodied on the Earth before, as you will have gathered from everything that has been said. The presence of Christ on the Earth for three years—from the Baptism by John until the Mystery of Golgotha—meant that love will flow in ever-increasing measure into the human heart, into the human soul in other words, into the human Ego; so that at the end of Earth evolution the Ego will be filled with the power of Christ. Just as the teaching of compassion and love had first to be kindled to life through the Bodhisattva, the substance of love had to be brought down from heavenly heights to the Earth by the Being who allows it gradually to become the possession of the human Ego itself. We may not say that love was not previously in existence. What was not present before the coming of Christ was the love that could be the direct possession of the human Ego; it was love that was inspired that Christ enabled to stream down from cosmic Heights; it streamed into men unconsciously, just as previously the Bodhisattva had enabled the teaching of the Eightfold Path to stream into them unconsciously. Buddha's relation to the Eightfold Path was analogous to the status of the Christ-Being before it was possible for Him to descend in order to take human form. The taking of human form signified progress for Christ. That is the all-important point.

Buddha's successor—now a Bodhisattva—is well known to those versed in spiritual science and the time will come when these facts—including the name of the Bodhisattva who will then become the Maitreya Buddha—will be spoken of explicitly. For the present, however, when so many factors unknown to the external world have been presented, indications must suffice. When this Bodhisattva appears on Earth and becomes Maitreya Buddha, he will find on Earth the seed of Christ, embodied in those human beings who say: ‘Not only is my head filled with the wisdom of the Eightfold Path; I have not only the teaching, the wisdom of love, but my heart is filled with the living substance of love which overflows and streams into the world.’ And then, together with such human beings, the Maitreya Buddha will be able to carry out his further mission in the world's evolution.

All these truths are interrelated and only by realizing this are we able to understand the profundities of the Gospel of St. Luke. This Gospel does not speak to us of a ‘teaching’, but of Him who flowed as very substance into the beings of the Earth and into the constitution of man. This is a truth expressed in occultism by saying: The Bodhisattvas who become Buddhas can, through wisdom, redeem earthly man in respect of his spirit, but they can never redeem the whole man. For the whole man can be redeemed only when the warm power of love—not wisdom alone—flows through his whole being. The redemption of souls through the outpouring of love which He brought to the Earth—that was the mission of Christ. To bring the wisdom of love was the mission of the Bodhisattvas and of the Buddha; to bring to mankind the power of love was the mission of Christ. This distinction must be made.

Neunter Vortrag

Es wird Ihnen bereits aus dem gestrigen Vortrage hervorgegangen sein, daß man eine Urkunde wie das Lukas-Evangelium nur verstehen kann, wenn man die Entwickelung der Menschheit in jenem höheren Sinne auffaßt, der uns durch die Geisteswissenschaft an die Hand gegeben wird, das heißt, wenn man wirklich die Veränderungen ins Auge faßt, die sich im Laufe der Menschheitsentwickelung vollzogen haben und die den ganzen Menschen in seiner Organisation anders gemacht haben. Wenn wir uns jenen radikalen Vorgang, der sich zur Zeit des Christus Jesus mit der Menschheit vollzogen hat, verständlich machen wollen — was notwendig ist zum Begreifen des Lukas-Evangeliums -, so ist es gut, daß wir ihn vergleichen mit dem, was sich zwar nicht so rasch, sondern mehr nach und nach, aber doch auch deutlich wahrnehmbar für den, der sehen kann, in unserer Zeit vollzieht.

Um das zu verstehen, müssen wir erst einmal gründlich mit einem anderen Urteile brechen, das so häufig ausgesprochen wird, und an dem die menschliche Bequemlichkeit so gerne hängt. Das ist das Urteil, die Natur oder die Entwickelung mache keine Sprünge. Es kann, wenn man die gewöhnliche Auffassung dieses Satzes zugrunde legt, gar keinen falscheren Satz geben als gerade diesen. Die Natur macht fortwährend Sprünge! Und das ist gerade das Wesentliche, daß Sprünge geschehen. Sehen wir uns zum Beispiel an, wie sich der Pflanzenkeim entwickelt. Wenn er das erste Blättchen herauswachsen läßt, so ist das ein bedeutsamer Sprung. Ein weiterer bedeutsamer Sprung finder statt, wenn die Pflanze übergeht vom Blatt zur Blüte, dann wieder, wenn es vom äußeren zum inneren Teil der Blüte geht, und ein weiterer, ganz bedeutsamer Sprung geschieht in der Ausbildung der Frucht. Es geschehen fortwährend Sprünge, und wer das nicht berücksichtigt, wird die Natur nicht begreifen. Er wird glauben, wenn er die Menschheitsentwickelung betrachtet und an einem Jahrhundert bemerkt, daß da die Entwickelung im Schneckenschritte vorwärtsgeht, daß dann auch zu anderen Zeiten die Entwickelung in demselben Tempo vorwärtsgehen müsse. Es kann aber durchaus sein, daß die Entwickelung zu einer gewissen Zeit langsam geht wie bei der grünen Pflanze vom ersten grünen Blatt bis zum letzten; wie aber dann bei der Pflanze ein Sprung geschieht, wenn sich das letzte Blatt entwickelt hat und die Blüte ansetzt, so geschehen in der Menschheitsentwickelung fortwährend Sprünge.

Und ein solcher bedeutsamer Sprung geschah in der Zeit, als der Christus Jesus auf Erden auftrat. Da geschah ein solcher Sprung, daß in verhältnismäßig kurzer Zeit die Eigenschaften des alten Hellsehens und die Herrschaft des Geistigen über das Leibliche sich verwandelten, so daß nur noch wenig vorhanden war von hellseherischer Kraft und von Wirksamkeit des Seelisch-Geistigen über das Leibliche. Daher mußte, bevor jener Umschwung geschah, noch einmal zusammengefaßt werden, was von alten Zeiten als Erbschaft vorhanden war. Darinnen mußte der Christus Jesus wirken. Dann konnte das Neue aufgenommen werden in der Menschheit und konnte sich nun langsam und allmählich entwickeln.

Auf anderem Gebiete geschieht, nicht ganz so rasch, aber doch auch ein Sprung in unserer Zeit. Er vollzieht sich zwar in längerem Zeitraum, aber er muß für die, welche unsere Zeit verstehen wollen, durchaus begreiflich erscheinen. Wir machen uns am besten einen Begriff davon, wenn wir hinhören auf Menschen, die heute, von diesem oder jenem geistigen Gebiete ausgehend, an die Geisteswissenschaft herankommen. Es kann zum Beispiel, was öfters vorkommt, ein Vertreter dieser oder jener Religionsgemeinschaft zu einem geisteswissenschaftlichen Vortrage kommen. Was ich jetzt ausspreche, ist etwas, was durchaus erklärlich ist, und soll kein Tadel sein. Ein solcher Mensch hört sich also einen geisteswissenschaftlichen Vortrag an, der sich etwa gerade mit dem Wesen des Christentums befaßt, und sagt hinterher: Das ist ja alles sehr schön, und im Grunde genommen widersprichtesgar nicht dem, was wir von der Kanzel oder vom Lehrstuhle herab auch sagen; aber wir sagen es so, daß es jeder verstehen kann. Was dagegen hier gesagt wird, das ist so, daß es nur einzelne verstehen können. — Das ist etwas, was sehr häufig geschieht. Wer so etwas sagt oder meint, daß nur das das einzig Mögliche ist, wie er das Christentum auffaßt oder verkündet, der berücksichtigt eines nicht: daß man die Verpflichtung hat, nicht nach seinen Liebhabereien, sondern nach den Tatsachen zu urteilen. Und einmal mußte von mir einem solchen Menschen geantwortet werden: Sie haben vielleicht den Glauben, daß Sie die christlichen Wahrheiten für alle Menschen verkünden. Aber unser Glaube entscheidet nichts in diesem Falle, sondern es entscheiden die Tatsachen. Gehen alle Leute zu Ihnen in die Kirche hinein? Die Tatsachen beweisen das Gegenteil! Für diejenigen, für welche Sie das Richtige treffen, ist eben die Geisteswissenschaft nicht da: sondern sie ist für diejenigen da, die etwas anderes brauchen. -— Wir müssen eben nach den Tatsachen urteilen und nicht nach unseren Liebhabereien; und das ist in der Regel für die Menschen sehr schwierig, ihre Liebhabereien von den Tatsachen zu unterscheiden.

Wenn nun solche Menschen gar nicht von der Meinung kuriert werden könnten, daß sie das Richtige treffen, und jeden anderen perhorreszieren, der anders spricht als sie, und wenn gegen solche Menschen das spirituelle Leben gar nicht aufkommen könnte, was würde da geschehen? Immer zahlreicher würden dann die Menschen werden, die nicht die Art der Verkündigung der geistigen Tatsachen hören könnten, wie sie in dieser oder jener Geistesströmung bisher üblich war. Immer weniger Menschen würde es geben, die dahin gehen, wo so etwas zu hören ist. Und wenn es dann keine geisteswissenschaftliche Strömung gäbe, so würden diese Menschen gar nichts haben, keine Befriedigung ihrer geistigen Bedürfnisse; sie würden verkommen, denn es würde ihnen keine Nahrung gegeben. Es hängt aber nicht von dem Willen des einzelnen ab, wie man die geistige Nahrung zugeformt bekommt — das hängt ab von der Entwickelung. Wir sind jetzt an der Tatsache und an dem Zeitpunkte angekommen, wo die Menschen Befriedigung haben wollen für ihre geistigen Bedürfnisse, für die Interpretation der Evangelien und so weiter. Aber nicht darauf kommt es an, wie wir die geistige Nahrung geben wollen, sondern wie die Menschenseele sie verlangt. Die Sehnsucht der menschlichen Seele nach der Geisteswissenschaft ist heute geboren. Und es hängt gar nicht von denen ab, die etwas anderes lehren wollen, ob sie die geistigen Bedürfnisse der Zeit befriedigen; denn sie werden immer weniger Zuhörer bekommen.

Wir leben in einer Zeit, in welcher immer mehr aus den Menschenherzen die Möglichkeit verschwindet, die Bibel so hinzunehmen, wie sie während der letzten vier bis fünf Jahrhunderte der europäischen Kulturentwickelung hingenommen worden ist. Entweder wird die Menschheit die Geisteswissenschaft bekommen und durch die Geisteswissenschaft die Bibel in einem neuen Sinne verstehen lernen, oder die Menschen werden dahin kommen, wie es bei vielen schon heute der Fall ist, welche die Anthroposophie nicht kennen, daß sie nicht mehr hinhorchen können auf die Bibel. Die Menschheit würde die Bibel vollständig verlieren, die Bibel würde verschwinden, und ungeheure Geistesgüter würden der Menschheit verlorengehen — die wichtigsten Geistesgüter unserer Erdenentwickelung. Das muß eingesehen werden. Wir stehen an einem solchen Sprunge unserer Entwickelung. Das Menschenherz verlangt nach geisteswissenschaftlicher Erklärung der Bibel. Wird der Menschheit diese geisteswissenschaftliche Erklärung der Bibel, so wird die Bibel zum Segen der Menschheit erhalten bleiben; wird ihr diese Erklärung nicht, so wird die Bibel verlorengehen. Das sollten sich diejenigen sagen, welche glauben, ihre Liebhabereien, ihre hergebrachte Art, die Bibel zu nehmen, unbedingt aufrechterhalten zu müssen. So können wir jenen Sprung charakterisieren, den wir jetzt in der Menschheitsentwickelung machen. Wer diese Tatsache kennt, den kann nichts beirren in der Pflege der anthroposophischen Geistesströmung, weil er sie als eine Notwendigkeit für die Menschheitsentwickelung erkennt.

Nun ist das, was jetzt geschieht, von einem höheren Gesichtspunkte aus betrachtet, sogar verhältnismäßig etwas Kleines gegenüber dem, was damals geschah, als der Christus Jesus auf der Erde erschien. Zu jener Zeit war die Menschheitsentwickelung so, daß sozusagen noch die letzten Ausläufer jener Entwickelung vorhanden waren, die seit uralten Zeiten, sogar seit der vorherigen Verkörperung unserer Erde, stattgefunden hat. Der Mensch entwickelte sich im wesentlichen in seinem physischen Leib, Atherleib und Astralleib. Er hatte zwar schon längst das Ich eingegliedert, aber dieses Ich spielte zu jener Zeit noch eine untergeordnete Rolle. Das vollständig selbstbewußte Ich war noch überdeckt von den drei Hüllen: physischer Leib, Atherleib und Astralleib, bis zur Zeit der Erscheinung des Christus Jesus.

Nehmen wir an, der Christus Jesus wäre nicht auf die Erde gekommen. Was würde da geschehen sein? Da wäre die Menschheitsentwickelung so fortgeschritten, daß das Ich voll herausgekommen wäre. Aber in demselben Maße wie das Ich voll herausgekommen wäre, würden alle früheren hervorragenden Fähigkeiten des Astralleibes, Atherleibes und physischen Leibes geschwunden sein; alles alte Hellsehen, alle alte Herrschaft von Seele und Geist über den Leib würden geschwunden sein, denn das wäre die Notwendigkeit der Entwickelung gewesen. Der Mensch wäre ein selbstbewußtes Ich geworden, aber ein Ich, das den Menschen immer mehr zum Egoismus geführt hätte, das immer mehr dazu geführt hätte, die Liebe auf der Erde ersterben zu machen, die Liebe von der Erde verschwinden zu machen. Iche wären die Menschen auch geworden, aber ganz egoistische Iche. Das ist das Wesentliche.

Die Menschheit war in dem damaligen Zeitpunkte reif, um zu der Entwickelung des Selbstes, des Ich, aufzusteigen; daher war sie aber zu gleicher Zeit darüber hinaus, in der alten Weise auf sich wirken zu lassen. In der alten hebräischen Entwickelung konnte zum Beispiel das Gesetz, die Verkündigung vom Sinai deshalb wirken, weil das Ich noch nicht völlig herausgetreten war und dem astralischen Leibe, der als Höchstes dastand, sozusagen eingeflößt und eingeprägt wurde, was er tun und fühlen sollte, um in der. Außenwelt in der richtigen Weise zu handeln. So war das Gesetz vom Sinai wie eine Vorverkündigung erflossen, aber wie eine letzte Vorverkündigung, bevor das Ich völlig herausgekommen war. Wenn das Ich herausgekommen wäre und wenn nichts anderes eingetreten wäre, würde der Mensch nur auf sein Ich geschaut haben. Die Menschheit war eben reif zu der Entwickelung des Ich, aber das Ich wäre so ein leeres Ich gewesen, ein Ich, das nur an sich gedacht hätte und nichts für die anderen Menschen oder für die Welt hätte wirken wollen.

Diesem Ich den Inhalt zu geben, dieses Ich nach und nach zu einer solchen Entwickelung anzutreiben, daß es von sich aus jene Kraft ausströmt, die wir die Kraft der Liebe nennen, das war die Tat des Christus auf der Erde. Wie ein leeres Gefäß wäre das Ich ohne den Christus geworden; wie ein sich immer mehr und mehr mit Liebe erfüllendes Gefäß steht das Ich da durch die Erscheinung des Christus. Daher konnte der Christus zu seiner Umgebung sagen: Ihr sagt, wenn ihr Wolken heranziehen seht, es komme dieses oder jenes Wetter; so beurteilt ihr das Wetter nach den äußeren Zeichen. Die Zeichen der Zeit aber versteht ihr nicht. Denn würdet ihr sie verstehen und beurteilen können, was um euch herum vorgeht, dann würdet ihr wissen, daß in das Ich der Gott eindringen muß, der es durchdringt und imprägniert; dann würdet ihr nicht sagen: Wir können auch mit dem leben, was von den Vorzeiten her überliefert ist.- Was von den Vorzeiten stammt, das geben euch die Schriftgelehrten und Pharisäer, welche das Alte bewahren und nichts hinzukommen lassen wollen zu dem, was vorher an die Menschen herangetreten ist. Das ist aber ein Sauerteig, der nichts weiter wirken wird in der Menschheitsevolution. Wer aber sagt: Ich will stehenbleiben bei Moses und den Propheten -, der versteht nicht die Zeichen der Zeit, der weiß nicht, welcher Übergang in der Menschheit sich vollzieht (Lukas 12, 54-59). In bedeutungsvollen Worten sagte der Christus Jesus zu seiner Umgebung, daß es gar nicht von der Liebhaberei des einzelnen abhänge, ob man nun christlich werden wolle oder nicht, sondern von der Notwendigkeit in der Fortentwickelung der Menschheit. Begreiflich machen wollte er mit den Reden, die uns im Lukas-Evangelium überliefert sind als die von den «Zeichen der Zeit», daß der alte Sauerteig bei den Schriftgelehrten und Pharisäern, die nur das Alte bewahren, nicht mehr ausreiche, und glauben, daß er ausreiche, könne nur derjenige, der nicht die Verpflichtung fühlt, nach den Notwendigkeiten zu urteilen, die für die Entwickelung der Welt gelehrt werden, der alles nach seinen Liebhabereien beurteilt. Daher nannte der Christus Jesus das, was die Schriftgelehrten und Pharisäer wollten, eine Unwahrheit, etwas, was nicht mehr mit der äußeren Welt stimmt. Das würde der Ausdruck eigentlich bedeuten.

Wir können uns die Gefühlskraft seiner Rede am besten vor die Seele rücken, wenn wir sie mit den entsprechenden Vorgängen in unserer Zeit vergleichen. Wie müßte man denn in bezug auf das Angedeutete in unserer Zeit sprechen, wenn man ganz auf unsere Zeit übertragen wollte, was der Christus Jesus von den Schriftgelehrten und Pharisäern gesagt har? Haben wir in unserer Zeit etwas Ähnliches wie die Schriftgelehrten? Ja, wir haben etwas Ähnliches! Und das sind die, welche nicht mehr mitgehen wollen mit der tieferen Erklärung der Evangelien, die da stehenbleiben wollen bei dem, was ihnen ihre ohne die Geisteswissenschaft erworbenen Fähigkeiten über die Evangelien sagen können; das sind die, welche nicht mitgehen wollen die Schritte in die Untergründe der Evangelien, die durch die Geisteswissenschaft gemacht werden. Das ist im Grunde genommen überall da der Fall, wo man versucht - gleichgültig, ob in mehr fortschrittlicher oder mehr rückschrittlicher Weise —, die Evangelien zu interpretieren. Denn die Kraft, um die Evangelien interpretieren zu können, wächst einzig und allein auf geisteswissenschaftlichem Boden. Nur aus der Geisteswissenschaft ist die Wahrheit über die Evangelien zu gewinnen! Daher ist auch alles andere, was heute über die Evangelien geforscht wird, so trostlos, läßt so kalt, wenn wir wirklich nach der Wahrheit forschen wollen. Nur haben wir heute zu den Schriftgelehrten und Pharisäern noch eine dritte Sorte von Menschen erhalten, die Naturgelehrten, so daß wir heute von drei Kategorien sprechen können, die überhaupt alles ausschließen wollen, was zum Geistigen führt, was der Mensch sich an Fähigkeiten erwerben kann, um zu den geistigen Grundlagen der Naturerscheinungen zu kommen. Und diejenigen, welche man für die heutige Zeit, wenn man im Sinne des Christus Jesus redet, mittreffen muß, die sitzen heute vielfach auf den Lehrstühlen; sie haben es in der Hand, die Naturerscheinungen zusammenzustellen, und lehnen die geistigen Erklärungen ab. Sie sind es, die den Fortschritt der Menschheitsentwickelung aufhalten, denn der Fortschritt der Menschheit wird überall da aufgehalten, wo man die Zeichen der Zeit in dem angedeuteten Sinne nicht erkennen will.

In unserer Zeit würde es der Nachfolge des Christus Jesus nur entsprechen, wenn man den Mut fände, so wie er sich gegen die wandte, die nur Moses und die Propheten gelten lassen wollten, überall sich gegen diejenigen zu wenden, die den Fortschritt der Menschheit zurückschrauben wollen, indem sie sich gegen die anthroposophische Interpretation der Schriftwerke auf der einen Seite und der Naturwerke auf der anderen Seite wenden. Es sind zuweilen wirklich gutmeinende Leute, die gern einmal da oder dort hinein einen vagen Frieden vermitteln möchten. Allen solchen Leuten müßte etwas davon ins Herz wachsen, was gerade der Christus Jesus im Sinne des Lukas-Evangeliums gesprochen hat.

Es gehört zu den schönsten und eindringlichsten Gleichnissen des Lukas-Evangeliums jenes, das gewöhnlich genannt wird das Gleichnis von dem ungerechten Hausverwalter (Lukas 16, 1-13). Da wird erzählt: Ein reicher Mann hatte einen Hausverwalter, von dem ihm gesagt worden war, daß er ihm sein Gut verschwende. Er beschloß daher, diesen Hausverwalter zu entlassen. Dieser aber war im höchsten Grade darüber bestürzt und fragte sich: Was soll ich nun tun? Ich kann mich nicht dadurch ernähren, daß ich irgendwie Ackerbauer werde, denn das verstehe ich nicht; ich kann auch nicht Bettler werden, denn zu betteln schäme ich mich. Da kam er auf ein Auskunftsmittel. Er sagte sich: Ich habe ja als Verwalter immer die Leute, die mit mir in Berührung kamen, so behandelt, daß ich nur auf die Interessen meines Herrn gesehen habe. Daher haben sie mich nicht besonders gern, weil ich auf ihre Interessen nicht gesehen habe; ich muß etwas tun, damit sie mich aufnehmen bei sich, damit ich nicht zugrunde gehe; ich werde etwas tun, damit die Leute sehen, daß ich Wohlwollen für sie habe. - Da kam er zu einem der Schuldner seines Herrn, fragte ihn: Wieviel bist du schuldig? — und ließ ihn die Hälfte der Schuld abstreichen. Ebenso machte er es bei den anderen. Auf diese Weise suchte er das Wohlwollen der Schuldner zu erreichen, damit er, wenn ihn sein Herr fortjagt, zu den Leuten gehen und Aufnahme finden könne und nicht Hungers sterbe. Das ist der Zweck. — Nun heißt es im Evangelium weiter, worüber vielleicht dieser oder jener, der das Lukas-Evangelium liest, recht‘ erstaunt sein könnte (Vers 8): «Und der Herr lobte den ungerechten Haushalter, daß er klüglich getan hatte.» Es hat wirklich von der Sorte der’Leute, die heute die Evangelien erklären, welche gegeben, die sich Gedanken machten, welcher «Herr» damit gemeint sei, trotzdem da ganz deutlich steht, daß Jesus selber den Verwalter wegen seiner Klugheit gelobt hat. Und dann heißt es weiter: «denn die Kinder dieser Welt sind klüger denn die Kinder des Lichtes in ihrem Geschlechte». So steht es seit Jahrhunderten in der Bibel. Man möchte sich fragen, ob denn niemand darüber nachgedacht hat, was das heißen soll: «die Kinder dieser Welt sind klüger denn die Kinder des Lichtes in ihrem Geschlechte». «In ihrem Geschlechte» steht überall in den verschiedenen Bibelübersetzungen. Wenn jemand mit bloß einiger Kenntnis den griechischen Text übersetzen würde — er müßte ihn natürlich richtig übersetzen —, dann aber hieße es richtig: «denn die Kinder dieser Welt sind klüger als die Kinder des Lichtes in ihrer Art»! Das heißt, nach ihrer Art sind die Kinder der Welt klüger als die Kinder des Lichtes, nach dem, wie sie es verstehen, sind sie klüger, meinte der Christus. Diejenigen, die seit Jahrhunderten diese Stelle übersetzt haben, haben einfach bis heute die Bezeichnung «in ihrer Art» verwechselt mit einem Wort, das zwar in der griechischen Sprache sehr ähnlich klingt: ri» yerear = (ten genean), sie haben es mit «Geschlecht» verwechselt, weil man unter Umständen dieses Wort auch für den anderen Begriff brauchte. Ist es möglich, so möchte man fragen, daß sich durch Jahrhunderte hindurch eine solche Sache fortschleppte und daß neuere Menschen auftreten, von denen gesagt wird, daß sie gute Bibelübersetzungen zustande gebracht haben und sich bemüht haben, den richtigen Text herzustellen, die es nicht anders machen? Bei Weizsäcker zum Beispiel steht es gerade so! So sonderbar es ist, es ist geradeso, wie wenn die Menschen ihre allerersten Schulkenntnisse verlernten, wenn sie sich anschicken, die wahre Gestalt der biblischen Urkunden zu erforschen.

Vor allen Dingen wird die geisteswissenschaftliche Weltanschauung dazu führen müssen, die biblischen Urkunden der Welt wieder so zu geben wie sie sind. Denn die Welt hat heute die Bibel nicht, und sie kann sich gar keine Vorstellung machen, wie diese Bücher sind. Man könnte geradezu fragen: Sind das die biblischen Bücher? Nein, sie sind es in den wichtigsten Teilen geradezu nicht! Ich will Ihnen das auch noch näher zeigen.

Was soll denn überhaupt mit diesem Gleichnis vom ungerechten Haushalter gesagt werden? Das ist klar darin ausgedrückt. Der Hausverwalter hat sich überlegt: Wenn ich hier fortgehen muß, dann muß ich mich bei den Leuten beliebt machen. Er hat eingesehen, daß man nicht «zweien Herren» dienen kann. So sollt ihr einsehen — sagte der Christus zu seiner Umgebung -, daß ihr auch nicht zweien Herren dienen könnt, demjenigen, der jetzt als Gott in die Herzen einziehen soll, und demjenigen, den bisher die Schriftgelehrten verkündet haben, welche die Prophetenbücher interpretiert haben; denn ihr könnt nicht dem Gotte dienen, der als Christus-Prinzip in eure Seelen einziehen soll und die Menschheit in ihrer Entwickelung um ein Mächtiges vorwärtsbringen soll, und dem Gotte, der als ein Hindernis sich davorlegen würde in dieser Entwickelung. — Denn alles, was in einer verflossenen Zeit richtig war, das wird zu einem Hemmnis in der späteren Entwickelung. Darauf beruht in gewisser Weise die Entwickelung, daß dasjenige, was für eine Zeit richtig ist, zum Hindernis wird, wenn es hineingetragen wird in eine spätere Zeit. Diejenigen Mächte, welche die Hindernisse dirigieren, nannte man damals mit einem technischen Ausdruck den Mammon. — Ihr könnt nicht dem Gott, der den Fortschritt will, und dem Mammon, dem Gott der Hindernisse, dienen. Sehet euch den Verwalter an, wie er als ein Kind der Welt einsah, wie man nicht einmal mit dem gewöhnlichen Mammon zwei Herren dienen kann! So sollt ihr einsehen, indem ihr euch erhebt, daß ihr Kinder des Lichtes werdet, daß ihr nicht zwei Herren dienen könnt (Lukas 16, 11-13).

Ebenso muß der, der in unserer Zeit lebt, einsehen, daß es eine Vermittlung nicht gibt zwischen dem Gotte Mammon in unserer Zeit — zwischen den Schriftgelehrten und Naturgelehrten — und der Richtung, welche der Menschheit heute die Nahrung geben muß, die sie braucht. Das ist christlich gesprochen. Das ist für unsere Zeit in entsprechende Worte gekleidet, was der Christus Jesus im Sinne des Lukas-Evangeliums seiner Umgebung hatte sagen wollen in dem Gleichnis, daß man nicht zweien Herren dienen kann, wie er es anschaulich machte an dem Hausverwalter.

Wir müssen die Evangelien lebendig verstehen. Geisteswissenschaft selber soll etwas Lebendiges werden! Daher soll alles, was sie anfaßt, unter ihrem Einflusse Leben gewinnen. Das Evangelium soll uns etwas sein, was in unsere eigenen geistigen Fähigkeiten einfließt. Wir sollen nicht nur davon schwatzen, daß man zur Zeit des Christus Jesus die Schriftgelehrten und Pharisäer abweisen konnte, denn dann gedächten wir wieder nur einer verflossenen Zeit. Sondern wir sollen wissen, wie in unserer Zeit dasjenige lebendig wird, und wo in unserer Zeit die Nachfolge dessen liegt, was der Christus Jesus für seine Zeit als den Gott Mammon bezeichnete. Das ist das lebendige Verstehen. Das ist aber auch das, was eine tiefe, bedeutsame Rolle in dem spielt, was uns im Lukas-Evangelium erzählt wird. Denn es verbindet sich mit dieser Anschauung, die eben jetzt klargemacht worden ist, mit dem Gleichnis, das nur im Lukas-Evangelium steht, einer der allerwichtigsten Begriffe im Evangelium überhaupt; und wir können uns diesen allerwichtigsten Begriff des Evangeliums nur in unser Gemüt schreiben, wenn wir in der Lage sind, uns noch einmal in gewisser anderer Weise die Beziehung des Buddha und des von ihm gegebenen Einschlages zu dem Christus Jesus herstellen zu können.

Wir haben gesagt, daß der Buddha die große Lehre vom Mitleid und von der Liebe vor die Menschheit hingestellt hat. Hier haben wir einen der Fälle, wo das, was im Okkultismus gesagt wird, ganz genau genommen werden muß; denn sonst könnte jemand sagen: Du sprichst einmal davon, daß der Christus die Liebe auf die Erde gebracht hat, und dann wird ein andermal gesagt, daß der Buddha die Lehre von der Liebe gebracht hat. Wird denn aber beide Male dasselbe gesagt? Das eine Mal sage ich, daß Buddha die Lehre von der Liebe auf die Erde gebracht hat, und das andere Mal dagegen, der Christus habe die Liebe selber als eine lebendige Kraft auf die Erde gebracht. Das ist der große Unterschied. Wo die tiefsten Sachen für die Menschheit in Betracht kommen, da muß man eben genau hinhorchen; denn sonst geschieht es, daß die Dinge, die an einem Orte mitgeteilt werden, wenn sie sich verbreiten, an einem anderen Orte in einer ganz anderen Gestalt erscheinen und daß dann gesagt wird: Ja, der hat, um allen gerecht zu werden, eigentlich zwei Verkündiger der Liebe aufgestellt. - Auf genaues Hinhorchen kommt es gerade auf dem Felde des Okkultismus an. Wenn wir die in dieser Weise in Worte gekleideten bedeutsamen Wahrheiten wirklich verstehen, dann erscheinen sie uns im richtigen Lichte.

Wir wissen, daß die Umschreibung der großen Lehre vom Mitleid und von der Liebe, wie sie Buddha gebracht hat, im achtgliedrigen Pfade liegt, und wir fragen uns: Was stellt eigentlich dieser achtgliedrige Pfad für ein Ziel dar? Wir können die Frage auch so stellen: Wohin gelangt der Mensch, der nun wirklich aus den Tiefen seiner Seele heraus den achtgliedrigen Pfad als sein Lebensideal hinstellt, wenn er sich dieses Ziel so vor Augen setzt, daß er sagt: Wie werde ich am vollkommensten? Wie reinige und läutere ich mein Ich in der allervollkommensten Weise? Was muß ich alles tun, um in möglichst vollkommener Weise mein Ich in die Welt zu stellen? Er wird sich sagen: Wenn ich alles beobachte, was im achtgliedrigen Pfade gesagt wird, dann wird mein Ich das denkbar vollkommenste werden, denn alles geht auf die Läuterung und Veredelung des Ich; alles, was aus diesem wunderbaren achtgliedrigen Pfade herausstrahlen kann, soll sich sozusagen in uns hineinarbeiten, alles ist Arbeit unseres Ich an seiner Vervollkommnung. Das ist das Wesentliche. Wenn also die Menschheit das, was der Buddha als das «Rad des Gesetzes» rollen ließ, wie der technische Ausdruck heißt, weiter bei sich entwickeln würde, so würde sie nach und nach dazu kommen, möglichst vollkommene Iche zu haben, beziehungsweise zu wissen, welches die vollkommensten Iche sind. Im Gedanken, als Weisheit, würde die Menschheit die vollkommensten Iche haben. Wir könnten auch sagen: Buddha hat der Menschheit die Weisheit von der Liebe und dem Mitleid gebracht, und wenn wir unseren Astralleib so durchsetzen, daß er ganz ein Produkt des achtgliedrigen Pfades ist, dann wissen wir, was wir wissen sollen über die Gesetze von der Lehre des achtgliedrigen Pfades.

Aber es ist ein Unterschied zwischen der Weisheit, dem Gedanken, und der lebendigen Kraft, die wirkt. Und es ist ein Unterschied, zu wissen, wie das Ich sein muß, und die lebendige Kraft in sich einfließen zu lassen, die dann wieder von dem Ich ausfließen kann in alle Welt, so wie von dem Christus ausfließend diese Kraft wirkte auf die Astralleiber, Atherleiber und physischen Leiber seiner Umgebung. Zu wissen, was der Inhalt der Lehre vom Mitleid und von der Liebe ist, das ist der Menschheit möglich geworden durch den Einschlag, den der große Buddha gebracht hat. Was dagegen der Christus gebracht hat, das ist zunächst eine lebendige Kraft, ist nicht Lehre. Er selber hat sich hingegeben, er ist heruntergestiegen, um nicht bloß in die menschlichen Astralleiber einzufließen, sondern in das Ich, damit dieses die Kraft hat, das Substantielle der Liebe von sich strahlen zu lassen. Das Substantielle, den lebendigen Inhalt der Liebe, nicht bloß den weisheitsvollen Inhalt der Liebe hat der Christus auf die Erde gebracht. Darum handelt es sich.

Es ist jetzt neunzehnhundert Jahre und etwa fünf Jahrhunderte her, daß der große Buddha auf der Erde gelebt hat. Und es werden noch das ist etwas, was uns die okkulten Tatsachen lehren - etwa dreitausend Jahre über die Erdenentwickelung dahingehen. Dann werden die Menschen in größerer Anzahl so weit sein, daß sie aus ihrer eigenen moralischen Gesinnung, aus ihrer eigenen Seele und dem eigenen Herzen heraus den achtgliedrigen Pfad, die Weisheit des Buddha entwickeln können. Der Buddha mußte einmal da sein. Von da ging jene Kraft aus, welche die Menschen nach und nach als die Weisheit des achtgliedrigen Pfades entwickeln werden. Dann, nach ungefähr dreitausend Jahren von jetzt ab, werden sie ihn zu ihrem Eigentum haben. Die Menschen werden selbst diese Lehre entwickeln können, sie nicht bloß von außen aufnehmen, sondern aus sich entwickeln und sich sagen: Dieser achtgliedrige Pfad sprießt aus uns hervor als die Weisheit vom Mitleid und der Liebe.

Wenn nichts weiter eingetreten wäre, als daß der große Buddha das «Rad des Gesetzes» hätte rollen lassen, dann würde zwar die Menschheit von jetzt ab nach dreitausend Jahren auch die Fähigkeit erlangt haben, die Lehre vom Mitleid und von der Liebe zu wissen; aber etwas anderes ist es, auch die Kraft erlangt zu haben, um wirklich darinnen zu leben. Und das ist der Unterschied: nicht nur vom Mitleid und der Liebe zu wissen, sondern unter dem Einflusse einer Individualität auch diese Kraft zu entwickeln. Diese Fähigkeit ging von dem Christus aus. Er goß die Liebe selber in die Menschen hinein, und sie wird immer mehr wachsen. Und wenn die Menschen am Ende ihrer Entwickelung angekommen sein werden, dann werden sie in Weisheit wissen, welches der Inhalt der Lehre vom Mitleid und von der Liebe ist; das werden sie dem Buddha zu verdanken haben. Aber sie werden zu gleicher Zeit die Fähigkeit haben, die Liebe herausströmen zu lassen aus dem Ich über die Menschheit; das wird die Menschheit dem Christus zu verdanken haben.

So mußten diese beiden zusammenwirken, und so mußte es geschildert werden, um das Lukas-Evangelium verständlich zu machen. Das tritt uns aber auch sogleich entgegen, wenn wir die Worte, die uns im Lukas-Evangelium gegeben werden, im richtigen Sinne zu deuten wissen (Lukas 2, 13-14). Da sind die Hirten, die herbeieilen, um die Verkündigung zu empfangen. Da oben ist die Engelschar, die nichts anderes ist als der geistig imaginative Ausdruck für den Nirmanakaya des Buddha. Was wird ihnen verkündet von dem, was da oben ist? Die Offenbarung des weisheitsvollen Gottes aus den Höhen! Das verkündet ihnen der Nirmanakaya des Buddha, der als Engelschar über dem nathanischen Jesuskindlein schwebt. Aber noch etwas anderes wird hinzugefügt: «Und Frieden den Menschen auf der Erde unten, die durchdrungen sind von-einem guten Willen», das heißt denjenigen Menschen, in denen die wirkliche lebendige Kraft der Liebe aufkeimt. Das ist es, was sich nach und nach auf der Erde verwirklichen muß durch den Einschlag, den der Christus gegeben hat. Er brachte die lebendige Kraft hinzu zu dem, was die «Offenbarung aus den Höhen» war. Das brachte er in jedes Menschenherz hinein und brachte jeder Menschenseele etwas, wovon diese Menschenseele überfließen konnte. Er gab ihr nicht bloß etwas, was eine Lehre war, die man aufnehmen konnte als Gedanke und Idee, sondern eine Kraft, die hinausfließen kann aus dieser Menschenseele. Und keine andere Kraft als jene, die als ChristusKraft in der Menschenseele wirken kann, und welche die Menschenseele überströmen lassen kann, ist diejenige, welche ständig — zum Beispiel im Lukas-Evangelium und in den anderen Evangelien - als die Kraft des Glaubens bezeichnet wird. Das ist Glaube im Sinne der Evangelien. Derjenige hat den Glauben, der in sich aufnimmt den Christus, so daß der Christus in ihm lebt, daß sein Ich nicht bloß als ein leeres Gefäß in ihm lebt, sondern einen überfließenden Inhalt hat. Und dieser überfließende Inhalt ist kein anderer als der Inhalt der Liebe.

Warum konnte denn der Christus mit seinen Worten jenes große Beispiel der «Heilung durch das Wort» hinstellen? Er konnte es, weil er der erste war, der das «Rad der Liebe» - nicht das «Rad des Gesetzes» — als eine freie Fähigkeit und Kraft der Menschenseele rollen ließ, weil er im höchsten Maße die Liebe in sich hatte, so überfließend und überschäumend, daß sie überfloß in diejenigen, die in seiner Umgebung gesund werden sollten; weil sein Wort, das er sprach - sei es «Stehe auf und wandle» oder «Deine Sünden sind dir vergeben» oder ein anderes Wort, aus seiner im Innern überfließenden Liebe hervorging. Er sprach Worte, die aus einem Überlaufen der Liebe über das Maß des Ich hinaus gesprochen waren. Und die, welche sich ein wenig mit dieser Tatsache erfüllen konnten, nannte der Christus Gläubige. Nur diesen Gedanken müssen wir jetzt mit dem Begriffe des Glaubens — einem der wesentlichsten im Neuen Testament - verbinden. Glauben ist die Fähigkeit des Hinübergehens über sich selbst, des Hinausfließens über das, was das Ich zu seiner eigenen Vervollkommnung zunächst tun kann. Daher lehrt der Christus, da er in den Leib des nathanischen Jesus eingezogen ist und sich dort mit der Kraft des Buddha verbunden hat, nicht etwa: Wie soll sich das Ich möglichst vervollkommnen? — sondern: Wie soll das Ich überfließen? Wie kann es über sich hinausgehen? — Er sagt es oft mit einfachen Worten, wie die Worte des Lukas-Evangeliums überhaupt zu den einfältigsten Herzen sprechen können. Er sagt: Es ist nicht genug, daß ihr nur denen etwas gebt, von denen ihr genau wißt, daß sie es euch wieder zurückgeben, denn das tun die Sünder auch. Wenn sie genau wissen, daß sie wieder zurückbekommen, was sie gegeben haben, dann haben sie es noch nicht aus der überschäumenden Liebe getan. Wenn ihr aber gebt und wißt, daß ihr es nicht wiederbekommt, dann habt ihr es aus der wirklichen Liebe heraus getan; dann ist das die Liebe, die das Ich nicht umschließt, sondern die dieses Ich aus sich entlassen muß als eine Kraft, die aus dem Menschen ausfließt (Lukas 6, 33-34). Und in den mannigfaltigsten Variationen sagt der Christus, wie das Ich überschäumen soll, wie aus dem Überfluß des Ich heraus, aus einem Gefühl, das aus sich herauskann, in der Welt gewirkt werden soll.

Das sind die wärmsten Worte im Lukas-Evangelium, wo von dieser überschäumenden Liebe geredet wird. Das Lukas-Evangelium enthält diese Kraft der überströmenden Liebe, wenn wir die Worte so auf uns wirken lassen, daß wir sie finden, diese überströmende Liebe, daß sie alle unsere Worte so durchdringt, daß sie die entsprechende Kraft haben, ihre Wirkung in der Außenwelt zu tun. Ein anderer Evangelist, der aus seinen Vorbedingungen heraus jene überströmende Liebe weniger betont hat, hat wenigstens in kurzen Worten dieses Geheimnis des Christentums zusammengefaßt, indem er sagt: Aus der Überfülle des Ich heraus fließt die Liebe. Und sie soll natürlich auch einfließen in alles, was wir sprechen und handeln. Im Matthäus-Evangelium haben Sie noch in der lateinischen Übersetzung die echten, ursprünglichen Worte wie eine kurze Zusammenfassung all der schönen Liebespreisungen, die im Lukas-Evangelium enthalten sind. Da heißt es lateinisch: «Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur»: Aus dem Überfließen des Herzens heraus spricht der Mund (Matthäus 12, 34). Eines der höchsten christlichen Ideale! Der Mund spricht aus dem überfließenden Herzen heraus, aus dem, was das Herz nicht umschließt. Das Herz wird vom Blute bewegt, und das Blut ist der Ausdruck des Ich. Das heißt also: Aus dem, was das Herz nicht umschließt, spricht ein überquellendes Ich, ein Ich, das Kraft aus sich ausstrahlt - denn diese Kraft ist die Kraft des Glaubens. Das sind die Worte, die wirklich die Christus-Kraft enthalten: «Aus dem Überfließen des Herzens heraus spricht der Mund.» Das ist ein Kardinalsatz von dem Wesen des Christentums.

Und nun lesen Sie in der heutigen Bibel. Was steht an dieser Stelle? «Wes das Herz voll ist, des geht der Mund über.» Das sind Worte, die hingereicht haben, um einen Kardinalsatz des Christentums durch Jahrhunderte hindurch zu verdecken. Die Menschheit ist nicht darauf gekommen, was es für ein Unding ist, zu sagen, daß das Herz, wenn es voll ist, sich ausschütte. Gewöhnlich schütten sich die Dinge in der Welt erst aus, wenn sie mehr als voll sind, wenn sie übergehen. So hat sich die Menschheit — das soll keine Kritik sein - notwendigerweise in eine Vorstellung eingesponnen, welche einen allerwichtigsten, einen Kardinalsatz des Christentums geradezu verdeckt hat, und wurde nicht einmal darauf aufmerksam, daß an dieser Stelle eine völlige Unmöglichkeit steht. Wenn gesagt wird, die deutsche Sprache vertrage nicht, daß wörtlich übersetzt wird «Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur» mit «Aus dem Überfließen des Herzens spricht der Mund», und wenn das damit belegt wird, daß man auch nicht sagen kann, der Überfluß des Kachelofens mache das Zimmer warm, so ist das eben ein Unding. Denn wenn Sie den Kachelofen nur so weit heizen, daß die Wärme bis an seine Wände dringt, so wird das Zimmer nicht warm; es wird erst warm, wenn gerade ein Überfluß an Wärme eintritt, so daß die Wärme aus dem Ofen herausdringt. So stoßen wir hier auf eine wichtige Sache. Ein Kardinalsatz des Christentums, auf dem ein Teil des Lukas-Evangeliums aufgebaut ist, wird zugedeckt, so daß die Menschheit gerade an wichtigster Stelle nicht hat, was im Evangelium steht.

Diese Kraft, die aus dem menschlichen Herzen heraus überfließen kann, ist die Christus-Kraft. «Herz» steht hier für «Ich». Was das Ich über sich hinaus schaffen kann, das fließt hinaus durch das Wort. Das Ich wird erst am Ende der Erdenentwickelung so sein, daß es den ganzen Christus in sich hat. Vorläufig ist der Christus etwas, was aus dem Herzen überschäumt. Wenn man das Herz nur voll haben will, so hat man überhaupt den Christus nicht. Daher deckt man gerade das Christentum zu, wenn man diesen Satz nicht in seinem vollen Ernste und in seiner vollen Würde nimmt. Die wichtigsten Dinge, das Wesen des Christentums wird richtig zutage treten durch das, was die Geisteswissenschaft als Erklärung der hohen Urkunden des Christentums zu sagen hat. Durch das Lesen in der Akasha-Chronik der geistigen Welt deckt sie den ursprünglichen Sinn auf und ist dadurch in der Lage, die Urkunden in ihrer Wahrheit zu lesen.

Und jetzt werden wir verstehen, wie die Menschheit in die Zukunft hinein vorwärtsschreitet. Derjenige, der sich fünf bis sechs Jahrhunderte vor unserer Zeitrechnung vom Bodhisattva zum Buddha entwickelt hat, ist damit so in die geistige Welt aufgestiegen, daß er nun als Nirmanakaya wirkt. Er ist damit auf eine höhere Stufe gehoben worden und braucht nicht mehr in einen physischen Leib hinunterzusteigen. Die Wirkungsweisen, die er als Bodhisattva hatte, sind in einer anderen Art wieder vorhanden. Als er damals vom Bodhisattva zum Buddha wurde, übergab er das Amt des Bodhisattva an einen anderen. Da wurde ein anderer sein Nachfolger, ein anderer zum Bodhisattva. Das drückt die buddhistische Legende durch etwas aus, was für das tiefere Christentum eine tiefe Wahrheit ist. Es wird erzählt, bevor die Individualität des Bodhisattva zu ihrem Buddha-Werden heruntergestiegen ist, habe sie die himmlische Tiara abgenommen und dem ihr folgenden Bodhisattva aufgesetzt. Der folgende Bodhisattva wirkt weiter mit seiner etwas anders gearteten Mission. Auch ihm ist es vorgesetzt, ein Buddha zu werden. Gerade zu jener Zeit, wenn eine Anzahl Menschen aus sich selbst heraus die Lehre vom achtgliedrigen Pfade entwickelt haben werden - in etwa dreitausend Jahren -, wird derjenige zum Buddha werden, der zum Bodhisattva geworden ist, als sein Vorgänger Buddha wurde. Fünf bis sechs Jahrhunderte vor unserer Zeitrechnung wurde er mit seiner Mission betraut; er wird ein Buddha werden nach dreitausend Jahren, von unserer Zeit angefangen gerechnet. Das ist derjenige, den die orientalische Lehre als den Maitreya Buddha kennt. Damit der jetzige Bodhisattva zum Maitreya Buddha werden kann, muß eine größere Anzahl von Menschen aus dem eigenen Herzen heraus die Lehre vom achtgliedrigen Pfade entwickelt haben; die Menschen werden dann in einer größeren Anzahl so weise sein, daß sie das können. Dann wird derjenige, der jetzt Bodhisattva ist, eine neue Kraft in die Welt bringen.

Wenn nun bis dahin nichts weiter geschehen würde, so würde er zwar Menschen finden, die durch innere Versenkung die Lehre vom achtgliedrigen Pfade ausdenken können, aber nicht solche Menschen, die aus dem innersten Wesen ihrer Seele heraus die überschäumende Kraft der Liebe, die lebendige Liebe haben. Diese lebendige Kraft der Liebe muß in der Zwischenzeit einströmen, damit der Maitreya Buddha nicht nur Menschen findet, die einsehen, was Liebe ist, sondern Menschen, die in sich die Kraft der Liebe haben. Dazu mußte der Christus auf die Erde herabsteigen, eine Wesenheit, die nur drei Jahre auf der Erde war, vorher aber nicht auf der Erde verkörpert war, wie Sie aus allen Ausführungen entnehmen konnten, welche Ihnen bisher gegeben worden sind. Die dreijährige Anwesenheit des Christus auf der Erde - von der Johannes-Taufe bis zum Mysterium von Golgatha — war die Ursache dazu, daß sich auf der Erde hinfort die Liebe immer mehr und mehr in das menschliche Herz, in die menschliche Seele ergießen wird, in das menschliche Ich mit anderen Worten; so daß die Menschen immer mehr und mehr von dem Christus durchzogen sein werden, damit am Ende der Erdenentwickelung das Ich des Menschen ganz ein Christus-erfülltes sein wird. So wie die Lehre vom Mitleid und von der Liebe zuerst durch den Bodhisattva angeregt werden mußte, so mußte die Substanz der Liebe durch denjenigen auf die Erde gebracht werden, der sie aus Himmelshöhen herunterbrachte und sie nach und nach zum Eigentum des eigenen menschlichen Ich werden läßt. Wir dürfen nicht sagen, daß die Liebe vorher nicht dagewesen wäre. Es war nicht jene Liebe vorher da, die unmittelbar Eigentum des menschlichen Ich sein konnte; es war eine Liebe, die inspiriert wurde, die der Christus herunterströmen ließ aus kosmischen Höhen, die ebenso unbewußt einströmte, wie der Bodhisattva vorher unbewußt einströmen ließ die Lehre von dem achtgliedrigen Pfad. Wie sich der Buddha zum achtgliedrigen Pfade verhält, so verhält sich das Christus-Wesen zu dem, was es vorher war, bevor es heruntersteigen konnte, um Menschengestalt anzunehmen. Es war für den Christus ein Fortschritt, Menschengestalt anzunehmen. Das ist das Wesentliche dabei.

Der Nachfolger des Buddha, der heute ein Bodhisattva ist, ist denjenigen, die in der Geisteswissenschaft bewandert sind, wohl bekannt, und es wird schon einmal die Zeit kommen, wo über diese Tatsachen ausführlich gesprochen werden wird, wo auch der Name dieses Bodhisattva zu nennen ist, der dann zum Maitreya Buddha werden wird. Jetzt, wo schon so viele der Außenwelt unbekannte Tatsachen gesagt worden sind, müssen wir uns darauf beschränken, nur darauf hinzuweisen. Wenn dieser Bodhisattva auf der Erde erscheinen und zum Maitreya Buddha werden wird, dann wird er auf der Erde vorfinden die Saat des Christus. Das werden jene Menschen sein, welche sagen werden: Nicht nur mein Kopf ist angefüllt mit der Weisheit des achtgliedrigen Pfades, ich habe nicht nur die Lehre, die Weisheit von der Liebe, sondern mein Herz ist voll von der lebendigen Substanz der Liebe, von dem, was überfließt und hinausstrahlt in die Welt. Mit solchen Menschen wird dann der Maitreya Buddha seine weitere Mission in der Fortentwickelung der Welt ausführen können.

So schließen sich die Dinge zusammen; und so erst verstehen wir das Lukas-Evangelium in seiner Tiefe. Es spricht uns nicht von einer Lehre; es spricht uns von jener Wesenheit, die in die Erdenwesen, in die menschliche Organisation substantiell einfloß. Das ist eine Tatsache, die man im Okkultismus so ausdrückt, daß man sagt: Die ‚Bodhisattvas, welche zu Buddhas werden, können die Erdenmenschen in bezug auf ihren Geist durch Weisheit erlösen, sie können aber niemals den ganzen Menschen erlösen. Denn der ganze Mensch kann nur erlöst werden, wenn nicht nur Weisheit, sondern wenn warme Liebeskraft seine ganze Organisation durchströmt. Die Seelen zu erlösen durch die Flut von Liebe, welche der Christus auf die Erde gebracht hat, das war die Aufgabe des Christus. Die Weisheit von der Liebe zu bringen, war die Aufgabe der Bodhisattvas und des Buddha, die Kraft der Liebe der Menschheit zu bringen, war die Aufgabe des Christus. Das müssen wir unterscheiden.

Ninth lecture

You will already have gathered from yesterday's lecture that a document such as the Gospel of Luke can only be understood if one comprehends the development of humanity in that higher sense which spiritual science provides us with, that is, if one truly contemplates the changes that have taken place in the course of human evolution and which have altered the whole human being in his organization. If we want to understand the radical process that took place with humanity at the time of Christ Jesus — which is necessary for understanding the Gospel of Luke — it is good to compare it with what is happening in our time, not so quickly, but gradually, yet clearly perceptible to those who can see.

In order to understand this, we must first break thoroughly with another judgment that is so often expressed and to which human complacency is so fondly attached. This is the judgment that nature or evolution does not make leaps. If one takes the usual understanding of this statement as a basis, there can be no statement more false than this one. Nature makes leaps all the time! And that is precisely the essential point: that leaps occur. Let us consider, for example, how a plant seed develops. When it sprouts its first leaf, that is a significant leap. Another significant leap takes place when the plant transitions from leaf to flower, then again when it transitions from the outer to the inner part of the flower, and another very significant leap occurs in the formation of the fruit. Leaps occur continuously, and anyone who does not take this into account will not understand nature. When observing human development and noticing that progress is slow over the course of a century, they will believe that development must have proceeded at the same pace in other eras. But it may well be that at a certain time development proceeds slowly, as with the green plant from the first green leaf to the last; but just as a leap occurs in the plant when the last leaf has developed and the flower begins to form, so leaps occur continually in human development.

And such a significant leap occurred at the time when Christ Jesus appeared on earth. Such a leap occurred that, in a relatively short time, the characteristics of the old clairvoyance and the dominion of the spiritual over the physical were transformed, so that only a little remained of clairvoyant power and of the effectiveness of the soul-spiritual over the physical. Therefore, before this change took place, it was necessary to summarize once again what had been inherited from ancient times. Christ Jesus had to work within this framework. Then the new could be taken up by humanity and could now develop slowly and gradually.

In other areas, a leap is also taking place in our time, though not quite as rapidly. It is taking place over a longer period of time, but it must appear entirely comprehensible to those who want to understand our time. We can best understand this if we listen to people who are approaching spiritual science today from one spiritual field or another. For example, it often happens that a representative of this or that religious community comes to a lecture on spiritual science. What I am about to say is something that is entirely understandable and is not meant as a criticism. Such a person listens to a lecture on spiritual science, which deals, for example, with the nature of Christianity, and afterwards says: “That is all very nice, and basically it does not contradict what we say from the pulpit or from the lectern; but we say it in such a way that everyone can understand it.” What is said here, on the other hand, is such that only a few can understand it.” This is something that happens very often. Anyone who says or believes that this is the only possible way of understanding or proclaiming Christianity fails to take one thing into account: that one has a duty to judge not according to one's preferences, but according to the facts. And once I had to respond to such a person: You may believe that you are proclaiming Christian truths for all people. But our belief decides nothing in this case; it is the facts that decide. Do all people go to your church? The facts prove the opposite! For those for whom you are doing the right thing, spiritual science is not there: it is there for those who need something else. We must judge according to the facts and not according to our hobbies; and it is usually very difficult for people to distinguish their hobbies from the facts.

If such people could not be cured of the opinion that they are doing the right thing and condemn everyone who speaks differently from them, and if spiritual life could not arise among such people, what would happen? There would be more and more people who could not hear the kind of proclamation of spiritual facts that has been customary in this or that spiritual movement up to now. Fewer and fewer people would go where such things could be heard. And if there were no spiritual scientific movement, these people would have nothing, no satisfaction of their spiritual needs; they would degenerate, because they would have no nourishment. But it does not depend on the will of the individual how spiritual nourishment is provided — it depends on development. We have now reached the point in time where people want satisfaction for their spiritual needs, for the interpretation of the Gospels, and so on. But it is not important how we want to provide spiritual nourishment, but how the human soul demands it. The longing of the human soul for spiritual science was born today. And it does not depend at all on those who want to teach something else whether they satisfy the spiritual needs of the time; for they will have fewer and fewer listeners.

We live in a time when the possibility is disappearing more and more from human hearts to accept the Bible as it has been accepted during the last four or five centuries of European cultural development. Either humanity will receive spiritual science and learn to understand the Bible in a new sense through spiritual science, or people will come to the point, as is already the case with many today who do not know anthroposophy, where they can no longer listen to the Bible. Humanity would lose the Bible completely, the Bible would disappear, and immense spiritual treasures would be lost to humanity — the most important spiritual treasures of our Earth's development. This must be understood. We are at such a turning point in our development. The human heart longs for a spiritual scientific explanation of the Bible. If humanity receives this spiritual scientific explanation of the Bible, the Bible will remain a blessing for humanity; if it does not receive this explanation, the Bible will be lost. Those who believe that they must absolutely maintain their hobby, their traditional way of approaching the Bible, should tell themselves this. This is how we can characterize the leap we are now making in human evolution. Those who know this fact cannot be deterred from cultivating the anthroposophical spiritual current, because they recognize it as a necessity for human development.

Now, viewed from a higher perspective, what is happening now is relatively small compared to what happened when Christ Jesus appeared on earth. At that time, human development was such that, so to speak, the last remnants of the development that had taken place since time immemorial, even since the previous incarnation of our Earth, were still present. Human beings developed essentially in their physical body, etheric body, and astral body. They had already integrated the I for a long time, but at that time the I still played a subordinate role. The fully self-conscious ego was still covered by the three sheaths: the physical body, the etheric body, and the astral body, until the time of the appearance of Christ Jesus.

Let us assume that Christ Jesus had not come to Earth. What would have happened? Human development would have progressed to such an extent that the ego would have emerged fully. But to the same extent that the I had fully emerged, all the former outstanding abilities of the astral body, etheric body, and physical body would have disappeared; all old clairvoyance, all old dominion of soul and spirit over the body would have disappeared, for that would have been the necessity of evolution. Human beings would have become self-conscious egos, but egos that would have led them more and more to egoism, which would have led more and more to the death of love on earth, to the disappearance of love from the earth. Human beings would also have become egos, but completely egoistic egos. That is the essential point.

At that time, humanity was ready to move on to the development of the self, the I; but at the same time, it was ready to move beyond letting the old ways affect it. In the old Hebrew development, for example, the law, the proclamation from Sinai, could work because the ego had not yet fully emerged and was, so to speak, instilled and imprinted into the astral body, which stood as the highest, what it should do and feel in order to act in the right way in the outer world. Thus, the law of Sinai flowed forth as a foretelling, but as a final foretelling before the ego had completely emerged. If the ego had emerged and nothing else had happened, human beings would have looked only to their egos. Humanity was ripe for the development of the ego, but the ego would have been an empty ego, an ego that would have thought only of itself and would not have wanted to work for other people or for the world.

To give this ego its content, to gradually drive this ego toward such a development that it radiates from itself that power which we call the power of love—that was the deed of Christ on earth. Without Christ, the ego would have become like an empty vessel; through the appearance of Christ, the ego stands there like a vessel filling itself more and more with love. That is why Christ could say to those around him: You say, when you see clouds gathering, that this or that kind of weather is coming; you judge the weather by external signs. But you do not understand the signs of the times. For if you could understand and judge what is happening around you, you would know that God must enter into the I, that He must permeate and impregnate it; then you would not say: We can live with what has been handed down from ancient times. What comes from ancient times is given to you by the scribes and Pharisees, who preserve the old and do not want to add anything to what has been given to people before. But this is leaven that will have no further effect on human evolution. But whoever says, “I will remain with Moses and the prophets,” does not understand the signs of the times and does not know what transition is taking place in humanity (Luke 12:54-59). In meaningful words, Christ Jesus said to those around him that it does not depend on the whim of the individual whether one wants to become a Christian or not, but on the necessity of the further development of humanity. With the words handed down to us in the Gospel of Luke as the “signs of the times,” he wanted to make it clear that the old leaven of the scribes and Pharisees, who only preserve the old, is no longer sufficient, and that only those who do not feel obliged to judge according to the necessities taught for the development of the world, who judge everything according to their own preferences, can believe that it is sufficient. Therefore, Christ Jesus called what the scribes and Pharisees wanted a falsehood, something that no longer corresponds to the outer world. That is what the expression actually means.

We can best bring the emotional power of his words to mind when we compare them with corresponding events in our own time. How would one have to speak in our time in relation to what was implied, if one wanted to transfer what Christ Jesus said about the scribes and Pharisees entirely to our time? Do we have anything similar to the scribes in our time? Yes, we do! And these are those who no longer want to go along with the deeper explanation of the Gospels, who want to remain with what their abilities, acquired without spiritual science, can tell them about the Gospels; these are those who do not want to follow the steps into the depths of the Gospels that are taken by spiritual science. This is basically the case wherever people try to interpret the Gospels, whether in a more progressive or more regressive way. For the power to interpret the Gospels grows solely on the soil of spiritual science. Only from spiritual science can the truth about the Gospels be gained! That is why all other research into the Gospels today is so bleak and leaves us so cold if we really want to search for the truth. Only today, in addition to the scribes and Pharisees, we have a third kind of people, the natural scientists, so that we can now speak of three categories that want to exclude everything that leads to the spiritual, everything that human beings can acquire in terms of abilities in order to arrive at the spiritual foundations of natural phenomena. And those who must be included in this category today, if we speak in the spirit of Christ Jesus, are often found in the chairs of academia; they have it in their power to compile the phenomena of nature and reject spiritual explanations. They are the ones who are holding back the progress of human development, for the progress of humanity is held back wherever people do not want to recognize the signs of the times in the sense I have indicated.

In our time, it would only be fitting for the followers of Christ Jesus to find the courage to turn against those who want to hold back the progress of humanity by opposing the anthroposophical interpretation of the scriptures on the one hand and the works of nature on the other, just as he turned against those who would only accept Moses and the prophets. Sometimes it is really well-meaning people who would like to convey a vague sense of peace here and there. All such people should take to heart what Christ Jesus himself said in the Gospel of Luke.

One of the most beautiful and powerful parables in Luke's Gospel is the one commonly called the Parable of the Unjust Steward (Luke 16:1-13). It tells of a rich man who had a steward who had been told that he was squandering his property. He therefore decided to dismiss this steward. But the steward was greatly distressed and asked himself, “What shall I do? I cannot become a farmer, for I do not know how to farm, nor can I become a beggar, for I am ashamed to beg.” Then he came up with a plan. He said to himself, “As steward, I always treated the people I came into contact with in such a way that I only looked after my master's interests. That is why they do not particularly like me, because I did not look after their interests; I must do something so that they will take me in, lest I perish; I will do something so that the people will see that I have goodwill toward them.” So he came to one of his master's debtors and asked him, “How much do you owe?” — and had him write off half the debt. He did the same with the others. In this way he sought to gain the goodwill of the debtors so that when his master drove him away, he could go to the people and find acceptance and not die of hunger. That is the purpose. Now the Gospel goes on to say something that may surprise some readers of Luke's Gospel (verse 8): “And the master commended the unjust steward because he had acted shrewdly.” There are indeed people who explain the Gospels today who have wondered which “master” is meant here, even though it is quite clear that Jesus himself praised the steward for his shrewdness. And then it goes on to say: “For the children of this world are wiser than the children of light in their generation.” This is how it has been written in the Bible for centuries. One might wonder whether no one has ever thought about what this means: “The children of this world are wiser than the children of light in their generation.” “In their generation” appears everywhere in the various translations of the Bible. If someone with just a little knowledge were to translate the Greek text—and of course they would have to translate it correctly—then it would read: “For the children of this world are wiser than the children of light in their nature!” That is to say, according to their nature, the children of the world are wiser than the children of light; according to their understanding, they are wiser, said Christ. Those who have translated this passage for centuries have simply confused the expression “in their nature” with a word that sounds very similar in Greek: ri” yerear = (ten genean). They have confused it with ‘generation’ because, under certain circumstances, this word can also be used for the other concept. Is it possible, one might ask, that such a thing could have been perpetuated for centuries and that newer people could appear who are said to have produced good Bible translations and to have endeavored to produce the correct text, yet who do not do anything differently? This is precisely the case with Weizsäcker, for example! Strange as it may seem, it is just as if people forgot their very first school lessons when they set out to explore the true form of the biblical documents.

Above all, the spiritual-scientific worldview will have to lead to the biblical documents being restored to the world as they are. For the world today does not have the Bible, and it cannot even imagine what these books are like. One might well ask: Are these the biblical books? No, in their most important parts they are definitely not! I will show you this in more detail.

What is the point of this parable of the unjust steward? It is clearly expressed. The steward thought to himself: If I have to leave here, then I must make myself popular with the people. He realized that one cannot serve “two masters.” So you must realize, said Christ to those around him, that you also cannot serve two masters, the one who is now to enter into your hearts as God, and the one whom the scribes have proclaimed until now, who have interpreted the books of the prophets; for you cannot serve the God who is to enter into your souls as the Christ principle and bring humanity forward in its development by a powerful force, and the God who would stand as an obstacle to this development. For everything that was right in a past age becomes an obstacle in later development. In a certain sense, development is based on the fact that what is right for one time becomes an obstacle when it is carried over into a later time. The forces that direct these obstacles were called Mammon in technical terms at that time. — You cannot serve the God who wants progress and Mammon, the god of obstacles. Look at the steward, how he, as a child of the world, realized that one cannot serve two masters, not even with ordinary mammon! So you must realize, as you rise up, that you are children of light, that you cannot serve two masters (Luke 16:11-13).

Likewise, those who live in our time must realize that there is no mediation between the god Mammon of our time—between the scribes and natural scientists—and the direction that must give humanity the nourishment it needs today. That is Christian speaking. This is expressed in words appropriate to our time, which Christ Jesus, in the spirit of Luke's Gospel, wanted to say to those around him in the parable that one cannot serve two masters, as he illustrated with the example of the steward.

We must understand the Gospels in a living way. Spiritual science itself must become something living! Therefore, everything it touches should come to life under its influence. The Gospel should be something that flows into our own spiritual abilities. We should not just talk about how, at the time of Christ Jesus, it was possible to reject the scribes and Pharisees, because then we would only be thinking of a time that has passed. Instead, we should know how this comes alive in our time and where in our time we can find the successor to what Christ Jesus called Mammon in his time. That is living understanding. But that is also what plays a profound and significant role in what is told to us in the Gospel of Luke. For it is connected with this view that has just been clarified, with the parable that is found only in Luke's Gospel, one of the most important concepts in the Gospel at all; and we can only write this most important concept of the Gospel into our minds if we are able to establish once again, in a certain other way, the relationship between the Buddha and the influence he gave to Christ Jesus.

We have said that Buddha presented the great teaching of compassion and love to humanity. Here we have one of the cases where what is said in occultism must be taken very precisely; for otherwise someone might say: You speak of Christ bringing love to earth, and then at another time you say that Buddha brought the teaching of love. But are both statements the same? In one case, I say that Buddha brought the teaching of love to Earth, and in the other, that Christ brought love itself as a living force to Earth. That is the great difference. When it comes to the deepest things for humanity, one must listen very carefully; otherwise, things that are communicated in one place, when they spread, appear in a completely different form in another place, and then it is said: Yes, in order to do justice to everyone, he actually established two proclaimers of love. It is precisely in the field of occultism that it is important to listen carefully. When we truly understand the significant truths clothed in words in this way, they appear to us in their proper light.

We know that the description of the great teaching of compassion and love as brought by Buddha lies in the eightfold path, and we ask ourselves: What is the goal of this eightfold path? We can also ask the question this way: Where does the person arrive who, from the depths of his soul, sets the eightfold path as his ideal in life, when he sets this goal before himself in such a way that he says: How can I become most perfect? How can I purify and refine my ego in the most perfect way? What must I do to place my ego in the world in the most perfect way possible? He will say to himself: If I observe everything that is said in the eightfold path, then my ego will become as perfect as conceivable, for everything leads to the purification and ennoblement of the ego; everything that can radiate from this wonderful eightfold path should, so to speak, work its way into us; everything is the work of our ego toward its perfection. That is the essence. So if humanity were to continue to develop within itself what the Buddha called the “wheel of the law,” as the technical term goes, it would gradually come to have the most perfect egos possible, or rather to know which are the most perfect egos. In thought, as wisdom, humanity would have the most perfect egos. We could also say: Buddha brought humanity the wisdom of love and compassion, and if we assert our astral body in such a way that it is entirely a product of the eightfold path, then we know what we need to know about the laws of the eightfold path.

But there is a difference between wisdom, thought, and the living force that works. And there is a difference between knowing how the self must be and allowing the living force to flow into oneself, which can then flow out again from the self into the whole world, just as this force flowed out from Christ and worked on the astral bodies, etheric bodies, and physical bodies of his surroundings. To know what the content of the teaching of compassion and love is has become possible for humanity through the impact that the great Buddha brought. What Christ brought, on the other hand, is first and foremost a living force; it is not a teaching. He gave himself up, he descended, not merely to flow into the human astral bodies, but into the I, so that the I might have the power to radiate the substance of love. Christ brought to earth the substance, the living content of love, not merely the wise content of love. That is what this is all about.

It is now nineteen hundred years and about five centuries since the great Buddha lived on earth. And there will still be—this is something that occult facts teach us—about three thousand years of earth evolution. Then, a greater number of people will be ready to develop the eightfold path, the wisdom of Buddha, out of their own moral convictions, out of their own souls and hearts. Buddha had to be there once. From there emanated the power that people will gradually develop as the wisdom of the eightfold path. Then, about three thousand years from now, they will have it as their own. People will be able to develop this teaching themselves, not just take it in from outside, but develop it from within themselves and say: This eightfold path springs forth from us as the wisdom of compassion and love.

If nothing more had happened than the great Buddha setting the “wheel of the law” in motion, then humanity would indeed have attained the ability to know the teaching of compassion and love after three thousand years from now; but it is something else entirely to have also attained the power to truly live within it. And that is the difference: not only to know about compassion and love, but also to develop this power under the influence of an individuality. This ability came from Christ. He poured love itself into human beings, and it will continue to grow. And when human beings have reached the end of their development, they will know in wisdom what the content of the teaching of compassion and love is; they will have this to thank the Buddha for. But at the same time they will have the ability to let love flow out of the I onto humanity; humanity will have this to thank Christ for.

These two had to work together, and this had to be described in order to make the Gospel of Luke understandable. But this also immediately becomes clear to us when we know how to interpret the words given to us in the Gospel of Luke in their true sense (Luke 2:13-14). There are the shepherds who hurry to receive the proclamation. Above them is the host of angels, which is nothing other than the spiritual imaginative expression of the Nirmanakaya of the Buddha. What is proclaimed to them from above? The revelation of the wise God from on high! This is proclaimed to them by the Nirmanakaya of the Buddha, who hovers as a host of angels above the Nathanian baby Jesus. But something else is added: “And peace to people on earth below who are filled with good will,” that is, those people in whom the real living power of love is sprouting. This is what must gradually be realized on earth through the impact that Christ has made. He added the living power to what was the “revelation from on high.” He brought this into every human heart and gave every human soul something from which it could overflow. He did not merely give it something that was a teaching that could be taken in as a thought or an idea, but a power that can flow out of this human soul. And no other power than that which can work in the human soul as the power of Christ, and which can cause the human soul to overflow, is that which is constantly referred to—for example, in the Gospel of Luke and in the other Gospels—as the power of faith. That is faith in the sense of the Gospels. The one who has faith is the one who takes Christ into himself so that Christ lives in him, so that his I does not live in him merely as an empty vessel, but has an overflowing content. And this overflowing content is none other than the content of love.

Why was Christ able to set that great example of “healing through the word” with his words? He was able to do so because he was the first to set in motion the “wheel of love” — not the “wheel of the law” — as a free ability and power of the human soul, because he had love in himself to the highest degree, so overflowing and effervescent that it overflowed into those around him who were to be healed; because the words he spoke — whether “Arise and walk” or “Your sins are forgiven” or any other words — sprang from the love overflowing within him. He spoke words that were spoken out of an overflowing of love beyond the measure of the ego. And those who were able to fulfill themselves a little with this fact, Christ called believers. We must now connect this thought with the concept of faith — one of the most essential in the New Testament. Faith is the ability to go beyond oneself, to flow out beyond what the ego can initially do for its own perfection. Therefore, having entered into the body of the Nathanic Jesus and united himself there with the power of the Buddha, Christ does not teach: How can the ego perfect itself as much as possible? — but rather: How can the ego overflow? How can it go beyond itself? — He often says this in simple words, as the words of Luke's Gospel can speak to the simplest hearts. He says: It is not enough that you give something only to those whom you know will give it back to you, for even sinners do that. If they know that they will get back what they have given, then they have not done it out of overflowing love. But if you give and know that you will not get it back, then you have done it out of real love; then it is the love that does not enclose the ego, but which the ego must release from itself as a force that flows out of the human being (Luke 6:33-34). And in the most varied ways, Christ says how the ego should overflow, how out of the abundance of the ego, out of a feeling that can come out of itself, one should work in the world.

These are the warmest words in Luke's Gospel, where this overflowing love is spoken of. Luke's Gospel contains this power of overflowing love, if we allow the words to work on us in such a way that we find this overflowing love, that it permeates all our words so that they have the corresponding power to have an effect in the outside world. Another evangelist, who, due to his background, placed less emphasis on this overflowing love, summarized this mystery of Christianity in a few words when he said: Love flows from the abundance of the self. And it should, of course, also flow into everything we say and do. In the Gospel of Matthew, you still have the genuine, original words in the Latin translation as a brief summary of all the beautiful praises of love contained in the Gospel of Luke. There it says in Latin: “Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur”: Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34). One of the highest Christian ideals! The mouth speaks from the overflowing heart, from what the heart does not contain. The heart is moved by the blood, and the blood is the expression of the I. This means that from what the heart does not contain, an overflowing I speaks, an I that radiates power from itself—for this power is the power of faith. These are the words that truly contain the power of Christ: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” This is a cardinal statement about the essence of Christianity.

And now read today's Bible. What does it say here? “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” These are words that have served to obscure a cardinal principle of Christianity for centuries. Humanity has not realized what an absurdity it is to say that when the heart is full, it pours itself out. Usually, things in the world only spill out when they are more than full, when they overflow. Thus, humanity—and this is not meant as a criticism—has necessarily spun itself into a concept that has virtually obscured one of the most important, cardinal tenets of Christianity, and has not even noticed that what is written here is completely impossible. When it is said that the German language cannot tolerate a literal translation of “Ex abundantia cordis os loquitur” as “Aus dem Überfließen des Herzens spricht der Mund” (Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks), and when this is substantiated by the fact that one cannot say that the excess heat from the tiled stove warms the room, this is simply absurd. For if you heat the tiled stove only enough for the heat to reach its walls, the room will not become warm; it will only become warm when there is an excess of heat, so that the heat escapes from the stove. This brings us to an important point. A cardinal tenet of Christianity, on which part of the Gospel of Luke is based, is being covered up, so that humanity does not have what is written in the Gospel at the most important point.

This power, which can overflow from the human heart, is the power of Christ. “Heart” here stands for “I.” What the I can achieve beyond itself flows out through the word. Only at the end of earthly evolution will the I be such that it has the whole Christ within itself. For the time being, Christ is something that bubbles up from the heart. If one only wants to have a full heart, one does not have Christ at all. Therefore, one covers up Christianity when one does not take this statement in all its seriousness and dignity. The most important things, the essence of Christianity, will come to light through what spiritual science has to say as an explanation of the high documents of Christianity. By reading in the Akashic Records of the spiritual world, it reveals the original meaning and is thus able to read the documents in their truth.

And now we will understand how humanity is advancing into the future. The one who developed from Bodhisattva to Buddha five to six centuries before our era has thus ascended into the spiritual world in such a way that he now works as Nirmanakaya. He has thus been raised to a higher level and no longer needs to descend into a physical body. The modes of activity he had as a Bodhisattva are present again in a different form. When he became a Buddha, he handed over the office of Bodhisattva to another. Another became his successor, another became a Bodhisattva. Buddhist legend expresses this through something that is a profound truth for deeper Christianity. It is said that before the individuality of the Bodhisattva descended to become Buddha, he took off the heavenly tiara and placed it on the head of the Bodhisattva who followed him. The following Bodhisattva continues to work with his slightly different mission. He too is destined to become a Buddha. At the very moment when a number of people have developed the teaching of the eightfold path on their own—in about three thousand years—the one who became a Bodhisattva when his predecessor became a Buddha will become a Buddha himself. Five to six centuries before our era, he was entrusted with his mission; he will become a Buddha after three thousand years, counting from our time. This is the one whom Eastern teachings know as the Maitreya Buddha. In order for the current Bodhisattva to become Maitreya Buddha, a large number of people must have developed the teaching of the eightfold path from their own hearts; the people will then be wise enough in large numbers to be able to do so. Then the one who is now Bodhisattva will bring a new power into the world.

If nothing else were to happen until then, he would indeed find people who, through inner contemplation, could conceive the teaching of the eightfold path, but not people who, from the innermost being of their souls, possessed the overflowing power of love, living love. This living power of love must flow in during the intervening period so that the Maitreya Buddha will find not only people who understand what love is, but people who have the power of love within themselves. For this reason, Christ had to descend to earth, a being who was only on earth for three years but who had not previously been incarnated on earth, as you have been able to gather from all the explanations given to you so far. The three-year presence of Christ on Earth—from the baptism of John to the mystery of Golgotha—was the reason why love will continue to pour more and more into the human heart, into the human soul, into the human I, in other words, so that human beings will be more and more permeated by Christ, so that at the end of Earth's development, the human I will be completely filled with Christ. Just as the teaching of compassion and love first had to be inspired by the Bodhisattva, so the substance of love had to be brought to Earth by the one who brought it down from the heights of heaven and gradually made it the property of the human I. We cannot say that love did not exist before. It was not the love that could be the immediate property of the human ego; it was a love that was inspired, that Christ allowed to flow down from cosmic heights, flowing in just as unconsciously as the Bodhisattva had previously allowed the teaching of the eightfold path to flow in unconsciously. Just as the Buddha relates to the eightfold path, so the Christ being relates to what it was before it could descend to take on human form. It was a step forward for Christ to take on human form. That is the essential point here.

The successor of the Buddha, who is now a Bodhisattva, is well known to those who are versed in spiritual science, and the time will come when these facts will be discussed in detail, when the name of this Bodhisattva, who will then become Maitreya Buddha, will also be mentioned. Now that so many facts unknown to the outside world have been revealed, we must limit ourselves to merely pointing them out. When this Bodhisattva appears on earth and becomes Maitreya Buddha, he will find the seed of Christ on earth. These will be the people who will say: Not only is my head filled with the wisdom of the eightfold path, I not only have the teaching, the wisdom of love, but my heart is full of the living substance of love, of that which overflows and radiates out into the world. With such people, Maitreya Buddha will then be able to carry out his further mission in the development of the world.

This is how things come together, and only then can we understand the Gospel of Luke in its depth. It does not speak to us of a teaching; it speaks to us of that essence that flowed substantially into earthly beings, into the human organization. This is a fact that is expressed in occultism as follows: The bodhisattvas who become Buddhas can redeem earthly human beings in terms of their spirit through wisdom, but they can never redeem the whole human being. For the whole human being can only be redeemed when not only wisdom but also warm love flows through his entire organization. To redeem souls through the flood of love that Christ brought to earth was the task of Christ. To bring the wisdom of love was the task of the bodhisattvas and the Buddha; to bring the power of love to humanity was the task of Christ. We must distinguish between these things.