The Poem of St. Thomas

The Poem of St. Thomas

From the Gospel of St. Thomas

by

Thomas M. Saunders

 

The disciples said to Jesus : “Tell us how our end will be.”

Jesus said : “So have You discovered the beginning, that You look for the end ? For
where the beginning is, there the end will be.

Fortunate is he who stands at the beginning ; he will know the end and
will not taste death.”

Fortunate are the poor, for Yours is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Fortunate are You when You are hated and persecuted. Where You were
persecuted they will find no place.”

Fortunate is the man who has suffered ; he found Life.”
Fortunate are those who are persecuted in their hearts. It is they who
have truly come to know the Father.

Fortunate are those who are hungry, for they will satisfy their
bellies.”
Fortunate is the lion which the man eats so that the lion becomes a man ;

and cursed is the man whom the lion eats so that the man becomes a
lion.”

Fortunate are You, the alone and the elect, for You will find the
Kingdom. Because You came from it, You will also return to it again.”

Fortunate are those who have heard the Word of the Father and kept it.

Fortunate is he who was before he became. If You become My disciples and
listen to My words, these stones will serve You. For there are five
trees for You in Paradise which remain unshaken summer and winter and
their leaves do not fall. He who knows them will not taste death.”

1. The disciples said to Jesus : “Tell us what the Kingdom of Heaven is
like.” He said to them : “It is like a mustard seed, the smallest of all
seeds. But when it falls on tilled soil, it produces a big plant and
becomes a shelter for the birds of the sky. The Kingdom of the Father is
like a woman who put a little yeast in some flour, and made some big
loaves with it. He who has ears, let him hear!

2. The Kingdom of the Father is like a man who had good seed. His enemy
came by night and sowed weeds among the good seed. The man did not allow
them to pull out the weeds ; he said to them : ‘Do nothing ; so that You
do not pull out the wheat along with the weeds.’ For on the day of the
harvest the weeds will be recognizable, and they will be pulled out and
burnt.

3. The Kingdom of the Father is like a woman who was carrying a jar full
of meal. While she was walking on a far road the handle of the jar broke
and the meal emptied out behind her on the road. She did not realize it.
She had noticed no accident. When she reached her house, she put the jar
down and found it empty. The Kingdom is like a shepherd who had a
hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, went astray. He left the
ninety-nine and looked for that single sheep until he found it. When he
had gone to such trouble, he said to the sheep : ‘I love You more than
the ninety-nine.’

4. The Kingdom of the Father is like a man who wanted to kill a powerful
man. In his own house he drew his sword and stuck it into the wall in
order to find out whether his hand would be firm enough. Then he slew
the powerful man.”

5. The Kingdom of the Father is like a man, a merchant, who owned goods
and discovered a pearl. This merchant was clever. He sold the
merchandise and bought the pearl alone. You also seek his enduring
treasure where no moth comes near to eat and no worm destroys.”

He who penetrates the meaning of these words will not taste death.”

He who will drink from My mouth will become like Me. I myself shall
become like him, and the hidden will be revealed to him.”

He who knows his father and mother will he be called son of a harlot ?”

He who does not hate his father and his mother cannot be My disciple.
And he who does not hate his brothers and sisters and take up his cross
as I do will not be worthy of Me.”

He who does not hate his father and his mother as I do cannot become a
disciple to Me. And he who does not love his father and his mother as I
do cannot become a disciple to Me. For My mother {gave Me death}, but My
true Mother gave Me life.”

He who blasphemes against the Father will be forgiven, and he who
blasphemes against the Son will be forgiven, but he who blasphemes
against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either on earth or in
heaven.”

He who knew the world has mastered the body, but he who has mastered the
body is superior to the world.”

He who has come to know the world has found a corpse, and he who has
found a corpse, the world is not worthy of him.”

He who has grown wealthy will rule, and he who possesses power will
renounce it, he who has found the world and become rich, let him
renounce the world.”

He who believes to know the All but not himself falls completely short,
he who seeks will find, and he who knocks will be let in.

Tom