"Wilt thou sell it for one thousand dinars of gold?" enquired Sadik. He answered, "I would not give it for the world and all therein!" His Holiness said, "How can one be poor who possesses something which he will not exchange for the world?"
The poverty and wealth, lowliness and honor, dominion, power, and such things considered as important by these worthless creatures, have no mention in that Court; as it is said: "O men, ye have need of God, but God is Self-sufficient" (K. S. 35) . Consequently by "wealth" is intended independence of all else save God and by "poverty" the need of God.
Another day, Jesus the Son of Mary was surrounded by the Jews. They wished His Holiness to acknowledge having made the claim to Messiahship and Prophethood, in order that they might declare Him infidel and sentence Him to death. Finally they led that Sun of the Heaven of Significances into the presence of Pilate[1] and Caiaphas, the greatest of the doctors of that age. All the divines were present at that meeting and a large multitude assembled for the purpose of beholding, deriding and annoying Him. No matter how much they enquired that perchance they might hear Him acknowledge, His Holiness held His peace nor did He choose to answer. At length a wretch arose and came opposite His Holiness, saying: "I adjure thee, didst thou not say, 'I am the Messiah of God, I am the King of Kings, I am the possessor of
- ↑ Although in nationality a Roman, Pilate in religion was a Jew.
