João 14

João 14:31

And again He said unto His disciples, "Arise, let us go hence," and by this speech He shewed that this world was not the country either of Himself or of His disciples. If Jesus crieth unto us, "Arise, let us go hence," what fool would be persuaded to dwell with corpses in the graves, or to become a sojourner with the dead? Whensoever, therefore, the world wisheth to hold thee fast, or family, or kinsfolk, or friends, remember the word of Christ which said, "Arise, let us go hence," for this voice is sufficient to rouse thee up if thou art alive. Whensoever, therefore, thou wishest to sit down to rest thyself, or to delight thyself in the love of the country in which thou art, remember this word of exhortation, and say unto thyself, "Arise, let us go hence"; thou must go at all cost, only go as Jesus went. Go because He hath told thee to go, and not because it is nature which carrieth thee, whether thou wilt or no, being thyself unwilling. Thou standest on the path of travellers, set out on the way then because of thy Lord's word, and not by the force of necessity. "Arise, let us go hence," is a voice which will wake those buried in slumber; it is a horn the winding of which will drive away the sleep of slothfulness; it is a power and not a word; and whosoever perceiveth it, suddenly it clotheth him with new power, and with the swiftness of the twinkling of the eye it plucketh him away from thing to thing. And behold He also goeth with thee to prevent thee from being stupefied, for He did not say unto thee, "Arise, go thou," but, "Arise, let us go, thou and I together"; God calleth unto thee to go in company with Him, and who would not burn within himself, and be troubled lest he should be dazed at the company of his God Who called him? — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 9 -- Second Discourse on Poverty