292 LITERATURE OF GNOSTIC WISDOM
BLESSINGS ON ONE WHO NEVER HARMS A SOUL
Blessings on one who never harms a soul.
That person is Jesus Christ.
He came to the whole earth and distressed no one.
Blessings on one like him, the perfect person.
This is the word.
Tell us about the word, since it is hard to define.
How shall we be able to accomplish such a feat?
How will he comfort everyone?
Especially, it is improper to cause anyone distress,
whether that person be great or small,
infidel or believer.
It is improper to comfort only those who enjoy good deeds.
Some find it useful to comfort one who is lucky.
You who do good deeds cannot comfort them,
for it goes against your will.
You cannot cause them distress, since you are not afflicting them.
Yet you who are lucky in life sometimes cause distress
unintentionally.
but the source is not you but the other person's wickedness.
Whoever has the qualities of the perfect human
is happy in the good.
Yet some are enormously put out by these distinctions.A HOUSEHOLDER WITH EVERYTHING
There was a householder who had every possible thing,^82
be it son or slave or cattle or dog or pig or wheat
or barley or chaff or grass or castor oil or meat or acorn.
He was sensible and knew what each one's food was.
He served children bread and meat.
He served slaves castor oil and meal.82.This story or parable of the householder, known only in the Gospel of Philip, is given an
allegorical interpretation.