The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Second Journey of the Lord: Nazareth - Cave at Bethabara (First Feeding of the People) - Mountain of Prayer - Walking on the Sea of Galilee (Peter's test of faith) - By ship to Genneseret in the bay with the same name
- Chapter 102 -
Arrival at Gennesareth.
Say I: "Whether you see Me or not, I am still with you, for, if you believe in Me, rely on My name, trust and hope and love Me truly, then I am always with and among you, but I am not with the one who doubts Me - even if he saw Me stand beside him.
2
Actually, brother Bartholomew did the right thing in revealing - especially to Judas - the nature of the Essenes. It will not be of much benefit to him though, but all the more so to you others, For Judas secretly enjoys such deceptions and thinks: "If I do not learn from Jesus how to perform miracles, I shall go to the Essenes." - For he is and remains a miser, and he prefers 10 talents of gold to the most heavenly truth and eternal life. If Herod should today make him a substantial offer, he would betray and sell all of us. This earth will hardly ever make him better.
3
Therefore, nothing is more dangerous to man's eternal life than the great treasures of this world. And what would it benefit man if he possessed the treasures of the whole world, but harmed his soul? Before he realises what is happening, his soul will be taken from him and thrown into great darkness where there is eternal weeping and gnashing of teeth. What use will all this treasures be to him then?
4
Let all of you, therefore, gather treasures of the spirit which cannot be destroyed by rust and moths, then you will have an abundance of everything eternally.
5
Behold, many a ship with its cargo, its masters and sailors lies buried at the bottom of the sea. What did they gain who hoped to make a great profit in the markets? A storm made an end to all their loose dealings, and their souls are buried in the deep, too.
6
You, however, has in your ship, which this night had to battle against a violent storm, nothing but a cargo of indestructible treasures for spirit and life from God, -and behold, the gale was unable with all its fierce force to hurl you down into the abyss. And I came to you on foot across the raging waves in order to show you actively that he who carries only heaven's everlasting treasures within him, can easily rise above all the wild storms and waves of the bustle of life, can walk over them unharmed and finally is and remains a master over all the troubles of the world.
7
But if he loads his ship of life with the treasures of the world and falls prey to the storm above the waves of his worldly cares, ship and skipper will both perish. - Have all of you understood this properly?"
8
Say all: "Yes, Lord, that was clear, understandable and so absolutely true."
9
Say I: "Well, then let us sail across to the little town of Gennesareth and the free little land of the same name as its town."
10
The crew began to row and we landed roughly half a league below the town of Gennesareth. (Matt. 14:34) But the sea formed towards Gennesareth a large bay which was connected with it through a barely ten fathoms wide channel, and this is why the bay was called "Lake Gennesareth". We came ashore on the left spit of land, for the ships that entered Lake Gennesareth through the straits had to pay a toll. We had our ship tied up and, leaving two of the boatmen behind to guard it, we went with the other six into the town where we bought for them bread, salt and some wine. After this night they badly needed to restore their strength.
11
And I blessed the few things they bought for themselves, so that all of them were provided with food and drink for several days.
12
I stayed in Gennesareth for several days, for it was a free city where one was safe from Jerusalem, form the temple as well as from Herod, because it was under the strict protection of the Romans who had a permanent military camp there which was under the command of Capernaum. This fact, being of little consequence, is not mentioned anywhere in the Scriptures, but this is exactly how it was.