The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
First journey of the Lord: Kis - landing place at Sibarah - Nazareth
- Chapter 11 -
The Lord and His disciples" departure to Nazareth.
Says Faustus: "So I need to give the order to load my things on board?"
2
Say I, "It has already been done. Since your ships would not have sufficed, Baram and Kisjonah have loaned their two big ships for the purpose, and everything but the departure is finalised."
3
Says Faustus: "That it is sure to be so, I would no longer question, for what should not be possible to the Almighty?"
4
But now Joel and Jairuth together with Archiel step over to Me to thank Me for everything. Parting with Me amidst much thanksgiving, and starting on their way to Sichar, they are met by the deputation that I foretold them and are received with much honour, imploring Jonael with the solemn entreaty to accept back the office of the High Priest; and both Jonael and Jairuth recall how I had predicted it to them.
5
We hove, after My repeated rendition of parables on the Kingdom of heaven (Matt. 13:53) and after letting the Sycharites go, took leave of Kisjonah with the promise of soon calling on him again; and who upon My advice stayed home this time and also did not accompany Faustus. About two hours to midday we boarded a big ship, travelling with Faustus, who with his young wife had taken his place on My ship, to the vicinity of Capernaum, where the landing place was located for this city as well as for Nazareth, which as known is not far from Capernaum.
6
After we landed and stepped ashore, Faustus said: "Lord, I shall go with You to Nazareth and restore their dwelling to Your mother and Your earthly brothers and sisters."
7
Say I, "This also is already done, and at home and out there in your large court district you shall find everything in the nicest and best order; because My Archiel has settled all your affairs. But go yourself to Capernaum, and when you run into the chief Jairus - which is certain to occur - and when he complains to you about his pains, then tell him that I shall now be staying in Nazareth for some time. If he desires anything then he should come to Me - but only by himself."
8
Says Faustus: "Could I accompany him?"
9
Say I: "Oh, indeed, but also only yourself!" - With these words we parted.
10
I now leave for My earthly fatherland with My numerous disciples, and Faustus at once orders a lot of carriers, packers and wagons by which he moves the treasures to be brought along to his dwelling in Capernaum. That the moving in of the chief justice so richly loaded by the side of a beautiful wife arousing much sensation hardly needs mentioning; but it is even easier to imagine that the chief of the Pharisees there named Jairus came to meet him for many reasons - for he also knew something of the troop of the twelve Pharisees to Jerusalem, and that Faustus has been summoned to Kis on their account.
11
Faustus received him with full esteem, saying to him: "One honest one was saved, and the pledges which were unjustly extorted by these Pharisees in secret from the Jews have been restored to them to the last cent, and eleven are now enjoying their well-earned punishment in the Temple in Jerusalem for their numerous, unheard-of deceptions and robberies. It would be too long-winded to tell you everything the eleven have perpetrated, but when you enjoy some leisure, come and read all the files, and your hair will stand on end. But now to another matter! How are things with your sweet daughter? Does she live, or has she died?"
12
Says an exceedingly sad Jairus, starting to cry: "Oh, friend, why do you remind me of it? She unfortunately died; for no physician could help her. The only physician, Borus of Nazareth, said that he could indeed help her but would not because I had sinned too exceedingly against his friend Jesus, Who is his Master. And so my most beloved has died. It was heart-rending how the dying one cried out to Jesus, that He should help her, and however whilst dying castigated me for sinning so despicably against Jesus, the greatest benefactor of poor suffering mankind, that she now has to irrevocably die, I had indeed tried everything to find Jesus, that He should help her! But Jesus would not hear my messengers, although I have now repented my sin against Him a thousandfold! But it is all over now! She has lain in the grave already four days and stinks pestilentially! May Jehovah now have grace and mercy upon her beautiful soul!"
13
Says Faustus: "Friend! I sympathise with you whole-heartedly; but I also say unto you that the almighty Lord Jesus is now at Nazareth. According to my wide-ranging experience now, nothing is impossible to Him! How now, if you went to Him personally? I say unto you, He has power aplenty to call your daughter out of the grave into life and to give her back to you!"
14
Says Jairus: "Even if the latter were no longer possible, I nevertheless want to go over and ask His thousandfold forgiveness for offending and saddening Him, even though not voluntarily of course but under coercion."
15
Says Faustus: "Good, then come along with me; we shall meet up with Him in Nazareth, and that at His mother's house. But by his explicit wish no one is to accompany us!" Jairus, gripped by a blissful premonition, at once goes along with Faustus' suggestion. Both have mules saddled, trotting off to Nazareth as quickly as possible. A couple of hours to sunset they reach Nazareth, leaving their mules at an inn and continuing on foot to My mother's house finding Me with Borus who was one of the first from Nazareth to come and meet Me with open arms, for he was appraised of My arrival at Nazareth that day.
16
As Faustus entered the room with Jairus, the latter began to cry, falling down before Me and begging Me loudly that I would forgive him his immense sin of ingratitude which he committed against Me.
17
I say to him however: "Arise! Your transgression is forgiven you, but do not sin a second time! Where is your daughter buried?"
18
Speaks Jairus: "Lord, You are aware of my having erected a school for the children of the land not far from here, provided with a small house of prayer. Inside this house of prayer I had a tomb built for myself; since my daughter died before however, I had her brought there and laid in the new tomb, where no dead had lain yet. This tomb is hardly two thousand paces distant from here. If You, oh Lord, would want to view her, it would make me blissful beyond measure; for otherwise I would be grieved to death!"
19
Say I: "Well then, so take Me there, but none besides yourself and Faustus must follow Me."
20
The disciples however asked Me whether they must not be present either.
21
Say I: "This time no one other than the two concerned."
22
Says Borus: "Lord, You know me, that I can be mute like a fish; would there be any harm in me as a physician accompanying You?"
23
Say I: "As I have spoken, it is to be; only us three, and no one else!"