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 154 -
A healing miracle at Ebahl's Inn.
On arrival at Ebahl's house, the servants and domestics at once came and said that about a hundred sick had arrived, asking for the Lord Saviour Jesus from Nazareth.
2
Say I to the servants: "Go and tell them that, Sabbath notwithstanding, they can now quietly and happily make their way home, for their faith in the power of My word has helped them!"
3
With this, the servants departed, going over to the sick at the Inn, and being quite astonished at finding no more sick, for all who had been sick became well in the same moment, irrespective of whether they were Jews or heathen. On stepping over to them, the servants heard just hymns of praise for regained health, and the healed demanded to see Me!
4
But the servants said: "It is not up to us to allow this, but we will send over a messenger. If He approves it then you are free to go over to see and speak to Him; if not then you are at leisure to depart from here, as commanded by Him, - for He does not always receive visitors, and is even less open to discussions." With that, a servant comes over to ask Me.
5
But I say: "I did of a truth say unto you that they are free to go home in peace; hence let it be so! That which they sought they found, having no sense or understanding for anything loftier, and thus let them go home!"
6
The messenger returns to pass this advice unto the healed ones. But these say: "He to Whom one wants to render due honour and praise it is not seemly to ask in advance! Let us go over and in all truth and propriety bring Him due praise and thanks, and one is going to be dismissed with civility! Hence let us bravely go over, and He shall not refuse to receive us, knowing that we come with the best of intentions!"
7
With these word they are come over to Me inside the house, knocking at the door; and they entered the hall, as many as could fit in, starting to loudly praise Me, expressing their thanks,
8
I bid them to be silent, saying unto them: "God does not, and hence neither I Myself regard the praise of the mouth, and thanks of the lips. Let him who want to approach Me come in his heart, and I shall regard him; but empty bawling of mouth, not paired with any thinking, and even less a feeling heart, is to My eyes what a rotting carcass is to the nostrils. That which you were seeking you have obtained, and anything else you don't know, and your empty praise does not please Me! Hence go home and not cause this house unpleasantries! Beware however of fornication, whoring, greediness and gluttony, - or worse sicknesses shall befall you than those by which you were beset and tormented until now.
9
These words cut the healed ones to the quick, and they marvelled among themselves how I could have known that they had to thank their randyness for the illness. They were overcome with fear of Me, thinking: "He may divulge yet more of our none too praiseworthy life-style! Hence let us depart!" - And they left the hall and betook themselves back to whence they had come.
10
The Centurion was struck by this, and he asked Me, saying: "How is it that these got lost so suddenly? You had hardly mentioned their sins, and they were driven out the door as if by some mighty force!"
11
Say I: "These are fornicators par excellence! They carry on unchastity of every type and adultery has become perfectly normal to them; for these, women are communal property, and the raping of virgins sheer fun! But there are also paedophiles among them, and such as carry on sodomistically with young maidens, hoping to thereby avoid more serious infections, but nonetheless contracting more severe sicknesses therewith. It is on that account that I gave these people such a rough welcome and dismissal, because only harsh words can still bring them potential reform."
12
Says the Chief: "Which district do they actually hike from?"
13
Say I: "From the Gadarene area. A couple of spots, plus four villages. They are a medley of Jews, Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Greeks and Romans. They have little - and actually no religion at all. Piggery is their occupation, and trade therewith to Greece and Europe, where their flesh is eaten and their fat used to spice food. These are therefore disagreeable already by trade, which of itself would not be sinful, if in their behaviour they were not worse by far than their pigs. Their doings put them far below swine, and it shall be hard to do anything for them.
14
Says the Chief: "Well, it is good that I know this. Those municipalities still are under my command, and I shall certainly not fail to place a moral custodian over them, who shall know how to rap them over the knuckles for the slightest indiscretion, in accord with orders. Nay, just you wait; tomorrow already you shall have your lechery dealt with in a way that shall rob you of your desire to let filthy lust rise from your heart, giving them unscrupulous reign.
15
Lord, although I am but a man, I nevertheless have, through constant service to state affairs, come to the manifold conclusion that it is of the greatest benefit for the common man to be ruled with iron sceptre, and to occasionally flogged towards goodness. If in populous places this is not applied, things soon get out of hand!"
16
Say I: "For sure, there you are right, - but only in the said community; if you were to apply your procedure in one and all cases, you would do more damage than good! The medicine has to always suit the sickness, and not the other way round. But, as said, in yonder specific community, it will - your medicine - fairly put these people off their randyness, at best! But the rod needs to be administered not with wrathful, but loving hand!"