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 90 -
Korah remembers the Lord from the cleansing of the Temple.
After that Korah asked Chiwar whether I am still to be found in the this place and whether it were possible to acquaint himself more closely with Me. He further said: "I have now become fully aware of something extraordinarily godly about your Messiah; for he is in no way in Satan's favour, and His name seems to be the greatest torment to the former. These are two factors ascertained of course in a most miraculous way which I shall not be able eternally to deny, and from my settled down feelings I discern that you must be completely right with the invocation of the Son of the Most High, wherefore I would like to get acquainted with Him if possible. Take me out there!"
2
Says Chiwar: "This would all be in order, and taking you to Him is just what I"d like to do, but the people are still incensed against you somewhat, and with the people's mischievous mood we are in danger of being hurt by stones; besides that He is getting ready to depart and we might inconvenience Him. But towards winter He shall be coming either back here or to Kis and will be spending winter at one of these two places, then we shall have ample opportunity to make His acquaintance wherefore I think we should postpone our plan for a closer acquaintance till winter."
3
Says Korah: "What you are saying is all true, yet I cannot shrug off my longing to make my personal acquaintance with this extraordinary person, through whom --- the fullness of God's might, power and glory! Or wait, I just thought of an episode from the Easter celebration at Jerusalem in the Temple. It might in the end be this Jesus who on a post Sabbath, if I am not mistaken, drove all the buyers and sellers from the Temple, over-turning all the moneychanger's booths with a storm?! All the sale animals started a terrible bawling and tore out of the Temple salesrooms.
4
Because this man to whom I spoke myself - of course not in a friendly manner - was a Galilean too, also by the name Jesus and with him were a great many others, quite common looking men and women, and the whole company resembled ordinary Galilean tramps; yet their leader Jesus looked like someone in whom something extraordinary is hidden.
5
Basically he did not say much, but what he said was profound, true and portentous! He had also then in Jerusalem healed many sick, but when this came before Herod who is supposed to fear this Jesus considerably, the miracle man suddenly disappeared from Jerusalem by night and fog, and we could not find out which way he had turned. He could not have gotten to Galilee --- from Jerusalem or we should have soon heard about it, for we had sent a great number of spies after him.
6
We did indeed after a couple of weeks hear rumours about the carpenter's Son Jesus, yet we could not assume that yonder familiar, simple, quiet and quite uneducated and even illiterate man could be the same mighty Jesus before whom thousands had shaken in the Jerusalemite Temple as before a judgement of God. But if it is the renowned carpenter Jesus who is working such godly deeds then He is bound to be the same Jesus who scared all of Jerusalem at Easter. If this is here (in Nazareth) the noted carpenter Jesus who performs such divine acts, he is surely the same Jesus who during Passover shocked all Jerusalem."
7
Says Chiwar: "Yes, it is one and the same. I know him already for several years, as also the old Joseph who died only about a year ago. I did not of a truth discover the smallest trace of anything unusual about him, although, as told me here and there - most extraordinary things are supposed to have taken place at his birth, which took place at Bethlehem in a sheepfold, as well as afterwards up to his twelfth year. But after the twelfth year everything extraordinary is supposed to have disappeared, the most exalted expectation of his parents went under, and he remained to his thirtieth year, which is even now, a most unremarked, most simple carpenter.
8
He was extremely sparing in words; one could hardly get one monosyllabic answer to ten questions out of him, although he was on the other hand always charitable towards children and the poor. He was supposed to have reputedly been seen praying and crying - on the quiet side - but never laughing. He shunned jovial and noisy groups and loved solitude most of all. The most peculiar thing about him was that one hardly ever saw him in a synagogue and just as little at a school, which he only visited a couple of times a year after much parental persuading but then shortly afterwards leaving it visibly annoyed; no one however is supposed to have seen him in a house of prayer yet. On account of these eccentricities he was also regarded by many as somewhat feeble-minded.
9
But in his thirtieth year he suddenly disappeared from his parental house and is supposed to have stayed for a while in the desert near Bethabara where the well-known John was beating about, and is supposed to have permitted himself by the latter (Juergen are there some words missing in this last sentence for example mention of the baptism that was permitted by him?). From there he departed as he now is, full of godly power, teaching the people about the kingdom of God, healing all the sick and driving the evil spirits from the possessed. This briefly is his earthly life story, which I found out partly from himself but mainly through hearsay."
10
Says Korah: "Yes indeed, you are bound to be right. This Bethlehem story aroused great sensation about thirty years ago; and if I am not mistaken then it was on his account that the old Herod ordered the hideous genocide of little boys. But he himself is supposed to have fled to Egypt. Well now, I am cleared up! So, this is the self-same Jesus?! Well, to him certainly there could be something extraordinary, and your assumption will not be wide off their mark. But I am still intent on speaking with him before he thinks of leaving this area!"
11
Says Chiwar: "As you wish, I am easy. But we nevertheless must have a herald preceding us openly into the city and appraising the people in your favour, or it may be a bit scary to move into the open streets, for I know my Nazarenes!"
12
Says Korah: "Well then, dispatch several heralds, proclaiming my name as a sympathetic one, otherwise he will have moved on!"
13
Chiwar dispatches twelve heralds forthwith and these make the new Chief appear so favourable that they shortly after jubilate repeatedly, starting to prepare costly presents with which to greet the new Chief on the coming Sabbath eve.
14
Upon the return of the heralds to the Synagogue with the favourable news, the Chief says to Chiwar: "Now let us march out there, or he might turn us down yet, and I am still intent on speaking to him."
15
Says Chiwar: "I am ready, and it would be appropriate for us to see him off; but let only us two go."
16
Chiwar and the Chief go over. However, a few paces from the city gate, Jairus, Borus and wife Sarah and the mother Mary approach them, saddening them with the news that the Lord with His twelve disciples and the seven newly arrived disciples of John had departed half on hour earlier.