THE GREAT GOSPEL OF JOHN
VOLUME 5
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus in the region of Caesarea Philippi. (cont.) Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 16
- Chapter 145 -
The Pharisees accuse the Lord before Cyrenius of being a public incendiary.
But soon the sons of Mark discovered a ship still hesitating at some distance, as if the captain did not know whether he was in the right spot or not, the natural cause of which was that very many things had changed very radically on the shores of the Sea of Galilee since yesterday. The impressive rock in the sea, as a main sign, no longer existed; a strong rock and a huge tree on the snake hill had, as we know, been removed from existence by the negroes. In addition there was the gorgeous new house, the garden and the beautiful harbor with the five new, flagged ships - and so the sailor who should have steered the ship towards Caesarea Philippi did not know where he actually was. He therefore tacked for some time up and down in order to gain some insight into where he might be.
2
But a stiff east wind began to blow and drove the ship straight towards our harbor with irresistible force. In a few moments the sharp-sighted sons of old Mark could already make out very well that the ship was carrying Romans and a few Pharisees on board. They came immediately to Cyrenius and made such a thing known to him. When Cyrenius heard this, he immediately commanded Julius to perform a strict inspection of the ship which gradually and ever faster approached the harbor. When Julius heard this, in an instant he was down at the harbor like an arrow with fifty men at arms ready for the ship, which did not need much waiting any longer.
3
When those in the ship became aware of the Romans, they immediately raised a white flag as a sign that they were not enemies, and that one could let them disembark at the harbor without a problem. But Julius, when he saw two arch Pharisees among the Romans who were not unknown to him, immediately sent a messenger to Me and to Cyrenius with the question of what should be done with the new arrivals. Land or water? The people seemed very suspicious to him. It seemed as if also the Romans were only disguised Pharisees or even Herodians.
4
And Cyrenius' answer came very briefly, "Whoever it is, land!"
5
At this command the arrivals were set on land and Julius quickly asked for the usual sign of passage which had been prepared by Pilate in Jerusalem according to the legal ordinance. When this short act of legitimization was done, a Roman asked Julius whether the high governor was still staying in this area. A thunderous 'yes!' was the awesome answer on the part of the already quite angered Julius at the pert question.
6
At this a centurion who was with the ship stepped up to Julius very seriously and asked him, "What gives you the right to answer us in such a tone?"
7
Julius, even more seriously than before, says, "If I did not have the best reasons for it, I would have answered you in another tone of voice! But your oriental, stupid face tells me that you are no Roman, but instead something quite different! Therefore my answer cannot amaze you too much!"
8
The centurion says, "What am I then, if not a Roman?"
9
Julius says, "We will talk about that soon enough! Now you are in my power and have to obey my orders most strictly! My name is Julius, the strictest commander of Rome in this area, and I am a close relative of the high supreme governor Cyrenius! I had to say that to you because you are no Roman; for if you were even in the least a Roman, you would have recognized me already from far off!
10
You see, this is how we Romans tend to catch the sly foxes! But now only forwards, better things are yet to come! I'm sure the area, now a little cultivated, seemed somewhat unfamiliar to you "otherwise you would have honored us with an unexpected visit an hour ago? But that doesn't matter, you have now arrived at the right place despite the unfamiliarity of this area!
11
You see how I know everything in advance! Yes, in Julius' area one does not arrive quite as unannounced as one supposes! Indeed it embarrasses you a little that your whole appearance has been betrayed to me; but perhaps that does not matter so particularly much for such sly heads as you, which will naturally be shown very soon! Therefore forward to the high governor!"
12
But here the centurion, visibly very embarrassed, says, "What do you know about us?! Who could have betrayed to you something that is not true?"
13
Julius says, "Now no further word! The high governor is over there! Therefore onwards with you false Romans "there the next step!"
14
The centurion with his some eight subordinate soldiers and two very ordinary, well-fed and very tough to the core high-ranking Pharisees then headed towards Cyrenius and gave him there a letter signed by Herod. In this letter there was nothing further than that a very extensive conspiracy against all the Romans had been discovered in all Coelo-Syria and in a great part of Galilee and Samaria. At the head of the same the infamous prophet Jesus of Nazareth was supposed to be the main agitator, who was performing all sorts of incomprehensible miracles for the common people in a secret union with the ever highly secretly active Essenes for the dazzlement of the people and thereby giving a type of divinely prophetic coating and even was supposed to have the most accursed cheek to proffer himself to the people as a true son of God.
15
(Herod): 'Further it has been said truly and faithfully by several people bearing identical witness from various districts that this most bedeviled agitator of the people has even befriended the very highest Roman servants of the state, along with his already very substantial horde of so-called disciples. But the secret reputation declares that the reprobate is simply doing this in order to kill them all on a certain day, after which he will then raise himself to king of all Jews. But after such a thing was revealed to me through the advice of the high gods I make you obliged to this and hope that you will know how to order your own and how to act! "In deepest reverence, Herod ""-, now in Jerusalem.'
16
For the sake of space the whole letter with all its many flatteries is not repeated here, which is also truly unnecessary; but the main sense is fully presented.