The Great Gospel of John
Volume 7
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
From the Lord's years of youth
- Chapter 225 -
The death of the rabbi.
After that, when we started to eat I said: 'Oh, how terrible blind that man is. To what advantage will those few 100 pennies be to him? Because even today - and this within 1 hour - he will die. Then, somebody who is better will take his place. That one will pay us for the work, just like we will not keep the offering pennies from him.'
2
Mary said: 'My dear son, are You now clear-sighted again?'
3
I said: 'This I have always been. Only for Nazareth and its dark surroundings I am mute, because where there is no faith, there is also no true reason and no light. Therefore, do not betray Me. When in a couple of hours you will hear in the city the paid lamenting, then do not go immediately to the city out of curiosity like the other blind people, but stay home, because you already know now what will be the reason. And when the news will be announced here, then say: 'Against God's will, no mortal being can fight. God has determined it like that, and lamenting, howling and weeping has so sense at all'. However, until the news will come, we can work outside, and after the news we will leave the work and we will go to Capernaum. We will find work at the lake until the Sabbath.'
4
Joseph said: 'This is all fine, but what will the Nazarenes say about this with their big mouth?'
5
I said: 'These fools may say whatever they want, but we will do what I have advised just now, and then it also will be good.'
6
After these words nobody said anything anymore, and after the morning meal we started at once to work on a small task, namely making a grain container for someone from the neighborhood.
7
After 3 hours, a black messenger came from the city to inform us about the news: 'The chief rabbi has died 1 hour ago in the synagogue by a stroke from Jehovah, and immediately he was completely dead. All efforts to bring him back to life again could not help. Consequently the chief rabbi is really dead. Therefore, from now on we may work no more in public for 3 days.'
8
I said: 'Only 2 days, because the third it is Sabbath anyway.'
9
Then the messenger corrected himself: 'Yes, yes, thus only 2 days.' Then he continued his way.
10
Soon after that, we were on our way to Capernaum and even the same day we found in the inn at the lake that you already know, a good work at which we were working until the Sabbath and by which we earned a 100 coins. During the Sabbath we stayed in Capernaum at the lake and we felt very good and cheerful. We only returned on Sunday and heard from our people at home how everything had happened. Many asked about Joseph and were surprised that the always so pious Joseph was not present at the funeral of the chief.
11
I asked them if they had told them what I had advised to them and what the answer on that was of the others.
12
Then the maidservant said: 'When we comforted them this way they agreed with us and continued their way.'
13
I said: 'It is good like that. Truth never misses its good goal. And we have earned as much at the lake as the chief owed us for the work that we delivered. And so, also this has been settled. Now we calmly can finish the grain container for the neighbor.'
14
At once we started the work, which was to the liking of Joseph, because he wished that the container had been finished already, because the neighbor needed it badly. However, there was something remarkable with that container. Each time that we wanted to work on it, something happened by which we were either held up with the work or it was interrupted for days. Joseph thought that this was caused by an evil spirit and was of the opinion that we should not let ourselves be disturbed by him and that we had to continue to work as long as the container was finally completely finished. Therefore, we did what we could, so that in the afternoon only a few laths had to be fixed. And look, the house of someone who lived a little further, took fire. We quickly had to leave our work because of the threatening fire and had to go immediately to the fire in order to extinguish it.
15
Then Joseph said again: 'Was I not right to say that with this grain container an evil spirit is involved? Before we were ready with these few laths, a house had to burn, so that there is no way to finish this container today. My dear Jesus, do tell me what You think about this.'
16
I said: 'Certainly not what you believe about it, although there is some truth in what you are thinking. Our neighbor, for whom the container is, has a wicked helper, who prefers to have the old container out of which he can, as it pleases him, take grain out of it in order to sell it secretly to grain dealers who are passing by and to keep the money for himself. Although we had been hindered by other incidents, this wicked helper was mostly the reason why the work at the container had to be stopped. Also now he is guilty of this fire, although he himself is the most zealous to extinguish the fire.
17
Tonight he still wants to steal several hectoliters of grain from his master, because tomorrow the grain will be put into a new container, which can be locked up very well. However, he discovered that we would finish the container a couple of hours before the evening and his master would use it immediately. Thus, he went to the house of this neighbor who was working in the field with all his people and lighted the fire to it in order to prevent that we would finish the container even today.
18
And look, Joseph, this is also most truly an evil spirit who stayed at the neighbor's place and who hindered us by the work at the container. But a lot of other things that came between it were of a natural kind and allowed by God.
19
However, the death of the chief rabbi was completely decided according to the will of the Lord, because the deceit that this rabbi committed secretly against the poor, widows and orphans was crying to Heaven. Now you know how things are. But keep everything for yourself and do not feel offended.
20
Joseph said: 'But still, we surely have to deliver this wicked helper to court?'
21
I said: 'This will not do, because you have nobody who caught him in the act. My testimony alone would be as good as of no value, and the helper would then bring us to trial accusing us of public slander. Therefore, let us not do that. But God, who sees and knows everything, will soon give him the reward that he deserves.