The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Back in Nazareth
- Chapter 105 -
Return to Nazareth. The Lord's morning meal at His earthly home. Diverse views about why Jesus worked no signs here. Visiting a synagogue. 'To speak is good but silence is better.' The nature of the temple clan; their hypocritical retort and furious questioning after Jesus.
But we now head straight for Nazareth, because I was determined to visit Nazareth once again and to rest a little at home and on this occasion to kindle the light of truth for the very fickle Nazarenes!
2
The return voyage however took somewhat longer than the outward journey and many became hungry. But I fortified them and they felt a marvelous satiety, so that some said, 'Verily, each breath gives bread and each second one tastes like wine!' And so we reached shore the following morning. It was another twenty Feldways (approximately three Kilometres by today's measures) to Nazareth from the shore and we thus continued our journey unhindered and reached it in a short time, whilst Peter's servants looked after the ship of course and then sailed home.
3
It was however a major port of call where we had landed, where many people had converged, some having to travel over the sea, trading in every direction, whilst many others from many districts, including Jerusalem, came to the Nazareth market; because just then a big market was held in this city.
4
But when it became known in port that I had arrived in Peter's boat, those who had intended to travel over the sea for business remained and a huge crowd therefore moved to Nazareth with Me.
5
I and My disciples betook ourselves to My, i.e. now mother Mary's house, who was at home with the three eldest sons and four maidens who had already in Joseph's time, when I was still a child, been taken on and reared as children.
6
Mary and the entire household now put their hands to preparing an abundant morning meal, of which we already had much need, especially the disciples, who had already gone a day and nearly a night without food. The meal was soon ready and we sat down and ate and drank. After the meal we said thanks and rose to go to town to watch the tumult a little. But we could hardly get out of the house for all the great crowd that had quartered itself there, mainly from curiosity but also partly for contemptuous spying, with only an inferior part out of real need.
7
As we stepped before the house therefore, several Jerusalemite Pharisees and scribes asked if I am not going to work wonders and signs here. But I said to them earnestly and decisively, 'None, because of your unbelief!' Upon this decisive 'no' they began to scatter and some murmured and whispered into each other's ears, 'He is scared of the Jerusalemite lords and does not dare'. Others said, 'He probably hasn't got his magician's paraphernalia with him'. And still other's said, 'Here he does nothing on account of his compatriots, as he is bound to know that he is not especially esteemed by them!' With these and other comments they scattered and in just a few moments there were no people before the house of Mary, mother of My body and we immediately had room to make our way to the city.
8
There we dropped in on a Synagogue, where every Jew who had something to say was able to contribute before three scribes seated on high, or voice any complaint either personally or on behalf of a community against any priests or scribes appointed there by Jerusalem.
9
On entering the Synagogue, Simon of Cana said to Me in secret, 'Lord, here we could bring up something too?! We should not be short of complaints.'
10
I said: 'My friend! It is good to speak truthfully at the right time, but even better to keep silence at the right time! You shall not make gold from iron or silver from mud, no matter how hard you try! This kind, conducting judgment and hearings, is inwardly quite different from their outward demeanor; outwardly it is a lamb and inwardly a rapacious wolf!
11
Do you think that these here conduct inquiries in order to redress complaints? Oh, here you would be greatly mistaken!
12
This kind hold public sittings with friendly faces only to sound out the people's attitude towards the priesthood. Believe Me: today you obtain a friendly hearing and tomorrow you are put in prison for a year of flogging with serpents! Because these priests are as the ravens and crows, not in the habit of poking the eyes out of their own with their sharp beaks.
13
Hence we shall just make listeners and take note in what way if any they make mention of us. They shall not notice us and even if they did they would not recognise us too easily and so our listening shall be easy and we shall go by what we hear'. Simon of Cana was happy with that and we took our seats in a somewhat dark corner of the Synagogue and listened to what went on.
14
Individuals as well as communal spokesmen were bringing a great many of the most glaring complaints against the Pharisees and were receiving a friendly hearing.
15
When however the people's complaints were over, with the three scribes and Pharisees who had come down from Jerusalem reassuring them that all measures shall be taken to investigate and punish any priests found guilty, one scribe amicably asked the people what if anything they knew of Me, i.e. the notorious agitator Jesus. Because it had come to their ears right up to Jerusalem that he was beating about in Galilee, doing great signs as never done by man before him; whether it be true and what they and others thought of it.