The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
In Capernaum and Nazareth
- Chapter 131 -
Healing of the possessed deaf and dumb. The Pharisee's testimony as of the devil. Cornelius pronounces crucifixion for the wicked. Matthew talks to the condemned. Their clever apologetics and rescue through Jesus.
But these two had hardly left the house when new arrivals brought a man who was both dumb and possessed (Matt. 9:32). Several Pharisees and scribes whom we had left behind at Matthew's house had also followed them, to see what I should do inside the house and to where I would turn. In front of the house they encountered the two blind, who immediately told them that one dumb and possessed is about to be healed, but they told them nothing about themselves, for they still feared in their hearts.
2
In response to this the Pharisees hurried, lest they should be late. On entering the room, they recognised the possessed, who also was dumb and they said, 'Oh, this one we have known for a long time. With him no power has any effect. When his devil gets wild, he uproots trees and no wall or chain is too strong for him. He does not burn in the fire and let the fish beware if he enters the water. The best thing about him is that he is dumb and deaf, if he could also hear and talk, then no creature on earth would be safe with him. Oh, this man is terrible! Everything flees before him, even the most rapacious animals. And this one he intends healing? This one only the devils' chief can heal!'
3
Say I, 'And yet shall I heal him, that you should at last recognise that all beings must obey God's might'
4
Therewith I stretched out a hand over the possessed and spoke, 'Come out of this person, you unclean, evil spirit!' Here the spirit cried, 'Where should I go?' Say I, 'Where the sea is deepest, there a monster awaits you!' The evil spirit cried out again and at once left the man.
5
Thereupon the man at once assumed an amicable appearance, began to talk full of gratitude, answering everyone with propriety and the gentlest of words: all became convinced that he had also lost his deaf and dumbness.
6
The disciples however and all folk present began to greatly marvel, saying, 'Truly, this surpasses everything! This has never been heard of in Israel (Matt. 9:33); there has been banishment of wind and storm, even if on a much smaller scale, and there have been revival of the seemingly dead, whilst rocks had to yield water and Manna came from heaven in response to Moses' prayer, of course nothing to that high degree of perfection.
7
When Solomon was building the Temple and no workers wanted to lend their hands for a month, he prayed to God for workers and a great many youths came and offered Solomon their service and Solomon took them on, working with them for a month, as tradition would have it.
8
In short, since Abraham, quite a few wonders have taken place, but, as God truly lives and reigns, nothing equals this wondrous deed!'
9
This wonderment thoroughly angered the Pharisees, and not being able to contain themselves, they spoke to the people, 'How can you be such blind fools! Did we not upon entering the room immediately indicate to you who could be the master of such possessed? We told you that only the devils' chief could do this. He also healed the possessed of course, but how? He cast out this devil through the devils' prince. (Matt. 9:34)
10
This testimony to Me in front of the people by the furious Pharisees was the last straw to the commander Cornelius, also in attendance. Utterly outraged at these remarks, he thundered a sentence over the Pharisees and scribes, 'Even this very day the cross shall be your lot! I shall make you tell the difference between God and the devil!'
11
Hearing such thunder, the Pharisees began to dreadfully howl and despair. But the people were jubilant, saying, 'Ah! Have you at last found the right one to drive out your old devil? Serves you right all the way. For you are yourselves fully the equals of the devils' prince, you continue to fight the way he once fought the archangel Michael for Moses' body, i.e. about the dead matter of his teaching and persecute all with the curse, fire and sword, - everything that even remotely scents of spirituality. Hence it is you who always act with the devil's help, lending a hand to the lying spirit. Hence the devils' sentence is a fully just one for you Satan henchmen, and no compassion stirs our hearts.'
12
Here Matthew the tax collector steps over to the Pharisees, saying, 'It is about four days since on the last Sabbath the Master Jesus freed the old brother of my mother from palsy, how much was said to you then by way of fundamental truths! Children understood it almost with their hands and pointed their fingers at you. The Master Himself spoke to you with such wisdom that you were filled with astonishment and were forced to ask how He came by such wisdom. Yet neither His Spirit-and-instruction-filled-answers, nor His unheard of deeds were able to open your eyes.
13
If such deeds and teachings are not capable of opening your eyes, even whilst your wicked hearts only get steadily more furious and vengeful, say, what do you still lack for accomplished devilry? I tell you indeed, as I already told you, that you are worse than all devils put together and it is therefore right before God and all better mankind that you be extirpated like ravenous beasts.
14
Even if I am an exceedingly sensitive person, unable to hurt a fly or tread upon a worm, yet I could quite easily myself strike off your heads without feeling uneasy about it. Hence I praise the chief Cornelius for condemning you to the gallows' (synonymous with cross).
15
When the Pharisees in their great fear saw that no one felt mercy for them or were about to intercede with the Commander, who held the inexorable Jus Gladii over all Galilee, they fell on their knees before the commander, averring that they had not meant Jesus harm, the way it was taken, but had only wanted to highlight how the obviously divine power within the Master of all masters Jesus, could and has to also manifest by making the prince of the devils subservient to it, for it should be bad for mankind if God had no power over the devils. If undisputedly however God's supreme power is acting through Jesus, then it has to be able to reign over all devils as over all angels and be capable of enforcing their strictest obedience. 'Hence we only wanted through our pronouncement to emphasise that his godly power extends over everything in heaven, on and under the earth. Since however we had meant only that and not possibly anything else by our exclamation, for which you have condemned us to death, how is it possible that you as an exalted lord of Rome, could have pronounced such sentence over us? We therefore beg you in the divine name of Jesus that you would most mercifully retract the pronounced sentence.'
16
Says the commander, 'If Jesus, the Master, is willing to put a word in for you, then I shall retract my word; but if He keeps His silence, then you die without further ado even this day. For I put no trust in your words, because your hearts don't tally with your mouths!'
17
After these words from the chief, they all rush at Me, clamouring, 'Oh Jesus, you good Master, we beg you to rescue and save us. Have us flogged if you don't trust our words not to place any further obstacles in your path. For we all are convinced now that you are a purest servant of God to us, His unfortunately profusely degenerated children. Oh, Jesus, do not overhear our plea!'
18
Say I, 'So go home in peace! But beware of more exploits, or I would no longer say to you then: go home in peace.'
19
They all promised, and the commander said; 'As He gave you the peace, so give I, taking back the sentence for now; but beware if I find out even the least about you.'
20
The Pharisees thank Me and the chief exceedingly and fervently, departing hastily and keeping utter silence; for they all dreaded Cornelius terribly. But in their hearts they hatched that much harder how to ruin Me and revenge themselves on the chief; yet they had to, due to lack of opportunity, grin and bear it, their survival depending on it. This nevertheless was good for My cause, for I now could for a lengthy period, until late autumn, preach the Gospel of the kingdom of God without hindrance in all the cities and market places of Galilee, healing all kinds of diseases and sicknesses among the people. (Matt. 9:35)