The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Again in Kis
- Chapter 209 -
The purpose of this storm: the demise of the Lord's enemies. Dangers to missionaries. The storm's good results. The good catch.
Peter however steps over to Me, saying confidingly, 'Lord, has the Father's Spirit within You retreated to the extent where You are no longer Master of this storm? Could You not try to silence this storm if possible?' Say I, 'There are wise grounds why this storm, which shall not last long, has to rage its course. If you don't doubt it however, then be advised that there are ten hostile ships upon the sea pursuing us for our destruction. This storm is doing to them what they intended doing to us. If so, why beg Me to halt this most essential storm of our grace. Let it rage until it has achieved its aim, and it then shall cheerfully stop. Look over there and tell Me what the mountainous waves are carrying on their furious backs like nasty and spiteful children tossing their mischievous toys up and down.'
2
Peter looks over the exceptionally stormy, high and wide seascape and straight away notices several shipwrecks, together with one somewhat less damaged, intact ship; and how wrecks and ship are being tossed about by the mighty breakers like chaff; he also sees some people clinging to wreckage and trying to reach shore with a last desperate effort, whilst being buried by wave after wave and intermittently tossed up again.
3
Having watched this spectacle for a while, Peter says to Me, 'Forgive me Lord, for You know that I am still a sinful man and hence burdening You with a basically stupid question. Now I am in the clear. The wicked Jesairian Pharisees went to get help from Jerusalem; then ships with Roman centurions were fitted out to seize us over here. They had to move by sea, as it is not easy to get here to Kis (a town belonging to Kisjonah) on foot, and they have received their well earned reward for their trouble! These shall harm us no more, and judging by the course of the tide, the wrecked ships are being driven towards Sibarah, where there are plenty of reefs which with this unprecedented storm-rage, are not likely to let anyone escape alive! Oh, this is highly appropriate, that this evil, adulterous brood for once received this judgment! This episode may appropriately have robbed the Pharisees of the guts to take up arms against You again'.
4
Say I, 'Satan can take it on the chin a thousand times a thousand, yet after a thousand times a thousand blows he steadily remains the same, most wicked adversary of God and of everything good and true emanating from God's Spirit. Those floating dead upon the sea shall indeed harm us no more; but others shall take their place and force us to retreat to cities of the Greeks; and not many weeks shall pass until then'.
5
Says Peter, 'Lord, surely we shall be left alone during our stay here?'
6
Say I, 'That indeed, but other men and nations of the earth have need of the Gospel as you do, and they are created by the same Father Who created you. To these we must go in spite of all persecutions still awaiting us, bringing them the good news from the heavens. They shall indeed persecute us as well, but by and by shall be converted, and join our pen as lambs.
7
We are good, yet the world is evil, hence we can expect nothing good of it, save an occasional sweet strawberry among the weeds. But behold, the storm has abated, and for this time all danger has passed.'
8
(To Baram), 'Friend, the storm has settled down, and midday has passed with the storm, and hence we shall partake of lunch, to make us sufficiently strong for the afternoon work.'
9
It will not be necessary to say more about the lunch, or shed more light on the effects of the preceding storm on mainly the ten ships. It suffices to know that of the thousand men aboard the ships, only five escaped with their lives, the others becoming prey to the sea; and upon the Sibarian reefs for over a year, human remains, partly gnawed away by fish, were being found, together with a host of Roman arms and chains earmarked for me and My disciples.
10
It will hardly be necessary to relate the chastening effect such a storm had upon the Pharisees as well as the Romans, especially at Capernaum and Nazareth, and I and those with Me were left in peace for some weeks.
11
After lunch on that day, nothing much of note was undertaken, and the disciples hence went to sea with Kisjonah's fishermen, and by evening brought in five big catches of the choicest fish held by this sea, taking them to Kisjonah's fish tanks, who was greatly overjoyed therewith, and about a hundred of them had at once to be most superbly prepared, with all kinds of spices and herbs. And so the day came to an end, with a rest taken after supper, which had become most essential for all.