The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Second day in Sychar
- Chapter 65 -
At Sychar. Jairuth accompanies the Lord. The guardian angel's service. Scene with Roman mercenary soldiers.
Jairuth nevertheless would rather have Me stay with him for the day; but I show him how there still are sundry sick in this district whom I want to visit along the way. Jairuth therefore asks Me whether he could at least accompany Me back to town, and I grant this. He immediately gets ready but also asks the youths to accompany him!
2
But the youths say: 'It is better for us to stay here, because the guests in the outhouse have reported you to the Romans as an insurgent, and your house would fare badly without us.'
3
This news utterly unsettles Jairuth and he asks with great agitation: 'What Satanic person could have said such to the Romans, and what could have gotten into them?'
4
Says one youth: 'Behold, there are merchants in Sychar who are not as fortunate as yourself; they cannot purchase castles and even less acquire large tracts of land, the way you have done in Arabia on the Red Sea. Such merchants therefore envy you your worldly fortune and are filled with the desire to ruin you. They would also succeed this time if we were not with you; but because we guard you in the name of the Lord, not one of your hairs shall be bent. But make sure that you stay away from home for at least three days!'
5
This quietens Jairuth down and he makes haste to join Me on the journey.
6
As we move over the castle courtyard, a detachment of Roman mercenaries and thugs encounter us, making a halt and commanding us to stop! But I Myself step forward , displaying the Nicodemus pass. But the commander says, 'This is nothing in face of suspected treason!'
7
Say I: 'What do you demand of us? You were moved to this step through the shameless lie of a bunch of grudgers;' but I tell you there is not a true word in it! If you could lend your ear so willingly to a lie then lend it the more to the open truth, for which you find more witnesses here than for the shameless lie of a few malcontents in town!'
8
Says the commander: 'These are vain excuses and count nothing with me. Only by facing the accusers at court can truth be established; hence come unhesitatingly to court, or force is applied!'
9
Say I: 'Over there is the castle; its master only was reported to you as a revolter; go there and see if you discover any trace of a revolt! - But if you want to force us to follow you to your unjust court then we can counter you with proper force and we shall see who eats the humble pie! Do therefore what you will! My time has not come yet; I have told you that no guilt resides here! But he who is in the right should also defend it by word and deed!'
10
The commander looks over our large numbers and gives the order to catch and tie us up. The mercenaries and thugs fall upon the youths first, trying to catch them, but the youths dodge them so smartly that not one can be caught. As the soldiers and thugs are exhausting and scattering themselves in trying to catch the youths, the youths seeming to disappear in all directions, I say to the commander: 'It seems to me that it is getting hard for you to catch us?' The commander heaves after Me with his sword, but that moment one youth rips away his sword, throwing it beyond visibility and so destroying it.
11
Say I to the commander: 'Now then, with what will you heave and stab at Me now?' The commander says with raging fury: 'So this is how Rome's authority is respected here?! Good, I shall know how to report this to Rome, and then look at your area shortly and tell if its still the same one! Not a stone shall be left atop another!'
12
But I point to how his soldiers and thugs, tied up in ropes are being driven forward by the youths! Seeing this, the commander starts to implore Zeus, Mars and even the furies to save him from such humiliation!
13
But I say to the youths to release the soldiers and thugs again, and these do so forthwith. Thereupon I say to the Commander: 'Now, are you still eager to try your strength on us? The Commander says that these youths would have to be gods, as otherwise it could never be possible to defeat these his select warriors with bare hands.
14
Say I: 'Yes, yes, for you and your type they should be gods indeed; hence leave us to continue our journey and continue your investigation in the castle, or worse shall befall you!'
15
Says the Commander: 'I herewith declare you innocent and permit you to continue on your journey. You my troops however move to the caste, check out everything and let none leave the castle until you have checked everything; I shall await you here!' Says one deputy: 'Why not examine them yourself in the castle?' Says the Commander: 'Don't you see my sword is gone? Such investigation is not possible without a sword!' Says the deputy: 'We are no better off by one hair's breadth; of what legal force such swordless examination?!' - Says the Commander: 'What - you without weapons too?! This is nasty! - We can't do a thing without weapons. - Hm, how shall we get on?'
16
Say I: 'Over there, towards noon, lie your weapons, under the tall Cedar; go and get them, as we fear you just as little with your weapons as without them!' With this they move towards where their weapons rest.