The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Second day in Sychar
- Chapter 77 -
At Sychar. The Lord and the troublemakers. The commander's dark thoughts about mankind's depravity. Jonael indicates trust in the Lord. 'He shall do it in His time'.
Upon these words, many who earlier had moved to this spot during the talk with Simon Peter now thronged towards Me, clamouring for signs, saying, 'If you could work signs before the blind, who have no knowledge or understanding and hence cannot evaluate them, then do them also before us! If they are genuine then we also shall believe on You; but if they are false and bad, then we shall know what it leaves us to do! Because we are initiated into all things!'
2
Say I, 'Good, if you are initiated into all things, why do you need signs? If you are so wise as to pretend to God's wisdom in all things, then you shall recognise it anyway whether I teach the truth or not! What for the signs then?! But there have already, these last three and a half days, been signs of a most extraordinary nature aplenty, for whose authenticity hundreds of witnesses stand here. If these don't suffice you then no new ones shall suffice your malicious hearts either! Hence be gone from here of your own accord, if you don't wish to be removed by force!'
3
Cry those being dismissed, 'Who will, who can and is allowed to remove us by force?! Are not we the lords of this place, living and trading and working and ruling here as citizens of Rome! We can indeed remove and drive you out at once, but not be removed by you simple-minded Galilean, as would please you! And we command you in full authority to leave this town by midnight, as we are fed up with your hanging around!'
4
Say I, 'O you blind fools! How much longer do you wish to live by your full authority? It would cost Me only one thought and you and the fullness of your authority are dust! Hence return to your houses, or the place you stand on shall swallow you!'
5
At that moment the earth cleaves open at their feet, with smoke and flames billowing forth. Seeing this, the blasphemers wail, ' Woe unto us! We are lost, having sinned against Elijah!' - With such howling they take off and the gap closes. But we quietly move into Joram's house.
6
As we all enter the chambers of Irhael and Joram's house, everything there is ready for the evening meal. I bless it and all are seated at the tables, - close to a thousand in all. All eat and drink, praising the superb flavours of food and wine, being happy and of good cheer. Only the commander, who had escorted us from the previous place with his wife and some deputies, was gloomy and ate and drank little. Jonael came and sat next to him to ask the cause of his sombreness.
7
The commander sighed deeply, saying, 'Noble and wise friend! How can one be cheerful if one finds nearly all of mankind a thousand times too bad for even the lowest hell, if there be one?! Where two hungry wolves find a bone and start a furious fight, one understands. Firstly they are wolves - animals without reason, natural machines, driven by powerful natural needs to satiate themselves; and secondly they are devoid of accountability, like a swollen stream unable to prevent destruction of everything nearby on account of its vast water-mass. But here are people who by their own witness command all levels of education and wisdom, yet are more evil than all wolves, tigers, hyenas, lions and bears! They demand all consideration towards themselves but don't want to give the least of it to fellow man! Say friend, are these also humans? Do they deserve any mercy?! No say I, a thousand times no! Just wait, you barbarians! I shall kindle you a light, that you won't know ever again whether you are coming or going!'
8
Says Jonael, 'But what will you do? If you bump them off, you shall make enemies elsewhere; these shall inform on you in Rome, where you may get into ill-repute and possibly suffer expulsion to Scythia! Hence leave revenge exclusively to the Lord, and be assured that He shall find the exact measure for this people!
9
Read the story of my people, and it will show you to a hair's breath how the Lord at all times punished their sins most severely and often relentlessly, and I tell you, the Lord of heaven and earth is unchangeably the same as He was from eternity! He is long-suffering, full of greatest patience and never leaves the nation without teachers and signs from above; but the people beware once His patience runs thin! Once He swings the rod He does not relent until all the nation's limbs are broken and the bones tenderised like thin mush!
10
Whatever you would accomplish here with only much dangerous effort, He can do with His most feeble thought. But so long as the Lord Himself is minded of tolerating such people, we shall not lay hands on them!
11
You surely have seen how easy it was for the Lord to split the earth in front of the villains, and make smoke and fire to go forth from the gaping cleft?! To Him it would have verily been just as easy to convert these blasphemers to dust and ashes! But it pleased Him to just frighten them and beat them to retreat.
12
If it suffices the Lord, let it suffice us; for He alone knows how to at all times find the right measure. But if the Lord is visibly well-disposed whilst among us, even showing some joy in us few, why should we be sullen and sad? Be happy and of good cheer, and glad of God's grace, leaving everything else to Him!'