The Great Gospel of John
Volume 10
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in Golan
- Chapter 85 -
The pagan priests defend their behavior on the stormy night.
While they were very cheerfully talking with each other about this teaching of Mine, 2 of the more important pagan priests entered our inn to greet the captain, whose presence they heard from those poorer people who assembled that morning around our hill. But they especially came to our inn to come to know the Man in Galilean clothing, for they had heard from the poorer people that on that hazy morning the mighty elements obeyed His word and will.
2
When they entered the dining hall, they immediately bowed deeply before the captain and said (the priests): "Forgive us, high commander in the name of the great and mighty emperor by the almightiness of the gods and their most important servants among men whom they choose and appointed by their invisible active will. If you have for us also a new command from the great city of Rome, of the emperor and the gods, be so merciful to make it known to us in the manner and the time which seems most suitable to you, so that we can comply with it."
3
The captain said: "This time I do not have a new command, not for you, neither for the people, for our laws are established, and up to now none were added. But something came to my ears about you that does not make me happy.
4
Why do you deceive and lie to the people and want to extort offerings from them for your own physical well being, because you pretend that it is only thanks to you that the angered gods did not change this city and the whole environment into a desert and that the hazy and still ominous morning was suddenly changed into a clear day. You very bluntly announce such things to the people who saw that you were the first to run out of your temples and houses during the storm and earthquake, and saw you looking for protection in the open air. Are you thus establishing the faith of the people or are you destroying it?
5
If the people can see nothing but the greatest fright, fear and a complete lack of trust and faith with the priests who always let themselves be honored and glorified as loyal servants and friends of the gods, and who should be the most brave and courageous, how can they, once the danger is over, still believe any of the words of such priests - as you have shown yourselves already several times as they say - while the people know very well out of experience that they themselves do not even possess a spark of faith and trust in a higher divine power? And how can such priests stand before the people afterwards and lie to them in a rough and bold manner?"
6
On this, one of the 2 pagan priests said: "Forgive me, high commander, but in this sphere of ours you did not give a completely right judgment. It is indeed true that on many dangerous situations a priest should always show to the wavering people the greatest courage and a great firm trust in the possible help of the highest gods in order to inspire them to have courage and to awaken faith and a firm trust in their mind, but at extremely dangerous occasions also the priest should show the people that he fears the gods when they reveal their anger by the terrible raging of the elements.
7
Although a priest is a mediator between the gods and men, but he is no Lord as the immortal gods, and this he will never be, for also a priest must die, just like any other human being, and thus he also should fear the gods.
8
As long as the gods are clearly showing the people that they exist and are almighty, through lightnings, thunder, strong winds, terrible rains, hail, snow and heavy cold weather at unusual times that damage the fruits of the Earth, then a priest can still stand with a greater courage before the people that became fearful, comfort and strengthen them, and awaken and establish faith and trust in them. But sometimes the gods reach with their power to the foundations of the Earth, shake it to and fro and threaten then to turn everything upside down - and then, also the faith of a priest has the right to shake together with the surface of the Earth.
9
Although he can try to make the gods milder through prayers and suitable promises, he can show at the same time that he also is only a weak human being and who always must fear the gods.
10
Look, high commander, since this is how things are, we really did nothing wrong during that night of true terror to indeed show the people our justified fear for the almightiness of the gods. But since the angered gods became milder again by our priests because of the promises that were made to them, it is now the time to inform the people what they should do, together with us, to entirely fulfill the promises that we priests faithfully made to the gods, without reluctance or punishable neglect, for otherwise, at a future occasion, by which the gods could even be more angered, we hardly can hope for any mildness. For only 7 times do the gods have patience with the most important weaknesses of men. The 8th time they hardly will show anymore indulgence or patience.
11
And because we emphatically made it known now to the people, our actions are certainly good and just regarding the gods and those of the people who still posses some faith and a good will. And it cannot be said that by that we made the people's faith and trust in the gods weaker.
12
I think, high commander, that with this short explanation I have sufficiently justified our behavior. I have said."