The Great Gospel of John
Volume 3
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 131 -
All human unease is dispelled by Raphael.
Zahr says, "Shouldn't we wake the sleepers then?"
2
Raphael says, "They will wake up soon enough when the Lord is fully with us again!"
3
Jarah jumps up most hurriedly and asks with a passionately loving force, "From where, where is He coming from, the love of all love!? My eyes still don't see anything!"
4
Raphael says smiling, "It doesn't matter; if your heart just sees Him, your eyes will soon catch up! He will be here at the full sunrise!"
5
Helena, who has also remained awake, says, "Jarah, let's hurry towards Him! Oh, what bliss it is to meet Him!"
6
Jarah says, "Yes, yes, friend, you come along too! Oh, what a joy that will be if we see Him from some distance coming towards us!"
7
Next both hurry like the wind towards the wood in the west and soon disappear in it.
8
Ouran, who was also awake, looked after the two and said, when they disappeared in the wood, "In the end they go astray? The mountain rises quite sharply over there, as it seems, towards the south, and must be several hours away!? They will run on in their haste and the Master might come from another side and they will seek Him and in the end not find Him!"
9
Raphael says, "Worry about something else! These two will get lost just as little as I would or could get lost. Where the heart is once in such a very strongest light because of love, going astray in anything is henceforth purely impossible! They will certainly get deep into the forest; but they will find the Master!"
10
With this Ouran calms down, directs his glance once again towards the still fiercely burning and also very strongly smoking city and discovers with his far-seeing, sharp eyes a number of groups setting off in all directions. He also sees whole processions coming towards our mountain and says, "Well, health to every one! If they all come to us, where will we get enough bread for that many people? These will eat old Mark along with his household completely out of house and home!"
11
Raphael says, "Worry about something else! The whole Earth and all creatures on it certainly need very much of everything in every moment, and the Lord nonetheless satisfies the whole Earth itself and all the beings on it! But what is the Earth in comparison with the sun, which is more than ten times a hundred thousand times larger than this Earth and constantly needs an immeasurable amount of food to maintain its powerful light and to maintain the countless creatures on its wide pastures of light; and the Lord cares for them as much as for you, noble friend!
12
But now think about the eternally immeasurable space of creation full of suns and earths of even greater size than this Earth and its illuminating sun! All of them are constantly most richly equipped by one and the same Lord with everything that they need for their existence. Nowhere is there a lack, but everywhere there is the greatest abundance! But if it is so and it is eternally impossible in any other way, how can you then worry from where we will get enough bread for so many, who are now on their way to us here from the city?"
13
Ouran says, "Yes, yes, you are quite correct! I am no wise man, and I often forget for moments where I am now; but now I am quite in order again!"
14
Hebram, who has also remained awake among his thirty companions, comes over and says, "But that will cause great confusion today as the strict Sabbath! If this fire had happened on a working day, we could support those who were burnt out and come to us with advice and deeds, but as it is, it will be a difficult task today even for the great Master!"
15
Raphael says, "You also, worry about something else! Have you ever seen the sun celebrating the Sabbath, or the moon, or the stars, or the wind, the rain, or the growth of the plants and several other things? But why do these creations not celebrate the Sabbath? Because the very most active will of the Lord never celebrates a Sabbath, whose Lord He is!
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Or how can you imagine an annoying law that God has ordered for the people only for their salvation for as long as it seems to Him to be advisable?!
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But if God neglects the Sabbath and its celebration, what are you then trying to achieve with your foolish Sabbath? Wouldn't you like to dispute the Sabbath with me? Should I also bless the Sabbath through useless, purposeless and senseless idleness? Oh, wait, exactly today as a Sabbath I will make such a storm that your hearing and sight will disappear for months!"
18
Hebram says, "Oh, you heavenly friend, you don't have to take my question badly! Just always think that we are people and even with the best will possible we still always fall into old habits in extraordinary circumstances, like a pig in a poke! But you, oh powerful servant and angel of God, protect us all in the future from this; for we are all sheer weak and very fragile people!"
19
Raphael says, "Go over to your brothers and calm them; for they all are floating in the same foolish worries about the Sabbath, with which you came here! Show them the great foolishness of their worries! They are now gradually becoming awake." Hebram goes and does with good success what Raphael ordered.
20
When this is in order, Ebahl from Genezareth wakes up and immediately asks Ouran about his Jarah, but the latter informs him about what has happened and how Jarah and Helena went to seek the Lord in the forest.
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Ebahl says, "Oh, oh, they should not have done that! The wood will probably already be populated with all sorts of guests from Caesarea! How easily might something happen to them that could affect them most unpleasantly!"
22
Raphael says, "You worry about something else as well! Both of them reached the right place a long time ago and will soon be here again. The Lord is coming at the full sunrise and both of them will not be far behind him!"
23
Ouran says, "How long do we have until the full sunrise?"
24
Raphael says, "About another short half hour!"