The Great Gospel of John
Volume 3
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 138 -
Cyrenius gives order to send for witnesses against the Pharisees from Caesarea.
1
(Cyrenius) "But just now something occurs to me! I will immediately send a messenger to the district governor who will have to send me all sorts of prosecutors and witnesses from the city. They will have something to say about these foxes and we will then soon corner them!"
2
Mathael says, "The thought has something in it! At least in that way you can put them under guard. But that must be put into action quickly!"
3
Cyrenius immediately has two riders come past and explains to them what he wants from the district governor. They instantly hurry off towards the city.
4
But when the arch-Pharisees, murmuring among one another, notice this, the high Pharisee steps up to Cyrenius again and says, "Lord and ruler, why do you allow the riders to go to the city? Did you send them there on our behalf? Do you want to destroy our legal claims which have even been sanctioned by your law? Lord, that will be difficult; for we have the law and God on our side! You only would have to give new laws which can be of as little use for the moment as the old ones; for the effect of a new law can never be retroactive!"
5
Cyrenius says somewhat annoyed, "You speak when you are spoken to! I know your request and your responsibility too! It now depends on me alone. I must seek advice with my official people whether you are worthy of the emperor's granting of your petition!
6
If you are found to be worthy after the strictest test, your demand will be granted; but if you are found to be unworthy, not only any granting is cancelled but a punishment will follow for the cheekiness that you have undertaken by desiring mercy from the State to cover your sins as punishable people! Pay good attention! A supreme governor of Rome judges quite differently to you! He never judges according to favors and the external appearance of the person, but always without difference of status according to laws and rights.
7
Thus be very careful how you stand with your conscience in secret before God and before people! For a much stricter account is demanded from you as so-called servants of God - although God needs no servants since His omnipotence and all-wisdom, His all-presence and all-knowledge already serve Him best throughout eternity - and from you as teachers of the people than from the uneducated people who often hardly knows a few laws in need and even then has no idea which spirit they hide inside themselves.
8
But you know the law and the spirit and must recognize it and must be indoctrinated in all truth. Therefore you will also see why you are dealt with on my part much more strictly for the sake of the people than with a private person! For either you must be as pure as the sun, or you have never been worthy of your office! Therefore you do not have to worry about what I do either to accuse or excuse you! But go and put your petition on parchment and then hand it over so that I have more proof in my hands either for or against you!"
9
The high Pharisee says, "High lord and ruler! Today is a new moon Sabbath on which every activity is forbidden. On this holy day man has to occupy himself while his body is resting alone in spirit with God; we are only allowed to speak, but we cannot write until sunset. But after sunset we want to give you our petition in writing."
10
Cyrenius asks, "Did Moses give you the law about this particular observance of the new moon Sabbath?"
11
The high Pharisee says, "Not Moses exactly, but his follower, through whose mouth the spirit of God often spoke like through Moses? sacred mouth."
12
Cyrenius says, "About that I would like to raise a strong doubt! For the divine spirit looks out of the pure laws and orders of Moses in a tangible way; but as far as your new moon celebration is concerned nothing is to be seen except the deepest superstition and a whole ship's cargo full of coarse human stupidity. What is the new moon? You don't know it, but we know and must therefore laugh about your full moon celebration most heartily. And our wise men who understand a lot are amazed at how it is possible that in the nearest neighborhood of the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians there can be such idiots and crudest sinister characters who don't even know what the moon is and what the new moon is! But do tell me what you imagine the moon to be!"
13
The high Pharisee says, "Rather you tell us what you, high lord and ruler, think of the moon, then we also want to say to you what we think about the moon!"