The Great Gospel of John
Volume 3
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 21 -
The healing of the five possessed murderer robbers.
When we arrive at the five, they raise a horrible cry and roar and begin to curse everything that comes near to them.
2
But I finally allow the soldiers, Julius and Cyrenius to stand back and say to the few soldiers, "Untie them now; for nothing can be done with them in such a state!"
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But the soldiers notice that this is not a good idea , since the five would be too strong and angry; if they were let free worse would be feared than letting twenty tigers free amongst people!
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I now order them, saying, "I command you to do quickly what I order you; not fulfilling My demand could soon land you in a great misfortune!"
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After such a threat of Mine the soldiers finally do for the moment what I ordered, but with great care.
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When the five are free they run towards Me, fall on their faces and cry, "Oh, You almighty son of David, since You have already saved us so far, save us from eternal ruin! We do not fear death to the body, but eternal ruin! For in this night we had as well as all our terrible bodily torment also the sight of the torment of the dammed spirits in hell! And we beg You to torment us for our crimes with every thinkable evil for a hundred years in our poor bodies on this Earth - only spare us the too terrible eternal torments and agonies of hell which are indescribably dreadful!"
7
That was the language of the true souls of these five in a moment of peace from the devil possessing their body who had to show their hell also in its worst nakedness; but immediately the bad in the bodies of the five come forwards and speak in a thousand voices out of the mouths of the five, "What do you want here, you mosquito-tamer? Do you really want to enter a war with us all-powerful gods? Just try it, and you will fight for the last time! Step back, you wretched one, otherwise we will tear you into tiniest pieces of dust and give you to the wind!"
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I say to this, "With what right have you been plaguing these five people for years? Who gave you permission? Know that this is your last hour! The mosquito-tamer orders you now to leave these five people for ever and to go immediately to your deepest hell!"
9
The devils roar and say in a terrible howl, "If your power can force us, then let us rather go into the white ants of Africa; for it is better to be with them than in our hell!"
10
"No," I say, "I have no mercy in my heart for you and yours, because you have had none for those you have killed despite their most desperate pleading; thus now without any mercy or pity, out with you!"
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At my powerful command the evil spirits come out and pull the five down to the ground.
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But I say, "Retreat, you miserable ones! Off to hell with you, and may you receive your reward!"
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But the spirits remain a little and beg for mercy and pity; for their evil is abating.
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I say, "But it is in you to be good, for you have knowledge of good and evil; but your arrogant will is evil and unrestrained and therefore there can be no mercy and no pity! You yourself want to suffer and to be tortured, so suffer and be tortured eternally! For My order lasts eternally and is unchanging, as you well know. But you also know what you have to do to profit from the eternal order; because you use it for your detriment however, so enjoy the damage too, and away out of my sight!"
15
At this there is a powerful bang, smoke and fire come out of the earth and a crevice swallows up the sordid vermin. For the spirits that had been driven out showed themselves to the witnesses as jet-black snakes which now were consumed by the flaming crack in the earth, which frightened those present so much that they began to tremble.
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But I now turn to Mark, who stands ready with bread, wine and salt, and say to him, "Give to the five some wine now, then some bread and salt!"
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Now the sons of Mark lift the five from the earth and pour some wine into their open mouths. Then they come quickly to consciousness and did not know what had happened to them.
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But I said to them, "Now take some bread with salt and then some more wine, and you will come back to strength and full consciousness!"
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At this they take bread and salt and, as ordered, after a short while some more wine, and in a few moments they raise themselves, but naturally they still look very bad, pale and thin.
20
And Cyrenius asks Me quite shyly what should now be done with the five, whether they should be set free or whether they should be looked after in some sort of care house.
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I say, "Leave these cares for today, tomorrow will show what should be done in future! If they are well looked after by us today then they will look better. But now we must rest here a while and you, Mark, have them bring some more oil! The tightly bound chains and cords have covered their skin with wounds and boils; these should be rubbed with oil and wine so that they soon heal!"
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Mark now brings some oil and his sons rub in an ointment which suits the five very well; for they admit at this treatment that it feels very good and one after the other tries to stand, which takes considerable effort at first, but gradually improves.
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When the five who were saved are quite better after an hour, they begin to ask where they are and what had happened to them.
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And Mark, who naturally is nearest with his sons says to them, "You were very ill and were brought here as such yesterday afternoon; but here is the famous savior from Nazareth who brings help to all people, no matter what illness they have, and this savior has now helped you. You will get to know him later."