The Great Gospel of John
Volume 4
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 28 -
Cyrenius recognizes his daughters. Risa and Zinka become the sons-in-law of Cyrenius.
Says Cyrenius: "Only a little patience, my dearest children and daughters! - Your name is Gamiela, and what is the name of your younger sister?"
2
Says the younger one: "My name is Ida; this is how I was always called."
3
At that point Cyrenius embraced Me and said: "Lord, yes, how should I thank You?! O God, o Father! In this way you have given me back my two dearest daughters, which were taken away from me by the cheekiest hands seventeen years ago! How this was possible despite the guarding of my house, is still a mystery to me!
4
Straight away I send scouts into all directions, to look and ask for the lost sisters and a courageous captain said to me: 'Even if Pluto has stolen them from you, I bring them to you! But if the sea has devoured them or any greedy predator, then all trouble will be in vain!' He went and for three years all his efforts were in vain.
5
I also send scouts to You, o Lord, to Nazareth. They were asking about you, but returned with the disastrous news home, that there is nothing about You anymore. You were actually a very calm, but otherwise an absolutely stupid boy between thirteen and fourteen years, not even mentioning anything about prophesying!
6
Your own parents gave a very tiresome testimony about You and said, that with Your twelfth year any sign of any wisdom was completely lost and that You are, regarding mind and insight, taking second place to every other normal earthly boy. For the sake of me they have urged You, to only this time make a prophecy for my messengers; but You kept quiet and said in the end that You not have come into this world to prophesy, but to work like any other person!
7
When You were asked, if You could remember everything You have done from the cradle to your twelfth year, You said, what there was, is no more! And when You were asked about the reason, you did not speak again, left the room and went outside, - and my messengers returned empty handed home!
8
And as such all my searching was in vain. For seven full years I mourned about my two dearest daughters, - and see, here they are! At that time You have kept them from me, to give them back to me in a double wonderfully manner! Yes, Lord, how should I actually thank You for that?"
9
Says I: "You have already done this by taking care of all those who were caught here and you have troubled yourself to make arrangements for their accommodation and for their better destination in future, as what they had experienced up to now! In short, - you, My first friend Cyrenius, has already done so many things for Me, that I cannot let you unrewarded on this earth! But one day in My kingdom in heaven, you will therefore also receive an even bigger reward!
10
But since you have your daughters back in a complete healthy state, think of them, to whom I have given your daughters as brides! The two men are not of royal parentage; however, they are now so to speak My sons, - and this should also be sufficient for you!"
11
Says Cyrenius: "Lord, Your will is a most pleasant commandment for me, and for my two sons in law I surely will find means and ways, whereby they will be placed in such a way, to be most useful to the spiritually and physical poor people!
12
But now come you my dearest daughters to me and let me press you against my heart; since I'm now one of the most happiest fathers of the whole world! How happy will your mother be to have you back; since she was disconsolately about you! If she could see you, her happiness would be even greater; but despite her great lovingness she nevertheless is blind. Being blind she became my wife, after which she received the eye light for a while, but later on went blind again! But she has very sharp senses, so that I bet that she will recognize you immediately. Oh, how infinitively happy I am know! Come here, all the poor, I want to make you happy with all my strength!
13
If I think about it, how we found you floating in the sea, tied together by the hair! If at that time I only had the faintest idea that you were my daughters, how terrible unhappy the sight of you would have made me! Only now, after being alive again, the Lord allowed a close acquaintance with you, so that I could become blessed as much as possible! And now I am, and therefore to You, o Lord, all praise and all my love!"