The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord on the Mount of Olives (John Chapter 8)
- Chapter 201 -
The exposure of the adulteress' seducer.
It was already beyond midday when also the large crowd left the temple and returned to their inns and also our adulteress headed for home and uncovered everything to her husband what had happened in the temple.
2
Thereupon the husband became sad and said: "Not you, my good wife, but I carry the main guild for it!"
3
Then one of those who brought the wife back home, asked: "How is this possible, that you carry the guilt about the adulterousness of your wife?"
4
Said the husband: "Friends, truly, only the greatest distress has forced me and my wife to accept the shining proposal of a foreigner! But the foreigner had to be either a dressed up henchman or even a randy pharisee, who was lascivious about my wife for quite a long time already. For when I took the money and carried it into another room, the henchmen already appeared and grabbed the wife from the arms of the foreigner, and I had to ascribe it to myself to have thrown my wife into the biggest misery. That she is back again, indicates that something extraordinary must have taken place; since none of the many who were caught in this manner have ever seen daylight again. What was it that this my wife was freed again? You dear men were surely witnesses of everything that happened in the temple. Don't you want to tell what you have seen?"
5
Said the men: "All this your wife will tell you. This poor woman has only to thank the great Prophet from Galilee for her release. But he also said this, that henceforth she should not sin again; because if she did, her misfortune would increase manifold. This to your life-guideline!"
6
Here the man asked if he could not be that very lucky to somewhere meet with the Prophet, so that he could thank him in a worthy manner.
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Said the men: "Where he is right now, we cannot tell you; but we have learned that every time he comes to Jerusalem, he stays with Lazarus from Bethany. We ourselves want to go and look for him. You can do the same! At least there we will learn to where He went."
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Said the husband: "He then is possibly on the Oil Mountain, since Lazarus usually stays on the Oil Mountain during festive times, since he owns a large inn there, which is strongly visited by foreigners."
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Said the men: "Even better! We then will look for him there first! And if he is not there, we travel to Bethany!"
10
Here the husband and his wife thanked them for the news and after locking his small dwelling he, together with his wife, went along, which was accepted well by the men. However, on the way they passed some pharisees, and there was one who immediately was recognized by the husband and his wife, as the foreigner dressed up in Roman clothes, who earlier in the morning made the beautiful young wife an adulteress for money. This the two told to the accompanying men.
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The men went to the pharisee and asked him quite gruffly: "Hey, friend, do you know this women whom you enticed to cause adultery for money while dressed up in Roman clothes? That it was you is proven by your shaven head, and both of them have recognized you already from quite a distance! What do you say to that? See, we are seventy-two in number and will drag you before the Roman court. What do you say to that?"
12
At that point the three wanted to run away; but the men did not allowed it to happen, grabbed them and once more asked the shaved one. But he started to curse and to swear that it was not him.
13
But the man and the wife said: "This wretched swearing is of no use; since you know that the testimony of two people before the court is valid. Therefore go with us to the court, so that you wretched fall into the grave which you have dug for us!"
14
Thereupon the three started to beg and wanted to give to the man a large sum of money. But the man did not accepted it, but instead insisted that the temple should leave him alone in future. This they promised ceremoniously and the men let the three go, however, under the strict promise that they immediately will go to the Roman judge if they only would hear the slightest news that the temple expressed it unfavourably towards them. That the married couple was thereafter left alone by the clerics is easily understandable.
15
And thus also this incident was caused by My will; since without it the poor couple would have had a bad standing in Jerusalem and would be constantly in great danger.