The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
At the Sea of Galilee (John 6)
- Chapter 84 -
The dismissal of the three physicians.
The three doctors were standing there like petrified and no one could get one word over his lips.
2
Then the tax collector asked the quite cheerful son what testimony he want to give to the three.
3
Said the son: "The very same as this foreign, miracle Saviour has given them! They are not worried in the least to heal a sick person, but only that he swallows as much of their remedial potions as possible, so that they could earn a lot of money. But that they never have truly helped anybody, the whole town and surrounding knows. But how they helped me, they already helped many others before, - namely from this world to the next! I think that I have said enough.
4
This is however truly worth mentioning: They are Jews, like they said from Jerusalem, and boast a lot about their Jehovah, and that they only can help him who believes in their God and bring Him a large sacrifice in gold, silver and gemstones which must be placed in their hands so that they could send it to Jerusalem, where a certain high priest in a most holy chamber prays to Jehovah for the sick, after which he certainly will become better. However, what should we Greeks say about this who already have too many Gods? Should we accept another God so that he also cannot help us, just like all the others have never helped anyone, except their clever priests, who collected the copious sacrifices with for the gods consecrated faces and secretly squander it on all kinds of bad things and deeds?!
5
But I hereby make now an open confession and say: This wonderful foreigner is from now on for all times to come the only true God for me! He is a Jehovah for the Jews and a Zeus for the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. In him all the gods must be united. We quite often have heard fairy tales how this or that god in ancient times has effectuated something just by his almighty will; but we Greeks as also people never had the luck to see something like that with our own eyes. But here stands a person who can do this, and for me he is a true God, what I now firmly believe and this faith I will keep for the rest of my life. - What are you saying to this?"
6
Said the tax collector: "Yes, my son, also I and all people of this house will loyally join this your new faith! Since a totally dead person can only be called back to life by a God. But now, determine you, adoration worthy, foreign master and - I say - God, what I should do with the three doctors! For their manner to help the suffering is apparently too bad, that one can let them go unpunished!"
7
Said I: "Let them go; since they still will find a just punishment in abundance! Firstly, if this becomes known, no one will ask for their services again, and secondly they will by themselves have to flee from here. But now they should go and repay you every groschen which you have paid them for their trifle healing!"
8
Here all three made dreadfully sour faces; since the repayment of several hundred groschen which they received from the tax collector in advanced, they certainly could not agree with.
9
But the tax collector insisted on it and said: "Truly, I do not need this money in the slightest way; but I will give it to the poor of this place, of which there are many, and this will be better than leaving it with you for nothing and again nothing! Thus go and bring me the money in still this hour, otherwise I will hand you, you wretched scoundrels, to the courts!"
10
The three doctors then got up and prepared to go.
11
But I said: "It is sufficient if only one of you goes and fetches the money, - the other two can stay behind as collateral; since if all three would go, it would be the last time we have seen them! The youngest of them should go, because he is still the most honest one; for if one of the two older ones would go, he would leave the other two waiting here, and would take the money and never return. Thus it should be done!"
12
Then the youngest of the three doctors got up and soon brought back the money.
13
When the tax collector received the money and put it in save keeping, he said to the bearer: "Listen, since you according to the testimony of this truly divine Master are still the most honest one, you can stay here; but the other two should leave immediately! If you want to go with them, you will not be prevented in the slightest of doing so."
14
But the younger doctor said: "If I may, I will stay, and I know what I will do. I will not stay and work in community with the other two; since they were the lords and I just their servant and according to their will had to go hand in hand with them but against my will and my better judgement. O lord, this has caused me many sad hours and days! But what should I, what could I have done? Since to get in conflict with the two, would mean to make the whole temple in Jerusalem your enemy, and as it is known, this animosity is the worst in the world. But if I am standing alone, namely instructed by you as the chairman of the board of this town, I then laugh about the hostility of the temple."
15
Said the tax collector: Good, then stay, - and the other two must go!"
16
But the other two were already gone and left this place with hurried steps; since they recognized that they could not stay any longer in this town, if I would possibly settle their.