The Great Gospel of John
Volume 7
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord on the Mount of Olives. (cont.) Gospel of John, Chapter 8
- Chapter 9 -
The testimony of the apparent criminal.
The criminal stood up and spoke with courage, totally free and without holding anything back: "My great and mighty and just Lord and judge! I'm just as little a criminal as you are or him who is with you!
2
I am a poor day worker and must with my two hands provide for and feed my father and my mother, both parents who are always ill and who are unable to work at all. In addition I have a younger sister, only seventeen years and eight month old. I have to provide for her also, as she cannot earn anything, since she must stay at home to look after the sick parents. This my very dear and well-behaved sister, although very poor, is by nature very beautiful and attractive which is unfortunately also known to the temple clerics, and a few have already gone through great trouble to seduce her. Nevertheless they were unsuccessful and started to threaten me and my parents by saying: "Just wait, you proud beggars, soon you will become more tame and humble!"
3
The next day I searched for work in the homes already known to me and I was told that I have been declared a great sinner by the priests, for having an incestuous relationship with my own sister. I was shown the door and I didn't know what to do.
4
Thereupon I went to several gentiles and told them of my great dilemma. They gave me a few pennies, so that I could buy some bread for us. But the few pennies were soon used up and I and my family haven't eaten for two days, and I wasn't able to earn any money and could also not beg anything from anybody because of the many holidays, during which time one also cannot get any work outside the city. And I thought by myself: 'If I as an innocent Jew did what David once did, when he was hungry, then surely this will not be such a big sin before God!?'
5
Yesterday late afternoon, driven by great suffering, I went into the temple, walked to the show-bread, reached for the first loaf of bread to satisfy my hunger and to give some to my equally hungry parents and sister; but I was seen by the lurking guards who shouted blasphemy and dragged me mercilessly to the priests. They soon recognised me and screamed: "Ha, this is the proud beggar, the blood desecrator and now blasphemer of the show bread! Therefore tomorrow he will be, before the middle of the day, stoned!"
6
Thereupon I was dragged with all kinds of mistreatment and most terrible insults into a dark hole, where I languished until today. How I was dragged from there to here, you, eminent Judge, have seen for yourself. But what will happen or has already happened to my poor parents or my poor sister, only Jehovah knows!
7
Eminent Judge! This is all that I can tell you with all honesty about my crime! O, do not judge me as hard as especially this senior cleric has judged me! Openly said, it was actually him who tried to seduce my chaste sister, - this I can swear before God and before all people! I can also name devoted truthful witnesses, who can confirm this sad incident under oath!"
8
Very angry over the temple cleric, Agrikola said: "My friend! He who speaks as freely as you do, does not need other proofs! In addition I do have on my side a very important witness to confirm the truth of your testimony. Within moments there will be somebody here, who will bring your parents and your sister completely strengthened to this place - and somebody else whom I will need very much for this temple cleric!"