The Great Gospel of John
Volume 8
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and His adversaries
- Chapter 211 -
Roklus and the robbers.
Then Roklus admonished the still present chief robbers and told them what they should do now if they wanted to escape God's wrath. These were immediately willing to do everything that he as chief of this place would want from them, but he should not ask something that is impossible from them.
2
On this, Roklus said: "Already for a long time you have illegally collected taxes on the roads that lead to this place, and especially during the last 6 months you have acquired a big loot, and thereby you have also rarely spared the poor. Most of them are still here. Go to them all, the rich and the poor, and give back the taxes that were taken away from them, and in future times do not desire anymore any taxes from anyone, then also your sins will be forgiven."
3
One of them said: "Chief of this place, this we shall do, as you have commanded us now, but we are for already more than 30 years guilty of this malicious activity and with this we have already acquired already many treasures which with the best of will we cannot give back anymore to the lawful owners, because we do not know where they live or whether they are still alive. How can we make this right?"
4
Roklus said: "You mainly have taken this away from the rich who live in countries that are far away from here and who are overloaded with earthly goods at home anyway. Manage these treasures of former times carefully and consider them as a possession of the poor who oftentimes come to this place to seek for help. Support them according to their need, then the Lord of Heaven and Earth will remit your debts.
5
Build inns for the poor who otherwise have to stay all too often for weeks under the open sky, then you will bring about something good and with the help of the unrighteous mammon you will gather friends in Heaven. If you have understood all this now, then you can go and put your hands to work."
6
After Roklus had said that, they all thanked him for this. The chief robbers went away and brought what was desired already on the same day, and by the right mediation it was given back to the owners.
7
When the chief robbers had left the hall to execute the work, Roklus turned to the innkeeper, whom he always knew as an honest and righteous man, and said: "From now on, those who are healed will be under your care. Look after it that they also will receive work in accordance with their strength. And you should manage the gold and silver that has been handed over for them in a good and righteous manner, and whatever is your due, you will receive from the interest. In time we surely will take a good arrangement for that. In this manner, also a good education can be given to the boys.
8
Do this as an honest Jew in the manner of the Samaritans, out of love for our one, only true God and also out of love for the people, then you will receive a great gift of grace from God's love. And what you are doing, do it with all kindness, for a kind benefactor multiplies his good deeds by 2 and will for his deed receive from God already here a tenfold reward and on the other side most certainly a hundredfold. Since I have settled this very important matter now in the name of the Lord according to His will and it has now already become the middle of the day, I will go now with my brothers to the inn that you know well, for the great Lord and Master is waiting for us there. Whoever needs help should go there."
9
Then the innkeeper asked: "Friend, is that perhaps the great prophet from Galilee, about whom you just now have spoken to the Pharisees, while you laid on hands upon the sick and in whose name you also have healed the sick?"
10
Roklus said: "Yes friend, that is Him. But mark well: He is not a prophet but He is what I have said of Him, namely the Lord Himself, and you and all those who have been healed can believe me."
11
The innkeeper said: "O friend, also I would gladly want to see and hear Him, because from the many different kinds of strangers, Jews and gentiles who were passing through here I have heard great things. All the gentiles think that He is a God. Only the Jews say that He is a great prophet. O friend, Him I would like to see and hear, as I have already said, if I would be allowed."
12
Roklus said: "Not only you, but everyone is allowed to go to Him, and for those who are healed it is more than a duty to bring Him their thanks for the healing, for not I but only He has healed them by the almightiness of His holy will. But just wait for a couple of hours, after that time you all may come."
13
Then also those who were healed said: "O friend of His, who in that case is the supreme One, how can we sinners go to Him and see His holy face? We will eternally not be worthy for such mercy."
14
Being completely moved by the humility of those who were healed, Roklus said: "If He would not have forgiven your sins of which the temple servants have the greatest part of guilt, then He also would not have healed you. But since He has healed you, and thus also certainly has forgiven your sins, you should feel all the more obliged to go in all love at the given time to Him and to bring your thanks to Him only."
15
After these words of Roklus, they all took courage and promised to come and to do what he had advised to them.
16
Then Roklus entrusted once more the care for the healed ones to the innkeeper, left the hall with his brothers and came quickly back to Me.