The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in the region of Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 205 -
The good insight and intention of the chief.
It is easy to imagine what kind of scene the story of the captain caused with the chief and also the others.
2
The chief reflected mostly on the description of the 130 drown soldiers, and this made him discontented, for he had not known the bad qualities of the loyal servants of Herod before. But now he came to realize that the things, which he observed from them, came into his mind during the conversation of the captain, and so he said (the chief): "Yes, yes, the great Nazarene, who is filled with His pure divine, all-perceiving Spirit, is completely right, for now a great number of things become clear to me that I noticed from time to time with the mentioned soldiers. They only received a low salary from Herod. Only in the charging and extortion of taxes they were allowed, out of every 100 silver coins, to keep 1 for themselves. Their low salary and the few silver coins from the taxes could of course not be enough to sufficiently maintain themselves and an often large family.
3
Besides, I often met one or the other in inns of high standing where they let themselves be generously served, just like people of our kind. So I also saw them several times with money changers and brokers, but it all did not strike us because they otherwise were very correct and very loyal to us and the king, and nothing could be charged against them. But now their infamous case becomes clear, and now we understand many things which before made a strange impression on us.
4
So I also repeatedly heard at different places all kinds of complaints and quiet curses about the heavy suppression of Herod. But I, and also you, and still many other civil servants and servants of Herod did not pay attention to these complaints, for it is surely known that man is never in the best of moods when he has to pay his taxes and other contributions to his lord, who is in his eyes a useless servant of laziness, of a lecherous luxurious life, of pride, lovelessness and still many other vices.
5
That is why it was never investigated. The soldiers of Herod had a free hand and could suppress the people according to their own evil will, especially with the often lawful collections of taxes, without being criticized by anyone. And even if someone went to a Roman judge and complained about the rude, heavy and often unaffordable taxes of that miserable Herod, then this was of no or little use. At the most he received the advice to redeem himself from Herod and to become a Roman citizen.
6
A lot of rich people could do that of course, and have also wisely done that, but what could the poor people do except to let them be extortioned by Herod in an unscrupulous manner? But now it soon will be quite different. As soon as we will be back in Jerusalem, Hell must be made as hot as possible for the king, and he will be forced to pay indemnification in a manner about which he never could dream.
7
O, just wait, you loveless and extremely proud, lustful king! In the future you will come to know us, with wide open eyes from fear, and you will understand the reason why I kindly often dissuaded you to persecute people who obviously are gifted by God with a higher Spirit, as long as you did not receive an order from Rome to do that. But he never took notice of that advice, but acted at his own desire, and so now he soon will taste the fruits of his stubbornness which will certainly not taste nice to him. May the Spirit and will of the Lord and Master be with us and work with us.
8
From what you, friend Leander, have told us from His words, it is clear that our great Nazarene is the Messiah who came from the Heavens into this world, faithfully and truthfully according to the many promises of the prophets, and equipped with all divine wisdom and power in which I now unshakably believe, for He proved it to us in an obvious manner. For by the power of His all-perceiving and all-knowing wisdom, and by the pure divine power of His will, He created the storm on the lake, by which the loyal hunting dogs of Herod received their already long deserved reward. So all honor goes to Him.
9
But also for ourselves we have to make up for a lot of things of what we did wrong to our fellowman. And hail to us if He would make us happy, in the very strength of our life, with His love and mercy which He gave us now so abundantly while we did not deserve it. And for this, we can highly glorify and praise His name forever.
10
But you, 10 soldiers who were saved by His mercy together with us, should also awaken your conscious and see how far it is burdened by those sins for which they perished in the water. Regret your sins with the unshakable intention to make up as much as possible for the harm that you caused to those with whom you dealt, so that you also may find mercy with the Lord and Master over all things in this world. Because now we have experienced with our sense organs that He is a Being who has an extremely great patience with the blind people. But if despite all the warnings, the people persist in their evilness and do not want to improve their life, then His patience runs out and the punishment will relentlessly follow.
11
Think well about what I as your chief have said and advised to you now, for against the eternally active divine almightiness, powerless man with his stubbornness cannot do anything. Woe the one who will be grabbed by the justified wrath of God."