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 212 -
Raphael repairs the damaged ship.
Then the chief, the captain and also the other leaders and guides who were subordinate to them, went with Raphael to the ship, and to their regret they saw that the ship was in the condition as Raphael had described to them before.
2
Also the 10 soldiers who were of the same opinion as the other present skippers - mostly those of Kisjona - said to the chief: "Lord, and our commander, we probably will not be able to do anything with this ship for the next 8 to 10 days. First it has to be pulled on land and be examined by skillful carpenters, then be repaired and tested. Otherwise, it is not advisable to go during this time with this changeable weather on the ship in the open of these always restless waters."
3
After the chief and the captain had convinced themselves of this, the captain said to Raphael: "Lovely friend, you just said that you also came so quickly to us to bring that ship again in a for us useable condition. How can you do that while all these men are worryingly shaking their head? This ship can hardly be pulled on land with 20 oxen. And finally, where are the necessary carpenters?"
4
Raphael said: "You look at everything according to your powerlessness, just like all other people. I however, see it according to the power of God in me. And that is why I truly will not need more time to bring that ship into a useable condition than I needed to come down from the Lord's company to you. But do not be as frightened this time as you were before because of my fast trip to you.
5
Look, from the will of the Lord in me I want now that this ship will immediately be changed in an excellent useable condition. And look, your ship is already completely alright. Let your soldiers and also the other skippers step into it and check, then they will not discover the smallest fault, not on the inside, neither on the outside."
6
In the greatest amazement, the ship was examined on all sides, and nowhere could be discovered the smallest fault. Inside it was as dry as if never a drop of water had come inside the deck, and on the outside it looked like new and just timbered.
7
After the inspection, they all said: "This is a miracle above all miracles. This is now a ship that you can also trust on the great sea."
8
All the Herodians looked at the so-called young man with ever greater attention, and they did not know what they had to think of him.
9
After a while, the chief said: "And against such men Herod would like to battle? He, hardly a mosquito, against 1.000 lions."
10
Then Raphael said: "Yes, yes, you made a good and true remark there. Men who do not have a true, inner light of life, live in a wrong light and undertake very often things of which the execution is as impossible as if someone who from his birth is completely blind, can give his opinion about a color. But this does not prevent the many wrong people who want to accomplish - with every earthly means that are at their disposal - something that is completely impossible. And if their work does not succeed with their first attempt, then they still do not stop, but try again and again. And when they often accomplished as little as during their first attempt, then they do not shrink back to try again, just as long until they have reached their complete ruin by that.
11
Now such often repeated failing attempts should be a good lesson for many other people. But no. They think, rage and act as madly as their forefathers who always perished, and thereby they run to the old misfortune of their mad forefathers.
12
But to the one who wants something himself, and who does not want to be learned by anyone, no injustice is ever done. His free will, given by God to him to bring himself to completion, is misused and throws man all too often into the abyss of misery and into the ruin of his forefathers. Out of many experiences, man knows for sure that he will go to ruin if he steps into the footsteps of his ancestors and continues to walk on their unreliable paths and selfish ways. But as said: the one who does not want to be learned from the truth, is to blame himself for his inevitable downfall.
13
As it happened to all evil fools before, so it will also soon happen to Herod, partly already in this life, and many thousands of times worse in the great world on the other side forever.
14
I can assure you this, since I very well know the beyond, and this for the very easy understandable reason that I myself am a citizen of that great world of the beyond for already a long time. That I walk around here visibly among the people, being active, and teaching them in the name of the Lord with words and deeds, is a great mercy of the Lord, who now He Himself walks around as a human being among the people, who teaches them and shows them everywhere the great errors in which they live. Now you also know who I am now. Therefore, you should not be too surprised about my deeds, which you can of course not understand."