The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord's journey through Samaria
- Chapter 46 -
The confession of the robbers.
Olgon and also a few of his companions said: "Yes, we will remain silent, because we also are big enemies of the insatiable Pharisees. Formerly we all were honest Jews and we were in service of the Pharisees. Since we are lively and courageous people and also understood the Scripture, they declared the laws of neighborly love to us as follows: it is indeed written that one should not steal nor rob nor be eager for the possession of his fellowman, but this was only referring to the Jews among each other. However, the one who is clever, courageous and strong could steal the treasures of the gentiles and also take them away with force as much as he wants and can, then in God's eyes he would not commit any sin. On the contrary, God is well pleased with such courageous and smart Jew who steals and robs the treasures from God's enemies and offers a part of it to the temple. But one should not kill the robbed gentiles without necessity, so that they would not come down with their tyrannical laws on the Jews who were already oppressed by them beyond all measure and would then suppress them completely unto death.
2
And look, since we considered the voice of the Pharisees as the voice of God we became then also thieves and robbers without making it a matter of conscious, because we stole from the gentiles and robbed them by - as we believed in the beginning - the commandment of Jehovah, just like the great king David had to wipe out from the face of the Earth the Philistines and other evil pagan nations by the commandment of God, and God has certainly accounted it to him as a merit because He named him the man after His heart.
3
Thus, we thought for a long time that we were men after Jehovah's heart, but when we discovered in the course of time how the temple servants themselves took away the goods of the Jews and began to grab the possessions of the poor widows and orphans, committed adultery, dishonored boys and girls, and committed still many other cruel acts, we abandoned completely the belief in a God and in Moses and went on to work for ourselves, and then, also the rich Jews were not safe for us. That is why we dressed ourselves in Greek and Roman clothing in order to grab the treasures rather from the rich Pharisees and other rich Jews than from the Greeks and Romans. However, we never took anything away from the poor, but have often given them something, especially when we were able to put our hands on a real rich booty.
4
Since You, with Your wonderful omniscience knew exactly who we are - and also my real name was not unknown to You - You will certainly know that this is indeed our situation, as we have told You truthfully and openly. And as a very wise prophet You also will understand the reason why we in this time and already for several years have become true archenemies of the Pharisees and all the rich arch Jews. And if You now would like to give us a sign of Your almightiness in everything in Heaven and on Earth in order to revive our faith in God and in You, His special Envoy and chosen One, You can be sure that we will never betray You to the Pharisees. Therefore give us a few proofs of Your divine almightiness in Heaven and on Earth."
5
I said: "Well then, because you have said the truth now and have told Me honestly about your situation, all the guilt falls back on the Pharisees, and therefore all the more damnation will come over them. And I forgive you the sins that you have committed until now, if you will from now on completely give up your present activities and will also earn your bread as honest Jews. And this you can easily do since you have acquired more than enough earthly means until now with which you also should generously remember the poor, whether they are Jews or gentiles, this does not matter. If you will promise also that to Me honestly and sincerely, then I will also give you immediately proof of what I have said to you about Myself."
6
While they were beating their breast, they all said: "Lord, that we want and will do, as truly as we are beating our breast with our own hands, and as truly as we, encouraged by You, will believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and want to keep all His commandments precisely, also all our children and little children unto the end of the world, if God wants to help us."