THE GREAT GOSPEL OF JOHN
VOLUME 5
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus in the region of Caesarea Philippi. (cont.) Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 16
- Chapter 154 -
Cyrenius' reference to the miracles of the Lord.
I say, "Just let him explain My miracles now and you will be persuaded that he will know how to explain them in just as naturally a way as those of Moses! Only then will we show him what a great mistake he is making. Call him back and do that; for that is a crafty one!"
2
Cyrenius hurried to do what I had suggested and the company of Pharisees came before the Supreme Governor bent low in respect and the speaker for the Pharisees asked, bowing most deeply, what they should have to face now according to his high advice.
3
Cyrenius says, "Nothing other than to pursue the issue of the divinity, human faith, the prophets and the miracles that often occurred in your ever more enlightening way; for I must have clarity one way or another!
4
Previously you truly made the story of Moses and the old miracles very comprehensible, and I can now sooner think the events according to your explanation to be true than according to any other. Naturally that must remain strictly between us for the sake of the people! But look, despite your explanation a heavy concern and responsibility oppresses me! What have I truly seen with my own eyes and heard in the most miraculous way in the world, for thus there are witnesses here from almost every part of the world. Heathens and Jews, Essenes, the Scythian king Ouran with his entourage, even there is no lack of Persians "sheer authorities of the first rank in this world as wisdom is represented these days.
5
Observe this magnificent bathhouse and its inner, super-luxurious and invaluable decoration, the garden with the wide-reaching surrounding walls of protection! Look at the magnificent fruits in the garden of all the noblest types and species! Everything beams with lushness and many fruits already stand there completely ripe. Further observe the magnificent sources of water that could not easily exist better! Then turn your eyes to the sea! Observe the harbor and its extremely firm protective wall which reaches down to the deep depths of the sea, and the five magnificent ships, the chain! Then look to that place where once the great cliff that was often very dangerous to the ships once stood! Look, there is no longer any trace of it down to the deepest depths!
6
Look over there, far over the sea to the area of Genezareth! Didn't a terribly high cliff stand there only a few, or at most four, weeks ago which stretched its vertical walls deep into the water and whose crown had certainly never been stood upon by any mortal? Millennia passed over its stubborn forehead and the tooth of ages could do nothing against its granite masses. But before the previously mentioned period of about four weeks exactly this prophet of Nazareth who is persecuted by you came there and alongside the many other miracles he performed he also reformed that mountain cliff gently so that it can now be climbed from all sides without any danger even by children with the greatest ease.
7
Who did not know the highly unhealthy fever area of Genezareth? Everything suffered from the life-consuming fever; particularly the foreigners, who often had to spend years ailing there in order to reach enough health again through getting used to the climate in order to travel on again. Even our soldiers of the greatest health and firmest sort often became fatally ill there and filled the hospitals. The prophet of Nazareth went there, blessed the area, and now it is one of the healthiest in all Galilee, and all the sick became healthy again in an instant.
8
Well, those are facts which happened before our eyes, and truly no one can blame us if we were gullible people to whom any con-man from Egypt, India or Persia could pass off his miracles as true. That is where all reason ends. I will admit that everything concerning Moses can be explained in a very natural way; for firstly they bear instead quite strongly the stamp of naturalness "looked at in your light "and secondly we have no other witnesses besides the books that are supposed to come from his hand and which are difficult to understand, who could give us any better information. The Greek scribes know little or nothing about it.
9
But let him be as he wants now; let's leave what is long in the past and occupy ourselves now with this extremely greatest wonderfully shining present! How might you then explain to me these new miracles? Truly I want to reward you more than kingly and decorate you if you can help me out of my dreams in a similar way, and I promise you even my most active support for the persecution and destruction of this notorious prophet!"