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 223 -
Ships of hostile scouts in sight. The storm as defense.
The table was well laid with the best fish, with bread and wine and all sorts of tasty fruits. But at the table I sat with the twelve and Hiram and Epiphan. Aziona served us, but after the meal nonetheless took a place at the table. When we were sitting thus together, our glances directed out over the beautiful surface of the water, the sharp-sighted Epiphan noticed several ships tacked the great bay. They wanted to enter the great bay; but since they could not recognize the area any more after its immense transformation as that which was previously familiar to them, they sailed up and down and only sent out a scout boat into the bay.
2
But these ships were a sort of back-up of what here had been taken as good beach booty in the previous night by the fishermen at My command. These back-up ships had indeed sailed around all night already and also this good half day, but nowhere could they find any further trace. They were therefore of the opinion that this ship had somehow got lost in this bay that was difficult to cross and perhaps even had suffered some damage. But this bay no longer looked like the previous one, and so the back-up sailors did not know where they were, and thus sent out a small scouting boat into the bay.
3
When I explained this to the three, Aziona said, "Well, if they find that great ship here, then we will have to flee, otherwise we are all lost!"
4
I say, "Take it easy; this scouting boat will soon turn around! I will send a wind that will certainly speed up the boat's retreat."
5
In an instant a great storm picked up and drove the scout boat along with the several back-up ships out onto the open water as swift as an arrow.
6
But Aziona said, "Lord, look, now they have indeed gone out of sight; but they will come back again as soon as the wind dies down! Oh, these people are like the bad weather and stubborn like an evil disease! They never leave their intention and their goal, and if it is not these "who can hardly leave off from their search "then very soon others will come and pursue the same goal; and if they find the ship here, then it will be bad for us, for against the strength of the mighty there is no law! I would like to rather destroy and annihilate the whole ship of sinners than to be in constant fear with its possession!"
7
I say, "But if I tell you that you need to have no fear of this at all, then you can indeed be calm! These people who were to be seen now will never come back, nor even less a second or third back-up; for in these times the Sea of Galilee is widely known to be very stormy and except by some fishermen it is little sailed, since one cannot trust the storms "and in several months this whole event will be as good as completely forgotten!
8
For if it is certainly reported to Jerusalem that the searchers for Me had an accident somewhere on the sea, so that nothing more could be found of them despite all searching, in the temple the certain designated temple servants of male and female sex would wait for three hours simply ceremonially, and afterwards no one in the temple would think anymore about the missing, but instead one would find others for the same purpose, give them full authority, money and the necessary weapons and send them off under all sorts of strictest commands, and these would then move out and mostly return home again in vain, or more often not at all, like those who visited us yesterday. And so you now have the whole matter revealed and can keep without any fear what I give you, secure and protect."
9
Epiphan now says, "Friend Aziona, under such circumstances I would not shy away from even taking possession of all of Rome, if this Lord and Master would say to me: Go and say, The Lord gave me the whole city and I am thus moving in so that from now on everything that stands, lives and grows here is my fullest property! And behold, no person in the world could argue such a right given to me by the Lord, and everyone would have to bow under the omnipotence of the divine will!
10
And the same thing is the case here! What earthly power will try to start a fight with this divine power? For before they would lay hand to the handle of the sword to fight, they would already be destroyed! Yes, if the Lord and Master will allow it, that His enemies should lay hand on Him, they will indeed even be able to kill Him in the body; but as long as He Himself has not spoken the unknown secret 'FIAT!' in Himself, no one will dare to touch even the hem of His garment "and he who dares will suffer the same fate that yesterday's criminals did! Thus for those who walk with this true man of God as true friends through all the greatest dangers of the world, highest security is already assured.
11
Look at this most magnificent area of ours! Hardly an hour ago it was a most inhospitable, bleak desert, a true picture of death "like we were in our previous soul condition, which He also transformed through His word into a living one "and now the unknown wonderful power of His word itself drives out of the hard stone, which it first crushed and transformed into a good, rich soil, the most luxurious plant life.
12
If at His breath the stones bow and all countless natural spirits must become active, if at His same breath the nations of the Earth bow "what should we now worry as certainly His friends with fear in our souls as if in all seriousness something evil could happen to us under His protection?! I hope that you, considering this, will become free of all vain fear."
13
Aziona says, "Friend, you have now spoken very well and correctly, and I was previously, as also now, certainly of your opinion with my whole life; but man remains still always a man, particularly when some danger begins to draw near to him! One forgets very often the most important things in a sort of confusion of the soul, does not think with the inner, peaceful composition of the soul, but instead goes head over heels and thus enters such a fear that one no longer even thinks about the best weapons of protection that one most obviously has with oneself.
14
And that is how it was going for me just then when I learned the meaning of the scout boat which was coming into this bay out of the mouth of our God and our Lord and Master. But now I am once again in all order, to which your words contributed very much."