The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
In Jesaira
- Chapter 190 -
Mary's account of her and Joseph's sons' expulsion from their property by the Pharisees. Baram's and Kisjonah's offer to Mary pleases the Lord. The Lord boards a ship to give His sermon on the Kingdom of heaven to the people.
Mary now says, 'My Lord and Son! What this young man told You just now is strictly true, and it is my being driven from my house on Your account that has caused me to come and tell You. What am I to do now, with Your brothers and sisters, speaking terrestrially of course? For I know that You have no relatives on earth, other than the disciples, at heart.
2
Our little lot is gone. The wicked Pharisees have seized hold of it and have sold our hut together with the well-tended garden to strangers! Know that I and Your brothers and sisters are no longer young enough to do strenuous labour for a living; and even if we tried, these evil Temple autocrats have threatened to punish any Jews that were to give us work or even alms! What are we to do and where to live from now?'
3
Says both Baram and Kisjonah, 'Highly esteemed mother through whom God has shown the endless grace of bringing the most exalted Son of all heavens into this evil world, do not let this trouble you in the least. Behold, we firstly are no longer Jews from the civil aspect, but Greeks - outwardly, although fully Jews according to Moses by conscience! We both are - all praise to the Lord - wealthy; hence let you move in with all your relatives, and you shall be lacking in nothing!'
4
Say I, 'Friends, your offer is balm poured in My heart! My blessing and grace shall be with you forever. But I shall nonetheless presently go home, to see by what right these goblins have robbed the mother - the rightful wife of Joseph, of their small and well earned property.
5
And I shall then also trade a few words with Jairus; for his daughter is to once again fall sick, and he shall come to Me, after which I shall speak to him. But for now, since matters indeed stand thus, with the infernal brood having laid traps everywhere, we shall arise and take to the sea, which has set us no trap!
6
But I shall in the first instance from the sea reveal a few things about the kingdom of heaven to the people through metaphors, so that none should once be able to find excuses and say; "How should I have believed and kept it, since I never heard anything about it?" When the old goblins arrive, let the people not obstruct them, so that they shall once have that much less to excuse themselves with.
7
Let you friend Kisjonah however go and make ready your big ship, for we shall be much in need of same!' Kisjonah rises with his and goes to attend to My wish.
8
Baram however asks for permission to accompany Me, since I am not able, or minded to stay at his home.
9
And I say, 'As far and as long as you have a mind to! For no honest or just request has ever been rejected or left unheard on My part!' Baram therefore makes domestic arrangements with his wife and children, including on how to respond to the evil persecutors. Taking some gold with him, he then comes over to the sea with us, even as we also are tailed by an outsize crowd. (Matt. 13:1)
10
Nor are the old evil Pharisees missing, but in disguise, to avoid being recognised by the people. Arriving at the shore to the people's exclamations of - "Hail to David's Son" - the crush swelled to where I and My relatives could not retain a foothold, and the much multiplied disciples even less.
11
I therefore said to Kisjonah, 'Let the half-landing be dropped, for we must go out to sea, the land is getting scarce!' Kisjonah quickly dropped the landing, and we boarded the ship (Matt. 13:2). On seeing Me board ship the people thought I was departing and loudly pleaded with Me to let them have the promised teaching on the kingdom of heaven!