The Great Gospel of John
Volume 10
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in the region of Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 4 -
Raphael saves Persians and Indians.
During those 5 days that I spent with Marcus, together with the now known and completely converted Romans, nothing of importance happened. We made small trips nearby, at some places I healed a few sick people, and on the 2nd day Marcus went on My word on a fishing trip and caught a lot of fish.
2
On the early morning of the 6th day a ship neared the bath resort. As usual, before the morning meal we were together on the shore of the lake and watched the various morning scenes and appearances. Raphael explained these to the disciples and to Kisjona and Philopold who were still present, and they all, except Judas Iscariot, experienced very great joy on that.
3
The ship that came close to the shore had Persians and even a few Indians on board, and it really fought against the high waves. The skippers were Gadarenes and knew that our shore was full of reefs. That is why they navigated to and fro 200 paces from the shore to see where and how they could come close to the shore with less danger. But because the rather heavy morning wind did not lie down, the skippers signaled to the shore that they were in danger and needed help.
4
Now Marcus asked Me what could be done, if for one or the other reason I did not want to perform a miracle.
5
I said: "These Persians and Indians with their animals and magician equipment can still experience some fright by the waves until we will have finished the morning meal. When we will then come back to the shore, it will become clear how the ship can be helped."
6
Marcus was satisfied with that, and then we went directly home, to the well-prepared morning meal.
7
After 1 hour we all went back to the shore and saw the ship in the same need and trouble. Only now I gave a sign to Raphael to bring the ship to the shore. In order not to attract attention to the arrivals, he now climbed into a rowboat and rowed quickly to the big ship.
8
When he came there, the skippers, being very surprised about his courage, asked him: "What do you, weak boy, want to do here actually? Did you come to help us? This will not be of much use because you do not even have a rope or a hook in your boat. With what do you want to attach our strong, big ship to your light rowboat and help us then to bring it into save deep water to the shore?"
9
Raphael said with a strong voice: "Just leave that to me. If you will entrust yourselves to me, then I can and will help you, but if you think that I am too weak for that, then let yourselves be helped by someone else in this strong surge!"
10
A skipper said: "Then show us what you can do and how strong you are, and immediately, now that we ask you, or else we will soon perish."
11
Now Raphael took one of the protruding beams of the big ship and drew it with arrow speed to the shore. And since by doing this, but also by his will, as if pushing a great mass of water to the shore, the bottom of the ship did not touch the shallow ground, and thus did not suffer damage.
12
The skippers and travelers were extremely amazed about the young man with such completely incomprehensible strength, and who dealt so playfully with the power of the elements as if he was dealing with a drop of dew that was hanging on a stalk of grass, and a very soft morning breeze instead of the water of the lake and the hard wind.
13
When the skippers were now on the shore that was peaceful and safe, they praised the courage and the good will of the young man and especially his exceptional power and ability in using them, which was according to all of them really miraculous, and they asked him how much they had to pay him as a reward for that.
14
Raphael said: "I personally do not need your reward. But if you meet someone who is still poorer than you yourselves mostly are, then show him love and mercy."
15
All this was astonishing to them, and even the strangers said: "Truly, this is a remarkable young man."
16
This event had caused a great scene, and all the servants of Marcus came to the shore to see what kind of great and unheard-of things had happened again.
17
When it was explained to them in more detail, they all said: "Yes, yes, when Heaven and Earth will be united by the Lord, miracles are almost natural appearances, but once the Lord will return to behind all the stars, there will again be a great lack of such great and exceptional events among the people on Earth."
18
Then the travelers put their luggage on the shore, and they informed how they could continue their trip over land to the big sea. This was also explained to them, and on My sign our Raphael took it upon him to help them further on their way without betraying in the least that he was more than a normal human being. Nevertheless he told the travelers in Tyre in whose company they had been, in the place where he saved them in a miraculous way.
19
When the travelers heard that, they wanted to return to know Me personally, and they offered Raphael large amounts of money for that. But then Raphael disappeared very suddenly from their sight and he was with us again.