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 7 -
The Roman captain and his soldiers disturb the meal.
When Ebal stood before the captain, at once he raged at him with angry glowing eyes as follows (the captain): "Is this your manner to obey my orders here, and do you still not know what the one can expect who does not obey the laws of Rome? Why did you this time neglect to immediately report to me about the arrival of a considerable number of strangers, so that I could have checked by these my servants whether those who arrived can and may be accommodated here for a certain time."
2
Ebal said on this: "Stern lord and commander, since you applied your laws here with a strictness that we, inhabitants of this city, are not used to, I never received a rebuke from you for not having obeyed your will. Also this time I did not act out of bad will against your ever difficult to bear regulations in neglecting to report to you of the arrival of the people who are no strange guests but who are my since long known honest best friends. It was only because of my great joy about their arrival that I forgot to fulfill my duty of which I am fully aware now. And I think that my request to you will not be in vain when I ask, for this one time, for your merciful indulgence."
3
The captain said: "The law knows no mercy and no indulgence. You broke my law - either because you forgot it or out of bad will, which is the same to me - and therefore you simply have to be punished. Exclusively because you are an eminent and prestigious citizen of this city I will not convert the punishment into a physical sentence but into a sentence of a considerable amount of money. And if you will not comply with my just demand, I will imprison your children as hostages and you will not have them back again until you will have paid the demanded amount up to the last cent. The punishment is 1.000 pound of gold and 10.000 pound of silver, and must be paid to me within 3 hours. Now you know what you have to do, and I am ready with you now. And now I will perform my duties on your arrived guests. So bring me immediately to your new hall."
4
Ebal became very discouraged because of the merciless and unreasonable monetary punishment of which he by far did not possess the demanded amount, but at the same time he intensely trusted on Me. He trusted that I would certainly help him. And in this trust he brought the captain and his dark assistants immediately to us in the hall, of which the captain let also the outside be well guarded by his soldiers.
5
We still were sitting very cheerfully at the big table when the Roman walked into the hall with a truly authoritative face, glowing from anger and with great rudeness and arrogance he asked immediately very fiercely to us: "Is every one of you his own lord or is there one lord for everyone, as this is often the case with travelers?"
6
I said: "I am the true, only Lord for everyone. What else do you want from us, except from the inhuman sentence of amount of money which you spoke out against our dear friend Ebal but which is not grounded on any Roman law? Do you perhaps also intend to demand the same punishments from us?"
7
The captain said: "Those over whom You are Lord are free from punishment, but You, who seem to have little respect for me, since You made a reproach against my measurement of sentence, will within 3 hours hand over the same amount of money which You find too inhuman for Your friend Ebal and of which You think that it is not grounded on any Roman law. I really will show you Jews and let understand that the laws of Rome are indeed grounded. I have said, and you know what you have to do."
8
I said: "But what if we firstly cannot satisfy your very unjust demand, and secondly will also not satisfy it? For where is it written that a Roman captain has the unconditional right to commit extortions in a friendly country in the same manner as in hostile countries?
9
Just show me your authorization which comes from the emperor himself or from his supreme governor Cyrenius. If you do not have such authorization you will have to deal with someone who carries before your eyes the supreme authorization in Himself. And if I would not have it, I would not speak to you like that.
10
You are here now as a proud, hard and almost unbearable commander, but there are still others who stand above you, and those whom you are suppressing very inhumanly will certainly be more justified by them than you. So show Me your instructions from the emperor himself or from the supreme governor, otherwise I will show you My authority."
11
These serious words of Mine made the captain startled, and after having thought about it for a while he said (the captain): "A written authorization I do not have, because a Roman captain in my position does not need any. But everyone stands under the oath of loyalty to the emperor and the exclusive welfare of Rome. If I bear those 2 points in mind, no one can call my severity to account. But do You have Your supreme authority?"
12
I said: "Do not desire to know it beforehand."
13
The captain said: "Do You perhaps think that a Roman is a fearful hare who will immediately run for a sly Jewish fox? O no, a Roman is like a lion who will chase all animals without any fear or fright."
14
On this, he gave one of his servants a sign, and he opened the door by which immediately about 30 soldiers ran in who were armed to the teeth.
15
When these positioned themselves in a certain order around our table, the captain said with a very dominating voice: "Look, specially authorized Jew, this is my effective authority which will imprison you as long as you will not comply with my demands. Do You know this kind of authority?"
16
I said: "Yes, My proud, very blind Roman, together with your assistants and soldiers, this kind of your authority I know already for a long time, but this time it will not be of any use to you, for since you have now shown Me the full sharpness of your teeth, I will show you also My complete authority, but only as much as a sun's particle of it. Then it will be completely clear to you that you are not My lord, but that only I am and will forever be your Lord.
17
Look, the space of this hall is high and wide. The ceiling is largely 7 man's height high, and is about 20 long and 12 wide. Now I want, with My complete inner authority, that you will float with your sharp weapons halfway this hall freely into the air. And then you will see how useful your sharp and lion-like authority will be. And until you will completely give up your unjust demand to Ebal and Me, your foot will not touch the firm ground. Now let it be as I said."