The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Third Journey of the Lord: Genneseret - By boat across the bay and then by foot northward in the direction of Tyre - Return to the Sea of Galilee - Mountain at the shore (Second feeding of the people) - By boat to the lodging house near Magdala - Back to the mountain at the shore - On foot to the hut of Marcus near Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 168 -
Occasion with the Canaanite woman at Tyre
Once we had left the ship at the far shore, we still faced a considerable march through Greek territory, to just reach the vicinity of the two cities. Coming to the border of the Tyre area, passing same close on evening, a woman, native of Cana of Gallilee but who had married a Greek of this area fifteen years earlier, on recognizing Me along the way came running after us, screaming: "Lord, You Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is being dreadfully tormented by devils (Matt. 15:22)!" - But I let her scream, saying not a word to her and moving ahead.
2
But since the woman was screaming mightily, becoming tiresome to the disciples, the latter stepped over to Me, holding Me up and saying: "Will You not dismiss her! For she has now been screaming into our ears close to half an hour! (Matt. 15:23) If Your are not willing or unable to help her, then make her leave us, or other people passing shall think we had done the woman something, and then hold u up with all sorts of questions!"
3
Say I to the disciples: "I am sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matt. 15:24)
4
The disciples cut puzzled faces to this My saying, not knowing what to make of it; and Judas Iscariot accused Me of ultimate inconsistency, saying to Thomas: "Sometimes He can drive you to distraction with contradictions in His speaking and doings! With this woman seeking help off Him He has been sent only to the sheep of the house of Israel; yet the Romans who surely are still more heathen than this half Greek and half Jew woman, He favoured with all kinds of help, and did not remember having been sent only to the sheep of the house of Israel!"
5
Thomas says to him: "This time I cannot of course completely disagree with you, but I maintain that here He has a special reason for not wanting to help the woman at all!"
6
But whilst the disciples were disputing thus, the woman approaches Me falling on her knees before Me and saying: "Lord, help me" (Matt. 15:25)
7
But I looked upon the woman, saying: "It is not good to take bread from the children and cast same before dogs."
8
To this woman says: "Yes, Lord, - nevertheless the dogs still eat the crumbs fallen from their master's table." (Matt. 15:27)
9
This retort amazed the disciples, and Peter said secretly: "No, this is powerful stuff! With a Jewish woman I rarely found so much wisdom; and this woman is a native Greek, although here in Cana of Gallilee! I know her, and have sold her a few fish, but of course fifteen or sixteen years ago."
10
But I looked upon the woman, saying: "Oh woman, your faith is great; let it be in accordance with your will!"
11
Whereupon the woman got up, thanking Me and hastening over to her dwelling, finding her daughter whole (Matt. 15:25). The folk however who were at home with the maiden told the returning one how the devil visibly, one hour earlier had departed from her with much raging and cursing. By which the woman knew that it had been at the same time that I said to her at the border of the Tyre district: "Oh woman, great it thy faith; may it be in accordance with your will!"
12
But the evening had come, and the disciples asked Me if I was going all the way to Tyre, or whether they should start looking for an inn at the border area, as the city of Tyre itself was still some three hours distant.
13
But I said to the disciples: "Do you know what? Let us turn towards evening, - the direction of Tyre, or mid-day-morning (south east). There we shall once again strike the sea of Gallilee. A Beautiful mountain rises there straight from the shore, whose free peak we are able to reach from here in two hours; there we are going to spend the night."
14
After these My words we moved ahead, arriving in one hour at the Gallilean Sea and the foot of the mountain, whose top we also quite easily reached in one hour.
15
Arrived upon the height, we sat upon the soft alpine grass, resting but not quite falling asleep straight away. (Matt. 15:29)