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 171 -
A great healing miracle on the mountain
On hearing this, Judas Iscariot clapped his hands above his head, saying: "No, this for once is getting too much for me! Here yet again not hundreds but thousands of people are coming, and there are certainly more sick than well! Farewell, quiet peace upon this high! Turmoil upon turmoil, and no possible thought of rest!"
2
Say I: "What concern of yours is this? No soul is going to come to you and you shall not have to heal the sick; if however being around Me is getting too unruly and spotty for you, then go to your homeland and visit the markets with your pots again! For as long as you wish to be about Me, you need to comply with My directions, for I alone am the Lord upon My ways and means! If however I should ever come to move about your ways and means, then I shall comply with your directions, acknowledging you as the lord of your thing! But here surely the opposite is the case?!"
3
Says Judas, mumbling to himself: "Well, of course, - yes - I just have to open my mouth, and all's gone wrong! - Could actually stay silent like a stone forever!"
4
Says the wise Nathanael for a change: "That would on your part be a wise move, one that I have yet to see. Indeed it is a lovely thing to speak at the right time, - for someone who has something to say and the style; but for a fool to be quiet is much lovelier still!"
5
Whilst Nathanael was yet reminding Judas Iscariot of certain Proverbs of Solomon, a vast multitude began emerging upon the plateau from every direction, bringing with tem the lame, the blind, the dumb and crippled of every kinds of sicknesses, laying all the suffering, close on five hundred in all, in a wide circle around Me, as it were at My feet, begging Me to heal them. And behold, I healed them with one single word, afterwards saying to the healed: "Arise and walk." (Matt. 15:30)
6
Whereupon the blind first realized that they could see, as if newly born. After that the dumb noticed it and gave replies and talk upon every question. Only after which the lame and crippled tried whether their contorted and sometimes completely withered limbs were whole. There was not one among them who might have said: 'I have nevertheless not been fully helped.' All the other sick also were completely healed.
7
When the people saw that the dumb spoke, the blind saw, the lame walked straight, and all sorts of cripples and other sick were completely well, they were astonished beyond all measure, starting to loudly praise the God of Israel (Matt. 15:31). And they stayed with Me upon the mountain till the third day, although they had consumed all their rations to the last crumb already on the second day.
8
It could well be asked how these masses of humans were spending the other two days. - This could briefly be answered in that they, - these several thousand people of both sexes, had themselves instructed in My doctrine by both Myself and My disciples. What was remarkable was that out of these several thousand there was not a single one siding with the Pharisees and Scribes. Quite the contrary, they had some fairly praiseworthy anecdotes to tell about the Templers, among them the bitterest, causing them to regret ever having had anything to do with these blind zeelots.