The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus in the Vicinity of Caesara Philippi (Matthew 16)
- Chapter 174 -
The Pharisees' and Sadducees' attempt to ensnare the Lord.
At the border, there was a large inn however, frequented usually by a large number of people of all types, - Jews, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Samaritans, Sadducees, Essenes as well as several Pharisees and Scribes, and on My arrival there with My disciples, the Pharisees and Scribes of course, in particular enquired as to who I and My disciples were. But no one that night could find out who we were.
2
But there also was in the inn a maid who had been upon the mountain with many of these and who had been cleansed of her leprosy. This maid recognized Me and fell on her knees before Me, thanking Me one again for her healing. Some of the Pharisees noticed this and began to suspect that I was the notorious Jesus of Nazareth.
3
On the evening of My arrival they indeed left Me in peace, but schemed all night among themselves and the Sadducees on how they might the next day, which was post-Sabbatical, trap Me with word and deed.
4
In the morning, after I and My disciples had eaten our morning meal in the open, and having said unto the latter that not much could be accomplished in this place, the Pharisees and Sadducee came out of the house, stepping over to Me in a domineering and arrogant fashion, starting to ask with a mask of amicability, and even praising many of My reputable deeds to try making Me talkative, - wherein they were of course greatly mistaken. One Sadducee actually said: "Master, we would of a truth be inclined to follow you and become your disciples if, as a child and Son of God, what many have already called you, you would give us a sign from heaven! (Matt. 16:1) Work a miracle before our eyes and you can call us your own!"
5
On scanning their hearts however I found only dressed-up wickedness; every word they spoke was a cunning lie, and hence I said to the mischievous inquisitors: "In the evening you say: 'Tomorrow will be nice - the sky is red!" (Matt. 16:2). And in the morning you say: 'Oh, it shall be bad weather - the sky is red and cloudy!' Oh you evil hypocrites! The configurations in the sky you can judge; why not the big signs of this time, in the sphere of man's spiritual life? (Matt. 16:3). If according to your admission you heard such extraordinary things from others, saying that you understand Scripture, must it not become obvious to you that through Myself is being accomplished what the prophets predicted?! Your outer mien you are indeed able to make sweet as milk and honey, but your heart is filled with gall, hate whoring and adultery!"
6
Upon this counsel the tempters stood back, deeply convicted and offended, daring not to address Me with another word; for all the people massing about Me gave them searching looks, and they figure it advisable to seek not further discussion with Me.
7
After these tempters turned on their heels, the people praised Me for having, for once, rubbed the naked truth into these zealots' nostrils.
8
But I did not face the people, who basically did not count among the best, but said to the disciples, as if in passing: "This evil and adulterous generation is seeking a sign; but no sign shall be given them except that of the prophet Jonah!" (Matt. 16:4). Where after I left the people, and even more so the clerics standing and swiftly departed with My disciples, boarding the still waiting ship, commanding it to be steered back to hence it had sailed in the evening.
9
After we had journeyed over on the finest of days, engrossed in various discussions about the places and the people who had favourably received us, and on finding ourselves back at the foot of the mountain on whose peak the many thousands were fed from seven loaves and a few fishes, the disciples suddenly realized that they forgot to buy bread to take along (Matt. 16:5), as it was late afternoon and hunger mostly had reminded them of it. Wherefore some of them decided to obtain bread somewhere in this area, or even journeying back to Magdala, because one could with favourable wind get from here to Magdala in an hour.
10
Consulting Me on the matter, I said to them: "Do as you will. But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees!" (Matt. 16:6) - On hearing this they thought to themselves: "Ah, here we have it! It is a slight rebuke for not taking bread with us!" (Matt. 16:7)
11
Knowing their thoughts only too soon, I said to them: "Oh ye of little faith! Why are ye troubled for taking no bread with you?! (Matt. 16:8) Hear ye not? I.e. understand ye not? Remember ye not the five loaves among the five thousand prior to the Genzareth journey, and how many baskets - full were left over? Nor the seven breads among the for thousand yesterday, not counting the women and children, and how many basket-full you gathered up?! (Matt. 16:10) How do ye not comprehend that I did not mean the bread you did not bring along, when saying: 'beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matt. 16:11), - by which is to be understood the falls doctrines which these people cast among the folks with all kinds of sweet, holistic facial affability, faithful assurances and promises, but secretly laughing their heads off about how they made a substantial catch of poor, foolish souls.
12
Who preaches more zealously about the immortality of the human soul than these very Sadducees, and about an eternal Eden and an eternal hellfire, - and yet they on their part believe not one iota, and are the greatest infidels into the bargain! Do you now understand what I meant by the leaven?" - Only then did the disciples comprehend that I did not mean the bread leaven but the wicked doctrines of the Pharisees and Sadducees" (Matt. 16:12) - For this night however we stayed on the ship who in our emergency provided us with bread and some fish.
13
The next day however I send several disciples ahead to Caesarea Philippi, a small somewhat armoured town in the Greek-Galilean territory, located a short distance inland from the Galilean Sea. On My instructions they should enquire in advance what the people of this area thought of Me and if they heard anything from Me until now.
14
And several disciples who were quite familiar with this area, hurried after the morning meal to the indicated area and diligently enquired about what the people there thought of Me and if any and how much. However, the disciples send ahead, were very surprised when learning that the whole area, which never was visited by Me before, knew My name quite well and every person knew a lot of things about Me to talk about. For the disciples also pretended only hearing from Me by hearsay and thus the interviewed had more room to speak of all kinds of things.
15
That among these were the most colossal exaggerations can easily be understood; among those were one which the disciples strictly forbade the storyteller to repeat to others. This story consisted in nothing less than that I could expand Myself to a gigantic size and at the same time shrink again to a finger size dwarf; also was I in one moment very old and then very young again. As such I also was seen as a perfect woman. Yes, some among them even knew more; for they had heard that I could change into the shape of any animal I chose.
16
Everyone is able to understand thoroughly by himself that the disciples prohibited the narrators from telling such tales; but how it was possible that such absurdities and others of a similar calibre could even appear in the places where I had taught and healed, that is something that even at this time is still literally a mystery to many an angel in heaven. But this is also the reason for the heap of about fifty gospels which were burned as apocryphal at the first big Eastern church assembly which was very good; because essentially only the two gospels of John and Matthew are absolutely authentic (genuine), and the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles and the Revelation of John. But the two gospels of Marcus and Luke have also their definite and holy value, although they diverge in some small incidents from that of Matthew. - Now that we also know this, we want to continue again on our evangelical pilgrimage.