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 235 -
Marcus rescues shipwrecked Pharisees.
In a few moments, reaching the boat on the verge of its going down, he called out to the unfortunate ones to quickly transfer to his boat, taking the brittle Sibarah boat in tow and quickly returning to shore. The number of the rescued was thirty.
2
When the rescued ones found themselves in the dry, the Levites asked the skipper the charge for his trouble realizing he was an old Roman. They would certainly not have asked, had he been a Jew, for the latter would have had to consider himself most fortunate for Jehovah to honour him by causing His servants to be rescued from danger. For Jehovah would let such happen now and then for the sake of mankind, to give them a chance to strengthen their unshakeable attachment to the Temple, which is supposed to be God's only rightful dwelling place upon earth and nowhere else, eternally.
3
But Marcus said: "Although I am a Roman, I yet know the one true God better than all of you; because (he said further to the rescued ones) 'verily, if you knew God, you would be neither Levites nor pharisees but humans! But because you don't know Him Whose servants you purport to be, I say unto you: 'Cursed be he who, having helped his brother out of trouble, should ask him for a reward!' For God never leaves a good deed in His name unrewarded! If God rewards us however, Who alone can truly reward every man, how and why should we ask a reward of each other? Wherefore you all are bad servants of God; for you say that you serve God, but nevertheless often take a reward from the poor people that is beyond their means.
4
Take instruction therefore from me, a gray-hared warrior of mighty Rome, on how to serve the true and eternally living and almighty God, if one wishes to be rewarded and rewarded by Him.
5
Wherefore I never take a reward from a person when I have helped him in distress. If however I have done work for myself and my house, then I accept right and proper payment for the fish I take to market. If however you desire to eat and drink here, then I shall accept the right and proper payment.
6
Say the rescued ones: "Verily, from your talk it transpires that you are a Jew and not a heathen, because we have never yet heard a heathen speak so truthfully. Oh we shall eternally not hold it against you. Neither do we hold as staunchly to what you rightly criticise and dismiss in us; we nevertheless are caught up in the stream and have to at least, under the Temple's scrutiny swim with it. If we had other prospects then no man would turn his back on the Temple faster than us, because we consider that God is nowhere less present than in our Temple. But what are we going to do about it? Oh, we are as well aware as you are of the Temple at Jerusalem now being no more than a splendid institute for deception, behind which there is hardly a true word. But this institution is now sanctioned by the great power of Rome, and so nothing more can be done.
7
If there still is a true and almighty God, then He shall soon put a stop to this nonsense; but if there isn't, then everything we know is but an old fable, - well, then we just rhyme and fantasize along, and the world, which prefers deception to truth anyway, is fully satisfied therewith, and cannot possibly ask more either of ourselves or others."
8
Says Marcus: "You indeed are nice heroes and people! Your teacher is Epicurus, even if not in person, for he has long since exchanged the temporal for the eternal; but he is that much more your voracity philosopher. Hence say whether you are going to have something to eat or drink, and your wishes shall be attended to!"
9
Ask one of them: "What guests do you have over there, still awake, near your premises? For it could be near midnight by now- and yet so many guests before your house? Are these perhaps also rescued ones? Because the sea to-day is very high, considering there is hardly any wind."
10
Says Marcus: "Yonder guests are of little concern to you, and of too high Roman rank for you to dare approach them. In short, your standing is too far below that or yonder guests. Among them is the Centurion Julius of Genezareth; if you have anything to say to him, I can ask him over for you."
11
On hearing that name, the young Levites and pharisees took mighty fright, and pleated with Marcus to keep that one away from them, for this was no human but a pitiless devil. - Because there were among them several who only a few days ago had their eyes and ears stopped off with mud by Julius, who then forwarded them unto Capernaum under military escort. It was the reason for their fear, as they thought Julius would do it to them again.
12
But Marcus said: "Here you have nothing to fear, other than perusal of your travel passes, something the Romans are notoriously strict about."
13
Says one of the Levites: "This actually is to us our bone of contention. The Temple still does not want to bow to this Roman regulation, and we subordinate Temple-servants get into thousandfold troubles, for which neither the Temple nor any man then compensates us, notwithstanding that, as employed by the Temple, we are compelled on all sorts of journeys, from one end of the world to the other; and no damages are made good to us from any side.
14
We are indeed offspring of wealthy parents, otherwise the Temple would not have enticed us into its service. Now we are however condemned to conformity and are not able to disentangle ourselves. The result is that we have now to play the scapegoats for the whole world. We find ourselves under the veritable yoke of world-condemnation. Free us if you can! On the one hand our zealot parents and relatives, and on the other the Temple's iron fist. Let him move freely whoever will, bu we cannot!"
15
Says Marcus: "Hearken! Going by your words, you would fit in with the company in front of my house. Come along with me, and I shall put in a word for you! Perhaps I can yet save you out of the Temple-jaws, which according to your testimony is so 'humanly' concerned about you, its servants."
16
Say the rescued ones: "Would be fine if only that Julius were not in attendance; for we have no travel passes."
17
Says Marcus: "Well, in that case he shall procure you some."
18
Say the rescued: "That for sure, but what kind!"
19
Says Marcus: "Come and follow me! The passes have better prospects than you think, for Julius, like myself is a friend of open hearts."
20
With such encouragement from Marcus and sons, the rescued demur, and Marcus conveys them with somewhat measured steps over to us, cheerfully.