The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
First journey of the Lord: Kis - landing place at Sibarah - Nazareth
- Chapter 43 -
The Lord Jesus and His at the catch.
But now everyone started to marvel, not knowing how they got here to the sea from My house.
2
But I said: "How can you still wonder at it? Did you not experience the like with Me several times before? That the old Josa with his children and grandchildren should marvel is understandable. With you, My by now much experienced disciples, it is actually incomprehensible how you can still be astonished since it should be already very clear to you that nothing is and can be impossible to Me.
3
Behold, I had good reason to say "incomprehensible", for every astonishment at any extraordinary act I perform also implies on some small, still somewhere in the soul latent unbelief. Man doubts in advance the possibility of some particular act or manifestation; but if notwithstanding his doubt the act is still carried out, the witness who doubted its success is standing there perplexed, wondering and asks: "How was that possible?" And what does he say with this question? I tell you, nothing else but: " I doubted the possibility of success, but it still happened. That is peculiar and strange."
4
It is possible for a lay person to marvel thus, but if initiates marvel then they show therewith that they too can rightly be called lay persons! Hence marvel not in future, lest of all before strangers when I accomplish some extraordinary deed, so that the strangers would not regard you as strangers as well!"
5
Say the disciples: "Lord, You know that we love You above everything else and we know who and what You are, yet we nevertheless cannot help it that sometimes we marvel anew at some new miracle, because Your obviously miraculous deeds take place so unexpectedly and unpreparedly that all one's composure and faith notwithstanding, one still has to stand there somewhat intrigued. Behold, the sun also has often been seen to rise and set; but where is or resides a man of moderate feelings who is not somehow enticed to marvel at every new, glorious sunrise!? And behold, Lord so it is also with us! You are endlessly more than countless sunrises and hence we would beg You to be somewhat tolerant of such indiscretions which with hearts exceedingly loving of You we are basically driven by Yourself to constantly commit."
6
Say I: "Now then all is in best of order again; but in future heed such advice on account of the strangers, so that these may recognise My true disciples in you! - Now lets get on with fishing! Here also small miracles shall take place, but act as if they were not miracles! Let the stranger themselves come upon and judge whether these are normal or extraordinary deeds!"
7
After the necessary briefing the disciples quickly board the boats, spreading the nets and casting them into the sea with very little catch.
9
whilst another reckons that not much shall be accomplished before evening as the sun from a cloudless sky is too powerful a light for their tolerance.
10
Here the two youths also boarded two boats, spreading a big net and casting a mighty long way out to sea.
11
Spoke Andrew who too was adept at fishing: "If those don't drive fish into their net through the power of their spirit then they can fish on the high seas for ten years and not bring in even one!"
12
But the two youths make a mighty draught, are back on shore soon with about thirty good pieces.
13
Says Andrew: "This is not a miracle, and yet indeed quite so, - catching thirty catfish upon the high seas."
14
Finally I too boarded a boat, as well as the courageous Sarah. We stretched out a fairly large net and let it down in the water. After making a draught not far from shore the net had already filled with five hundred pieces of eels, salmon and catfish, so that the two youths had to rush to Sarah's assistance in holding the net. The fish were moved to shore at once and placed into lots of small drums that were here in plentiful supply.
15
The disciples make another draught, but on hauling the net to shore they found only a few tiny fish.
16
Said Peter: "That was my last draught for today! Such draught is not worth the effort when as an old and experienced fisherman one takes only one boat!" Thereupon he wanted to toss these tiny fish back into the sea.
17
Say I: "Keep what you have caught. The small fish are often quite good fish and I prefer them to the big ones, which quite often are tough and hard to digest. Keep this relevant manifestation in mind however!
18
When you will be going out as fisher for men do not be discouraged if small fishes let themselves be caught in the net of the Gospel, for I truly prefer them to the big ones. Hence everything that is big and of value before the world is in a certain sense an abomination before Me! - But let us now leave fishing and turn home! For today and tomorrow we are well-provided; the post-Sabbath shall if necessary take care of itself."
19
All the nets were pulled in and a lot of all kinds of fish brought ashore and put in the drums and brought to the fairly large fish tanks near My house, which in his time Joseph himself had built.