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 48 -
Concerning Jairus" resignation.
After supper, which had lasted over one hour, Cornelius asked Cyrenius: "Exalted brother, what will you say? Ought we to remain here today, or make off on account of urgent matters awaiting us? I subordinate myself to your opinion."
2
Says Cyrenius: "I should in actuality have departed this morning because urgent affairs are certain to await me. But tell me, who can extricate oneself knowing Who resides here? One would already find it difficult to leave a friendly Emperor if he were to say: 'stay if you will! What is an Emperor compared to here, where indisputably the Creator of Heaven and Earth is tarrying as a human among His humans and His angels?! Besides this, His angels also had their stay here prolonged from whom we could still learn and find out much. Ah, I simply am not leaving! Not for the entire Roman Empire shall anyone move me from here, come what may. Just stay here too! You have fullest authority on my part, and even if something were to turn up then two days won't make the Earth disintegrate. On top of that I think we are better looked after by these two Lords than my Rome?! And even if something urgent should come up, then in the Almighty's hands there are ways of fixing the most urgent task instantly."
3
Says Cornelius: "Exalted brother. With this proposition I am immeasurably happy indeed, and I shall have no desire to leave this place for a long while yet. I put the question solely on account of political and state affairs. But from another angle it may be a good thing to perhaps organise our guards on a spying venture to the city this night to see what the people are saying about our stay here?!"
4
Says Cyrenius: "We could indeed do so if it please the Lord; but I also think that in the Lord and in the two angels we have the most reliable secret police of all, and that we may not need to avail ourselves of another while here. Once we are again isolated from His holy company from the heavens then unfortunately we shall have to resort to secret agents for keeping public opinion monitored and immediately anticipate conspirational tendencies. But as said, if it please the Lord and it is His will, then I am ready to order what is necessary."
5
Say I to Cyrenius: "Let it be, for I firstly know from Alpha to Omega everything that is being said for and against us. On the whole no danger is lurking, because these people are too stupid and blind even for nasty things. Hence let none be concerned, for no uprising shall come from Nazareth, of that you can be assured. Incidentally, Borus is himself always the best secret police. Nothing easily escapes him, which is not difficult for such not too large city. Besides I could make My angels into secret agents, and in one moment you shall find out more through them than if you engaged the craftiest spies for ten years. As said however, neither the one nor the other is necessary here, and so let us take our rest untroubled. Only Jairus will have to go and ready a messenger for Jerusalem and furnish him with a letter of resignation. Because tomorrow we shall get quite different things to deal with."
6
Says Jairus quite sad at having to now leave the company: "Lord, would it not be possible to just draw up a title deed here and dispatch a messenger from here? The house at Capernaum is fully my own anyway, together with everything in it. Land as well as fields and meadows we priests were not allowed to possess anyway, and so everything consists in my house, as You are well aware. Hence I presently have nothing to do at Capernaum and probably nothing more later either; and my house together with everything in it I shall give forthwith to my dear son-in-law. He shall with my document in his hand go over and take everything into possession under official seal just like a rightful inheritor after my death, and I and my wife shall be quite dispensable. Concerning friends in Capernaum, these are all here. But those who count themselves as my friends still at Capernaum verily are not worthy of a farewell visit, for they are all friends to the face but carry no weight in the heart!"
7
Say I: "Very well, then you remain too, and I shall send one of My present attendants to Jerusalem in your stead and he shall complete such errand faster than if you were to dispatch a messenger to Jerusalem yourself. Not today, but tomorrow as on a Sabbath!"
8
Says Jairus: "On a Sabbath it shall probably be least appropriate at the Temple; for the High and Chief priests to observe nothing more strictly than the keeping of the Sabbath."
9
Say I: "Don't let that trouble you. They make a great deal out of keeping the Sabbath because it is most often vital and is necessarily so, since every person quite often is forced to do one thing or another on a Sabbath giving the Pharisees the most numerous opportunities for saddling the transgressors with stiff fines.
10
Just bring them as much gold and silver on a Sabbath as you will, and they shall proceed to immediately desecrate the Sabbath and happily receive your gold and silver. Hence let you not be troubled about the Sabbath in the Temple; My messenger shall have much success in carrying out the errand entrusted with.
11
Do you think that it would please the Pharisees of none had some urgent business now and then with which to defile the day of the Lord? Oh let us be reassured! The more numerous the defiling of the Sabbath, especially by the rich, the more the Temple lords jubilate in secret.
12
Hence let Me repeat: let yourself be completely at ease. Tomorrow during Offering, which always takes place on a Sabbath, My messenger shall be exceedingly well received! Because he shall be entering the Temple with a heavy golden contribution and be so-to-say received by the Pharisees with the most amicable mien and open arms; besides, ten competitors for the position of Chief are already on the waiting list, for which they are offering large sums. And hence your resignation shall be exceedingly welcome, particularly for the Templers.
13
Sabbath shall at once be profaned with the familiar ceremony, and the auctioning of the Chief's position of Capernaum gone ahead with, and you shall even find out your successor's name through the returning messenger.
14
Behold, thus stand things now in the House of God at Jerusalem, which latter also is called the city of God, but actually is Satan's city. But since everything is worked out now, let us take our rest, for tomorrow shall start early for us."