The Great Gospel of John
Volume 3
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 141 -
Messenger Herme talks about his experience in town.
When Julius has carried out the will of Cyrenius and both cohorts leave, the two riders sent out previously come back and report the same things that the messenger had said. At the same time they report on behalf of the town governor the very most obedient assurance that he, as soon as the storm has died down even a little, will hurry out and give the high, high master the most accurate and conscious report about everything. Cyrenius rewards both riders and orders them to take some rest, and they salute Cyrenius and head back to their companions. But Cyrenius turns again to the messenger and asks him who has actually sent him out as a messenger.
2
The messenger says, now somewhat more courageously than before, "Lord, lord! Necessity! I myself, a citizen of the city, since the fire finally made no distinction between the Jewish houses and ours, have lost all my belongings and am now a beggar. I took this coat, which now covers my body through need, from the body of a Jew, beaten to death, and threw it over my shoulders, otherwise I would be naked like my wife and my three already quite grown-up daughters, who are now behind the hut of old Mark, all four of them with a great linen cloth.
3
But I released a call to flee for all the Jews of the city who are present here so that they would flee and I could recognize them more easily, in order to take revenge on these main villains with this sharp spike to my heart's desire. But if they flee, they can only escape by sea; otherwise patrols have been sent out from the city on behalf of the governor, and these would capture the rogues, when things will truly not go well for them!
4
Lord, lord! I am a Greek and I know a little about waging war; but now it is good, these rogues will never get past us! In any case it would not hurt if a few patrols were placed on the shoreline; for otherwise the fellows could quickly take possession of a boat and sail off with it."
5
Cyrenius says, "Don't worry about that; it has already been best seen to!"
6
Now Cyrenius turns to Mathael and says, "well, what do you say to this news now by the messenger?! I will nevertheless wait for the town governor and am curious to hear what these arch--- will say against this."
7
Mathael says, "You will not gain much through it; for you still know all the thousand holes much too little through which they could reach the most beautiful freedom. But you are much better than you were before!
8
But now above all we must ensure that the messenger's wife and children are looked after! Helena, you must have a few day clothes with you, even if they are only shirts, so that for the moment they can be protected from nakedness!"
9
Helena immediately calls one of her servants and orders her to carry out the order. Straight away the servant goes into one of Ouran's tents and brings four good shirts and four expensive Greek lady's skirts. When she comes to Helena with them, the latter says, "Have the messenger lead you to his wife and daughters, dress them and bring them here to this table!"
10
Tears of gratitude come to the messenger's eyes at Helena's goodness, and with a cheerful heart he leads the servant to where his crying wife and his three sad daughters are waiting. But when he says to them, who are still wrapped in the linen cloth and crying: Do not cry any more, my dearest's; for look, we have found a most powerful savoir! The supreme governor Cyrenius is here, and probably his daughter has sent you finer and more expensive dresses than you have ever seen!, the wife and daughters jump forward in joy and get dressed quickly. But the messenger folds up the linen cloth and puts it under his Jewish tunic. Then he leads them all to Helena and they cover their dresses with tears of warmest thanks.
11
Helena lets the four women take a seat at her side and immediately serves them with bread and wine; for the four women were also very hungry and thirsty already. Helena and Ouran chatted to the four and they told them about the Pharisee's pressure on their believers. Then Cyrenius says to the messenger, "Friend, I spoke to you rather harshly right at the beginning with the somewhat disrespectful name "boy"; but since I now know you better I regret having been disrespectful to you in such a way for even a moment. For this you shall now be given clothes of honor by me!"
12
At this Cyrenius ordered his servants to immediately bring forth a Roman robe of honor, consisting of the finest pleated shirt from Byssus, reaching to the knee, then a toga which was trimmed with gold braid and was woven and finished in Indian silk in the most beautiful blue color and the noblest Roman footwear and a finest Egyptian turban with an adornment of feathers and jewellery which consisted of a valuable emerald. In addition our Cyrenius had six finest undershirts and a hundred pounds of silver brought to the messenger. The messenger was, of course, beside himself with joy, and hardly knew how he should begin to thank Cyrenius for all these good deeds.
13
But Cyrenius himself smiled with joy and said to the messenger, who was called Herme, "Go into the house of my Mark, wash, dress yourself and come back as a noble Roman; then it will just be time to bring the Pharisees here to a main hearing! For this time they will not escape me, I swear it! And you, my noble friend Herme, will perform a good service for me!"
14
Herme says, "It is my will, and I have never lacked in knowledge of war! But these people are too cunning for the Furies, not to mention for us on the way to a proper court case! If one wants to catch these people, one must only listen to what very reliable witnesses say about them; for as one listens to them, one becomes confused, in the end considers them innocent and agrees to their desire. Therefore my opinion would be to catch these rogues and throw them into the sea for the fish to eat, so that no cock will ever crow for them again! Then one has done enough justice for everyone! If tigers, hyenas and wolves settle in an area and the people thereby come to great fear and harm, should one first have a proper questioning for these beasts?! No, I say! Their harmfulness is too well-known; therefore away with them if they begin to become too dangerous to human society! Lord, lord! These people are proteuses who cannot be caught! The more we make an effort to catch them on the political path, the more we will be caught ourselves by them! I know them, even if I am a Greek! But now, merciful lord, permit me another question!"
15
Cyrenius says, "What is it then? Speak!"