The Great Gospel of John
Volume 3
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 199 -
Dialogue between the two delegates.
The other says, "You are truly always carefulness itself, and carefulness is the mother of wisdom; but here you seem not to be using it in the right place! For we also have a little knowledge of human nature, and the longer we observe the examiner, the more every thought dwindles, as if something bad could be hidden behind him! I, your fellow representative, perked up my ears a little earlier and heard some things from the secret discussion of the examiner with Cyrenius, and this consisted only of a little worry over the possibility of healing us from our delusion! It seems we were indirectly quite falsely informed about the Messiah and the Romans by the temple in a most malicious way, and have therefore a blind fear now before them and hide our very correct and good faith!
2
When we arrived here, we had some opportunity to observe the Romans who are everywhere, and we could despite all our very clever questions never learn anything from which we could take it that the Romans were seriously so cruel; on the contrary one always and quite freely and cheerfully spoke the best opinion in the world. You however, always said: If they were cruel in this case, they would know how to hide it from the eyes of the world in order not to create unrest among the people before the time! But I do not share this opinion; for every man belongs to some sort of family, and these must then notice his absence and finally begin to investigate where the valuable family member has gone to! But until now there has been no trace of this, and so I believe here that this otherwise very praise-worthy carefulness goes a little too far, particularly towards the very open and faithful-looking examiner!
3
But I now notice something else here, and it is something quite extraordinary, and I am very amazed that such a thing could have escaped your sharp eye completely!"
4
Shabbi says, "Well, what then?! I should have noticed something too; for otherwise things do not easily escape my eyes, and my feeling is as fine as morning dew. I should wonder that you have discovered something that had escaped my eye!"
5
The second representative, whose was Jurah, says, "Nonetheless! Don't you remember what the examiner wanted to hint at when he explained to us the story of Elijah in the cave so beautifully tangibly - as if referring to himself?"
6
Shabbi says, "And what did he mean to say by that?"
7
Jurah says, "Nothing other than that he himself is the promised Messiah, before whose power all the rulers of the Earth have to bow! Look, I have found out what has escaped your great caution! My very keen ear also heard how the supreme governor called your examiner his "Lord" just a moment ago! Something unheard-of from a top Roman general! And look, those are all things from which one should not lightly run away because of exaggerated caution! But what then if this strange man was possibly the prophesied Messiah?!"
8
Shabbi says, "Well, he would then be only extremely satisfied with my well-founded care; for my caution comes from the fact that I want to protect the holiness of our religion from the drivel of the heathens! There may be something in your perception; but we must not accept something without the sharpest secret test - unless we are obliged to do it through the most tangible proof. For nonetheless everything that you have perceived could still be a fine mask, and we would then be in the place that I fear! Therefore just one step at a time, my friend! Man always accepts such things, however true they may be, early enough; for a too hurried acceptance could bring one into great embarrassment!"