The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and the Priests of the Temple (John 5)
- Chapter 12 -
The nocturnal thunderstorm.
At this a great and strong wind arose, and in the east gathered heavy clouds which seemed to glow. This appearance struck everyone all the more since here it belonged to the realm of rarities. One now already saw a number of flashes up and down and back and forth in the heavy clouds and also heard a distant, but powerful, roll of thunder.
2
Then everyone became a little worried, and Lazarus said to Me: "Lord, look at the heavy storm! It seems to want to move right in our direction! How would it be if we went back into the house again; for such night time storms are often very evil!"
3
I said: "Be calm Lazarus; for this storm did not come without My will! But why I allowed it to come, you will learn afterwards."
4
At this Lazarus became calm; but the Jews, when the storm came ever closer and closer, began to become cowardly and secretly asked the disciples whether I was not afraid of the strong, fast-approaching storm.
5
But the disciples said: "He is also a Lord over the storms and tempests, and all elements must obey His will; therefore we do not need to be afraid of any tempest in His presence."
6
The Jews accepted this comfort well and became calmer. But the twenty Jewish priests became quite terribly anxious and full of fear, particularly when one flash of lightning followed the other with a great crash at every second. They rose form their seats, came to Me and said: "Lord, for whom all things are possible, curb this terrible storm, otherwise we will all perish terribly; for that is an evil storm! We have only experienced three such storms in our whole life, and many people and animals died on the same evening. Then, as now, lightning and thunderbolts rained, and whoever was hit was immediately a child of death. Only those who fled into the well-built houses remained alive. The great storm about twenty years ago in Damascus was particularly fierce. Whoever was in the open air then had difficulty escaping with his life. Therefore it would also perhaps be better here if we went into the house nonetheless; for here it could go badly for us all if that evil tempest came to a standstill above us. The wind also is now becoming so strong that one can hardly bear it any longer!"
7
I said: "Leave it, for also in this tempest should you learn the power and strength of God in the Son of Man!"
8
Hardly had I said such a thing, the storm was right above us, stretching out far on each side, and a thousand flashes of lightning escaped the heavy clouds every moment. Several times they hit the hillside all around with great crashes.
9
Then the Jews began to cry out quite powerfully: "Oh Lord, help us, otherwise we are all lost!"
10
But I said: "Has then anyone been hit by lightning yet, so that you should scream so much?! Those who are with Me, for them there is no danger. But now learn the power of the Father in the Son; for this storm is also a judgment and stands within My power! I have called it forth and can also have it go away again whenever and however I desire. For you, however, you twenty priests, it is a symbol of your mind; for this is exactly how it looked barely three hours ago in your hearts and worse still than it now looks above us.
11
Yet, believe Me, it is easier for Me to command this tempest to die down along with the strong storm wind than to command your hearts with their evil passions! It needed much speaking and great signs in order to become the master of your internal tempest; with this wild and fiercest tempest it needs only a word and it will no longer be there!
12
But as My mercy began to light up after the driving out of your inner evilest tempest, likewise shall the same be visible symbolically in the firmament after the driving away of this evil tempest. You see, already a large number of flashes have escaped the heavy and wide-spread cloud, but such a number has by no means reached the number of your sins! From this you can see again now how you were afflicted! But I would have to let this tempest rage for another whole hour in order to fill up the number of flashes with the number of your sins; but such a thing has no further value for your inner being, and so let us then allow this storm which has already frightened you all very much pass by! And so I command you, you monster, that you disperse and die down! Amen."
13
In an instant the tempest along with the wind died down, the clouds dispersed, the stars shone out in their former glory and majesty, and right above us shone a great star which was unfamiliar to everyone.