The Great Gospel of John
Volume 7
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord on the Mount of Olives. (cont.) Gospel of John, Chapter 8
- Chapter 10 -
The confession of the senior cleric.
Upon My inner call was Raphael already here, and I spoke to him by means of the inner word, saying: "Listen to the bidding of the Roman; since I give to him thoughts, words and will!"
2
When Agrikola noted Raphael, he said: "Yes, I imagined that you would not let us wait for you too long!"
3
Said Raphael: "I already know what you want! Within a few moments everything will be arranged; as the people you want do not live far from here and therefore it will take me long to get them here."
4
Said the senior cleric: "Why?"
5
Said Agrikola: "You will speak when asked; but now, keep quiet!"
6
Quickly the angel disappeared and brought back the elderly couple and the young, very poor, but physically truly very beautiful sister, and behind them followed ten Roman soldiers and one judge delegated by Pilatus.
7
Raphael said to Agrikola: "Friend, this will be all right!"
8
Said Agrikola: "Certainly, since this is how I wanted it!"
9
Raphael withdrew and stood fully prepared to act upon My signal.
10
Agrikola now turned to the three and asked them whether they were familiar with the ill-treated person.
11
Said the sister: "O Jehovah, what has happened to my poor brother? Yesterday afternoon he went somewhere to get some bread, since we have not eaten for two full days, but he didn't returned. We were in great fear for him and prayed that nothing bad would happen to him. After receiving a message from this dear, young messenger here, we find our brother in a condition which can have nothing good behind it!"
12
The sister wanted to enquire further, but Agrikola cautioned her with a friendly voice and said: "Dear daughter of Zion, do not ask any further questions; since your brother is in good hands anyhow! But I will introduce you to this senior cleric who just now turned his face away from us, and you must tell me the fullest truth under which circumstances you know him!"
13
Said the sister: "O Lord, save yourself the trouble; it was with horror that I recognised this miserable man from afar.
14
Said Agrikola: "That does not matter; the better for you all!"
15
Hereupon the Roman called with a very commanding tone the senior cleric, saying: "With an open face come closer and speak! What can you answer to such accusation directed against you? Confess openly the truth, or I will let you confess the truth on the glowing cross, so that you can learn of Roman justice; since we Romans make no exceptions even with priests! Come closer and speak!"
16
The senior cleric turned around and said with a trembling voice: "Lord full of power and honour! What can I say?! Unfortunately it is as the poor man has said about me, and I have earned any punishment which you will choose. If I ever regain my freedom, I would make good my inhumanly great offence against this poor family a thousand fold; but I have not earned any mercy from just punishment, and therefore it will be difficult to make good the evil that I have inflicted on such a truly honourable family."
17
Said Agrikola: "I'm not a judge like you according to a level of emotion, but a judge according to a measure of the law; nevertheless, I say to you now, that these four people who have been so inhumanly deeply offended by you, will now be your main judges! However they will judge you, I will judge you in the same manner! What this poor and hungry man has sinned against your show-bread, shall be judged by God! If He forgives him, so shall we forgive him; since he did not commit a sin against us!"
18
Agrikola turned to the poor family and said: "Decide now what I should do with this great criminal! Since he did not only cause damage to you house twice, in that he tried to violate your chaste daughter and, because he failed, through his evil mouth instigated that your son could not find any work, but he also sentenced your son to a death by stoning, because, driven by hunger, he grabbed a show-bread, - and if it had not been for this greatest Friend of all people, this son of yours would have been dead by now, and you would have never seen him alive again!
19
Over there still stand the temple police and henchmen who would have stoned him, - and this senior cleric is foremost the most merciless and most unfair judge who sentenced your son to a death by stoning! The law regarding touching the show-bread is not unfamiliar to me; Moses only ordered the death penalty for a case of stubborn mischievousness and not for a case of true famine, where every Jew has the right to eat from the show-bread, if he is seriously hungry, just as your great King David has done when he was hungry, since he understood the law of Moses better than a chief priest at that time. Thereby I acquit your son from any wrongdoing, and now it is up to you to pronounce judgement over this worst kind of a criminal!"
20
Said the father of the son and the beautiful daughter: "Lord and mighty Judge! We all thank the great God and you and your friend that we have been saved from such great danger. Just as God in the end always protects what is good and right, He always punishes the truly evil of a stubborn sinner if, without remorse and penance, he persist in doing evil. If he changes sincerely for the better, then God will forgive him no matter how many and great sins. Therefore I will not judge this person, but leave him merely to the will of God; because God alone is the most just Judge. - This is our judgement over this our biggest enemy. We wholeheartedly forgive him all evil that he inflicted on us."