The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in the region of Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 164 -
The healing by faith of the repented judge.
When the judge had openly spoken out these words, which were earnest and filled with a firm, unshakable trust from inside, there was as if a lightning running through his chest, and he became immediately healed, in such a way as he had never been before in his whole life. For already since his birth he was weak, and for that reason - although he was the son of a captain - he did not dedicate himself to military service but studied the laws of Rome and became a judge.
2
After he became suddenly and completely healed, he also started to rejoice loudly, and he thanked Me, and also the doctor whose fearless words and deep life's true speech had awaken such faith and trust in him.
3
After he had quite exhausted himself from sheer praises of honor of My Being that was still very much unknown to him, he turned to the doctor again and said (the judge): "O, you my dear friend now, how can I reward you for the courage that you have shown me and for the truly not little effort you had to make because of my blindness. And how can I also reward these 2 companions of yours, who were the first to bring you the message of the personal presence of the great Master and of His true divinity? Tell me, you 2 dear friends, what did He tell you that one should do to remain sure of His mercy?"
4
Then our Polycarp said: "Concerning this, He only said: 'Keep the 10 commandments of Moses, and love God, the one and only true One above all in this manner, and your fellowman as yourself. Do for them what you in a reasonable manner can expect that they would do for you. Furthermore, you should not let yourselves be tempted by the appealing enticements of the world, then you will stay in Me and I in you, and in this way you will have the eternal life through the spirit of My love in you, for I Myself am the Way, the Truth and the eternal Life. He who believes in Me and keeps My commandments, is the one who loves Me above all. To him I will come Myself. I will reveal Myself to him and give him eternal life.' Look, this is the essence of His teaching.
5
We still talked about many things with Him, and He thoroughly instructed us about many great things, about which we cannot talk now because they are so extensive, but we will find a good time for that."
6
The judge and the doctor thanked Polycarp for this announcement and they took the firm decision to act accordingly their whole life long.
7
After this 2nd healing, also the other companions believed now completely in Me and asked Me also for the healing of their sick flesh and blood. And they also were suddenly helped, upon which there was almost no end to the jubilation and the praising of My name that was also announced by Polycarp.
8
That attracted the attention of many cure guests who went to them and asked them what kind of peculiar thing had happened because of their continuous jubilation.
9
But the judge said: "We also did not ask you why you are not jubilating. As long as the body is sick and also the soul, one does not like to rejoice, but when body and soul become completely healthy, there is every reason to rejoice."
10
On this, a rich Jew, whose health had not improved much in this institution, said: "How did you become so quickly healthy in this spot?"
11
The judge said: "It is not very honorable to you as a Jew to ask us gentiles. You believe in the one, only true God, and we only began to believe in Him and asked for His help and He did not wait to help us, and for this reason we jubilate our thanks to your God, who is and will remain now also our God. Why did you not turn in full faith to your God, so that He would help you also as He has unmistakably helped us?"
12
Completely astonished the Jew said: "I have not read anywhere in the Scripture that our God has ever helped the uncircumcised gentiles."
13
The judge said: "And still, we also are alive and received everything from Him, and He let us rule over you. Then how can this be?"
14
When the Jew and several of his tribesmen heard that, they did not ask anything anymore, turned around and went away.
15
However, those who were healed were very glad to be rid of these troublesome guests in this manner.
16
Since I still did not come to the institution, and they were waiting for Me with great desire, they all decided to go and search for Me to give Me honor in the presence of all men. Therefore, they asked a servant of Marcus if I was still in the house of Marcus and if they could meet Me.
17
The servant said: "The Lord and Master is still in the house for the midday meal and relates wonderful things."
18
For I related what had happened to these healed ones and what they had said, but the servant who served us before in the house and who was then sent by Marcus to the institution to get something, did not understand that, and therefore he also could not give an answer to the question of the healed ones, for he knew nothing about how the Greeks from Melita and the Roman judge were healed by the power of My will.
19
Nevertheless, he said to those who asked him to come to Me (the servant): "I still have a small thing to do here for my lord. After that, I will go back to the house and present your request, and will then right away bring you the answer of the great Lord and Master."
20
The healed ones were satisfied with that. The servant went away and did what he had to do, came then into the house to us and told Me what the healed ones had asked.
21
I said to him "Go to My friends who asked you if I still was in the house and if they could come to Me, and tell them the following thing: He who is led to Me through love, may always come to Me, then I will accept him with the love that led him to Me."
22
After these words of Mine, the servant went again to the institution and told the healed ones, who went then directly with great joy and respect on their way to the house of Marcus.