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 200 -
The chief's plans.
When the Herodians felt completely alone, the chief said very quietly to his subordinates: "Listen, let tomorrow no one betray - not even by a face expression - why we have actually undertaken this truly unfortunate and wild trip to this place, but let everyone of us pretend to have a sickness. Then on my account, which will be expensive for Herod, we will make use of the bath resort for a couple of days and we will then take leave on the 3rd day as being completely healed. Yes, if we had not lost the 4 ships with the 130 brave soldiers in that fatal storm on the lake, we would have talked differently to that servant, who is probably the most important manager of this institution. But we are here as shipwrecked people without any might or luster, and so, the point is to keep silent as a wall about the actual purpose of our coming here, for the slightest disclosure of the matter would bring us into the greatest trouble in this purely Roman nest.
2
The skippers from Tiberias, who very wisely stayed on the shore on the other side, told us the real truth. It happened to us as they said. And now I swear a holy oath on my death and life that I will never let myself be used to trace that mysterious Nazarene, not even if, as a reward, a whole, big kingdom would be offered to me.
3
It is easy to fight against enemies that can be seen and whose strength can be calculated, but against an invisible enemy, whose might, power and strength cannot be calculated by anyone, our blind and stupid Herod must fight himself. We will no more play the fool for him.
4
As far as we are concerned, the Nazarene may raise Himself 12 times King over all the Jews, and we will never more take action against Him. He is certainly wiser, better and mightier than our Herod and his accomplices in the temple who are all completely loaded with gold and precious stones. The people praise Him everywhere and they expect of course somehow too much from Him. But no matter what, from now on, we are no more His enemies and will also never be.
5
It is of course a great pity of those 130 soldiers who lost their life as an injurious offering for the Herodian foolishness. But all together, it is maybe still good that it happened that way. For if we would have arrived here with them on land and would have used force on this purely Roman ground, then who knows how we would have fared. Certainly not too well, for it is not unknown to me that the Nazarene has secretly even a very good reputation among the very prominent Romans. In short, we know now how we have to behave ourselves here, so that no one will be suspicious.
6
Once we are back in Jerusalem, I surely will present Herod the bill, about which he certainly will scratch and pinch himself behind the ears for 10 long years. And if he refuses to pay me, then I will immediately join a Roman legion and will then tell him as a Roman, first between 4 eyes, what it means to invade with his soldiers, without the permission of Rome, a Roman territory that has a legal assignment. Then that old fox will rather prefer to pay that expensive bill than to let himself be betrayed by us to the relentless Romans. For I know that he is not very popular, especially not with the supreme governor Cyrenius.
7
But now, before we completely go to sleep, it would be a good idea if someone would check outside whether we are guarded, what the condition of our ship is, and if the storm is still raging."
8
One of them, who was the captain, said: "That is all very nice, but if a guard will ask us what we are doing outside, then what will we answer him?"
9
The chief said: "That is simple. You should tell him the truth, and if necessary, you can also clarify to him that certain natural necessities of man cannot be decently done in a clean dormitory-inn, and then the guard will certainly not have any objection."