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 211 -
Raphael with the Herodians.
Now also the Herodians came out of their dormitory and went to their ship to see if it was still in good shape and if it still could be used for navigation.
2
However, before they properly could inspect the ship, the captain saw us from the pier standing together on a little elevation of the shore - about 200 paces away from them. And he said to the chief: "Friend, we will leave the inspection of the ship to our loyal soldiers. Also without us, they will be able to see how far the ship is still useable or not. But we will go to that group of people up there on the higher part of the shore, for I have the impression that the great Lord and Master is there. I very well remembered His garment yesterday, and also that of a beautiful young man. They must be the ones. So let us immediately go to them, for this is the most important thing. All the rest can be well taken care of later."
3
The captain hardly had said that when Raphael, whom he recognized from afar as the beautiful young man whom he saw the evening before, stood right before him and the chief. And they both were frightened of Raphael's sudden presence, for they really could not understand how he could cover 200 paces in 1 moment and come to them. They really became scared of him, so that they did not dare to ask him how he was able to come that quickly to them.
4
But he said to them (Raphael): "Why are you afraid of me? I suppose I do not look frightening, and I also do not want to give you even the least of unpleasantness. And therefore, your fear for me is futile and foolish. Do you not see that?"
5
The captain said: "O lovely young man, our fear for you, which can certainly be excused, is not as futile and foolish as you think, for if you had come to us in a few moments of time by running fast, then this would certainly not have been something surprising, since a young man in perfect health can just like a chased deer make quick jumps. But to be present there and here as a flash of lightning without any sound, this is clearly a little too much. I just have to consider now that for you and for your - and now also our - Lord and Master nothing is impossible. And then, your very quick arrival to this place is surely understandable for us. But first we would like to hear from you for which very important reason the great Lord and Master has sent you here to us as a flash of lightning."
6
Raphael said: "To bring you the message that you should not go directly to Him now. He Himself will come to you and tell you what you should do in the matter with Herod when you will be back in Jerusalem. And this, the Lord only wants to tell you, without any witnesses present.
7
But also, as a servant of the Lord, I still have something else to do, which will also be immediately executed. Look, the bottom of your ship is seriously damaged by the hard crash against this shore of many stones. If it would not lay in the shallowest part of this lake, it already would have sunk. But since the lake is only a couple of ells deep here, the ship cannot sink any deeper than that.
8
Now look at your soldiers, how they shake their head with the other skippers, and deliberate with each other what should be done with your leaking ship. To scoop out the water will not help, for then the work would be as useless as when someone would scoop out a brook. Because quite as much and even much more water would again stream into the brook as he would scoop out. Now come very bravely with me and convince yourself that this is indeed the case with your ship."