The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in Galilee
- Chapter 76 -
The youngest Pharisee recognizes the Lord.
When the Pharisees heard Me saying that, one of them, who was the best among them, said to the scribe: "Listen, that Galilean is actually not wrong. It is true that His words are stinging like sharp arrows, but He speaks the truth. Why actually did the lightning hit exactly our synagogue? The Galilean knows what we are doing and can certainly not praise it, and therefore He knows very well that God will leave our prayer unanswered. We should approach Him more kindly now, then He still may save us in a miraculous way. Who of us can now assert with certainty that He is not the One who was promised to us?"
2
The scribe said: "Will you also start to witness against us? Is it not written: 'No prophet can arise from Galilee'?
3
The better Pharisee said: "Yes, yes, this is what is written, but it is nowhere written that the Messiah cannot arise from Galilee. Now, if He is the One, then he also is no prophet, but the Lord Himself, and then what is written in the Scripture does not apply to Him."
4
The scribe said: "Yes, if that would be so, then of course not, but who can prove that, and who would dare?"
5
The Pharisee said: "He Himself, and now maybe already many hundred of thousands witnesses. The fact that we do not believe that, is not His fault. But this is an opportunity to show us that He is more than a prophet, and then we also want and will believe in Him."
6
On this, the scribe did not say anything anymore, went outside to see how much damage the ever-spreading fire had already caused. But because the stormy wind continued to blow so heavily that anyone could hardly remain standing, and the flashes of lightning were also almost uninterruptedly flashing crisscross with loud thunder through the air and the thick clouds, the scribe and still another Pharisee who accompanied him, did not stay long outside as spectator but returned soon back into the hall and told the others that not much could be saved of the synagogue anymore since the fire had become too mighty and in this place there was too little water and too few brave people to extinguish it.
7
However, the better Pharisee came to Me again and said: "Master, You have heard what I said to our scribe about You. He could not give me any valid answer, and so he preferred to remain silent, but he went outside anyway to see if perhaps it would still be worthy to extinguish the synagogue and thus to still save a few valuable things. Thereby he wanted to indicate that he also might believe in You if You would extinguish the fire in the synagogue by Your miraculous power and save also in this manner a few treasures. But since the vicious fire will now soon have consumed and destroyed everything, he will now think: 'Neither with natural or with miraculous means can anything be saved anymore, and thus I will remain with my unbelief.'
8
But what concerns me, I think and conclude now quite differently, because for me the 2 signs which You have performed here are sufficient, namely firstly the cleansing of the 10 lepers and secondly the healing of the chief helper, and I believe that You are undeniably God's anointed One and that therefore nothing is impossible for You. And therefore I believe also that if You want, You can calm down the storm and extinguish the fire in our synagogue and save that which is most necessary for us to live from. Lord and Master, forgive me if I have sinned against You before, and show at least to me that You are also Lord over the elements and the great nature."
9
I said: "Blessed are you, because you believe, and for you I also want to do according to your faith. Therefore, come with Me outside, then we will see what true faith can do."
10
Then I went with the better Pharisee outside and looked with him to the strong fire that was already raging into the whole building, and I said to him while he was standing without fear or fright with Me: "Do you still think and believe that it is possible for Me to calm down with 1 word this mighty storm, extinguish the fire and by that at least save your possessions?"
11
Being full of confidence the Pharisee said: "Yes, Lord and Master, only now I believe all that, without any doubt. Speak only 1 word, and infallibly will happen what You want."
12
I said: "Well then will happen as you believe."
13
After I had said that, the storm lied down suddenly, and the fire in the synagogue extinguished in such a way that in the whole big building not even a little glowing spark could be found anymore.
14
On this, the Pharisee fell down on his knees before Me and praised aloud God's power and might in Me.
15
But I indicated to him to stand up, because now all those who were driven to the big hall by fear and fright, began to come out because they could well notice that the storm had ceased entirely, and also through the window nothing could be discovered anymore of the fire in the synagogue.
16
When the scribe with the other Pharisees noticed this, and also saw that the sky was cloudless, he said: "Listen, this is more than even the most wise man could ever dream. But what can we do? If we will believe in the Galilean, then the whole temple will soon come after us with burning clubs, and if we still do not believe Him now, then we have the people of the whole wide neighborhood against us. It will be difficult now to find the golden middle way and continue to walk on that. But let us talk about it further tomorrow. Now bring us light, so that we con convince ourselves what kind of damage we have suffered from the fire."
17
Then the innkeeper brought lights that were made of wax, and everyone went to the synagogue to see what the fire had destroyed. The Pharisees soon discovered that the fire had caused a big devastation in their home and began to lament heavily because of that. But when they came into the home of the better, believing Pharisee, where I was present with him, they were all stunned when they saw everything undamaged and in good order.