But the next morning it becomes very lively in front of the house, for even before daybreak a great multitude of people comes afresh from all sides, and there is no lack of bread and milk sellers either. Thus this causes a great commotion in front of the house, so that everyone in the house begins to grow apprehensive.
But I say, ‘Let us have the morning meal, and then go at once to a house well known to Me, a few field paths beyond Capernaum, so that the matter does not cause such a stir here in Nazareth.’
While I announce this to the disciples, Judas too comes in and says, ‘Brothers, from now on I shall remain with you. My business is finished; for your sake I have finished it today instead of tomorrow. But now very briefly about something else: the people, now gathered here in their several thousands, want nothing more and nothing less than to proclaim the good Master Jesus king! And in the presence of so many Roman soldiers, I think that might be ill-advised in the highest degree. For on such an occasion one could by no means trust the otherwise very humane Romans, nor the high-ranking priests, Pharisees and scribes of our people!?’
I say, ‘Well then, bring the morning meal quickly! Today is also the Sabbath, and still more people could come; therefore we shall also get away from here quickly.’
Adjoining My house, on both sides of it, was a well-fenced garden which could be reached only through a little back door of the house. We therefore used this door and thus escaped the curious eyes of several thousand people, more than three quarters of whom were driven there only by tiresome curiosity to gape at wondrous events.
But when we too, about a hundred in all, had escaped unseen by the great crowd, and it was still waiting in front of the house for Me to come out with the disciples and perhaps work another miracle or give a discourse, and for them then to proclaim Me king of the Jews, which was the plan of many in the great crowd, a maidservant of My house stepped out before the crowd and asked a man who looked particularly good to her, ‘What does this great crowd want here?’ And the man said, ‘We are here to make Jesus, the mightiest of the mighty and the wisest of the wise, our king! For we were witnesses of how sea and winds obeyed Him, and the worst devils among human beings and spirits must flee before Him. He is infallibly the promised Anointed One of God, to redeem God’s people from the hard yoke of Rome’s tyranny! It is therefore time to raise Him as king of God’s people, acknowledged and worshiped by all Jews. See, that is why we are here! What is He doing so long in the house that He does not even come out to us!?’
The maidservant says, ‘Then you are waiting here in vain! For He left early for the region of Capernaum, perhaps to visit a sick person, and all His disciples with Him; so, as I said, you are waiting for Him in vain.’
At this news the man asks her whether she does not know which house He went to. But the maidservant assures him that she does not know, nor does anyone in the whole house; for I have confided to no one what house I have gone to.
At this answer the man goes into the house to assure himself of the maidservant’s statement. And since he found no one in the house except the few people helping Mary clean the cooking vessels and tableware, he went outside again and announced to everyone that I have gone to an unspecified house at Capernaum to heal a sick person there.
When the crowd hears this, all set off at once and cry, ‘Then to Capernaum! There we shall find out about Him and find the house He has gone into!’
With this, all except a few Nazarenes take the road to Capernaum, and My house is free of the great encampment of people.
But in return the people of Capernaum soon open their eyes wide when they see the great crowd entering the town. The Roman colonel immediately sends several of his soldiers among them and has them asked what they want in Capernaum in such numbers, since it is the Sabbath and neither a market nor anything else is taking place in this town, least of all on a Sabbath, whose sanctity the colonel has to uphold.
Then those questioned say, ‘We are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, for we have heard that He is here!?’
And the colonel has them told that Jesus is not in Capernaum but near Bethabara, where He went a couple of hours ago.
When the crowd hears this, it quickly makes its way towards Bethabara. But on the road between the two places by the Sea of Galilee, the leaders of the crowd discover another great crowd around a house, go there and ask what is going on here. And they are told that I am in the house.
At this news the house is immediately surrounded on all sides, and the people deliberate and make preparations as to how they might make Me king. But then the colonel does Me a good service and sends a whole legion of soldiers from Capernaum, whose task is merely to watch the great crowd. And the crowd thereupon holds back from its plan.
But, attracted by these movements, several Pharisees and scribes also come to this house on My account: some from Jerusalem, though present in Capernaum at that time, together with the priests and scribes of Capernaum, and some also from Nazareth and the surrounding region. For they have heard from Jairus how I awakened his little daughter from the hardest death. The people make room for them so that they can come to Me into the house.
And when they find Me in the house, they soon address a multitude of questions to Me; but I refer them all to My disciples and say, ‘These here are My witnesses; they know about everything. Ask them!’
And the Pharisees and scribes now assailed the disciples, and the disciples gave them very well-measured answers.