When the twelve reached the above-mentioned market town after a few short hours, they found the inhabitants in groups before its gates, howling and weeping, and some lamenting beyond all measure; for Herod’s tax extortioners were wreaking havoc in the market town, plundering the houses and taking away the dearest, best and most beautiful children of parents unable to pay, tying such children together with ropes like calves and throwing them onto their ox-drawn tax wagons. When the disciples became aware of this abomination, they turned to Me in their hearts—
and clearly heard in their hearts the words: ‘Whatever you wish there shall also happen at once!’ When they heard this, they said to the immeasurably sorrowful inhabitants of this market town: ‘Peace be with you! May the kingdom of God, which we spread in the Lord’s name, come to you! Go with us into your market town, and we shall settle and conclude the matter for you with the unjust and most heartless tax extortioners!’
The inhabitants say: ‘Oh, you will find no ear there! For those who extort the most unjust taxes are not people, but sheer wildest ravening animals (!), who will attack you terribly.’
Peter says: ‘Dear brothers! Accept what we bring you; the Lord will accomplish the rest through us! Do not expect gold and silver from us; but what we have, you shall also receive from us. But now let us hurry into the market town, so that the children do not suffer too long!’
As the disciples now enter the place with the inhabitants, they see several wagons full of all kinds of effects, some loaded with children and still others with sheep and calves, and the tax extortioners are already giving the signal to depart, paying no attention to the bound children’s cries and lamentations.
Then Peter approaches the chief of the tax extortioners and says in a most serious tone: ‘Wretch! By what right do you commit such abominations?! Do you not know that above you lives an almighty God who can destroy you and your accomplices in an instant? Desist from your abominations and return everything, otherwise you shall see the full severity of God’s wrath come upon you at this very place!’ The chief of the tax extortioners says to Peter: ‘Who are you, that you dare speak to me in such a tone?! Do you not know what power I have been equipped with by Herod, who holds it on lease from the emperor in Rome? Do you perhaps not know either that I can have anyone who stands in my way killed instantly without any prior trial?! Step back now! One more word, and the sword’s edge has reached you!’
Peter says: ‘Well then, since you, though also a son of Jacob, are no longer a human being but a wild ravening animal, may God’s judgment strike you and your accomplices! For I who proclaimed this to you am a messenger of God, and those with me are so too! What you wanted to do to me because I restrained you from abominable deeds in God’s name, you had wanted to do to God; therefore may God’s judgment strike you too! Amen!’
When Peter said this with great zeal, fire shot out of the earth, seized the chief and consumed him in an instant. When his accomplices saw this, they were so terribly frightened that they fell down before Peter and vowed to do anything he might command, if only he would not punish them so dreadfully!
Peter says: ‘Then release everything, and afterwards depart in peace! But never again let yourselves desire to render such a service to a Herod; for at the next step towards it, what has now happened to your chief before your eyes will happen to you!’
At these words the tax extortioners immediately untie the children and release them, and likewise all the livestock, such as sheep and calves, and thus everything they have extorted in this place, to which they and Herod had no right. For a year earlier this market town had already bought its release from Herod through the Romans, as several places had done in the same way because of Herod’s unlimited oppressions; but Herod made secret raids, had the deed of release denied and granted his tax extortioners full authority with the new document, stating that he would answer for it before the emperor.
Peter now explained to the tax extortioners what injustice they were committing against their brothers, and they began to curse Herod and revile themselves for being so blind as to lend their hands to such a tyrant!
But Peter began to teach about God’s kingdom, and look, all the tax extortioners were converted and now followed Peter, about a hundred in number, and this was a good catch; for these very tax extortioners then became exceedingly active on their own and contributed much to the more rapid spread of My teaching.
But the inhabitants of this market town kept the apostles with them for three days and even had themselves baptized in My name. For the apostles also baptized with water everyone who requested baptism in My name.
They had indeed not yet received a commandment for this from Me; but they knew that such a thing did not go against My will.
The inhabitants made every effort to entertain the disciples as well as possible, and finally offered them money because they, that is, the disciples, had made their sick well. But the disciples accepted none, nor anything else, at which the former tax collectors were greatly astonished and said: ‘More than your wondrous deeds, your unheard-of unselfishness proves that you are most truly messengers of God; for people of this world are full of the blackest self-interest!’
Judas did indeed look quite dumbfounded when he saw the great amount of money offered to him; but Thomas was always at his side, and so this time the money-hungry disciple did not dare accept anything, which secretly grieved him greatly.
But after three days the disciples divided from here into twos, and with each pair went ten to fifteen of the converted tax collectors, who rendered the disciples good service; for they had much courage and knew no fear of people.
The twelve now did as I have commanded them and everywhere did good business.
But what did I now do after I have sent out the twelve disciples with the instructions given?