Such words calmed the disciples, and the Pharisees and all the strict Jews began asking what it was the disciples had seen and how it could have put them into such visible fear.
Those questioned related in complete agreement what they have seen. Then the Pharisees began to hesitate and question one another, saying: ‘How is this, how is it that all had the same vision at the same moment? How can a magician bring about an apparition for only some, and not for others? Why did only those who follow him see something, and why did we see nothing? If we, though the staunchest followers of Moses, are condemned by him, who nevertheless wishes to be a Jew too, and even, speaking according to the apparition described—how?!—then it would have been most advisable on his part to show the apparition before us, so that we would have become afraid through it and become his disciples. But he is shrewd and makes no such spectacle before us, for he fears that we would recognize it at once and then call it by its right name, thereby perhaps opening the eyes of many of his followers, who would then see who their praised master is! We must take stricter measures against this ever more dangerous man; otherwise he will all too soon grow over our heads, and the Romans will come and cruelly kill us all for it!’
I say quite loudly to them: ‘You have long been ripe for that; it would require only one word from Me to the colonel, and from tomorrow until the day after you hang by the thousands on stakes of shame! Do you think your machinations against Emperor Tiberius, however secretly kept, are unknown to Me?! Oh, by no means! I know the day and hour, and also the agreed signal—what it is to be like for all Judea, for Galilee, and for Jerusalem within its walls! But I tell you that you will do wonderfully bad business with it, and the governor Pontius Pilate, who wields a sharp sword, will then give you the reward for your fine efforts before Jerusalem’s city walls; and Herod will have work to do to restore himself to the governor’s favor!
‘Just keep taking ever sharper measures against Me and My disciples in your immense blindness and malice; then I too shall know what I have to undertake against you even before the time!
‘John called you a brood of snakes and a breed of vipers! I have never yet given you such a name; but now I too give you that name and call upon you to leave here. Otherwise I shall have bears come out of the forests and do to you what happened in Elisha’s time to the unruly boys who mocked that prophet! For every spark of compassion for you has departed from My heart.
‘Had you reviled Me in any way, I would forgive you; but you have risen and armed yourselves against My Spirit, who is called Love and is My Father from eternity, and this sin shall not be forgiven you here, and still less beyond! And so leave here, that I may remain these few days here with My friend Kisjonah without further disturbance!’
A Pharisee says: ‘We may not let you out of our sight, since our superior has set us over you for that purpose!’
I say: ‘Yes, you have been set over Me like wolves over a flock of sheep. But if you persist in your intention, I shall immediately have bears come from the mountains and set them over you as overseers and disciplinarians!’
At this moment a loud roaring of many bears can be heard from the nearby mountains. When the Pharisees and strict Jews hear it, they quickly take refuge by the sea, hastily board the fishing boats there and push them off from the shore. But a strong headwind drives them back to the shore, where a couple of bears can be seen here and there. For about two hours they struggle with the wind, which stubbornly drives them to the shore whenever they have moved a few fathoms away from it during a lull. After two hours of desperate struggle with wind and sea, a larger ship finally comes, takes aboard those near despair and weary to the point of collapse, and sails off with them amid the greatest storm, which threatens to swallow the ship at every moment. Thus they are tormented throughout the whole day and night and reach the shore near Capernaum only towards noon the following day.
There the leaders question them most diligently about everything they have seen, heard and experienced; but they are mute and do not dare speak, for they have acquired a considerable respect for Me and for the moment do not dare undertake anything against Me.