The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Back in Nazareth
- Chapter 112 -
The death of Jairus' daughter. The Lord's comfort and promise. Resurrection of Jairus' daughter. The risen one's experiences in the beyond. The Lord's admonition to secrecy.
But whilst I was yet telling the disciples about this woman, the principal's domestics came running almost breathless, to bring him the sad news of his daughter's death!
2
The principal became grief stricken, saying to Me, 'Dear Master, since it is grievously too late for me now for helping my daughter, who was my everything, do not further trouble yourself!'
3
After these words he started sobbing loudly; he had much loved his daughter, who was very shapely and well-bred, with the build of a twenty year old and was also this principal's only child.
4
After hearing his domestics and then the exceedingly grieving principal himself, with whom My heart commiserated, I said to him, 'Fear not, friend, but believe; your daughter has not died but only fallen asleep and I shall awaken her!'
5
On hearing Me thus, the principal began to breathe more easily.
6
When we were still some thousand paces from the principal's house, I said to the crowd, as well as to those disciples still of a more feeble faith, to all wait here; and only Peter, Jacob and his brother and John were allowed to come, for on their faith one could already build houses.
7
Arriving at the house with the school-principal, there was a great turmoil there and much weeping and wailing in accordance with Jewish tradition, with mourning hymns sung.
8
Entering the room where the deceased lay on an adorned bed, I said to the many commotionists; 'What are you carrying on and wailing for?! The little daughter has not died but only sleeps!'
9
But they laughed Me off and said, 'Yeah, that's what the sleeping look like! When there has been no breath or pulse for three and a half hours and the body cold and colourless and the eye lifeless, then according to your knowledge one sleeps?! Yes, yes, that also is sleep of course, only no one awakens from it except on judgment day!'
10
But I say to the principal, 'Get them all out, because their unbelief is no good to Me!' The principal did so; yet the tumultants would not obey him and he asked My help. So I drove them out by force and they ran out and scattered.
11
I then went back with the principal and his grieving wife and the four disciples to the chamber where the deceased little daughter lay, stepped straight to her bed, took her left hand and said to her, 'Talithakumi' - which is to say, 'I say to you little maiden, arise!'
13
The parents, elated beyond all measure, turned to Me with many a tear of joy and thankfulness, asking whether and what to give her to eat. But I said, 'Indeed give her to eat, whatever she likes and whatever is close to hand!'
14
There were some figs and dates upon a dish and the little daughter asked if she could eat these fruits. And I said, 'Eat whatever you like; for you are now completely well and shall not get sick again!'
15
So the little maiden leapt over to the bowl, nearly emptying it. But the parents were concerned it may harm her.
16
But I comforted them, saying to them, 'Do not be troubled; when I say unto you that it can never harm her then it shall never do so!' And the parents firmly believed.
17
After the girl was filled and had said thanks, she went over to the parents and asked them softly who I was, actually. Because whilst on the bed, she had seen the heavens open and a vast number of radiant angels, 'And amidst the angels there stood a most amicable man looking in my direction, then approaching me, seizing me by the hand and saying, 'Talitha kumi', after which call I woke up immediately! And behold, this man here looks exactly like one I saw among so many angels! Oh, this must be a most wonderful man indeed!'
18
The principal understood the daughter's question only too well but, having received a hint from Me, he said to the daughter only that she had a beautiful and true dream, which he shall shortly explain to her. And the little girl was happy with that.
19
But I asked the principal to come with Me into the open, together with the daughter and mother, so that those tarrying outside should be put to shame on account of their unbelief! And we went outside. And when these unbelieving saw the daughter and how well same looked and cheerfully proceeded to question them on why they stood there so puzzled and frightened, these were horrified even more and said, 'This is a miracle above all miracles! Because the girl truly was dead and now lived!' And they were determined to spread this all over the place at once.
20
But I rebuked them all and commanded them to keep it to themselves, for the sake of their physical and spiritual lives! And they kept their silence and departed.