48: Tumult at Nain

At that time the army of the Romans was in Judaea, our country being subject to them for the sins of our forefathers. Now it was the custom of the Romans to call god and to worship him that did any new thing of benefit to the common people. And so [some] of these soldiers finding themselves in Nain, they rebuked now one, now another, saying: 'One of your gods hath visited you, and ye make no account of it.
Assuredly if our gods should visit us we should give them all that we have. And ye see how much we fear our gods, since to their images we give the best of all we have. ' Satan did so instigate this manner of speaking that he aroused no small sedition among the people of Nain. But Jesus tarried not at all in Nain, but turned to go into Capernaum. The discord of Nain was such that some said: 'He is our God who hath visited us'; others said: 'God is invisible, so that none hath seen him, not even Moses, his servant; therefore it is not God, but rather his son.'  Others said: 'He is not God, nor son of God, for God hath not a body to beget withal; but he is a great prophet of God.'

    And so did Satan instigate that, in the third year of the prophetic ministry of Jesus, great ruin to our people was like to arise therefrom.

    Jesus went into Capernaum: whereupon the citizens, when they knew him, assembled together all the sick folk they had, and placed them in front of the porch of the house where Jesus was lodging with his disciples. And having called Jesus forth, they besought him for the health of them. Then Jesus laid his hands upon each of them, saying: 'God of Israel, by thy holy name, give health to this sick person.' Whereupon each one was healed.

On the sabbath Jesus entered into the synagogue, and thither ran together all the people to hear him speak.