Translated from the Japanese by Christopher Southward | 2022*

We’ve all heard stories about the lives and times of Jesus Christ and his disciples, and given that those recorded in the Bible circulate even unto the farthest reaches of the earth, every nation now claims its own legends of Our Lord and Savior and, say, Simon Peter and the other apostles. What follows, then, is an Irish folktale that tells as though the villages of that land were contiguous with those of Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. And yet, contrary to popular belief, the Twelve Disciples were not Jesus’ constant companions en masse as he traveled and taught on the plains and in the towns along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, so that the following is an account of one of his journeys through those regions with Simon Peter alone.

One day, as Jesus and Simon Peter climbed a bluff near the Sea of Galilee, they met an old beggar standing roadside in the light of the setting sun. Dressed in cap and garments tattered and soiled, and starving to the point of tears, the beggar beseeched them for what they might spare as they made their way up the road. Peter had only a few coins on hand and, knowing this, Jesus kept silent as he passed the two men while observing his disciple’s response to the beggar’s entreaties. The old man trembled with hunger, and though deeply moved by the sight, Peter followed Jesus’ lead and casually went on his way.

As they returned by the same route the following day, Jesus and Simon Peter came upon a bandit who, though emaciated and scowling with pangs of hunger, stood armed with a sheathed sword strapped to his back. Famished, he asked them if they hadn’t a morsel to eat.

What an imbecile!, Peter thought. As if we’d have food or anything else to spare!

Just then, Jesus miraculously produced a few coins and handed them to the man as they passed.

‍ ”My Lord!,” Peter protested. “Why is it that you offered nothing to the old beggar yesterday but have given money to this bandit today?! He’d be no match for the two of us and, besides, I’m taller and I too carry a sword!”

“O’, Peter!,” Jesus lamented. “How unfortunate it is that you see only what is apparent to you when, instead, you should look beyond appearances and see that which lies at the heart of things. The day is at hand when you will understand my actions of yesterday and today.”

Days passed, and as Jesus and Simon Peter traveled through the mountains, preaching as they went, they happened to lose their way, at every turn finding themselves surrounded by rugged rock outcrops and teetering on the edges of precipitous cliffs. They pushed ahead, and as they walked, they grew so hungry and thirsty that they felt as though they might at any moment faint. Rain fell, lightning flashed, and Simon Peter stopped in his tracks as a man emerged from the bend ahead and approached them; it was the bandit they’d met the other day. Immediately recognizing Jesus and Simon Peter and seeing their need of shelter from the storm, he showed them into the cave he called home. He then built a fire, served them bread and wine, and invited them freely to help themselves to all that he owned, bidding them to change into clean robes as he prepared pallets of fresh straw upon which they might rest while their rain-soaked garments dried by the fire.

Midday following, the bandit prepared lunch for Jesus and Simon Peter and saw them on their way, escorting them a fair distance and advising them on their route so that they’d not get lost again. So humbled was he by this man’s hospitality that Peter thought him far saintlier than any saint he’d ever known, and he fell to thinking this over as they bid each other farewell and parted ways.

About an hour into their journey, Jesus and Simon Peter happened upon a man lying dead in the road and, with a closer look, they recognized him as the beggar of a few days past.

“What a pity!,”Peter mused. “He must have died of hunger and cold. If only we’d given him food when he asked for it!”

“Yes, but search his purse and see what’s there,” Jesus commanded. Peter did just this and found more than twenty silver and gold coins stashed in the bottom of the beggar’s purse.

“Aha!,”he triumphantly exclaimed. “He was lying all along! Never again will I question you, My Lord!”

“Now, Peter,” Jesus said. “Take the coins and throw them deep into the sea so that no one will ever find them. For it is said, the love of money is the root of all manner of evil.”

Peter did as Jesus commanded, gathering up the beggar’s coins and trudging through the grassy fields toward the sea in order to toss them into the waters. But, as he neared the shore, he again fell to thinking:

What a shame it would be to throw away good money! We too are often hungry, and many are the nights when we must sleep in the cold. After all, money is money, so I’ll just keep the pieces of gold and use them in the service of My Lord. Besides, he takes little thought of his own welfare, and he’ll be happy to have me look after him.

Pleased with himself, Peter tossed each of the silver coins beyond the surf and returned straight-faced to the bluffs where Jesus stood leisurely surveying the seascape. Greeting him as he arrived, Jesus asked Simon Peter if he’d thrown away the coins as instructed.

“Yes,” Peter answered. “I threw into the sea all but two or three of the gold coins, for so too is our purse nearly empty, and I thought we might find them useful. And yet, of course, if it be your wish that I should throw away these as well, then I shall go and do just that and return directly unto you.”

“O’, Peter!, O’, Peter!,” Jesus again lamented. “You should have done exactly as I told you! You’re a greedy man, and surely in greed will you die!”

And so it came to pass that Simon Peter spent the remainder of his earthly life a greedy man. So too with the generations of his followers of whom it is said that, as was Simon Peter, many are consumed with the love of money.

*Additionally archived at Binghamton University Libraries, The Open Repository @ Binghamton (The ORB): https://orb.binghamton.edu/comparative_literature_fac/31. © 2022 Christopher Southward; All Rights Reserved.

Source Text

「イエスとペテロ」

片山廣子著

昭和二十八年六月｜千九百五十三年六月

聖書の中にあるイエス・キリストやお弟子たちの話が、人の口から耳へ、思ひもかけない遠くの国に伝へられて、その国のキリストやペテロの話になつてゐることもある。これはアイルランドの民話で、ユダヤ、サマリヤ、ガリラヤの国々がすぐ彼等の村々に続いてゐるやうにも聞える話である。

イエス・キリストがガリラヤの湖うみのほとりや野はらや町を歩かれた時、いつも十二人の弟子がみんなで従いて歩いたわけではなかつた。さてこれはイエスがペテロ一人だけ連れてゆかれた時の話。

或る日イエスはペテロをつれてガリラヤの湖のそばの山路をゆかれた。日のしづみかけてゐる路傍に老人の乞食がゐた。やぶれた帽子、よごれた服、ひもじさうな眼つきで、通りすぎる二人に恵みをもとめたのである。ペテロはその時ぽつちりばかりの小銭こぜにしか持つてゐなかつたが、イエスがどうなさるかと思つてそちらを見ると、イエスはたいそう真面目な顔をして何もやらずに通りすぎてしまつた。かはいさうに、乞食はひもじさうに震へてゐるのにと思つたが、イエスのなさる事だからペテロも黙つてとほり過ぎた。

その翌日おなじ道を帰つてくると、こんどは山賊に出会つた。山賊は瘠せて物すごい顔をして、腰には抜身の剣をさしてゐた。彼はひどく空腹だから何かたべる物を下さいと言つた。ばかな山賊だな、われわれは何も持つてゐやしないのにとペテロが思つてゐると、ふしぎにもイエスはこの男に金を恵んでやつた。

「先生、きのふの年寄の乞食には何もやりなさらないのに、なぜあの山賊に金をおやりになつたのです？　こちらは二人ですから恐れることはないのです、私は剣を持つてゐますし、あの男は私よりも背がひくかつたです」ペテロはさう言つて抗議した。

「ペテロよ、お前はそとに見えてゐるものだけを見る、しかし内なるものを見、物の裏面を見なければいけない。きのふと今日の私のやり方も遠からずわかる時が来る」とイエスが言はれた。

その後しばらく日かずが経つて、イエスとペテロは山みちを歩いて道に迷つてしまつた。どちらを見ても荒つぽい岩山ばかりで何もない。二人はあるいて歩いてひどくひもじくなり、水が飲みたくてたまらなくなつた。そのうち、雨が降り出し稲妻はぴかぴか光るし、ペテロは動けなくなつた。すると向うのまがりかどから一人の男が歩いて来た。いつぞやの山賊だつた。彼は二人を見て「これは、これは、お二人ともお困りでございませう」と言つて自分の住家としてゐる洞穴ほらあなに案内してくれた。

山賊は火をたき、酒を出しパンを出し、自分の持つてゐる物は惜しげもなくみんな出して二人をもてなし、新しい藁を出して寝床に敷き、きれいに洗つてある自分の着物を二人に着せて、そのあひだに二人のぬれた着物を火で乾かしたりした。その翌日は途中で二人のたべる弁当も持たせて、道に迷はないやうに中途まで送つて来てくれたのである。ペテロはすつかり感心して、この山賊は世間の善人よりはずつとずつと善人だと思つて別れた。

山賊と別れて一時間ばかり歩いてゐると、一人の男が道に倒れて死んでゐた。なんとそれは、あの年寄の乞食であつた。「かはいさうに、先だつて何か食ふものをやればよかつた。寒いのとひもじいので死んだのでせう」とペテロがいふと、「その男が何を持つてゐるか懐中をさがしてみろ」とイエスが言つた。乞食の懐中奥ふかく銀の小銭こぜにがたくさんあり、金貨が二十枚あつた。

「なるほど、こいつは嘘つきですね、もうこれから先生のなさることを疑ひません」とペテロはすつかり驚いてしまつた。「ペテロよ、その金貨をもつて行つて向うの湖水に捨ててしまひなさい。人が拾ふことが出来ないやうにするのだ。金かねといふものはとかく災のもとだから」

ペテロはイエスの言葉どほり乞食の金銀をまとめて、そこの草原を越して湖水に捨てに行つたが、ゆきながら考へた、こんな立派な金貨を水の中に捨てるなんて罪だ。われわれはひもじいこともあるし、寒いこともある。何といつても金かねは金かねだ。金貨だけしまつて置いて先生のために使ふことにしよう。先生は御自分のことはまるつきり構はない方なのだから。ペテロは銀貨だけしやぶじやぶと湖水に投げこんで罪のない顔をしてもどつて来た。

そのあひだイエスは四方よもの景色を見てぼんやりしてゐたが、ペテロを見ると「みんな捨てたか？」ときいた。「捨てました。ただ金貨を二三枚だけ残しました。われわれの懐中ふところももう殆ど空つぽですから、何かのやくに立つかと思ひます。しかし、それもみんな捨てると仰しやるなら、もちろん、みんな捨てて来ます」

「ああ、ペテロよ、ペテロよ、お前は私の言葉に従ふべきだつた。お前は欲が深いな。おそらく一生がい貪欲で終るのだらう」

イエスのその言葉のごとくペテロは貪欲で、ペテロの宗派をつぐ代々よよのひじりたちの中にも、ペテロの如く金きんを愛する人が多いといはれてゐる。

Source: Aozora Bunko—A digital archive of public-domain Japanese-language works

Current Text: https://www.aozora.gr.jp/cards/001346/files/50159_41222.html

General Website: https://www.aozora.gr.jp/