THE GREAT GOSPEL OF JOHN
VOLUME 5
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Beyond the Jordan at the Sea of Galilee. Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 19
- Chapter 254 -
The Lord and His followers in the house of the Greek innkeeper. Truth liberates.
But since the innkeeper was a Greek and also even a Gentile, but yet he knew very well that the Jews were not allowed to eat everything that the Greeks as Gentiles ate, then he asked Me, saying, "Oh, you great Lord and Master, what do you and what do these disciples of yours tend to eat in the evening? Although I am a Gentile, I know nonetheless from my own personal experiences that the Jews do not eat many things that we tend to eat, and so I am asking you then what I can serve you all, dear men, with. For now you are quite lords in this house and I am only your most obedient servant, and thus if you will only command me mercifully and I will do my best to satisfy every wish of yours in the greatest hurry in the most assiduous way!"
2
Said I: "Give us some bread and wine and a good place for the night on top! We need nothing more."
3
Then the innkeeper became almost sad, because I had not demanded something further and better. But nonetheless he went out into his larder and brought us bread and wine himself, and in a generous quantity. We took our places at a large table and the innkeeper and his children took place at the same table, ate and drank with us, and when the wine had loosened his tongue a little, he began to tell us some things from his experiences, and thus the miracles of the Essenes and those of the Pharisees also came to his conversation, just like also the ten commandments of Moses.
4
Then the innkeeper thought that these commandments were indeed very good - but they would not be observed, and least of all by the Jewish priests who indeed were supposed to lead their fellow believers at all times with a god example. Since I was such a great and certainly highly wise savior, I should be able to give him a correct explanation of it. But mainly I should give him good advice about whether he should, after repeated challenges by Pharisees, convert to Judaism or remain with the Greek faith. He basically liked the religion of the Jews better than his own, which was actually only a poetic fantasy image, behind which only very little truth existed.
5
At this I answered him, saying, "Remain in appearance what you are, but inwardly be a true Jew, which you can be all the more easily because you are not obliged in any way to any priest! You will see very well that the Pharisees would rather have you as one of theirs because of your great wealth than to have you as a stranger! Therefore remain as you are, and seek the truth and the reason of life and existence! For only the truth will make you free and with it you will stand high above all the priesthood and over everything that the world calls wisdom. Have you understood Me now well?"
6
The innkeeper said, "I have understood you; only there is one other particular question to ask, namely: What is the truth? Yes, the pure truth would make the people indeed very certainly free "but where is it, who can show it to me, who can give it?"
7
I said, "I and every one of My disciples can do that "but I Myself most certainly of all; for I Myself am the truth and the life, as He who lives in Me is the same through eternity!"
8
The innkeeper said, "Lord and Master, I do not understand that! How should I take that?"
9
I said, "Here around Me sit My disciples, they are asking about it, they will explain it to you; for it is better to have people speak about you than to speak yourself! I Myself however will go out in the meantime and strengthen Myself in the cool evening air."
10
At this I rose and went out into the open air quite alone. But the disciples taught the innkeeper now about the most important things that concerned Me. And when the innkeeper came to the conclusion of who and what I am, he immediately came out to Me in the open air and thanked Me along with his children most fervently for the great mercy shown him. The children did the same. I blessed them all, and we then headed to our rest; for it had already become quite late in the night.