The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
In Jesaira
- Chapter 178 -
The Lord's company crosses the sea. A meal on board, on arrival. The inhabitants' joy at the Saviour's arrival. Miraculous healing of the possessed, dumb and blind. An upright man extends hospitality to the Lord.
We rush towards the shore, arriving just as the skippers are casting the moorings. Peter, a skillful boatman himself, grabs hold of it and we quickly pull in the boat and board it and it takes us to the opposite side in an hour and a half, and this at the spot where half the population consists of Greeks and the other half Jews.
2
We reach the shore at dusk, enabling us to still make out the district quite well. Kisjonah sends out two messengers to provide the place for accommodation for about a hundred, but they return without success; and so we stayed on board overnight, for the wind had dropped and the sea was near calm.
3
Kisjonah then brought out plenty of bread, wine and well roasted fish from the hold and his wife and daughters, who were not missing either, were serving us. That Judas, who had already felt empty on the other side, was highly pleased with this development hardly needs recounting.
4
Kisjonah asks Me whether to light a fire, seeing the nights can turn quite cool, notwithstanding any heat of day. I consented and a fire was quickly lit in the big flare, which was well provided with clean resin, oil and other combustibles; this ship's flare was soon blazing away, spreading a great light over the entire area. This soon lured a great many onlookers to the shore, with many among them recognising Me from the short distance, and they began an immense cheering for the renown, miraculous Saviour's presence in their district, for there were many sick there.
5
Many others rushed home from the shore, telling the whole place that I am to be found on the ship.
6
It did not take long before one dumb and blind at the same time and henceask juergen to redo the whole the whole sentence possessed in this fashion, was brought to the shore and the people asked Me whether I could and wanted to heal him.
7
Several local Pharisees however had also hastened to the shore to see what would happen there, saying to the people, 'To heal this one he shall well and truly leave alone!'
8
But their possessed one I healed from the ship instantly, so that he could both see and speak. (Matt. 12:22). All the people of this place were horrified and Jews who were not of the same persuasion as the Pharisees, yelled, 'This is truly David's Son, on whom all Jews hope!' (Matt. 12:23)
9
There was however a man in this place, upright and just; this one stepped up close to the boat, saying, 'Divinely great, wondrous Master! Why should you have to let the wind and a rather fresh night on a rocking boat deprive You of a night's probably overdue rest?! The notorious feature about this district is that the heat of day usually is followed by proportional freshness of the night, resulting in all kinds of disease among the local residents; I am however in possession of a roomy and well-equipped house that could provide You and Your disciples with more than sufficient room and you can stay for as long as You like. Neither shall there be any shortage of provisions.
10
Say I to him, 'Yes, I shall accept your invitation, for I know that your soul is without guile. But Kisjonah with his wife and daughters are also here. His is the boat and he is a disciple and a man after My liking; do you have room for him too?' Says the old man, 'Even if there were more such families! Whoever is with You is welcome in my house!'
11
Say I, 'In that case a great blessing shall come over your house' (and to Kisjonah) 'hence let the boat by fully beached, for your easier disembarking!' This was done and we soon reached the old man's house, who at once got his people to organise the most comfortable lodgings.