The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
In Sychar and surroundings (at Mount Gerizim)
- Chapter 34 -
The teaching and acts of the Lord recorded by the Gospeller John. The Lord and His own at the old house of Joseph at Sychar. The preparations of the angels for the holy entourage. The relationship between God the Father and the Son.
But My disciple John asked, saying: 'Lord! If it is your will, I should like to record still this night all that has taken place here!'
2
I said: 'Not everything, My brother, but only that which I said unto you to write down! Because if you were to record everything that happened and is still to happen here these two days, then you would have to write many a skin-full; but who could read and grasp it all? If however you duly record only the high points, in the correspondences given you, then the wise in My name shall discover anyway all that took place here and why, and you shall save yourself much effort. Hence My most beloved brother, take it easy with your work, because you still shall remain the foremost recorder of My teachings and acts forever.
3
John kisses Me on the chest and, since it had gotten quite dark, we go to the town and Joseph's house, flanked by the woman and the physician.
4
As we come to the truly big house, the woman finds preparations for My stay at her house which she had never remotely suspected! Because there are a good number of well-laid tables, with a proper number of chairs; there are well-lit lamps of precious metal on every table. The floors are covered throughout with the most beautiful carpets, with the walls hung symmetrically with flowered rugs; and a most exquisite wine beams towards the guests from the most beautiful crystal beakers!
5
The woman is quite beside herself and says, after interminable wondering: 'But Lord, what have You done?! Did You perhaps secretly send Your disciples here to put this on? Where have they gotten it all from? I do know what I have got, but nothing golden and silvern for sure, yet here everything is bristling with these metals! I have never seen a crystal beaker like this yet; there are hundreds here, of which each is worth at least thirty pieces of silver. Such wine, food and fruit; the lovely bread and the many expensive carpets, each costing at least a good hundred silver pieces for sure. Oh Lord! Please tell me a poor woman whether you brought all this with you, or whether perhaps it is on loan from this town somewhere?
6
Say I: 'Look here, dear woman! At the well you said this house belongs to Me. I accepted such a present from you, and since this house is now Mine, it would not have been nice of Me to escort you, the giver, into an unseemly chamber! Behold, it is here like one hand washing the other; one distinction calls for another! You presented it to Me fully as it was, with all your heart; but I now give it back to you as now furnished. I presume that you can feel at home with this exchange?! For behold, I too have some ideas about correct decorations and taste.'
7
And I say unto you: 'All this, like everything else I also learnt from My Father! Because the endlessly many mansions in My Father's house even are full of the most exquisite taste and full of the greatest ornaments, which you can well gather already if you look carefully at the flowers of the field, the plainest of which is more greatly adorned than Solomon in all his kingly glory!'
8
But if the Father already adorns transient flowers thus, how much more will He adorn His house, which is in heaven!? But whatever the Father does, that I do also; because I and the Father fundamentally are completely One! Whoever receives Me receives also the Father! Whatever someone does for Me he therefore does also for the Father; and you can give Me nothing that you would not soon receive back a hundredfold! Now you know what is necessary.
9
But let us now be seated and partake of the evening meal, because there are many among us who hunger and thirst. Once we have strengthened our limbs we can discuss this point further.
10
All sit down at the tables, say thanks and fortify themselves with food and drink.