The Great Gospel of John
Volume 10
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord on the way to Bethsaida
- Chapter 121 -
The Lord takes accommodation in an inn near Bethsaida.
It was before sunset when we came to a city not far from Bethsaida. I already taught and performed signs in that place and its environment before.
2
The inhabitants of that place were mostly shepherds and fishermen, because all the mentioned places through which I traveled from Gennesaret were located as it were in a big half circle more or less near the Lake of Galilee and along the Jordan where the river was streaming from the lake to the south.
3
The location of these cities and also their names are not so important, but the very important thing is what I taught, as well as what I did. Although, nota bene, in this time, the last mentioned became for the greatest part forgotten whereas many things that were transferred from mouth to mouth became so much deformed that not even one jota of truth is attached to it anymore. But that is not so important or actually not important at all, because as said, only the teaching, the truth of all truths, that was faithfully kept is the most important for life.
4
We received a very friendly reception from the mostly very poor inhabitants of that small place, which we, as said, reached before sunset.
5
There was also a small inn that was poorly provided of everything that an inn should need.
6
No question of bread and wine there. The only food we could receive there were dried fish, a certain kind of roots, dried figs, pumpkins, hazelnuts and sheep's milk cheese.
7
The innkeeper, a Greek, but a very good and patient man, had a rather big family among whom 3 sons who were all older than 20 years. These 3 went every week to the Lake of Galilee, which was a little day of travel away from this place. They caught fish there and brought them faithfully home.
8
Also this time they left home more than 2 days ago to obtain the fish, but did not return as usual close to the evening of the 3rd day after their departure, and therefore the innkeeper, his wife and also the other children were very afraid and worried that something might have happened to the three.
9
The innkeeper told Me immediately about his distress and apologized for the fact that for this evening, if his 3 sons would not soon come home with a load of fish, he could offer us nothing else except some cheese and sheep's and goat's milk.