The Great Gospel of John
Volume 10
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in the mountain town of Pella
- Chapter 35 -
The evening meal in the inn.
Now when many saw the innkeeper's son whom they knew well and who had been so ill before and was now completely healed, even the gentiles were seized by so much fear of Me that they did not dare to ask for Me.
2
And even a Roman captain said: "There must be higher beings at work behind that Doctor and His companions, for we men were never able to accomplish that without any medications."
3
I was already in the inn with My disciples, and on that day no one of the many who came to the inn was able to see Me. And this all the more since the evening had already set in.
4
When the people returned to their houses - being fully amazed and also partly out of fear of Me - the innkeeper came to us and said: "O great Lord and Master, everything would now be fine, good and in order if I would have enough food provisions for all of you. Wine I do not have at all, but I will let it be ordered from the Greek inn. I have some wheat bread and barley bread and also some smoked lamb. If you are satisfied with that for today I would be very glad about it. I will take better care of everything tomorrow to the best of my ability."
5
I said: "Friend, we did not come here to eat and to drink, but we will be satisfied with what you have. Do not worry about the wine and do not make unnecessary expenses, but go to your cellar, then you will find there your empty wine sacks filled with wine. For the One who was able to heal your son is also able to fill your empty wine sacks. So go now with your children to the cellar and bring us several carafes filled with wine.
6
Full of believing amazement the innkeeper took immediately several carafes. He cleaned them, called then all his children as well as his wife and told them what I had said to him. Then they hastily ran to the cellar, and how great was their amazement when they found their formerly empty sacks filled with excellent wine.
7
Then the carafes were immediately filled and brought to us, and again, the innkeeper, his wife and his children did not know how they could sufficiently thank Me for this. Besides, the miracle was less important to them now, but more so My will that I wanted to make them so happy, for after the healing of their son they did not doubt in the least that everything was possible to Me, whatever I wanted.
8
But I said to them the same as after the healing of their son: that I only look at the heart. And then they left the room full of joy.
9
The woman said to her husband: "You know, that must be a great prophet. Could He perhaps be the prophet Elijah who should once come back? Therefore, we must serve Him with the highest honor and respect."
10
The innkeeper said: "Take care now of the table. Whether He is Elijah or even someone higher, or finally the promised Messiah Himself is for the moment not important. What is important now is to satisfy these wonderful guests."
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Then everyone went to work to prepare the food, and the innkeeper brought us bread and asked us to eat it, what we also did. Soon after that, the very well prepared food was set on the table, as well as several lamps by which the dining room was very well illuminated.
12
We ate the food, and the disciples talked among each other about the history of the Israelites, about the first time when they came out of the desert into this countryside, and about the wars they had to wage against the Moabites and later against the Philistines. The innkeeper related also a few things of what he knew about the origins of the old city of Pella and about the adventures that happened to the city. But I rested and spoke little.
13
In this way, a couple of hours went by, and then I said to the innkeeper who brought a good resting bed to Me: "Never mind. We will stay here at the table and will take our rest for the night here."
14
That was not unpleasant to the innkeeper since he was poorly provided with resting beds. And he himself did not want to leave us and stayed the whole night with us at the table. The night went by very calmly, and no one was disturbed in his rest.