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 37 -
The healed Veronica thanks the Lord.
When the captain heard this from My mouth, he became extremely cheerful and joyful and sent immediately one of his subordinates to his house. He found the daughter still in her sick bed but so completely healthy that she looked very fresh, fit and in great health, and because she also was, she wanted to leave her bed. But her mother held her back because she thought that this sudden improvement was a last flaring up of her life's forces after which an equal sudden exhaustion of all her life's forces would follow and with that also a sudden death.
2
The subordinate told the mother now about the sudden healing of the son of the innkeeper who was now completely strong and healthy. And that only a few moments ago, on the faithful request of the captain, that same wonderful mighty Doctor also healed her daughter from all her suffering, without any medication and only by His incomprehensible almighty Word.
3
He said that the mother should believe that, and that she should let her completely healed daughter come out of her bed and bring her immediately to the Jewish innkeeper where the wonderful Doctor is staying with several of His companions and also the captain. He said that the daughter should take there some wine and also food to strengthen her more.
4
After these words, the mother let Veronica leave her bed.
5
She did so, fast as an arrow, and dressed herself as beautiful as possible, for she wanted to appear before Me as pure and beautiful as when she had to appear before a king.
6
Now when she was completely dressed and adorned, she also took a beautiful golden cup with her to honor Me with that.
7
This is how she came to us, escorted by her mother and the subordinate. And her first question was (Veronica): "Where is my Savior, my God and my Lord?"
8
I said: "It is I. Come here and strengthen your heart with the wine and the bread from the Heavens that I have put on this table."
9
When Veronica heard this from Me, she fell before Me on her knees and said: "O my good, lovely and divine Savior, how can I, a poor, sinful gentile, thank You for the overly great and eternal undeserved mercy that You have shown me, in such a way that my gratitude can be pleasing to Your divine Heart?"
10
I said: "Stand up now, come and sit at My side, and drink and eat, for by that, your heart and soul will become stronger still. After that, we will talk in all the love and the tenderness of the Heavens of the only gratitude that is pleasing to Me."
11
On this, the now very beautiful Veronica stood up and put down the golden cup before Me and said full of emotion, but also with Roman dignified earnest: "O You most glorious One of all the glories, You Lord of all lords, You King of all kings, You God of all gods, please do not despise this jewel of mine. I know and feel in my soul that it is too unworthy to You, but consider that it is a heart that loves You and that was healed by You that offers this to You. And therefore, please do not despise it."
12
I said: "Yes, what is offered to Me with such a heart, will also be accepted by Me. And I will now drink the wine out of this cup. And there you have My cup, out of which I drank. You drink the wine out of this."
13
Then Veronica took My cup that was only made of pottery, drank out of it and then said: "O how many kingdoms is this cup more valuable than the one I have dared to offer You, for now that I have drunk out of this cup I do not only feel that I have drank the most strengthening wine for my body but also the power of the eternal life of my soul.
14
O, drink you all with me out of this cup if you still doubt about the eternal life of your soul. Then you will be strengthened for the eternal life."
15
Now she filled the cup and gave it to her father who had still not tasted any of our wine. He emptied it completely, then he kissed the cup and put it down again before the daughter while he thanked Me.
16
The captain was really surprised about the extremely good quality of the wine and said also that he was now aware that he had a soul who felt an eternal subsistence of life in himself and that he was extremely happy about that. Then also his wife, his subordinates and finally the Greek gentile innkeeper drank the wine.
17
When the latter had tasted the wine, he asked at once to the Jewish innkeeper (the Greek innkeeper): "Where did you buy this wine? For as long as I live and am now an innkeeper myself, I never tasted such wine. For special guest, if they want, I also have very good wine in my cellar and helped you with it already several times, and you can say that I never offered you anything bad. But I never had this kind of wine. Where did you buy it? Tell me, so that I also can buy it."
18
The Jewish innkeeper said: "Friend, you probably will not be able to do that, for such wine does not grow on the whole Earth. Did you not hear what the great Wonder Savior said to the daughter of our righteous captain as to from where the wine came? Look, from the Heavens of God. However, not from your fantasy god Bacchus, but from the Heavens of our one and only true God whose messenger is most certainly this exalted Wonder Savior. This is how it is and not otherwise, and it will be difficult for you to buy with your money that kind of wine in this region."
19
The Greek innkeeper said: "Then how did you get it?"
20
The Jewish innkeeper said: "That is what you should not ask me but the great Master for whom all things seem to be possible, and I also believe now what the captain and his daughter said about Him. So speak with the Master, for I, a weak man who is still full of spiritual blindness and foolishness, do not know nor understand anything."
21
Then the Greek innkeeper kept silent.