The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
First journey of the Lord: Kis - landing place at Sibarah - Nazareth
- Chapter 73 -
Supper at Mary's.
By the time I had explained this to Cyrenius we had reached home, where quite a substantial supper awaited us, consisting customarily of bread, wine and lots of well-prepared fish. The fish appealed especially to Josoe who was overjoyed at the laden tables.
2
Jairus said to him: "My dear nephew, you must not consume the evening meal quite so ravenously, since your newly-created stomach may not yet be capable of tolerating such copious amounts of food."
3
Said the boy: "Don't let it worry you, dear uncle! He Who awakened me from death would not have implanted such voracity into my stomach if it really was harmful for my stomach to take in more food than if in a state of constant satiation; for it is no joke for a person to have been dead and without food for a year and a half. Were you to have experienced this yourself and to have my newly created stomach in you, you would understand my voracity without trouble. But not everyone can be in my position, and it is useless to start a debate with you. Next to the One Who awakened me, I myself know best how I am, and do not therefore trouble yourself that a couple of fish, a piece of bread and a glass of wine could harm me in the least!"
4
Says Jairus: "I don't begrudge it one bit, but only meant it well."
5
Following this chat between Jairus and his nephew Josoe, we sat down and consumed supper with cheer; there was much talk about various things that had taken place and what they would be saying in Jerusalem about it.
6
The disciples were inquiring about the boy without knowing what to make of him. First they asked the boy, then Jairus, then the two youths who also sat with us at the main table as to what was to this boy. It had to be something extraordinary since the Lord was not want to deal overmuch with ordinary boys. But their inquiries led to nothing as no one gave them a satisfactory answer.
7
But noticing the disciples' anxiety, Mary said to them: "You shall not be denied whatever you have need of but why do you enquire about what you have no need of? Do as He tells you and never try to know more than what He considers it necessary to reveal to you, and you shall be living and acting in accordance with His will and be assured of your reward. Whatever else you desire contrary to His Will however is sinning against His Will, being sin against your Master Who is your Saviour - physically and spiritually! Remember this teaching."
8
In response to this wise admonition by Mary, the disciples gave up inquiring about the boy, discussing him only among themselves, with Peter turning to My favourite John, asking his opinion on this boy.
9
John said to him: "Did you not hear the glorious mother's loving words, that you should still itch to find out what the Lord for assuredly the wisest reasons is not minded to tell us? Behold, I am not itching in the least; we know what we know, and that is enough! If we tried to also know all that the Lord exceeds us in knowing, would not this be sheer madness on our part, making us sooner deserving of anything rather than being His disciples!"
10
Says Peter: "For sure, you are quite right, but the pining after knowledge surely also is a great attribute, laid into man's heart by the Lord Himself, and if man were not to have this noble drive, he would resemble the animal, which does not to my knowledge posses a hankering after knowledge in its blunt soul. The divine nature of the striving after knowledge seems to me to resemble thirst in a dream, to the quenching of which the dreaming soul often consumes immense vessels full of water or wine, remaining thirsty nonetheless, gaining unquenchable thirst for ver larger quantities of drinks. Our insatiable drive after knowledge also tells us clearly and distinctly that there must be an endless fullness of wisdom in God which shall not ever be fathomed by any investigative spirit! And thus my dear brother I believe that my present hankering after knowledge may not be sinful.
11
Behold, it is with me and several brethren as with some nibbling children who don't hanker after all sorts of morsels for as long as they know nothing of such sweets, never getting to see any. But sit them at a table loaded with all sorts of sweet dishes, forbidding them to consume any of them, and you shall soon see tears in their eyes and even more watering of the mouth. You are nonetheless right; for just as a wise father, to teach his children the mostly important virtue of self-denial, puts morsels in front of them whose enjoying shall be denied them, just so our heavenly Father appears to sometimes serve us up spiritual dishes whose enjoyment He withholds from us until we have become sturdy in self-denial to a certain point. When we have reached such stage according to His order, then He shall let us enjoy the dish we now crave. And so let us be completely satisfied with what we know and have for today and for as long as He wills it, and His exclusively holy will be done at all times."
12
Say I: "My dear brother Simon Juda, thus it is right and true. Not all knowing and finding out is suitable for awakening of the spirit and the enlivening of the soul. For behold, it is written: '(And God spoke to Adam) For in the day that thou eatest of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil thou shalt surely die.' And it is so.
13
Within cognition lie the law and judgement, because until the law be given or proclaimed to you there is no judgement to follow the law. Hence strive to know only what I reveal to you, and you shall on your part know enough forever. When the time comes, then all shall become obvious to you."