The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
At the Sea of Galilee (John 6)
- Chapter 126 -
The importance of the Jewish people for the heathens.
Jored and his son accompanied Me until Malaves, where the thankful citizens rushed towards us and wanted to serve us. However we did not accept anything but reminded them again to stay with the given teaching. They promised this most ceremoniously and asked Me were I would go next.
2
And I said to them: "To Samosata! Do you have a vessel on the water going that direction, then you can take Me there."
3
Said the very accommodating and serving Malaveans: "O great Lord and Master, we indeed have two vessels on which You and Your companions could comfortably reach Samosata within a few hours; only the return of the vehicles will be quite difficult. They must be pulled upstream and this by oxen and mules, and this can only take place when during a favourable water level cargo ships sail from Serrhe to Melitene. They then tow such smaller vessels and return them to the destination as per instructions of the ship master. However, this does not matter; we will provide you with a few dependable skippers who will make the necessary arrangements in Samosata, so that the vessels will be brought back soonest. If it pleases You, o Lord and Master, you can immediately get on to the ships and depart!"
4
Said I: "Very good My dear people; however, instead of only two skippers give us four, and I promise you that still today, long before sundown, the two ships together with skippers will be back!"
5
Said the Malaveans: "This would not be possible by natural means; but for You, o Lord, nothing is impossible! We already have experienced this on ourselves, that Your word and will is an accomplished and ready work."
7
When I and the initial disciples got onto the vessel, Jored and his son greeted Me most heartedly and asked Me that I should visit them once more personally, but during My next visit stay in their midst for a longer period of time.
8
I also greeted them and said: "Stay active with My teaching and I will not only very often, but will finally permanently build My residence in your midst! Our greetings and blessings to all who are of a good will!"
9
Hereupon the vessels had been untied, the smaller one ahead and moments later the bigger one, driving behind us.
10
When we were alone, Peter said: "Lord, it would nearly be better if we stayed among the heathens and let the Jews be Jews; for it is really a joy of the heart to see how these people with true avarice absorb the words of life. The destruction of their three idols went so smooth and nearly no person accept the five women, made anything special about it, and finally also the women were not that difficult to turn around. And if one observes this matter by the right light, there is indeed hundred times more common sense in such a heathen like Jored and his whole house, than in a Jewish elder and scribe. What would happen to us in Jerusalem when You also had cleaned the temple of the pharisees like three days earlier in Chotinodora?! I say with increasing insight and conviction: The Jews deserve Your great mercy, patience and forbearance among all the nations the least. What are You saying to such my opinion?"
11
Said I: "Behold, you speak as you understand it! If you see a field overgrown with all kind of weeds, then also your common sense tells you: This must be a good and fertile earth! It will be worthwhile to clean this field from the weed and sow some grain in it; it then can yield hundred fold fruit! If however, you see a field which looks rather good but only very sparely here and there grows some meagre grass, will it also be worthwhile the effort and work to convert such a field into a fertile grain field? Certainly not, since where the earth has no nourishment for the weed, it will also have none for the grain. You will have to give such a field a lot of good and powerful fertilizer to make the meagre field fertile for the grain.
12
Behold, what signs had to happen here, so that these heathens accepted the faith! The signs were a strong fertilizer so that the teaching as the life grain could germinate on their soul fields and grow up to a future fruit. When however, I came to you Jews one and a half years ago, it required only the word and you followed Me, without being fully in the clear, whom you were following. Your soul earth was indeed overgrown with some weed, and some thorn growth covered your heart, - however, next to it there was nevertheless a lot of open space for the grain.
13
With these heathens we could have talked for ten years, we still would not have turned them to the light of life out of God, for despite the many and great signs they still provided a lot of opposition. Now they indeed belong to us, more than many Jews, and the light will be taken from the Jews because of their stubbornness and given to the heathens; however, nevertheless, you must not forget that the welfare of the people only goes forth from Jerusalem, and all prophecies for the Jews will be fulfilled there for all people of the earth! Nonetheless all this, we will also now visit the heathens and prepare them for what they can expect after My ascension, namely the pouring out of the holy spirit out of God.
14
But now all of you pay a little attention; since we are now approaching a water spot in this river where the water is more still than flowing! The oars must be strongly applied, otherwise one easily can be overtaken and attacked by river robbers. However, both our skippers should let the vessel go as it wants; because I want to speak to the robbers and dissuade them from their trade!"