The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and the Priests of the Temple (John 5)
- Chapter 15 -
The Jewish priests become disciples of the Lord.
In the morning even before sunrise we, that is, I, the disciples, our innkeeper and Lazarus, were already on our feet along with the whole household. Lazarus' sister Martha was already most diligently busy with her helpers in order to prepare an ample and good morning meal; but Mary went out into the open air with us and was all eyes and ears as usual, hoping to reap something from Me for her heart and for her soul.
2
When we had already been walking around in the open for about an hour, only then did the Jews wake up, washed themselves according to their custom and then hurriedly asked whether I was still asleep.
3
But Martha said: "Oh, the Lord already went outside an hour ago with His disciples, with my brother, my sister and the innkeeper and will probably soon come back again because the morning meal will also soon be ready!"
4
One priest said: "Where did He turn, so that we can hurry after Him and bring Him the news about the prepared morning meal?"
5
Martha said: "Oh, that is not necessary for the Lord at all; for He knows in an instant when the morning meal will be ready!"
6
When the Jews heard such a thing, one of them asked Martha, saying: "Therefore you must have known Him for a long time, because you are so familiar with His unmistakable divine characteristics?"
7
Martha said: "I indeed have known Him for a considerable time; but it is not very praise-worthy of you all that you did not recognize Him until now!"
8
The Jews said: "Yes indeed, this criticism of yours is quite justified, and we now regret it ourselves that we in our worldly comings and goings never inquired closer about Him, although we had heard many a thing about his doings from Galilee. It also seems to us that He was also here in Jerusalem at the Easter festival and drove all the traders and sellers out of the Temple in a curious way and threw over all the money-changers and traders' stalls!"
9
Martha said: "Yes, yes, it was He, but then your eyes were still very hazy and your ears and hearts were clogged up; therefore you did not recognize Him!"
10
The Jews said: "Yes indeed, you are right; but since we have now recognized Him, at least we twenty will never turn from His side, and we have firmly resolved to go around with Him in other clothes as disciples, so that the templers and other Jewish priests, Pharisees and scribes scattered everywhere cannot accuse us of allowing ourselves as Temple priests to be led astray by Him as a founder of a new sect and leader of the people. We will go back to Jerusalem immediately after this and send ourselves on a supposed journey to Persia and India, which will be only too willingly granted to us. If we have achieved that in a few hours, then we will come back again even today and will follow Him as His students everywhere at our own cost."
11
Martha said: "That is a very praiseworthy decision of yours and will also bring you His blessings! But just take a look out; He is coming already, because I am completely ready with the preparation of the meal, and we will receive Him with the highest respect and love which He alone deserves, thank Him once again from the bottom of our hearts for yesterday's great comfort which He prepared for us, and we will then ask Him to bless this morning meal most mercifully and consume it with us!"
12
While Martha was still speaking thus with the Jews, who listened to her very attentively, I stepped into the room and said: "My dear Martha, your mouth does not need to do that; whoever does it in his heart does well to do so. The verbal greeting can be left aside; for I look only at the heart and its inner thoughts. But your words also have a genuine value before Me, because they come directly from your heart."
13
At this Martha was very comforted and became full of cheer.
14
But I turned to the Jews and said to them: "So you seriously want to become My disciples?"
15
Now everyone, even the non-priests, who were only wealthy citizens of Jerusalem, said: "Yes, Lord, if You now consider us to be worthy to be allowed to become Your disciples! We even want to give up everything to follow You, oh Lord, everywhere without any interference!"
16
I said: "It is good to do so; but I must mention one thing to you, and that is this: You see, the birds of the air have their nests and the foxes have their holes, but I, as the pure Son of Man in My body do not even possess a stone that I could lay under My head as My earthly possession!"
17
The Jews said: "But heaven and all the earth are nonetheless Your possessions! But we have another good ten years, and even more, in this world for You, for Your disciples and for us! Just let us go with You and hear Your words of life; for everything else we will take care and worry about according to Your will!"
18
I said: "Very well then, go home after the meal and order your affairs well! Then come again and I will tell you what we will do and undertake! But now to the meal!"
19
At this all sat down at the tables, said their thanks and then ate and drank like Me.