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 167 -
Lazarus becomes the owner of a crude oil well.
When we had consumed the evening meal and one disciple after the other was overcome by sleep, I said to them: "But can't you keep awake for at least a short time longer?"
2
Said Peter: "I really don't know it myself why today after the meal we are so overcome by sleep, despite having more rested for the whole day than having done something!"
3
Said I: "Thus be always active in My name and you will be a lot less sleepy!"
4
While I was still talking, see, a hard bang occurred, as if lightening had struck close by. The walls trembled and the door to the room opened by itself and made a strong oscillating movement. Suddenly all sleep vanished from the disciples and all wanted to go outside and see what had happened.
5
But I held them back and said: "It is not advisable to go outside! There is a considerable naphtha fountain nearby, although quite deep inside the earth. Above the fountain exists a large to all side firmly closed off cave. In its lower parts it is almost glowing because of a nearby fire vein and therefore in this cave there always exists a considerable heat. This causes the naphtha fountain flowing into the cavity to continuously evaporate and fills the whole cave with naphtha vapour. If the evaporation is not too intense, the vapour is absorbed by the rock masses forming the walls of the cave. If however, now and then the rock walls glow stronger it also causes a stronger evaporation of the naphtha. The stone walls then cannot absorb such large volume of vapour anymore, and it then happens that the naphtha vapour causes an increasing tension in the large cave, which then squeezes and rubs against the glowing hot rock walls and thereby soon and easily ignites.
6
And see, such an underground nature spirit act has just taken place, which was also quite good; since through this ignition of the naphtha vapour the about twenty man-heights thick rock crust has been blown apart, and you Lazarus has thereby come into possession of a quite rich naphtha harvest. The blasting of the cave has fortunately proceeded in such a way that you quite easily can reach the actual naphtha fountain and with only some diligence can produce about hundred pounds daily.
7
How famous and what the demand is of naphtha oil, you know anyway; and as such you have come to a new source of income, which with the easiest effort of the world will earn you many thousand pounds of gold and silver. Since such beneficent people like you should also be on earth as rich as possible, so that they can become true providers for the poor and the weak. Tomorrow I will show you everything, - however, tonight it would not be advisable to go close to that place; since the strong vapour would not be conducive for anybodies bodily health. But tomorrow afternoon we will without any worries go and have a look at the place."
8
Said Lazarus: "Lord, this again was brought about by Your omnipotence! For my ancestries up to me have never known anything about a naphtha fountain. Only now and then on very warm days at nighttimes a very slight odour of naphtha could be smelled, which was always explained that such came from Jerusalem, if the wind was blowing from that direction; since in Jerusalem a lot of oil is burnt, which mainly comes to us by trade from Persia and Arabia, but is always very expensive. However, that on my property should exist such a rare fountain, nobody could ever think about! Yes, I can do nothing else than only to thank You, o Lord, for me and on behalf of all the poor people who now will find some good sustenance thereby!"
9
Said I: "Leave it at that! That you are using your earthly treasures according to the will of God, just like also your earthly father has done, I know; however after you and your sisters, since you have no descendants, the children of the brother of your father will take over your possessions. Therefore instruct the heirs well to walk in your footprints; for if he would walk his own, worldly road, the goods would be taken away from him and the begging stick handed to him instead, the goods however would we given to the heathen. Therefore instruct him about this, so that he knows what he has to do! - But now the time for rest has come, and as such we want to grant our limbs some rest!"
10
Thereupon all retired for the night.