The Great Gospel of John
Volume 6
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord on the Mount of Olives (John Chapter 8)
- Chapter 172 -
The Lord and his followers at Lazarus' inn on the Mount of Olives
When we were outside they (the disciples and Lazarus) asked: "What are we going to do now? Should we return to Bethania or should we undertake something else in Jerusalem?"
2
Lazarus asked Me about My opinion.
3
And I said to him: "You yourself can do what you want; but today I cannot go back to Bethania because the clerics have posted spies towards Bethania to find out if I will be staying with you. And if they would find out about it, they would cause you even more frustrations. I therefore have decided to stay for this day and night on the Olive Mountain in the small and very poor inn.
4
Said Lazarus: "This is very praiseworthy; for half of the olive mountain and the inn also belongs to me! Oh, there we will be looked after quite well! The inn was until three years ago strongly visited; however, since my friction with the temple the visits have decreased, for the pharisees have declared it as a sin for every Jew if he would visit my inn on the Olive Mountain. The reason for this lies apparently therein that I also have placed this my property under Roman jurisdiction, when the clerics did everything possible to talk me into giving them the property. I thereby have put a lock to the door which of course annoyed them enormously. However, since also this property falls now under Roman jurisdiction, the clerics declared it as totally impure, and every Jew who visited this inn will be made unclean for a whole year. See, this is the reason why my Olive Mountain inn is a lot less visited than before; only Romans and Greeks visit there quite often. Nevertheless, the inn is stocked with everything quite well and we will not have a shortages of anything. Especially from this inn one has a very nice view over nearly all of Jerusalem and the whole surrounding, and I am convinced that You will be pleased with everything up there."
5
Said I: "Very well, My dear brother! I know about this and therefore have chosen to spend this day and night on the Olive Mountain; since up there we are quite safe from all tiresome visits of the Jews and pharisees. And thus we can start our way and go there!"
6
All were entirely content with that and I went with the disciples to the Olive Mountain. Lazarus hurried ahead to tell his servants what they had to do and what to prepare. All feet and all hands were immediately put in motion, so that a truly festive midday meal were prepared for us.
7
However, we took our time and quite leisurely climbed the Olive Mountain, which got its name from the many olive trees planted on the stoneless surfaces. The biggest part of the oil rich trees belonged to our Lazarus; but the smaller city-sided and mostly rocky part belonged to a Greek, who neglected the property to a large extend and left the annual oil harvest for a few silver pieces to Lazarus, and thus he also was half-owner of the city-sided Oil Mountain.
8
The Oil Mountain was not really a high mountain, but still contained some places which were quite steep and therefore one required nearly half an hour to reach the highest top. The temple was also standing on a considerable hilltop and was itself a very high building; however, nevertheless from the top of the Oil Mountain one had to direct ones view rather downward to see the high dome of the temple. In short, in the close vicinity of Jerusalem the Oil Mountain was the highest mountain.
9
We soon caught up with the hurrying Lazarus and settled around the inn under the oil trees and made our considerations, until Lazarus came and invited us to the prepared meal. We stood up from the ground and went into the inn, in which the dining room did not count as small; for one-hundred guests would comfortably find sufficiently room in there. The large table was fully laden with bread, wine and all kinds of noble fruits, and in the bowls one smelled well prepared fishes from the river Jordan and from the strong brook Kidron. And just by lookign the disciples already had watering mouths. We soon sat at the table and ate and drank with a lot of appetite.
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Lazarus was tremendously pleased that also I ate and drank with a lot of joy and good appetite.
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But I said to him: "Friend, you are full of joy that also I eat and drink with a good appetite; but believe Me: Irrespective of how good it tastes to me what is standing here on the table, the morning meal in temple this morning however, tasted a lot better, - since today I made a big harvest for My kingdom in heaven. Tomorrow however, a new harvest for My kingdom will turn out to be considerably less profitable. What today became Mine, will stay Mine; however tomorrow not much new will be added. The black brood down there will tempt Me, - but in exchange be uncovered before the people to their disgrace! - But lets eat and drink now and then go outside again! Today you still will see a few things."