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 25 -
The Lord's journey to Kisjonah.
But Martha had told us that in the course of time several clerics had come to her and very insistently asked where Lazarus had gone to and from where the many good workers had come from. She answered that Lazarus, her brother, had gone away on important business, perhaps as far as Egypt and soon after his departure had hired these necessary workers somewhere and sent them to Bethany.
2
But one of the Pharisee asked her: "Can you not give us twenty of these workers?"
3
But Martha said: "Speak to them yourself - for I do not know whether they are Jews, Greeks or Romans; for they speak all sorts of languages among one another!"
4
Then the Pharisee soon went out and began to talk to some of the workers. But they seemed to know him and said that firstly they were no longer Jews, and even if they were, he could be assured that they would no longer serve any Pharisee.
5
Then the clerics left, and since then none had come back to Bethany; they would probably wait for her brother's return.
6
Thus Lazarus asked Me what was to be done in this case.
7
And I said to him: "Do what your sister did! They will achieve nothing with the workers, and therefore they cannot give you any blame!"
8
And so it was good, and Lazarus then had more peace again in his household.
9
But we remained, since it had already become quite wintry and I had few more sick to heal, as I said, until about the middle of winter, partly with Lazarus and partly with our innkeeper, in which time the new disciples received the new instruction from the old disciples with much love and firm faith and even demanded the new baptism.
10
But I said to them: "It is enough for now that you have received the baptism of truth; but if the true, living baptism comes upon you, if you remain with the teaching and live and act according to it, then you will also be able to receive John's baptism. But soon a time will come in which many will rather receive the true baptism of fire from the Holy Spirit than the baptism with water."
11
The new disciples were very satisfied with this.
12
Around a determined time on a Monday, however, we left Bethany and our innkeeper with blessings and headed very cheerfully towards the Sea of Galilee. There we met a good ship and rented it to take us to Kis. But since it was already evening, the sailors did not dare to travel across the sea at night, because they said that at this time towards midnight the sea became very stormy.
13
But the disciples said: "You are from Genezareth- and yet you do not know the power of the Lord Jesus of Nazareth?"
14
The sailors said: "What? Jesus of Nazareth is here?"
15
And I said: "Yes, it is Me!"
16
Then the sailors said: "Yes, if it is You, then the waves may reach the clouds and we will still sail! Just step aboard our spacious ship; for there is good and secure space for two hundred people!"
17
We now boarded the ship and left with a good wind, and although the waves rose high towards Kis, the sailors no longer paid attention to it and we nonetheless reached unharmed the peaceful bay of Kis by moderate moonlight.
18
When we entered the harbor of Kisjonah, his servants and tax officials were immediately at hand and asked us heartily and formally what had brought us here, what we were doing here and where our journey was going, and whether we were taxable.
19
But I said: "Call Kisjonah here to Me, and you will immediately learn what we are doing here!"
20
Kisjonah was immediately called.
21
He came immediately, his path lit by torches, to the harbor, and when he caught sight of Me, he cried full of joy (Kisjonah): "Oh Lord, why do you honour me, a sinful person, to come to me so late at night?! Oh, be welcome a thousand times with everyone who is with You! Come, all of you, into my large house, also you sailors; for today you will not travel on! I will serve you all with everything and with the best! Oh, this highest joy which has now been given to me so unexpectedly is quite indescribable! Oh, come, come, come!"
22
We quickly stepped off the ship to shore and immediately went to Kisjonah's house, in whose large rooms it was quite warm, since it was very well heated by four good fireplaces, in which a lively fire burned. The whole house was immediately set into full activity, and before half an hour had passed a large number of the best-prepared fish were on the tables along with bread and wine of the best sort in abundance, which came in just right for us all; for since we had left Lazarus' house in the early morning we had eaten and drunk nothing.
23
I Myself felt the need for physical strengthening in a natural way after such a long journey, and the disciples all the more so, and this was given us here most richly. We ate and drank very cheerfully, and almost the whole night was spent talking of our travels and events, which all interested Kisjonah and his family to the greatest degree, and at which he could not express his praise and his wonder enough. He only regretted that Mary, who had spent almost the whole summer with him, had travelled to Nazareth for a few days, but would soon come back again. But she had heard much about My travels and deeds and could not understand how she could be worthy of such mercy from God. She knew indeed about all the wonderful events; but that this would follow, she had not been able to imagine clearly at all.
24
And so Kisjonah told us many a thing about the life and behaviour of Mary in My absence, as well as that of the two sons of Joseph, namely Joel and Joses, who had remained at home and continued Joseph's work. To repeat all of that here would be useless, and so it will remain unsaid.
25
We did not go to any actual bed that night, but instead remained sitting on the soft couches and rested in the warm chambers quite well, and all the more so since we kept our rest well beyond the morning hours. Therefore we did not eat any morning meal; but instead the midday meal was all the more generous, and in addition our familiar Philopold from Cana on the border with Samaria was also invited and other friends of Mine and Kisjonah.
26
Well, all this is also minor matters; but because a main explanation of God's spiritual being in comparison with all creation, about time and space, infinity and eternity, about God's existence and being and about the existence and being of all creation in time and space, initiated by Philopold, followed very clearly from Me, which lasted until late in the night and as such united the midday and evening meal, this explanation can well be included here, because it gives and must give every thinker a perfect explanation about the material and spiritual being of man and about the purest spiritual primordial being of God.