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 36 -
Departure from Kis and arrival at the house of the innkeeper of Lazarus.
Even my physical mother Mary soon said to Judas Iscariot: "If you continue like this and never change your soul, then your end will be an abomination for many and will remain in the memories of man until the end of the world. Therefore in future pay more attention to be found worthy before the eyes of the Lord! I never had a good dream about you and now I see the reason why. Therefore I say once more: Be sure that you prove yourself worthy before the eyes of the Lord!"
2
These words were taken deeply to heart by all the disciples.
3
After the meal we visited Mary's house and household set up by Kisjonah. Everything was in the best order. A small school had been built in which mother gave the needy children instruction in all sorts of useful things and so spent her time very usefully and thus was very loved and respected by all the people of this place and the surrounding area. She also healed many sick, in that she laid her hands on them in My name or prayed over them. And so she was also a blessing for this area and was a true treasure for Kisjonah.
4
On the next day, a Thursday, still a good three weeks before the Passover, we took our leave from Kisjonah with the promise to visit him again soon. He immediately had one of his best ships prepared, which we boarded right after the morning meal and then left with a good wind. Kisjonah, Philopold and Mary, however, accompanied us over the sea to the shore of the Sea of Galilee at the place where the Jordan leaves it and then turns left towards the Dead Sea through a long valley bending sharply to the east. From there one goes up a good and well-laid path to Jerusalem, of which path, of course, nothing more remains today, just like all the places at the Sea of Galilee, which has become a good third smaller nowadays.
5
At the landing spot there was only a customs house, at which one had to pay a small tax, but only if one was carrying or bringing something to be sold. We disembarked here, blessed those who had accompanied us and set off on our way very quickly, without taking any rest, and quite late at night we reached the house of our familiar innkeeper, who was still awake, since several guests were with him.
6
When we arrived there and the innkeeper recognized us, he became full of joy and immediately set his whole household into action in order to look after us; for since the early morning we had not eaten anything. Our limbs were also tired from the long walk, and the need for rest had become very perceptible. While the innkeeper had an evening meal prepared for us by his people, he told us many a thing that had happened in My absence - among others that good Lazarus had to bear a quite serious meeting with the templers because of the workers that I had arranged for him from Bethlehem.
7
(The innkeeper) "The templers came here immediately and made every effort to get Lazarus' workers over to their side; only the workers responded to the templers with threats, if they would give them no rest. At this the templers were taken aback and accused Lazarus of secretly inciting his workers against them, and thus made a proper complaint with the local Roman official. He called Lazarus to him and asked him about the true course of events and then listened to all the workers as well, and indeed each worker separately. But then it turned out that Lazarus along with all his workers were found innocent of any blame and the templers were secretly warned to leave Lazarus, who was now a noble citizen of Rome, in peace with his servants, or else he would be forced to put a good number of soldiers at Lazarus' disposal for his protection. This worked, and Lazarus was left in peace by the clerics for six full weeks now. But whether they are inwardly particularly well inclined towards him, I doubt very much, although they are very friendly to his face and assure him that they had only brought the threatening case before the governor against his workers and not against him. And so Lazarus lives at least in appearance on good footing with the templers."
8
I said: "I knew quite well that this would happen; but it could also have happened otherwise if things had lasted a few weeks longer. For then there would have been serious actions between the workers and the templers, which I saw in advance, and thus I led things through My will to be as they are now and that was good. Indeed the templers now have a secret grudge against Lazarus; but that means nothing, for they also have a grudge against all Romans and Greeks and also the Essenes, Sadducees and Samaritans. But all this grudge of theirs is like a very foolish man who became almost furious with a stream because he could not find a bridge over it with which he could reach the other, beautiful side. The stream remained a stream despite the great anger of the foolish person. And truly, it is just the same with the grudge and the anger of the templers! It is the twisting and turning of a worm in the dust against the steps of a camel walking over it. Therefore let us leave things be, and you, dear friend, see to it that we soon get an evening meal!"