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 78 -
A conversation about the Lord between the innkeeper and the head priest.
In the evening we went back again and when entering the house, a copious evening meal was prepared for us, and from the head priest who received the two noble fishes as a present, a messenger waited for the innkeeper, to convey the head priest's thanks together with a basket full of fresh eggs, laid by the large chickens of the head priest.
2
The innkeeper thanked for it and said: "If I catch such fish again I will not forget the head priest."
3
Then the messenger said: "This will make the head priest quite happy; but he heard that the infamous prophet from Nazareth is currently staying in this area. The head priest want to talk to you personally about it, and he therefore would appreciate it a great deal if you could come to him and provide him with the right information about it. When can you come to him? Determine the time yourself!"
4
Said the innkeeper: "My dear friend, just be patient for a few seconds! If first will consult a friend because from tomorrow I have business with him for several days until we have finished, - I then will come and give the head priest the right information about the rare, miraculous person from Nazareth, whom at least I believe to know quite well."
5
Hereupon the innkeeper came to Me in the dining room and asked what he should do.
6
But I said: "Go to him still today, although it is already evening and say to him: I am here and will stay here for as long it pleases Me. But who has something against Me should come and sort out his case with Me personally. Since I am accountable for Myself and nobody else in the whole world. Go and tell him this and he will be quite content with this message! But otherwise do not talk much with him about Me!"
7
With this answer the innkeeper quickly went outside to the messenger and together they went to the head priest, who had his house not too far away from the innkeeper, but of course still inside the city walls.
8
When our innkeeper came to the head priest, he was very glad since the avarice already got hold of him, to know what it was all about Me. After a mutual friendly greeting the head priest immediately asked what it was, that it was said that the infamous prophet would stay at the inn of the innkeeper and conducts his uncanny business there.
9
Thereupon the innkeeper said what I had placed in his mouth before.
10
About this the head priest made a dark face and said: "But how can you as a well-known man and innkeeper give accommodation in your house to such a in general wanted person?"
11
Said the innkeeper: "As innkeeper and provider of accommodation it is my duty; since I am not allowed to lock my doors for anybody, irrespective of what he is and from where he is coming. I do not even have the right to dismiss a thief and robber and to ask him what he is doing there, because a real inn is also respected by him. In addition my inn is absolutely free, in which for a full seven days not even a criminal can be arrested and placed before a court according to the laws of Rome. But when all this is a fact, why should I not give accommodation to the most famous Man which the world ever carried, since firstly he never ever left anybody in any way indebted and secondly is he the most friendly and best person I ever have met anywhere?!
12
But he preached anyway on the Sabbath in the school. If you have something against him, it would be the right place to arrest him and hold him accountable! I as innkeeper do not have a right thereto. But he is still with me; if you have something against him, you, like any other person, is free to go there and talk to him. Since he specifically told me that nobody in the whole world can be held accountable for him; since he stands completely by himself and what I know from experience, he does not shy away from anybody and does not fear anyone. Instead all people should fear him, since the power of his will reaches into infinity. Whatever he wants, just happens and is there.
13
Didn't he awakened your predecessor Jairus' daughter from dead to alive last year, what you certainly will know?! And thus he is a most true but also mysterious benefactor of the people. Why should I not accommodate such a person for as long he wants to stay in my inn?!"
14
Said the head priest: "You are in your right, this I know quite well, and nobody can accuse you of anything. Just don't be mislead to believe in him, that he is the promised Messiah of the Jews! Since he spreads such sacrilegious teaching among the people, and I know it just too well, that now already many people believe in him because he supports his teachings with all kinds of magic works, which he effectuates mainly with the help of Beelzebub. This is all I wanted to tell you and it was very pleasing to me that you still today has come to me."
15
Said the innkeeper: "Truly, it would not have been necessary to call me for this to your home! Since for this I am myself in all the world experienced person and possess the necessary judgement to distinguish between something false and real! We all know the miraculous person from birth and know his parents who were people who always strictly lived and acted according to the laws and thus are a true example regarding the obedience towards God and towards all of His institutions. However, if so, why should this one, - namely according to the witness of Joseph, the devout carpenter, - the most devout, most well behaved and most obedient son stand in connection with Beelzebub and effectuate his truly divine miracles with the help of him?!
16
Who wants to state a full valid judgement about him, must go through the trouble to familiarize himself with him from all sides and relations; only then can he say with a full right: 'This and that are the facts about this person!' This is my opinion. But to immediately condemn a person without get to him know better, I do not regard as worthy of a judge and much less so of a priest. I am quite surprised about you, to judge someone simply based on hearsay and without ever having spoken nor seen him, just like the old, evil women do. Go to him and speak to him yourself, - and only then judge him!"
17
Hereupon the head priest did not know what to say and thought by himself what to do.
18
After a while the head priest said: "You are right and if I would not have been the head priest, I most probably would also think like you; but I am the head priest here and must do my duty. If I have someone in front of me like you, I also do not think and act like a head priest, but as a person. If I would have been more of a cleric than I am, I had to arrest the man and deliver him to Jerusalem according to the instructions of the temple. But since I am more a person than a head priest, I even allowed him to preach in the school and did not go there myself in order to pretend that I did not know about it. But the Nazarene who otherwise is supposed to be very wise and clever, has delivered a highly mystical speech which nobody could understand and finally was nearly left all alone in the school. Now, if I can get away, I will come tomorrow or the day after tomorrow to the inn; because at least I want to see him!"
19
About this the innkeeper said: "Do this; I stand in for it that you never will regret it!"
20
Hereupon the innkeeper left and soon returned to us and told Me everything what he has spoken with the head priest.
21
But I said to him: "You have spoken this quite well, since I Myself have placed the words into your mouth; however, nevertheless the head priest still stays a cleric and if he got new instruction from Jerusalem to pursue Me, he would do so with all zeal. But without some encouragement he is too much a friend of the dear comfort and let us go and do what we want. But whether he will come here for the sake of Me, is a difficult question on which most probably no answer will follow; for if the head priest will wake up tomorrow morning, he will hardly remember what you have spoken with him. - But let us rest now; since the mountain has made the limbs tired!"
22
Thereupon all got up from their seats and went to their dedicated bedrooms, which our innkeeper had furnished quite well.
23
From now on I still stayed two full days here, during which time however nothing of any significance had happened. Only on the third day in the morning I went with the disciples and the innkeeper outside and commanded the sea to be calm. And immediately the waves calmed down and soon afterwards the fishermen hurried to conduct their business, since they already had to rest for five days, which however did not caused them any harm.