The Great Gospel of John
Volume 7

Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching

From the Lord's years of youth

- Chapter 208 -

Arrival at the property of the Greek.

Now we went immediately on our way to the inn where the pack animals of the Greek were waiting for us.

From the moment we arrived, a lot of nosy people were disturbing us with questions, and the owner of the inn, a good acquaintance of Joseph, said to him: 'Friend, I would not travel today because there has been a solar eclipse and such a day was already considered by the elders as an unlucky day.'

I said: 'What kind of wise people you are. You are attaching importance to such senseless fables which do not contain any truth. But to all that is pure and true you consider as dirt and you do not want to hear. Therefore, do not delay us any longer with such senseless things.'

The innkeeper said: 'But dear fellow, the old people were also wise people. Therefore, young people should keep in mind their experiences, otherwise they will have to endure a lot of troubles.'

I said: 'You better keep that which Moses and the prophets have taught. This will be more profitable than when you consider a new moon and lucky and unlucky days. Whoever will keep God's commandments and will love God above all and his fellowman as himself, does not have to be afraid of unlucky days. However, the one who does not do that, for him every day is an unlucky day.'

The innkeeper said: 'Yes, this I also know, but you still can keep in mind the stories of the old people.'

Then he greeted Joseph once more and wished him a lot of success on his trip and his work. We mounted the pack animals and our trip was progressing well, over mountains and valleys to the west on our way to Tyre.

When we were half way and came to an inn that also belonged to a Greek, our Greek said: 'Friends, here we will take something that will strengthen us and we will let the pack animals be fed.'

Joseph agreed entirely on this proposition, although he asked immediately if it was possible to receive food that was also allowed for the Jews.

The innkeeper said: 'Yes, friend, that will be a little difficult. I have sufficient smoked pig's meat, and also leavened bread, salt and wine, but anything else will not be in store now.'

Joseph said: 'This does not look so good for us, because we Jews may not eat pig's meat. And in this time also no leavened bread, because with us the time of the unleavened loaves of bread has begun. But do you not have fish, chickens and eggs?'

The innkeeper said: 'Look, this inn is located on a high mountain. From where can you obtain fish? And it is also difficult here to keep chickens because firstly they almost do not grow here because of the lack of the necessary food, and secondly, there are too many birds of prey of all kind here, which not only make the maintaining of chickens almost impossible but also hinder the sheep-breeding because the lambs are not safe for one moment with these animals from the sky. Therefore, I only have a few cattle like bulls, oxen and cows and of course also a few calves and also pigs that are growing very well here. But the wine I have to buy in Tyre myself. This is how it is. But whatever there is I want to give you generously and cheap.'

I said: 'Just give what you have. This we will eat.'

Joseph said: 'But son, then what will the law of Moses say about it?'

I said: 'Have you still forgotten who I am? Him who is in Me has given the laws to Moses, and this One says now to you: if there is no other way, eat whatever will be set on the table for you, because for the one who is pure, everything is pure.

Moses has only forbidden the Jews to eat the flesh of these impure animals to prevent that they themselves would become even more impure than what they were since their birth. But in case of need, also the Jews were allowed to eat the meat of those animals that were indicated as impure. But we ourselves have never been impure and will also never become impure, and so no kind of food when it is well prepared can soil us.'

With this explanation Joseph and also James were satisfied and the innkeeper brought us immediately well smoked and well prepared pig's meat, bread, salt and a good wine, which all of us were eating with a clear conscience. Of course our Greek wanted to pay the bill, and he was really happy that we were entirely satisfied with his meal.

After the meal I said to the owner of the inn: 'A great benefit has come to this inn. From today on, you can keep chickens and sheep as much as you want, because I want that this region will not be disturbed by any beast of prey. Not on the ground or in the sky, as long as you and your descendants will possess this inn. But if ever later on, other and worse innkeepers will possess this inn and this region, they also will be burdened by the old plague.'

The innkeeper said: 'Young friend, how can You convince me that it also will happen just as You have promised so seriously to me, as if You are not in the least doubting about it.'

I said: 'That will happen as sure as the fact that it is sure that you are possessing a treasure in your house, which neither you nor your family members and also not your ancestors have known. Take a spade and dig with it, precisely on the spot where you are standing now, a hole of only 3 hand's breaths deep into the ground that is made of loam, and you will hit a treasure with which you then can do what you want.'

The innkeeper brought immediately a spade and dug with the help of his helpers at once a hole in the ground as deep as indicated, and was greatly amazed to find a few heavy golden plates that together weighed more than 200 pounds. Now of course, at the same time he asked how and when these valuable things came there.

I said: 'You are now already the seventh owner of this old inn since the time that these things - which at that time were taken from an eastern caravan - were buried here in this ground out of fear that they would be discovered. You do not have to know more. But those who buried the treasure here were no people of your tribe and you are not a descendant of them, because you are coming from Athens, but those possessors came from Cyprus and they were thieves, but still no murderers for robbery.'

Again, the innkeeper said: 'But how can You know all this so precisely? Who made it known to You?'

I said: 'As well as your most secret thoughts are known to Me, in and out of Myself, so is also this known to me, in and out of Myself. And to show you that also your thoughts are precisely known to Me, I will tell you what you have very consciously thought by yourself this morning. You were thinking the following thing: 'Even though my inn is very busy and profitable, but if I could find a buyer who would buy it for a price with which I could establish a better inn in Tyre, then this is what I would like most of all.'

Look, this is mainly what you have thought. And after that, you were considering to tell this to your wife. But soon you realized that it was still too soon for that because your wife could become impatient and then she would insist by all means to carry out this idea immediately. Tell me, if I know precisely what you think or not.'

Out of amazement the innkeeper was beside himself and said: 'Really, I have seen, heard and experienced many things, but this I have never experienced before. Yes, now I do believe without any doubt that this region will be completely purified of beasts of prey. Now You have given me extremely and many good things. How will I be able to reward You properly? What do You want me to do for You for this?'

I said: 'Listen, although you are also a gentile, however you do not believe in your many gods and therefore you have made yourself familiar with our teaching. That was very good of you. But I tell you: believe firmly in the only true God of the Jews, love Him above all and also your fellowmen as yourself. Do for them that of which you reasonably could want that they also would do that for you, then you will do sufficiently for Me in exchange for everything that I now have done for you. But a material reward I truly do not need.'

Again the innkeeper was surprised about My total disinterestedness and he did not want to accept any payment for what we had consumed.

But our Greek did not want that and paid everything, with the words: 'Divide among the poor what you do not need, then you will please the only true God of the Jews, and in fact of all men.'

The innkeeper promised solemnly to do all this and to convert his household to the faith of the Jews.

Then we stood up, mounted our pack animals again and continued our way. The way that we still had to go was very beautiful and so 1 hour before sunset we reached the place of our destiny.

Footnotes

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