The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in Jericho
- Chapter 6 -
Meeting Kado again.
When Kado heard that, he did not wait one moment longer, gave the tax collector a coin as messenger reward and hurried as fast as he could to Me.
2
When he came to us, being almost out of breath, we stood up from the lawn and I reached him by the hand, but he hugged Me, pressed Me to his chest, overwhelmed Me with many friendly kisses and said finally, overflowing with joy and happiness (Kado): "O Lord and Master, what indescribable joy You have prepared for me by returning so quickly. O how happy we are to have You again among our sinful and for You eternally unworthy environment. You were only 3 days absent and for me it almost became 3 years, because the great desire of our whole family for You has put our patience heavily to the test. If You would not have come today, I would have used our best camels tomorrow very early in the morning and traveled after You to Essaea. O, now that You have come, everything is all right again and completely in order. But now, o Lord and Master - our only love and our highest need - please come, come now with me, so that our whole family will be blissfully happy."
3
I said: "Your friendliness has refreshed My heart, and I will go with you, but let us still wait for awhile. We will enter the city when it becomes dark, so that we will not make a sensation among the crowd who is curious, because since there is a market tomorrow, there are many strangers here, and they should not stare at us and criticize us when we enter the city. Also a couple of Pharisees have taken up residence with your father. They soon will be accommodated and then we can enter your house without hindrance."
4
That seemed a good idea to Kado, but he called the tax collector once more and sent him to the inn to tell his people that they had to prepare the best evening meal. Why, that they gladly would know in a short time.
5
Then the tax collector hurried again into the city and conveyed the message.
6
The father of Kado said: "I can guess the reason. Go and tell Kado that we will take care of everything in an excellent way."
7
When the tax collector came back and conveyed the answer of his father, and it already became quite dark, I said: "Now we easily can continue our way and we will no more be watched and recognized by anyone along the way. And even when someone will look at us, then he just will take us for businessmen who have just arrived, and that will not disturb us."
8
So we came easily and undisturbed to the inn of Kado.
9
When we were before the inn, I said to Kado: "Friend, now you enter first and tell your people that I have arrived with My disciples from Essaea. When I come into the guestroom, they should not have too great outbursts of joy, so that it would not come to the attention of the few strangers before time. And let them also not call Me 'Lord' or 'Master', but simply talk to Me as a good Friend, because I only look at the heart and never at the mouth. The reason why I want it that way now, you surely will realize later and well understand it. Go and do it."
10
Now Kado hurried to go into the house and gave instructions to his family as I told him to do.
11
Then I entered the large guestroom in which a big table was already set for us.
12
And when we entered, everyone came kindly to meet us. The father and mother of Kado and also his wife and children greeted Me most kindly and asked Me to sit down, since I had to be tired from the long journey. This greeting was done very well and so the strangers did not take notice of Me and My disciples. However, with all those well-chosen words, they all had tears of the greatest joy in their eyes, namely the father of Kado and the old, loyal servant of Kado, whose name was Apollon. But I immediately strengthened their heart and so they could bear My presence without any further tears.
13
We went to sit immediately at the table, and the innkeeper, Kado, his wife and children and on My request also Apollon, came to sit closest to Me. The mother of Kado however had still some things to do in the kitchen, and the brothers and sisters of Kado had to serve the guests.
14
When we were now cheerfully sitting at the table, upon which the best wine and the best bread was present in abundance, a few disciples, and especially our Judas Iscariot, wanted to grab to it immediately, because they already were very hungry.
15
But I said: "Since you were able to endure it until now, you surely will be able to endure it a few moments more without starving from hunger or thirst. Wait for the warm food, only when that will be on the table, you first should take some bread with salt and then take a little drink of wine, then the evening meal will strengthen you and make you fit and cheerful, but otherwise it only will weaken your limbs and inward parts. Man should also try to keep his body healthy if he wants his soul to be freed from sadness and fear. Do it as I am doing it."
16
The disciples thanked Me for this advice and they also kept it.