The Great Gospel of John
Volume 1

Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching

In Cana in the valley

- Chapter 218 -

The goings on at Kisjonah's during the Lord's absence. The Pharisee's mis-direction by Kisjonah's servants, and their recall on the Lord's order. The Pharisees' confession and request for healing of their sick. A great healing miracle.

On arrival home, several servants come to meet us and tell us that shortly after our leaving for the valley, a great many strangers had arrived, insistently inquiring about Me, what I was up to and to where I had headed for. But they, the servants, who presumed to recognise them as Pharisees in disguise, told them that I had left the area a long time since, and that, in their opinion, for Damascus or possibly even to the heathens in Persia; for I am supposed during My stay here to have repeatedly stated: the grace shall be taken from the Jews and given to the gentiles.

At this the inquirers were visibly angered, and one of them was supposed to have said, 'Boys can shake the fruit off young trees indeed, but not from an old one that has to be climbed cautiously, if one wants to get to the fruit-laden boughs! This troubadour shall have little effect upon the Jewry!'

At this, they, the servants, are to have laughed and said, 'Just watch that the tree does not get blown over on account of its rottenness. It seems to us that your tree has already had it for a long time, so far as fruits are concerned, and its dried-out branches hung by you with dried figs, for a dirty-trick wonder.'

At this, the obvious Pharisees were supposed to become indignant and to start threatening the servants.

But the servants said, 'To begin with we are Greeks, and embrace the religion of our emperor, and hence can laugh at your stupidity that you call God's doctrine, and you can do us no harm if we don't do so in your temples and schools. And secondly, there are many of us serving at mighty Kisjonah's big house; and if therefore you don't leave this place soon, then we shall start showing you the way out with clubs.' Thereupon they bit their lips balefully and went their way up the coast leading to Jerusalem.

But we would ask You, Lord Jesus, whether we acted in an appropriate manner?'

Said I, 'Except for one thing; it was not right that you knowingly told them an untruth. It would have been better if you had told them the truth; in that case they would have waited for us and we would have effected changes on them. For these were mostly sick, with some Pharisees among them indeed, but of a better variety. They are still camping upon the hill that rises from the upper end of the bay; hence hasten over to them with donkeys and mules and bring them all here. Say to them, 'The Lord has arrived and tarries for you! Load the sick upon the mules and donkeys and let the healthy walk.'

Although it is already late dusk, the servants get under way as I requested, bringing all those over whom they had driven away with blind zeal.

Five Pharisees step over to Me at once with proper deference, complaining of how roughly they were treated by domestic staff, who abused and lied to them.

But I reassure them, telling them that it was not from ill-will, but out of blind love for Me, since they thought they sensed you My enemies. Whence I also commanded them on My arrival to convey you here in as good a state as possible. And so they had to therewith make good their transgression against you. And I regard this matter as fixed up.

Say the Pharisees, 'Quite, it is all in the best order. But now to another matter.

We have come all the way from Bethlehem, having heard of Your extraordinary healing-miracle power. Hence we brought along our sick. Those still strong enough had to walk of course, and the weaker ones we transported by beasts of burden. We beg You to have mercy on the suffering and heal them of their maladies.'

Say I, 'Where are they whom you brought upon the beasts of burden? The staff did not mention them.'

Say the five Pharisees, 'We left them at the inn beyond the bay, as we could not know whether we could meet up with You. Because it was hard to even find out that You were to be found here, intermittently, and that You could not be met with certainty. And so we ventured here to either find You, or to most likely find out here where You might be, or when You might return. Due to this uncertainty we left our rather feeble sick at the aforementioned inn, so that they may receive care whilst we try and reach You and beg You to have mercy on these acutely suffering. Hence we also set up camp on the mountain above the inn, in order to be as near as possible to our sick, quartering at the inn with barest essentials.

We now have, Lord and Maser, told you everything, and we can tell you no more. If therefore You are that way inclined, then have mercy on the poor and suffering.'

Say I, 'It is indeed thus; if you don't see miracles and signs, your faith is weak but without the power of faith, little can be done for mankind's well being. If you believe however, then you shall see the glory of God's power in man!'

Say all, 'Yes, yes, indeed Lord! All of us believe. He who can, as You have done, call back to life a deceased daughter of the chief Jairus, can also heal all other sickness, which is no death by a long shot. Because, of this deed we heard as far away as David's city of Bethlehem.'

Say I with raised hands, 'So then, let it be in accordance with your faith!'

All the sick awaiting healing in the courtyard instantly became completely well, and started to jubilate and cry for joy, exclaiming: 'We saw a light enter our bodies, and we are well; and we now feel as if there had never been anything wrong with us. Hail to Him Who has made us whole so suddenly!'

The Pharisees can hardly utter a word for astonishment. After a short while however they hear more shouting and jubilation in the Kis area. The Pharisees, as well as the thoroughly healed sick, go to at look at what the noise was. They quickly realise it is their sick from the inn, all leaping about like lively stags, shouting; 'Hail to the man who healed them so miraculously.'

As the healed ones join the five Pharisees, the latter ask the jubilant ones when and how they were healed. All those healed - about thirty in number, tell with one voice: at such and such a time, and that they saw a light entering their bodies.

Here the five realised this was at the time I said: Let it be in accordance with your faith, and that those in the inn were healed by a light.

All are astonished, and the healed are exclaiming, 'Take us to the Saviour, that we may say our thanks and praise to Him personally.'

The Pharisees lead them to Me and they fall down before Me, praising God for imbuing man with such power.

But I command them to rise, and whilst showing them to their dining room, warn them not to make any of this known, neither at Jerusalem nor at David's city.

And they promise with one voice that they will heed this as far as possible; but that they shall fare badly in their city when returning completely fit. But they shall do everything not to betray Me.

Calling their intentions good, I lead them into the dining room, where refreshments and fortifications of all kinds await them. I bless the food and drinks for them and invite them to eat and drink according to need, assuring them of no harmful effects. And they start eating and drinking, whilst I Myself withdrew to another chamber, where honest Baram had prepared an exceedingly plenteous supper for Myself and Mine, with Kisjonah and his family partaking at My side.

Footnotes

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