The Great Gospel of John
Volume 2
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Second Journey of the Lord: Nazareth - Cave at Bethabara (First Feeding of the People) - Mountain of Prayer - Walking on the Sea of Galilee (Peter's test of faith) - By ship to Genneseret in the bay with the same name
- Chapter 103 -
The Lord with His at the innkeeper Ebahl's.
On arriving in the city we stepped off at the inn of an upright man by the name of Ebahl.
2
Ebahl received us with much hospitality, saying: "By all appearances and apparel are you Gallileans from around Genezareth?" We answer in the affirmative and he at once ordered bread, wine and fish for us, saying: "You shall be free of charge for three days. Should you however as Nazarenes be able to clear me up about the renown Savior by the name of Jesus who is supposed to heal all manner of sickness in the most miraculous way, then I shall maintain you free of charge for life, eating and drinking whatever you will.
3
If things stand thus with the renowned Jesus then I will do anything to find him and accompany him on my knees to bring Him here. Because our otherwise good and free little land unfortunately has the unpleasant feature of constant affliction with all kinds of grave illnesses. The sicknesses are not necessarily of a fatal kind but that much more bothersome and hard to shrug off.
4
If therefore it were possible to bring this Saviour to us - by Jehovah - I don't know what I would give. I have myself one inn full of sick who cannot journey a step further for pain, and some are from distant parts; even Egyptians, Persians and Indians are among them, unable to depart. Likewise there are Pharisees and Scribes from Jerusalem and two Essene brethren intensively ailing, and no doctor or savior regardless of the number having called here could master their sickness.
5
If therefore you can bring me this Jesus of Nazareth or at least half convince me of where I can meet up with him then as said you are my guests for life."
6
Say I: "Why have you not sent messengers after Him long since, seeing that He is staying in Nazareth?"
7
Says Ebahl: "This I have done not once but quite often, yet have never had the fortune of hearing from the returned messengers: 'we have found Him'. They indeed told me of a thousand miraculous things about Him which they were told by others but they themselves were never fortunate enough to make His personal acquaintance."
8
Say I: "Very well, since I see that it is not self-interest that stirred you in relation to the Savior Jesus but the one and only desire to bring the suffering help regardless of their nationality - what moved Me also to come here - so know to your joy and comfort that I am the same Jesus whom you have often sought in vain, and the sick people at your inn shall be helped instantly." Now send your servants over to the inn asking if any more sick are to be found there!"
9
Ebahl was quite beside himself with joy, saying: "Master, if it is You then I believe Your words and need not enquire further; You are certain to be so and I cannot already in advance praise God enough for letting my house meet with such unexpectedly great grace. Master, great godly Master, give commands for Yourself and yours, for now You are fully Lord in my house. All that You find therein must submit to Your will."
10
Whilst he was still talking like that, news already came from his large inn that close on two thousand sick became instantly well. A miracle must have occurred or this could not be possible. The sick would come themselves and render the innkeeper their fervent thanks in word and deed.
11
Says Ebahl: "Go and tell them that firstly I have no need of all that and that not the least thanks is due to myself but God alone Who through His grace has led the miraculous Saviour to our place. Ask reasonable innkeeping fees from the wealthy that are strangers, but nothing above that from anyone. The locals however are to be free of charge."
12
With these words the news heralds leave and do as told by their lord.
13
Thereafter Ebahl turns to Me again, falling on his knees and thanking Me with many tears of joy for this wonderful favour bestowed upon his house.
14
But I bid him to rise and introduce his wives and daughters to Me.
15
And he goes and does as requested by Me.
16
After bringing his two wives and sixteen children, among them ten male and six female, he said to Me: "Behold me, a true Israelite still! Like Jakob, our forefather, had a Leah and a Rachel as wives, begetting children with both, just so I also took on two wives who are not however sisters, having begotten the ten boys with the older woman and the six daughters with the younger; but as You see, the boys are already sprightly men and youths whilst the six girls too are each already ripened to maidens over ten years, yet I am seventy.
17
All these children have been raised in accordance with Scripture, and my eldest son is a Scribe but not in the Temple's employ but only in himself and once, for his descendants. But my other children nevertheless also are thoroughly conversant with Scripture, knowing the pure will of God and always held strictly to keeping with it. Thy love God but they also fear Him, because fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. In my house the truly wise proverbs of Jesus of Sirah are strictly implemented. Are You great Master happy with my domestic arrangements?"
18
Say I: "Your domestic set-up cannot be questioned under prevailing norms, and I don't prohibit anyone from having two, three or even more wives, because the woman was created for the purpose of human procreation. A barren woman is not God pleasing, be it that she is barren by nature, something beyond human control.
19
But in future, no man should take more than one maiden, or a widow still capable of child bearing; for had it been God's will that a man should have more than one woman then He would surely have created more than one woman for Adam. But it was God's will that each man should have only one woman and hence gave Adam only one woman.
20
That men later departed from this first Commandment - which especially with the heathens often led to depraved evil, since especially a prince could take to himself all the country's most beautiful maidens and ontop of that purchase others from foreign princes - that was not God's but men's sensuality. Because many of the wives of a prince or other rich man were not wives for propagation but mere prostitutes for the awakening of spoiled manhood and its lust. Man then does not live fully within the divine order if not keeping the first primordial Commandment of God.
21
Oh, something quite different would be if one of the wives were barren, as was the case with Rachel; there man can take another wife unto himself for the purpose of generating a descendant. With yourself nevertheless things are in the right order, for you always had a God-pleasing attitude and you therefore are righteous before God and men, or I would not have come to your house!"