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 95 -
Healing and feeding miracles of the five thousand people in the desert.
After hearing - as previously told - what the newly arrived disciples of John told Me, which surely I had already been aware of, or I would not have already at the most appropriate time in the morning dismissed the entire big company, I soon left Nazareth and went with the twelve disciples towards Sibarah near the sea, at once entering a ship and travelling to the vicinity above Bethabara. On board, the disciples were telling Me what else they were teaching and doing during the day, for which I also praised them.
2
Upon reaching the pre-determined place, I commanded the disciples to remain in the ship by themselves, getting to shore by Myself - accompanied only by two disciples - to the desert in order to seek and determine a spot where I could tarry a few days and be safe from Herod's pestering.
3
But there were other vessels following our ship at a certain distance and therefore easily finding out My whereabouts, the easier because I had no intention of hiding away completely from needful mankind.
4
Therefore not a day of My stay in this desert had passed yet before a vast number of people poured in from all cities, markets and villages, including My old disciples numbering already over eight hundred who had joined Me in the previous cities and markets and whom I had sent home to their places the previous morning. (Matt. 14:13)
5
Some of these were of Cana in Galilee and Cana in Samaria, some of Jesaira, some from Kis and Sibarah, Capernaum, Chorazim, Caesarea, Genesareth and Bethabara, spreading My renown also in many other places, so that a vast throng of people were coming to Me partly by sea and partly by walking through the desert, together of course with a large number of all kinds of sick and festering. As said earlier, the day had hardly dawned when nearly a thousand pilgrims seeking after Me found My encampment, settling down around it.
6
My camp that I had chosen in the desert however was a spacious cave with no rear exit. The cave was situated fairly high up and densely overgrown with trees. There was also a large open space in front of it where several thousand people could find ample camping room, and upon this place the people had settled down together with their sick.
7
When My disciples, who were aware of My stay, saw how masses of people streamed up from all sides, surrounding My wuagers ever more densely, they became concerned about Me. They put their ship in charge of their eight seamen and made their way up to Me to tell Me what masses of people were converging on Me and that they could not vouch for Herodians not being among them.
8
After the well-meaning and anxious disciples brought Me the news which I was bound to know anyway, I emerged from the grotto to take a look at the truly huge crowd, and I really commiserated with them when with tearful eyes they were asking Me to heal their sick.
9
And I healed all the sick who were present in a moment (Matt. 14:14) as well as all those still making their painstaking way towards Me, whereupon there was of course no end of praising and lauding. People were still streaming in towards the evening. Although their sick became well on the way, so that they might bring thanks and praise. The space before the grotto was getting overcrowded until the disciples began to actually take fright, whilst young people climbed trees to get a better view of Me.
10
When evening started breaking upon us, the disciples stepped over to Me, saying: "Lord, it is desert here and night is befalling us, and as we all noticed, nobody brought edibles with them! Hence let the people go so they would go to nearby markets to buy themselves bread and food! (Matt. 14:15)
11
Said I to the disciples: "It is not necessary that the people go to the markets for that, but just give them to eat! (Matt. 14:16) For drinking they don't need more than water, which is found here in rich springs."
12
Say the disciples, somewhat taken aback at My request: "Lord, we have with us only five loaves of barley and two roasted fishes. (Matt. 14:17) What is that for so many people?"
13
Say I to the disciples: "Then bring them over to me." (Matt. 14:18)
14
When the disciples had done so, I commanded the people to all settle down on the grass, then took the five loaves and the two fishes, looked towards heaven and thanked the Father, then breaking the breads and giving them to the disciples, and these gave them to the people. (Matt. 14:19) The two fishes and a little bread this time however was left for the disciples.
15
And all those present ate and were sufficiently filled. Since they could not eat it all up, they gathered the left-over portions into baskets, which people usually carried on a journey, and these baskets normally were quite large and were carried on their backs by means of shoulder straps, yet twelve of these were filled with the left-over portions. (Matt. 14:20) The number of those who had eaten - not counting the women and children - were nearly five thousand men. (Matt. 14:21)
16
That this feeding, lasting a good hour, aroused great astonishment among these people shall of course be easy to understand, as also the fact that these people decided to at once make Me their king.
17
Since I discerned these people's intentions however, I commanded the disciples to immediately board the ship and sail to the opposite shore ahead of Me, pending My dismissal of the people. (Matt. 14:22) But this I did to scuttle the peoples' plan, as men had already began to discuss these intentions with My disciples, out of exceeding thankfulness. Nobody however dared to approach Me personally!
18
By the sudden dispatch of the disciples, I took the means out of the people's hands, and after the disciples betook themselves to the ship on a moonlit night in response to My word, the people gradually desisted from their intentions. After the departure of the disciples who had already cast out to sea, I let the people go and they went away willingly.
19
Thereupon I climbed a nearby bare mountain and prayed there, in order to unite My human carnal Self yet more closely with the Father. Upon this mountain-top I then tarried completely by Myself, and in the bright moonshine was able, even with the eyes of the flesh, to make out the disciples' ship in the middle of the sea which was not very wide, struggling heavily with the waves whipped up in their direction by a contrary wind of some vehemence. (Matt. 14:24)