THE GREAT GOSPEL OF JOHN
VOLUME 5
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus in the region of Caesarea Philippi. (cont.) Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 16
- Chapter 209 -
Aziona and Hiram in conversation with their neighbors.
Aziona, however, came back to the neighbors, who in the meantime had mostly lain down on the grass already. Hiram asked him whether the meal would soon be ready, and whether one should do something to the sleepers so that they would wake up and begin the morning meal.
2
Aziona says, "I believe that this will be completely unnecessary with these people; for their spirit, awake above all, certainly never sleeps and knows about everything that is there and that happens, and so it will certainly also not pass him by if the meal is fully prepared!"
3
Hiram says, "Yes, yes, you are right; they are more awake in sleep than we are even when we are as awake as in the day! Let's just wait here until they wake up; we have enough time for that indeed!"
4
Another neighbor says, "Do you believe, Hiram, that these people now hear and see everything in their sleep that is happening around them?"
5
Hiram says, "Not only what is and happens here, but also what is and happens now in the whole world, yes, even in the whole of infinity, what has happened for eternities and what will happen for eternities to come!"
6
The neighbor says, "Friend Hiram, hasn't the heat of the sun had too great an influence on your brain? These words of yours are indeed of such a confused sort that we all are beginning to seriously feel sorry for you. Who of all mortal men can ever reach an understanding of the infinity of space, who can understand the eternal flow of time? These people are certainly as ordinary as we are "and especially in sleep! Yes, they may be very wise and powerful in will; but the full realization of the infinity of space, the essence of eternal time, powers, light and life are understood by no limited wise man on this Earth, and so neither by these strangers!
7
But whether in earnest such a divine being exists which is fully in the clear about this concept, that is a great question which until now certainly no mortal wise man has ever answered to the satisfaction of other people, so that they could say: 'Now we have at least a vague idea about it!'
8
Yes, dear Hiram, much has been spoken about this concept in the high school in Athens, which I also attended, but always without even the least satisfactory result! What came from the many discussions and speeches in the end? This would be the greatest crowning triumph of a wisest man, if he accepted that he knows nothing and even as the wisest man he does not stand on the lowest step of that temple in which the great goddess of wisdom keeps her treasures under strong lock and key!
9
Yes, my dearest friend, it is somewhat difficult to talk to me about this point! But let's leave it for now; the strangers are beginning to stir, and they should not find us discussing the concepts of impossibility as they awake!"
10
Hiram says, "You are now truly the firmest old Greek and you think that my brain has been damaged by the sun; but there you are powerfully wrong! In two hours you will hopefully judge and speak otherwise! For everything that is hidden behind these people, you will begin to gain a better understanding of that only after you have spent some time with them yourself. I am indeed no weathervane, and our director Aziona just as little; but we have both now become quite different people and have thrown the old Diogenes overboard. The same thing will certainly be the case with you also, and with all the others. But now the Master and His disciples are rising, and we must immediately ask Him whether He already wants the morning meal."
11
I say, "Wait a little until the sun has appeared above the horizon, then set out the morning meal!"
12
At this the disciples also begin to stir and to rise from the grass and from the benches. Some of them go straight down to the sea and wash; but I do not do that, and Aziona hurries to Me and asks Me whether I need water for washing.
13
But I say to him, "Friend, all this water came from Me; how should I take it in order to wash? But so that no one is annoyed, bring Me a jug full of water from the spring!"
14
Aziona now hurries and looks for an empty jug, but he cannot find one; for all the jugs and other containers are filled to the brim with the best wine!
15
He comes back again very embarrassed and says, "Oh Lord, forgive me! There is not a single container in the whole hut which is not filled to the top with wine!"
16
I say, "Well, then bring Me a container filled with wine and I will wash Myself with wine for once!"
17
Aziona was quickly back with a jug of wine, and I washed Myself with it.
18
But at this the wonderful smell of wine reached the noses of the guests and some of them said, "Well, that means living more magnificently than a patrician of Rome! For it is still not yet known to us that anyone has ever bathed in such a tasty wine, although otherwise in other pleasant-smelling oils and waters!"
19
But when I gave Aziona back the jar into his hands, it was just as full as it had been before, although it had had the appearance when I was washing as if I had used every drop of it. Aziona immediately showed it to his neighbor, and he became silent from sheer amazement.