THE GREAT GOSPEL OF JOHN
VOLUME 5
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Beyond the Jordan at the Sea of Galilee. Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 19
- Chapter 261 -
In the house of the village head. The miracle wine.
We now went into a quite cute and spacious mountain valley cabin and were immediately served with bread, salt and fresh milk. The chief excused himself for not being able to offer us any wine; but he had many skins of forest berry juice, which tasted as delicious as any wine. If we wanted to try it, he would with great pleasure have a few jugs full set out.
2
I said, "Do that; we want to try your forest wine! If we like it, then we will ask you for a few more jugs."
3
Then the host went to his cellar and brought us a few jugs full of the forest berry juice, which tasted just like wine, since in principle it was actually wine; for the little grape, now also called blackcurrant, also belongs to the various types of vine, whose fruit is approximately the smallest type of grape. Short and sweet, we drank this forest wine very willingly, mixed with some water, and the host had great joy in seeing that his wine pleased us so much.
4
When both jugs were empty, the host wanted to go and fill them immediately; but I now said to the already very talkative forest wine producer, "Listen, just you leave that and fill the jugs instead of with very fresh water, and I will immediately turn the water into the very best wine!"
5
Then the host raised his eyebrows and said, "Well, I am truly very curious about this trick!"
6
Both the large jugs were immediately placed on the table, filled with water, and the host said, "Now what you demanded is already on the table, and you, friend, show us what you can do!"
7
And I said to him, "Take one or other jug into your hand and try the contents!"
8
The host tried the contents and was so surprised at it that he immediately called his whole household together and let everyone taste. All claimed that they had never had such an extremely good wine pass over their lips. But now everyone wanted to know how it was possible to make such a heavenly good wine out of the purest water.
9
But the host said to the many enquirers, "Yes, my dears, ask him there in the center! It is the greatest riddle for me myself! Such a thing has never happened since human thought began and is quite unheard-of!"
10
At this the host turned to Me and said, "Master of Masters in your wonderful art that is incomprehensible to me! Give us a very small hint as to how and in what manner such a thing was possible for you! And can You do several other such tricks?"
11
I said, "Dear friend, I can give you no answer to your first question for now; but tomorrow you will work it out for yourself! But to the second question I can tell you this: that actually nothing is impossible for Me and I could perform countless miracles for you simply through the power and strength of My will alone! Do you agree with this?"
12
The host said, "You speak highly of yourself, since you are only a man! Do you not think that only God alone is all-powerful?! If all things were possible for you, you would be God Himself, or you would have to do such things with the help of Beelzebub, who is the highest of all devils, for which you seem to me to have a far too honest, pious and open face, about which one can say: Look, that is a true image of God!
13
But I do not want to speak as if with authority and I think back to the times when I was in Jerusalem and also in the other cities, particularly in Damascus, where I got to know an Indian magician, who also announced about himself with the greatest exaggeration that nothing was impossible for him. He seriously performed great things, the possibility of which was just as little visible to me as the way you now turned the water into the best wine. But among all magicians and artists the exaggeration of their nonetheless wonderful capabilities to us lay people is such a usual thing that one willingly gives it to them, because they are basically extraordinary people. But I would like to see something more from you this evening, Master of Masters!"
14
Said I: "Behold, every man judges according to his understanding, and thus you also, and it would not be fair of Me to contradict you in any way! If you achieve any deeper insight, then you will judge otherwise; therefore nothing further now! You have asked Me for another so-called trick today, and I will do it. But so that you do not think that I can only do what I know to do, tell Me what I should do for you!"