The Great Gospel of John
Volume 10
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord on the way to Bethsaida
- Chapter 126 -
The dinner with fish.
Then the innkeeper and all the neighbors that were present stood up and did what I advised them to do. Since they themselves and all their relatives took immediately part in the work, it really did not take long before all the empty vessels and sacks were filled with clean water. When this was done, they immediately tasted the water and were extremely surprised when they had the best wine in their mouth, and they all praised God's power in Me.
2
And so the whole poor village was abundantly provided with bread, grain, flour and wine.
3
When they all had tasted the wine, they went to their storehouses and storerooms and found a very big quantity of grain, flour and bread, and the innkeeper found in his storeroom also a great quantity of pulses , of which he was a great friend.
4
After a little hour they all came back to Me and they hastily wanted to thank Me for everything.
5
But I said with a friendly face: "You may leave out the gratitude of the mouth, which is really not pleasing to Me, for the gratitude of your hearts is more pleasing to Me than the high song of Solomon which is sang throughout Israel with dumb hearts. Go now and put a good quantity of bread and wine on the table, then we will strengthen us."
6
Then the innkeeper went immediately with his 3 sons that we know now, to fetch sufficient bread and wine, and we all ate and drank and strengthened our limbs that had become tired of the rather long journey. Also the 3 sons who became very tired of the long trip, and who were hungry and thirsty, ate their fill of the bread that was very tasty to them, and they also drank their fill of the wine.
7
After we had strengthened ourselves with bread and wine, the woman and a few daughters of the innkeeper came, and the woman said that she already prepared a number of fishes in the Greek manner and she asked if she could put them on the table.
8
I said: "Do not be shy for us Jews. We ate already several times Greek and Roman food and did not become unclean by it. For if the food, prepared in an old known manner and in the cleanest way for human beings comes into the stomach by means of the mouth - as needed and in the right quantity - it will not make man unclean. But that which comes from the heart through the mouth, like gossip, dishonor, slander and all kinds of lies, dirty language and all kinds of cursing, will make the whole man unclean. Thus, woman, put your fishes, that were prepared in the Greek manner, without shyness on the table, then we will surely eat them.
9
Then the woman of the innkeeper went immediately to the kitchen and brought several fish dishes to the table, and the children brought the necessary tableware, of course made of very simple material, as poor people of such small village use to have.
10
Then I put a fish on a plate of pottery that was before Me, divided the fish into pieces and ate it. My elder disciples did the same.
11
But the known Jewish-Greek disciples from Jerusalem and the few disciples of John who were with Me did nevertheless not trust to eat the Greek fish. And the innkeeper asked Me if they were perhaps such strict followers of Moses, for they very well must know who I was.
12
I said: "They surely know that, and they also are not such strict followers of Moses, but there are still a lot of old rusty habits in them, and that is why they do not eat fishes that were fully prepared in the Greek manner. But once they will be really hungry, then they also will eagerly eat such fishes.
13
Now I am a true bridegroom, and they are My brides and wedding guests. As long as I am with them, they never had to fast or suffer hunger or thirst. But when I, the bridegroom, will be taken away from them, then they will have to fast very often and suffer hunger and thirst. And when they then will come to you, your fish will taste very nice to them."