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 135 -
The pond of the innkeeper.
That day, immediately after the departure of the disciples who were sent out, I walked with the 3 disciples and the inhabitants of this village over their little piece of land which they could consider their fixed property by the Romans and for which they did not have to pay taxes to Herod who was also feudal monarch over the Jews in this place.
2
While we were peacefully and easily walking around the little piece of land in 2 hours, the innkeeper said to Me: "Lord and Master, look, outside of the borders of our landed property, the extensive land, which is very bare and which has, as far as we know, no owner all around, is not in the least beneficial to anyone. If in the course of time we zealously would cultivate it outside of our borders and would use it, would we make a mistake by that?"
3
I said: "Not in the least. What you zealously cultivate, you also can use, and no human being will call you to account for that. But it will cost you much effort and work, and from those bare stones you will reap a meager harvest.
4
But also in this respect I will do something for you. However, at this moment be grateful with what I have blessed for you.
5
Very soon a great number of travelers will arrive to you and will make you very wealthy, and then you will be able to make this little land fertile unto far beyond its present borders, and your descendants will find the necessary food there. But do not think too much about it yet."
6
They all were satisfied with this answer, and we went to the already known little fish pond. It swarmed with fishes, with which all the inhabitants were very glad, although the pond was only the property of the innkeeper. For although all the inhabitants of this village formed some community and lived all together, their pieces of land were nevertheless marked according to the laws of Rome and everyone had precisely his measured part.
7
The fish pond and also the springs belonged to the innkeepers' part of land. The water was meant to be used by the whole village, but not the little fish pond, and thus also not the fishes that swam in it. This pond could of course seldom rejoice in a big supply, but this time it contained a good supply.
8
Therefore, at the pond I said: "Since only by My power and will, firstly the big quantity of noble fish in the Lake of Galilee was caught and was secondly brought here in sacks, completely fresh and healthy, and thirdly since these fishes in this pond will continually and abundantly multiply, be maintained and capable to abundantly provide the whole village, from now on, every house will have the right to take as many fishes from this pond as will be reasonably necessary. But to let the fishes have sufficient space when in time they will greatly multiply, we will enlarge this pond and give it the right and corresponding dimensions."
9
I hardly had said these words when the formerly very small pond had the right dimensions, and all the inhabitants praised Me and glorified God's power in Me.
10
We returned from the pond to the inn because it was already past noon. And we talked with each other about many things and circumstances in the life of men on this Earth. In the mean time we also took a small midday meal, and after that, we went outside again where it was nice to rest on the known hill.
11
We rested for almost 3 hours on that hill.
12
When the sun had almost set, the innkeeper saw a few people on the way from Bethsaida approaching the small village, and they frequently stopped and looked at the environment and did not know what to think. But they nevertheless went to the village and recognized the poor houses which they knew well. They reached now the inn and asked for the innkeeper.
13
When the innkeeper heard this from Me, he asked Me what he should do, for he would be bothered with a thousand questions and he did not know what to answer them.
14
I said: "Go down to them now, and since they are Jews whom you know well, you surely can tell them in what time we are living now and about all the things that are happening in the world. After that, I will come to the house with My 3 disciples and speak with those 3."