The Great Gospel of John
Volume 10
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Der Herr in der Stadt am Nebo
- Chapter 205 -
The surprised servants catch and tame the elephants.
After this conversation, the sun went under, and we stood up and went again to the city to our innkeeper.
2
Soon we were back in our guestroom. Also Raphael came with us, and when we went to sit at the table the innkeeper asked Me if he also could set a table for the occasional guest Raphael.
3
I said: "Of course, because for this time he is now also enveloped with a body that was taken from the air of this Earth, and he equally needs strengthening from the Earth just like Me, the Lord Myself. The food that he will take will of course be converted in a much different manner than for a natural human being, but this does not matter. In the same way he will also take food and drink with us, but considerably much more than us, for which you should be prepared beforehand. But let now bread and wine be set on the table, and only later the fishes and a well prepared, fried lamb."
4
The innkeeper said: "O Lord and Master, a lamb cannot be because I do not have anymore. But I still have about 30 sheep. If the shepherd has driven them home already I can immediately order to slaughter the youngest."
5
On this, I said: "Do not be unnecessarily worried about that. You will find in the kitchen an already slaughtered lamb that is ready to be fried. And so, not one of your 30 sheep will have to be slaughtered, for except of the male they are all with young and they will double your sheep flock within 2 weeks."
6
Then the innkeeper took immediately care of the bread and the wine and went then to the kitchen to look at the lamb that was made ready to fry. He was not that much surprised anymore since he saw the other miracles, and this miracle was also very understandable to him. But his kitchen personnel was all the more surprised, as well as his wife, because while we were on the mountain she was in the kitchen garden to gather fragrant herbs for the fish that would be made ready in the evening, and she was really startled when before her eyes the kitchen garden, which was next to the inn and which used to look very meager, became suddenly green again and gave an abundance of everything that was needed for the house.
7
The woman did not know how to explain to the innkeeper how she was confused, but after a while she thought that no one else could have accomplished that except the miraculous guest who was present. And she also, as well as all her house personnel, would now consider and honor Him as a true God, and this all the more because also the 3 Apollo priests had submitted themselves to this God. Then she immediately started to prepare the fish and fry the lamb.
8
While we were strengthening ourselves in the dining room, the 2 loyal servants of the supreme judicial city officer, whom he had called on the mountain, came to us almost out of breath and related about all the things they had seen and experienced. They were mostly surprised about the big pond that suddenly existed on the place where there was only a small spring before that gave only water on certain periods of time.
9
One of the servants said to the supreme judicial city officer: "And, o strict lord, lord, another great miracle: 2 completely fully grown elephants are grazing near the pond. Those 2 animals will probably have escaped from a Persian or even an Indian caravan because of lack of food to satisfy themselves in this place where through a miracle of God all kinds of plants, grasses and trees are abundantly growing. Those animals are actually grazing on the piece of grassland that belongs to you and you have the right to take these rare and valuable animals into your possession. As it is known to you, we both very well know how to control such animals. If you wish we will go there and quickly accommodate them in your big stable. And once they will be accommodated there, we will see to it that they will never escape from us."
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Then the supreme judicial city officer said: "Do it, I will know how to completely reward you for this."
11
Then the 2 servants instantly provided themselves in the inn with several barley breads, and with joy they went directly outside where the 2 animals were grazing. When they came near the animals, they talked to them in their own way. The animals became attentive, and the smell of the breads attracted them to the servants. At once they gave pieces of bread to them and went to the city while on the way, that was not far, they gave the 2 animals from time to time a piece of bread. And we soon saw from our guestroom through the open windows how the 2 very big elephants followed closely the 2 servants of the supreme judicial city officer as meek lambs. And in this way they were brought to the big stable while the many fellow servants, helpers and inhabitants of the city were surprisingly watching. In the stable they immediately provided a good quantity of food and water for the animals.
12
These 2 animals stayed directly in the stable and allowed the 2 servants to take care of them. The other servants however, could not yet dare to come near the 2 animals. However, this became possible later.
13
5 years later our supreme judicial city officer received through intercession of the commander Pellagius and the supreme governor of the city Cyrenius a much higher position in the big city of Damascus where he protected the Christians, and he gave great privileges to them as much as he could. At this opportunity he gave these 2 animals and the 2 servants to the emperor as a present, about which he was very glad, and out of gratitude he entrusted to him, as well as to his descendants, supreme authority and personal management over that city where he did so many good works.
14
I am mentioning this casually.