The Great Gospel of John
Volume 4
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
Jesus near Caesarea Philippi (cont.)
- Chapter 20 -
Zinka's amazement at the miracle of the table.
After that, Zinka, who was a very big man, stands up and looks at all the tables, which of course were packed with bowls full of the best prepared fishes, and with bread loafs and with many mugs and jugs of the best wine; and he also notices that all the guests already engaging passionately, without one noticing that the food becomes less. In short, our Zinka, the longer he keeps observing, the more he becomes dumbfounded, so that in the end he starts to feel dizzy. Only a strong appetite and the good smell of the food requires him to sit down and start eating.
2
Ebahl puts the best and largest fish in front of him and adds that this is one of the most noble species of the sea of Tiberias: since this was the name of the large bay in the Sea of Galilee around the quite large surrounding of Ceasarea Philippi. Zinka eats the fish with increasing zeal, because it tastes outstandingly to him, at the same time he does not spare the honeysweet tasting bread and he diligently greets the full mug, which does not want to become emptier, just as he is not able to finish the fish, although eating it with a healthy appetite.
3
As it goes with him, it also goes with his companions. They wanted to become rather joy- and cheerful and very much talkative, but the continuously growing amazement about the rare phenomena at the meal does not allow them any time for that; because these are phenomena which they never have experienced before. Therefore they are already full as it should be, - nevertheless, the good taste of the fish, bread and wine tempts them to keep on enjoying the food; but also this they do not understand where this is coming from.
4
Finally Zinka asks Cyrenius and urges him to tell him, what this is all about.
5
But Cyrenius answers and says: "If the meal is over, the time has come to talk about a few things; but for now, eat and drink according to your hearts' desire!"
6
Says Zinka: "Friend and my high lord and master! In my whole life I was never a gourmet; but if I will be around you for much longer, then I certainly will become one! I just don't understand why I keep eating and drinking!? I am full and my thirst is satisfied, nevertheless, I still can keep on eating and drinking! And the wine is better and more spiritually than any I have ever tasted before; but it is of no use, I just don't get intoxicated!
7
I still stand by it, that things are not natural around here! Among this large crowd there must be a great magician and performs hereby a sign with his inconceivable miracle strength! Or we are close to this great prophet, which I have searched for with my twenty-nine companions!? If this would be the case, then I submissively ask you, to let us thirty go wherever you want us to go, or you have to bind us again; since if we would meet with the prophet coincidently, we would be forced to lay our hands on him, because of our heavy oath to Herodes. It would be of no use to us, however, for the sake of the oath we had to dare even if it means our downfall!"
8
Says Cyrenius: "What, - where does this comes from?! Where and in which law is it written, that an evil, coerced and damned oath should be upheld?! Your oath is already nullified because you and your twenty-nine companions are my prisoners! From now on it means you have to do what I and my subordinate generals will order you to do, and for ever not what your stupid Herodes instructed you to do! You are released from your evil oath for all times and for everlasting!
9
If the great prophet came from somewhere into our midst, nobody of you dare to touch him with only one finger; but who still wants to do it for the sake of his silly oath, will learn the heaviness of the Roman seriousness!
10
My friend Zinka, because of your truly intelligent remarks I previously regarded you as a quite wise person; but by this last statement of your mind you have lost quite a lot of points with me! Was the former then only a pretence of yours?"
11
Says Zinka: "No, no, certainly not, high lord and master! I and all of us think and want exactly what we have thought, wanted and spoken earlier; however, you must recognize, that one under such phenomena as they occurred here and are still occurring, as a person of some intelligence start to make large eyes and in the end becomes somewhat embarrassed and confused in his thoughts, will, words and actions.
12
If I ever had seen something similar, I surely would also behave as quietly like all of you; my wise neighbour nearly was not finished saying that the midday meal will be served, and see, within a few moments the tables started to bend under the load of the food and drinks! It is possible for some kind of artificial apparatus to exist, whereby such work can be completed a little faster than normal; but that fast!? Certainly, no mechanical device would be sufficient! In short, you can tell me what you want, but I stand by it and say: This was either extraordinary magic or a perfect miracle!
13
You, high friend and lord, can easily stay calm because you surely know the reason of it; but with us it is an entire different case! Just look at the fish which I'm still eating! I have eaten from it already more than enough, and still by a wide margin the bigger half is left! I'm completely full but can still keep on eating! Here is my mug from which I already have drank easily a full measure, and look at it, - the level of the wine is hardly three fingers below the top! Yes, as a thinking man one cannot take this completely indifferently, as if this was so to speak nothing! I'm your prisoner here and cannot demand an explanation from you regarding this miraculous phenomena; but I can ask you for it, do I? Therefore I was asking you, but you told me to wait!
14
To wait would be alright, if instead of an eagerly learning soul, a dead rock was nursing its sluggishness in me; but my soul is no rock, but an always light thirsty spirit. His thirst cannot be satisfied with a cool refreshing drink, but an explaining word that comes out of the mouth of a spirit who already drank. You have this ethereal drink in abundance and are filled up to the neck with it; but me, the diligent thirsty, you do not want to dribble one drop of your abundance onto my burning tongue! See, this is what bothers me most and confuses my senses! If I, under these circumstances, become a little confused, - can you, high friend, be astonished by it?
15
However, nothing more about all this! I already become quite annoyed by myself about the whole issue and will leave this miracle on the side! Man should not know everything and do not need to know everything. For the necessary acquisition of the daily bread, man does not need to learn, to experience and to know much. A real fool if he tries to strive beyond it! Therefore keep on drinking and eating, while still something is left! If I'm not allowed to know something, I rather don't want to know anything at all! Since what one wants oneself, one can easily endure; only the foreign will is for each honest soul heavy to digest. From now on you can be at ease, to ever be bothered again with a question from me!"
16
With these words Zinka felt silent, ate quietly his fish and took with it bread and wine; also his companions did likewise and took very little notice about what happened around them, or what has been said.