The Great Gospel of John
Volume 7

Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching

The Lord on the Mount of Olives. (cont.) Gospel of John, Chapter 8

- Chapter 95 -

The 3 magicians from India and their wonders.

But now there was a servant of the inn who said to Lazarus: "Lord of the house, three men came upstairs to speak to you. Who they are and what they want, I do not know, but they seem to be men from the land of the morning."

Lazarus said: "I will not go to them, but let them come to tell me here what they want. Go, tell them this and bring them here."

Then the helper went and said this to the three strangers.

The three decided to do so and they soon came with the helper to us.

And Lazarus walked 7 steps to them according to Jewish custom, and said: "What do you wish, and what do you desire from me? I am actually the owner of this inn. Speak."

One of them said very friendlily: "Lord, we are three very good magicians and at the same time artists from India and would like to give a few performances in this city in order to earn our accommodation. For we are planning to still travel further to the west and there, about at the end of the Earth, to examine the setting of the sun, of the moon and of the stars. However, we heard already from far away that you are one of the richest persons of this great city and moreover, are a very good friend of everything that is exceptional and wonderful. So, because they referred us to this place, we then also took courage to come to tell you what our plans are. Would you like if we - only by way of trial - would perform for you and all your guests a few wonders?"

Lazarus said: "Yes, my dear artists, this is, in the presence of my guests, not depending on me, but rather on these extreme highly honored guests. I will first speak with them and tell you their wish."

The 3 magicians agreed on that and Lazarus asked Me what he should do now.

I said: "Just let them show a few of their tricks, so that the Romans, who still think that there is something extraordinary in such magic, will clearly learn the difference between My deeds and signs, and the wonders of these magicians. For this will have a great influence on them and will strengthen their faith in Me. In this way they will then also realize and understand of what true men are capable of by the power of their will and that this magic is totally nothing compared to the works of the will of a true man. Just go and let them give a demonstration of what they can do."

Lazarus went back again to the magicians and said what I have told him, and then came back to Me.

Then the magicians took their magic sticks out of their wide cloaks, were drawing 3 circles around themselves on the floor and then also in the sky. The Romans had their eyes and ears wide open.

The first, the chief magician, began to speak and said with a loud voice: "Look, highly esteemed gentlemen, these sticks come from the tree of wonder, which can only be found very rarely on our highest mountains! The one who is lucky and has the knowledge to find such a tree, and will cut down 3 branches at an appropriate time, is by his will able to do - if he holds the stick in his hand - almost everything what a human being wills!'

Then one of them took a dead bird from under his cloak and said: "Look, here I have a bird that is absolutely dead. I will now tear it up in several pieces. Next, I will grind it between these two stones as fine as possible. Then I will lit it on and burn it to ashes, and finally with this wonder staff I will bring this now completely dead bird back to life out of the ashes, and the bird will then fly away before your eyes."

Then the magician did what he had said. The two helpers lit a fire with phosphorus and a few resinous chips of wood that they had. The bird that was totally grounded into fine pieces was then burned to ashes, and the leading magician bent down to the floor and with his staff and by mumbling a few incomprehensible words he began to stir in the ashes. And look, before long there was a same bird hopping around on the floor and was soon flying away.

Then the magician asked if we were satisfied with this wonder.

A Roman said: "That was something very remarkable. Show us another wonder, then we will reward you according to our satisfaction."

The magician said: "Your wish will be fulfilled at once."

Upon this, he took a bunch of flowers which looked totally withered and said: "Just as this staff was capable of making a dead and completely grounded bird entirely alive again, so it instantly will also make these withered flowers alive and just as fresh as if they were in the garden in the fresh soil."

Then holding the flowers in his left hand for a while, he stroke with his staff over them, and look, the flowers became completely fresh again.

Then he specifically turned to the Romans and showed them the completely fresh bunch of flowers and said: "Look, by the power of my staff everything that was old and withered must finally become young and fresh and breathe a new life into it. If the highly esteemed gentlemen wish, then I still can show them still another little example of the power of my staff. But only one more, for I only can perform the great works of wonder before thousands of people."

The Romans, except Agricola, said: "Yes, yes, it was remarkably good, and therefore you still can show us a third example."

The chief magician said: "I am greatly pleased that I have found here on this beautiful mountain so many followers of the high magic that is until now completely unknown, and I hope that the honored guests will like to attend my great performances. I will now show you the third example at once."

Then the magician took a piece of bread out of a pocket of his cloak and said: "Each one of you can convince himself that this is a real piece of bread. And still, by my powerful magic words and only by touching it with this magic stick I will change it into a hard stone."

Some Romans said: "That would really be very exceptional, for we clearly can see that there are still falling some bread-crumbs on the floor. So, do perform this wonder."

Then with his staff the magician touched the bread - that was already a stone before by which at the same time some bread-crumbs were dropped on the floor - and then he said: "Honored gentlemen, would you now examine the bread to see if it is still bread?"

With these words he gave that which was apparently looking like a piece of bread to the Romans, who were amazed that it really had become a stone. And they wanted to pay the magician now a proper amount of money.

But I gave a sign to Raphael - who came standing between the still somewhat blind Romans and the 3 magicians - and he held up his right hand and said: "No, a clear deceit may never be rewarded. It will always have to be punished resolutely because such a deceit will contribute the most in capturing and killing the souls of men. These were false wonders and you blind gentiles did not notice anything of the deceit. But I will show you immediately."

Footnotes

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