The Great Gospel of John
Volume 8
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord and His adversaries
- Chapter 169 -
The Lord in the inn at Jericho.
However, more and more people came after us along the new road. They saw what I had done for the blind person and were extremely amazed about it, and they praised God and followed Me into the city. That city was called Jericho, of which the disciples had come to know its name only after we came into the old city that looked very desolate and meager and counted more ruins than good habitable houses.
2
Well after dusk we entered the city. The people who came behind us since the healing of the blind person and who were for the greatest part residents of Jericho, came to Me and asked Me if I would not like to stay with them.
3
But I said: "I surely will, but you all have small houses and we are many. Therefore, bring us rather to an inn where we can be accommodated."
4
A man said: "Lord and Master, there are indeed 2 inns here, but the innkeepers of these are Greeks who are very eager for profit and who always really know how to pluck the guests, and already by entering their not very commendable rooms they explicitly start to inform how much money and what kind of other treasures they carried along. And when the travelers say that they do not have too much money and even less other treasures, then they are not accommodated at all. But we have seen who You are and what kind of power You have received from God, and we therefore would regret if also You would experience something similar in our city. And we surely will do our best that You and Your disciples and friends will find with us the best possible accommodation and service."
5
I said: "I consider your good will already as an accomplish work. However, I have God's Spirit in Me and it tells Me what I should do, and therefore I should stay overnight in the first big inn of the Greek who is eager for profit. At first he will be opposed to it, but after that he will do what I want anyway. But you can escort Me to that place and still stay with Me for a couple of hours."
6
The man said: "Lord, You want it that way and therefore it will also be done according to Your will."
7
Then we walked on into the city and we soon came to the central square where the big, expensive inn was located. Its innkeeper came soon outside and asked us if we would like to come in and stay with him.
8
I said: "Friend, I gladly want it, but gold or silver you will not find with Me. However, other treasures of which you had no idea until now, I have with Me in abundance. If you will come to know about these, you will have a terrible aversion to your gold and silver."
9
Then the innkeeper, who behaved very kindly said: "Well then, just come in, for I can use everything quite well."
10
Now we went immediately inside the house and took a seat at the different tables. When we were all comfortably seated by the tables and lamps were lit on every table, the innkeeper asked very politely what we would like to eat and drink.
11
And I said: "Bread and wine you have indeed in abundance, and more we do not need today. But you should give us good bread and the best wine, because the wine that you usually give the guests in return for much money is no wine, since that one is made from apples and pears, and the one that is made from gooseberries I do not drink. You only should serve us wine that is made from good, ripe grapes that grow near the Lebanon and which you also possess in abundance in clean sacks."
12
Somewhat surprised, the innkeeper said: "Friend, according to my best knowledge You have never been in this environment, and so You cannot know what kind of wine I have in my cellars. Some other citizen from here, who will certainly not be my friend and who wanted to slander me with such things must have betrayed that. Tell me his name, so that I can punish him, then I will offer you everything that you will consume here."
13
I said: "Friend, you are mistaken, no man has betrayed you. I still know a lot more about your house and about your very extensive inn, but take care now that we can soon receive what we have asked."
14
The innkeeper said: "I already have given my servants a sign, and everything will soon be here, completely according to Your wish."