The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in Cana
- Chapter 105 -
The Indo-Jews report about the goal of their trip.
Then the married man began to speak and said in well understandable Hebrew: "O Friend, who has informed You so well about our country which is known to only very few foreigners up to this time? You have spoken the full truth, and this is indeed our condition, but how did You discover our secrets that are so well hidden?"
2
I said: "Do not bother about that for the moment, but be cheerful and tell what I have asked you."
3
Then the one who was married spoke again and said (the Indo-Jew): "Dear, our still completely unknown Friend, look, we really have a blessed mountainous country, which could feed twice as much people and animals as it is feeding at this moment, but Satan has also planted self-interest and selfishness in our country. The elders, who want to be the wise men and the leaders of the people, have divided the country among themselves and have made the people their servants. And so there are in our country now about 700 patriarchs of whom almost everyone has about 10.000 subordinate servants of both sexes into their service.
4
But even with us there is already mutual envy, and by that also discord and persecutions, and thus also little wars, because everyone wants to be the most wise and also the most rich and the most prominent one, and it already happened several times in our days that they almost came to the point that the serving people would choose among the 700 patriarchs a very wise man to be king. But the people are still smart and said: 'God alone is the Lord and King of us all. He has led us out of the terrible imprisonment of the heathens to this beautiful land. Should we now become as unfaithful and disobedient to Him as before our fathers during the time of Samuel, the last judge? Let this be far from us.
5
Must God bring over us also the justified complaint through the mouth of a prophet, by saying to us with a voice of thunder: 'Look, this people has committed already very great sins against Me, as many as there is grass on the Earth and sand in the sea, and to these sins they still add the greatest of all by being unsatisfied with My really good and wise Fatherly rulership and to desire impetuously a king, just like the heathens have done.' O, let this be far from us. We prefer to serve you still for another 100 years as good workers and cultivate the big pieces of land that you have acquired unjustly, in return for the agreed salary, than choosing a king from among you.
6
However, it is also written that later God will send a King from the Heavens to all the Jews. And our wise men have already discovered His star and went to search for Him by following the path of the star. When they will come back we surely will hear from them what the situation is concerning the coming of the great King of all the Jews.'
7
Friend, that assembly of the people for the election of a king out of the 700 patriarchs took place, according to our calendar, 30 years ago, and the people abstained all the more from choosing a king, because after 1 year our wise men came back again and told us very truthfully and very extensively how and where they found the newly born King of the Jews, and with what kind of unheard-of miracles His birth and His existence on Earth were announced and glorified.
8
Thanks to this message, which was also believed by our 700 patriarchs - although some with a sour face - another election of a king was left out. However, since that time already more than 30 years have passed, and scouts were sent out several times to this place to hear about the King of all the Jews, no matter where in the world He might be living. Even our 3 old astronomers came back here a couple of years ago. If they went back home again with good news we do not know, since our homeland is now already much bigger than when we possessed it for the first time, and now, often a few years are needed before the whole and very big nation can hear the kind of messages that came from the outside into the country where the people are now living far away from each other.
9
So maybe the 3 wise men went back already with very good news. But because of the reason we mentioned, which is faithful and true, we still were not able to hear what kind of news those 3, who left again, brought to our country. Besides, the ever-increasing imperiousness of our patriarchs filled us with all kinds of worries. It really seems as if the hearing of the good news about the new King of Heaven of all the Jews became suspicious to them, and that they have strictly forbidden the wise men to give such news to the people. And so we secretly started our long journey in order to try to discover about the situation here in our old native country concerning the new King.
10
Our trip was difficult because we could only take a small amount of gold with us, and also only a few precious stones that we are using as a way of exchange. On that long trip we partly had to keep ourselves alive with the roots that are known to us, and partly thanks to the common hospitality of the people in some places. But all these inconveniences did not prevent us to go and seek the One who can and will help us out of all need, as it is written in the prophets.
11
Despite all our inconveniences and privations we have now arrived in the old homeland of the Jews that was given back to them after 40 years, but which is now again under the rulership of gentiles who are called Romans. And now we also hope in full trust that we did not undertake our long trip in vain. Of course, we do not have gold, silver or precious stones with witch they used to honor kings, but we have a sincere heart that loves the great King of Heaven of all the Jews more than everything else, and this He will not refuse. And with this we want to honor and praise Him our whole live.
12
But now another thing, dear and extremely wise and all-knowing Friend, you are with many in this dining room and seem to be extremely familiar with all circumstances of the people on the whole wide Earth. Then you surely will also know where the great King is staying. Can He be found in Jerusalem, or in Bethlehem where He was born according to the message of our 3 wise men - who also possess the noble title 'kings of astronomy' - or in another city of the once so great and mighty Jewish kingdom, and how and when? Because then we can directly go there tomorrow and search for Him."
13
I said: "Friend, your surely did not make your trip in vain. However, neither in Jerusalem, nor in Bethlehem or in another city that is full of pride you will find the residence of Him, your new King of the Jews, because He always travels poorly, without any outer worldly glitter, from one place to another, letting the people know about the Kingdom of God and its justice. But where you do not expect it, He will be and will accept you with open arms and heart.
14
The offering of honor that you want to give Him and have in fact already given, will truly be more dear to Him than all that which men in the world consider as extremely precious treasures, and who are forcibly trying to pull them to themselves. For what counts with Him, is only a pure, loving, humble heart that is filled with the greatest meekness. But the treasures of the world are an abomination in His eyes and are only valuable when they are used for true neighborly love. But where they are used as nourishment for human stinginess, for human pride and imperiousness, and seduce men to laziness, gluttony, revelry, harlotry, robbery, murder and still many other sins, they are an abomination that deserve total damnation in the eyes of Him who is Lord over everything in Heaven as well as on Earth.
15
His throne is pure love, and His glitter that shines over everything is the eternal, living truth. To the one who believes in Him, loves Him above all and keeps His commandments, He gives, out of Himself, the eternal life.
16
Look, this is how the new King of the Jews and also of the gentiles is, and He always gladly and surely let Himself be found by men who search for Him with true love in their heart. And since you are searching Him in this manner, you will also certainly find Him, for He Himself will unexpectedly come to meet you."
17
The married man said: "O, dear, very wise Friend, from our faces You surely can read how glad You have made us with Your testimony and description of that great King. For this is how He has to be according to the prediction of the old wise men. But You must already very often and very much have had dealings with Him, because You seem to know Him so thoroughly. How does He personally look like? Would You not like to give us a short description about this?"
18
I said: "Look, meanwhile our innkeeper let some good fishes be prepared for you. Go now first to sit at your table and eat them. After that we will continue our conservation."
19
Then the 4 did cheerfully what I had advised them to do.