The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in Jericho
- Chapter 14 -
What the Greeks thought about the disappearance of the acrobats.
However, the Greeks stayed awake for the whole night and they could not come to a conclusion concerning the sudden disappearance of the acrobats, and they asked themselves if I had really meant it concerning them, or if I maybe by the power of God in Me had only chased them out to another part of the city.
2
The first speaker said: "As for me, I am of the opinion that the mighty Friend of the one, true God will absolutely never say anything only pro forma, but that which He has once firmly spoken out in connection with the inner power of Jehovah that abides in Him, will also happen precisely as He has said it. And that is why the acrobats will by now be far in Africa, where He allocated a place for them."
3
Another said: "If they have been slung through the air - which is most probable - to that place with a greater speed than lightning, then they certainly will not have fared well on such a trip."
4
The first Greek said: "I am not worried about that, because in His word of power He did not mention anything about harming the acrobats, and therefore I think that they have made their miraculous trip unharmed. However, how they will fare in that new and totally unknown place is of course a totally different question. But who knows why He let this happen? Maybe a good objective can still be achieved with these pitiful artists."
5
Soon the other Greeks were of the same opinion, and during these kinds of talks they doze off at their table towards the morning.
6
I Myself slept this time with the disciples in a real bedroom until the sun had completely risen, for because of the many market people I did not want to appear in public with the disciples, since they would have recognized Me then, and that would have caused a sensation in the city among the people, which would have made Me known prematurely. And so I stayed in the inn until almost noon.
7
When I entered again with the disciples into the big guest room, our Greeks were also already awake and sat cheerfully before the morning meal that was prepared for them and they greeted Me most kindly.
8
Now they also had prepared a morning meal for us, and so we went immediately to sit at our table to partake of the meal.
9
When the Greeks had finished their morning meal, they asked Me immediate about the probable sad lot of the acrobats who were slung to god-knows-where, and I told them how their situation was and what their future situation would be, and what they further would do.
10
The Greeks were satisfied with that, asked Me once more for Jehovah's blessing and went quickly to the market to do business.
11
But I told them that they should not make Me known to their fellow businessmen before noon, which they also promised Me, and as far as possible they also kept their promise.
12
When our Greeks were gone, the disciples asked Me: "Lord, we still have a few hours until noon. Must we spend these completely workless or shall we do something?"
13
I said: "We are now for almost 2 1/2 years together, and you have had little more to do than to accompany Me everywhere, to listen to Me and to look at My deeds with full amazement, and thereby you have never suffered hunger or thirst, and you never had to walk around naked. If you have endured it already that long without having to do anything special, then you probably will be able to bear it also today until noon without having to do anything special.
14
When I will be no more with you physically and will hand over My work to you, you will have enough to do. Now it is your work to be My witnesses everywhere. However, it will not take long before also in this house we will have something to do, and then the time will pass by for you all too fast."
15
With this answer the disciples were satisfied again, sat quietly at the table and spoke with the disciples of John.
16
My disciple John took his writing material out of the traveling bag which he always carried along with him, and took very brief notes about our trip and our deeds from Jericho to Essaea and from there again to Jericho.
17
I Myself talked with the innkeeper, with his son Kado and with his old servant Apollon about several, more worldly things that were useful in agricultural matters, for which the 3 of them were very grateful to Me because before that, they really did not know at all about these methods to improve the farming.