The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in the region of Caesarea Philippi
- Chapter 201 -
The Lord is ahead of the wish of the Herodians.
Then the captain himself went outside and met at once a guard who directly asked him what he was seeking outside of the dormitory.
2
The captain told him straightforward the reason for it, and the guard let him alone.
3
Being completely amazed, the captain returned to the dormitory, because the whole storm had lied down completely. So much so that the lake was as smooth as a mirror as far as he could see, and the ship on the shore did not move in the least by any wave.
4
This message made the chief very cheerful and said: "Now it is a pity that we have no more wine and no more bread. Now I would like to stay awake for a couple of hours and rejoice with you that we are alive."
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The commander said: "It is still very lively in the main building and also in the big bath resort. Maybe we still could manage through our not too unfriendly guard to receive more bread and wine on direct cash payment."
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The chief said: "Just try it."
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The chief had hardly expressed his wish in the dormitory when in the house I had already made clear to Marcus that he should directly let them bring more wine and bread to the dormitory - but of the best kind - which also happened immediately, for everything which they spoke and deliberated in the dormitory was loudly expressed with us in the house by Raphael, which made them very cheerful.
8
The captain just wanted to go out of the dormitory and discuss with the guard for more bread and wine, when a servant with several helpers came into the dormitory, who brought them twice as much bread and more than 3 times as much wine as the first time, about which the chief and all the others were very much surprised.
9
The chief wanted to pay immediately, but the servant said: "Also tomorrow there will be time for that".
10
Then he immediately left with his helpers, and those in the dormitory did not know what to do. One looked surprised at the other, but not one of them could figure out by whose initiative this second, bigger sending of bread and wine was brought.
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After thinking about it for a while, the chief spoke as follows: "Listen, it all becomes somehow clear to me. This dormitory here, although strongly built from cedar wood, must certainly have a secret opening by which the guard can listen in and hear what is said to one another. If something illegal would happen, one will certainly have to very strictly justify himself before a judge the next day about each thoughtless word that was spoken.
12
During our first deliberation we spoke very quietly and softly and the guard must absolutely not have heard or understood anything, for I expressed my opinion to you in the old Hebrew language. But our whish for still more bread and wine I spoke in the Greek language, rather loudly and well hearable, which the guard must certainly have heard. He presented this immediately to a servant of the bath resort, and he hurried to be ahead of our wish, which also happened. The fact that he was more kind to us than the first time will certainly have the following reason: the lord of the bath resort must have well inspected our valuable weapons. He must have seen their high value and then said to a servant that he can serve us better and more generously, since we also must be capable to pay for a more generous and better service. This is how it must have happened and not otherwise, and we should not rack our brains over that anymore.
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Let us eat and drink now on the well being of all good and truthful men, and not further think about our bad adventure. May Jehovah be forgiving and merciful on the souls of those who drowned in the lake. Amen."
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When the guard heard the chief's words, he came into the dormitory and said with a serious, friendly face: "Chief of this little group of yours, it absolutely did not happen the way you explained everything as your opinion, which I very well heard and understood,. For I did not give instruction to a servant to bring you more bread and wine, of which you all can be very much assured, completely according to the truth, and this under the most strict vow. The reason behind it must be quite different.
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Do not further worry about that, for we live here in a region where miracles are not rare. Therefore, this bath resort received the name: 'Wonder Bath". For they say that even its existence was already in itself entirely miraculous, and so also its healing power is always truly miraculous. So be very confident, for this resort is a resort of salvation and not of curse and its judgment."