The Great Gospel of John
Volume 9
Jesus' Precepts and Deeds through His Three Years of Teaching
The Lord in Cana
- Chapter 97 -
In the inn at Kana.
From the now well-known marketplace it was still a very long way. A good walker would hardly be able to cover it in one full day, but by traveling in our miraculous manner, as we did oftentimes, we only needed 3 hours for it. So towards the evening we came in Kana and stayed with the same innkeeper with whom for the first time, and on request of Maria who gave birth to Me, I openly changed water into wine during a wedding.
2
When the innkeeper caught sight of Me, he was almost beside himself from joy, and he really reproached Me because already for a long time I did not show up to him.
3
But I said to him: "Since there was no need with you, and amongst you all who live here, I did not come into this region, but now a little need has set in with you, and so I came at the right time to help you all."
4
The innkeeper said: "O dear Lord and Master, this need lasts with me already for more than 1 year, and already several times I have on the one hand turned to You in my heart, and on the other hand I urgently took information concerning You with Your brothers and with Your mother who stays mostly in Kis nowadays, but You seemed not to hear the pious wishes of my heart, and also I could not come to know where You were perhaps staying, and so until now I had to quietly suffer the great need of my house in the name of the almighty God. Although I do not know the reason why I was visited by God the Lord so hard, but now I ask You, dear, good Savior, if You would like to help me.
5
My wife is afflicted with gout, and the children are suffering from malicious fevers, 2 of my best and most loyal helpers are bedridden for already more than 1/2 year with a malicious leper disease, and I must mostly let the work of my business be done by strangers in return of high wages. And this is surely a 'need', especially because I myself cannot be counted anymore among the healthy ones.
6
O dear Lord and Master, since You, at the request of Your mother, have done a first sign during a wedding that was celebrated here, it has become quite different in my house. If You do not want to help me I will soon go to ruin, in spiritual as well as in earthly respect."
7
I said: "I surely knew that your need became great, and since I heard your frequent begging for help, and your need reached a very high degree, I have come now to give you the right kind of help. I also could have come to you earlier, but then you were still greatly lacking living faith and trust, but only after you went to Kisjonah in Kis you received the right light about Me, and you came to the right faith and trust in Me, and therefore I have come to give you all help. And so I want now that everyone who is sick in your house, including yourself, will be as healthy as if no one had ever been sick of anything. Go now to all your sick ones and tell them."
8
Then the innkeeper hurried to all the sick people and saw that they were completely healthy, so that they stood up from their beds, put on clean clothes, came to Me and thanked Me.
9
Since it was almost evening and really getting dark, I said to the innkeeper who was crying from happiness: "Since the need in your house has now been resolved and I will stay in your house tonight, then do take care now that I and My disciples will receive an evening meal. Let fishes be prepared for us, and after that put some bread and wine on the table."
10
When the innkeeper heard My wish, everyone went full of joy to work, to satisfy My wish. It hardly took 1 full hour to prepare the evening meal. It was put on the table and I said to the innkeeper: "Look, there is another table. Let now all who are healed sit at that table, and eat what we eat, everyone as he needs, and they should also drink wine and eat bread, so that they will again become really strong."
11
When I had said that, all those who were healed felt on their knees before Me and said: "O Lord, we are not worthy of such grace. That is why we prefer to eat a simple evening meal in our kitchen at our old table for the servants. But not ours, but Your only holy will be done."
12
I said: "Listen, your justified humility and modesty pleases Me, and makes your soul meek, but nevertheless stay here, for you have greatly suffered with patience and in full dedication to God's will, and thus you proved to be real heroes in faith and trust in God, and that is why you are also worthy to strengthen yourselves completely near to Him, as blessed ones of the Lord. So go now cheerfully and sit at that table, and eat and drink what will be set on the table for you."
13
When those who were healed heard Me saying that, except of the women who was busy in the kitchen, they stood up with deep respect, thanked Me and went quietly to their table that was already covered, just like ours, with food, wine and bread. Then we started immediately to eat, and to drink the very pure and good wine, and those who were healed did so as well.
14
We ate and drank now cheerfully, and My disciples related to the really pious company the best of what we all had experienced on our criss-cross trips. This was extremely pleasing to our small company, and on both sides many warm-hearted things were told while also many tears were shed.
15
But it was in a certain way remarkable that our Judas Iscariot, whom we already know very well, suddenly made complete contrary remarks.