After breakfast I say to everyone present, ‘If anyone has something to put in order or attend to at home, he may leave here for a couple of days for that purpose. But on the third day he must be back here. I will now stay here in Cana for a couple of days and allow Myself a little rest. Those whose homes are too far away may remain here, as may those who do not wish to leave Me. During these two days here I will neither teach nor do anything, but, as I said, merely rest and pray to the Father for you all.’
Now Mary and My five brothers also come to Me and ask whether they too may go to Nazareth for a couple of days and put the household in order there.
And I say, ‘Yes, go and do that, for My disciples must also keep their households in the world in order. Arrange the household for a couple of years and rent it to a poor person—but take careful note: without rent. For as My brothers and disciples, in all the future you are to demand payment or rent from no one, but take only what people give you voluntarily.’ The brothers and Mary promise this and set out for Nazareth.
Of the disciples who had followed Me from Bethabara, where John was baptizing, only Thomas went home, intending to win more disciples for Me there, which he did. But among them was also a certain Jew who was not a Galilean proper, named Iscariot, who later betrayed Me. Until a certain time he was the most zealous of all My disciples. He acted as paymaster, paid for everything everywhere, and served in a sense as a forerunner and organizer wherever I later went. But he also knew how to make money secretly from My deeds and teachings, and in the end this greed for money made him what he became: a betrayer of Me. Peter and the other disciples who had also followed Me from Bethabara, however, remained.
When I asked Peter whether he too wished to go home for a couple of days, he said, ‘Lord, only death or a command from Your mouth can separate me from You! Concerning my son Mark, I have asked Thomas to have him come here, for he could be useful, being almost as skilled in writing as Matthew. That is all I now have to arrange concerning my household; You already provide for everything else, my Lord and my God!’ I say, ‘Not so loud, My Simon Peter, for we are not in Sychar here! There are some here now who have not come as far as you; they might take offense. It is therefore enough that in future you call Me Lord. Keep the rest for now only in your heart, which I know well.’
Peter is content with this answer and asks Me whether we are to do absolutely nothing during the two days in Cana. But I say, ‘Far be that from us! Yet we will not work here as strenuously as in Sychar. In earthly terms we are here in our own homeland, and you know how much a prophet counts for in his homeland. So here we will not do or teach much in our own sphere either, for where faith is lacking there is little work for us. Let us therefore, as people say, have a good time here for a couple of days and prepare ourselves a little further ahead for what is to come.’
After these words Matthew comes and asks Me whether, during these two days here, he should record some of what he also saw and heard in Sychar.
But I say, ‘If you are determined to do something, copy out the Sermon on the Mount a couple more times. One copy is to remain here in Cana, with the host, and one we will leave in Capernaum; for otherwise we will not find much to do there either.’
The host now comes and asks Me what I would like to eat at midday. And I say to him, ‘Friend, why such a vain question? You did not ask Me before breakfast, and see, I enjoyed it very much! I will enjoy the midday meal likewise. I tell you, every dish seasoned with the giver’s noble and loving heart tastes best—better than the costliest dishes that adorn the tables of selfish gluttons and fill the halls with their ambergris fragrances.’ Our young host was completely satisfied with this answer and then, with the most joyful heart, did everything possible to entertain us as well as he could at midday.
Thus the two days passed with many good conversations and visits from all quarters among the citizens of this little town.
Some sick people were also healed simply by the laying on of hands. And I showed an upright physician there, who could not understand the healing power of the laying on of hands, many healing herbs and other things, with which he then effected the best cures and thereby earned a distinguished name.
On the third day all who had gone to their respective homelands during the two days returned, except Mother Mary and the four older brothers. They brought new disciples from every direction. Thomas in particular had made a very rich catch of fish in this respect, and also brought a quantity of fried fish, for he knew that I liked such fish.
Likewise young Mark brought his father Simon many greetings and a quantity of the finest fried fish. Iscariot brought much money and a great deal of life into the company, for he was very lively and active, arranged everything, took extraordinary delight in Me, and had much to tell of the most varied events that had happened here and there throughout the vast Roman Empire.
Now that we were gathered together, I wanted to depart on the next stage of the journey. But the host asked Me to stay until evening, as it was very hot outside, and I stayed until evening. When the sun began to draw very close to setting, I reminded the company to be ready to travel, since I intended to resume the journey at sunset.