John 2:23. While He was in Jerusalem at the Passover festival, many believed in His name when they saw the signs He performed.
I tell you, ‘It is now Passover, and I shall remain here in Jerusalem during this time. Go where I shall be, and you will see true signs in great numbers. But see for yourselves whether the signs will not kill you!’
At these words the Jews opened their eyes wide. But I left them and went out of the temple into the open with My disciples. The Jews followed Me quite secretly, for they did not dare follow Me very openly, since I had spoken of killing through My signs. By this they understood not the killing of the spiritual element, but the killing of the body, and, like all the rich of the earth, they were great lovers of earthly life.
Outside the temple, however, one of them came up to Me and said, ‘Master, I have recognized You and would like to be with You. Where are You lodging?’
John 2:24–25. But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew them all and had no need for anyone to testify about a human being; He knew well what was in a human being.
But I saw that he was not in earnest and that his intention in finding out where I lodged was not honest. I therefore said to him, as I later did to many similar dishonest inquirers, the familiar saying: ‘The birds have their nests and the foxes their holes, but the Son of Man has not a stone on which to lay His head, least of all here in this city. But go and first cleanse your heart. Then come with an honest intention, not a treacherous one, and you may then see how you will fare at My side!’
But he said, ‘Master, You are mistaken about me and my friends. If You have no lodging, come to us, and we will provide lodging for You, Your disciples and Your other friends, and look after you for as long as you wish.’
But I saw very clearly that this man was not honestly disposed, and said, ‘We cannot entrust ourselves to you, for you are friends of Herod and, like him, people hungry for spectacles, especially when you can see a spectacle for nothing. But I have not come to this city to entertain the Herodians with comedies, but to proclaim here that the kingdom of God has drawn near, and that you should therefore truly repent so that you may share in this kingdom. Look, that is the purpose of My presence here at this time, and for that we do not need your lodging. For whoever stays in a house can leave it only through the door, which has lock and bolt and can thus also turn a guest into a prisoner. But whoever takes his lodging in the open is free and can go wherever he wishes!’
The Jew says, ‘How can You insult us like this! Do You think we no longer know the sanctity of the rights of a guest? If we invite You as a guest and You enter our house as a guest, You are the most sacred thing in the house, and woe to anyone who lays hands on You! Among us, the rights of a guest are upheld and honored above all else. How, then, can You cast suspicion on such a practice in our houses?’
I say, ‘I know this practice of your households well, but the other is not unknown to Me either. As long as a guest is in your house, he indeed enjoys the rights of a guest. But when he wishes to leave the house, officers and spearmen stationed there wait outside the door, receive the guest and put him in chains and fetters! Tell Me, does that also fall within the scope of ancient hospitality?’
The Jew says, somewhat embarrassed, ‘Who can in good conscience say such a thing about our houses?’
I say, ‘He who knows it! Was not a man handed over to the court in this way a few days ago?’
Still more embarrassed, the Jew says, ‘Master, who told You that? If it happened, tell me, did that criminal not deserve it?’
I say, ‘But many things count as crimes among you that are no crimes before God and Me. For, owing to the hardness of your hearts, there are many crimes against which Moses gave no law. These are your ordinances, and they make no one a criminal before Me! For your ordinances are themselves a sin against the laws of Moses. How, then, is someone a criminal if he transgresses your ordinances while keeping the laws of Moses? Oh, I tell you: you are all full of malice and disgraceful deceit!’
The Jew says, ‘How can that be? Moses gave us the right to make laws for particular cases, and our carefully considered ordinances are therefore as valid as the laws of Moses themselves. Is someone who does not observe them, then, not just as much a criminal as one who transgresses the direct law of Moses?’
I say, ‘Among you, yes, but not before Me! Moses commanded that you should love and honor your parents. But you say, and the priests even command it: for whoever offers a sacrifice in the temple instead, it is better that he thereby buy his release from this law. But if a man now comes to you and says, “You are deniers of God and wretched deceivers, since out of your greed you abolish the law of Moses, give another law in its place and torment poor humanity with it!”—look, that was also the offense that man committed against you, and you handed him over to the court at the doorstep. Tell Me, did this worthy man deserve that, or are you not by far the greater criminals against Moses?’
At this the Jew became angry and went away to his other companions, to whom he related everything he had heard from Me. They shook their heads and said, ‘Strange! How can this man know that?’ But I left this place and went with My people to a small inn outside the city, where I stayed for a few days.