After the meal the woman approaches Me again, but scarcely dares speak, for during the meal she had asked the physician’s servants how all these things had been brought here. And the servants said, ‘Dear woman, God knows how it happened! We did very little of it; the physician did nothing at all, for when he came everything was already done. Before that, long before the physician came, we were occupied with his affairs. Then suddenly a young man of dazzling beauty came and told us to do this and that, because the Lord needed it, and we immediately did everything the extraordinary young man had commanded us. But look, it happened strangely: just as we were about to do something, it was already done. And so we can tell you nothing other than this: God’s almighty power was clearly at work here, and the white young man must have been an angel of God! There is no other way to explain it. The man who entered the dining hall first at your side must be a great prophet, for the powers of the heavens serve him!’
When the woman heard this from the servants, she became all the more timid and scarcely dares speak. Only after quite a long while does she say in a very weak voice, ‘Lord! You are more than just the promised Messiah! Surely it was You who chastised Pharaoh, led the Israelites out of Egypt, and thundered the laws to them from lofty Sinai!?’
But I say to her, ‘Woman, the hour has not yet come for this to be made known to people, so keep it in your heart for the present! But now arrange for the great crowd that came with Me from Judea to be distributed among the sleeping rooms. You, the physician, and My disciples, now ten in number, are to remain here! But assign the cleanest bed to the woman who sat beside Me and is the mother of My body, so that she may rest well. For look, My already elderly mother has made a strenuous journey today and needs a good rest to strengthen her!’
The woman is overjoyed to recognize My mother in this quite unprepossessing woman and cares for her in the best way. And Mary praises her for such tenderness, but at the same time urges her to do everything I shall say.
When everyone has been settled to rest and the woman and the physician, together with the ten disciples, are alone with Me in the great dining hall, I say to the disciples, ‘You know how, when I took you in at Bethabara in Galilee, I said to you: from now on you will see heaven open and the angels of God descending to the earth. And look, this is now being fulfilled literally before your eyes. Everything you see here and have eaten and drunk is not from this earth, but has been brought here by the angels of God. But now open your eyes and see how many angels stand ready here to serve Me!’
Then everyone’s eyes were opened, and they saw the multitudes of angels floating down from the heavens, ready for My service. For when their eyes were opened, the walls of the house disappeared, and everyone saw the heavens standing open!
Nathanael then says, ‘Yes, Lord, You are true and faithful; what You have spoken is now wonderfully fulfilled! Truly, truly, You are the Son of the living God! God spoke with Abraham through His angels. Jacob saw in a dream a ladder over which the angels ascended and descended, but he did not see Jehovah, except for an angel who had Jehovah’s name inscribed in his right hand. And when Jacob contended with him over whether he was Jehovah, he was made lame by a strong blow to the ribs! Moses spoke with Jehovah, but saw nothing but fire and smoke; and when he had to hide in a cave because Jehovah would pass by there, he was not allowed to look until Jehovah had passed. And when he looked afterwards, he saw only Jehovah’s back; but after that he had to cover his face with a threefold veil, since it shone more brightly than the sun, and no one could look at it without dying! Then there was only Elijah, who perceived Jehovah in a gentle whisper. And now You Yourself are here!’
Here I interrupt Nathanael and say, ‘Enough, My brother! The hour has not yet come! Only a soul as pure as yours, entirely without falseness or hidden deceit, can behold such things! But keep it within yourself until the right hour! For look, not everyone who follows Me is like you.
‘This woman was not like you, but now she too is like you; that is why she also sensed what you were about to say. But the hour has not yet come. Only when the curtain in the temple is torn in two, only then draw Moses’ veil completely away from his radiant face!’