Section: Jesus in the region of Caesarea Philippi

Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 16 (continuation)

The miraculous meal

1. Say I: "It is now already one hour past noon; therefore Mark, arrange for a meal! My Raphael will help you! After the meal we shall see what the day has in store for us. All of you take seats at the tables, and you, Raphael, remove the two heaps of brain from our table and only then help Mark!"

2. Raphael did so in the twinkling of an eye and then said to Mark, "Should I help you in a humanly way or my way? Tell me how you would rather have it! It would draw less attention, if I helped you in a humanly way; my way, however, we would save a lot of time, and that is something very precious! Thus I will do what you want me to do, and you will not have to lay out anything anywhere, as if anything would have been missed."

3. Mark says, "Yes, friend from the heavens, your way of putting the meals on the tables as fast as possible would certainly be very advantageous, because despite the assistance of Cyrenius' servants it takes a pretty long time until the meals for so many people are brought to the tables; there is a catch, however! There are not enough meals completely prepared! If your celestial skill can do something there, that would be the most appropriate place for it; otherwise it will probably still be another good half hour until everything will be ready to be laid on the tables!"

4. Raphael says very jovially to Mark, "That is what I mean as well: prepare as fast as possible, and just as fast put the seemly meals and beverages on the tables! I am telling you, where there is a will, there is a way! If you want to, it will only take me the shortest instant and all meals, prepared superbly, will be on the tables in front of the guests!"

5. Mark says, "That would be fine; but the people will regard it as heavenly magic and be understandably afraid of the food, and hardly dare to enjoy it "especially the blacks who are already so alert that nothing escapes them!"

6. Raphael says, "Oh, they will mind the least because they are already used to miracles! Also, it is already late and the Lord has in mind for after the meal something of great importance that only He knows; so it is obviously better if we do it with my spiritual speed, and no one will resent that. At the same time this is the last lunch the Lord will have here and it will not harm if it looks a bit miraculous! "Do you not agree?"

7. Mark says, "Absolutely! You, as a first spirit from the heavens, would know and understand better than I what is more appropriate and advantageous here! Thus act as you think is best!"

8. After Mark said this to Raphael, they both went to the kitchen where, as usual, Mark's wife, his daughters and sons, and several of Cyrenius' servants had their hands full; still, the meal for so many people was only half ready.

9. Mark said, "Oh, it will be another hour until everything is ready!"

10. His wife says, "Yes, my beloved husband, the two of us cannot work wonders and it cannot be rushed. That means one has to persevere patiently until everything is done!"

11. Mark says, "You know what, you and the daughters just stop the cooking, simmering and frying; Raphael, as a true fast cook, will finish it soon!"

12. The wife says, "That would be good because everyone is quite tired from all the work!"

13. With that all the cooks stepped back and Raphael said, "You may also go to your table now! Everything is already on the tables, and all the guests are already eating their meals. Come old Mark, and sit down at the table as my assistant, and eat from my kitchen, and assess if I can cook! Your wife, your children, and Cyrenius' cooks already have in front of the house their own table laden with the same meals and drinks."

14. They all leave the kitchen and when they see the hundreds of guests eating and drinking at the tables, Mark says very amazed by this occurrence, "How is this possible? You have not left my side for an instant and all the tables are abundantly full, as one can see! You could not have prepared any meal and still less have put it on the tables. I beg you to tell me just a little of how you accomplished this; truly I can understand anything more easily than your despairingly unfathomable speed, especially with actions that are bound to a certain timeframe order inevitable in this world! I beg you again to give me just a small hint of how you prepared the meals and from where you got them! Because nothing from the half prepared ones in my kitchen got on all these tables, as I just saw them there resting safely and awaiting their purpose!"

15. Raphael says, "You did not look closely enough; all your supplies are spent! Look if it is not so!"

16. Mark takes a quick look, and finds the kitchen and the pantry cleared out. He then comes out even more amazed and says, "Ah, friend, it is unbearable with you! Truly, I will not take a bite of anything for three days if you do not give me a hint on how you did that!"

17. Raphael says, "Let us go to the table; there, we shall exchange a few words on the matter!"

18. With that Mark and Raphael come to our table, where the atmosphere was already quite lively. Raphael immediately grabs a nice fish, puts it in front of Mark and coerces him to eat it. Mark urges him to explain the fast cooking and the equally fast serving, bur Raphael says very kindly, "Now, dear friend, eat and drink! After both of us have received the refreshment necessary to the body from the blessed food and the blessed drink, we will have a couple of words about my fast cooking and serving!"

19. Mark follows Raphael, and eats and drinks heartily.