My Dear Father:
I have received with joy your letter, in which you say you shall leave
Egypt with the next Passover caravan, in order to visit Jerusalem. My
happiness is augmented to know that you will be here while Jesus is in
the city; for it is said, and John, Mary's husband, asserts, that he
will certainly be at the Passover.
Last week Eli, the paralytic, whom you knew, a scribe of the Levites,
whose hand has been withered nine years, so that he had been dependent
on the alms of the worshipers in the Temple for his bread, hearing of
the power of Jesus, sought him at the house of Uncle Amos, where he was
abiding.
Jesus was reclining with our family at the evening meal, at the close
of the day on which the uproar had taken place in the Temple, when
Eli came and stood within the door. Humble and doubting, his knees
trembled, and he timidly and wistfully looked towards Jesus, but
did not speak. I knew at once what the afflicted man came for, and
approached him, saying, "Fear not, Eli; ask him, and he will make thee
whole!"
Jesus did not see the poor man, his face being turned towards Rabbi
Amos; but leaving this conversation, he said in a gentle voice, without
turning round:
"Come to me, Eli, and ask what is in thy heart. And fear not; for if
thou believest, thou shalt receive all thy wish."
At this Eli ran forward, and casting himself at Jesus' feet, kissed
them and said, "Rabboni, I am a poor, sinful man; I believe that thou
art the Christ, the Son of the Blessed!"
"Dost thou believe, Eli, that I have power to make thee whole?" asked
Jesus, looking steadily upon him.
"I believe, my Lord," answered Eli, bowing his face to the ground.
"Thy sins, then, be forgiven thee. Rise and go to thy house; and sin no
more, lest a worse thing come upon thee."
"This man! forgiveth he sins also?" cried a venerable priest, Manasses,
who was at the table. "He is a blasphemer! for God alone forgiveth
sins. Will he call himself God?" And he rose quickly up and rent his
robe, and spat upon the floor in detestation.
"Manasses," said Jesus mildly, "tell me whether it is an easier thing
to do--to say unto this man kneeling here, 'Thy sins be forgiven thee?'
or to say, 'Stretch forth thine hand whole as the other'?"
"It would be more difficult to do the latter," answered Manasses,
surprised at the question. "God alone, who made him, can do that."
Jesus turned to the paralytic. "I say unto thee, Eli, stretch forth thy
hand whole!"
The man, looking upon Jesus' face, and seeming to derive confidence
from its expression of power, made a convulsive movement with his arm,
which was bared to the shoulder, exhibiting all its hideous deformity,
and stretched it forth at full length. Immediately the arm was
rounded with flesh and muscles; the pulse filled and leaped with the
warm life-blood, and it became whole as the other. The change was so
instantaneous that it was done before we could see how it was done. The
amazed and wonderingly delighted Eli bent his elbow, and expanded and
contracted the fingers, felt the flesh and pressed it with his other
hand, before he could realize he was healed. Then, casting himself at
the feet of the Prophet, he cried:
"Thou art not a man, but Gabriel, the angel of God!"
"Thou art now healed, Eli," said Jesus impressively. "Worship God, and
go and sin no more."
Who, dear father, but Messias could do this miracle? My mind is
overwhelmed--I am filled with astonishment and awe, when I reflect
upon the might, power and majesty of Jesus, and I fear to ask myself.
Who more than man is he? Is he verily the awful and terrible Jehovah
of Sinai, visible in the human form? Oh, wondrous and incomprehensible
mystery! I dare not trust my thoughts to penetrate the mystery in which
he walks among us in the veiled Godhead of his power. His beloved
disciple, John, said that Jesus has told him the day is not far off
when this veil will be removed, and when we shall then know him, who he
is, and wherefore he has come into the world, and the infinite results
to men of his mission.
Your devoted daughter,
Adina.
[Illustration: BETHANY]