I WOULD SEE JESUS
The busy days immediately preceding the Passover had gone, and on the
eve of the New Year the hush of expectancy brooded over Jerusalem. The
family of Lazarus, at the time of the evening meal, awaited the coming
of Joseph of Arimathea who was to spend the night with them and with
Lazarus go to offer his sacrifice on the next day. The rays of the
setting sun shone through the big lattice window and fell across the
table.
"Look at those clouds of flame!" Mary exclaimed. "Lazarus--Joel--hast
thou ever seen aught more gorgeous? In my garden I have a lily red
like the sky. In honor of our guest I shall pluck it."
"Unless he tippeth it over Joseph will not see Mary's red lily," Joel
said as she left the room.
"Where is Mary?" Martha called from the kitchen a moment later.
"Gone to the garden to pluck a red lily," called Joel in answer.
Martha appeared in the doorway. "Already," she complained, "hath she
plucked lilies when she should have been plucking sparrows. Now she is
gone again and preparation there be yet to make before we sup. Mary!
Mary!" she called, turning toward the court door. When her sister
entered a moment later, Martha said, "Thou dost leave me to do much
service. Fix thou the cushions at the head of the table where our
guest of honor will be seated."
"Yea, my sister," Mary answered, as she arranged her choice lily in a
vase and put it near the place of the guest.
"Hurry, Mary," Martha urged. "The sun is down, soon will our guest
appear, and he is rich. Lazarus doth say the richest man in Arimathea."
"Content would I be with half his possessions," observed Joel.
"To-day in the Temple I did see him," Lazarus said. "He too is given
to the wisdom of the Galilean Prophet."
"A member of the Great Sanhedrin taken with strange teachings!" Joel
exclaimed in surprise.
"Elizabeth hath declared him the Messiah," Mary said thoughtfully.
"Women are given to vain words," was Joel's answer. "It is said this
Galilean Prophet is no prophet at all, but the son of a carpenter in a
poverty-ridden fishing town."
Lazarus reflected a moment before saying, "I know not from whence the
King of the Jews shall come to restore again the throne of David, but
if this Jesus is he, and need wealth, mine shall he have."
"Thou wouldst give to him but not to the poor? A great head hast thou
for business, my friend Lazarus!" and Joel laughed.
"Aye, but for the establishment of the Kingdom, what man of Israel
would not give of his riches, even of his life?"
Further conversation was stopped by a knocking at the door. Hastening
to answer it, Lazarus opened to Joseph of Arimathea. He wore the rich
Sanhedrin robe of silk and Egyptian linen heavily embroidered and his
phylacteries were bound on his forehead with wide soft thongs. His
tall and stately bearing, his flowing beard and official dress gave him
dignity that impressed even Eli who rendered him the usual courtesies
with alacrity. "Late I am," he said as the servant unloosed his
sandals, "but the highway is thronged with pilgrims getting in for
to-morrow's celebration."
"Glad we are that of all the guests, thou comest to sup under our roof.
Meat is ready. Come, let us to the table."
With Joseph at the head of the table, Mary by Lazarus and Martha by
Joel, the meal began. Eli passed bowls of water for the washing of
hands. Grace was said and then after a second hand cleansing, wine was
poured and thanks said over the cups, after which came the meat, and as
they ate they talked.
"About the Galilean Prophet were we speaking," Lazarus said.
"The young Rabbi is much in the mouths of both Temple scribes and
pilgrims in the street. Some have praise for his words of wisdom.
Others, stung ofttimes by his rebukes, attack him cunningly. The way
in which he doth answer those who would entangle him doth please me.
To-day in the Temple he was cleverly attacked by some Pharisees who
drew the attention of a crowd by accusing him of having such speech
with a publican and a harlot as the Law doth not allow. With few words
did he tell of a man who had two sons. To the one did he say, 'Son,
wilt thou do a service for thy father?' and the son said, 'Nay.' To
the other, the man did say, 'Son, wilt thou do a service for thy
father?' and the son did answer, 'Yea.' And when came time to take
account of the service, lo, the son that had said, 'Nay' had performed
the service, while he who had said 'Yea' had done no service. This did
the Galilean Prophet tell in the ears of the crowd for the Pharisees
who had accused him. And then did he say to them, 'I say unto thee,
the publicans and harlots shall enter the Kingdom before thou dost!'"
"Ha! ha!" laughed Lazarus with pleasure. "The man pleaseth me. When
hath a Rabbi spoken such wisdom or possessed such powers of
discernment?"
"Are there many in the Sanhedrin who harken to the teachings of this
Jesus?" Joel asked.
"Beside myself none, save Nicodemus who did go to him by night. Aye,
and it was a hard saying the ears of Nicodemus did hear, for when the
Ruler asked what he should do to be saved, the Galilean told him, 'Thou
must be born again.'"
"Born again? A man be born again--and thou dost call such speaking
wisdom?" It was Joel who asked the question.
"The young Rabbi made clear that the birth he teaches is not of flesh,
but entereth in like the blowing of the wind, and hath to do with the
spirit of man."
"Herein is mystery," Lazarus observed with perplexed face. "I
understand not this being born again. Mary, thou dost spend much time
studying the mysteries of life as it doth appear to thee in living
things. Understandest thou how to be born again?"
"I understand not," Mary answered. "Yet the miracle I have seen. Once
did I plant in the soil a root, brown like a dead leaf and wrinkled
like a hag's face. It hath been born again. Lo--here it is," and she
took the red lily from the vase by Joseph's cup. "See its glad color?
Smell its rare fragrance? Here is a miracle, for this that is
beautiful, is only a changed form of that which was uncomely. A
miracle--yet the secret be with Jehovah God. Mayhap the heart of
Nicodemus was brown and wrinkled with much tradition and useless custom
until the words of wisdom Joseph doth speak of, seemed but foolishness.
And lo! A change did come and he findeth Truth in the words of the
Galilean Rabbi. Thus would he be born again. The miracle thou
mightest see, but the manner of its doing is hidden in the heart of
Jehovah."
During Mary's explanation of a miracle the eyes of Joseph had been
drawn to her in surprise and admiration. "Thou hast well spoken," he
said. "Hast thou heard the words of this young Rabbi whose wisdom is
old?"
"Nay, Father Joseph. Yet would I."
"Thou wouldst learn much at his feet."
"But knowest thou not it is forbidden by the Law that a woman be taught
that which the Rabbis would withhold?"
"I forget not. Yet will the Galilean teach thee."
"And glad of a chance, methinks, will he be to break the Law," said
Joel, "for doth he not think himself better than the Law?"
"Say rather 'greater' than the Law," Joseph replied. "As a prop to a
vine, so is the Law to the weak. But as the vine doth grow greater
than the prop, because of what the prop hath been to it, is it able to
stand in its own strength. So there are prophets who have outgrown the
Law. For such, to live within the Law would be putting new wine in old
bottles."
"Much hath been said of this man," Martha observed, "but none hath yet
told of his garments. What sort are they?"
"Ha! ha!" laughed Lazarus. "Martha doth think perchance she may help
Joel sell a new garment."
"Thou dost make merry over a straight question. Doth not the Law teach
that man is the glory of God, and the glory of man is his dress?"
"And methinks thou knoweth also the saying, 'The dress of the wife of a
learned man is of more importance than the life of one ignorant.'
Hear, Joel, thou learned man?"
"Affright not Joel," Martha replied to her brother, "but tell me
whether the _kittuna_ of this Rabbi is wool or flax, or his _tallith_
handsomely embroidered."
"What weareth this man?" Lazarus asked of Joseph.
"Save for the phylacteries, the plain raiment of a Rabbi with the white
and lavender fringes on his _tallith_ as the Law doth command. Yet it
is said he hath appeared in the white of the Essenes."
"What matter the color of his fringes?" Mary asked. "His words would I
hear. Perhaps I should love him even as Lazarus loveth him."
"And thy gentleness, and strange wisdom for a woman, will win for thee
his love, methinks," Joseph answered.
"Mary is not so gentle as thou thinkest," and Martha laughed.
"Elizabeth did visit in the home of Jesus when he was a little lad. Of
all she did tell concerning him, that which did most delight the heart
of Mary was the tale of a bloody nose he did give another lad."
"How went the tale?" and rubbing the beard around a mouth shaped for
laughter, Lazarus awaited a reply.
"He did act," promptly answered Mary, "because a large coward did pluck
the hair of a small child which could do naught but weep. Unafraid
souls my heart loves."
"Ever hath womankind loved bravery," Joseph remarked. "Well, the
Galilean Rabbi is brave, Mary."
"How brave?"
"Brave sufficient to dare the wrath of the High Priest. Is this not
bravery?"
"Rather the act of a fool," Joel answered.
When they had tarried about the table until a late hour, the guests
went to their couches.
"To-morrow is the birthday of Israel," Lazarus said after the door had
closed behind Joel and Joseph. "Now must the house be searched for
leaven that not a speck remain."
Taking up the lamps which were burning low on the table, he fastened
them to long handles. Martha, taking one of them, went to the kitchen,
while Mary and Lazarus made search in the larger room.
"My brother," Mary said when the last cushion had been shaken and the
last corner searched, "on this eve of Israel's birthday I have a
request of thee. Wilt thou be Ahasuerus and hold to me thy golden
scepter?"
"What is the request of thy heart, my sister?"
"My heart is burdened with a desire to meet this unafraid yet tender
and wise man thou dost talk of. I would see Jesus."
"It shall be even so. To our home shall he be bidden. When thou
hearest the silver trumpets blowing in the New Year, remember this is
thy brother's promise, and may joy come to thee with the coming of the
Galilean."
"Thou dost give me joy on this New Year's Eve. A kiss I have for
thee--for pleasant dreams."
"Now am I well paid," laughed Lazarus when his sister kissed him.
"The blessing of God on thee, my brother. Good night."