Читать книгу Journey of the Pearl - A. E. Smith - Страница 11

It was the morning after the High Sabbath. Jamin was startled awake by the crash of a wooden keg onto stone pavement, followed by the loud cursing of several voices. Jamin lay on his mat, staring at the sky. On Cleopas’ roof, he felt safe during the night, where no wild animals could attack or thieves plunder. But it was awkward being around Cleopas and his wife, considering they believed in Yeshua, even to the end. He was grateful Cleopas employed him, but he couldn’t bear another day in Jerusalem. In fact, he couldn’t bear another day of life.

He rolled up his pallet and stuffed it in his knapsack. It would be a nice donation to a street beggar. The sky was just beginning to lighten as the sun embraced the horizon. Jamin could see a few wind-teased clouds in the east. There was a gentle breeze, free of dust and the smoke of cookfires. This was once Jamin’s favorite time of day. Not a time of darkness with its many dangers, nor midday with the bustle of people, but a time in between when dreams were recalled and plans were a possibility.

Jamin lowered the ladder and crept down. He paused in front of the house to adjust his knapsack when he heard someone walking from around the street corner. It was Cleopas.

“Jamin!” Cleopas called out, seeing the knapsack. “This is how you repay my hospitality? Leaving without a farewell? How can you do this to Mary, especially now? She has witnessed the death of Yeshua and your brother. She would be so hurt if you left without saying good-bye. Please, come inside. We need to discuss something with you.”

Cleopas’ hurt expression made Jamin pause. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to disturb anyone and you and Mary have already done so much for me, but I must be going.”

“Why? Mary and I wish you would stay here permanently. I will promote you to apprentice and full pay.” He glanced at the knapsack. “So where are you going?”

“Somewhere—away from here. But thank you for the offer. It is most generous.”

“Why don’t you stay for breakfast, then perhaps I can help you get out of Jerusalem for a few days? I must go to Emmaus and I need a traveling companion. Mary wants me to invite her cousin’s family to visit since they could not come for Passover. Besides, I have some interesting news I’d like to share with you when you’re ready to hear it. Will you go with me?” Jamin could not refuse. Cleopas and Mary had treated him and Demas like sons.

In another part of the city, a small group of women carrying spices and oils were walking to the tomb of Yeshua. Even though it was a beautiful morning with a soft breeze and the trill of songbirds among the terebinth trees, the women were unaware of the beauty. They could only concentrate on the task at hand. To the east, the budding sunrise was majestic as rays of light radiated through air-brushed clouds. The colors of the clouds changed from ruby red to vermilion pink edged with citrine. But the women kept their eyes on the ground. They discussed what to do if they could not move the stone sealing the tomb. Grief clutched at their hearts, but they were determined to finish this last task. They walked past Golgotha with bowed heads.

As they approached the garden, they could see the tamarisk and terebinth trees that bordered the garden walls on three sides. The abandoned hillside quarry made up the fourth side and held the numerous caves which had been sold as tombs. A stone arch served as the gateway into the garden. The tombs and the arch faced the east. When they entered the garden, they saw four Roman soldiers guarding the tomb. Adas saw them approaching and was about to hail them when the earth gave a violent jolt and began to shake.

Alarmed, the women cried out. They tried to keep their balance without dropping their precious burial spices and perfumes. A man clothed in brilliant white with a radiant appearance suddenly stood before the tomb. Without a word, he looked at the soldiers, and they collapsed to the ground.

Mary Magdalene dropped to her knees in fear. “It is the angel of the Lord!” she cried. “Cover your eyes!”

The angel grasped the heavy stone with both hands. With no effort, he broke the stone away from the concrete seal, and rolled it away. With a gentle voice, the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know you seek Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples this message, ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.’” The angel bent down and stepped inside the tomb. The women followed. He sat down where Yeshua’s body had been and gestured with his hand. “He has risen! He is not here.”

Trembling and bewildered, the women hurried out of the tomb. They ran through the garden without a backward glance. Out of breath and shaking, the elder Mary called to the others to stop. “What does this mean?” she cried.

“We must tell the others,” said Mary Magdalene. “But I know they won’t believe us.”

“My sons are with Peter at John Mark’s house,” Salome declared. “They must be told.”

They hurried to the house. When John opened the door, Mary blurted, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

Peter and John questioned the women for details, but everyone was talking at once. “John, let us see for ourselves!” said Peter. They ran from the house.

The women followed, but could not keep pace. John had outdistanced Peter when he passed through the east gate. When the women caught up, John and Peter were standing outside of the tomb, talking and gesturing. No one else was there, not even the soldiers. Fearfully, the women approached the open tomb and Joanna stepped inside. Mary Magdalene followed her and set her knapsack down near the burial linen. For the second time, Mary saw no one was there. The strips of burial linen were lying on the ledge outcrop and the burial face cloth was neatly folded nearby. The two women stepped outside and joined the others.

Peter said, “Come, we must tell the others.” John and Peter left the garden.

Salome spoke first, “Where did they take him? Why would the soldiers do this?”

“They didn’t,” said Mary Magdalene. “Remember how they fell as if dead when the angel appeared? They were still there when we left. They didn’t take our Lord’s body because the tomb was still sealed and they did not seal an empty tomb! I saw with my own eyes.” Not knowing what else to do, the women turned to leave once more. At the top of the rise, Mary Magdalene remembered she left her knapsack in the tomb.

Alone, Mary approached the tomb for the third time. Overcome with grief, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. Her slender shoulders shook with the wrenching grief for the man who had cured her and taught her the compassion of God. Still weeping, she stepped into the tomb to retrieve her knapsack. Two angels dressed in white were seated where Yeshua’s body had been.

“Woman, why are you crying?” they asked her.

Too absorbed in her grief, Mary dismissed their startling appearance and didn’t question their presence in the tomb. “They have taken my Lord away. I don’t know where they have put him.” She closed her eyes and wiped away her tears. When she opened her eyes, the angels were gone, but no one had pushed past her in the narrow entrance of the tomb. Mystified, she stepped outside, scanned the garden, but didn’t see them. She saw a man walking down the garden path, but he was not one of the men who had spoken to her.

“Woman,” he said, “why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”

Thinking he was the man hired to tend the garden, Mary said, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” The man didn’t answer. Mary thought he must not have heard her, when she noticed the outline of his face, the kindness in his voice, and the depth of compassionate in his eyes. Desperately afraid to believe what her senses were telling her, she turned to run.

“Mary!” The man called to her.

Impossibly, the man standing before her was Yeshua, alive and healed. “Rabboni!” she cried out, and fell to the ground sobbing, but this time with pure, awestruck joy. She struggled to her feet and reached for him. He raised a cautioning hand and stepped back.

“Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.” Overcome with joy, Mary hurried from the garden to carry the message.

She ran to the top of the rise and called out to the others. “Come back! Come back! Yeshua is here! He is standing right there!” she pointed back toward the tomb. They ran back, but no one was there.

“Mary, you have been deceived by grief,” said Joanna, not even bothering to look around. “No one is here. You saw him die the same as the rest of us,”

From behind them, a voice called out, “I am here.” They whirled around, and overcome with awe, they fell at Yeshua’s feet. They cried with praise to God for returning him to them.

After her friends ran to tell the others, Mary Magdalene withdrew one of the perfume bottles from her knapsack. She smiled at Yeshua. “You are alive just as you told us.” She looked down at the bottle. “What shall I do with these?” When she raised her head, he was gone. With the sweetest joy she had ever known, she closed her eyes and savored the moment. Then she hurried to join the others.