Jonas grasped Paul’s elbow. “I suspect you also don’t sleep well, my friend. Your eyes tell the tale of your sleeplessness. If it’s any consolation, we’re praying for Tamara many times a day.”“We pray, too, but she just keeps getting worse. However, she tells us not to worry because Jesus is coming soon. In fact, she says He’ll be here today.”
“That’s interesting, Paul. Not only because Tamara says He’ll be here, and she’s so far been accurate in her predictions, but also I heard yesterday He’s been nearby. I wonder if He’ll come to the synagogue tomorrow morning. In fact, if He’ll be in Tyre tomorrow morning, He’ll need to be here before sundown this evening due to our Jewish. Jews aren’t supposed to travel more than 2,000 cubits outside their city walls on the Sabbath, in case you didn’t know. I’ll ask around, although that’s seldom necessary in this city. Words travel.”
“Yes. I don’t want to be gone for long, though. I feel uneasy whenever I’m away from Tamara for very long. She thought it was pretty funny when I asked her if it would be all right if I worried—she says Papas don’t worry. But I agonize over her illness as much as her mother does.”
“If you will help me put away the materials here I’ll close the business for the day, and we can go in search of this Jesus. Hamath told me of his experience with Jesus. Benoni appears to have had a personal experience with Him, too. You with your Man in shining white. And Tamara talks about Jesus a lot. I have to admit to a tremendous curiosity about the Man.”
Within minutes, they had packed away the goods and were ready to go.
Jonas stretched his back. “The best thing might be to check with the gatekeepers. At least there’s only one gate into the city. It’s possible Jesus might arrive by boat, but we can check that if we find out nothing at the gate.”
Their first guess was correct. They found a crowd of people following a Man who walked straight toward them.
“Behold, two men without whom this region would have a smaller population.” He greeted them with hands stretched toward them, smiling as a father would at his precocious children. Paul’s Adam’s apple worked up and down as he recognized the Man who had pulled him through the windy net, but only a strangled sound came forth from his throat.
Jonas just stared at Jesus, tears beginning to roll down his face. He fell to his knees in the dust.
After a few moments, Jesus looked directly at Jonas. “I’m in need of a place for My disciples and Me to stay this night, Rabbi.”
“My house is Yours, Lord,” Jonas said. “It would be an honor beyond anything I deserve for the Messiah to come to our humble home.”
Jesus nodded, then turned to Paul, who also was unable to stop tears from falling. “Tell Sarah to cease worrying and to come to see Me tomorrow.”
“Yes, Lord. Tamara told us you’d be here and that you wanted to see Sarah tomorrow.” Somehow, Paul had no doubt the Lord knew who Tamara was.
“Good. Tammy has been most faithful to deliver messages. For such a small one, she has been an effective apostle.”
“She said You would see her. Lord, I have a request. Tammy is so sick. I believe You could heal her, if You will. She is our only child and precious to us.”
“Don’t worry, only have faith, Paulos. You should return to your home now. You are needed there.”
Paul bowed to the Lord and ran toward home.
#
Jonas rose to his feet, his gaze still fixed on the Lord.
“Jonas, I wish to speak at the synagogue tomorrow morning,” Jesus said.
“Yes, Rabbi, I hoped You would. Even here in Tyre, we’ve heard much of You. Also, tomorrow afternoon, we have a gathering at our home of people who were captured by a slave trader and since released. Would You stay for our meeting, too, Lord? I think You could be a great encouragement to them. Some were traumatized by being enslaved by the a heartless scoundrel.”
“Yes, I know of these people, and I know of Paul’s role—as well as your own—in the release of these people.”
Jonas could swear he saw a twinkle in the Lord’s eyes.
“Come,” the Lord said. “We need to go to your house. Your wife will want to know early that there are so many extra people to feed.”
Jonas nodded.The evening’s meal and the next day’s meals must be prepared before the sun disappeared into the sea on Friday.
As they walked toward his home, Jonas smiled when several of the disciples laughed at something Jesus said. They joked as they walked along just as other people did. He wasn’t sure why he thought a group of people that included the Messiah would be always serious. Even Jesus laughed as He talked with them.
No comments:
Post a Comment