I.N.R.I Part 25

That is what happened on one of the heights of Lebanon when Jesus rested there with His disciples.

And then He went again to His native place, not to stay there, but to see it once more. After days of hards.h.i.+ps which they scarcely felt, and of want which they never perceived, they came down into the fertile plains, and the soft air was filled with scent of roses and of almond blossoms. They found themselves once again in their native land, where they were treated with such contempt that they had to avoid the high roads and take the side paths. When they were pa.s.sing through a ravine near Nazareth, they stopped under the scanty shade of some olive trees.

They were tired, and lay down under the trees. Jesus went on a little farther, where He could obtain a view of the place. He sat down on a stone, leaned His head on His hand, and looked thoughtfully out over the country. Something strange and hostile seemed to pervade it. But He had not come in anger. Something else remained to be done. It was clear to Him that He Himself must be the pledge of the truth of His good tidings.

A woman came toiling over the stones. It was His mother. She had heard how He had come down from the mountains with His disciples, and thought she would go through the ravine. Now she stood before Him.

Her face, grown thin with grief, was in the shade, since to protect herself from the sun she had thrown her long upper garment over her head. A tress of her dark hair fell over one cheek; she pushed it back with one finger, but it always fell down again. She looked shyly at her son, who was resting on a stone. She hesitated to speak to Him.

She advanced a step nearer, and as if nothing had ever separated them, said; "Your house is quite near, my child. Why rest here in such discomfort?"

He looked at her calmly. Then he answered: "Woman, I would be alone."

She gently answered: "I am quite alone now in the house."

"Where are our relations?"

"They wished to fetch you home, and have been away for weeks in search of you."

Jesus pointed with a motion of His hand to His sleeping disciples: "They did not seek Me for weeks, they found Me the first day."

As if she wished to prevent Him complaining again that His kinsmen did not understand Him, His mother said: "People have long been annoyed that work was no longer done in our workshop, and so they go to a new one which has been set up in our street."

"Where is Aaron, the apprentice?"

She replied: "It is not surprising that no one will stay if the children of the house depart."

He spoke excitedly: "I tell you, woman, spare Me your reproaches and domestic cares. I have something else to do."

Then she turned to the rocky wall to hide her sobs. After a while she said softly: "How can you be so cruel to your mother! It's not for myself I complain; you may well believe. All is over for me in this world. But you! You bring misfortune on the whole family, and will yourself destroy everything. By your departed father, by your unhappy mother, I implore you to let the faith of your fathers alone. I know you mean well, but others do not understand that, and nothing you do will avail. Let people be happy in their own way. If formerly they went to Abraham, they will continue to find their way to him without your help. Don't interfere with the Rabbis; that never pays. Think of John the Baptist! Every one is saying that they are lying in wait for you. Oh, my beloved child, they will disgrace you, and kill you!" She clutched the rock convulsively with her fingers, and could say no more for bitter weeping.

Jesus turned His head to her, and looked at her. And when her whole body shook with sobs, He rose and went to her. He took her head in both His hands and drew it towards Him.

"Mother! mother!--mother!" His voice was dull and broken: "You think I do not love you. I am sometimes obliged to be thus harsh, for everything is against Me, even My own kith and kin. But I must fulfil the will of the Heavenly Father. Dry your tears; see, I love you, more than any human heart can understand. Because the mother suffers double what the child suffers, so is your pain greater than that of Him who must sacrifice Himself for many. Mother! Sit down on this stone so that I may once again lay My head in your lap. It is My last rest."

So He laid His head on her knees, and she stroked His long hair tenderly. She was so happy, in the midst of her grief, so absolutely happy, that He should lie on her breast as He did when a child.

But He went on, speaking gently and softly; "I have preached to the people in vain about faith in Me. I need not preach to you, for a mother believes in her child. They will all testify against Me.

Mother, do not believe them. Believe your child. And when the hour comes for Me to appear with outstretched arms, not on earth and not in heaven, believe then in your child. Be sure then that your carpenter has built the Kingdom of G.o.d. No, mother, do not weep; look up with bright eyes. Your day will be everlasting. The poor, those forsaken by every heaven, will pour out their woes to you, the blessed, the rich in grace! All the races of the earth will _praise_ you!" He kissed her hair, He kissed her eyes, and sobbed Himself. "And now go, mother.

My friends are waking. They must not see Me cast down."

He arose from this sweet rest. The disciples raised their heads one after another.

"Did you get some rest, Master?" asked Simon.

He answered: "Better rest than you had."

A messenger who had been sent out returned with a basket, and they paid him with a little gold ring, the last to be found on the fingers of the wanderers. They ate, and rejoiced over G.o.d's beautiful world and its gifts, and then prepared for further wanderings, Whither? Towards the metropolis.

Mary stood behind the rocks and gazed after Him as long as He was visible in the haze of the Galilean sun.

CHAPTER XXV

And so they made their way towards Jerusalem for the celebration of the Pa.s.sover. Long ago Moses had delivered the Jews from bondage in Egypt, and led them back to their native land. In grateful remembrance many thousands a.s.sembled every year at Jerusalem at the time of the first full moon of spring, made a pilgrimage to the Temple, and, according to the ancient custom, ate of the Paschal lamb, with bitter herbs, and bread made without yeast, as once they ate manna in the wilderness. At such an a.s.sembly there was of course much commerce and show. The execution of criminals took place at that time, so that people were sure of one terrible spectacle in accordance with the words of the Rabbis in the Temple who said; He who breaks the Law shall be punished according to the Law.

"I should like to see such a thing once," said the disciple Thaddeus to his comrades as they went along. "I mean such a punishment."

"You'll easily find an opportunity in Jerusalem," replied Andrew; and added with light mockery, "to see criminals impaled is the correct merry-making for poor men. It costs nothing. And yet I do not know a costlier pleasure."

"How is the impaling done?" Thaddeus wanted to know.

"That's easily described," Matthew informed them. "Think of an upright post planted in the earth and a cross-beam near the top. The poor sinner is bound naked to it, his arms stretched out. When he has hung there in the people's eyes for a while, they break his legs with a club. For very serious crimes they sometimes fasten the limbs to the post with iron nails."

Thaddeus turned aside in horror. "May it never be my lot to look on at such a thing."

"Do not imagine that such talk is a jest," said another. "Every one implores G.o.d that such a doom may never befall any of his relations or friends. We are all poor sinners. When our Master establishes His Kingdom this horrible mode of death will be abolished. Don't you think so?"

"Then all modes of death will be abolished," said Simon Peter. "Are you asleep when He speaks of eternal life?"

"But He says Himself that they will slay Him."

"That they wish to slay Him He means. Just wait till He once shows them His power!"

So they often talked together, half in pleasantry, half in simplicity, but always behind the Master's back.

A change had come over Jesus since the events on the high mountain. It was as if He had now become quite clear about His divine call, as if He had only now fully realised that He was G.o.d's messenger, the Son of the Heavenly Father, summoned from eternity to go down to earth to awake men and save them for a life of bliss with G.o.d. He felt that the power of G.o.d had been given Him to judge souls. The devils fled before Him, He was subject to no human power. He broke with the history of His degraded people; He annulled the ancient writings, falsified by priests and learned men. He recognised that in His unity with the Heavenly Father and Eternal G.o.d, He was Lord of all power in heaven and on earth.

So it was with Him since that hour of light on the mountain. But the knowledge of all this made Him still more humble as a man on whom such an immense burden had been laid, and still more loving towards those who were sunken in measureless poverty, distress and subjection, resigned to their fate of being lost in blindness and defiance, and yet full of wistful longing for salvation.

The relations between Him and His disciples had also changed since that day. Formerly, although they had treated Him with respect they had always been on familiar terms with Him. Now they were more submissive, more silent, and their respect had become reverence. With some, love had almost become wors.h.i.+p. And yet they always fell back into unruliness and timidity. There was one especially who disagreed with much. When, in order to avoid the high roads, they went through the barren district on the other side of Jordan, and endured all sorts of hards.h.i.+ps and privations, the disciple Judas could not forbear uttering his thoughts. He had nothing to do now as treasurer of the little band, so he had plenty of time to spread discouragement behind the Master's back. Why should not the Messiah's train of followers appear in fitting brilliance? He explained what Jesus taught about death as implying that when the beggar prophet died, the glorious Messiah would appear! But why first in Jerusalem? Why should they not a.s.sume their high position in the interval; why were the honours of the new era not already allotted?

Jesus' popularity had increased once more, and in the more thickly inhabited districts the people hurried together. "The Prophet is pa.s.sing through!" They streamed forth bringing provisions with them, and the sick and crippled came imploring Him to heal them. He accepted enough to meet His immediate needs from the store that was offered Him, but He did not work the desired miracles. He forbade His disciples even to speak of them. He was angry with the crowd who would not believe without miracles, and would not understand the signs of the times. "Directly they see a cloud rise in the west they say: It's going to rain. If a south wind blows they know that it is going to be hot. But they do not understand the signs of a new world uprising. If they cannot understand the spiritual tokens, they cannot have others.

They would fain see the sign of Jonah, who lay three days in the whale's belly? Be it so. They shall see how the Son of Man, after being buried for three days, shall live again."

Judas shook his head over such talk. "That doesn't help much." But the others, especially John, James and Simon, did not think about the kingdom of the Messiah, or about earthly power; their hearts were filled with love for the Master. Yet they, too, had their own temptations. They often talked together of that other world where Jesus would be Eternal King, and where they--they who firmly adhered to Him--would share His glory. And in all seriousness they dreamed of the offices and honours that would be theirs, and actually disputed who among them would hold the highest rank. Each boasted of his own achievements. James had brought Him the most friends in Galilee.

Simon rested his claim on the fact that he had been the first to recognise in Him the Son of G.o.d. John reminded them that he came from the same place, and had once worked with Him as carpenter's apprentice.

John might have said that the Master was especially fond of him, but he did not say so. Simon, on the contrary, put forward most emphatically the fact that the Master had called him the rock on which He should found His community.

When Jesus noticed how they were disputing He went to them and asked what they were discussing so eagerly.

"Master," said James boldly, "you come to us as if we had called you.

We want to know who among your disciples will be first in the Eternal Kingdom. See, brother John and I would like to be nearest you, one on your right hand, the other on your left, so that we may have you between us then as we have you now."

Upon which Jesus said: "This is not the first time that you have talked thus foolishly. You don't know what you want. I tell you, when you have done what I do, and have suffered what I shall suffer, then you may come and ask."

They replied: "Lord, we will do what you do and suffer what you suffer."

These resolute words pleased Him, and He said nothing of the enormous distance between Him and them. They were too simple to understand that. He only said: "Leave that to Him who will show you your place.