Hadwin struggled to keep pace with the other Zealots. It was his turn to carry Simeon on the wheeled cart. Trying to be gentle but quick, He moved along with his companions toward Matthew’s house.
People were crowded outside. Try as they might, they couldn’t get through.
“Excuse us, we have a sick man here! Please let us through!” exclaimed Markeus.
“We all have sick loved ones. Wait your turn! This is the last hope anyway!” shouted one man who propped up his young son.
“I have an idea!” said Hadwin. “Look! The houses are close together. If we can get him on the roof, we can move him over there. Then we can lower him through.”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s our only chance!”
They carried Simeon down the street, picked him up, and put him on his stretcher. Then the men attached their ropes to each of the poles and tied Simeon to the structure.
“Alright. Markeus and I will crawl up to the roof.”
The men hoisted Simeon to the roof. Then, carefully, they walked the beams from house to house until they were directly over the tax collector’s home. Reeds made up a covering in the middle of the structure, so they pulled them away to uncover the opening. They heard gasps from inside. Some of the people below began to curse.
They could see Yeshua looking up at them as they lowered Simeon into the crowd.
“Friend, your sins are forgiven,” he said.
Several religious leaders appeared affronted by this, but whatever they were thinking, they kept it to themselves.
“Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?” Yeshua turned to them.
The men were stunned.
“Which is easier to say, ‘your sins are forgiven,’ or, ‘get up and walk?’ But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Yeshua looked at Simeon. “I say to you, get up, take your mat, and go home.”
Simeon looked around, somewhat dazed. Hadwin couldn’t believe his eyes. This man was on death’s door and now looked healthy. He rolled up his mat and grinned with delight. Yeshua’s gaze turned to Hadwin. They exchanged smiles.
The crowd grew alive with excitement. It was the first time many of them had seen a miracle of this magnitude. But Hadwin’s joy halted when he recognized several faces in the crowd. Some of the men present had worked for him in Tiberias. Because of the excitement, he managed to slip away unnoticed by all except Markeus.
He decided the only way to keep his family safe was to travel to Kush. The Kushite people were known to be hospitable, and he could possibly make a new life there. He walked along the Sea of Galilee on the northern bank. Going south, he would have to travel through Jerusalem toward Egypt. Maybe he could find Ester and Rina while passing through, just to let them know he was alive.
He looked unkempt, for it had been many days since he had bathed properly. His beard had grown to an unruly length. But he now had a full belly and enough energy to keep moving at a good pace. He would have to evade capture along the way, but his poor appearance acted as a sort of disguise. After all, the men who had worked for him knew him to be fastidious about his personal grooming. His gray curly hair was now pulled back over his shoulders. He let the locks cascade in front of his face as he walked. If his appearance didn’t keep people away, his smell definitely would.
I could clean up in Jerusalem before making the trek to Kush, he thought. The desire to see his family was overwhelming. With each step, his legs felt heavier, but he had to keep on. He had to keep moving.