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I finished reading the selection assigned to me and then walked forward to return the scroll to the teacher. I felt exhausted after focusing so intently, and the teacher’s nitpicking at my pronunciation and speed annoyed me. In response to his question, I said yes, I would be back at the normal time two days later.
I packed my supplies into my knapsack, then shuffled out into the sunlight. No one was waiting for me, so I’d have to walk home alone. I set off down the path, absorbed in thought and only vaguely aware of my surroundings. So I was startled when a voice rang out close to my ear.
“Hey, look who’s walking all alone?” shouted a boy as he pushed me. Looking up, I realized five boys had formed a ring around me. I recognized them as ruffians who had taunted me in the past. They started shoving me from one boy to another around the circle.
“Hey, rich kid, what are you doin’ out here all alone?” shouted a second boy as he stopped my progress with the heels of his palms and then shoved me violently in the opposite direction.
“Leave me alone,” I pleaded as a third boy spun me and pushed me toward a fourth.
“Ah, the poor little rich kid wants us to leave him alone,” called out the fifth member of the gang. “Maybe he just wants to go home so he can read.”
“Yeah, maybe you can read to us, little rich kid! What’s so important in that stuff you read all the time, huh?”
“Yeah, what’s so important, huh?”
I could feel my face getting hot, and I was getting dizzy from spinning as they shoved me around the circle. I didn’t see any way to escape. Even if I could break through the circle, I could never outrun them.
“Ah, the little rich kid is getting all flustered. Let’s see how this makes him feel.” One of them stung my left cheek with a sharp slap before shoving me to the next boy.
Another slap landed on my right cheek. “Yeah, how does that feel? Maybe we should —“
The boy’s voice was cut off sharply and I heard two thuds. A different set of hands steadied me. Looking down, I saw two of the boys on their backs on the ground.
“Five against one seems pretty chicken,” rang out Jesus’ voice from over my shoulder. “I was hoping you guys would someday help protect the weak, but I see instead that you like to pick on the weak yourselves.” He stepped in front of me.
The two who had been knocked down got to their feet and joined the other boys, facing Jesus. “You’d better watch your mouth or we’ll shut it for you,” said one of them.
Jesus didn’t show a moment’s hesitation. “I doubt it, but you’re welcome to try. But consider this first. If all five of you try to take on Simon and me and you lose, how are you ever going to live it down when all the other kids laugh at you?
“Hey,” Jesus said, pointing at the biggest of the five boys. “You’re Chuza, the son of Dov, the carpenter. Your father does a lot of work for Simon’s dad. What do you suppose he’ll do to you tonight if I tell him you’ve been beating up defenseless kids, and that he’ll never get work around here again?”
The boy stammered, “You wouldn’t do that.”
“Try me,” Jesus countered. Pointing to another, he said, “And I know you over there, your mother is the Widow Rebecca. Simon’s mom buys bread from your mother at the marketplace. How do you think she’s going to feel when she finds out what you’re doing here today?”
Another of the boys bristled with impatience. “Enough of this talk. What would you do if I shoved my fist down your throat right this minute?”
Jesus stepped forward until his face was just inches from the other boy’s, and he locked the other’s eyes with an unflinching gaze. “I don’t want you to get hurt,” he said in a low, even voice. “But if you raise your hand against this boy again — if I ever hear that you’re bothering him or anyone else in his family, I promise you that you’ll need these other guys to carry you home, because you won’t be able to walk after I’m finished with you.”
Jesus continued to glare in the other’s eyes. I think he learned part of The Stare from Mom. For a moment longer the two hung in balance. But then the other boy looked sideways to his companions and backed away. “Come on, guys, let’s leave the rich kid and his bodyguard to their own misery.” All five backed away before turning up the path.
Jesus didn’t take his eyes off them until they were out of earshot. He turned to me and said, “I’m glad I happened to get here when I did.”
I hovered between shame and gratitude as we turned toward home. “Those guys have hassled me before. I hope you can teach me to fight someday.”
Jesus nodded. “Simon, I can teach you to defend yourself. But more importantly, you need to learn to respect yourself, so you won’t be a victim. Then things like this won’t happen to you. Or, if they do, you won’t be harmed by them.”
“How can self-respect stop things like this?” I scoffed.
Jesus stopped walking and fixed that steely stare of his on me.
“Didn’t you hear what Dad told us? Our family is going to restore Israel to God’s favor. I just stood down five guys, and they were afraid to lay a finger on me. You need to learn to have faith in our family’s mission. The Lord our God will be with us always. And if God is standing by your side, what can those boys do to you? You have to learn to have faith.”
Then Jesus turned and walked down the path. After taking a moment to recover from my shock at his words, I hurried to catch up with my big brother.