| |
I had not seen Mother for several years, not since Father died. Thin wrinkles spread from the corners of her eyes and mouth, and I could see little pouches below her eyes. Her hair had gone gray. But she looked strong.
I had never met Simon’s new wife before. Judith seemed a good young woman, if perhaps too enthusiastic and sensuous with the people around her. Her forthright attitude reminded me of Gamaliel’s servant. I liked those qualities in Rachel, but Judith was too young yet. She had not yet earned the right to act as boldly as Rachel.
But Mary! I had grown up with her here at Benjamin’s home in Bethany. In my mind’s eye she had always been the little girl, bright and talkative but still a child. Now she stood in the full flower of womanhood, radiant as she prepared to give birth! Seeing her made me feel my age.
After the family and its entourage had entered the holy city to pay respects and to fetch me from my duties at the Temple, we had gone back out of the city for the short trek to Bethany. While the women settled in for the week, I met with my brothers.
Simon had left most of his men stationed at strategic points in campsites outside the city walls, with some of them mingling among the pilgrims inside the city to watch for trouble and quash it before it could draw Roman intervention. I appreciated his attention to keeping the peace and thanked him.
“But I warn you. The governor has sent word to his commanders that there is a rebel army afoot, and he plans to crush these rebels if he finds them.”
“The Zealots?” Simon asked.
“Not just the Zealots. He’s received reports of guerrillas who harass Roman troops in the countryside, as well as Herod’s troops in Galilee.”
Simon laughed. “That’s hardly fair. The only troops we harass are the ones we catch robbing our people. We don’t attack the Romans, we merely protect our own.”
“Nevertheless, they are watching.” I added, “I’m told Pilate has also been looking for a man who has been moving people’s money out of the country so they can avoid paying taxes.”
Judas startled me by answering. “His information is dated. I’m moving some of the money back into Galilee to stimulate more farming and trade. Now that he’s abandoned his battles with the Nabateans, he’ll get the taxes he is due.”
It took me a minute to get over my surprise. Judas? My stuttering, insecure little brother? He was the man who had hit the authorities where it hurt them most, in the money belt they wore around their waist? When had he grown up to become a thorn in Herod’s side? Now I really felt old!
Now Jesus spoke up. He had remained quiet until now. “And what of the Righteous One? Has the governor invited you to discuss the future of the nation? Has he asked you how to best serve our people, and give the peasants an easier path to the Father?”
He had a smirk on his face, but I resisted the urge to call him a smart ass.
“There are rumors of an impending arrest,” I conceded. “But I am not worried. Arresting me would inflame the Temple’s entire leadership. Pilate prefers to play the factions against each other. He would not do anything that would unite them against him.”
Jesus would not accept my complacence. “But that is assuming Pilate remains reasonable and rational. From what I hear, that may not be a safe assumption.”
A moment of silence followed. Simon, Judas and I all glanced at each other, and then we all turned our eyes to Jesus.
“And then,” I said, “there is the matter of the King.”
Jesus raised both his eyebrows and widened his eyes in mock innocence. “I’ve heard good things about him,” he said in a singsong voice. “I hear he’s smart, witty and very good looking. I hope to meet him someday!“
Now it was my turn to challenge complacency. “I’ve been told by the head of the Sanhedrin that both Pilate and Herod Antipas have their troops watching for you.”
He shrugged and nodded toward our youngest brother. “He was at Mount Tabor. Ask Simon what he heard.”
Simon clutched my forearms as if in greeting. “My dear brother, I heard the Voice of God. All of us did. The Father touched five thousand people that day. Listen to Jesus.”
This was a bit too much like the wild-eyed men who turned up in the city streets periodically, but I let it pass.
“Well,” I said, “it would behoove all of us to keep a low profile this week.”
Simon and Judas both scoffed. “You’re asking him to keep a low profile? Dream on, you fool, dream on.”