Johann Quisumbing

An Adventure Story of Yeshua bar Yosef by JQuisumbing

“I must say, Abiel, that your home is as a feast to my eyes as this feast you have laid before us,” Chuza said grandiosely. “Your dealings in the Decapolis¹ had surely inspired this room.”

Yeshua knew inside that he was envious and not really meaning it, but he had to agree. From where he lounged by the u-shaped table ladened with food, he glanced down at the middle of the floor. Laid out on it was a beautiful Grecian mosaic of blue dolphins playing in and out of a frothing and tossing turquoise sea. He smiled to himself because of the irony of placing a blue-water scene with marine creatures that most of the people of this agrarian region had never laid eyes on. As Abiel was explaining how the mosaic was intricately laid out tile by tile, he noticed the woman next to Chuza. While everyone else was focused on the floor, she was appreciating the mural painted on the ceiling. It was not as vibrant as the art on the floor, but it had a subtle beauty to it. Yeshua looked up to find that the image was monochromatic and purposely painted to blend into an earthy tone of beige. The artwork itself was of a lighter hue than its background. His eyes traced two circular rings, one’s diameter larger than the other. Spaced in between the rings were a series of painted fruit and nuts grown in the region. Then painted along the inside edge of the inner ring were seven different silhouettes of trees all of which represented the trees be found in his host’s orchard, each tree had their fruit laden branches reaching up as if in worship to the sun at the very center of the mural. Nethanal had whispered that his father had commissioned artists from the city of Gadara^1a for that ceiling. He was saying something else, but Yeshua was focused across to the other side of the dining table where the wife of Chuza was still staring at the ceiling. 

Then Chuza was speaking loudly again and he was directing it toward him. “You are Yeshua of Nazareth, the wandering rabbi?” he inquired disdainfully.

Yeshua knew he was being judged because his homespun clothing was not as opulent as the others.

“Some had said so,” Yeshua replied. 

“As I understand, from your worthy brother, that you have recently met with that wild man at the Jordan who spouts that rhetoric that we all must repent. Since my own rabbi is not here tonight, explain to us, if you are able, how would the Almighty Adonai treat those who are deserving and undeserving?” 

His companions were chuckling in their hands, knowing that Chuza was baiting him to reveal that he was not educated enough to be an adequate teacher of Scriptures. 

“Explain to us how Adonai dispenses blessings?”

Yeshua could see that these men of wealth and of position have a false impression of their God. For one, they actually believed that their lives of affluence are signs of Adonai’s blessings while those in poverty are opposite. He was about to decline to answer because he knew that they would not truly listen and take it to heart; and his time to confront such hypocrisy had not yet come. But then Chuza’s wife perked up in interest. So, for her and those like her in this room, Yeshua smiled, took a sip of water, wiped his hands, then sat up on his haunches.

“Your excellency, I am pleased to offer an answer, but first you must answer these questions.” Chuza nodded once in assent. “What would you consider the worst act a man can do that deserves condemnation?”

“That would be the taking of innocent life; the comitance of murder.”

“From the scrolls of Moses, would you consider the act of Cain being so heinous and was deserving of death?”

“Ah, yes…”

“So, then, how was it that Cain was allowed to live out his life, fathering children upon children that built a great city, had innovated animal husbandry, music and metallurgy?

“But had Adonai not marked him? Was it not a curse?”

“The mark was meant to warn off any who might try to kill him.² It was a mark of undeserving favor. It was grace.”

Chuza frowned. “But why?”

“Because Cain, as is all mankind, was created in His image.³ The Lord Adonai is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.⁴ And He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.⁵”

There was muttering from across the room. Chuza was somewhat disappointed that his jest was adroitly diverted. Yeshua stood calmly and faced his host.

“Abiel, I must beg your pardon and take my leave,” He said. “For there is still much to be done in the morrow. Shalom.”

“Of course, rabbi. Shalom.” 

When both Nethanel and him came out of the house, they found Shimon, Yohanen and Iacob waiting by the gate.

“You look well fed,” chided Shimon, pretending to look envious.

“How did it go, Master?” asked Yohanen.

Nethanel was filling them in, when a servant woman approached them. “Master, my mistress, the Lady Ioanna begs that you wait.”

It was not long until the elegant wife of Chuza, accompanied by her servant, came to them just outside the gate. 

“Rabbi Yeshua, I must beg your forgiveness for my husband,” she said. “He was not always like this.” 

“Say no more, Ioanna.”

Then she motioned if they could talk privately. Yeshua led her a few paces from the group. “You are the one… the one whom the Baptist had spoken of,” she whispered. “I have come to know your cousin when our entourage made a stop over at Jericho. I had heard rumors of a prophet of old baptizing at the Jordan River. I was unusually curious. So, when my husband left for Jerusalem, my servants and I went to the river. As I heard him speak, I was so convicted that I had to push my way through to him so that I can show my repentance. But when he laid his eyes on me, he asked the crowd to be patient and then he guided me some distance away. I asked him if he was the Messiah. He shook his head but made such a joyous sound, I could not help but feel joyous myself but I didn’t know why. Then, he confided in me… about you. 

“He told me that he had not shared this to anyone, except to his closest followers. He said, when he saw me, he was compelled to tell me and this surprised me. He told me to seek you out in Galilee and I would recognize you, but he offered me no name. So, when I arrived back at the capital city, I kept my ears open. I even privately employed Antipas’ hirelings to report things out of the ordinary. It was through them that I started hearing strange rumors. It started with a witch at Magdala who was a witch no more.  She was seen following a wandering rabbi. Then, there was that fish story at Bethsaida which, thank goodness, was ignored by Herod as being exactly that… another fish story! But I sent a man of my employ to discreetly ask around. That was when I learned of your name and that you were from Nazareth. One of my personal maids was from there and she told me of an incredible tale of a Nazareth girl who was visited by an angel. That same girl eventually married to a carpenter who’s craft was well known in the city. I understood that you took over his work. So, two weeks ago I sent a servant to employ the services of your family’s business to make me a cabinet. But your workshop was closed. Then, I heard about this wedding and more importantly, that your mother was related to the bride. Somehow, I knew you would be here. I bent my husband’s ear to get us invited. Of course, I did not expect to be seated across from you, this very night. What must I do?”

Then Yeshua mirthfully said, “What you are doing, now – to watch and see.”

TO BE CONTINUED

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Footnotes: [1] Decapolis – (Ten Cities) a group of ten Hellenistic cities located to the east of the Jordan Rift Valley, between Judaea, Iturea, Nabataea, and Syria; (a) Gadara – a city of Transjordania, about six miles SE of the southern end of the Sea of Galilee, one of the cities of the Decapolis, the inhabitants of which were predominantly non-Jewish; [2] Genesis 4:15; [3] Genesis 1:27; [4] Psalm 145:9; [5] Matthew 5:45

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