Johann Quisumbing

An Adventure Story of Yeshua bar Yosef by JQuisumbing

When they were approaching Shimon’s neighborhood, they noticed that the street leading to the house was crowded with people.

“Master, it might be better if we enter through the back,” Shimon whispered.

He led them into a very narrow corridor that wound itself in between the tightly packed houses. The back of Rivkah’s house was easily recognizable because of the stacked up baskets of Shimon’s fishing gear and hanging nets adorning the house’s stony façade. He opened the back door which was not locked. Upon entering the parlor, Yeshua was inundated with pleading people who filled the room. Squirming her way through the room full of people was Rivkah, Shimon’s mother-in-law.

“Forgive me, Lord!” Rivkah begged, a little flustered. “I only told my cousin who lived at the edge of the city, of how you took hold of my hand and had driven my fever away. She told two of her neighbors. They spoke to others and those others spoke to more people… and before I knew it, about 50 people, some of whom were lame and sickly, gathered outside of our house, waiting…”

Yohanen, who was peering out the window, came to Yeshua’ side and whispered, “it looks like there are even more gathering out there. Master, the crowd outside might attract the wrong attention.”

“Yohanen, you and your brother and Sy go out there and organize them. Only those who are crippled and sick can come in.” Then, Yeshua faced the crowd that was already in the room. He raised his hands for silence and instructed them that he would see each of them one at a time.

Two hours had passed. Yeshua was healing a woman who had no hearing in her right ear for 10 years, when the front door abruptly opened with the sound of men demanding entry. Iacob was holding them back. 

One of them said, “Rabbi, we are official scribes from Jerusalem. We have been sent by the offices of Nicodemus and Yosef of Arimathea.”

“I see. Let them in Iacob,” he said. He invited them to sit. Then, he called for the boy who had a stained bandage covering his eye. Yeshua brought him close for he was trembling in fear. Yeshua gave him a big reassuring smile. 

“Why do you fear, young one? Are you afraid that you will never see through your eye again?” The boy nodded. “Well, your Father in Heaven is in the business of doing the impossible. Let me tell you a short story. There was once a Prophet named Elisha who did a lot of incredible wonders. One time, one of his students was chopping wood when suddenly the head of the axe broke off and flew into the river. The student was dismayed because that was the only tool they had to chop wood with. Elisha went to the edge of the river. He then reached his hand out over where the axe went into the water and closed his eyes. To the surprise of his gathered students, they saw rising to the surface of the water, the broken axe head. It was literally floating like a feather! Do you believe it?” The boy nodded.

Yeshua then placed his hand over his bandaged eye. Then, he began to gently unwrap it. The boy whimpered, but Yeshua quietly whispered, “remember, God can do the impossible!” The boy relaxed and nodded. He lifted the rest of the dirty bandage, but the boy’s eyes were shut tight. Yeshua laughed out a little saying, “Open your eyes, lad!”

He opened his eyes in surprise and called out, “Imma, my eye don’t hurt anymore and I can see again!” The mother excitedly came to her son and embraced him with tears of joy. After she had thanked him, she and her son were led out the door where she was heard loudly praising the Lord and the crowd outside cheering. Mariam was bringing a woman whose arm was in a sling forward, when Jesus gestured for her to wait. He was looking at the two scribes whispering to each other.

One of them asked, “Rabbi, from whom do you get your authority?”

Jesus looked at them in silence. He smiled and slowly gazed up at the ceiling, saying, “you will soon find out.” 

TO BE CONTINUED

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