Tag: The Last Supper

FAITHFUL ENCOUNTERS – Part 071

DEMACLI THE LEGION DEMONIAC
33 AD – The Last Supper – Jerusalem, Judeafaithful-encounters-cover-w

As they entered, Demacli and his companions were also greeted by the rest of the Twelve. From what he saw, he estimated that there were about forty people there. The large room was set up with twelve low round tables already laden with food and beverage.

“Demacli, you and your companions will join my family,” said Simon of Bethany who happily led them to the middle of the room. On a raised platform at the center, two laden tables were reserved for Jesus, the Twelve and selected few. Simon and his household occupied three tables adjacent to the platform. The Greeks decided to split up among the three tables. Demacli and Elpida sat with an aged man named Imraam who was a close friend of Simon.

Imraam was quite jovial. They discovered that the reason for his joviality was that for thirty eight years he was once an invalid but then miraculously cured. To emphasize it, he quickly got to his feet with the agility of a teenager. The others around the table were clapping and laughing with him. After which he proceeded to tell them his tale.

Imraam was once a sprite young man. At an early age, he became successful in his business. He became one of the riches men in Jerusalem, but then tragedy hit. His neighborhood was struck with pestilence and many died. As for Imraam, he survived the sickness but it left him paralyzed for over three decades. In desperation, he heard of a story of an angel that stirred the water of a pool under north east wall of the Temple Mount where the sacrificial sheep were gathered. It was called the pool of Bethesda which was surrounded by five covered colonnades. The story was that when the water was stirred and the first person to jump in would be healed. Several times, the water rippled and a stampede of the blind, the lame and other cripples would clamber over each other to get into the pool first. Usually Imraam never had a chance without help.

One day, he was lying on his mat away from the crowd of waiting sick people, when he saw his friend Simon walking with a group of men whom by their clothing he surmised were from the northern province of Galilee. They were at the other end of the pool walking toward the entrance of the Sheep Gate. He wished he could hail his friend but he felt particularly weaker that day. Then, one of the Galileans paused in his stride and looked toward him. At first, he thought the stranger was looking not at him directly but at something else beyond. Simon who noticed that the stranger had paused, also peered at his direction. Simon recognized Imraam right away, raised his hand in greeting, at the same time was whispering in the stranger’s ear.

Imraam was imagining what Simon was divulging and was a little upset. But then Simon and four of the men started to work their way through the crowd toward him. When they were about ten feet from him, that stranger, who seem to be the leader, gestured for them to wait. He approached, crouched down and asked, “Do you want to get well?”

Imraam was a little surprised by the question. He wanted to scream a resounding ‘of course’ but instead mumbled something about him unable to get help so he can get into the pool when the water is stirred. Then the stranger smiled and in a gentle but yet commanding voice, he said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.”

Then Imraam felt a heating sensation going from his lower back down to his toes. When he looked at his legs, his eyes widened to find not his shriveled legs but a pair of healthy limbs. The stranger stood and held out a hand. Imraam was even more surprised that he had strength to reach up and grasp his hand. The stranger pulled him up onto his legs. He felt dizzy for a quick moment and his legs were a little wobbly as he stood there looking down at his toes wiggling. Then, he turned, took several steps and looked at the invalids around the pool, some of whom had the look of astonishment as they watched him. It was then that the realization finally hit him that he jumped in the air and whooped. After several minutes, he quieted down and remembered something. He went back to his mat, rolled it up and picked it up. He looked around for the stranger to ask him who he was, but he was nowhere to be seen. He decided to walk home and shock his relatives. [John 5:1-15]

Imraam burst into laughter and jovially told them on how he got into trouble for carrying his mat on the Sabbath. It was then that he re-met with the stranger and found out who he really was. Then he plopped down feigning exhaustion and looked at Demacli asking, “So, what is your story?”

So, Demacli told him about his own experiences and how Jesus freed him. Wide eyed, Imraam was esctatic again.

———————————————–

If you want to support my writing, there are two options:

1. Support through my PAYPAL account [click below]

DONATE TO MY PAYPAL

2. Purchase my ebook, THE CENTURION’S GOSPEL, in Amazon.com for only $1.99. The Centurion’s Gospel is the story of Cornelius Metellus, the Roman Centurion who almost saved Jesus Christ from the cross. Just click the link below.

FAITHFUL ENCOUNTERS – Part 069

DEMACLI THE LEGION DEMONIAC
33 AD – The Last Supper – Jerusalem, Judeafaithful-encounters-cover-w

“Demacli, look!” Elpida relunctantly disturbed him. When he stood, she pointed toward the western gate. “Those two men walking to the gate. I recognize one of them.”

Demacli easily spotted the two men she was pointing at. They were struggling against the flow of people coming through the western gate. He recognized both of them to be members of the chosen Twelve. One of them was named Philip.

Demacli and the other Greeks headed toward the western gates. With the crowd impeding their progress, it took some minutes to reach the gates, but by that time, the two disciples had already gone down the western stairs. They pursued after them. When they reached the bottom of the Temple Mount, they came upon a wide plaza. Demacli looked left and right but could not see them. The left was the city perimeter wall, a dead end. To the right, across a deep gully was an entire city of tightly clustered houses against a steep slope.

Demacli was not liking the idea of getting lost in there. He then looked straight ahead and saw another part of the city that was closer. His wife told him that it was named the City of David. The structures were grander there than those houses at the east. He decided to take the chance and headed toward it.

As they entered the city’s porticos, his choice to come this way was rewarded when he saw Philip talking to another before a three story structure. He approached the disciple by himself.

“Sir,” Demacli said bowing to him, “we… that is, we are Greeks from the free cities, would like to see Jesus.”

Philip looked at him curiously.

“You do not recognize me, do you, sir?”

“Of course! Now, I recall,” Philip said.

“A group of us from Hippus have come in search of him.”

Philip looked up at the building then smiled and said, “Well, your timing is not fortuitous. For this is the time of the Passover Meal. You wait down here while I go up and ask.”

Demacli watched Philip disappear into the house. Several minutes had past when Philip reappeared at the double doors of the house and happily gestured for all of them to enter.
———————————————–

If you want to support my writing, there are two options:

1. Donate $2-$5 to my PAYPAL account [click below]

DONATE TO MY PAYPAL

2. Purchase my ebook, THE CENTURION’S GOSPEL, in Amazon.com for only $1.99. The Centurion’s Gospel is the story of Cornelius Metellus, the Roman Centurion who almost saved Jesus Christ from the cross. Just click the link below.

FAITHFUL ENCOUNTERS – Part 068

DEMACLI THE LEGION DEMONIAC
33 AD – The Last Supper – Jerusalem, Judeafaithful-encounters-cover-w

This was his first time in Jerusalem. The city was larger than any in the Decapolis. Demacli and his newlywed bride, Elpida were captivated by this sprawling metropolis. He, Elpida and four others traveled here from their own city of Hippus, southeast of the Sea of Galilee. It took them three days to cross the great lake, traverse through Galilee, the Samaritan territory, the northern escarpments of the Judean highlands until eventually they crested over a hill and there was Jerusalem. They came to find Jesus of Nazareth. But they were strangers in the city and knew not where to find him.

“I did not expect this many people,” Demacli said. “How will we find him in this bustling city?”

“It is their most important holy feasts,” Elpida explained. “I have been here before. Every year, Hebrews from all over come here to congregate up there.” She pointed up to the Temple Mount which towered over the city. “If we are to find the Son of David, we surely will find him there.”

After they settled in a house of a Greek trader, an associate of Demacli’s father, they went up to the Temple Mount. They went in through the western gates. If Demacli was impressed about the size of the city, he was even more impressed when they entered the Temple court.

“This is the Court of Nations,” Elpida said.

“And you said we are only allowed here?” asked one of their companions.

“Yes,” she acknowledged. Then she pointed to the tall gleaming structure at the center of the vast courtyard. “That is the Temple where the sacrifices are offered. Only Jews are allowed in.”

“What is this Passover celebration all about?” asked Demacli.

“It’s in their history, back when they were under the enslavement of Egypt,” Elpida said. “It was more than a thousand years ago. According to what I heard, their God sent a man named Moses to go to Pharaoh and demanded their freedom. When the Pharaoh refused, God sent ten plagues to change his mind. The tenth plague was so devastating, that Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go.”

“But why is it called the Passover?”

“Well, you see, the tenth plague was that death will come upon all the first born of Egypt. But to protect the first born of Israel, God commanded that every family kill a male lamb and put its blood on the door frame.”

“Why?”

“So that, when the Angel of Death came upon Egypt and found a door smeared with the blood of a lamb, he passed over that house, sparing the first born of that house. The Angel of Death took a great toll of Egypt that distant night and only Israel was saved. To commemorate it, God commanded the people to celebrate annually the Passover Feast.”

“You know wife, your stories of the history of these people are opening my eyes even more. What I always appreciate more is how much you know about them,” Demacli said to his wife who smiled back warmly.

Looking at her fondly, he considered himself quite lucky… no, he corrected himself… since he met Jesus, he stopped believing in luck. The word that came to mind is ‘blessed’… yes, that is the right word. Marrying Elpida was a gift that he knew he truly did not deserve. He faced the Temple, went down on his knees and bowed his head to the ground whispering, “Thank you, Lord God.”

———————————————–

If you want to support my writing, there are two options:

1. Donate $2-$5 to my PAYPAL account [click below]

DONATE TO MY PAYPAL

2. Purchase my ebook, THE CENTURION’S GOSPEL, in Amazon.com for only $1.99. The Centurion’s Gospel is the story of Cornelius Metellus, the Roman Centurion who almost saved Jesus Christ from the cross. Just click the link below.