Of Such Is The Kingdom, A Novel of Biblical Times in 3 parts

It had been another long, tiresome ride, and he was hot and thirsty, as were his horses.  He had just drained the last of his water from its container.  Thus, as he pulled his horses up to the hitching post and murky watering trough close to the blacksmith shop, he was hoping the smith would have some clear cold water.  Some customers were just leaving the shop as he entered.  He nodded coolly to them and they returned the gesture, some staring at his strange appearance.

Barabbas looked up from his work to see who was entering his shop.  As he caught sight of the mysterious stranger, his face brightened.  He stood up and extended his hand in greeting.  “Well, well! We meet again!”

“Did I not tell you we would?  Incidentally, may I trouble you for some water?”

“No trouble at all.”  The blacksmith disappeared and soon reappeared, carrying a large jar of water. “Excuse the container. It’s all I have.”

As he sipped the water, Manaheem glanced toward the door, hoping that no one else would enter. Having drunk a sufficient amount, he placed the jar on the counter.  Then, leaning with one elbow, he sighed and smiled at the blacksmith.  “Thank you, friend. I needed that. It was a long ride and my supply just ran out.”

“That’s all I have, but glad I could be of help.  But, you should be able to get some for your journey back at the well outside the market.”

Manaheem picked up the large jar, took another big gulp of the water and set jar down again. “Thanks again! Now, tell me, how has business been?”

“Not all that good, really.  Seems people aren’t travelin’ as much as they used to – to wear out their horseshoes, I mean. And there’s just no call at all for these fancier items.  I do hope you came back for that sword.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, friend, but I certainly couldn’t afford it right now.  Things are bad for me too. I probably should get my horses re-shod pretty soon, but I can’t afford that right now either.”

“I certainly know what you mean,” agreed the smith.  “Seems times are just bad.  Seems like th’ little profit I do manage to make gets eaten up by them confounded taxes.”

“That’s this government for you– tax the poor man to death!”  Manaheem gulped down some more of the water, set the jar down again, and added, “And then, they don’t do anything useful with the money!”

“They sure don’t, do they?” agreed Barabbas.

“Seems to me,” ventured Manaheem leaning in over the counter, “like it’s that fellow, Pilate who’s the cause of it all.”

“He and Herod are both tyrants and puppets of Rome.”

“True, true.  But I heard that lately Pilate has been acting more or less on his own.  He’s trying to raise more revenue locally, so that he will look better in the eyes of Caesar.”

Barabbas stroked his beard.  “Really?”

“Oh, he’s a tricky one, that Pilate.  Rumors are he’d like to have Herod's position as well as his own.  Then things would really be bad.”

“Indeed!  I wasn’t aware of all this.  But anyway, like you said th’ last time you were here, something oughta be done.”

Now it was Manaheem’s face that lit up.  “So, you’ve been thinking about what we talked about last time?”

“I have indeed. And th’ more I think about it, th’ more disturbed I get, and th’ more I realize something must be done!”

“You’re absolutely right, my friend. Something must be done!  And you’re just the man to do it.”

The smith drew back in amazement.  “Me?”

“Yes, you!”

“But I’m just an ignorant blacksmith!”

“You are the one– perhaps the only one in this city at this moment who has caught the vision so strongly and sees so clearly the desperate need for action.”

“But, you said there are probably many more here who feel this way.”

“True,” agreed Manaheem, picking up the water jar again.  “But they do not, as yet, feel strongly enough to act.”

“B-but, what can I do?”

“Talk to people– your friends– your trusted friends only.  Find out their true feelings, and try to enlist them in the cause.”

“The cause?”

“The cause of revolution, or insurrection, against the ever expanding menace of Pilate’s tyranny.  When you have gained a sufficient group, you must train them and prepare them for an attack on Pilate’s Jerusalem praetorium when he comes here for his usual visit during Passover season.  I’ll give you whatever advice and help I can.”

“You mean--?”  His words were slow and halting.  “You really mean you want me to form and train a group of insurrectionists?”

“Exactly!”

“But, why wouldn’t you be the one to do it?”

“I’m from out of town.  I traveled a great distance to come here.  You live closer to the situation. And besides, you probably know more people than I do.”

At this point, the door opened and some would-be customers entered. Manaheem finished his water and set the jar down again as they were approaching.  In a voice all could hear, he said, “Thanks for the water, friend, and the conversation.  I really must be going.”

Then, in a quieter voice, directed only to Barabbas, “But, do think about what I told you. And, do be careful.”  In a moment he was gone.

************

Again, he was deep in thought as he approached his home.  Again, he was debating mentally the relative value of telling or not telling his wife.  Again, his thoughts were interrupted by the screaming of his dear children.

“Daddy!  Daddy! You’re home!”

“Shalom, Daddy!”

“Shalom yourselves, you little bunches o’ joy!”

“Did j' bring me somepin’, Daddy?  Did j'?”

“Sorry, sweetheart.  Daddy’s been so busy lately that--”

And again his beautiful wife appeared, smiling from ear to ear.

“Oh, there you are, you big brute!  Come over here, will y’!”   Again they embraced and their lips met.  “Mmmm!”

“Mmm!  Say, how soon before supper’s ready?  I’m starved!”

“It’ll be ready in just a few minutes, dear.  Come on, sit down and wash your tired feet.”  She returned to the kitchen.

“It’s my turn t’ help, now, Daddy!”

“Alright, Caleb.”

“And,” rang out Deborah’s voice from the kitchen, “It’s Ruth’s turn to get your slippers.  Now, no bickerin’ this time!”

“Yeah, Daddy, it’s my turn t’ get y'r slippers.”

“Alright, then, children, let’s get on with it!  An’ hurry up with that supper, Deborah!  I’m starved!”

The supper was eaten without much conversation, each person busily putting away his food.  After supper, Barabbas played with the children while Deborah worked in the kitchen.  Then, Deborah took the children and put them to bed, after which she returned to sit next to her husband.   “Well, dear,” she asked, “how was your day?”

“Oh, th’ same old thing.  Business was really slow.  Th’ sale of horseshoes has really fallen off lately.  Guess people aren’t travelin’ as much as they used to.”  He sighed and leaned his head on his hand.  “You know, Deborah, what with th’ taxes bein’ as high as they are, it’s gettin’ harder than ever to break even.”  She smiled at him.  “Well, dear, I’m sure we’ll make it somehow.  We always have.”

“Yes,” he sighed again, “we always have.  But who’s to say we’ll continue to do so?  If things keep on the way they are---”

“Th good LORD will see us through, dear.  He always has, hasn’t He?”

“Look, Deborah, I believe in th’ good LORD just as much as you do.  But th’ good LORD never intended for us t’ close our eyes and be blinded to what’s going on around us, now did He?”

“Really, Barabbas?  And just what is going on around us so much, anyhow?”

“You know!  The stupid tyrannical government we’re under —that Caesar there in Rome and his two puppets, Herod and Pilate.  They’re not out for th’ good of people!  None of ‘em are!  And---”

“Really, Barabbas! Must we go through all this again?  I’m well aware of your feelings about the government.”

“But, Deborah, dear, you need to wake up and grasp th’ seriousness of the situation.  Things ‘r’ gettin’ worse all the time!”

“Aw, you’re just sayin’ that!  You don’t know.”

“No, it’s true!  Why, just today I heard that Pilate has decided to take th’ raising of local taxes into his own hands, to try and make himself look good to those above him.  And that’s not all. His real ambition is to have Herod's position as well as his own.”

“Really?   And, where did you hear this?”

“Well, it’s common knowledge in th’ city.”

“First time I ever heard it.  But anyway,” she shrugged her shoulders, “So what?”

“What do you mean, ‘so what’?  He’ll be adding all kinds of extra taxes on us before we know it.  And when we can’t pay ‘em--”

“Oh, Barabbas, you worry too much!  I told you th’ good LORD will take care of us.”

But, the big man paid no attention to his wife’s rebuke.  He continued talking as if he had not heard her.  “And if he should get to take Herod's place, he’d have even more power than he does now and things would be even worse than they are.  People would have no recourse at all.”

“Well, dear,” she patted his hand, “there’s nothing we can do about it, except t’ pray, and leave it in th’ hands of th’ good LORD.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that, Deborah, dear.  Sometimes y’ have to do more than pray.  Sometimes y’ have to put feet t’ your prayers.”

“And just what do you mean by that?” She scowled.

“Ah, why, nothing, dear, nothing!  It’s just a proverb, that’s all.  Come on, let’s get ready for bed.”