Passover Promises

AuthorHouse

Chapter One

As usual the crowds were already streaming into a city that was overcrowded to begin with. Everyone came to be with family. As they were settling in everyone remarked about how grown up all the children were. The question of Bartemaus taking a bride was raised more than once and caused him to blush. He looked a lot like his father, people said. Eunice thought that he acted more like herself. Clovese and Silas tended to look more like their mother. Eunice was still petit, with flowing dark hair. Her hair was a little gray at the temples, bespeaking her nearly thirty-five years. Her lines were not from work, for she lived a relatively work-free life, but rather from the stress of living in her father-in-law's very strict home. She had learned over the years to say less and less and put up with more and more. All the children endured the kissing from aunts and the good-natured sense of family togetherness that flowed naturally from this side of the family.

And The Prophet was a topic of conversation among the adults: "Who does He think He is?" And among the children: "Have you seen Him? Have you heard Him speak?"

Actually, the adults were upset about what had happened while on the way into the city. Their passage had been delayed because this man, Yeshua, had decided to make a grand entrance into Jerusalem just as they were arriving. The crowds, many of whom had heard him speak on the hillsides outside of town, were excited about His arrival for the Passover. Zebulon and Amos had been disgusted by the show of homage the people displayed for this man. Many were being blasphemous by calling out "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." Clovese was excited when she saw children waving palm branches and had wanted to join them. Amos had forbidden it. Zebulon had stepped forward and demanded of The Prophet that He rebuke His disciples and these people. Yeshua had replied that if He silenced the people the stones would cry out. At that point, Zebulon began to hate this man in his heart.

The Jerusalem kin had already chosen a lamb without blemish and, as was the custom, it was living in the home that became more crowded when Zebulon's family of seven arrived. Clovese, Eunice and Amos' youngest child and only daughter, had adopted the lamb immediately and named it Buckwheat. Father Amos warned her not to get too attached to the animal and to remember that it was to be their sacrificial lamb for the feast. Clovese's cousin Becca thought it a splendid name and called the lamb Buckwheat also.

At dinner that evening, which Mara and Eunice had helped prepare, the discussion revolved around an incident in the temple. Bartemaus and Silas, who were older and, as Eunice said, harder to keep track of, had sneaked away when they entered the city. Now they told what they had seen. Yeshua had ridden the donkey He was on to the Temple. When He had gotten off, He had wept and then said that the enemies would destroy the Temple. "I think," said Bartemaus, "that He said the Temple would be destroyed because, '... you did not recognize the time of your visitation'. What do you suppose that meant?"

"But the best part," put in Silas, "was when he started turning over the tables of the money changers. Coins rolling everywhere and beggars diving for them and He with this righteous look crying out, 'My house shall be called a house of Prayer'." Silas was making the sounds and using a big voice like The Prophet.

"Sit down, Young Man!" intoned Zebulon.

"Well, it was the best part," said Silas contritely sitting back down.

"We found Great Uncle Caiaphas then and came home with him," finished Bartemaus.

The adults had grown oddly quiet concerning this discourse. It was finally Annas who spoke. He was Caiaphas' father-in-law. He was considered the head of the household because of his great age and wisdom. "I fear that we must watch carefully what develops concerning this Teacher. The people like Him. The people are not always right about where they put their loyalty. Yet this man speaks with authority. Bartemaus asks what is meant by 'our visitation'. It would seem the Man believes Himself to be more than a man." Annas sighed a deep sigh and shook his head. "Perhaps he will go the way of many other would-be Messiahs. Perhaps not. But the Roman government has been in our land for many years. It would not be wise to oppose them. They could easily crush us."

"But would the Lord allow that?" It was Mara's small voice asking the question.

Zebulon eyed her as he always did when she said something out of line. But it was Caiaphas who answered her question. "The chief priests throughout the centuries have had the awesome responsibility of conveying God's will to the people. It is through the office I hold that sacrifice is made to God on behalf of the people. The Romans have not terminated our Temple business. I believe that they know as long as we are able to function as a people we are less likely to rebel. Our ancestors were under the whip in Egypt. We could not offer sacrifice to God in a heathen place. The Roman's allow us the sacrifice. The Pharisees have helped us to see the law as it helps the people to moderate their lives in a Godly way. All of these things are well and good. But we must tread carefully so that the delicate balance we have established is not tipped. And in life, and during Passover especially, we have learned that the lamb must die to protect the people."

Clovese, whose arm was around Buckwheat, clutched the lamb closer. She wanted to protest but knew that she must not speak during the adult conversation.

"Sometimes it is expedient for one man to die, a man like the Zealot Barabbas perhaps, so that the Romans do not slaughter all the people," finished Caiaphas.

"So, Brother," spoke Zebulon, "you believe that if we throw the Romans a bone occasionally they will leave the rest of us alone?"

Annas answered, "We live in troubled times. But it is always sound policy to keep the rulers happy, either making bricks or paying taxes."

Silas blurted out suddenly, "But Yeshua says that ..."

Bartemaus gave him a look but Zebulon silenced him, "We will speak no more of this man who speaks of God and eats with sinners." He was referring to the day that Yeshua had the noon meal with their hated neighbor Zaccheus, the tax collector. So the conversation was over, all but the silent one that passed between the brothers Silas and Bartemaus.

* * *

On the second day of the week, Bartemaus asked if there was any marketing that he could do for his mother, grandmother and aunt to help their preparations for the Passover. They were all pleased that he had volunteered to do this and prepared a list. While the women discussed exactly what they needed, Eunice looked at her eldest child. He was no longer a child. He was the age Amos, his father, had been when he sought and won Eunice's hand in marriage. He was tall and handsome and strong. And she knew how the girl's in Jericho...