|
TITLE: The Samaritan By Michael Kivindu 04/07/06 |
 SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
SEND ARTICLE TO A FRIEND
|
While some artistic and historical licencehas been taken, i believe that this story is true to the essence, values and integrity of a sorythat is loved by millions of people worldwide.
Chapter 4
It now been six months since Josiah had first met Rebekah. Benjamin’s plan had worked without a hitch.
The plan was simple, implicate Phinehas as defaulting on his taxes, have him arrested and put to death by the Roman occupiers. Josiah patiently waited six months before he set his mind on getting Rebekah.
He could only be patient because he got to watch her everyday when she went to draw water from the well. At the beginning it was difficult for him because he could see on her face the pain that he had put her through the loss of her husband. He begun to think that maybe there was another way he could have approached the problem, after all could a woman love the man that had caused the death of her husband. But any doubt he fizzled away because one day as he was watching her, she turned her head and there eyes met and he knew immediately that he could win her over but that it would not be easy.
* * *
Rebekah knew that Josiah was the cause of her husband’s untimely demise and she knew that she should hate him and because of this she despised herself for having feeling for her husband’s murderer.
In the six months following her husbands death she had felt him watch her and tried with all her might not to turn to look at him, lest he see in her eyes the opening that she knew he sought. But know after six months of mourning for some reason beyond her she turned and returned his gaze.
* * *
It not long after , that out of respect for Rebekah , that Josiah decided to seek Uriah, her father to let him know of his intention to marry Rebekah.
When he arrived at Uriah’s house, he felt even before he entered the door that he was not welcome. But this did not bother him.
“Welcome Josiah” lied Uriah “To what honour do I merit your presence”
“I am here out of respect for your daughter Rebekah”
“Rebekah! What do you mean out of respect for Rebekah?”
“What I mean is that I intend to take her hand in marriage and I know your blessing would be important to her”
This time Uriah could not mask his emotions and anger flooded his being. “Do you think I would let my daughter marry a sinner such as you?” Uriah said. Then it finally dawned on him what Josiah had done. “It’s all so clear now, that’s is why you had Phinehas killed so that you could have my daughter all for the taking”
“I’m sorry. I think there has been a misunderstanding, I was not asking for your daughter hand in marriage.” He replied. “I was telling you that I will marry your daughter. And unless you want the same fate that befell Phinehas to fall upon other member of your house hold you will do as I say.”
On hearing this Uriah’s rage was quickly replaced with extreme anxiety for his family and daughters well being. “I entreat you Josiah not to marry my daughter unless you truly love her.”
“Love her, all that I have done is not out of longing, but for love.”
Uriah had no alternative but to abide by Josiah’s demands.
“I will give Rebekah my blessing, but not out of fear of you, but for the well being of my family.”
“You have made the right decision Uriah.”
“Before you leave there is must tell you” Uriah said, “that by your hard and impatient heart you hurt only yourself. Do not rely on your wealth; do not say I have power. Do not rely on your strength, in following the desires of your heart; do not say who can prevail against me? For the lord will exact punishment. When it happens do not say I have sinned yet what has befallen me? For the Lord bides his time. Of forgiveness be not over confident, adding sin upon sin. Do not say great is his mercy, my many sins he will forgive. For mercy and anger alike are with him, on the wicked will alight his wrath. Delay not your conversion to the Lord, do not put it of another day, for suddenly his wrath flames forth, at his time of vengeance you will be destroyed.
When Uriah had finished speaking, Josiah left without saying a word.
* * *
In the following days Josiah would try to speak to Rebekah and attempt to gain her hand in marriage but all his attempt were to no avail, for she would not speak to him let alone acknowledge his presence.
This went on for weeks at a time, until finally one day she finally acknowledged his persistence.
Josiah would say to her on that day as she was at the well drawing water
“Arise my love, my fair one and come away with me and be my wife. For the winter of your life is now passed. I adjure let me see your face, do not turn away from me yet again, let me hear your voice for it is sweet and your face is comely.”
“How long will you torment me and break me into pieces with words” said Rebekah “I entreat you to turn your eyes away from me for they trouble me”
“I can not turn away, I will hold you and not let you go until you set me as a seal upon your heart , as a seal upon your arm; for my love for you is stronger than death; my jealousy more cruel than the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench my love, neither can floods drown it. If I offered all the wealth of my house for love, would it not be utterly scorned?”
“O that you were like a brother to me that nursed on my mother’s breasts!” said Rebekah “If I met you outside, I would kiss you and none would despise me. I adjure you Josiah that you neither stir up nor awaken love until it please.”
“You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride; you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes. I know my beloved that love is stirred up within you or my words would not break you to pieces nor would my eyes trouble you”
“Your speech is most sweet and you are altogether desirable. What you say is true. My desire is to be your wife”
Chapter 5
“This is my beloved this is my friend, who shines forth like the dawn, fair as the moon, bright as the Sun.” were the words Josiah used to describe Rebekah at the wedding ceremony.
When it came time for Uriah to speak this is what he said, “Things such as this come from the Lord: of these things we cannot speak to you of good or bad. Behold Josiah here is you beloved, here is your betrothed, take and let her be your wife as the Lord has willed.”
* * *
Now there was a certain prophet of the Lord in Sycar named Nathan. On the day of the betrothal the Lord said to him in a vision.
“Nathan.”
And he said, “Here I am Lord”
And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to a street named straight and inquire in the house for a man named Josiah he has been chosen.”
But Nathan answered, “Lord I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done for his own selfish gain and he has the authority from Rome to decide who lives or dies.”
But the Lord said, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to spread good will into the hearts of men.”
So Nathan departed and entered the house of Josiah, where the betrothal ceremony was taking place. All who knew him wondered what the prophet was doing there. He asked for Josiah and Uriah pointed him out. Josiah was sitting by Rebekah and he watched as the prophet walked towards him
Nathan wasted no time, he begun to speak, “There were once two men in a certain city, one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb which he had bought. And the poor man brought it up, and it grew up with him and his children; it used to eat from his plate and it would drink from his cup and it would lie in his bosom and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveller to the rich man and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or heard to prepare for the traveller who had come to him, but he took the poor mans lamb to the traveller. I ask you Josiah, what you think should happen to this man?
“The man that has done this surely deserves to be punished and should return the lamb fourfold because he has done this thing and he had no pity.”
“Are you so blind that you do not see the truth of the matter,” replied Nathan.” The Lord has sent me to open your eyes such that you may see.”
And laying his hands on him, what looked like scales dropped from his eyes and immediately Josiah saw that he was the rich man and that Phinehas was the poor man in the story Nathan had just told and suddenly he was flooded with such guilt and sadness that he stood up and left the house running. Rebekah tried to stop him but it was to no avail, he was gone and she could not have understood what had just happened.
Josiah just ran and ran, before long he was at the temple in Samaria. There was only one other person in the temple at the time and he did not look pleased to see Josiah in the temple after all wasn’t he a public sinner considered no better than a leper.
Josiah stood in the distance and would not even raise his head to heaven but beat his chest and said, “O God have pity on me, O my God. I am ashamed to lift my head up to my God. My iniquities have risen higher than my head, my guilt mounted up to the heavens.”
“O lord I pray that you do not rebuke me in your anger or chasten me in your wrath! For your arrows have sunk deep into me and your hand weighs heavy upon me. Behold O lord for I am in distress, my soul is in tumult, my heart is wrung within me because I have been very rebellious.
As Josiah left the temple he found Benjamin waiting for him outside.
“How did you find me?” He asked
“I followed you best I could after you rushed out of the house. I only just managed to see you run into the temple. At first I thought I was mistaken, after all what would men like us want in the temple for I know that as long both you and I have lived we have never set foot in any temple nor raised our voice to the Lord, said Benjamin. “But know that my fear has been confirmed, I am curious to know what has know changed that could cause you to turn to the temple and not to me?”
“When I ran out of the house, I had no intention of coming to the temple, it’s where my spirit lead me and as for why I turned to the Lord it is because before know I gloried in earthly things, but know I know that there is a way that seems right to a man, but it’s end is death. I have also seen that one is never out of site heaven or too far to be heard. The Lord has seen my sins. I have raised my voice to heaven and it has been heard”
Benjamin begun to wonder if the seer he had seen Josiah speak to had placed a curse on Josiah. He intended to find out; he excused himself and went to the one place he knew he would find the seer.
Chapter 6
Josiah headed back to Rebekah or at least he tried to, he knew he would not be able to face her following his amazingly fast acquisition of a conscience, so instead of going to see her and try explain what had just happened he ended walking around the city.
As Josiah passed around the city Benjamin stole his way towards the one place he knew he would find the prophet, that place was at the centre of the city. Nathan could normally be fond there prophesying to anyone and everyone who would heed the word of the Lord. At that moment he was saying something about the stone that the builder rejected becoming the cornerstone, Benjamin had no idea what he meant by that. But he did not care for he had other matters on his mind to attend to.
He approached Nathan and said, “Nathan you dog what you have done to Josiah is appalling! Why have you placed a curse on him and turned him into a ranting mad man seeking for forgiveness from a God that does not even exist”
“Is that really what you believe Benjamin? For only a fool says in his heart there is no God, but even so many believe that God is one and they do well, but even demons believe and tremble at his name.”
Benjamin knew that Nathan could see that he did actually believe in God.
“I did not come here to debate the existence of God,” replied Benjamin “I came here with one goal in mind and that goal is for you to undo whatever it is you have done to Josiah, a man that I liked perfectly that is until you came along.”
“Can I undo what the Lord God has done,” Nathan said “of course not, but I tell you Josiah loved the things of the world, and I tell you do not love world or the things of the world, for if anyone loves the world, love for the father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust for flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father but of the world. And the world passes away and the lust of it, but the person who does the will of the Lord, the will of the lord that Josiah now knows that person abides forever.”
Benjamin thought over what Nathan had said for awhile and the he responded, “The way of your God if he exists is not just, saving some and leaving others to there own devices, where is the justice in this?
“You say the way of the Lord is not just,” Nathan said “when it is your way that is not just. When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity he shall die for it. And when the wicked turns away from his wickedness and does what is lawful and right he shall live by it. Yet you say the Lord is not just. I tell you the Lord will judge each man according to his own way. For as I live says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but I would rather the wicked turn from his way and live, turn back from your evil ways. Seek the Lord and live.”
“But how can a man be just before God? What is man that he can be clean? Or he that is born of woman, that he can be righteous? Consider that God puts no trust in his angels and even the heavens are not clean in his sight, how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks iniquity like water?”
“O that you would keep silent and that would be your wisdom” Nathan said “Can you find out the things of God? Can you find out the limit of the Almighty? It is higher than heaven… what can you do? Deeper than Sheol… what can you know? Its measure is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. If he passes through and imprisons and calls into judgment who can hinder him?”
As they spoke Josiah had continued to walk around the city until eventually he happened upon Benjamin and Nathan as they spoke as he approached them Nathan so him approach and said, “Behold the old has passed away and the new has come”
“Benjamin what are you doing here,” asked Josiah
Out of desperation Benjamin told the truth “I came here to tell this charlatan to undo the curse he has placed upon you”
“Charlatan, this man is no charlatan he is a prophet of the Most High God…”
Nathan interrupted him and said, “Be not angry Josiah, for when we are reviled, we bless, when persecuted we endure, when slandered, we try to conciliate, we have become and are the refuse of the world, the off scouring of all things”
“Listen to me Josiah and pay heed to my advice” Benjamin said, “This man has placed a curse upon you, let us leave know and find somebody to lift it and return to Rebekah”
“Why should my liberty be determined by another mans scruples”
“Is that directed to me or Nathan” asked Benjamin
“It is directed to you Benjamin” replied Nathan “Is it not true that you should be careful of one who proffers advise, that first you should fin out what he wants for e maybe thinking of himself, why should the profit befall him.”
“Why do you question me and not Nathan?”
“Because I do so not seeking my own advantage, but that of many” said Nathan answering Benjamin’s question
Benjamin now seeing that he was losing the battle for Josiah came up with the idea to bring someone, someone who could counter Nathan’s words and he knew just the person that could do that.
‘Wait here Josiah’ said Joseph, ‘I shall soon return with one who can show you the folly of your ways and that this man Nathan knows not what he speaks of’
As both Nathan and Josiah waited for Benjamin’s return, Benjamin went and sought a man named Simon. Now Simon was a man who for some time had astounded the Samaritans with his magic. He claimed that he was some one great and everyone on the city, from all classes of society paid close attention to him. ‘He has that great power of God known as ‘the great power,’ they said. He had astounded them with his magic for such a long time that they paid great attention to him.
Benjamin went to this man, Simon hoping to convince him to speak against Nathan to Josiah and of course Simon agreed to this, but true to his nature he asked for a sizeable fee in return for his services.
As Benjamin returned with Simon to where he had left Josiah and the prophet, Josiah recognized Simon and said to Nathan, ‘look it is Simon, does he not have the power known as ‘the great power’ a prophet of God like yourself’
‘That man is no man of God,’ said Nathan, ‘he is nothing but a false prophet and a deceiver of men. Beware of false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but they are really like wolves on the inside.’
‘But how can tell one false prophet from the other. Is it not true that you to could be a false prophet’
‘You shall know by the way they act. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, briars do not bear figs. A healthy tree bears good fruit, while a poor tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit and a poor tree cannot bear good fruit. The tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in fire. So then you will know false prophets by the way they act.’
Once Simon and Benjamin reached the both of them Simon wasted no time and spoke at once saying, ‘My brother Nathan why do deceive this poor man, why do you prophecy lies against him, for from the very moment Benjamin spoke concerning this man I received a vision from God and in that vision Josiah had done no wrong and was considered righteous before the Lord, in that vision I also so Josiah and his wife Rebekah raising children. Thus says the Lord’
‘Listen to the words of the Lord’ replied Nathan, ‘Am I not a God at hand, says the Lord and not a God far off. Can a man hide in secret places so that I cannot see him? Says the Lord, Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? Says the Lord. I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’ how long shall there be lies in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy lies and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart, who think to make my people forget my name by their dreams which they tell one another, even as their fathers forgot my name for Baal? Let the prophet who has dreams tell the dream, but let him who has the dream, tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? Says the Lord. Is not my word like fire and like a hammer which breaks rocks into pieces? Therefore behold I am against the prophets says the Lord, who steal words from one another. Behold says the Lord I am against the prophets who use their tongue to say, ‘says the Lord’ behold says the Lord I am against those who prophecy lying dreams, says the Lord and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and recklessness, when I did not send them; so they do not profit this people at all.’ Thus says the Lord
‘But as for me’ continued Nathan, ‘I am filled with power, with the spirit of the Lord and with justice and might to declare what is revealed by the Lord’
Simon saw that the spirit of the Lord was truly with Nathan and offered money to him and said, ‘Give this power to me that I may also declare all that is revealed by the Lord’
‘May you and your money go to hell, for thinking that you can buy Gods gift with money! You have no part or share in his work, because your heart is not right in Gods sight. Repent then from this evil plan of yours and pray to the Lord that he may forgive you for thinking such a thing as this. For I see that you are full of envy and are a prisoner of sin.’
‘Please pray for me to the Lord that none of these things may happen to me’
On hearing these things Josiah said, ‘ Heal me Lord and I shall be healed: save me and I shall be saved for you are my praise, for I now know the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately corrupt, who can understand it? The lord searches the mind and tries the heart, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.’
‘Blessed is the man who trusts the Lord’ said Nathan ‘For he is like a tree planted by water, that sends its roots by the stream and does not fear when the heat comes, for it’s leaves remain green and is not anxious in the year of drought for it does not fail to bear fruit.’
Benjamin watched all this take place at first his was stunned at what had just happened for the very man he had brought to trap Nathan had fallen into Nathan’s trap, his anger was aroused, ‘Simon I called you hear to negate Nathan’s vision and all you have done is affirmed this mans rhetoric’
‘Behold the oracle of a man whose eyes have been opened’ replied Simon, ‘the oracle of one who know hears the word of God and knows the knowledge of the Most High, God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man that he should repent. He has said and will he not do it? Or has he spoken and will he not fulfil it’
Then Simon left to start out his life anew.
Following Simon’s departure Benjamin was at a loss and did not know what to do next and he was filled with anger towards the Lord.
‘Thus says the Lord,’ Nathan said ‘Cursed is the man who puts his trust in man and makes flesh his arm, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the perched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land.’
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Benjamin and behold Benjamin was leprous, as white as snow. And Josiah turned to Benjamin and behold he was leprous.
Josiah asked Nathan to pray for Benjamin such that he may be healed.
But the Lord said to Nathan, ‘Should not this man be shamed for what he has done, but should he repent will he not be forgiven.’
Nathan told Benjamin to repent, but he would not listen even to the pleas of his bosom companion.
‘Worry not for your friend’ Nathan said, ‘for a time is soon coming when he shall see a light and repent and be given life’
‘Why should a light be given to him that is in misery and life to him who is bitter in soul, who longs for death, but it comes not and digs for it more than hid treasures, who rejoice exceedingly and are glad when they find the grave?’ Benjamin said, ‘Why will light be given to a man whose way is hid, whom the Lord has hedged in? For my sighing comes before my bread and my groaning are poured out like water. For the thing that I fear most has come upon me and what I dread befalls me. I am not at ease nor am I quiet; I have no rest for trouble has come’
‘Be not weary of heart,’ Nathan said ‘For behold happy is the man whom God reproves, therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty, for he wounds but he binds up, he smites, but his hands heal’
‘But why us, are we no more than fools?’ asked Josiah
‘Because God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, because God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong, because God has chosen what is low and despised in the world. For the Lord knows the plans he has for you, plans for welfare and not evil, to give you a future and a hope, then you will call upon him and pray to him and he will hear you, you will seek him and you will find him, when you seek him with all your heart he will be found by you’
‘Do you promise it will happen as you say?’
‘The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure, but you must be careful not to doubt for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that a double minded man unstable in all his ways will receive anything from the Lord’
’Tell me, what must I do to find the Lord’
‘Keep your life free from the love of money and be content with what you have. You shall not steal, nor deal falsely with anyone. You shall not oppress your neighbour or rob him. You shall do no injustice in judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great. You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason with your neighbour, lest you bear sin because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear any grudge against your neighbour, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself’
‘Now listen to me Josiah, there is a voice of one crying in the wilderness; the voice of one saying prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. Go to this voice and receive the baptism of water’
‘But how do I know if I will be accepted’
‘If you do well, you will you not be accepted? But if you do not do well be careful for sin is waiting at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.’
At this point Josiah and Benjamin parted ways but they would meet again.
Chapter 7
Josiah was now headed out to find the voice of one crying of one crying in the wilderness, whom he had since leaned was called John, John the baptizer. As he was travelling on his donkey, he thought of how he had left things with Rebekah.
He had told her the truth of everything he had done, although she already thought as much he told her how he had falsely accused her first husband and as a consequence caused his demise. He tried to placate her but it was to no avail.
‘A desire fulfilled is sweet to the soul’ he had said ‘but to turn away from evils an abomination to fools, but this one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what is ahead. I press toward the goal, for the prize of the upward call of the Lord.’
‘How will you comfort me with empty nothings?’ she said ‘there is nothing left of your words but falsehood, for I now know that your love is like a morning cloud, like the dew that goes away early.’
‘I am truly sorry Rebekah but all I do from right know is by faith’
‘Faith, what is faith?’
‘You ask me what faith is, faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by faith men of old received heavenly approval. By faith it is understood that the world was created by the word of God, so that which is seen was made by things that do not appear. And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell you of all the great men in the past who by faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, received promises, stopped mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war and put foreign armies to flight.’
* * *
It so happened as Josiah was travelling that a certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road and when he saw him passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
Josiah’s thoughts about Rebekah were broken when he discovered the man lying half dead on the side of the road. Josiah was filled with compassion for the man and without hesitation; he dismounted his donkey and went to the aid of the man.
He unpacked the oil and wine he had packed for the journey and carefully poured the oil and wine on the mans wounds, he then cut up strips of cloth from his clothing and used them to bound up the mans wounds. The man stayed unconscious through the whole process.
He then took the man and with some difficulty mounted him on the donkey and took him to an inn. He took a room and with the help of the inn keeper placed him in a room. Josiah spent the whole night tending to the man’s wounds.
The next day the man had not regained consciousness, so he took some silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper and told him to look after him till he returned and that whatever more he may spend would be repaid on his return.
Seeing that he was close to Jerusalem Josiah had decided to go and find John. He asked the inn keeper if he knew where he could find him.
‘John the baptizer you say, yes I do know where you can find him, but you would do well to keep clear of him for he is nothing more than a mad man whose clothes are made of camel hair and lives in the desert feeding on locusts and wild honey. And worst of all he does not drink any wine, I mean what man in his right mind drinks no wine’ said the inn keeper only half serious
‘His appearance is of no importance to me, for while man may look at the outer appearance, God sees what is inside, so will you tell me where I can find this man’
‘The man you seek teaches by the river Jordan on a regular basis, go there and you are sure to find him.’
On his way to the Jordan he met with a man who happened to be one of John’s disciples. He asked the disciple whose name was Andrew all he knew of John.
I shall start from the very beginning at the time when Herod was king of Judea. There was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly order of Abiah. He’s wife’s name was Elizabeth; she too belonged to a priestly family. They both lived good lives in God’s sight and obeyed fully all the Lord’s commandments and rules. They had no children because Elizabeth was barren and she and Zechariah were both very old.
Now one day as Zechariah was serving as priest before God when his order was on duty according to the custom of the priesthood, it fell to him by lot to burn the incense on the altar. So he went up into the temple of the Lord, while the crowd of people outside prayed during the hour of burning incense. During all this an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar, the side where the incense was burned. When Zechariah saw him he was troubled and felt afraid.
But the angel said to him, ‘do not be afraid, Zechariah! The Lord God has heard your prayer and you and your wife Elizabeth will bear a son. You are to name him John. How glad and happy you will be and how happy many others will be when he is born! For he will be a great man in the Lord’s sight. He must not drink any wine or strong drink. From the child’s very birth he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. He will go as God’s messenger, strong and mighty like the prophet Elijah. He will bring fathers and children back together, he will also turn the disobedient people back to the way of thinking of the righteous; he will get the Lord’s people ready for him.’
But Zechariah said to the angel. ‘How shall it be so? I am an old man and my wife to is old.’
The angels’ anger was roused against Zechariah and he said, ‘I am Gabriel, I stand in the presence of the Lord God, who sent me to speak to you and tell you of this good news. But you have not believed my message, which will come true of its own time. Now because you have not believed you will be struck dumb; you will not be able to say a word until the day when the thing I have told you comes true.’
As all this was happening the people were waiting for Zechariah, wondering why he was spending such a long time in the temple. When he came out and they perceived that he could not speak, they knew that he had seen a vision in the temple. He was forced to make signs to them with his hands, seeing that he was unable to say a word knew that he had seen a vision in the temple. He was forced to make signs with his hands, seeing that he was unable to speak.
When Zechariah’s period of service came to an end he returned home. Sometime later his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and she did not leave the house for five months.
‘Now at least the Lord the Lord has helped me in this way’ she said ’He has taken away my public disgrace!’
When the time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbours and relatives heard how wonderfully good the Lord had been to her and they rejoiced with her.
When the baby was a week old they came to circumcise him; they were going to name him Zechariah after his father.
But his mother said, ’No! His name will be John.’
They said to her, ‘But you do not have a single relative under this name.’ as it was there custom to name a child after a relative.
Then they made signs to the father asking him what he would like his son to be named. Zechariah asked for writing material and wrote, ‘His name is John’. How surprised they all were!
At that moment Zechariah was able to speak again and he started praising God.
All who were there were filled with fear and the news about these things spread through the hill country of Judea. All who heard of it thought and asked, ‘Who is this child going to be?’ For it was plain that the Lords power was with him.
The boy named John grew and became strong in spirit; he lived in the desert until he appeared publicly to all the people of Israel.
When they arrived at the river Jordan, there was a large multitude of people. In the midst of them stood a man whose voice echoed in all the surrounding areas of the Jordan.
John was preaching of the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And there went to him all the country of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan confessing their sins.
And he preached saying, as it is written in the words of prophet Isaiah, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness; prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’
He said therefore to the multitude that came to be baptized by him, although Josiah felt like his words were spoken directly to him. “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to turn from the wrath to come? Bare fruits that befit repentance and do not begin to say to yourselves ’we have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you God is able to raise for himself children from these very stones to Abraham. Even know the axe is laid to the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown to the fire.”
A man sitting next to Josiah asked him, ‘what then shall we do?’
And he answered him, ‘He that has two coats, let him share with him who has none; and he who has food let him do likewise’
In the multitude there were tax collectors other than Josiah, he had recognized some of them.
One of the tax collectors asked, ‘teacher what shall we do?’
‘Collect no more than is appointed to you’
There were also soldiers, who asked him, ‘And what shall we do?’
‘Rob no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.’
After listening to John speak Josiah knew what he had to do. He returned first to the inn where he had left the man who had fallen to thieves had regained consciousness.
He had after all regained consciousness and was very grateful to Josiah.
‘I am Saul of Tarsus’ he said
‘And I am Josiah’ he replied
It was then that Saul realized that he was speaking to a Samaritan. He was not pleased.
‘You are a Samaritan!’ he said ‘You have touched me and made me unclean.’
Josiah was not really surprised by the mans reaction. What got to him was the apparent disgust in Saul’s voice.
‘Nothing is unclean I itself’ Josiah said, ‘but unclean for one who makes it so.’
‘You are a Samaritan and I am a Jew, this is how I have lived from childhood. From the beginning I have spent my whole life in my own country and in Jerusalem and have never in all my life come into contact with a Samaritan. From the very first I have lived as a member of the strictest party of our religion, I have lived as a Pharisee, so do not speak to me of what is unclean for you yourself are unclean. But for me this still begs the question, why did you a Samaritan help me, a Jew?’
‘I helped you because you were in need, what you are makes no difference to me for God shows no partiality. There is neither Jew or Samaritan, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for we are all one under the Lord.’
‘You are a fool for believing that for there is no way under heaven that you and I are equals. For while a Jew walks in light, a Samaritan walks in darkness.’
‘He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. He who loves his brother abides in light and in it there is no cause for stumbling. But he who hates his brother is on darkness and does not know where he is going because darkness has blinded his eyes.’
‘Infidel, you dare preach to me!’ said Saul, ’what knowledge do you posses. There is no knowledge of God in you; there is nothing left in your mouth but the deceit of your own heart.’
‘You judge me for judgment is without mercy to one who has no mercy; yet mercy triumphs over judgment, o magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he answered me and delivered me from my fears. Look to him and be radiant, so your face shall never be ashamed.’
‘I called on the name of the Lord from the depths of death and he did hear my plea, he did not close his ear to my cry of help, he did come near when I called on him and said to me ‘do not fear’. The Lord took up my cause and redeemed my life. He sees the wrong done to me. The Lord judges my cause, o Lord judge between me and this Samaritan.’
‘I am an evergreen cypress, from me comes good fruit. If you are wise, understand these things, if you are discerning, then know them. For the ways of the Lord are right and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them and you my friend are stumbling’
Saul in his anger said, ‘if I were not in my weakened state I would have killed you at this very moment, but I assure if I am ever to see you again you shall truly rue that day’
With that Josiah left Saul in his anger. He paid the innkeeper his dues and returned to find John the Baptist.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.