Martha (9 page)

Saffira shook her head sadly. “I know we must do this, for both your sakes, Shua, but you are my only child. When will I see you again? I pray our message reaches my sister and her family in Hebron. I only told them to expect you and your new husband. I told them nothing else. You will have to deal with that when you arrive.”

“I am grateful for all you and Father have done. You will see me again. I will send you word when we have arrived safely. We will be all right, I promise.” Then she added softly, “I love him, Mother.”

Martha listened to their whispered conversation and felt her heart soften toward Shua. Had she herself not contemplated a life far from her own family with Thaddeus? How could she judge Shua?

As they neared the entrance to the city, Lazarus noted the crowds moving toward the Temple.

Lazarus frowned. “What is happening? The Festival is over.” They stopped at a fruit seller's stall. “Why are the people gathering again at the Temple?”

The man shook his head and shrugged. “That rabbi is back, the one that caused such chaos in the Temple at Passover. He came the last day of Sukkoth and now teaches in the courtyard of the Gentiles. It is said he heals all who come to him.” He looked furtively around. “I myself think he is a sorcerer.”

Lazarus raised his eyebrows but thanked the man and turned to Martha. “Perhaps you women should go to the home of our cousin, Hanniel, with Tekoa. If there is trouble, we don't want him around any Roman soldiers. I will seek out a scribe and obtain the bill of divorcement for Shua. Then we will have to find a rabbi willing to perform the wedding ceremony.”

They all agreed that, to explain the hasty wedding, they would say Tekoa must travel to Hebron to begin his apprenticeship with a relative and wanted to take his bride with him.

Hanniel was surprised to see his relatives again.

Martha nodded to him. “Peace be upon this house.”

When Martha told him their purpose, he glanced at his wife and shrugged. “It has been a long time since we have had a wedding. How can we refuse two young people our hospitality?” He agreed to allow the wedding in their courtyard.

Martha presented the date and raisin cakes she'd packed. Saffira brought fresh bread and two bottles of wine. Sherah went to her storage room to see what else she could prepare quickly. Hanniel hurried to find two other men to hold the canopy, if Lazarus and Neziah could find a rabbi who would come. Tekoa sank down on a bench in a corner of the courtyard, looking bewildered and saying little. Shua went to sit beside him, shyly looking at his face. He finally turned to her and they began to talk in hushed tones.

The group waited anxiously for Lazarus and Neziah to return. Martha feared another scene in the Temple with the unknown rabbi like the one that had occurred at Passover. As she looked around at the others, she saw concern on their faces as well.

Her relief was almost palpable when Lazarus and Neziah returned and Rabbi Abraham was with them. Lazarus slipped the bill of divorcement into Shua's hand. She looked at him a long moment, bereft of words, and her eyes pooled with tears as she tucked the document in her bundle of clothing. While the rabbi glanced at Shua with raised eyebrows, he did not question her. Lazarus murmured to Martha that Neziah had paid the rabbi well to perform the wedding.

The rabbi looked around nervously. “I must return to the Temple as soon as possible. That strange new rabbi is stirring up trouble among the people. I pray he does not feel the need to cause another riot in the Temple courtyard.”

Martha saw her brother lift his eyebrows in interest and glance eagerly toward the Temple. What was he thinking?

Some of the neighbors arrived and two young men along with Lazarus and Hanniel held the canopy. Neziah led Shua around its perimeters and finally entrusted her to Tekoa.

It was the shortest wedding ceremony Martha could remember, and the most solemn. The rabbi had hardly finished the ceremony when he took his leave and hurried back to the Temple. The few guests wished the young couple well and, after partaking of the less-than-bountiful array of food and wine, left for their homes. Martha sensed that Neziah was embarrassed to marry off his only child in this way. Shua's mother had no doubt dreamt of the day her daughter would marry, with joyful music and dancing. The parents put on a brave front and smiled until the last guest was gone, then Saffira burst into tears. Neziah tried to comfort her, but Martha could see by his face he was in need of comfort himself.

Tekoa and Shua gathered their things, and Saffira wept openly as she embraced her daughter for the last time. Neziah embraced his daughter briefly and turned to Tekoa, his face stern, almost harsh. “I don't know you well, young man, but you are now my daughter's husband. I entrust you with her care.”

Tekoa nodded to his new father-in-law and, drawing himself up, bravely faced the group. “I will take good care of Shua. I do love her. I apologize for all the trouble I have put you all through.” He turned to Lazarus. “Not many men would do as you have done. I will remember your kindness to Shua and me the rest of my life.” He turned back to Neziah. “When we get to Hebron, I will send word of our safe arrival.”

It was a long speech for Tekoa, and Neziah put a hand on his shoulder. “That is good. We will look for word from you.” He reached into his belt and pulled out a small leather pouch. “You will need this for food and lodging. Keep it out of sight and be sure to find safe lodging before darkness falls.”

Tekoa stared at the pouch and then took it from Neziah's hand. “I will be careful with it.”

The young couple thanked Hanniel and Sherah for their kindness and hospitality and, with a final wave to all, went through the gate and, in moments, were lost in the crowd.

Martha watched them go, praying silently that God would watch over them and give them a safe journey.

Hanniel turned to Lazarus. “Will you stay the night? You are more than welcome.”

Lazarus glanced quickly at Martha. “We thank you for your kind offer and all you have done, but Mary is home alone and we must return as soon as possible.”

Hanniel sighed and glanced at his wife. “Much is going on in Jerusalem these days. Be careful, my young friend; may God go with you.”

As soon as they were out of sight of the house of Hanniel, Lazarus turned toward the Temple.

Martha's eyes widened in alarm. She reached out and put a hand on her brother's arm. “My brother, we need to go home. Mary is there alone.”

Lazarus brushed off her hand. “Mary will be fine, and besides, you know you are curious as well.” He grinned at her outrageously.

“Lazarus, what are you doing?”

“I wish to hear this new rabbi. I have heard stories in the marketplace of things he has done.” He turned to Martha and there was excitement in his voice. “I heard from someone who has seen those things that the fruit seller was right—this man performs miracles of healing wherever he goes.”

Martha shook her head and her apprehension grew. She covered her head with her shawl and struggled to keep up with Lazarus, who was pushing his way through the crowd like a donkey headed for his stall.

 13 

Martha stayed close to her brother as he worked his way through the crowd. Finally he was only about thirty feet from Jesus. Lazarus pulled Martha to the shadow of a pillar where they could slip away easily if there was trouble and yet they could clearly hear what the rabbi was saying.

She studied the rabbi. What was there about him that caused such interest? He was somewhat tall and his hair was parted in the middle after the custom of the Nazarenes, his complexion made darker by long hours in the sun. His beard was thick and fell to his shoulders in tight waves. His appearance was not unpleasant. His eyes were like dark mysterious pools, now flashing, now filled with compassion. He did not appear to be a charlatan but a man intent on motivating his audience. She leaned against the pillar and listened.

Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees. “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these are they which testify of me. But you are not willing to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men, but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in my Father's name and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?”

The leaders murmured among themselves and cast him hard looks but did not reply. They turned on their heels and stalked away from him. He shook his head sadly and turned to the people.

Lazarus questioned the man next to him. “The leaders seem upset. Has he done anything wrong?”

“You just arrived. Jesus healed a paralyzed man by the pool of Bethesda, near the Sheep Gate.”

“He has healed before, so I've heard. Why would this infuriate them?”

The man sighed. “Jesus did it on the Sabbath. It is unlawful to heal on the Sabbath.”

Lazarus looked at Martha and back to the man. “Jesus did another miracle, caused a paralyzed man to walk, and they are angry because he did it on the Sabbath?”

“That is what happened.”

“Thank you for your information, friend.”

There was a stir among the crowd as people began to bring the sick and crippled to Jesus. Lazarus and Martha watched incredulously along with the crowd, who gasped and applauded each miracle as if they were watching a performance. Martha stood transfixed by what she saw. Jesus had only to touch them and they walked away healed. Who was this man, she asked herself? What power did he have and where did it come from if not from God?

Martha
.

The voice was gentle and she looked around to see who was speaking to her.

It came again.
Martha
.

Just then the rabbi looked directly at her, and while he didn't speak out loud, she heard the words.

I'm coming to your house today.

She was dumb with astonishment.

The crowd began to disperse when they realized the rabbi was going to leave the Temple courtyard. Before Martha could stop him, Lazarus strode forward and stood in front of the rabbi. She couldn't hear what Lazarus said to him, but suddenly Jesus smiled and put a hand on Lazarus's shoulder, nodding his head.

When Lazarus returned to where Martha was standing, he grinned. “Let us return quickly to Bethany. I have invited Jesus and his disciples to come to our home.”

Martha looked at him incredulously. “I'm to prepare a meal for all of them?”

“Cooking is what you do best, Martha. Come.”

Her sputtering was to no avail. In moments they were out of the Temple, and once again Martha could hardly keep up with Lazarus as he eagerly set out for home. She shook her head. He had invited this strange rabbi and his disciples, and she would have to honor his invitation and feed their guests. With a sigh she set her mind to figuring out what she had on hand and what she could prepare quickly. Then she thought of Mary. Was she better or worse since they left this morning? If she was still not feeling well, she wouldn't be much help. Martha would have to do it all herself. Suddenly she couldn't wait to get home and tell Mary who was coming.

They were both out of breath when they reached their gate, and Lazarus went directly to the storeroom to see how much wine they had on hand. Martha saw Mary sitting on her favorite bench, waiting for them.

“Mary, I need you. We are having guests for dinner. Are you well enough to help me?”

“I am much better, sister. Who is coming to our home?”

“The rabbi who has been doing miracles around the countryside. Your brother invited him . . . and his disciples. There will be thirteen of them and they are on their way.”

“Jesus is coming to our home?” Mary's face lit up with joy. “I have heard of him. The whole village is talking about the miracles he does.”

“Well, it will take a miracle to get ready for all of them. Go and find all the cushions you can and lay them around the table. I'll start a lentil stew. Bring the basket of dates and the goat cheese in the stone jar. Then gather some leeks from the garden.”

As Mary hurried away to do her bidding, Martha gathered garlic, dill, mustard seeds, vinegar, and olive oil. She sliced the cucumbers she'd picked the day before into cubes and put them in a bowl with olives, red wine vinegar, and chopped dill. She sprinkled the cucumber with crumbled goat cheese and set the bowl hastily on the table. Then she put out two loaves of bread and sent Mary to get another loaf from a neighbor.

As the lentils cooked, she added coriander seeds, bay leaves, salt, and vinegar, along with olive oil and garlic.

Mary no sooner completed one task when Martha gave her another. “See how many date cakes we have in the other stone jar.” She looked heavenward and prayed there would be enough to go around. There were fifteen cakes. She breathed a sigh of relief.

True to her word, Mary had fed the animals, saving Lazarus time. He quickly set wooden cups and pitchers of wine on the table.

There was a gentle knock at the gate. They were here!

Lazarus opened the gate.

The rabbi smiled warmly. “Peace be upon this house.”

Lazarus welcomed Jesus and his disciples to their home. Martha glanced at the men who traveled with Jesus. They looked weary and she regretted her unkind thoughts earlier. Could she not show hospitality to a man of God and his followers? When had they last had a good meal? With renewed vigor, she went about her tasks.

As the men settled in the courtyard, speaking quietly among themselves, Jesus smiled at Martha. “It is good of you to let us partake of your bounty. Let me introduce my disciples.”

As Martha stood quietly, Lazarus came to stand by her side. Mary hurried over to join them.

“This is Matthew, our record keeper. He used his pen for Herod once, gathering your hard-earned money, but now he writes down what he sees for our records. We couldn't do without him.”

Matthew was a burly man, not tall, but with a piercing gaze that told Martha he missed little around him. A tax collector? Martha held the smile on her face. Obviously the man had made a great change in his life to follow Jesus. Matthew nodded to them.

“This is James and his brother John, my sons of thunder. Once they fished the sea, but now they are fishers of men.”

The two men smiled in acknowledgment. Martha could see the family resemblance in their dark auburn hair, their almost square chins and bushy eyebrows that shadowed piercing brown eyes. They were like two controlled bodies of energy, and she had no doubt that Jesus had to keep an eye on them.

“This is Thomas.”

The young man grinned at the three of them and bowed his head briefly in acknowledgment. Martha noted that his eyes rested the longest on Mary. To Martha's dismay, Mary was returning his gaze with delight. He was almost as tall as Lazarus, with curly black hair that threatened to cover his eyes. His smile was warm and open and Martha found herself liking him.

“This is Peter and his brother, Andrew. They were also fishermen and still help to feed us when we are near the sea.”

Andrew gave them a friendly smile. Martha sensed that he was a trustworthy man who said what he thought. Peter, on the other hand, was a big man with great arms from hauling in fishing nets. His dark hair, barely held back by his headband, threatened to spill into his face. Martha sensed power there, subdued perhaps around Jesus, but she wondered if he had a temper. He wouldn't be a man to be crossed.

Jesus waved a hand at each of the next four men. “These are Philip, Nathaniel, James, the son of Alphaeus, and Simon, formerly a zealot, who now serves the kingdom.”

Suddenly two men entered hastily through the open gate, interrupting Jesus. “Peace be on this household.”

Jesus sighed. “And this is Judas, son of James, and our treasurer, Judas Iscariot.”

Martha noted the young Judas and found herself wondering what his mother thought of him traipsing all over the country with an itinerant rabbi. He beamed at her and she returned the smile. Then she observed the other Judas. The one Jesus had called Iscariot. His face was bland and frown lines were visible around his mouth. He had a bag of coins tied to his girdle and looked warily at Lazarus. He acknowledged the three but did not look Martha in the eye. He glanced around the courtyard as if assessing the value of their possessions and home. She decided he was a man to watch. It also occurred to her to wonder why he was following Jesus. He seemed uncomfortable and found a quiet place to sit alone and observe them all.

When the introductions had been made, Lazarus invited their guests to gather around the table. Jesus asked a blessing on the food and the household that had welcomed them. Mary brought out bowls of water for the ritual hand-washing, and finally they began to eat. The women hurried around the table, setting out food. The men broke the bread and passed it around. As they tasted the dishes Martha had prepared and dipped their bread in the lentil stew, there were smiles of appreciation.

As Mary helped serve, Martha saw Thomas observing her sister with open admiration. When he glanced up and saw Martha watching him, he busied himself with his food.

Then, as Mary placed a basket of raisin cakes on the table in front of him, he gave her such a beaming smile that it almost brought tears to Martha's eyes. She thought of when she and Thaddeus had first met and the warmth that filled her unexpectedly in an instant. If it was so with Thomas and Mary, nothing could come of it. He was traveling the road with Jesus and probably had little to his name. Nevertheless, with thoughts of Thaddeus in mind, she spoke gently to her sister.

“Mary, would you bring the basket of almonds from the storeroom?”

Mary looked up and their eyes met. Martha was sure Mary had no idea what she was thinking, but Mary gave her a smile of such understanding before she turned away. Martha stood still a long moment before her thoughts came back to the present, and she placed the dish of olives she was holding on the table.

When all had eaten their fill and had as much wine as Lazarus could offer, the men leaned back with the ease of well-filled stomachs and talked among themselves.

Lazarus reclined at the end of the table near Jesus. Martha was so busy serving that she wasn't able to hear what they were talking about. Lazarus was looking at Jesus with adoration. For a moment Martha felt a jolt of fear. What if Lazarus decided to become a disciple and leave their home to travel about the country with Jesus? She came closer and, with the pretense of seeing if they needed anything more, tuned her ears to their conversation.

With sudden clarity she realized Jesus knew what she was thinking. He looked up at her and she was aware of a sense of kindness and great love.

She glanced over at Mary, who was talking to Thomas in a corner of the courtyard. The two young people looked up at her briefly as if sensing her gaze. Then Lazarus spoke to Jesus, and the words caused Martha to turn back with alarm.