by J. L. Belk
CHAPTER THREE
The trip to Jerusalem seemed to take longer than the trip they had already taken. The enthusiasm to be declared clean was more than he could imagine. To be able to go home and tell everyone that this man named Jesus was truly the Messiah. The other eight men had a head start. By stopping to catch their breaths it seemed to make the journey longer, even though it truly wasn’t that far. He managed to pass Josepha, but was way behind the other seven men. Now, all he could think of was seeing his family again. The tears in his eyes left a clean streak on his dusty face. The first seven men reached the Priest first and started telling him how the Messiah, Jesus, had healed them. Ezechial was too far away to hear the conversation as he was still trying to reach the Priest himself. Since Josepha was behind him, and still too far to hear what was going on both sides, all he could do was see the activity that was about to unfold.
As Ezechial stopped to take a breath, he turned to see where Josepha was and saw him talking to a Roman Centurion. The Centurion had recognized his as a criminal that they were looking for. The Centurion had stopped him and said “I know you, your wanted for robbery and murder.” Josepha told the centurion “you don't understand, Jesus has healed me from leprosy. I am also not who I used to be.” Ezechial walked back to find out what the commotion was about. All he heard was Josepha telling the centurion, “I'm a follower of the Messiah, Jesus.” The centurion told him he didn’t want to hear this nonsense, and struck him with the base of his sword, knocking Josepha to the ground. Ezechial stopped and was terrified, as the centurion told his men to bind him and take him to be arrested and sentenced. He turned and hurriedly started walking back to the priest and heard the Priest calling for the guards saying, “These heretics are trying to start a riot.”
The centurion started shouting for Ezechial to stop, saying he was a partner of Josepha. He was still trying to reach the Priest when the centurion grabbed his garment pushing him to the ground. Ezechial started shouting to Annas, the Priest, for help. Recognizing him, Annas told the centurion he was a Pharisee of the Cana area, and not with these criminals. Annas and the centurion asked why he was dressed that way, so he told them he had been attacked by thieves and had to take clothes he had found on the side of the road. “I was traveling to Jerusalem when I was attacked.” Then Annas asked if he was there for the issue of this Jesus they had gathered to discuss. He being so terrified, said that he was and the centurion turned and left Ezechial with the Priest. Then the Priest said, “I thought you had leprosy, were you with these men?” He replied, “No, that was why I was on my way here, because it never got worse only better.” Annas looked puzzled and said, “Maybe I made a Mistake. I’m so sorry”.
He was glad to not be involved with the other eight and was eager to get away. Annas took him in, gave him clothes and supplied him with a bath. He was glad to be able to relax in a bath and not in a prison cell. After his bath, Ezechial walked into the room with the Priest and was asked when was the last time he ate. He told him, “It has been a couple of days”. Annas ordered for him to be fed, and sent word to his family he was alive and well. To be clean, clothed, well, and eating at a table from plates and with silverware was more than he could take. As the tears started slipping down his cheeks Annas told Ezechial he was destined to survive, and he should make a sacrifice of praise for his good fortune. But as good as he felt for being safe, the more he hurt in his heart because he knew he had just met the Messiah.
That night sleep was a hard shadow to catch. He rolled all night getting very little sleep. Every time he fell asleep he saw Enoch’s face down in the dirt worshiping Jesus, as the eyes that had always disturbed his soul was looking at him asking Enoch, “Where is everyone else?” He thought of his family and how was he going to tell them about Jesus, but not jeopardize his standing in the community. Compromise is always the first step to downfall in every Christian. To make the spouse happy, to protect their job, to escape ridicule is a downward fall from where few make it back. For a man to lose his self-respect, due to compromise, is a knife in his soul that cuts deeper everyday with wounds that never heal.
As the sun came up he watched the colors of the morning sky and felt a deep sadness he could not walk away from. The morning rituals seemed to drag by, small talk, breakfast, pleasantries just seemed alright. As the assembly gathered to discuss this matter he sat at the table and listened as different ideas were discussed. Hire someone to kill him, start rumors he is demonic and a wrongdoer, the suggestion just ran by. He felt the urge to speak but fear suppressed any hope of his true self to be exposed. He just sat there silent with a forced concerned countenance on his face. Then Annas asked him to speak about his feelings. He replied, “We must be wise with this issue, because it would either lead to termination of the followers, or a larger flood of people backing this Messiah. Then the priests said that was it, they would get the Romans to make it a law that these so-called Christians should be wiped out. Ezechial tried to say “that's not what I meant”, but the commotion was far more boisterous than his cowardly replies.
As he stayed several more days playing the Pharisee he once was, he began to find it easier to play this part. Then as he was standing, looking over the balcony, he saw Josepha being led off by guards, locked in chains. He left and followed to see if he could speak to him once he was tied to a pole. The executioner began to whip Josepha with a cat of nine tails. This was a whip with nine lashes with different objects woven into the leather straps. He saw a fish hook, a bone chiseled out like a knife with a very sharp edge. There were also pieces of spears and so forth. He was to be given forty-nine stripes, but died only after twenty-eight, as his guts began to spill onto the streets. This terrified Ezechial, for he still thought he was executed for following Jesus.
Since his arrival to Jerusalem several of the men he came in with had been jailed, and Enoch had returned going around telling all that the Messiah, Jesus, had cured him of leprosy. This was causing a serious issue for the Scribes and Pharisees. They had convinced the Priest to approach Pilate about this issue. After he had returned he was happy to learn that Pilate had agreed to address this matter. Since the Romans already hated these followers of Jesus he told them he was confident of the outcome. For the Romans believed it was their right as citizens of Rome to do many wrongs. They could violate, beat and even kill slaves as they pleased with no recourse. The husband could have as many slave girls to his disposal as he could afford, and the same for the wife with the male slaves, and often share their slaves of the same sex. This man named Jesus had the slaves believing they were important and that there was a GOD who loved and would reward them someday. There was a turmoil going on in the entire providence of the Roman Empire due to this man, and they wanted it stopped.
Now the Jews felt differently about this practice, but most hated this man also as he was teaching things that were not of the law. For instance, that the sacrifice of animals was no longer important that they only had to believe in Jesus. Now they considered this statement a very blasphemous issue, for this man was making himself equal with the GOD of Heaven. This was the way they had done things for hundreds of years, and this man was telling them he was the “SON OF GOD”? The very blasphemy of believing GOD having many wives as the Romans gods was more than most of them could accept. For they didn’t understand nor believe the Trinity nor the concept of it. So the Jews and their captors both took the same side of this issue making the area very dangerous for anyone who claimed to believe or practice this. For Moses, the great Forefather who believed this had lead them out of Egypt, and started the idea of a nation sanctioned and protected by GOD. They knew the stories of the past and how their enemies were defeated by the GOD YAHWEH, and believed he would someday rid them of their captors.
Now Enoch had caught the attention of the Priest and was being sought out. Ezechial was fearful for Enoch’s life, and walked the streets looking for him and hoping to discourage him of this. After finding E
noch, Ezechial tried to explain what had happened to the other men they were with. Enoch asked why he also was not arrested, and he told him that he was not with them when they were arrested - being too ashamed to admit the truth. Enoch could see the shame in his eyes and pressed him for the truth. He just turned away and said, “I just wanted to warn you,” as he walked off. The tears that ran down his face after this encounter was like a shameful rain on his cheeks. The bravest performance of any man is to control himself; to be controlled by himself is the most cowardly. The pain in his heart was as heavy as having a boulder strapped to his chest. He struggled to keep moving away from Enoch for as to face him would be his proof that surely he was a coward. A coward’s life is one of safety, but engulfed in self-loathing and shame. Ezechial was finding out this very fact.
As he made his way back to the Priest he heard a commotion. He saw Jesus coming into Jerusalem riding a donkey, and people throwing fig leaves on the path in front of him. He was frozen in his tracks as Jesus took a long look at him. Ezechial could swear there was a tear in the corner of Jesus’ eye. He looked down to avoid the face of Jesus, for to look upon the Son of God with shame in your heart is surely a devastating thing. He turned away only to look upon the face of Enoch who now truly knew that he was a coward and afraid to admit he was a believer in Jesus. Ezechial turned and made his way up a narrow alley. He came upon another street and started trying to run away from himself only to find himself in front of the priest. All he could do was say, “Jesus is here.” The Priest thanked him for this information and quickly turned to go see the Centurion. Ezechial knew in his heart that this was going to be the end of the man called Jesus or the beginning of the overthrow of the Roman Empire.
He hurried toward his room and gathered his belongings hoping to escape the events he surely knew was about to come to pass. He wanted to get home and forget this ever happened. He felt that getting home would settle this burning in his heart. However, this is not always true. For men often pass from emotion to duty, but they seldom rise from cowardliness to bravery for true bravery requires some fear, but a coward is controlled by his fear. He had felt the true love of Jesus and knew in his heart that he was the Messiah. He was hoping that after he had overthrown the Roman empire he would have mercy on him.
To be in the middle of this tough situation is a very bad spot to be in. If either side discovered the truth it could explode in his face. For him the explosion was far greater than he could ever imagine, and cost more than he thought he could ever pay. It is hard to oppose your own decisiveness, for the opposition you choose could cost your very soul.