Maximus

by Richard L. Black

  “Yes, they have come as recently as yesterday with that very request,” Pilate obliged him.

  Maximus continued. “Their opinions and charges are without merit. They come from pure selfishness and greed. These men do not seek the good of the Jewish people. They seek preservation of their unrighteous power over the people.”

  Another murmur rippled through the assembled men.

  “Are you defending the Nazarene? I hear the passion of an evangelist in your voice, general,” Pilate challenged.

  “You sent your good friend Ezra to Rome,” Maximus said, gesturing toward his mentor. “Your request was given directly to the emperor Tiberius. Through the great senator Gaius Valerius, the emperor assigned me and my deputy commander, Androcles, to honor your request. You will take heed of my report. My words are the words Gaius Valerius would have me speak to you. My words are the words of Tiberius, emperor of Rome.” Maximus paused for effect.

  Pilate fidgeted in his chair and was clearly nervous. His men shuffled their feet.

  Maximus concluded, “We report that Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of the Jews, is not a threat to Rome. It would behoove all Jews and Romans alike to heed his words.” Maximus paused to let his statement sink in. “That is our report.”

  The room was veiled in silence. At that moment, the door at the front of the hall was thrown open, and a Roman guard entered. Pilate’s secretary scurried off to meet him. The guard leaned down and whispered in his ear. The secretary swiftly turned, making a beeline toward Pilate. He whispered quietly in the governor’s ear. Pilate’s eyes widened, and he stood and addressed Maximus.

  “Jesus of Nazareth approaches the gates of the city as we speak. A throng follows him, and thousands of curious pilgrims are gathering along the roadway to see him.”

  The meeting was over. Pilate bade his company follow him to the balcony on the roof of the palace, where they could get a better view of the city gates. Maximus grabbed Ezra and Androcles and all but pulled them out the front door.

  They had only a couple hundred yards to walk to arrive at a place in the road where they could observe the entrance to the city. They stopped next to a short but wide wall which would give them a view over the heads of the people gathering. Maximus climbed up, and he and Androcles assisted Ezra to stand beside them. People were appearing from all directions, anticipating Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem. An excited buzz ran through the crowd as the people were now four and five deep along the roadside in some places. It was reminiscent of the mob that would greet legions returning home from a campaign, but in contrast, there was a reverent and respectful nature to this gathering.

  “They gather to greet and welcome their Messiah,” Ezra commented, smiling. “This is the reason the Sanhedrin met with Pilate. They can’t snatch Jesus off the street like the common criminal they claim him to be. His disciples by their very presence protect him.”

  A procession of men entered the gate. Maximus recognized some of them from Capernaum. Other Galileans who had traveled with Jesus accompanied them. Jesus rode in the midst of them on a donkey. Maximus thought he didn’t seem to have the carriage of a conqueror, yet the people hailed him as a king, and he permitted it. They waved palms and laid their cloaks and palm fronds on the ground in front of him. Many bowed as he passed; some even knelt. A few reached out, hoping for a touch from his hand. He rode slowly on, meekly and gracefully.

  Despite the throngs of followers entering Jerusalem, the only sound that could be heard was the clopping of the donkey’s hooves on the narrow stone street and the shuffling of sandaled feet. Thousands of disciples followed Jesus into the city, kicking up clouds of dust in their wake. As Jesus drew nearer, Maximus could see deep lines in his face and sensed a profound sadness in his eyes. The crowd murmured quiet prayers and praise as he passed. Many wept tears of joy; some cried, “Hosanna to the Son of David.” The procession passed directly in front of them, so close that Maximus could have leaned out and touched the top of Jesus’s covered head. As Jesus passed, Maximus could feel tears welling up in his own eyes. He glanced at Ezra, who wept quietly. Androcles stood stoically.

  The throng of people headed in the direction of the temple. Maximus thought this a relatively safe haven for Jesus. Ezra had told him that the Sadducees and the temple guard planned to arrest Jesus when he came into the city, but the number of his followers dissuaded them from making a public arrest. They would wait for a time when he was alone or with just a handful of his disciples. Maximus suppressed the impulse to step down, take the donkey by the reins, and lead it and Jesus through the crowd to the safety of the temple precincts. He wondered whether two powerful Romans escorting Jesus would actually protect him, or if the wheels of his destruction were already fatefully set in motion.

  Maximus waited for an opening in the crowd following Jesus, then he jumped down off the wall. Androcles followed suit. They then helped Ezra down to the street. Without hesitation, all three men followed the crowd to the temple gates.

  Upon seeing two large Roman soldiers of some import entering the gates to the Court of the Gentiles, the crowd parted and allowed them passage. Ezra stayed close behind his two friends.

  The courtyard was filled with people and activity. Maximus noticed again the vendors of all sorts selling doves and animals for sacrifice and the moneychangers shouting to attract business to their tables. Having lost sight of Jesus, Maximus assumed that he had entered the inner precincts of the temple with his close disciples. He looked up at the towers of the Antonia fortress. It was filled with Roman soldiers looking down onto the courtyard and the temple, no doubt monitoring the bustle of activity. From the number of armed guards with javelins in hand, tensions were obviously high.

  Ezra tugged at Maximus’s elbow to draw his attention to the side of the courtyard below the stoa, where the Sanhedrin met. There, upon an elevated roof, stood a group of priests. “The Sanhedrin,” Ezra said. Maximus could see the handful of men standing close together, talking animatedly. “The vipers collect in the pit and replenish their venom,” Ezra remarked. Maximus knew that this group of men was far more threatening than the hundred or more armed Roman soldiers gathered on the wall of the Antonia fortress. But Maximus could only observe. He knew that his power and authority as a legate of Rome was meaningless in that environment.

  “Let’s go back to Pilate,” Maximus said. “I’m sure he will have seen what we have seen, and condemning reports will be forthcoming.” He led them back out into the streets of Jerusalem. Throngs of people were still trying to enter the courtyard to get a view of Jesus. Maximus and Androcles forged ahead.

  Within a few minutes they were once again at the palace. Pilate had reconvened the discussion about Jesus with his advisors. They stopped their conversation when the three men entered.

  “So, what is your assessment of that, my good general?” Pilate asked in a condemning voice. Pilate didn’t wait for an answer. “This Jesus of Nazareth enters the city as if he owns it.” The prefect raised his hands. “The people acclaim him a king, and the accolades and his behavior are offensive to all.” The same group of men stood by Pilate, waiting for Maximus’s response.

  Maximus thought for a moment, weighing his words carefully. “I see it differently,” he began. “Jesus didn’t enter like a king; there was no ornate palanquin, no royal chariot pulled by war horses and surrounded by an armed guard. I saw a humble servant of the Jewish God entering the city upon the back of a donkey. He wore the garb of a Galilean fisherman and was escorted by fishermen. They carried no swords or javelins or shields displaying the emblems of a foreign army. There were no weapons at all, except for the walking staffs carried by some worshippers coming to celebrate Passover.”

  Maximus continued. “He went directly to the temple to pray, not to the battlements.” He feigned laughter. “I see no comparison to a conquering king.”

  Pilate rubbed his clean-shaven chin. “The temple is the Jews’ battlement, general.”

  “Then their strategis
ts must be the Sanhedrin, for don’t they meet and make policy there? You listen to them frequently and are not afraid of their influence over the people. Or are you?” Maximus challenged boldly.

  Another murmur rippled through the assembled advisors, a few of whom loudly voiced words of disagreement.

  “I mean no disrespect, governor,” Maximus added, sensing them allying against him. “But it seems to me that the intentions of Jesus of Nazareth are to bring order to the house of Israel. From what I have gathered, the Sanhedrin have now imposed laws of their own interpretation.”

  “What do you know of the house of Israel?” challenged one of the Jewish advisors.

  “He has learned well,” Ezra stepped in. “General Maximus speaks wisely,” he added. “This is a factional religious conflict of no concern to Rome. I suggest that the rulers of the Jews in Jerusalem are much more prone to disagreement with Rome than are Jesus and his followers. Their charges against the Nazarene are claims of blasphemy within the realm of their unique beliefs, not charges of rebellion against Rome. What does Rome care about the religious beliefs of any of its subject countries? You don’t enforce belief in your own gods or religion here; why would you try to monitor and enforce Judaism?” Ezra addressed Pilate directly.

  That silenced the critics. “You make a valid point, my friend,” Pilate said to Ezra. “And you have a better understanding of these issues than most, you being a part of the rulers of the Jews,” he added.

  “I am not a part of them,” responded Ezra emphatically, “if you mean the Sanhedrin. I also deny any attachments you think I might have to the Pharisees or the Sadducees. They are at odds with each other and at war with themselves. Each group looks to you, governor, for rulings on specific points of the Jewish religion that are in their own best interest. With all due respect, my good friend, are the rulers of Rome prepared to interpret Jewish religious law? I think not.” Ezra spoke with confidence while trying at the same time to be respectful of Pilate and the egotistical advisors surrounding him.

  “But he stirs up the people,” said a portly man in an ill-fitting robe. Others agreed.

  “He preaches peace, gentlemen,” Maximus said. “I have heard him. The people who are stirred up are his detractors, and then they turn to Rome for help. Their motivation is purely political and self-serving.”

  “Yes, it is a quandary,” Pilate agreed. After a brief pause he added, “It appears no immediate action is warranted.”

  Some of the advisors murmured disagreement, particularly those who had made quiet promises to emissaries of the Sanhedrin.

  Pilate continued. “We will keep a close eye on the Nazarene and his followers this week. Regardless of your logic, Ezra, it is not a good time to be making waves with any part of the Judaean government, Roman or otherwise. This Jesus is making waves but not the kind that warrants reprimand or punishment from Rome. I would prefer this issue be settled internally by the Jewish leadership and for me to be left out of the entire matter. For now, I will let it play out.”

  That was Pilate’s decision. Maximus smiled at Ezra, and Ezra smiled back. Gaining the neutrality of Rome was a victory.

  The three men took their leave, exiting into the busy streets of Jerusalem. There was talk about Jesus everywhere. Along the way back to Ezra’s house, Maximus stopped to purchase a flagon of wine for the evening. For the moment the three were satisfied, but in his heart Ezra knew this wasn’t the last battle they would have to wage on behalf of the Messiah.

  ◆ ◆ ◆

  After a simple breakfast that same morning, Jershon and his family prepared to venture within the great walls of Jerusalem. It proved to be a difficult passage as the crowds were increasing in anticipation of the rumored arrival of Jesus of Nazareth. Seth and David flanked Jershon in front and asked him question after question as they walked. Jershon was enjoying their company and curiosity. The girls walked closely together, Sariah and Liora commenting to each other about every new thing they saw. Naomi held Esther’s hand tightly as they walked through the energetic city. The mood of the entire family had perked up.

  As they turned a corner and passed under a large arch, a group of about twenty Roman soldiers marched toward them down the center of the street. They marched side by side, each carrying a heavy shield in one hand and a javelin in the other. The crowds, including Jershon and his family, quickly moved to the side of the street, hugging the walls of the buildings to let them pass. As they passed, one of the soldiers glanced sideways and caught Liora’s eye with a leer that made her feel sick to her stomach. The sight of the armed and imposing soldiers made her reflect on how powerless her older brothers must have been against such a force. She held back tears of sadness and anger. As Liora continued to weave through the crowd of people all around her, Jershon’s confidence that they might encounter Jacob and Levi in Jerusalem seemed more and more unlikely. She had little hope of a satisfactory reunion, anyway, and tried to put Jacob out of her mind.

  After seeing a little more of the city, the family returned to their camp for their midday meal. Sariah sensed the decline in Liora’s mood, and they shared a sisterly hug. Tears briefly leapt to Liora’s eyes, and she held Sariah a little more tightly.

  In the distance, David spotted a few men running along the road away from the city and followed them with his keen eyes. They disappeared as the road turned behind a hill. He kept his eyes on the spot and within a few moments was rewarded with the sight of rising dust as a group entered the valley, leading a donkey carrying a man in a white robe.

  “It must be Jesus,” David said loudly.

  The entire family rose to their feet and looked in the direction David was pointing. People could now be seen following him into the valley, and more people were gathering on the side of the road as he passed. Liora and Sariah descended the hill toward the road leading into Jerusalem to meet Jesus. Liora and Sariah smiled at the Nazarene’s passing by but did not join the crowds following him. Seth and David tucked themselves in among the crowd and continued behind Jesus into the city. The crowd was large but quiet and respectful. Liora and Sariah retreated to a rocky knoll to get a better view of the procession and noticed that many were waving palm fronds and placing them in Jesus’s path as a sign of worship and respect. Tears welled in their eyes.

  Within minutes, Jesus and his disciples passed through the gates of the city and disappeared from view. By that time the crowd was so large it was impossible for Liora and Sariah to move any further. Satisfied that Jesus had actually come to Jerusalem and believing they would likely have an opportunity to hear him teach again, Liora and Sariah returned to camp. Jershon, Naomi, and Esther had stayed behind and were captivated by the girls’ account. They had watched the throng follow him, and Liora confirmed that what they had witnessed from the hillside was like the triumphant entry of a king entering his capital.

  “David and Seth must have been caught up in the crowd entering the city,” Sariah said.

  “Those two like to be in the thick of it,” commented Naomi. Jershon smiled.

  The day wore on, and at dusk they saw a multitude of people streaming out through the eastern gates of Jerusalem. It was too far to see, but Jershon surmised it was Jesus and his apostles returning to Bethany for the evening. Suddenly concerned for Seth and David, he hoped they would soon finish their exploration of the city and return soon to camp.

  ◆ ◆ ◆

  Seth and David held their ground on the side of the road as Jesus and his throng of followers approached. Their patience was rewarded, and they slipped in behind the apostles who guarded and accompanied Jesus. They squeezed through the large gates of the city as the crush of people narrowed to make the passage. Once inside the walls, the crowds pressed the edges of the stone-paved streets. David and Seth had to be assertive and sure of foot to keep up. It was an amazing scene. People on both sides of the road threw cloaks and palm fronds in Jesus’s path. There was no cheering, just the reverent adulation of thousands of loyal disciples and the press
of curious but respectful onlookers. People in every corner watched from windows and balconies and rooftops.

  The crowd wound through the streets of the city before reaching a place where the buildings opened up to allow the passage of more people. “Let’s head back,” David said. “With all the people swarming into the city, it may take us a while to work our way back out of the gates.” David and Seth moved to a niche in the wall that allowed them to stop and let people pass. Their eyes followed Jesus on the donkey as it moved up the street and approached a corner where he would be out of sight.

  At the end of the street, just before it turned, was a wall about three feet high. A handful of people stood on the wall waiting for Jesus to pass. At one end of the wall, as it butted up to a large building, were two Roman soldiers beside an old man holding a staff. David stared curiously at the two soldiers. They were large men who appeared all the larger standing on the wall. As the dust of the crowd cleared, David got a better look and suddenly realized he recognized the two soldiers: Jacob and Levi. His stomach churned with excitement and sickness at the same time. He couldn’t make sense of what he was seeing. He felt flushed with excitement, and then he felt angry. A thousand conflicting thoughts cluttered his mind.

  He grabbed Seth by the arm, and they forced their way back into the moving sea of people, but the number of people funneling into the smaller street around the corner had caused the crowd to stop in its tracks. He focused again on the wall where Jacob and Levi stood, but now they were climbing down and assisting the old man. The press of people prevented David from moving forward, and he realized he’d never be able to catch up with them. David spotted an alley running perpendicular to the street and pulled Seth away from the parade of people. Seth ran after him.