Meeting the New Teacher Again - Part II of Three

I, Jairus, am writing again. 

I had written earlier about the new teacher in our area, this man called Jesus. As a leader in the synagogue, one needs to do a bit of homework around whom we let teach in our synagogue – if we have the choice. As I said last time, we need to protect or Law from misinterpretation and our synagogue and the privileges it enjoys from being abused. You will recall that this Jesus had come to our synagogue one Sabbath by surprise, so I was caught off guard at the time. 

I had asked around and learned a bit more about where this Jesus came from. He was indeed the son of a carpenter, Joseph, and his wife Mary, from Nazareth. He had several brothers and sisters. When I asked about the origins of his family I was stunned to find out he was not a real Galilean, but that his ancestors were Judeans, from Bethlehem in fact. Indeed, when we had all had to go to our homelands when a previous governor, Quirinius of Syria had ordered that for a census – orders that came from the Emperor Augustus in Rome by the way – this family had returned there and that was where Jesus had been born. Could there be something to those rumours of his possibly being the Messiah? I did not dwell long on such thoughts though. If Jesus’ birth was indeed important in that regard, our religious leaders would have found that out already. Instead, I was already hearing about caution coming from them about this man, if not outright questioning of his apparent authority and powers.

Just the same, the stories of what the people believed to be miracles he performed kept coming in. When I actually got to talk about these with some of those directly involved, you could not deny the truth of their story and the strength of their faith in this man. Indeed, for some at least, the performance of a miracle not only changed them in the area of healing involved, it seemed to mark for them the beginning of a brand new phase of their lives. It was like they had been reborn in their outlook, their attitude to life and to our faith. Regardless of their circumstances, and many of these people were poor and came from backgrounds many in our society frowned on – even hated tax collectors and prostitutes! – they seemed somehow happier, more confident, more at peace and content. Sometimes I had wished I could feel that way, what with all the stress of my position.  

Some of them then began to say that, along with the healing, Jesus had told them their sins were forgiven. My ears had perked up at that. This was a new twist. None of our miracle workers had ever added that to their incantations. Only God could forgive sins. Everybody knew that. For a human to say that would amount to blasphemy. Indeed, some of our more prominent leaders I got to ask about this said they were beginning to think what Jesus was saying was blasphemous in these and other areas. He seemed to be making preposterous claims for himself, allying himself with God in an easy and familiar way that none of our other teachers ever dared.

I was beginning to feel pulled in two directions. Part of me said, stay away from this man, he is dangerous, don’t even let him back in your synagogue. Another part of me said, go and hear this man some more, make up your own mind about him. Well, my chance came sooner than I expected. I had heard that this Jesus and his followers were touring around Galilee, teaching and performing miracles. He had evidently even cured a leper. That was something none of our healers could do. Only the prayers of the priests, following the rules laid down by the prophet Moses – well, actually given by God - had ever accomplished that. And this man was no priest.

Then I had heard that Jesus was back at the place in Capernaum he called home. I heard that a crowd had gathered to hear him speak so I decided to chance it and go and hear what he had to say. I say ‘chance it’ because I knew by now that there were those among our leaders who were not in favour of him and might question my presence there as the local synagogue leader.

I had not even reached the door of the home – well, in fact, I could not get near for the crowd – when some sweaty young men carrying a stretcher rushed towards us. Apparently, the pale and twisted body lying on it was their friend who had become paralyzed, unable to walk. They were hoping Jesus could heal him. However, the crowd was so thick there was no way they were going to penetrate that mass of humanity. After some words between themselves and those around I noticed them go around the aide of the house and next thing I knew they were on the roof, tearing away at the straw and tiles! Then, they dropped the man on the stretcher down into the room! A hush came over the crowd and even I could hear Jesus speaking out loudly and clearly to the man. They had surely gotten his attention by that feat!

“Son, your sins are forgiven.” What? So, this Jesus did say those things! I heard some talking amongst those inside but I could not make out the words. Then I heard Jesus say, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk? So you might know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” then he must have turned to the man dropped through the roof again, as he followed with “I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” Before I had much of a chance to process what I was hearing the crowd parted and a young man, his face beaming but at the same time looking puzzled, as if he did not know what had just happened, passed by us. He was carrying his mat and quickly joined by his friends who had hustled back down from the roof, stretcher and all. They were so happy, slapping him on the back and saying how happy they were, but also thanking Jahweh.

Many in the crowd too were praising Jahweh and saying things like “We have never seen anything like this!”

Some of the crowd was leaving now, among them a small group of men I recognized immediately by their dress and accent to be from Jerusalem or at least Judea. Their faces were stern and they, unlike the rest of the crowd, were not praising God, but instead were talking about how this man was blasphemous and not to be listened to. They were not only saying this to themselves but warning the crowd as they passed through it and left. Fortunately, not being local men, they did not recognize me or they might have asked me why I was there. Mind you, I could have asked them the same. Seems we are all curious about what this Jesus is saying and doing.

Now, I had heard with my own ears some of the sayings our leaders have been concerned about. To tell someone your sins are forgiven, and that you have authority to do this – that seems a bit much. And to refer to himself as the Son of Man. That is a very sacred title, not used lightly. I had never heard anyone say that about anyone I knew, or anyone else for that matter, let alone about their own self. It is only a title one reads in our holy writings.

Yes, and there it is indeed connected in some places with the one to come, the Messiah. Was Jesus really saying he was The Messiah? It hardly seemed probable. He certainly did not fit our expectations in that regard.

I was really no closer to making sense of this all when another Sabbath rolled around and Jesus showed up again in or synagogue. I noticed that some of those same men, or ones like them, that I had seen at his home a few days back, were tagging along close behind him in the crowd following him. Then I noticed that one of our citizens whose hand had become shrunk and deformed was there, right in front of Jesus it seemed. A hush descended over those assembled as everyone watched to see how Jesus would react. They did not have to wait long.

Jesus saw the man and said, “Come forward.” The man hesitated but then he stepped out in front of Jesus. Jesus turned and looked at the crowd, and I saw he looked directly at those visiting religious leaders: “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save life or to kill?” A flash of anger crossed his face as he said this, especially facing those visitors. It was replaced just as quickly by a look of deep sadness when no one dared to answer. I don’t blame them. Who would dare give an opinion in front of those leaders, those Pharisees and their friends. 

Turning back to the man, Jesus said, “Stretch out your hand.” People gasped as he did, not only that he was able to but that it now looked and moved perfectly normally. The man looked at his hand, opened and closed his fist, bent his wrist up and down. He was stunned, but then he realized, he had just been healed. He could not contain the joyful grin that spread across his face. He bowed and thanked Jesus profusely. The crowd’s response, indeed that of the man, was now considerably more muted than what I had sometimes seen and heard before. I understood. 

Jesus had placed his healing in the context of the Sabbath and according to our laws, or at least our traditions, that was work and not allowed. One could understand that with all that our other healers required of people to be healed, but with Jesus it was different. He did not seem to do any ‘work.’ He just spoke, and it happened. It was like how our scriptures talk of Jahweh at Creation – everything happened just by his word. Who was this man? Was there something divine about him?

The healed man could see that those visiting religious folk were not impressed. Had he just taken part in something wrong? Was he in trouble? They did not say anything to him, so he just turned and slipped away.

Meanwhile, I could hear those Pharisees, those teachers of the law, murmuring amongst themselves. They were talking about how Jesus was blasphemous, how he was breaking our laws, and that meant he deserved the death penalty. In fact, I heard some of them say as they rushed past me to leave, that they were going to report this to King Herod’s people.

Wow! Things were moving fast indeed. Would they really arrest this man? Charge him with these offenses under our law? I understood where they were coming from but I tell you, I was also deeply troubled. This man did not seem to be doing anything really wrong. Should it not be right to help people on the sabbath? What kind of god would prohibit that? Jesus seemed to say things with such authority. To him it all seemed so clear. I wished it was that clear to me. I resolved that before he came to our synagogue again, I would see if I could get an audience with him. I had a lot of questions. He seemed to have answers.