The Redeemer (19 page)
“Good idea,” said another. “How about you, Lazarus? What do you say we go outside?”
They helped Lazarus up, and all of them went out on the porch, leaving Jesus alone inside with the disciples and the women.
“What’s bothering you, Judas?” asked Jesus.
“Isn’t it bad enough that the priests think You have no regard for the Law? Why do You give them more reason to be suspicious?”
“There are no priests here.”
“Do You think those busybodies on the porch will keep quiet about this?”
“He does have a point, Lord,” Thomas ventured, but lost his nerve when Jesus glared at him.
“And what about this oil?” Judas held the empty bottle upside down.
“How much did it cost, Martha?”
“I’m not sure; it was a gift. It was Mary’s oil. She can do whatever she wants with it.”
Judas threw the empty bottle into Martha’s lap. “Why wasn’t it sold and used to feed the poor?”
“You’ve misunderstood what’s going on.” Martha was getting her fight back. “This is a party for Lazarus and Jesus. The poor are not what’s important right now.”
“They’re always more important than His feet.”
Judas stormed out of the room.
Note to self: watch Judas.
Soon all the men came back inside. Mary went to help Martha with supper, everyone ate his fill, and before long, the episode with Judas was forgotten, but not by everyone.
Some who were there that night only cared that Jesus raised a man from the grave who had been dead four days. They wanted a reason to believe, and Jesus gave it to them.
Others, however, focused on Judas’s accusations. The next day, they went straight to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Soon after the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. As soon as I learned of it, I sped over to listen in. The priests were in passionate debate when I arrived, so I landed right in the middle of the discussion.
“He’s disgracing Himself and us, and what are we doing about it?” one priest asked. “The people think He’s performing miracles.”
And the people are right.
“If we let Him go on like this, everyone will be deceived and believe He’s the Messiah.”
“What if they do?” asked another. “Would it be so bad? You know how these traveling ministries show up from time to time. The people swoon after them for a while, but sooner or later the enchantment wears off, and things get back to normal.”
Not this time.
“Not this time,” Caiaphas, the high priest, said as if he’d heard me. “I don’t believe any of it, but if people think they’re healed, they are. The
appearance
of results is what we’re contending with.”
How does a dead person appear to be alive and walk out of the tomb?
“But Caiaphas,” asked a Pharisee, “aren’t you biased because you Sadducees don’t believe that God intervenes in human affairs? How can you explain what we’ve been told about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in front of many witnesses?”
“Chicanery. I don’t know how He does it, but I do know if we don’t stop Him, the next step will be the common horde trying to make Him king.”
“We’ve got a king—Herod.”
“Herod’s a fool. A strong contender could topple him in a heartbeat. Can you imagine what that would do to our relationship with the Romans?”
“Why would they care? A king’s a king.”
The weaker the better.
“You’re as foolish as Herod if you believe that.” Caiaphas showed all the signs of rising blood pressure. “Rome leaves us alone because we keep the people in line. If Jesus continues on, it’s just a matter of time until the people
act
out and we’re
thrown
out.”
“Thrown out?” asked the oldest priest. “Not at my age; we’ve got to stop Him. Put Him in jail.”
“On what charges?” asked the teacher.
“Then find some other way to contain Him.”
“We can’t,” Caiaphas said as he walked to the window and looked outside. After a moment, he turned back to face the other priests. “We have to find a more permanent solution.”
Surely you aren’t suggesting …
“Surely you aren’t suggesting…” The younger priest echoed my thoughts. “Are you talking about having Him killed?”
“Can’t you see that it’s better for one man to be put to death than for all of us to be put at risk?”
“The young priest is right to be concerned, Caiaphas,” said the oldest one. “We have to obey our own rules.”
“Rules apply to everybody else. Our ministry is too big to fail; the people need us.”
“You can’t be serious. What is He guilty of? Besides, Rome doesn’t allow us to put anyone to death,” said the teacher.
“Then Rome will have to be the executioner.”
Jesus told the disciples He would be crucified, but I’ d convinced myself He was being metaphorical.
“Have you no fear of God?” asked the older priest. “If He’s innocent, God will hold us accountable.”
“Why are you Pharisees such fundamentalists?” Caiaphas retorted.
“Maybe because we actually believe in God and we know judgment awaits us at the end of the age.”
“There is no judgment and no end of the age, nothing but the here and now. Are you willing to trade your comfortable existence to be under Rome’s foot? That’s what will occur if we allow a rabble-rouser to inflame the people into a religious frenzy.”
They argued for a long time, but eventually Caiaphas wore them down. The Jewish priests were concocting a death plot against Jesus. I was stunned. Was no one going to stand up to the high priest?
It looks like it’s up to me.
“Hold on there, you men of Israel.” I stepped into the middle of them and tried to get their attention. “Don’t let Caiaphas get away with this. He’s making you accomplices to a crime. Nicodemus, I saw you the night you went to visit Jesus secretly. He convinced you, didn’t He? Why don’t you speak up?”
Nicodemus shifted his weight form one foot to the other and stared at the floor but gave no indication he heard me. One by one, the holy men began to disperse.
“Don’t leave. This isn’t settled,” I yelled at them. “You’re priests! Since Aaron you have been charged to represent the people to God and God to the people. You’re throwing away your legacy. Can’t you see it isn’t Caesar who holds you captive? It’s Caiaphas.”
One by one they filed out.
From the looks of it, Caesar and Caiaphas will get along just fine.
I
WAS SITTING NEAR
the East Gate on the wall that surrounds Jerusalem contemplating the collision course Jesus was on with the religious elders when my nose twitched at the unmistakable odor of another demon.
“Satan wants you to report in,” he said, startling me so that I almost toppled off the wall.
“But I have nothing to report yet.”
At least nothing I want to tell Satan.
“Then you better think of something. He’s in a terrible mood.”
“Is he ever in anything else?”
I shouldn’t have said that. One demon has no qualms about tattling on another demon if it advances his cause.
Half-heartedly I flapped my way back to the second heaven. I wasn’t sure how to explain the complexities of the relationships Jesus had with people. I’d thought about stopping by my perch to freshen up before reporting to Satan, having recently been reminded of demon fumes, but I changed my mind when I remembered how badly it went the last time I mentioned a bath.
“Hello, O Sovereign One. May I say how good it is to see you again,” I kowtowed.
“You’re late.”
He slumped on his throne, as he was prone to do when he was depressed.
“Yes, sir, and I thought about checking in earlier, but I couldn’t think of taking your valuable time when I have so little to report.”
“Then make it fast. What is Jesus up to?”
“Well, not all that much.” I hemmed and hawed. But one look at Satan’s grim face, and I knew I’d better come up with something.
“Have I mentioned that He spit in a blind man’s eye?”
No change in expression; still grim.
“He’s got a gang of twelve with Him now, all devoted to His cause, completely loyal; well maybe not all of them, there is one who…”
A glimmer flashed in one of Satan’s eyes.
“Who what?” he asked.
“No one you’d be interested in, Your Evilness. If anything, he’s got more of a reformation agenda than Jesus has.”
“Tell me about him.” His eyes glinted as he sat up.
“His name is Judas. He’s got a social conscience—concerned with the poor, things that wouldn’t interest you at all.”
“What’s his problem with Jesus?”
“Problem? I wouldn’t say it’s a problem. It’s just that,” I nervously shifted from one hoof to the other, “he gets annoyed at Jesus’ tolerance for—what’s the word?—extravagance.”
“You don’t say?” Satan pretended to be disinterested, but I knew he was dying for more detail. “Give me an example.”
“Little things. Nothing important.”
Mouth, stop talking!
“Keep talking,” Satan probed.
“Perfume, women—Jesus has lots of women friends. They’re always following Him. Some contribute to His ministry on a regular basis.”
“Does Judas doubt Jesus to be the Messiah?”
“I don’t think so—certainly not anymore than John the Baptist did.”
I clamped my claw hand over my mouth. Satan’s eyes now glowed.
“John the Baptist doubted Jesus? How do you know? Did he ever say so publicly? Is there any record of it?”
I kept my claw hand over my mouth and tried to stop my head from nodding, but it was no use. I was powerless under Satan’s interrogation.
“Does Judas know about John’s doubt?”
“He must.” There was no further point to self-muzzling. I’d already done the damage. “Jesus was confronted in public about it once by one of John’s disciples. Judas was there.”
“Well, well, well,” Satan stood up. “This is interesting. Is there anyone else who doubts Jesus?”
“No one besides the priests, teachers, and elders.”
“When were you planning to tell me?”
“I wasn’t. I mean, you’ve never cared what the religious leaders think. I didn’t want to bore you.”
“Go ahead; bore me. What’s their problem with Jesus?”
“As I see it, they fall into two camps. The Pharisees are afraid Jesus is leading the people astray—into sin.” I paused, unsure of how much more he wanted to know. “Shall I tell you why?”
He nodded.
“Jesus doesn’t fit into their religion mold. He has little to no regard for the thousands of laws they have—exempting the big ones, of course: murder, adultery, stealing. Those all stay. But a law like how far one can walk from his house on the Sabbath He’s most likely to violate all day long and think nothing of it.”
“You said there’s another camp.”
“Right, I was just getting to that. It’s the Sadducees. Their problem lies in what they
don’t
believe: heaven, hell, angels, demons, miracles, or a general resurrection of the dead at the end of time. They aren’t looking for a Messiah and don’t believe God intervenes in the affairs of human beings. Jesus’ insistence on being God is a real hot spot with them—especially when He casts out demon spirits or raises someone from the dead right in front of them.”
“They don’t believe He’s the Messiah?”
“To be honest with you—not that I would ever be anything else—I believe they’re afraid He is exactly that. Because if He is, their form of religion is over, and right now they’re the ruling class. The high priest, Caiaphas, is a Sadducee.”
“I know who he is.”
“You do?”
“Who do you think helped him get his job?” Satan paced back and forth as he thought out loud. “Caiaphas doesn’t fear God, but he does fear Rome.”
He pulled on a cord beside his throne and summoned the sentry outside the door.
“Get me a religion specialist—the best we’ve got.”
“Right away, my lord.”
“Now, you,” he said, refocusing on me. “Tell me everything you know about Judas.”
“Well, let’s see; he’s the treasurer, so he’s trusted by Jesus and the disciples. He’s impatient with what he sees as Jesus’ failure to be more aggressive in building a power base. That’s about it. May I go now? You know me—anxious to get back to the old grindstone.”
“No.”
There was nothing for me to do but wait. Since he hadn’t invited me to sit down, I took the liberty of rocking back on my tail to give my hooves a rest.
“Stand up straight,” he barked.
“Yes, sir.” I managed to remain still and silent until the sentry returned with a demon I recognized as Reywal. He bowed to Satan.
“I have an assignment for you I think you will find interesting,” Satan said.
“At your command, milord.”
“It concerns Adonai, or Jesus, as He calls Himself now.”
Reywal’s eyes widened as he took a step back.
“Don’t tell me you’re afraid of Him.”
“Sir, you’ve heard the reports from the earth. Whatever He commands a demon to do, he must. None of us can take Him on and live. You must be aware of the danger.”
“Really? It must have slipped right by me,” Satan answered sarcastically as he reached over and tweaked the demon’s wing. “I know exactly how many of your cowardly comrades have abandoned their post. I intend to deal with them later. But for now I have a job for you I think you can manage.”
“Speak, master.”
“Moron here will lead you to a man named Judas.”
Reywal looked my way and ignored my gesture to shake hands.
“Reinforce what Judas already believes.” Satan continued rubbing his claw hands together. “Jesus is becoming carnal; His behavior is scandalous. Appeal to Judas’s religious indignation.”
“I know just how to do it, sir. I’ll convince Judas he’s holier than Jesus.”
“Good, good,” Satan chuckled. “When Judas is completely deceived, link Judas to the high priest. Eventually Judas will betray Jesus to Caiaphas.”
“But Your Evilness,” I had to ask, “betray Him—about what?”