This Week's Story
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A man discovers that Jesus is not intimidated by people who hate him.
This Week’s Story relives American history and the Bible through brief inspiring stories presented on mp3 audio recordings and text for reading.
Two Dinners
Don’t pay attention to me. I’m a servant setting food in front of you. I’m also here to discover your plot against Jesus. I’ve been disgusted with you guys since I was a teenager. Always you have some rule to make life impossible. Finally, we have a man who is not afraid of you. He’s not impressed by you. I heard him tell you, “How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! Blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too.”
I notice your faces are angry and your voices are tense. What do you think you can accomplish in this meeting of yours? Since Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, you’ve sold yourselves to jealousy.
All of you around this table, you have no smart talk. You talk the same words. “What are we going to do? Jesus performs real miracles and we do not know how he does them. If we do not stop him, the whole nation will follow him. Then the Roman army will march in and destroy our temple and nation.”
Did you hear Caiaphas, your high priest? He said, “How can you be so stupid? Our country does not need to be destroyed. Let Jesus be punished for his crime. He can die for the people.
Caiaphas does not realize that his words echo what Jesus declared earlier, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him will not die but have everlasting life.”
So now you plan how to kill Jesus. I am not surprised that, as usual, you are willing to lie, cheat, and make a hit list. You will do whatever it takes to remove an enemy. Jesus is at the top of your list.
I’ve heard that Jesus has gone into the wilderness near the town of Ephraim. I’ve been busy with preparations for the Passover. People are flocking into Jerusalem to prepare for the ceremonies. In the Temple they have been asking each other, “Will Jesus come to celebrate Passover. We want to see him.”
The religious leaders have issued an order. “If anyone sees Jesus, report him immediately. Then we will arrest him.”
Yesterday I got away from this poisonous atmosphere. I attended a special dinner in honor of Jesus. It was at the home of my friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Mary caught everyone’s attention. She took a twelve-ounce bottle of expensive perfume. Then she smoothed all the perfume on the feet of Jesus. She wiped his feet tenderly with her long beautiful hair. The entire home was filled with an exquisite scent.
The treasurer on Jesus’s team protested, “That perfume should have been sold and the money given to the poor.”
Jesus defended Mary’s gift, “Don’t disturb her. She is preparing me for my burial. You will always have poor people around you, but I will soon be leaving.”
I heard him clearly, but I didn’t understand him. A rush of people have come hoping to see Jesus and Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. Several have deserted the leading priests and believed in Jesus. Lazarus has been added to the hit list. Jesus seems calm. We had a wonderful dinner together.
This is Barbara Steiner with a fictitious servant in the life of Jesus based primarily on passages in the book of John in the Bible. Please visit: thisweeksstory.com.
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