Chapter 11

‘May I stay too?’ asked Adiel.

Jairus pushed the luxurious leather chairs into a smaller circle and they sat down. For a little while Jesus’ head drooped and his eyes were closed. It was apparent that he was utterly spent.

At the conference in the breakfast-room the question had risen whether it was easier to forgive a man’s sins or to cure him of his paralysis. As Jairus sat sympathetically regarding the exhausted Nazarene he reflected that it must have taken a tremendous volume of energy to have done either of these mystifying deeds. According to the widespread but largely unsubstantiated tales of the Carpenter’s marvels, one gathered that the self-confident magician had moved from one spectacular event to another with no diminution of strength. Now it appeared that these outgivings of vital force were made at great cost.

Sharon, who had a child’s natural diffidence in the presence of adult strangers, now surprised her parents by drawing her low stool close beside Jesus. Becoming aware of her nearness, he opened his eyes, sighed, smiled, and took her small hand in his. Expectantly, Sharon drew her legs up under her and rested her dimpled elbows on the broad arms of his chair. Jairus and Adiel exchanged puzzled glances.

‘This story,’ began Jesus softly as if to the child alone, ‘is about a Kingdom in another land.’

‘A fairy story?’ asked Sharon hopefully.

‘No—it is a true story, my child.’

In a quiet voice and with simple words, Jesus talked of his Kingdom where all who wished to do so might live in happiness for ever. Occasionally little Sharon interrupted with a query, somewhat to the embarrassment of her parents, though Jesus regarded her questions with interest and consideration.

As the colloquy proceeded, Jairus found himself yielding to the infatuation of an ideal life to come, in a land where there were no storms, no quarrels, no courts, no prisons, no slaves, no tears, no fears. And when Sharon wanted to know whether we would all go there, Jesus had replied that not everyone would want to go; for it was a brightly lighted city, and many people, accustomed to performing their deeds in darkness, would not like the perpetual light. And many people who had been proud of their control over others’ lives would not enjoy a land where everyone was free.

The calm voice was interrupted now by a light tap on the door. Joseph’s face appeared. Jairus, roused as from a dream, rose, crossed the room, went out, and softly closed the door behind him.

‘It is the Big Fisherman, sir,’ whispered Joseph. ‘He wonders how the Master is feeling—and whether he is to wait.’

‘The Master is very tired,’ replied Jairus. ‘When he is rested I shall give him conveyance to wherever he wishes to go. Tell the Big Fisherman he need not tarry.’