Chapter 11

‘Rabbi, did you ever speak to the Big Fisherman about his infidelity?’ he inquired solemnly.

‘It wouldn’t have done any good,’ muttered Ben-Sholem. ‘I have known the headstrong fellow from his youth. There is no doubt but his apostasy hastened the death of his godly father…Once, a few years ago, two of our young men of the Synagogue asked him respectfully why he did not pay his tithe, and he sneered at them. At that, they chided him—as indeed they should have done—and he grabbed them by the hair and whacked their heads together. Then, realizing the gravity of his offence, he added insult to injury by presenting them with a basket of perch!’

Jairus frowned heavily at this outrage and seemed about to denounce such inexcusable conduct when, to the Rabbi’s pained surprise, he broke forth with a loud cackle of involuntary laughter.

‘I am amazed, Jairus!’ murmured the old man.

‘So am I, sir,’ confessed the culprit, suddenly sobering. ‘But I couldn’t have helped that—if I had been on my death-bed. Please forgive me!’

‘I sincerely hope, Jairus,’ entreated Ben-Sholem, ‘that you will regard this unfortunate affair of the Carpenter with the gravity it deserves. When he appears in your house today you must give him to understand that he is coming at the behest of the Synagogue!’

‘Then you had better take him to the Synagogue!’ retorted Jairus. ‘I do not like the part you are asking me to play. If I am to be this young man’s host, there will be no rudeness, certainly not by me! I had surmised that you were inviting him here for a conference; now it appears that he is summoned for a condemnation. I shall not be a party to such procedure! Indeed, if he comes here friendless and alone, you may expect me to be on his side! Do you mean to say that all the Rabbis in the neighbourhood are congregating here to judge the man without giving him the advantage of any defence? Are you all solidly against him?’

‘The man must be silenced, Jairus!’ declared Ben-Sholem firmly. ‘We are all agreed on that, except…’ He hesitated for a moment, and went on reluctantly. ‘I cannot understand the attitude of Rabbi Elimelech of Bethsaida. He came to see me yesterday, to tell me not to expect him here today.’

‘Did he give his reasons?’ inquired Jairus, with interest.

‘Elimelech is getting old,’ explained the elderly Ben-Sholem. ‘He is in his second childhood. Indeed, it is said that he spends most of his time telling stories to the children. The substantial people of his congregation hardly know what to make of him.’

‘And he refuses to join you in rebuking the Carpenter?’

‘Elimelech was imprudent enough to go out into the country himself—to hear this Jesus. His people do not approve of that: he admitted as much. He even took more than a score of their children with him. Elimelech needs to be careful or he will be retired.’

‘I must have a talk with the good old man,’ remarked Jairus. ‘It might be worth knowing what he really does think of this Nazarene. What did he say to you—about him?’

‘He said the man might be the Messiah, for all we knew! We can’t have that kind of talk, you know!’

‘Of course not,’ mumbled Jairus absently.

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