Chapter 26

Peter, striding toward the door, answered him in Crete’s guttural patois, ‘These men are not drunk! They are rejoicing because the Kingdom of God is at hand! The world shall have peace! The slaves shall be freed! The Lord has proclaimed a new day!’

‘How do you happen to be speaking our language?’ demanded the stranger. ‘You are not a citizen of Crete!’

‘I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God!’ declared Peter. ‘And from henceforth that Kingdom includes Crete!’

‘You say—all the slaves are to be set free?’

‘Yes—and their masters, too. No men can be free while other men are slaves!’

‘You should be locked up!’ growled the Cretan. ‘You are speaking treason!’

The controversy was attracting attention. A dozen of the illumined men gathered close and joined in supporting Peter, all of them speaking the barbarous jargon of far-away Crete. The man from that country, with baffled eyes, raised his elbow as if to ward off a blow, and slowly backed toward the door, muttering, ‘No! No!’

The Guildhall rapidly emptied. The street was packed with a huge crowd of bewildered people. The newly-commissioned men, radiant, confident, infiltrated the throng, shouting, ‘The Kingdom of God has come for all who believe in Him!’ They scattered through the city, spreading the news. They were unafraid. They stopped Roman legionaries on the street to announce the new Kingdom; and the legionaries, stunned by their audacity, did not detain them.

That day, three thousand men in Jerusalem said they believed it and would join the disciples in preparing for the reign of peace.

* * * * *

Late in the evening, as the little company of Jesus’ Galileans sat together at Ben-Josef’s house, exhausted to the point of speechlessness by the amazing events of the day, Philip, who had spread the tidings to incredulous groups at the camel-auction, remarked, ‘It is said that the Prince of Arabia has been smitten with paralysis.’

Peter made no comment, but seemed deeply impressed by this tragedy that had befallen the royal house of Israel’s long-time enemy. Presently he arose and seated himself in a far corner of the dimly lighted room, with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands, apparently wrestling with a difficult problem.

After half an hour of silent meditation he took leave of them and trudged slowly up the long hill to the Garden of Gethsemane, where he knelt beside a great rock and prayed earnestly for guidance. Could it be possible that God might use him as a messenger of good-will to hostile Arabia?