A Family From Bethany (part 2)

The sun was high in the sky by the time Naomi, Maria, Nathan and Martha left Jerusalem through the Golden Gate down past the ancient tombs in the Kidron Valley. Many Jewish people believed that some day God would raise all the dead to life again, and those buried closest to the Temple would be the first in line.

As the path turned up the slope to the Mount of Olives, they slowed their pace…all except little Nathan who would run on ahead and wait for them impatiently. "What's taking you so long?" he would call back and then run on ahead a bit more. Maria took care of the conversation, recounting for Naomi and Martha all she had seen in the city. The market had been crowded. Maria couldn't remember ever having seen so many foreign merchants with their camels and wagons laden with exotic treasures.

About three fourths of the way to the top of the ridge they stopped for a rest at the Garden of Gethsemane. Naomi took out some barley cakes and dried fruit and a small goat skin she had filled with cool water at the Pool of Siloam on the way out of Jerusalem. Martha added some sweet cakes she had purchased at the market. It was so comfortable sitting there in the shade of the big trees. A light breeze in their faces carried the sounds of the city laid out in a panorama across the valley from them.

Maria looked across at the Temple. Her father Samuel had told her that, during Passover time the previous year, there had been more than 75,000 people in the Temple area at one time. On their way to the market that morning, they had stopped at the Temple, climbing the wide stairway to the huge open-air "Court of the Gentiles", so named because even non-Jewish people were permitted in that area. There was a covered area on three sides of the courtyard where rabbis could seat themselves and discuss the Word of God with whomever gathered around. Naomi and Martha had stopped to listen to one of the rabbis for a while before going into the Court of the Women to make an offering for the poor. Maria had tried to listen but had been distracted by the sound of hundreds of animals in makeshift pens in the center area.

"Why do they have to have all those animals there in the Temple?" Maria asked. "They're so loud."

"The priests permit the traders in the Temple to make it easier for visitors to purchase animals for the sacrifices," Martha responded. "They can get the animals right there rather than having to buy them down in the market and bring them through the crowded streets."

Martha, too, was bothered by the practice of selling animals right there in the Court of the Gentiles, but she didn't want to discuss it in front of the children. She had mentioned it to Jesus of Nazareth, a friend of the family who stayed with them at Bethany whenever he came to Jerusalem. He had told her that he would do something about it when the time was right. Martha wondered when that might be. There had been a number of confrontations between Jesus and the Jewish authorities, most recently when Jesus had been in Jerusalem a few weeks ago for the Feast of the Dedication. Word on the street was that Jesus' life would be in danger if he ever came back to Jerusalem.

After their lunch, Naomi packed up the few barley loaves which remained. They continued on to Bethany, just a short distance over the ridge and down the eastern slope. As they entered the village Nathan let out a shout, "Look, it's Dad!" Nathan ran and jumped into his Dad's waiting arms.

Samuel looked up as the other three came closer. "Shalom, Naomi, Maria, and Martha."

Naomi sensed something different in Samuel's tone. It was still early in the afternoon…far too early for him to back from work. Besides, what was he doing waiting at the entrance to the village rather than going home?

"What is it?" she asked. "What has happened?"

"It's Lazarus," Samuel said. "He fell out of a tree at work in the orchard this morning and gashed his side pretty badly. We took him to the house, and Mary is taking care of him there. He has a high fever and has lost a lot of blood. It doesn't look very good. I knew you had gone to market in Jerusalem, Martha, so I waited here to tell you before you got to the house."

"If only Jesus was here," Martha thought to herself.

As though reading her thoughts, Naomi suggested, "Someone should go find Jesus. We've been over to your house during his visits and heard of the healings he has performed. If he would come, I'm sure he could heal Lazarus."

"Martha, I'll go," Samuel offered. "Naomi can take care of the children. I heard Jesus is down by the Jordan. I can be back with him in three or four days."

"Yes, please go for me, Samuel…for Lazarus," Martha whispered as tears began to roll down her cheek. "Bring Jesus back to us." (to be continued)