The Expected One

by Kathleen McGowan

  “She is right. Jerusalem is growing very dangerous for you,” he said to Easa. “Jairus says that Caiaphas and Annas are calling for your execution as a blasphemer.”

  Peter was disgusted. “Rubbish,” he spat. “Easa has never spoken a blasphemy and could not if he so desired. They are the blasphemers, those vipers.”

  Easa did not look concerned. “It matters not, Peter. The priests have no authority to put a man to death,” he told them, calling on his extensive knowledge of the law. “Only Rome can do that, and the Romans do not recognize the blasphemy laws of the Jews.”

  The men talked into the night about the best course of action for the following day. Mary wanted to keep Easa out of Jerusalem for a day to allow some calm to return to the city. But he would not hear of it. Even larger crowds were expected the following day as word spread through Jerusalem of Easa’s bold teachings and extraordinary healings. He would not disappoint those who would travel to Jerusalem to see him. Nor would he bow to the pressure of the priests. Now, more than ever, he needed to be a leader.

  The following day, Mary elected to stay in Bethany with the children and Martha. The weight of her pregnancy was taking its toll, and the long walk back to Bethany in such haste had exhausted her. She kept the children busy in the household, all the while trying to keep her own mind off the possible dangers that Easa might face within the city walls.

  Mary sat in the front garden, watching Tamar play in the grass, when she saw a woman approaching the house, veiled heavily in black. Her face and hair were covered, and it was impossible to determine if the visitor was known or not. Perhaps it was a friend of Martha’s or a new neighbor that Mary was unaware of?

  The woman drew closer and Mary could hear the stifled laugh. “What’s the matter, sister? You don’t recognize me after all this time?”

  The veil came down to reveal the woman as Salome, the Herodian princess. Her face had lost the roundness of childhood; she was entering the full bloom of maturity. Mary ran to embrace her, and they held each other for a long moment. Following John’s death it had become too dangerous for Salome to be seen in the company of the Nazarenes. Her presence was dangerous for Easa. If her supporters hoped to win over John’s followers, they could not be seen to be consorting with the woman who was reviled for causing his arrest, if not his death.

  The enforced separation had been hard on the two women. Salome was crushed that she would not be allowed to complete her training as a priestess and would be separated from the people she had grown to love more than her own family. For Mary, it was another bitter aftereffect of the unfair judgment that had been made on both of them following John’s execution.

  Salome squealed when she saw little Tamar in the grass. “Look at her! She is the double of you!”

  Mary nodded, smiling. “On the outside. But inside, she is already developing into the image of her father.” Mary recounted some of the stories of little Tamar and how she had shown herself to be special from the time she began to walk. She had healed a lamb that had fallen into a trench in Magdala with the touch of her infant hand. She was just over three years old now, but her speech was phenomenal — she spoke easily in both Greek and Aramaic.

  “She is indeed a fortunate child to have two such parents,” Salome said, her face darkening. “And we need to keep both of those parents safe, which is why I’m here. Mary, I have word from the palace. Easa is in serious danger.”

  “Let’s go inside, where we know there are no other ears, and where little ears such as these” — she gestured to Tamar — “can be otherwise occupied.”

  Mary leaned over to lift Tamar, but her growing belly made it difficult to bend. Salome held her arms out. “Come to your sister Salome,” she said. Tamar paused, looking up at the unknown woman, then at her mother for reassurance. A perfect little smile spread across Tamar’s face as she jumped into the arms of the Herodian princess.

  As they entered the house, Mary signaled for Martha to take Tamar.

  Martha took the little girl from Salome. “Come, little princess, we will go find your brother.”

  John was out walking the lands with Lazarus. Martha indicated that she would take her niece outside to allow privacy for the conversation between Salome and Mary. When they were out the door, Salome turned and grabbed Mary’s hand.

  “Listen to me; this is very urgent. My stepfather was in Jerusalem today at the home of Pontius Pilate, and I with him. He is leaving for Rome to see the emperor in two days’ time and needed a full report from the procurator. I used the excuse of wanting to see Claudia Procula, Pilate’s wife, to obtain his leave to come with him. Claudia is the granddaughter of Caesar Augustus, and I knew my stepfather would not say ‘no’ to that. But of course, that is not why I wanted to come. I knew that you and Easa and the others were here. Where is the Great Mary?”

  “She is here,” Mary answered. “She is staying with Joseph’s family tonight with some of the other women, but I will take you to her tomorrow if you’d like.”

  Salome nodded and continued her story. “I used the excuse of seeing Claudia to see what news there was in Jerusalem of the Nazarenes. Little did I know how much Claudia had to tell me! Mary, isn’t it amazing?”

  Mary was unsure of what Salome was referencing. “What?”

  Salome’s exotic, dark eyes grew larger. “You don’t know? Oh, Mary, this is too much. On the night that Easa raised Jairus’ daughter, do you remember a woman in the crowd as you were leaving? She was with a Greek man who carried a sick child, a little boy.”

  The entire scenario flooded back to Mary now. She had seen that woman’s face for the last two nights before she went to sleep. “Yes,” she answered. “I told Easa, and he turned to her to heal the child. That’s all I know with any certainty, other than the woman did not appear to be common or a Jew.”

  Salome laughed openly at this. “Mary, that woman was Claudia Procula. Easa healed the only child of Pontius Pilate!”

  Mary was astonished. Now it all made sense — the feeling of prescience, of knowing at that moment that something was happening beyond the healing itself.

  “Who knows this, Salome?”

  “No one but Claudia, Pilate, and their Greek slave. Pilate has forbidden his wife to speak of it and has told anyone who asked about the boy’s miraculous recovery that it was the will of the Roman gods.” Salome made a face to show her distaste. “Poor Claudia was bursting to tell someone, and she knew I had once been a Nazarene.”

  “You still are a Nazarene,” Mary said kindly as she stood to allow the growing babe in her belly to adjust his position. She needed to contemplate this important information. It was exhilarating, but she didn’t dare invest too much in it yet. Surely, such an occurrence had to be part of God’s master plan for Easa. Had he given Claudia an ill child so that Easa could heal him and prove his divinity to Pilate? And if Easa’s fate ended up in the hands of Pontius Pilate, surely he could not pass sentence on the very man who had healed his own child?

  “But there’s more, sister.” Salome darkened again. “When I was there, the horrid Jonathan Annas and his son-in-law came to see Pilate and my stepfather. They are making a case against Easa.” She gave Mary a sly smile. “I heard them announced and then begged Claudia to tell me the best place to hide so I could listen.”

  Mary smiled at Salome, who was as impetuous as ever.

  “Pilate wanted none of it, and tried to brush it off as unimportant so he could finish his meeting with Herod. Pilate cares only about a good report going to Rome concerning his abilities as a governor. He wants a post in Egypt.”

  Mary was listening patiently, heart pounding, as Salome continued. “But my stepfather — arrogant Herod that he is — sided with these idiot priests. They played to him, told him that Easa was calling himself king of the Jews and meant to supplant the Herods from their throne.”

  Mary shook her head at this. It was nonsense, of course. Easa had no desire to sit on any earthly throne. He was the king in the hear
ts of the people, the one who would deliver the kingdom of God to them. He needed no palace or throne for that. But an insecure Herod was feeling threatened because of the manipulations of Annas and Caiaphas.

  “I heard Pilate come in to Claudia shortly after that — he could not see where I was hiding — and he said to her, ‘My dear, I’m afraid the fates are against your Easa the Nazarene. The priests are crying for his head, and they will see him arrested before their Passover.’ To which I heard Claudia say, ‘But of course you will see that he is spared.’ Pilate said nothing, and I heard Claudia ask again, ‘Won’t you?’ and then I heard nothing until Pilate left the room. When I was sure he was gone, I came out to find Claudia in a terrible state. She said her husband would not look at her as he left. Oh, Mary, she is very worried about what will happen to Easa. And I am as well. You must get him out of Jerusalem.”

  “Where does your stepfather think you are now?”

  She shrugged. “I told him I would spend the day shopping for silks. He is too preoccupied with his excursion to Rome to know or care where I spend the night. He has amusements of his own in Jerusalem.”

  Mary was trying to devise a strategy. She must wait until Easa returned home tonight, and then she would tell him everything, of course. She knew it would take little enough encouragement to get Salome to stay and provide details.

  Salome did stay, and was overjoyed when the Great Mary came to them later in the afternoon. Easa’s esteemed mother brought with her the other elder Marys — her sister, Mary Jacoby, and their cousin, Mary Salome, who was the mother of two of Easa’s most loyal followers. It was an honor for Salome to be in the company of these wise women, the strong if often silent leaders of the Nazarene tradition. But her joy was fleeting, as was Mary Magdalene’s.

  “I have seen a great darkness on the horizon, my daughters,” the Great Mary told them. “I have come to meet with my son. We must all be prepared for the test of strength and faith that this Passover will bring to us.”

  The news from Jerusalem was certainly troubling. Larger crowds had greeted Easa and the Nazarenes upon their entrance to the city that morning, causing unease among the Roman guards. The Nazarenes had set up outside the Temple where Easa preached and fielded the questions and challenges that were hurled at him. Just as they had the previous day, representatives of the high priest and the Temple had planted their own within the crowd. The unrest increased as the chastised merchants and moneylenders from the day before came forward to protest the Nazarene presence. Finally, in an effort to keep the peace and prevent potential bloodshed, Easa took his leave and left with his most loyal Nazarene followers.

  Later that night in Bethany, the combination of Salome’s observations, intelligence from Jairus, and the prophecy of the Great Mary created an atmosphere of consternation and worry. Only Easa seemed unaffected by the increasingly dire circumstances as he set out the plan for the following day.

  Simon and Judas, who had spent the day meeting with their brother Zealots, had a plan of their own. “There are enough of us to do battle with anyone who comes for you,” Simon said. “The crowds at the Temple tomorrow will be overwhelming. If you emphasize to the people that the kingdom of God as we know it will free Jews from the oppression of Rome, the crowd will follow you.”

  “To what end?” Easa asked calmly. “The result of such an action would be the bloodshed of many innocent Jews. That is not The Way. No, Simon, I will not incite a riot that will spill the blood of our people on the eve of a holy day. How can I show that the kingdom of God is in each and every man and woman if I ask them to bleed and die for it? You are missing the meaning of The Way, my brothers.”

  “But there is no Way without you,” Peter snapped. The strain of these past days was showing on Peter more than on any of the other disciples. He had sacrificed everything for his belief in Easa and The Way. It was too much for him to contemplate any unfortunate outcome.

  “You are wrong, my brother,” Easa said. There was no reproach in his tone as he turned to Peter and continued warmly. “Peter, I have said this to you from the time we were children. You are the rock on which our ministry will flourish. Your legacy will live as long as my own.”

  Peter did not look comforted, nor did the other disciples. Easa saw this and held up his hands.

  “My brothers and sisters, hear me. Remember what I have given you, and that is an understanding that the kingdom of God lives within you, and no oppressor can ever take that away. If you hold that one truth in your hearts, you will never know a day of pain or fear.”

  Then he held out his hands to the disciples and led them in the Lord’s Prayer.

  Easa left his followers that night to confer privately with the Great Mary. When they were finished, he bade his mother good night and sought out his wife.

  “You must not be afraid of what will happen, little dove,” he said gently.

  Mary searched his face. Easa often concealed his visions from the followers, but rarely from her. She was the one person he shared almost everything with. But tonight she sensed his restraint.

  “What do you see, Easa?” she asked quietly.

  “I see that my father in heaven has laid out a great plan and we must follow it.”

  “To the fulfillment of the prophecies?”

  “If that is his will.”

  Mary was silent for a moment. The prophecies were specific — they stated that the messiah must be put to death by his own people.

  “And what of Pontius Pilate?” Mary asked with some hope. “Surely you were sent to heal his child so that he would see for himself who and what you are. Do you not think that is part of God’s plan?”

  “Mary, listen closely to what I am about to tell you, for it is a great understanding of the Nazarene Way. God creates his plan, and he puts each man and woman into their place. But he does not force them into action. Like any good father, the Lord guides his children, but then gives them the opportunity to make their own choices.”

  Mary listened intently, applying Easa’s philosophy to the current situation. “You believe that Pontius Pilate was put in this place by God?”

  Easa nodded. “Yes. Pilate, his good wife, their child.”

  “And whether or not Pilate chooses to help us…that is not God’s determination?”

  Easa shook his head. “The Lord does not dictate to us, Mary. He guides us. It is up to each person to choose his or her master, and that comes down to a choice between God’s plan and earthly desires. You cannot serve God and also serve these earthbound needs. The kingdom of Heaven comes to those who choose God. I cannot say which master Pontius Pilate will choose to serve when his time comes.”

  Mary listened carefully. Although she was well versed in Nazarene ideas, Easa’s example of Pontius Pilate made this tenet clear and powerful. In a flash of prescience, she felt the need to savor her husband’s words, to remember them exactly as he spoke them. The time would come when she would teach others precisely as he had taught her.

  “The high priest and his supporters are determined to have me arrested — we know now that we cannot escape that,” Easa continued. “But we will ask that they send me to Pilate, and I will plead my case before him. It will then be upon his faith and his conscience to make a decision. We must be prepared for whatever that choice may be. No matter what it is, we must show by our actions what we know to be the truth — that when we allow the kingdom of God to live inside us, nothing on earth can change that, neither an empire, nor an oppressor, nor pain. Not even death.”

  They talked well into the night as Easa discussed his plans for the following day. Mary asked the heaviest question in her heart just once.

  “Can we not just leave Jerusalem tonight? Go back to our preaching in the hills of Galilee until Annas and Caiaphas find some other quarry to chase?”

  “You of all people know better, my Mary,” he chided gently. “The people are watching us closely now. I must show them by example.”

  She nodded her understanding
, and he continued, telling her about his discussion with the Great Mary. They had decided that an appearance at the Temple in Jerusalem the following day would be too dangerous. Too many innocents stood to be injured if there was rioting. Easa’s primary concern was the protection of his disciples. The high priest wanted him, not the others. They had heard as much from Jairus. There was no need to endanger the others unnecessarily. Instead, the closest of the followers would meet privately in the afternoon at a property of Joseph’s for a Passover meal. There Easa would issue instructions to each as to what their role in the ministry would be if he faced a long period of incarceration as John had — or if something worse were to transpire. They would spend the night in Joseph’s lands at Gethsemane, under the sacred stars of Jerusalem.

  And there Easa would allow himself to be arrested.

  “You are going to surrender to the authorities of the Temple?” Mary was incredulous.

  “No, no. I cannot do that. The people would lose all faith in our Way if that were the case. But I must see that my arrest happens away from the city and in such a manner that there is no blood spilt and no rioting. I will have one of our own ‘betray me’ and go to the authorities to give away my position. The guards will come to Gethsemane, where there will be no crowds and therefore no rioting.”

  Mary’s mind was racing. All of this was happening so fast. She was struck by a terrible thought. “Oh, Easa. But who? Who of our own would have the stomach to do such a thing? Surely you can’t think that Peter or Andrew would be able. Certainly not Philip or Bartolome. Your brother James would shed his own blood first, and Simon would shed that of others.”

  The answer came to her then, and they said it in unison. “Judas.”