Claudia, Wife of Pontius Pilate

by Taylor, Diana Wallis

  “My husband, have you heard any other stories of the miracles this man performs?”

  “There are stories everywhere I go. Feeding a mass of people with next to nothing—a few loaves of bread and some fish, blind men given their sight, the deaf having their ears unstopped. He even casts out demons and they obey him. Where does he get this power? Is he a sorcerer?”

  She started to say, “The rabbi says,” but changed it to, “I have heard many stories also from the servants and from Joanna of miraculous things. They say he gets his power from his God—the God of the Hebrews. He calls this God his father.”

  Her husband’s mood passed and the wonderment was gone. He was the consummate Roman soldier again, scoffing at the idea of a man receiving power from a god.

  That night she comforted him as a wife and he held her a long time. He needed her and she was counting on his favor. She would need all her courage for what she had in mind.

  33

  Claudia prayed for Lucius to be occupied elsewhere the next day. If he was in his study, her plans were to no avail. When he told her he was traveling to inspect the work on the aqueduct, she silently rejoiced, wished him a safe journey, and from a window in the palace watched him ride away with his men.

  “Hotep, help me dress, quickly.”

  Then she waited impatiently while the girl dressed her hair.

  Doros was playing with the blocks that had been in her small chest from her own childhood. He loved to stack them and then knock them down again. The little boy’s laughter caused her heart to swell with mother love. She would do anything for her son, even risk the wrath of her husband. What if her mission failed and Lucius found out she had taken Doros to the Temple? She shuddered at the thought. Still, he had not forbid her and she could innocently remind him of that fact should the occasion arise.

  When she was ready, she gathered her son in her arms and, with Hotep behind her, went to see if Joanna was in her quarters. To her relief, Joanna was there. When Claudia explained what she wanted to do, not only did Joanna agree to go with her, but Chuza would go also, as protection.

  “Oh, Chuza, that would be wonderful.” That should be in her favor if she had to face Lucius.

  The five of them hurried through the streets, and as they approached the Temple, Doros looked up. “Big, big, Mater.”

  “Yes, Doros, it is very big.”

  They went up the steps to the Court of the Gentiles, and when she saw the crowd and Jesus speaking, she realized she’d been holding her breath.

  One of the listeners told Chuza that the Teacher had been speaking since early morning. He was telling them a parable.

  “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding and they were not willing to come . . .”

  Why would someone insult the host and not come to his son’s wedding? Claudia mused at this breach of manners. No Roman invited to the wedding of the emperor would dare refuse.

  “Again he sent out other servants saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, and another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.”

  Claudia looked at Joanna and shook her head. Joanna smiled. They both knew what would happen to those ungrateful guests if it were the emperor.

  “But when the king heard about it, he was furious, and he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.”

  The crowd murmured among themselves and nodded their heads in agreement. “This was what those men deserved,” she heard someone say.

  As Jesus went on, Claudia tried to picture Tiberius sending servants out to gather the poor people on the streets and anyone they got hold of, imploring them to come to the emperor’s wedding. She couldn’t begin to imagine such a scene.

  Doros squirmed in her arms and she passed him to Hotep, who had a way of keeping the small boy occupied and distracted.

  Jesus continued with his story. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ The man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot. Take him away and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

  What did he mean? Claudia listened carefully. Did it mean that this kingdom of God was available to all, but like the first wedding guests some would turn away and refuse? She recalled the previous day when Jesus had looked at her and warmth had filled her being. Was she chosen? She had spoken to him in her heart, but he had turned at that moment and looked at her, and she knew something had changed inside. She felt lighter and full of hope. Unhappy thoughts of the past seemed to slip away to the shadows where they belonged.

  Some of the Sadducees, the sect who did not believe in the resurrection of the body as the Pharisees did, had been listening. They murmured among themselves and then one of them, as their spokesman, smirked and posed a question.

  “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. Likewise the second on through the seventh. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven shall she be, for they all had her to wife?”

  Jesus looked at them with an expression akin to pity and shook his head. “You are mistaken and do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are as the angels of God in heaven.”

  The group of Sadducees looked at him and shook their heads, clearly perplexed. After commenting among themselves again, they turned and strode out of the Temple court.

  Claudia and Joanna looked after them and then at each other as Chuza whispered, “He confounds even the leaders and they have no response.”

  The four continued to listen to the Teacher and marvel at his words. He was telling the crowd that the Son of Man, as he called himself, would judge the nations.

  “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him.”

  Jesus went on to talk about sheep and goats and that the sheep would be gathered into the fold and the goats dismissed. She finally understood that the sheep were the believers and the goats were the unbelievers.

  Jesus went on. “‘Come, you blessed of My Father, and inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in or naked and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick, or in prison and come to you?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’”

  Jesus taught another hour, and then the people surged forward with those who were sick and invalid. His eyes full of compassion, he began to lay hands on them. As Claudia and those with her watched in amazement, each one was healed.

  Claudia could not bring herself to expose herself to the crowd. She could not face Lucius if they turned against her. In spite of the story told by the centurion who spoke with Lucius, she was afraid Jesus would dismiss her plea. She gathered her courage and turned to her maidservant. “Hotep, take Doros to Jesus. I cannot. Perhaps if
he does not know whose son it is, the Teacher will have mercy.”

  The maidservant, her eyes wide with apprehension, clutched Doros to her and moved through the crowd until she was facing Jesus. The Teacher smiled at the boy, and Doros, who had been whimpering, suddenly stopped and smiled back. Hotep stood him on the ground so that Jesus could see his crippled foot.

  Claudia could not hear what Jesus said to her maidservant, but Hotep turned and looked back at her mistress. A jolt of fear shot through Claudia. Was she yet to have to reveal herself in front of the crowd? Lucius would never forgive her. Lord, know my heart. I cannot. Please, have mercy on my son.

  Then, to her astonishment, in her mind she clearly heard the words: You are mine, beloved woman, and one day you will serve me. Do not fear, for I will go ahead of you.

  Then Jesus reached down and put his hand on the little boy’s foot. In moments it became straight and normal like his other one.

  Tears of joy ran down Claudia’s cheeks and she felt as if her heart would burst from her chest. The crowd parted as Doros ran back to her and she swept him up in her arms. She had dressed simply with no adornments and wore the cloak of a servant. Though the heavy shawl slipped for a moment, it still hid most of her face. She anticipated someone recognizing her, but the people had turned back to watch still another miracle as a man bent over for years was healed and jumping joyously in front of Jesus.

  Joanna and her husband marveled at the miracle, touching the new foot. Then Chuza, aware of his duties as guardian, glanced around. “Let us go quickly, my lady, while the crowd is distracted. It is best.”

  They moved quickly out of the Temple, Claudia still holding her son tightly to her. She could hardly see for the tears that streamed down her face. Her mind turned with the enormity of what had been done. What would her husband’s response be?

  As they neared the palace and slipped in the back entrance, one of the servants told Claudia that the governor had returned and was asking for her.

  Joanna, tears in her eyes, put a hand on her arm. “We will pray for you, my lady.” Claudia nodded and as Joanna left, turned to her maidservant. “Hotep, what did the Teacher say to you?”

  “He asked where the boy’s mother was. He knew I was not the mother. I said she does not feel worthy to come and asks that you have mercy on her only son.”

  Jesus had heard her silent prayer. To the maid, she murmured, “Thank you. Please take Doros to our quarters. I will come later.”

  Her handmaid took the boy. “How will you tell him, Domina?”

  “I don’t know, but the Teacher spoke to my heart and said he would go before me. I must trust him for the right words.”

  Claudia stood in the courtyard and watched her servant carry Doros up the stairs. Then she turned and was startled to find Lucius watching her, his eyes narrowed.

  “Where have you been with my son?”

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  She looked up at him and gave him her warmest smile. “Oh Lucius, after you told me about the centurion, I began to wonder about this teacher named Jesus. When I heard he was at the Temple, teaching in the Court of the Gentiles, I went to hear him. I was very careful to disguise myself and went with Hotep and Joanna. Chuza also went along as protection for me—”

  “You went to hear that rabble-rouser at the Temple? Did I not warn you to be careful for your safety? How could you do such a thing? I would have forbidden it!”

  “Dear Lucius, had you forbidden me, of course I would have obeyed you. I went only in desperation.”

  He took her arm and led her almost angrily up the stairs to their quarters. “We will discuss this in private without the ears of the servants.”

  When they reached the room, Hotep did not have to be dismissed. She took one look at the thundercloud on the face of her master and fled. Doros was asleep on his bed, exhausted from the long day at the Temple and what had happened to him.

  When the door closed behind Hotep, Lucius turned to Claudia. “I do not want you to go again and fill your head with false hopes. Our son is crippled and you must accept that. I forbid you to go near the Temple again, do you understand me?”

  “Yes, Lucius, I understand you, but first, may I show you something?”

  She led him into their son’s room, went to the bed, and lifted the coverlet from Doros’s legs, then waited for the realization to dawn on her husband.

  Lucius looked at the foot that had been so deformed and his eyes widened. Very slowly he reached out and touched the foot, now whole and healthy like other one. “By the gods, what happened—how did it—?”

  “It wasn’t our gods, Lucius, it was the Teacher, Jesus, who healed his foot. He merely laid hands on the deformity and prayed to his God, and the foot became whole. I saw it happen. Doros ran to me, not with the wobble of a crippled boy but like a normal boy. No more will he suffer as he has.”

  “Pater?” Doros opened his eyes and looked up at his father, his eyes wide with apprehension. Lucius broke. With a sob, he gathered his small son to his chest as tears ran down his cheeks.

  Doros looked at his mother, not sure if he should cry also. Claudia saw his hesitation. His father was acting strangely.

  Claudia’s heart soared as she looked at her husband’s face, stark with raw emotion. “It was the story of your centurion that gave me the courage to believe that though I was a Roman, the Teacher’s God might have mercy on our son. It was a chance I had to take, even risking your anger.”

  Doros, joyful at the attention of his father, wiggled out of his father’s arms and slipped to the floor, crying, “See me, Pater, see me!” He toddled around on his chubby legs, showing them how he could walk now.

  Lucius swallowed and could only smile and nod. “I see, my son.” Then he turned to Claudia and took her in his arms. “You are far braver than I, wife of my heart. I must confess that I was jealous. I have been gone so much with my duties as governor, and I thought you were seeing someone else.”

  She put a hand on his face. “Oh, dear Lucius, there is no one but you. I have been talking with the gardener, Jeremiah, about the plants, and also having him tell me the history of the Jews. Joanna also has enlightened me on some of their customs. Since it is your task to govern the Jews while we are here, I felt it only natural that I, as your wife, should know more about them.”

  Lucius shook his head and leaned down to kiss her. “I have married a wise woman.”

  “You are no longer angry with me, my husband?”

  He watched Doros walk across the room, pleased with his new foot. “How can I be angry? I am grateful to this God of the Jews for his mercy to us. I will not berate the Teacher again.” He looked toward the window. “Few people know of our son’s deformed foot. That is why I had you keep him in the palace.”

  He walked over and put his hand on the head of his son. “We must act as if nothing has happened. I do not want to create problems. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “But Lucius, this is a wonderful miracle—”

  He whirled around, his voice tense. “Claudia, do as I have bid you. I do not want you trailing around after this teacher like the steward’s wife.”

  She fought down the words she wanted to say, and murmured only, “If you wish it, Lucius.” Was he forbidding her to hear Jesus again?

  The change in her demeanor didn’t soften him. “I will make an offering to the gods for this great miracle. I will see you at dinner.”

  With a last look at his son, and then her face, he strode quickly out of the room.

  Claudia stared at the closed door. An offering to the gods? After he knew who had healed his son’s crippled foot? She sank down on a chair and put her face in her hands, trying to hold back the tears for the sake of her son.

  A small hand patted her knee. “Mater? Are you sad, Mater?”

  She forced a smile. “Oh, no, my love, I am very happy. I am happy about your foot.”

  “I have a good foot, now, Mater.”

  “Yes, Doros, you have a good foo
t now.”

  The door opened again and she looked up suddenly. Had Lucius had a change of heart?

  It was Hotep.

  “Domina, I saw the dominae leave. Was he not happy about the child’s foot?”

  “He was very happy, Hotep, but he does not believe in the Teacher as we do. He wants to give thanks to the Roman gods for the miracle. It is hard for him to change.”

  “Will that not make the God of the Hebrews angry?”

  Claudia considered that. “I have to believe he would understand, Hotep. I cannot fight Lucius.”

  Doros sat down on the floor and studied his new foot. He touched each toe and patted the foot with his hand. “Jesus gave me a new foot. Jesus, Jesus,” he sang.

  She shook her head in wonder. Doros at least had no doubts as to who healed him.

  35

  Lucius had always been given to moods and she’d learned to leave him alone until he worked through whatever was bothering him. Sometimes he told her of his problem, but other times he preferred to keep it to himself. She hoped it was not her imagination, but Lucius seemed more moody than ever. There were times he would watch Doros play in the garden, and she sensed his inner turmoil. How did he reconcile his belief in his Roman gods with the miracle of the Jewish God? While she was anxious to talk with him about what she now believed with all her heart, she sensed it would only drive him further into himself.

  At least when they went out in the coach, Doros was allowed to go with them instead of being left in their quarters with Hotep. It was obvious Lucius was proud of his son and anxious to show him off now, but if Doros tried to talk about Jesus, he was quickly cut off by his father. The boy was hurt and disappointed and, while silent, watched his father with sad eyes.

  Claudia and Hotep prayed to the Lord God in their times alone and slipped out to see Jesus one more time to hear his teaching the week before Passover.