by David Riley
He steeled his courage as he kicked the door. The heat from the fire was increasing, now radiating through the door, but the wood had not weakened enough to break. He kicked a second time and felt it crack and a small piece of it fell away. The heat of the fire was more intense now, not impeded by the door. He knew time was running out. He rammed the door with his shoulder, and it collapsed under him, sending him sprawling on the floor on top of it. The cloth fell from around his head. He immediately was surrounded by fire, feeling the intense heat on the side of his head and smelling burnt flesh and hair. He cried out in pain but was able to jump up quickly and move back from the flames.
He turned to his mother and yelled. “We must go now or we won’t make it!”
She was kneeling against the wall, eyes closed, praying fervently that Jesus would save them. Temeros knew there was no time and that they must save themselves. He grabbed her by the arm and she nodded to him with a determined look.
“I’m ready” she said, her voice steady. She appeared calm, almost at peace.
Temeros wondered at this but did not have time to dwell on it. Together they took a breath and ran as fast as possible through the wall of flame blocking the door.
The intensity of the fire was terrible but only lasted a moment. Then they were on the other side. He looked around quickly for his father, readying himself for a fight, but he was not there. He must have gone to the workshop where he kept his tools as well as some weapons.
The far wall had not yet started burning, but the flames were licking the ceiling and beginning to spread above their heads. Smoke filled the room. Temeros half dragged her to the far wall where the door to the outside was located. As he let go of her arm to open the door, she collapsed on the floor, coughing. He pulled the door open, allowing a rush of fresh air into the room and giving him hope of escape, but when he turned to help his mother, the fresh air mingled with the flames causing an enormous ball of fire and rush of hot wind that knocked him from his feet throwing him outside onto the ground. As he jumped up, he saw fire filling the doorway where he had just been.
He could see his mother’s form, surrounded by the flames, but now she was standing, with arms raised and eyes looking up. He was not sure but it sounded like she was singing. He was sure it was the fire playing tricks on his vision, but he had imagined he saw a second person standing with her. This form was taller than his father and seemed to have a more regal bearing. Temeros had the fleeting impression this form was somehow protecting his mother. He knew that could not be. There was no one else in the house. All of this lasted just a moment before the house collapsed, destroying the room.
He was stunned, tears streaming down his face as he called out to her, but there was no hope. She was gone. He sobbed for a moment and then had a pang of fear. What about his father? Even with his rage and violence, Temeros knew he could not just leave him. He had no other family.
He made his way around the burning house to the workshop in the rear. It, too, was beginning to burn. The fire was climbing the wall adjacent to the house, and flames were licking at the thatching that comprised the roof.
Temeros yanked open the door and called out. “Father! Are you in here?”
There was no answer. He quickly surveyed the room, walking around the large workbench. He saw the silver pendant he had been making for his mother and snatched it up as he searched. The light from the burning roof was getting brighter and he knew there was not much time. He did not see his father anywhere.
He turned to go back out, and just then a section of the roof crashed down to the floor. The brightness of the falling flames illuminated the dark corner furthest from him. He saw a glimpse of his father slumped against a barrel, a bottle of ale next to him. Before he could get to him, however, the wall began to crumble and a large section fell directly on his father as the blaze filled the room. There was a muffled scream that quickly stopped as the fire incinerated that corner of the workshop.
He turned and fled into the night pursued by the intense heat.
—————
Now, even a few years later, the pain of his father’s rage and his mother’s death was fresh. He missed his mother, and at times even his father. His mind wandered back to memories of his home and his childhood. After a few minutes, his mind began to grow dim and he drifted off to a fitful sleep.
Chapter Seven
When he woke up the next morning, he felt much better. Then he tried to move and immediately his shoulder screamed in pain and his head started throbbing. He sagged back onto the sleeping mat and took a few deep breaths for a moment before trying again, much more slowly. It took him a moment to get his bearings and he remembered that he was in Luke’s sleeping quarters. Light filtered in through a small window, and he could see that the room was empty. He could hear distant voices and the creaking of the ship.
After the pain subsided, he attempted to get up. That was a struggle as he could not use his right arm and the strain of movement caused him to feel pain in parts of his body he did not realize were injured. He groaned in pain and ceased his efforts, deciding rather to rest a bit longer. He was sitting with his back leaning against the bulkhead when the door opened.
“Good morning!” Luke said as he entered the room. “I’m glad to see you’re awake. Last evening you were pretty groggy. I checked on you a few times in the night and you seemed pretty restless. Do you remember what happened?”
Temeros considered this. “I think so. I remember being up on the mast and climbing down. I don’t remember how I got there, but I remember lying on the deck with people around me. You did something to my shoulder and then I was carried here. How bad was I hurt?”
Luke crossed over to where he lay and knelt beside him. “Your shoulder was out of place, but I think I was able to get it back in the socket. You had a nasty bump on your head, but I don’t think you did any lasting damage. Let me take a look at your shoulder,” he said as he began to gently loosen the sling.
As the sling came off, Temeros realized it was his head scarf and he self-consciously reached up to touch his ear and the scars on his scalp.
“Sorry, I had to borrow your head covering to support your arm. I noticed the scars and I think we’ve met before. Aren’t you the young man I found hurt along the road near Smyrna a few years ago?”
“Yeah,” Temeros said, his eyes dropping. “You’re Dr. Luke. I remember you.”
“Remind me of your name,” Luke said as he palpated the structures of his shoulder.
“Temeros,” he said as he winced.
“That’s it!” Luke said. “I have been trying to remember. It is good to see you again!”
He supported the elbow and said, “Bear with me. I need to check on how well your shoulder moves. This is going to be a little sore, but try to relax as much as you can.”
He gently moved his upper arm out from his body as he kept his other hand on the top of the shoulder. Temeros gasped and whispered an epithet.
“Ok, good!” Luke said, a pleased expression on his face. “I apologize for the pain, but I think your shoulder is in good position and it will start to heal in the next few days. Now let me check your head. Can you move your eyes for me?” he said as he moved his finger from side to side, watching closely.
Temeros complied but as he did so felt slightly queasy and the room seemed to swirl around him briefly. He closed his eyes after a moment.
“Looks like you will be resting for a couple of days,” he said, “but I don’t think there is any major problem.”
Luke reached up and felt the back of his head around the bump that had arisen after the fall.
“I think that seems to have gone down a lot over night!” he said encouragingly. “I think everything will be good after a few days.”
“What about my work here on the ship?” Temeros asked. “I am afraid they will send me ashore and replace me at our next port.”
“Don’t worry about that right now,” Luke said. “I know the captain an
d I think I can convince him that this is temporary. I’m pretty certain he would rather keep a crew member that has already become familiar with the ship than start over with one he does not know. Besides, as late as it is, sailing season is about spent. I imagine we will be spending a couple of months in port until the winter dangers are over.”
Temeros relaxed at that. “Thank you, Luke.” He paused a moment and then added, “I am sorry about sneaking away the first time we met. I am grateful for what you did to help, but…“
Luke interrupted him. “Hey, don’t worry about that. It was a long time ago. I’m just glad to see you have recovered. You seem to have found your way these last couple of years. You can fill me in on what you have been doing sometime. For now, let’s see if we can get you up. You can come out to the deck and rest. I think there is a group up there talking.”
It took some effort but Luke was able to support him and help him to his feet. Temeros put his good arm across Luke’s shoulder and tried to steady himself as they walked slowly. The short walk to the deck was an ordeal, but by that time, Aristarchus had joined them. Between the two of them helping him, he made it.
Out on deck, the sun was shining brightly and the gentle breeze was blowing. The bright sunshine hurt his eyes and reawakened the dizzy feeling for a moment but he quickly adjusted. They helped him cross over to the group that was sitting together at the bow of the ship and got him settled on a blanket with a place to lean back and rest.
“Sorry to interrupt, teacher,” Luke said to the man at the center of the group.
“No problem, Luke,” he responded. He stood and walked over to where they were, kneeling down beside Temeros. “Hi,” he said, reaching out his hand to touch his shoulder. “I’m Paul.”
At this, Temeros stiffened and his jaw clenched. His brow furrowed ever so slightly. Luke noticed all of this and made a note to inquire about this later.
“This is Temeros,” Luke answered for him. “He is on the ship’s crew but fell yesterday afternoon. He will need to rest for a couple of days to let his shoulder and his head heal. I thought he may want to join the group and have some company.” He watched Temeros’ expression closely as he said this. He did not respond.
“I am very glad you can be here with us. I will pray that your injuries will heal quickly. I know how it can feel to have injuries like this. It seems even if you only hurt one part of your body, you ache everywhere!” Paul said.
Aristarchus interrupted. “Teacher, what have you been talking about while we were away?”
“I was just commenting on how this ship can be out in the ocean, away from any landmarks, and yet the captain and crew are able to read the position of the sun and stars and still direct us to our destination. In the same way, we may be in unfamiliar circumstances in our lives, with none of the things that are familiar to us, like family or home or friends. In that situation, we need to have something we can look to for direction, a constant reference point. For us, God provides that in His words in the Scriptures but also through the teachings of the Living Word, Jesus. In addition, the Holy Spirit is living in us to give us inward guidance when we are lost. Just as the ship needs wind to propel it through the sea, the Spirit provides the spiritual power to move forward as God directs.”
As he spoke, Temeros watched closely, expecting to see signs of hatred, arrogance, and destruction. This was the picture his father had painted of Paul in Ephesus, leading to loss of his business and his horrible anger that led to the tragic death of Temeros’ mother. So far, he saw none of this, but surely Paul was putting on an act for those around him. He burned with anger, desiring vengeance for the loss of his family and of his comfortable, familiar life. But as Paul continued speaking, his anger began to waver.
He tried to appear uninterested in what was being taught, but the words Paul spoke resonated with him. Here he was, alone in an unfamiliar place, no friends or family. Many times he had wondered how he got here and where he was trying to go. He did not know who to turn to for advice.
“I never cease to be amazed at how you can take normal everyday things around us and see something that points to God and his kingdom!” Aristarchus said. “Luke and I were talking about that the other day. I think you could take anything we mention and find some spiritual truth to teach us!”
Paul smiled at that. “I don’t think that is entirely true! However, God is all around us and sometimes we just need to open our eyes to see what He is doing. Even King David wrote in the Psalms ‘The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.’3 I think if we meditate on Him, the Holy Spirit brings to our mind these truths.”
“So what else has He brought to your mind?”
“Well, I was just thinking a moment ago about our friend’s injuries,” he said, pointing toward Temeros. I think of the church as the body of Christ, our Lord, here on earth. We are His hands and feet of flesh until he returns. When the body is injured, it is not able to function as it should and we cannot perform the duties we are called to be doing. When there is an injury like this, even though only one part is injured, it affects the whole, and all of the body suffers and aches with it.”
The group around him was listening attentively, nodding in agreement.
“As we think of the body, we also know that there are many parts to the body, all of which serve a different purpose. Some are more prominent and active, while others have smaller roles to play. But each one has to play the part it is designed for. If I am a toe in the body of Christ but all I do is try to do the duties of the eye, the body will not walk very well. If the eye wants to be the mouth and speak for God, refusing to do its designated part, the body will be blind stumbling around without direction.”4
This analogy brought chuckles from those listening.
“We in the body are instructed to support each other, lifting each other up, with each one serving where God has placed us. We should not seek the visible, important places of service for our own glory. If God wants us to serve in that capacity, it comes with greater responsibility. Many times I have felt the weight of that charge, wishing God had made me just a toenail in His Body rather than what I am. But I cannot deny that He has directed me to proclaim His grace and mercy even to the Gentiles. The Holy Spirit has allowed me to spread this truth across Asia and Greece and Macedonia and, now, to Rome as well!”
As Temeros listened, this did not sound like the words of a troublemaker. There was no arrogance or pride or self-promotion in his words. Maybe his father had been wrong. But surely something had caused his father to do what he did. It must have been something Paul had done.
This conversation continued for the rest of the morning, and as the afternoon wore on, various people would leave the group and others join. There was no specific agenda but just an ongoing conversation sprinkled with easy-going laughter.
Temeros dozed in the afternoon sun, enjoying the fall breeze. Luke helped him stand and stretch a few times and he walked around the deck. He and Luke went to the supervisor to talk about his restrictions and Rayiz was not happy about it. He agreed to give Temeros a few days to recover but then would expect him to begin doing some work. They agreed to this with the understanding that he had to be cleared for work by Luke.
They were making progress toward Fair Havens, expecting to arrive the next day. This late in the season, there was debate about whether they would be going any further or if they may need to winter there. If so, his injuries would have plenty of time to heal before they could sail in the spring. Temeros began to look forward to being off the ship for an extended period of time.
After meeting with Rayiz, Luke helped him to a less crowded area and sat down by him.
“I noticed that you appeared to have heard of Paul,” he said. “I get the feeling you were not happy about what you have heard. Would you like to talk about it?”
Luke was silent for a moment. “I have known Paul for several years and I know he can be exasperating and very firm in his language, but his entire focus is on sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He is motivated by love, but some have a hard time seeing that. Are you comfortable sharing any more information with me about what happened?” he asked.
Temeros glared at Luke and gestured to his burn scars as the words poured out. “This is all due to him. My family disintegrated, my mother was killed, and my father lost his mind in anger and perished in the same fire. I am all alone, with no home, no family, and no friends!” he said angrily. “Paul caused all of this!”
Luke took a breath and chose his words carefully. “I know you are from Ephesus. Paul shared with me that the city was overtaken by riots in protest to his ministry. Even my friend Aristarchus was seized by the crowds during that time and feared for his life. Do you mean that affected your family as well?”
“My father was the leader of the silversmiths, faithful to the temple of Artemis. And yet my mother heard Paul and began to follow this Jesus that he spends so much time talking about. When my father heard of this, he was angry. Not only was his business ruined by Paul and his influence on the people in the town, but my mother betrayed him by joining the very ones who were the cause of his troubles.” As he spoke, his anger gave way to tears. “My father was the one that called the town together to protest. When he came home, he found out about my mother’s belief in what Paul taught and he lost his mind with rage. He lit the house on fire and then went to his workshop, drunk. I saw the burning roof of his workshop collapse on him, killing him. I was burned trying to save my mother, but she… she…” his voice faltered as he let out a sob.
Luke put his arm around him as he wept. “I’m so sorry,” he said quietly. He said no more for a moment as Temeros cried, his hands to his face, head bent in grief.
