THE CARPENTER OF
GALILEE
(continued)
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In the evenings,
after a long day at work, when he bathed before prayers and dinner, he
often regretted washing away that sweet wood smell, even as the water
sluiced off the dirt and grime.
Often, when he toweled dry after his bath, he would consider
how lucky he was to enjoy the pungent small of worked wood, even if he was
getting dirty in the process. Later, in the stillness of the evening,
sleep came swiftly to the carpenter, a deep, untroubled sleep he knew he
would not always enjoy.
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Simeon smiled. "How do you---both of you---feel today?"
"I am tired and he is restless." She patted her stomach. "I
fear he will outrun you when he is a year old."
Simeon nodded. "I cannot wait for that race!"
Rachel grew serious. "I cannot wait, either, Simeon. We
cannot wait. Have you spoken to your father?"
Simeon put his arm around his wife, whispering, "I've pled
with him a number of times that our time has come!"
"But he is not persuaded," said Rachel flatly.
"No," answered Simeon, his eyes downcast. "He is not
persuaded."
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"Perhaps you
should go to him," suggested Jeshua.
Eli ground his teeth. "I cannot go to him." He glanced at
Jeshua for a moment, then looked away. "Simeon is right. Reuben is no
longer my son. He must be cut off. So says the Law."
"But mercy---"
"Mercy cannot rob justice," said Eli, pulling away.
"Yet you love him."
"Yes," sighed Eli. "I do."
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"And what's this?" queried Simeon, pointing to a small
rectangle in the door at eye height, a thin piece of mahogany that slid
upward in two wooden tracks. "A window of some sort?"
Jeshua nodded. "Yes. A window." He grasped the small knob on
the shutter and raised it, letting in a small circle of sunlight which
fell directly on Eli's chest.
Eli placed his hand on his chest, where the light fell. "It
warms my heart, carpenter, to see such work.," he said unable to take his
eyes off the small circle of light on his chest. When he looked up, there
was a brightness in his eyes as well, and he shook his finger
good-naturedly at Jeshua, smiling, "You are quite a surprise, young man."
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Reuben,
surrounded by servants, saw Eli coming. He broke free and ran. "Father!"
he shouted. They met in the middle of the road, embracing and exchanging
kisses. Eli shouted, "Reuben, Reuben, my son, my son!" over and over. In
an instant they were again in the middle of a crowd. From both sides of
the house, more people ran toward the joyful reunion.
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A few years later, Jeshua was conversing with a number of tax collectors
and sinners, and his followers were dismayed that he would associate
himself with such wicked people. But Jeshua, knowing the thoughts of their
hearts, looked about at the people and opened his mouth.
And he said, "A certain man had two sons . . . "
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