Martha (18 page)

 24 

Martha didn't realize how anxious she'd been until she felt the rush of relief to see Tobias talking with Lazarus and Mary. Her brother was shaking his head and as she approached, he turned to her with a strange look on his face.

“What is wrong? Has harm come to Thomas or the other disciples?”

Tobias spoke up. “I went into Jerusalem, to the house of your cousin, Hanniel, as Lazarus asked. Thomas sent a message with a trusted friend, who is a believer and also a scribe. After several discreet inquiries, Thomas found the disciples hiding in the upper room, as he suspected.”

Mary cried out, “The upper room? That can't be a safe place. Judas could lead the soldiers there. Thomas could be arrested by now, with all the others.”

Tobias shook his head. “Judas is dead. He thought that Jesus would rise up and lead a revolt when they arrested him. He'd said all along that Jesus should take his place as a leader of the people. I don't think he anticipated what would happen when the soldiers arrested Jesus. Judas was found hanging from a tree in the Potter's Field.”

So Judas was dead. Martha realized that she understood what Judas had tried to do. He'd betrayed the Lord with a plan in mind, and it hadn't worked the way he wanted it to. Poor man, he must have been bitterly disillusioned to take his own life.

Lazarus waved a hand. “Go on, Tobias, tell Martha the rest of the story.”

“Well, several of the women went to the tomb early the first day of the week, bringing spices to add to the wrappings around Jesus. Pilate had sent soldiers to guard the tomb and the great seal of Rome was placed on the stone at the entrance. They were worried about how to get in to anoint the body of the Lord. And this is the amazing part. Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, who had gone to Pilate to request the body of Jesus.”

Martha gasped. “He is a member of the High Council. He is a believer?”

Lazarus shrugged. “He must be. No one would have the courage to go to Pilate for that task.”

Tobias went on. “The body was wrapped with some spices by Joseph and placed in the tomb quickly because the Sabbath was near.” He paused as if his next words were more than he could speak. “When the women approached the tomb early on the first day of the week, they claimed that two shining beings had rolled the stone away and were sitting on the stone. These beings told the women that Jesus was not there, that he had . . . risen from the dead!”

Mary clutched at Tobias's sleeve. “Risen from the dead, just as he raised our brother?”

“Yes. The beings said, ‘Come and see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell his disciples . . . and Peter, that he is risen from the dead and will go before you into Galilee; there you will see him as he said to you.'”

“Did they look in the tomb and see that Jesus was gone? And where were the soldiers?” Martha wanted something substantial to process in her mind.

“That's the strange part,” Tobias said. “The soldiers were gone, every one of them.”

“But they wouldn't leave their post,” Lazarus murmured. “That is all very strange.”

Lazarus took up the story. “Mary Magdalene along with the women returned to the upper room and she told the disciples she had seen Jesus and he had spoken to her. She'd thought he was the gardener and wanted to know what he'd done with the body of the Lord. Then she said he spoke to her, and when he said her name, she realized it was the Lord and fell at his feet. He told her not to cling to him as he had not yet ascended to his Father; but to go to his brethren and tell them he was ascending to his Father and their Father and to his God and their God.”

Mary put an arm around her sister. “We must believe. If Jesus could raise Lazarus and others from the dead, could he not raise himself? Has he not told us he was going to the Father? We must consider the words he spoke when he was with us.”

Martha sat down on a bench—it was almost too much to take in. “What did the disciples say when Mary Magdalene told them he was alive?”

Tobias snorted, “They didn't believe her. Thomas said John and Peter took off at a dead run for the tomb to see for themselves and came back mystified. The grave was indeed empty, and this is the strange part. The burial garments were still there, including the burial cloth which was lying on the stone slab.” Tobias turned to Lazarus. “The cloth that covered his face was set aside by itself and neatly folded.” He waited for the thought to penetrate.

His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. “The tradition,” Lazarus cried. “The master and his servant—we were taught that in school with the rabbi.”

Mary looked from Lazarus to Tobias. “What tradition?” She sat down next to Lazarus on the bench and waited for Tobias to continue.

“Every Jewish boy knows the story. When a servant set the table for his master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it. Then the servant would wait, just out of sight until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished. Now if the master was done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table. The servant would then know to clear the table. For the wadded napkin meant, ‘I'm done.' But if the master got up from the table, folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because . . . the folded napkin meant, ‘I'm coming back!'”

Tobias shrugged, embarrassed. “It is only a tradition and has to do with a napkin rather than a burial facecloth, but it came to mind when I heard this. I do not even know if the tradition is true. Perhaps it was just a story the rabbi told to keep the interest of squirming young boys.”

Martha thought a moment. “I'm sure it has some significance, Tobias, or it wouldn't have come to your mind.”

Her face alight with joy, Mary cried, “He is alive. I believe with all my heart that he is alive. We should rejoice that he came to us, and supped with us and caused us to observe the miracles so we would believe. Thomas told me once that Jesus said, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life, and no man comes to the Father but through me.'” She clasped her hands. “Don't you see? He came so that we might believe, and because we believe in him, we too shall see the Father one day.”

Lazarus nodded sagely. “I believe what you say is true. Our family has good reason to believe, for I am a living example of the resurrection from the dead.”

He turned to Tobias again. “So what is next? How long will the disciples remain in the upper room?”

“I don't know the answer to that. We can only trust the Lord to show them what to do. Thomas said he would come to you sometime in the next two or three days and he'll know more at that time. He has not seen the Lord and was skeptical about the women's testimony, but I'm sure he will have further news when he comes.”

After Tobias left them to return to his own home and share his glad tidings, Martha and Mary still sat on the bench. Martha tried to process the amazing news that Tobias had brought them. Finally, she rose and began making preparations for their evening meal. Mary sat for a moment longer, looking up at the clouds in the sky, her face radiating her joy. When Martha cleared her throat and gave her a stern look, she rose quickly and, taking the bread from the oven where it was wrapped in cloths, put it on the table and went to the storeroom for cups of water.

“I go to our God”
—the words Thaddeus had said on the scroll. Jesus could not have done the miracles he did unless he was from God. Martha turned the words over and over in her mind as she moved about the stove and put platters on the table. Would she and her family see the Lord again? He had appeared to the women; surely he would come to the disciples and reveal himself again. He loved Lazarus as a brother. Would he not show himself to them? She thought of the picture of Mary Magdalene falling at Jesus's feet and actually seeing him and hearing his beloved voice. All of a sudden a great longing rose up in her heart.

 25 

It wasn't until the fifth day of the week that Thomas appeared at their gate. He came just after sunset and kept looking over his shoulder as if he might have been followed.

Martha had never seen Thomas so nervous. He usually had a ready laugh and an easygoing attitude. As he looked at Mary, his feelings were obvious. Had he braved any danger just to see her again?

“Peace be upon this house,” he whispered.

Lazarus quickly shut the gate behind Thomas. Mary hurried from Thomas's side to prepare something for him to eat. The two men went inside the house where they could speak freely. As Martha put the warm lentil stew in front of him and Mary put down a half a loaf of bread and some figs, Thomas began to relax a bit.

The women waited patiently for him to satisfy his hunger, but Martha thought he'd never tell them his news.

Finally, Lazarus spoke up. “Tell me, Thomas, what have you seen in the city? What is happening?”

Thomas wiped his mouth on his sleeve and looked around at them. “I don't know what to believe of what I've heard. I'm sure Tobias told you that some of the women say they've seen the Lord. Then two of the disciples, Cleophas and Simon, who were traveling to Emmaus, told of a stranger joining them on the road. He asked why they were downcast and they told him of the crucifixion and that they felt all their hopes were shattered. The stranger began to expound on the Scriptures and tell of the things the Messiah was to suffer. He opened the Scriptures to them. They wanted to hear more and convinced him to turn aside at an inn with them for the night. As they sat at the table, eating, the stranger broke bread before them and to their astonishment, it was the Lord! As soon as they recognized him, he disappeared, so they say, and the disciples hurried back to Jerusalem and the upper room to tell the others.”

He absentmindedly broke a date cake in half as he stared out into the darkness. “The disciples even said, would you believe it, that he suddenly appeared to them in the upper room? Like a ghost, now he's here, now he's there.” He hung his head. “I don't know what to think. It all seems part of someone's imagination. They wanted to see the Lord, so they thought they did. It seems like so many tall stories. They only make things worse.”

Thomas spread his hands in a futile gesture. “I cannot just believe tall tales. Unless I put my hand in his side, and touch the nail prints in his hands and feet, I will not believe. The disciples wait in the upper room and no one knows what to do.”

Mary sank down at the table on a cushion next to Thomas. “But, think of all the miracles we witnessed when he was here on earth with us; the blind healed, the lame walked, demons were cast out, and your own friend, our brother, was raised from the dead. Why can you not believe what he told us when he was here?”

Thomas gave Mary a sad, sweet smile. “I cannot plan the rest of my life on hearsay.”

She sighed. “Will you go back to the upper room?”

His shoulders drooped. “Probably, I don't know what else to do. Peter and some of the others are talking about going back to Galilee to go fishing. I may go with them. I need to make some money. It's the only occupation I know.”

He turned earnestly to Lazarus. “I want to show you that I'm worthy of Mary, that I can support her and make a home for her.”

Lazarus stroked his beard. “Yes, my friend, I'm sure you do. I know this is a difficult time. All is not impossible.” He leaned closer to Thomas and lowered his voice. “I must ask you to tell me if there is any further word concerning me and the leaders.”

Thomas was instantly contrite. “Here I have thought only of myself and seeing Mary again. Of course you have waited for news. It is not good, Lazarus. Hanniel told me that double the number of guards watched the Sabbath services at the Temple. The Temple police also moved in and around the crowd. They didn't do anything, but they did seem to be watching for someone. I would not go into Jerusalem if I were you.”

Martha huffed, “If they were looking for Lazarus, they know where we live. No one has come here from the Jewish leaders, no soldiers. It seems to me that if they wanted Lazarus, they would come here and arrest him.”

Thomas shook his head. “You underestimate them. They didn't take Jesus in public because of the people that followed him. They took him at night in a secret place because Judas had betrayed him. If they want Lazarus, they will find a way to take him without attracting attention and quietly do away with him, lest they be blamed and there is blood on their hands.”

Martha felt a cold chill go up her back and saw the fear on Mary's face.

Lazarus looked up at his sisters. “What can I do?”

“If I were you, I'd go away, Lazarus, until this all quiets down. When the leaders see that you are not starting a rebellion, it may be that they will discard their plans for you.”

Mary put a hand on her brother's arm. “Perhaps Thomas is right. Maybe you only have to go away for a few months. They will forget about you.”

He shook his head slowly. “It all seems too much to take in. My sisters would be left alone. They cannot tend the fields and do all the work themselves.” He stroked his beard, deep in thought. Finally, “When will you return to Jerusalem?”

“I promised I'd come back on the first day of the week again. If the others are going fishing, I told Peter I would go with them.”

Martha gave Thomas her warmest smile. “Then stay, Thomas, until after the Sabbath.” In her heart she feared that Mary would not see Thomas again.

The two young people talked about marriage, and even Lazarus was moved by their devotion to one another. He agreed to give his consent to the marriage if Thomas could prove he could take care of Mary. The men talked about where Lazarus could go. Thomas confessed he had relatives in Damascus. If he had to leave also, there was a place he and Lazarus could go.

The morning after the Sabbath, Thomas once again prepared to return to the city. He'd made up his mind to go fishing with Peter and the others, determined to show Lazarus he could earn a living and support a wife.

Mary's eyes pooled with tears as she bade him goodbye once again and stood without moving, watching him trudge down the road to Jerusalem. The pain on Mary's face tugged at Martha's heart, and she went to put her arms around her sister and comfort her. For Mary's sake, she prayed that Thomas would come to no harm.