Final Confrontation (19 page)

“We have just heard, rabbi, how You healed a man!”

The crowd that had begun gathering gasped at the news, turning to each other for more information about the healing. Some around the pool were still crying out to Jesus to come and heal them as well. Jesus looked at Kara and then back at the spokesman for the priests.

“Indeed,” said Jesus. “The Lord has healed a man.”

“You realize of course this is Sabbath,” said another priest.

“Yes,” said Jesus. “I love to celebrate the Sabbath. Especially in Jerusalem.”

“And yet You celebrate it by breaking it,” said their leader, the man Zichri who had challenged Him in Matthew’s house. “How odd.”

“Not so odd,” said Jesus, looking at the crowd gathering about Him. Andrew and Peter had by now caught up with Jesus and were pushing their way near Him. “My Father is always working. And so must I.”

Jesus then turned away from the astonished priests and disappeared down the street. Berenius moved upon Zichri’s mind, and began fanning a sting of hatred for Jesus. Zichri scowled at the others and brought them into a nearby house where they might speak.

“This Man goes too far,” he said as the group assembled around a table in the house that belonged to one of the priests. “Something must be done.”

“Perhaps we should tell the High Priest?” offered one.

“We need not soil the High Priest’s hands in this,” said Zichri. “At least not yet. But if this Man begins convincing people He is the Son of God Himself, then we shall all be swept away!”

“The man must be put away somehow…”
Berenius spoke into Zichri’s mind. Kara looked on delightedly.

“We must meet further on this,” said Zichri. “And we need not involve the High Priest…at least not yet.”

“Not unless it comes to blood…”

Zichri looked at the others, fearful they could know his thoughts.

“Should it require sterner measures,” said Zichri, “we shall certainly bring in the High Priest. The weight of his office would prove important.”

As the men went their separate ways Zichri could only wonder what made him think such a thing. And yet there was a single thought which had begun to slowly emerge, pounding away at both his conscience and his resolve. He dared not speak it before. But now he could hardly contain the word.

“Murder,” he whispered to himself, shuddering as he did.

“Twelve of them?”

“Yes, my prince,” said Pellecus. “They are His disciples. He is organizing them to do works in the name of the Most High.”

Lucifer paced the ornate receiving room that Herod the Great had built and which was now used infrequently by his son. Pellecus, Rugio and Kara watched as their master thought about the implications of such a thing.

“So that’s it,” he finally said.

The others looked at each other and then back to Lucifer.

“What droll irony. The very creatures we tripped up in Eden, He will now empower to contest us. Interesting.”

“And humbling,” said Pellecus. “Should it prove successful.”

“I could bring in a troop of warriors to crush His movement before it takes hold,” offered Rugio. “Perhaps we could begin attacking their families with sickness…”

Kara sneered.

“Your warriors have yet to be successful at anything that contests the Most High,” he said. “What makes you believe you could touch one of His own?”

Rugio raged at Kara.

“You proud, foolish spirit!” he yelled. “How dare you accuse me? You are the one who has misread everything the Lord has managed through humans!”

Pellecus only smiled as the two angels began bickering and blaming for the past efforts to stop the Seed’s progress. Lucifer allowed this to go on only for a moment. He glanced pointedly at Pellecus and then put a stop to it.

“Enough!” he shouted. “If we have learned anything from this war it is that we cannot possibly win if we are not united. Human history has even shown such a truth. Herod, once called the Great, is now dust. We are meeting in the room in which he once played host to the world.”

He glared at Rugio and Kara.

“Understand this—our only hope of surviving in a world in which we can have some sort of satisfaction—some vestige of authority—is to remain bound together. There will be time to settle scores later.”

Rugio nodded in agreement with Lucifer’s assessment. Kara shot a prideful look at Rugio before heartily affirming Lucifer’s wisdom.

“He certainly made quite a showing for Himself on the mount,” said Kara. “A lot of nonsense about the meek and the mournful and the poor being blessed. Astonishing! How can He possibly capture a world if He is only interested in its most depraved citizens?”

“I believe it is brilliant,” said Pellecus, as they all seated themselves at Herod’s massive table which was overlaid with gold and stood near the reception throne. “The great King taking the world through its weakest members. Quite humbling really. That sermon indicates the sort of Kingdom Jesus is establishing—a Kingdom not born out of conquest but out of love and humility.”

Lucifer noted the throne on which Herod had once received the kings of the East not so long ago. He snickered a bit.

“If only Herod had been able to kill the Child back then,” he said with a morose tone. “It would all be over now.”

“And now His following increases,” said Kara. “They come to Him from all over. Even from the Decapolis! Our hold on the people is no match for His authority.”

Rugio, whose warriors were largely in charge of oppressing the people, admitted it was true.

“Wherever Jesus goes, He casts out our angels,” he complained. “Some of my greatest warriors—even legions of them—have been thrown aside as if they were nothing by His mere words!”

“My lord, if He gives this sort of authority to these twelve, we will be in a dangerous predicament,” added Kara. “Something must be done!”

“And so the problem remains of how to handle these disciples to whom He is granting authority,” observed Pellecus, who wanted to steer the conversation back to forming a strategy. “There are indeed twelve of them, as Kara noted.”

“Yes,” said Lucifer. “I told you once that the more knowledge of the Most High these humans gained, the more authority they would exert over us. As I see it there are two areas of attack that concern us. The first is John in prison.” He looked at Kara and added only, “See to it!”

Kara nodded.

“I thought perhaps a living memorial of their one-time prophet might serve our cause,” continued Lucifer. “Instead John’s followers persist. With John dead his followers will all but vanish. The same will happen to the followers of Jesus.”

“You are proposing that Jesus be thrown into prison?” asked Kara timidly.

“I am proposing we handle Jesus as we do His cousin.”

“You mean…”

“Murder,” said Lucifer coldly. “The trick of course is how to get to Jesus.”

Kara began laughing.

“You are suggesting we kill the Son of God?” asked Kara, exasperated now. He looked at Rugio. “Our chief warrior has just said that even a legion of his best cannot hold Him. How can we expect to kill Him?”

“I am not suggesting we kill Jesus the Living God,” said Lucifer slyly. “I am suggesting we kill Jesus the living Man.”

At that moment an aide to Rugio appeared in the room, begging to be received. Lucifer motioned for the angel to approach. Rugio was uncomfortable at the prospect of another bad report.

“What is it, Olor,” said Rugio.

“Jesus…He has…”

“Well?”

The angel stood up straight.

“Jesus has just raised a dead boy at Nain. A widow’s son!”

The three looked sullenly at Lucifer.

“So now He not only heals the sick He is raising the dead as well,” he said finally.

Lucifer stood from the table. “Now you see why it is expedient that Jesus die. Let Him heal the sick and raise the dead. But what shall His followers do when He is Himself a corpse? Raise Him up?”

They laughed.

“No, Jesus must die. Don’t forget that while He is the Lord incarnate, He is also a human. He will bleed just like any other human. And He will die.”

“And the twelve?” asked Pellecus.

“We need not be concerned with all twelve,” said Lucifer.

Rugio looked at the others, then spoke up.

“How so, my prince? If He has granted them all a measure of His authority…”

“True, Rugio,” said Lucifer. “He has given a dozen men authority to act in His name. Let them. Let Him keep them all… except perhaps for one.”

The others looked at him with puzzled expressions.

“One?” repeated Pellecus. “What do you mean, my lord?”

“All it takes is one,” said Lucifer, smiling at them.

The demons shrieked and threw the woman down, making her froth around the lips. Matthew and Thomas tried to hold her fast, but Jesus told them to step aside. With one more command from Jesus, the devils screamed an oath and left. The woman was still trembling, but her countenance had already begun to change—especially around the eyes. She looked up curiously at Jesus.

“Tend to her,” said Jesus. He gazed at the crowd as they called upon Him to heal this person or deliver that one from an evil spirit. The Galilean countryside was swarming with people with all sorts of afflictions, hoping the Man of miracles might work a miracle for them. The disciples tried to maintain some order, but it was becoming increasingly difficult.

“Thank you, my Lord,” said the woman, drinking the water offered to her by one of the disciples. “You have freed me and I will ever serve You.”

Jesus looked down at her with compassion. As she stood, she dusted herself off. Suddenly she was ashamed. Her clothing gave her away as a local prostitute. She looked away from Him.

“What is your name?” Jesus asked her.

“I am Mary,” she answered softly. “Called Magdalene. But do not look upon me Lord, for I am unworthy.”

“You are now a free woman,” said Jesus. “Now go and use your freedom to glorify your Father in Heaven.”

“I will, my Lord,” she said, as he walked off. “I will ever serve You.”

“All seven of them!” exclaimed Serus excitedly. He started laughing. “Some warriors they have on their side! Rugio will certainly be out.”

“Yes, Serus. Seven devils were ordered out of the girl as a commander orders a soldier,” said Michael, who had come down to look after Jesus’ second excursion into Galilee. “But don’t be proud. It isn’t the work of the Host but of the Most High.”

“His popularity in Galilee is unquestioned,” Serus said, looking at the smiling throng. “They love Him here.”

They were following along the crowds, still amazed at how Jesus dealt with each person. Some He healed right away; others He sent along to be healed later. To still others He gave words of affirmation and wonderful teaching. All was going well.

As they passed by a group of Pharisees, Jesus looked at them. They nodded politely as He passed. He suddenly stopped and turned His head, having perceived their thoughts. Standing in their midst was Achsan, a devil sent by Kara to stir up the Jewish leaders in Galilee. Michael and Serus spotted Achsan as well, who looked back at them with a harsh countenance. His pig-like face seemed out of place among men whose religion forbade the use of pork. Out of place…and yet strangely appropriate.