Final Confrontation (29 page)

“How very interesting,” said Berenius. He had been following Jesus ever since he departed from Galilee under Kara’s orders. “Jesus has found a friend.”

“What does that matter to us?” said Korah, whose disgrace at Gadara found him now an aide to Berenius. “We are to follow Jesus and look for any signs of vulnerability.”

“You fool,” said Berenius. “We just witnessed a vulnerability.”

“What, Lazarus?” he asked.

“Friends make one vulnerable,” said Berenius. “Friends require thought and emotion and responsibility. Not since the death of John has Jesus really felt close to another. Oh I know He has His disciples. But they are merely tools of the trade. No—this Lazarus is someone special to Him.”

“Shall I tell Kara?” asked Gadara, desperate to get back in Kara’s good stead.

“Not yet,” said Berenius. “I suggest we first tell Rugio.”

“Rugio?”

“Yes, Korah. Rugio is our commander of spirits of infirmity. I have a feeling that Lazarus will soon become ill.”

He grinned at Korah who finally understood what was happening.

“Lazarus?”

“Just so,” said Berenius. “Jesus will soon discover it isn’t prudent for a Messiah to make friends!”

Jesus stood with His disciples as the seventy men assembled themselves. Flush with the fruits of a successful ministry in the surrounding countryside, the men were eager to share their experiences. Jesus had sent the seventy out in pairs to preach the gospel, heal the sick and deliver the oppressed. Now they had returned and awaited further instruction from their Master.

Nearby, Michael stood with several warriors. The sense of mounting danger with the seething hatred of the Jews, and growing opposition to the ministry of Jesus from the officials in the Temple had made Michael wearier than ever. He determined to escort Jesus personally through the remainder of His ministry.

With Michael was the archangel Gabriel, whose announcement to Zechariah about the birth of John the Baptist seemed so far away. The two archangels watched as the men, authorized, sent out by the Lord as “lambs among wolves” now exchanged stories on the miraculous power of God to heal the sick and send demons scattering. Opposite the archangels stood Lucifer and his aides. They had become increasingly obvious, especially since the death of John. Lucifer, like Michael, understood that the ministry of Jesus would soon reach a breaking point, and he wanted to be there when it happened. Michael noted Lucifer’s presence.

“I sometimes wonder why the Lord tolerates such insolence,” he mused, looking at the fallen angel who had taken so many holy angels with him.

“Jesus simply ignores him,” said Gabriel. “But he is becoming increasingly bold. I have noticed he is becoming quite close to Judas now.”

Michael looked at Judas, who at this moment was enjoying a laugh with a fellow Judean over some humorous mishap during an attempt to heal a woman. He seemed quite at home right now.

“Gabriel, will Judas betray?” asked Michael. “Or will he stay true?”

Gabriel shook his head.

“Who knows what the heart and mind of man might do?” he said. “That’s what this war is all about. Of course Lucifer is a master at compelling creatures to switch sides in the heat of battle.”

“Remember Serus,” encouraged Michael. “He was with Lucifer until the last moment. But the Lord was able to preserve him. Perhaps this Judas will listen to his heart as well.”

“I’m afraid that he already
is
listening to his heart,” said Gabriel. “And that is what concerns me.”

“Look at them,” sneered Kara. “The two archangels come to watch over their Lord.” He scoffed. “As if He needed watching over.”

“But that’s what archangels do, Kara,” said Lucifer. “They watch things. The problem is that they watch and watch and watch…”

They laughed.

“Don’t mistake Michael’s absence of late as a sign of inactivity,” cautioned Pellecus. “He is not one to remain idle.”

“True, Pellecus,” said Lucifer. “But he is recently interested in the day-to-day events surrounding Jesus, whereas in the past he watched from afar. I believe he knows the game is almost up.”

Lucifer glanced in the direction of Rugio. “Of course there are always a few surprises in store.”

Rugio nodded.

“The sickness is taking hold, my prince.”

Kara and Pellecus caught each other’s eye with the unsettled look of not having been a part of something important. Lucifer glanced at the two of them.

“Patience, my friends,” he soothed. “Rugio is working on a little project I hope will present both a dilemma and a test for our Messiah-to-be.”

Rugio remained impassive.

“It involves a dear friend of Jesus,” he continued.

“A dear friend?” queried Kara. “Who does Jesus hold dear beside His disciples?”

Lucifer turned his head toward Jesus and said the word, “That simple brother of Mary in Bethany.”

“Oh,” said Kara casually. “Him.”

They were speaking of Lazarus.

As the noise of the crowd began to subside, Jesus moved in among them. His disciples moved in with Him, looking for any sign of an assassin or any other enemy who might make an attempt upon their Rabbi. One man, a Galilean named Joshua, made himself heard above all the others who were coming near Jesus.

“Master!” he shouted. “We found that even the devils themselves were subject to the authority of Your name!”

Upon those words, Lucifer and the others looked sharply at Jesus. The crowd hushed itself to hear what response the Lord might give, for they, too, had experienced authority over demons in the name of Jesus. Taking a moment, Jesus looked first at the sky, then over at Lucifer, where he stood on the brow of the hill, overlooking the assembly. Lucifer remained stoic as Jesus spoke.

“I saw Satan fall from Heaven,” he said. “He fell like lightning.”

Lucifer’s anger began rising within as the brow took on the purplish hue of his manifesting aura. Jesus turned back to the crowd.

“And indeed I have given you power to tread on such creatures—serpents and scorpions, all of them!” He looked into the eyes of Joshua, who had spoken a moment before. “I have given you all power over the enemy! Nothing shall harm you.”

The crowd howled in delight at this prospect, creating an unnerving sensation among the demons gathered around the area. Jesus held His hands up to silence them.

“But,” He continued, “don’t think that this is the main thing. Far from it. Do not rejoice over the fact that devils are subject to you through the authority of My name. Rather, rejoice that your names shall be written in Heaven!”

As He left the area, He turned to Peter and the others, telling them, “The things you are hearing and seeing are the very things the prophets longed to hear and see. You are quite blessed!”

The woman pushed her way through the crowd. As people saw her they moved quickly to one side. Her infirmity had plagued her for 18 years, and she had spent her entire life’s savings on doctors and cures—still she was crippled and marked as a woman who had brought this curse upon herself which made her an outcast of society.

The spirit of infirmity causing the disease had intended that the woman be dead by now. Drachus, the demon attaching himself to the woman nearly 20 years earlier, clearly wanted her dead. But she had fought and fought with a determination unlike most humans. Now she wanted to appear before this Holy Man who was moving through her region. Perhaps He might be able to help.

Drachus attempted to frighten her into staying home that day. He had thrown every doubt into her mind that he could muster; he even had inflamed the condition today to force her home. But on she walked, in pain and doubled over at her middle, seeking out the Man Jesus. Drachus continued speaking to her mind, even as she plodded on toward the commotion of the crowd ahead.

“This Man has no interest in you…”

“These people are tired of seeing you; tired of this sickness…”

“Why don’t you go back home and pray? The Lord is more likely to answer the prayers of a woman seeking Him than one searching out some trickster…”

“Here she comes!” someone shouted. “Make way for the sinner!”

The people moved away from her quickly as she began catching up to the crowd had enveloped Jesus. She made a pitiful figure, repulsive to people, almost monstrous as she hobbled along doubled over in pain. To them, it was obvious she had committed some horrible sin that placed her in this predicament. She had long ago searched her heart to see what she might have done. But now she ignored their catcalls. As she neared Jesus, Drachus felt the uncomfortable sensation of the Lord’s holiness as she got closer. He panicked.

“Get home now! Before you make a fool of yourself!”

The woman would have none of it. There! She caught a glimpse of the Man everyone was trying to reach. She had heard of the woman with the issue of blood whom Jesus had healed when she touched His garment! If only she might get to Him….even touch Him…even reach out and…

Before she could actually touch Him, Jesus turned to the woman. Their eyes met and the woman felt something she had not felt in a long time: hope. Drachus, on the other hand, felt paralyzed with fear.

Jesus reached out to her and laid hands upon her. He then spoke to her, saying. “Woman, your infirmity has been loosened. You are freed from this sickness!”

Upon those words, Drachus was compelled to leave and did so, silently giving up the woman he had plagued for so long. He vanished immediately in search of his next victim whom he intended to kill more quickly.

The woman began to straighten up. The crowd gasped with amazement as she stood straight for the first time in 18 years and began rejoicing and glorifying the Lord. The crowd began moving in, congratulating her and excitedly recounting the episode among themselves.

“How is it that you healed this woman on the Sabbath?” came a voice.

Jesus turned to see the local ruler of the synagogue standing next to two priests. With them, and unseen by them, were several religious spirits who were fanning the flame of their indignation. They were smirking at Jesus, safe in their assignment among these men whose hearts were hard. The ruler spoke loudly to the people.

“Do you see what this Man has done?” he began. “God has given six days out of the week for such things to be done. This Man healed this woman on the Sabbath! Why could He not have waited until another day? You are a law-breaker!”

“And you are a hypocrite!” Jesus answered. “You are upset with Me for delivering this woman, who has been in the grip of Satan for all these years? You yourselves will take care of the needs of your animals on the Sabbath! Isn’t it more important to take care of the needs of a human being?”

The ruler had no answer for Jesus. The people were nodding in agreement with the words spoken, talking among themselves. And the woman who had been healed was weeping with great joy. The ruler looked at the priests and then motioned for them to leave. They had been shamed and melted away. The spirits accompanying them cursed Jesus as they left. And all of the people rejoiced.