Mary Magdalene: A Novel (15 page)

T
hey approached the crude cave that had been carved into the rock. A large stone had been rolled in front of the opening to seal the cave. Mary, the disciples, and people from the village stood around the site. Some of the Jewish leaders pushed their way to the front of the crowd and stood with disdainful looks on their faces. People murmured among themselves and some even asked out loud, “What is the man going to do?”

The two sisters were weeping quietly with their arms around each other.

The Lord stared at the tomb for a long moment and then in a firm voice, cried, “Take away the stone!”

Mary and Susanna looked at each other, their eyes wide. Take away the stone?

Mary heard Martha voice what they were all thinking. “But Lord, he has been dead four days, there will be a stench.”

Jesus turned to her. “Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?”

Martha looked at her sister and then at the crowd, but finally ordered the stone to be moved away. Some men from the crowd came forward and put their shoulders to the stone, finally moving it aside.

Martha put her arms around her sister, and Susanna gripped Mary’s hand as they watched, their eyes wide with both hope and anxiety.

Then Jesus lifted up his eyes toward heaven and in a firm voice said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. And I know that you always hear me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they might believe that you sent me.”

Mary had never heard Jesus pray out loud to the Father before, and she gripped Susanna’s hand tighter as they waited to see what would happen. Would God send lightning, or answer in an audible voice?

In the silence that followed, people began to be restless. “Who is he talking to?” Others near Mary murmured, “What does this fellow think he is going to do?”

Then Jesus cried out, “Lazarus, come forth!”

The crowd held its collective breath, watching the opening of the cave.

Mary stared, her eyes wide with amazement. A figure shuffled to the entrance of the cave, still bound in the graveclothes. She strained to see better. Was it Lazarus?

Oh praise to the Most High God, it was, for his sisters rushed forward, frantically tearing the graveclothes away from him and removing the cloth that covered his face.

Mary felt tears of joy pour down her face and there were tears on the faces of others around her. An astounding miracle. A man who had been dead four days, alive again, embracing his sisters and weeping with them.

She felt her heart would burst with excitement and amazement. Never had one of the priests ever raised a man from the dead. She looked at the astounded leaders, who watched with open mouths. The priests and scribes quickly collected themselves and, pushing angrily back through the exuberant crowd, hurried back to Jerusalem.

Mary turned to look at the Lord, who was watching them with an unreadable expression on his face, and wondered, Were they in even more danger than they were before they came here?

Sitting under the shade of an olive tree at the Mount of Olives days later, Mary and Susanna still spoke with a sense of wonderment. If they had not been there and seen the miracle with their own eyes, would they have believed?

Susanna sighed. “Oh Mary, I felt so sad for Martha and Mary. They loved their brother Lazarus. Even the Lord himself wept. How could we imagine what the Lord was going to do?”

“I know. When Lazarus stumbled out of the tomb and his sisters unwrapped the graveclothes, it was as though he had never died. My heart nearly stopped beating. Then, only a short time later, he was hosting all of us in their home. It’s a good thing we offered to help with the food and serving, for all Martha and Mary wanted to do was sit near Lazarus and bask in the fact that he was alive again. Did you see the scribes and Pharisees who had come out? They ran like rabbits for the city. All of Jerusalem must surely know of this great miracle by now.”

Susanna shook her head slowly. “He calms storms, heals the sick, casts out demons, gives sight to the blind—how can the people who see these things not know who he is?”

Mary turned to look toward the group of men reclining on the grass near Jesus. “His time is coming, Susanna, when he will take his place and lift our people from their oppression.”

“Surely he is the Messiah we have prayed for. Do you think he will do this soon?”

“He has some great purpose in Jerusalem,” Mary answered. “He looks toward the city no matter where we go. Now I know that he is going there and something is going to happen.”

Susanna gave a light laugh. “He will drive out the Romans as he drove the money changers out of the Temple.”

The disciples rose and John came to where the women were sitting. “Come, let us prepare to travel. We move on to the city of Ephraim. The Lord says that we will remain there awhile.”

Mary stood and brushed herself off. “I thought we were going into Jerusalem.”

John shrugged. “Passover is coming and I believe we will go there for that, but . . . I fear for him. There are rumors that the leaders are angry over the miracle of Lazarus.”

Mary stared at him. “Why would they be angry about such a thing?”

He looked off toward the city. “I have relatives in certain places. It is not good. The Sanhedrin wants to arrest him.”

Mary could not suppress a gasp. “Arrest him? Why?”

“The people follow him and he shows those high-and-mighty ones up for the self-righteous fools they are.”

When he had turned away, Mary and Susanna looked at each other, and Mary saw in her friend’s eyes what was reflected in her own. Fear.

The women harnessed the donkey and made sure that all the cooking pots and other belongings were carefully packed in the cart. The disciples graciously took turns leading the animal, for he was less stubborn with a firm male hand on his bridle.

They stayed in Ephraim nearly a week, until time came for the Passover. Then they traveled through the back country, skirting Jerusalem, and came again to Bethany, six days before Passover. Joanna and Salome joined them again, and the four women and twelve disciples came with Jesus to the home of Martha and Mary.

The women helped Martha and Mary prepare a supper. Lazarus sat at the low table with Jesus, love and devotion aflame in his eyes. The sisters were overjoyed to have Jesus with them again and couldn’t do enough for his comfort. The disciples, always treasuring a good meal, basked in Martha’s cooking. Their eyes lit up when she brought out a lentil stew with chunks of lamb, bowls of ripe figs, and loaves of warm baked bread. There were fresh fava beans marinated in olive oil and garlic, spiced pomegranate wine, and goat’s milk cheese.

To the puzzlement of his guests, Jesus spoke more and more of his death. He spoke of the Temple being torn down stone by stone.

Finally, James asked, “If all these things are to happen, what sign should we look for to know when that time is drawing near?”

Jesus sighed. “Take heed that you are not deceived. Many will come in my name, saying ‘I am he, and the time has drawn near,’ but do not go after them. When you hear of wars and commotions, do not be terrified; for these things must come to pass first. But the end will surely come.”

He paused, making a sweeping gesture with his hand. “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom . . .”

Mary wondered to herself if he meant that the kingdom Jesus spoke about would rise against the Roman rulers.

He went on, “There will be great earthquakes in various places, and famines and pestilence, and there will be fearful sights and great signs from heaven. But before all these things, they will lay hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake.”

The disciples and the women looked at each other, their faces full of apprehension. Mary turned to Salome and they both shook their heads. What was going to happen to them?

Jesus continued. “But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore, do not be concerned about what you will say, for I will give you wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.”

Mary sighed inwardly. That sounded better.

“You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience, possess your souls.”

He pointed a finger at them. “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.” He went on to describe signs in the sun and moon, and in the stars; distress with nations and the roaring of the sea and the waves. To Mary, it sounded like the end of the world.

Finally he ended, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Mary’s heart pounded, and in glancing at the others, she sensed they felt as she did. Strange and terrible times were coming, but they would not know when.

As the group whispered among themselves as to what the Lord meant, there was a sudden silence. A wonderful perfume was permeating the room. Mary, Martha’s sister, had quietly taken a vial of costly spikenard, broken it, and was pouring it on the Lord’s feet, then wiping them with her hair.

Judas snorted and said, loudly for all to hear, “Why wasn’t this fragrant oil sold in the marketplace? It could have brought almost three hundred denarii. The money could have been given to the poor.”

Mary pursed her lips. She had seen Judas taking money from the bag when he thought no one was looking. With all the trees around, he hadn’t seen her. The man was not to be trusted, but she didn’t feel it was her place to expose him. The Lord knew all things—Judas would be found out soon enough. She was thankful she had decided not to turn over all the money her uncle sent each month. Judas watched her and she wondered if he knew, yet he never spoke to her about it.

“Let her alone,” Jesus answered, putting a gentle hand on the sister’s shoulder. “She has kept this for my burial. The poor you have with you always, but me you do not have always.”

Mary listened to his words and what he taught them in these recent days, drinking in the truths he shared, and becoming more and more uneasy about entering Jerusalem.

To Mary’s joy and delight, the mother of Jesus joined them, coming down with her family for Passover in the Holy City. The brothers of Jesus remained in Jerusalem, but the elder Mary traveled with Joanna to join them at the Mount of Olives. She embraced her eldest son and they held each other a long time.

Mary watched the two in earnest conversation. Jesus seemed to be telling his mother things she didn’t want to hear, for she covered her face with her hands. She finally put a gentle hand on his face and then turned away and came toward Mary.

The two women embraced.

“Dear lady, it is good to see you again.”

“And you, Mary. The long months on the road have seasoned you.”

Mary knew her skin had felt the effects of the weather, but she felt stronger than she had been when she joined the disciples. “We have experienced much.”

The older woman nodded. “My son tells me he is going to Jerusalem for the Passover. I tried to persuade him that it was dangerous for him in the city right now. He told me he must be about his Father’s business.” She looked off into the distance. “They are the same words he said to me many years ago, which I shared with you.” His mother turned toward Jerusalem. “He is entering the city tomorrow.”

Mary nodded. “The other disciples told me he is going to enter with the crowds openly. I pray there will be no trouble with the leaders.”

“My sons will not hear of me spending the night here in the open and have made arrangements for our family in the city. I will be watching his entrance from a house built into the city wall.”

“It will be a joyful day, my lady. Perhaps it is now that he will show his power and step up to lead our people.”