What is Faith? (Luke 5:17-26)

Some people have said I had “great faith.” But as I look back on that day, all I know is how desperate we were. It wasn’t a question of faith really; we were just desperate. Desperate and tired.

I remember sitting around Elias’ bed. It was dark inside though the sun streamed to the floor in bright white knifelike rays through the cracks in the thin boards of the walls. The stabbing light seemed to make the rest of the room darker rather than brighter, worse than at night when no light came through. The smell was better than most days, though death and poison filled the air. It was almost a tangible hopelessness, something you could feel, something that weighed on you no matter how much courage you might have had.

The Stranger’s Daughter, Part 3 (Luke 8:40-56)

The crowd’s excitement was tangible, like a marriage feast after the wine has been brought out. Ya’aqov smiled. This was going to be another great day. He just knew it.

“I can’t wait to introduce you to my family,” Ya’aqov overheard Ya’ir speak to Y’shua, excitement dripping from his words. “Marta will make you the best dinner you’ve ever had in Capernaum. And my daughter, she’ll sing for you the Song of D’vorah. It will bring tears of joy to your eyes, Y’shua. Tears of joy.”

“I am very much looking forward to that,” Y’shua smiled.

As they walked, Ya’aqov saw a man hurrying towards them from further along the street.

“Ah, this looks like my servant Terah,” Ya’ir explained to Y’shua. “Terah! Good news! The teacher is coming!”

The Stranger’s Daughter, Part 2 (Luke 8:40-56)

The crowds pushing up against him snapped Ya’aqov back to reality. In the mass of bodies, it was nearly impossible to stay close to Y’shua. Still, it didn’t really matter anyhow because they were all going to the same place, following the same man. It seemed all of Galilee was following this man, some out of curiosity, some out of a hope for better times to come, some out of need, some out of a sense of obligation, some, like Ya’aqov, were drawn by something they couldn’t quite understand or pinpoint. They all wanted something, and Y’shua, in one way or another, seemed to offer the answers each was looking for.

“Ya’aqov! Y’honatan!” the familiar voice of Miryam rose above the jumbled voices of the crowd. Ya’aqov turned to see his sister pushing past an old grandmother with her child. “Ya’aqov, I’ve been looking all over for you and Y’honatan. Where is he? I can’t find him anywhere.”

“Your guess is as good as mine,” Ya’aqov helped Miryam over a low, blocking tree branch. “I don’t even know where Y’shua is. I’m assuming he’s the one leading this whole crowd, but with our luck, it might just be a Roman soldier, and we’re all headed straight to prison.”

“Oh, you’re so cynical, Ya’aqov,” Miryam grinned and gave him a friendly push.

The Stranger’s Daughter, Part 1 (Luke 8:40-56)

As the small boat neared shore, Ya’aqov was amazed to see so many people gathered on the docks. Most of the faces were unfamiliar, but he recognized a few of them. In a crowd of young girls was his sister Miryam with her friends Ester and Rivkah. Beyond them, next to the merchants’ tables, was Ascyltos, a young soldier in the Roman army, one of the rare few who actually had some common sense. Over to the left, trying to get into an already crowded rowboat was his cousin Sh’muel. Ya’aqov couldn’t help but laugh as he watched fat Sh’muel sway first left and then right in an attempt to keep the boat from capsizing.

“I don’t see dad anywhere,” Y’honatan said to his brother. Ya’aqov looked across the sea of people, and, sure enough, their father Zavdy was nowhere to be found. Ya’aqov couldn’t help but wonder if his father would ever forgive him for walking out on him. He knew it had been irresponsible, even selfish, but there was something about this Y’shua that somehow made it seem okay at the time. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder…