(AN: Lol, the name of this chapter is from a verse of the song by NewsBoys, which is named after a certain character to re-appear in this story.)
(Also, I did a little bit of researching and the journey from Joppa to Caesarea actually is thirteen hours on foot. We also get to see some more familiar words, which will creep up into the story until, by the end, it will be totally unrecognizable from the format of Joshua. You'll see how.)
Putting the "Just" in Justified
late 34 AD
The rest of that year saw a relative peace and calm in the streets of Jerusalem, unlike that which had befallen at the onset. Raf Sha'ul, now called Paul, had come and gone from Jerusalem. Though the believers were reluctant about having the former Chief Inquisitor among them, many not trusting him and many yet having lost loved ones to him, as with Joanna, Barnabas' testimony that Paul was indeed a believer gave them some kind of assurance. And, at last, when Paul, teaching the good news of Joshua the Messiah, had incurred the wrath of the sons of Israel from Greece, the believers helped to smuggle him out of Jerusalem and to Caesarea, where he at last took a ship back to his homeland of Tarsus.
For a time, then, the brotherhood enjoyed a time of peace. Though the Pharisees and many of the more traditional people of Israel did not agree with or believe in the good news, the blood of Stephen had quieted them for a time. With the threat of danger more or less diminished, the Cult of the Way flourished throughout Judah, Galilee and Samaria. Yet, even so, there was always that cloistered sense of self-importance. Any messages from abroad, from those believers who had been scattered after the martyrdom of Stephen, usually started with the believers housing with the sons of Israel, or Jews as they were called by the Gentiles: though this was hardly accurate, for not all of the sons of Israel lived in Judah, nor were they all of the tribe of Judah. Nevertheless, whether from within or from without, the good news was not yet brought before any other than an Israelite.
Though there were many deacons, or servants, among the believers, the people about Israel who believed that Joshua was the Son of God longed to hear the words from the eye-witnesses. Peter had gained something of a name among the believers, since they said that he was the head of this new order, as ordained by Joshua Himself, to bind and loose all things, as below so above. With John in Antioch and many others spread abroad, it usually fell to Peter to get these things done.
Peter himself had grown much in the weeks, months and years since he left Capernaum to follow Joshua. He now knew his letters and had begun, along with young John Mark, to set down an account of the life of Joshua. It was actually John Mark's idea, for he was growing older and feared that his memory would go, and so decided to put into word everything he had witnessed, exactly as he remembered it. Peter, who was close to Joshua and had been a first-hand witness of these events, served as an assistant and reference, as well as helping Mark with his lettering, which he still was having some troubles with.
One morning in the sea-side town of Joppa, where the prophet Jonah had taken a ship bound to the farthest reaches of the world to shirk his responsibilities to God and to the people of Nineveh, Peter and John Mark were on their way from Lydda. People were following after them, for, in their stop at Lydda, Peter had healed a Jewish believer by the Roman name of Aeneas.
"Where is this house?" Peter asked John Mark.
"The people of Saron," Mark replied. "Said it was somewhere by the sea. It should be easy to find, all those hides and pelts should give off quite a smell."
Peter laughed. "Well, it will be like old times, Mark. Two men named Simeon under one roof again!" He sighed uneasily. "If only John were here." He then looked out at the sea. This was no lake of Galilee, or Tiberias in the Roman tongue: this was the sea, the sea between the land. Like a great path it wound out further than sight could discern: its waves could carry one from the hill country and islands of Greece to the deserts of Lybia, even to Rome, the capital and heart of the Empire.
"The sign of the prophet Jonah," Peter mused aloud.
"What was that?" Mark asked.
"Something Joshua said," Peter replied. "The Pharisees asked for a sign, and He said that there'd be none, save for the sign of the prophet Jonah. It struck me just now what that could mean: after all, He did say that the Son of Man would be in the belly of the earth for three days, even as Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days. He was prophesying His death." He laughed again.
"I don't see what's amusing." Mark returned.
"I am simply imagining," Peter said. "What Matthew would say if he were here."
Just then, two young men ran forward to meet them. When they saw Peter, they both knelt down before him.
"Please, brothers," Peter said. "Stand up. I'm a man, just like any other." They did not immediately rise.
"Peter," one of them said. "We have come from the house of Tabitha."
"Who is Tabitha?" Mark asked.
"She is called the Doe," the second added. "A good woman she was, spending all of her time and money to give alms and make coats and garments for the poor, orphans and widows."
"'Was?'" Peter asked.
"She is dead," the first said solemnly.
"If it is not so much trouble," the second said. "Please, come to her house and comfort those who are stricken with grief at her death."
Peter nodded and then, with John Mark in tow, followed the two young men as they made their way through the city. It was not long until they came to the house. Though Peter had kept the Torah all of his youth and never defiled himself by touching a dead body, he had followed Joshua from Capernaum unto Nain and even unto the hill-sides of Bethany, where he had come very close to death and to funerals.
In every case, it was never a good sight. The house where they came stank with the stench of death, and his ears buzzed with the din of the mourners. Some of them, he deemed, might actually be mourning in truth, not because their pockets had been filled. The widows, who held up the clothes that Tabitha had made for them, he deemed, mourned in truth. But he could not concentrate, and remembered how Joshua had told those who mourned that the departed was only sleeping.
So, trying to be as nice as possible, he asked them where Tabitha was placed. They indicated to the upper room, and he dismissed them, telling them all to wait outside the house. John Mark followed on behind as they crossed the stairs and came at last to the bed-room, where Tabitha's body lay upon a rug. John Mark, who had not seem many of the resurrections, immediately covered his mouth as they entered the room.
The woman's body was not dead for three days, or even four days as with Lazarus. But the color of her skin was gone, replaced with an ashen gray. Her face also seemed a bit misshapen, by reason of being dead and the swiftness of decay. It seemed impossible that anything could be done: true, Joshua had brought back many from the dead, but He was also the Son of God, and all things were within His power. But these two were just mortals.
"Oh, merciful God," Peter prayed, not fearing to speak the name of Adonai. "As You gave power to Your Son Joshua, to call back the dead from She'ol, that by doing so He would glorify Your name, even so, gather the breath from the four winds and breathe life into the body of this, Your maid-servant. Not for our own glory, but that Your Name might be glorified."
Would it work? Could the power of God be given to a mortal man in this moment? John Mark knew of only two times in blessed memory that people had been raised from the dead: by Elijah the Prophet and by the bones of Elishah his successor. Could that happen again?
"Tabitha," Peter whispered, turning to the body. "Arise!"
John Mark exclaimed, rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't sleeping. Immediately, before his very eyes, he saw the sullen, sunken face of the corpse start to heal. Color came back to the woman's face, and the misshapen bloating subsided. For a moment, it looked as though she had been merely sleeping. Then the eyes, two large, beautiful brown orbs, opened and Mark cried out.
"Take my hand, daughter of HaShem," Peter said, holding out his hand. "And give thanks to Joshua, whose Spirit has given you life anew!" She reached out and took his hand. Then, with the strength of many years of a fisherman, Peter lifted Tabitha up to her feet.
"Where am I?" Tabitha asked wearily. "I must have fallen asleep. There's...so much work to be done."
"Yes, there is," Peter nodded. "But now, let us go down. There are many friends who wish to see you again."
The days after Tabitha was given new life saw all of Joppa flocking to Peter and John Mark, eager to hear the good news of Joshua the Messiah. So much, in fact, that they had very little time for themselves. On one such day, when they had precious few moments to enjoy that were not spent among the crowds, Peter and John Mark were at the house of Simeon the leather-worker. Tabitha was there as well, since multitudes followed the believers, many of whom were poor and in need of clothing.
Early one morning, the house was starting to stir. Tabitha and Peter were the first to wake. As she busied herself with her loom, Simeon and his wife and John Mark rose up as well. Around noon, Simeon walked into the main room where John Mark and Tabitha were located.
"If you pardon me, good sirs," Simeon said to John Mark. "My wife is busy in the kitchen, and I have hides to tan. Please tell your mast..." Moments later, Peter walked in, hearing the commotion. "Oh, there you are, Simeon! I was just telling this young man that the mid-day meal will be on its way shortly. Just an hour or so, I'd say."
"Good, good," Peter said. "I'm going up to the roof-top to pray." He walked up the stairs and left. Meanwhile, Mark was admiring Tabitha's workmanship.
"Fine craftsmanship, if I dare say," he said. "It will make a fine coat when it is finished."
"Thank you, sir." Tabitha said.
"And you give these to the poor," he continued. "Free of charge?"
She nodded.
"How do you support yourself?" he asked.
"The believers in Joppa have been very kind to me," she said. "They let me stay with them and work my ministry out of their houses. I never seem to be in want, and I thank HaShem and His Son for this blessing."
John nodded, though his eyes were trained on her fingers, as they danced upon the loom. She noticed and blushed.
"Why do you blush?" Mark asked.
"I see you are looking at my hands," she said. "Many have complemented my hands, who come to my shop, they say I move gracefully." She laughed, rolling her eyes. "Perhaps that is why I am called the Doe."
Mark nodded, then turned his eyes, wondering what Peter was praying about so earnestly on the top of the roof.
But on the roof-top of Simeon's house, Peter had by now fallen asleep. The calm of the sea and the breath of the wind coupled with having not eaten since the early morning had made him weary.
"Wake up, Peter," a voice said. Slowly pulling himself up from his sleep, he looked about. There was no one present, yet he saw a giant sheet of cloth held by the four corners in the sky. In the bowels of the sheet were creatures of all shapes and sizes.
"It is time to eat," the voice said again.
"What, from that?" Peter asked, indicating to the animals in the sheet. He laughed. "I have never eaten anything that is traiff."
"Do not call unclean what God has made clean." the voice said again. Peter simply grumbled, and laid himself back upon the roof of the house. Once again, the voice repeated the offer: "Arise, take your kill and eat."
"Please, no," Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything traiff."
"What God has purified, that do not call unclean." was said once more. Sighing again, Peter tried once more to sleep. Opening his eyes once more, he saw the sheet hanging still in the sky, and all the animals moving about within its bowels.
"What?" Peter asked. "I told you, I've never eaten anything that is considered traiff!"
"Surely I tell you," the voice said. "That which has been made clean by God shall not be called unclean or common." Slowly the sheet disappeared up into the sky. Left now alone on the house-top, Peter chuckled to himself.
Must I always be persuaded three times before I believe anything? he thought. But what does it mean?
Meanwhile, at the ground-level, a knock sounded upon the door. John Mark ran to the door and answered it. To his surprise, and that of all people in the house, they saw two men in the garb of Gentile servants, and a soldier of Rome clad in armor standing outside the door of the house.
"Is the house of Simon Tanner?" the soldier asked, speaking in the common language of the Greeks.
"Yes," Simeon replied, approaching the door at Mark's side. "What is it you want?"
"Where is Simon, who is surnamed Cephas?" the soldier added.
"I am the one you seek," a voice stated. Looking inward, they saw Peter approach from the back-stairs. "Why are you here?"
"I am Lucius," the soldier said. "I am a soldier of the Italian cohort under Cornelius, stationed in Caesarea. He is a just man, who fears your God and has the respect of your people. We are sent here to bring you to his house that he might hear your words."
"All the way from Caesarea?" Peter asked. "Please, come inside! You must at least rest a while before you return to your master." This was quite the shock, both to Lucius and to the two servants and to those in the house, who gave furitive glances in Peter's direction.
In the morning, Peter left with Lucius to make the journey to Caesarea. Mark and Tabitha decided to go with him, along with several others as well. It would be a long walk ahead of them. The walk from Joppa to Caesarea would be little over thirteen hours long, if they walked without stopping for the night or tarrying too long on the road. They took what they would need for the journey. Once all was set and ready, they made their way out of Joppa and set off for Caesarea.
They moved slowly, and had to stop for the night but a few hours from Caesarea. In the morning, they got themselves ready and entered the city. It was as alien to them as, perhaps, Jerusalem seemed to the Romans, who were accustomed to Roman cities. They made their way to a rather spacious estate, not very large like governor Pilate's, but not exactly the house of a poor man. Here Lucius led Peter, Mark, Tabitha and a few others who were brave enough to follow them into the house of a Gentile, and a Roman at that!
As they entered the courtyard of the house, Cornelius appeared with several others clad in Roman garb, who were his relatives and friends.
"Here we are, sir!" Lucius announced. "Simon Peter, the apostle of the Way."
Cornelius ran forward and threw himself down at Peter's feet. Once again, Peter scoffed and lifted the Roman up off the pavement. Not a few faces behind him gasped that he touched this Roman Gentile.
"Please, do not worship me," Peter said. "I am a man, just like you."
Cornelius rose up and looked at Peter, his face beaming with joy. He then introduced him to his friends and relatives and announced that they would eat the mid-day meal together. So the servants brought out food for Cornelius and his family and his guests as well. The centurion, it seemed, had taken special care to procure food that was considered, as per the Hebrew term, kosher. This Peter and the others accepted with thanks. Peter started to stand up to call them to prayer, but Cornelius was already on his feet.
"If you will permit me, sir," the centurion said. "I would like to offer the blessing." Peter nodded, though he feared where this would be going.
"Blessed is the LORD God of Israel," Cornelius said, speaking in Greek. "He who is ruler of all the Earth, and blesses us with food from the earth. Amen."
They then began to eat. Peter, who sat at Cornelius' right, turned to his host and began to speak.
"I apologize, centurion," he said. "If my fellows are a bit quiet and uneasy. It is not the custom of my people to enter a Gentile's house or break bread with him." Cornelius sighed, his face falling down somewhat.
"Do not be ashamed, Cornelius," Peter said. "For God has shown me that I should not call any man unclean. Therefore I have come here to your house, and would like to know the reason why I have been invited."
Cornelius nodded. "Four days ago," he began. "I was fasting, about three hours after noon. While I was fasting, a man in white clothes appeared before me and said: 'Cornelius, your prayers and your alms have come into the remembrance of God. Send now for Simon, whose surname is Peter. He is in Joppa, in the house of Simon Tanner, by the shores of the sea. He will say more when he has come unto you.'" He turned now to Peter, looking at him earnestly.
"Here we are, gathered in the presence of God," Cornelius said. "And we await to hear the word of God."
Peter's eyes opened in revelation, and suddenly he stood up from the table and spoke to all those gathered here.
"Surely I say to you," he said, speaking in Greek. "God is no respecter of persons, but accepts those of every nation who fear Him and do righteousness by their deeds. This, good people, is the word of God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus the Christ, who is LORD of all. For it was preached, as you well know, from Galilee unto Judaea, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Spirit of Holiness and with power, who went about doing good and healing all those who were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him!"
Just then, he remembered the Canaanite woman whose daughter had been healed of her unclean spirit. Yes! How could he have been so blind?
"We are witnesses," he continued. "Of all the things this same Jesus did in Judaea and Jerusalem, who was slain by crucifixion. Yet God raised Him up the third day and showed Him openly, to us who ate and drank with Him: His chosen witnesses before God. And He commanded us to preach to the people, to testify that Jesus is indeed the One ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. It is Him whom all the prophets have foretold, and it is through His name that whoever believes shall receive remission of their sins!"
It was like the Shavuot in Jerusalem all over again. One by one, those of Cornelius' relatives and household began to speak. Some of them spoke to the Jewish believers from Joppa, in Hebrew, quoting passages from the Torah that, they guessed, they had never seen or known until this very moment. Nothing was hid, it seemed, from their hearts and minds of the truths about God and His Son.
"Is this it?" Tabitha asked. "The Ruach HaKodesh? The Spirit of Holiness?"
John Mark nodded, looking upon this with joy and wonder.
"Who can forbid water to these people," Peter asked, a smile on his face. "That they may not be baptized? They receive the Spirit just as we have, why not?"
And so it was that the good news, or Gospel in the Greek, came to the Gentiles, who were now welcome into the fellowship of those who believed in Joshua the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, and had the Spirit of Holiness.
(AN: I thought it went well. Just wait, though, cuz the next chapter we return to everyone's favorite character! Yay!)