Then I said, “Is not the sin of Hezekiah less than the sin of Barachiah the son of Zadok, who cursed Jesus?” And Nathanael replied, “No, for Barachiah cursed Jesus in his anger and in his haste, knowing not the truth: but Hezekiah saith in his heart, ‘Lo, the truth is not pleasing unto me, therefore I will not look upon it; nay, it is hateful, therefore I will call it evil.’ ”
Then I mused for a space, and afterwards I questioned Nathanael yet again and said, “Thou hast said that in the Day of Redemption the Holy One (blessed is He) will slay the Evil Nature of men. Therefore at the great day what thinkest thou of them which have blasphemed the Holy Spirit? Will they also perish together with the Evil Nature? Or will there be yet another age after the age that is to come, so that even the wicked may yet be in the end redeemed? For Jesus said that they should not be forgiven, neither in this age nor in the age to come.” But Nathanael could not answer this question; and we feared to ask Jesus concerning the matter.
While we thus spake together, behold, Barabbas stood before us: and he saluted us and besought us that we would sup at his house; for he dwelt at Jotapata. But I asked him for what cause he had been absent from us of late, and where he had been, and what the people of Jotapata said touching the words of Hezekiah the Scribe. Touching the cause of his absence he made no answer; but as concerning the people, he said that the men of Jotapata were of one mind, that Hezekiah had spoken for envy. “Nor is it possible,” said he, “that a man should believe that Jesus hath a devil, [pg 181]unless he himself should have a devil. For they which have devils say and do all things without forethought and with distraction, as if divided against themselves; but in Jesus there is the contrary from these: for he doth all things with forethought, yea, and perchance” (these words he uttered with some show of anger) “with more than enough of forethought.”
Now Barabbas spake with something of austerity, which was not usual with him. Moreover I marvelled at those words which he had said touching “too much of forethought.” Therefore I asked him again where he had been of late, and why he had forsaken the disciples. But he answered with still more of passion than before, “Because I am weary of these idle wanderings about Galilee, which bring forth no fruit. Not to sit on stools at the feet of a Scribe did I and my friends join ourselves to Jesus of Nazareth. Why tarrieth he so long idle? Why is his hand so backward to smite the oppressor?” But I bade him be of good cheer, for the hour was not yet come, and Jesus would know better than we the season fit for our uprising.
But he replied, still in great heat, “Thou wouldst fain know where I have tarried these twenty days. Well, I will tell thee. I have but even now come from Machærus, where I have tarried these two weeks and more, nigh unto the fort called the Black Castle, wherein John the Prophet is imprisoned. With the Prophet himself I had no speech; for he is kept in close durance, insomuch that he pineth, as I hear, for lack of air and freedom. This I heard from one of the guard, who is a kinsman of mine. Moreover my kinsman told me that had it not been for Chuza the Steward, the [pg 182]Prophet had been slain ten days ago. For the Tetrarch, after supper, being heavy with wine, was moved by the adulteress, even by Herodias, to write letters that John should be beheaded. Howbeit Chuza took order that the letter should be stayed for that time, and won the Tetrarch from his purpose. But what surety have we that the adulterous woman may not win the Tetrarch to write even such another letter to-morrow? And when John shall feel the left hand of the Thracian gripping his hair and the Thracian scimitar (may it be accursed!) hacking at his neck, will he not then cry unto the Lord in his sore agony and say, ‘Jesus of Nazareth hath forsaken me: Jesus of Nazareth is guilty of my blood’? For this cause do we Galileans begin no more to trust your Master, because he speaketh many fair words, but we see not from him any doing of deeds.”
His words so troubled me that I knew not what to say; Nathanael also was silent. But I besought Barabbas to trust in Jesus because of his mighty works, and because of his Gospel, which surely was a message from God. “Certainly,” I began, “Jesus of Nazareth will not suffer the Prophet to die as a dog dieth.” But, even while I spake, it came into my mind that the ways of Jesus were not as the ways of other men; neither could I foretell what Jesus would do, or not do, save only I knew that he would do right. So I paused, and added, “or, if otherwise——.” But Barabbas, at that word “if,” brake away from us, and was departing in fury. Howbeit, remembering himself, he returned and constrained himself, and courteously besought us to tarry with him that night. But we could not; for we were to pass on [pg 183]to another town, and not to tarry at Jotapata. So we bade him farewell.
As we journeyed eastward, I looked back now and then to the high rock whereon the tower of Jotapata is built: for it was exceeding high, being indeed one of the fire-stations whence the new moon was wont to be proclaimed. And as the sun was now sinking towards the west behind the rock, the castle seemed to stand up very clear, and easy to be seen against the red sky. But as often as I looked thereat, the words of Barabbas would come again and again into my mind; and there rose up before me the black castle of Machærus and the face of the prophet shut up in chains and darkness, and waiting for a deliverer. Then it seemed to me that the shadows of evil were encompassing our own Master also. For the Pharisees had set their faces against him; and though he had avoided their first snares, yet I knew full well that they were even now making others ready. Yea, Eliezer himself had confessed as much; for he had said in his letter to Jonathan that, if other means failed, it was purposed to deliver Jesus over to Herod. And now behold, the Galileans also were like to sever themselves from Jesus and to desert him. So all things seemed full of danger, and there appeared no path of deliverance.
In my dejection there came one upon another into my mind all the dark sayings of Jesus, and especially the words which he had spoken to us in the house of Matthew the tax-gatherer, that “The days should come when the bridegroom should be taken away from the children of the bridechamber, and then should they fast in those days.” So I marvelled and [pg 184]pondered what those words might mean, “the bridegroom should be taken away.” But they were too deep for me to understand, and I was as one wading in them and out of my depth; nor could I light upon anything solid in them save only this, that they appeared to prophesy some evil.