---Sowing and Reaping

FTLComm - Tisdale - Easter Sunday, April 15, 2001
The conversation might have gone something like this, bearing in mind that we are listening in on two Latin speaking Roman officials.
 
"Look at it this way, we are going to be faced with riots, and probably much worse, unless we nip this in the bud. These Jews are trouble and I recommend we put the boots to them before we have them slashing the throats of Roman businessmen on the street." The centurion eased back from the table and lifted the goblet to his mouth.

"You could be right Claudius, there were two merchants in here last night and they were just livid about the dangers they think are present here in Jerusalem, they say its bad for business and demanded I do something." Pilot paused and tapped the table with his fingers. "I don't want the word to get back to Rome that we have an insurrection on our hands, that would not look good for me or for you either."

"You've heard of this carpenter from Galilee?"

Pilot nodded "Yes, very popular, seems harmless to me."

"Yeah, well those crowds are really something, this guy would send a message that will be understood and remembered. We charge him with. . . .Oh sedition or something, we'll think of something and that will take the holiday spirit out of these characters."

"You'd just arrest and kill the guy to tone down the rumblings in the street." Pilot frowned.

"Well its not like he was a Roman or anything, he's just a peasant, a mouthy nobody, but kill him and his supporters will think twice before tossing a stone at a Roman businessman." Claudius was confident and took another drink.

"Well Claudius its worth a shot, one little whiff of disruption in business here and I will be signing death warrants in some forsaken outpost like Briton for a decade. Make it so. What's the problem of another crucified Jew?" Pilot rises and Cloudius gets to his feet, picks up his helmet and heads for the doorway.

"Lunch Monday?" Pilot calls after him.

"See you then."
 
The decision to execute a spiritual prophet, a visionary, in the politically tense climate of first century Israel was of little consequence then. In a world where human life was cheaper than a good joke, it meant nothing, yet today over two thousand years later and the Roman Empire have disappeared more than sixteen hundred years ago, churches around the globe and here in our little town, commemorate his life and sing songs of his legend. Remarkable.
 

By: Timothy W. Shire