"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. |
