As I entered the courtyard, my wife had just sealed an oven and was wiping her fingers. She smiled without speaking and turned to unwrap the older bread. I walked to the entrance and leaned against the frame. I watched my brother and the Rabbi walk up the street. Andrew, always the happy child, rattled on while Jesus listened patiently. They stopped before me and fell silent. They had noticed the pain in my face.

I said to Andrew, “You should sit with mother.”

He turned to the Rabbi, excused himself, and hurried inside. I had turned to the side to let Andrew pass. I extended my arm into the courtyard and silently invited the Rabbi in. He turned in the door to face me and cocked his head to one side. Now that I am thinking about it, Jesus often did that when he spoke. He had done the same thing when he spoke about fishing for men. As we stood in the door, I could not for the life of me think of a thing to say. The silver lining was that we had just caught the catch of a lifetime. The dark cloud was that Mother was dying. Jesus put both of his hands on my shoulders; not all Rabbis did so.

“You are heavyhearted,” said the Rabbi.

I hung my head and confessed, “My mother dies.”

“What of the healers?” he asked.

I bit my tongue and turned away. I could not bring myself to swear in the face of a Rabbi. I took a step and turned back. I opened my mouth several times before I managed to speak. When I did, I spoke in bitterness. All I could say was, “Impotent. The lot of them.”

I walked to the table and sat. The Rabbi followed and found a cushion beside me. “Simon,” he said, “the spirit of the Father lives in every man. Do not doubt the power of God. Only believe.”

I answered, “Oh, I believe in God, but there is no power in the healers.”

Jesus answered, “If the spirit of God is in every man, the power of God may be found everywhere. One need only to please the Father. The power of the almighty can move mountains. He can raise the dead. He can heal your sick mother.”

Andrew returned and sat silently. His eyes would not meet mine and my heart sank in my chest. Jesus spoke. “May I see your mother?”

I looked up into the passing clouds and answered with a deep sigh, “I suppose another blessing could not hurt.”

The Rabbi stood and walked into our mother's room. Andrew and I just sat and watched. Edith watched him walk into the room and turned to me with wide eyes. I could only shrug. She brought meat and bread to the table and then turned to gather cups. I watched her walk away then turned to my brother. He was no better off than I was. All of us had worried over our mother. The healers had come and gone. At first, we were hopeful. Then, we prayed. She only got worse so, we prayed louder. Then we fell into despair. I threw myself into my work while Andrew hid behind his childish face. There was nowhere to go. Reality came with the day and the night. Everyone died and there was nothing to do about it.

I heard Edith gasp and drop a cup. I looked up and saw the Rabbi walking from my mother's room. Mother was by his side. He held her and led her forth. Andrew leaped to his feet and ran to her, crying immah with open arms. Mother laughed and threw her arms around my brother. I was on my feet but did not recall standing. Edith ran to my mother who embraced both. Then she stepped apart and held her hands out to me. The cloud passed and the sun shone down. I hugged my mother with tears running down my face. Edith fell on one shoulder, Andrew fell on the other. We turned and danced and laughed and wept. It was then, I think, that I believed in the messiah. I stepped away and wiped my eyes. Jesus just stood by waiting. I fell on him and embraced him with all my strength.

Even as he stood in the Synagogue teaching, he did not look like a Rabbi. Sure, he wore the clothing, that is, the parts he liked. The rest, he just laid aside. I sat between Andrew and John and listened to the Rabbi speak. That is where he shone. He spoke simple words that made sense. Had I been a blind man and unable to see that unbecoming teacher, his words alone would have told me he was a Rabbi. The spirit moved in him. For the first time in a great while, I was excited to hear the word of God. Jesus seemed at ease. His movements were casual. All of us were curious to hear the new Rabbi and no one made a sound. He opened the scroll and read.

“Who has wrought and done it; calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last; I am he.”

Then, he lifted his face to the ceiling, took a breath, and continued with closed eyes, “The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came. They helped everyone his neighbor; and everyone said to his brother, be of good courage.”

Then, Jesus opened his eyes and looked around. With an easy smile, he continued, “So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smoothed with the hammer him that struck the anvil, saying, It is ready for the soldering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved. But you, Israel, are my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called you from the chief men thereof, and said to you, you are my servant; I have chosen you, and not cast you away.”

Jesus took the scroll, rolled it, and handed it to the officer. The men around me whispered excitedly. I, too, was excited. Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah in a place all of us were familiar with. They were words that gave our people hope for the coming messiah, hope against the shackles of Rome. Jesus walked among us with open arms and spoke to us as men. His words were still the words of the prophet.

He said, “Fear not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness. See, all they that were angry with you shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with you shall perish. You will look for them, and shall not find them, even them that fight with you: they that war against you shall be as nothing, and as a thing of no consequence.”

Jesus had been placing his hands on men's shoulders as he spoke but then he stopped and put his hand on my shoulder. He looked into my eyes and said, “For I the Lord your God will hold your right hand, saying to you, Fear not; I will help you.”

Let me tell you, I shivered beneath his touch. Well, our meeting devolved into talk about the resistance, a topic normally kept hushed or spoken in private. The older men spoke of the coming messiah and Jesus stood silent while the excited chatter swept through us. Then Jesus spoke and we fell silent.

“Oh, Israel,” he said and looked around. “The spirit of your Father lives in you. What is it that you cannot do?”