p. 12 | Shiloh: the Man of Sorrows

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Sep 27, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 38.

Shiloh: the Man of Sorrows

By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

Chapter XXX—Iscariot of Kerioth

RUSHING from the cell of the murdered prophet at Tiberias, the man Matthias turned his white face northward toward Bethsaida.

The April sun was already swinging low above the western hills, and Tabor and Little Herman arose in solemn grandeur toward the south and west. Matthias's one thought was to find the Master; but as he knew not His exact whereabouts, he thought first to visit Bethsaida, where dwelt some of the disciples of the Baptizer, and thence onward to Capernaum. From here he hoped to turn southward, that he might visit his friends in Jericho, whence he would hasten to Jerusalem and Bethany, where, if not before, he felt certain to meet the Master.

Burdened with his awful message, he hurried onward. "Ha!" he muttered to himself, as he hastened along the rocky pathway, "my garment is even now stained with blood — the blood of that just man!"

"If thy soul be not stained with blood, thou doest well, stranger." Distracted and half mad with horror, Matthias had not noticed the tall, gaunt form, which in his haste he had overtaken and almost passed.

He raised his eyes, still distended with terror, to those of the stranger, which, even in the fading light, were noticeable for their deep, dark brilliancy. The brow was massive, but narrow and strongly receding, from beneath which gleamed the small, restless eyes, which had a habit of continually shifting their glance. The hair was coarse and black, and the nose prominent, thin, and aquiline as the beak of an eagle; the mouth large, the lips thin, the under jaw massive and as receding as the brow; the complexion dark.

"Who art thou? and whither goest thou?" continued the man, before Matthias could find speech.

"I am Matthias, son of Sylvanus, of Capernaum, but—"

"Wast thou not born in the city of Bethlehem?" interrupted the stranger, "and was not thy father, Sylvanus, a shepherd? and is not one Bar-jona, the fisherman, thy brother-in-law?"

"Thou hast spoken truth; and now will I call thee brother; for I perceive thou art also of the seed of Abraham. But what is thy name? and where dwellest thou? and how knowest thou me?" and Matthias gazed searchingly into the dark face beside him.

"I dwell in the country apportioned to the tribe of Judah; and Kerioth, of Judea, is the home of Simon, my father, and I dwell there also. I now journey toward Northern Galilee, whither my business hath led me. This night I bide in Bethsaida."

"Verily, then, we will journey on in company; but stay — thou hast not yet told me thy name."

"Thou mayest call me Iscariot; for even thus am I named. But of a truth, thou art in most unseemly haste,—and thou hast not answered me; whither goest thou?" and the speaker gave Matthias a keen, questioning glance from beneath his dark, overhanging brows.

"I go up to Bethsaida and Capernaum, that I may make known the facts concerning the death of John the Baptizer, and that his disciples may go to bury him."

"What is this thou sayest! is the prophet of the wilderness dead? What sayest thou?" and the stranger raised his hands in astonishment and dismay.

"Alas! that which I say unto thee is truth. I see that thou also art acquainted with him,—which indeed is not strange, for all Galilee and Judea knew of his imprisonment by Antipas. But I will tell thee the awful thing which my eyes have seen even this day. But first tell me, where hast thou seen me that thou knowest me?" and Matthias fixed his gaze more searchingly upon the dark face which towered above him, wondering where he had seen this man from Kerioth.

"I am acquainted with thy brother-in-law, Bar-jona," replied the stranger; "and also, thou hast a brother, one Heber, a wild man. Many a time have I heard from the lips of Bar-jona, the story of the saving of thy life from the sword of the father of Antipas, even Herod called the Great. Is it not like to the story of Moses, the prophet of God? Verily, man, thou shouldst be able to earn many a shekel, telling thy strange tale in the courts of the temple;" and the fires of lust—the lust for gold—ever smoldering in the heart of this man, flamed up for an instant, and lighted the sunken, greedy eyes.

"As the Lord liveth," he continued, "I believe thou mightest prophesy, as well as the seven sons of Sceva, who have but recently removed to Ephesus. But I saw thee first on the banks of the Jordan, on the day when the prophet of the wilderness baptized the Nazarene,—for I was present as well as thou, and heard the Voice from heaven. But now tell me, Matthias, who hath slain this prophet of the wilderness," demanded the stranger, glibly.

"One of the guards of Herod Antipas," replied Matthias. "I was this day visiting the prophet, in the room where he has been this long time confined, for I was one of his disciples, having been baptized of him in the Jordan. I shall not soon forget the conversation we held," continued Matthias, speaking more to himself than to his companion. "'Thou art still confined in this gloomy place,' I said. 'Will not the mighty Nazarene send messengers for thy release? Will He not come and open these thy prison doors, that thou perish not? Surely He will not leave thee in this accursed place, where thou canst not breathe the free air of heaven. Behold,' I said, 'I have seen the lame walk; have heard the dumb shout; have seen the loathsome body of the leper cleansed by His healing touch, until it became like unto the flesh of a little child. Yes, I have seen a dead man, the son of a certain widow who dwelleth in Nain,—I have seen him awaken from the sleep of death at the call of the Man: surely He will not forget thee—His prophet messenger; of a truth I must believe—'"

"What said the Baptizer?" interrupted Iscariot, with deep interest. "I myself, as well as many others, have wondered that the prophet should have been left alone and unnoticed so long. But what said the Baptizer?"

"What said he? He laid his fingers gently across my lips. 'Say no more, O thou son of Sylvanus,' he replied. 'Time was, when the adversary had almost caused my feet to slip; for I sent messengers to Him—the Son of the Highest, the Anointed of Israel, the Shiloh of Jacob—saying, "Art Thou He that should come? or look we for another?" But the Almighty hath forgiven me, O Matthias. He hath brought to my remembrance the dove-like form at the Jordan, and the voice of the Eternal, when He declared Him whom I had baptized to be the Beloved of the Father. And now, no more do the fiends of the pit cause my heart to doubt or my spirit to tremble. And even tho I perish without again beholding Him—the Desire of the Nations—yet shall I stand in my lot at the end of the days.' Thus spake he. I had been but a short time in the cell, and was about relating other of the marvelous miracles of the Man of Nazareth, when one of the soldiers of Antipas Herod, a repulsive and fierce appearing Roman, entered suddenly and cried out:"

"'O thou prophet of the wilderness! prepare thyself to die; for Antipas hath sent me for thine head; for behold it is the birthday of the king!'"

"Then drew he his sword and stood beside the prophet, who at once fell upon his knees. The face of the soldier grew black, like unto that of a fiend; but that of the Baptizer was calm and beautiful, and shone with the light of heaven. He opened his mouth in prayer. Then I saw the sword of the executioner flash in the afternoon sunlight, which streamed in at the tiny window with its bars of iron, which was set in the wall toward the west."

"In another instant, the bloody head fell at my very feet and stained my raiment!" and Matthias shuddered. But the countenance of Iscariot remained unmoved, as he fixed his shifting, restless eyes upon Matthias.

"Thou hast spoken of the wonderful miracles of the Nazarene; what thinkest thou, Matthias? when will the Master go up to Jerusalem, having raised an army, and seat Himself upon the throne of David to deliver Israel from the yoke of the Roman,—that such deeds as this be no longer possible?" he questioned, as together they plodded onward.

"I thought, verily, that thou wast a follower of the Man of Nazareth," replied Matthias, "and I bethink me now that I have surely seen thee with Him, in company with Andrew and Philip and my brother-in-law, Bar-jona; tho as yet I confine not myself entirely to their company, biding sometimes with my father Sylvanus, at Capernaum, whither we have removed from Bethsaida,—stay! I remember thee, of a truth. I saw thee at Capernaum, a day not long ago," continued Matthias, pressing his hand to his forehead as if to refresh his memory. "It was the day in which my mother Esther had been healed of a dangerous fever by the Master; for Bar-jona had entreated Him to enter our house, saying, 'Behold, my wife's mother lieth sick with a fever.' That same day, leaving my dear mother in good health once more, I, with the multitude, followed the Man even to the shores of the Galilee. Then I saw one coming unto Him,—one tall and dark, with eyes of restless brilliancy, and he said unto the Master, 'Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest;' and thou art the man, Iscariot of Kerioth, art thou not?"

(To be continued)