Shiloh: the Man of Sorrows by Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stutle

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Aug 16, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 32.

Shiloh: the Man of Sorrows

By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stutle

Chapter XXIV.—At Nazareth

Up in the quaint little village of Nazareth, among the hills of limestone rock and jagged, precipitous bluffs, there was profound excitement and astonishment. Strange tales were told of a wonderful Miracle-worker and Teacher, who had appeared in Judea and Galilee; and now at last He was about to visit Nazareth; and, wonder of wonders, men said that it was none other than the Man Jesus, the Son of Joseph and Mary.

This hardly seemed among the possibilities. The people of Nazareth were so intimately acquainted with this Jesus! they knew Him so well! It was not so very long ago that He was laboring in the shop of the carpenter,—a common working man among them. It could not be possible; there must be some mistake. What! He, so quiet, so unassuming, so obedient, so humble,—He a mighty physician, a worker of wonderful miracles, and even, as some said, the Messiah, the long-looked-for Deliverer! Impossible!

So declared some of the dwellers of Nazareth. Others, remembering His life of perfect purity, His unusual kindness of heart, His wonderful precocity as a child, and His astonishing wisdom, discussed the question more favorably among themselves.

Many remembered little kindnesses done them by this quiet Man—even as a child—and a youth. Others called to mind lessons of wisdom and fervent piety which fell from His lips, even while performing His humble tasks.

But not one could recall an impatient word, an unloving or ungracious remark, a single act of disloyalty or disobedience toward His humble parents, or a solitary instance in which He ever failed to heed and to obey the written Word of God, with the most scrupulous and earnest zeal. The rolls of the prophets had been His constant guide, and their teachings were always upon His lips.

But there was one fact which stood out prominently in the memory of the dwellers of Nazareth: This Man had never heeded the traditions of the rabbis. None mentioned this oftener, or made greater use of it, than did Shaphan the rabbi, whose cruel face we remember too well. Time has given him a coronet of grey hair, but it has added no lines of loveliness or grace to the sallow, sunken cheek, or the narrow, sloping forehead. The thin hooked nose has grown thinner, and the small, fiery eyes have acquired an added venom with the passing years. Always following close behind him is his son Tubal, his exact image in form, feature, and disposition.

These men allowed no scruples of conscience or feelings of humanity to stand in their way. So long as they were to be benefited, either in the attainment of honor or riches, or in securing the punishment of those unfortunate enough to stand in their path, they were entirely unscrupulous as to the results which might affect others. By profession they were Pharisees. Still they were not seemingly hampered by any dread of the future. The praise of men sounded sweet to them, and the applause of their fellows was rich music in their ears. Hence they were strict in the outward observance of the law,—as were all Pharisees. But that any should aspire to greater holiness or wisdom than their own, was an offense which neither Rabbi Shaphan nor his son Tubal ever forgave.

The astonishing wisdom and the godlike virtues of the Son of Mary, together with His utter refusal to be influenced by him, even from childhood, had ever been a source of humiliation and anger to Rabbi Shaphan. He had been glad when the Man had departed from Nazareth. But now He had returned—and with what prestige! All Galilee was ringing with tales of the Wonder-worker; and Rabbi Shaphan considered His return a personal affront.

And so from group to group of excited people gathered in the familiar streets, hurried the scowling rabbi, close followed by his pompous son.

The grey head with its rich bonnet of crimson was everywhere. The sunken black eyes gleamed ominously as he hissed in the ears of the expectant people: "The Man is coming — the Pretender to the throne of David! To-morrow is the Sabbath. Make ready for Him. Verily we will show this Son of Mary that He can not deceive the men of Nazareth."

"What evil knowest thou of the Man, Rabbi Shaphan?" cried a kindly voice from among the people; "for, behold, we know no evil of Him."

"Thou speakest as one of the foolish men speaketh, O Uriah; for, behold, thou hast not long dwelt in Nazareth, and thou dost know little of this Pretender. But verily I have known both Him and His family these years. He hath been of a rebellious spirit from His youth up, not heeding the voice of His elders; and of a truth, even in His childhood have I found Him in the society of evil men and robbers."

"But hast thou heard, O rabbi," inquired another,—"hast thou heard of the miracle at Cana,—the miracle of the wine? for, behold, I saw the bridegroom, Chuza, but yesterday."

"A foolish trick! I tell thee we have known this Man from His youth,—have we not, Tubal? and we know that He is but a carpenter, and doeth no miracles."

"But verily it hath been told us," continued the first speaker, "that He hath driven the priests and rulers from the temple at Jerusalem, for that they desecrated the holy house; and, behold, they fled before Him. And hast thou not heard of the healing of the son of Lentulus the nobleman, at Capernaum? The youth liveth and is in good health, even this day."

"Ha! this is but a work of sorcery. Behold, this Fellow eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners; and verily," continued the rabbi, with a pretended look of horror, "verily, He hath conversed with a harlot—and she a Samaritan! and now, behold, the Samaritans rise to do honor unto Him. But we know that a true son of Israel hath no dealing with these Samaritan dogs. What evil know I of Him? Man! dost thou not know that He hath no father?"

"Nay, rabbi," replied the first speaker, Uriah, "I am told that His father Joseph hath been a long time dead."

The lip of Rabbi Shaphan curled, until the long, yellow, fang-like teeth showed prominently, while a look of malignant triumph lighted up his ugly face. "His father! the man Joseph the carpenter was not His father,—tho we all do know that he treated the Child kindly enough, tho he knew as well as we, that He was born of fornication. Who His father was, none knoweth, save the woman Mary. But see," continued the rabbi, "this Pretender will assuredly enter the synagog on the morrow, even as He is wont to do upon the Sabbath; and, verily, we will watch the words of His mouth, and if this Sorcerer speaketh folly, and His words be boastful, we must silence Him, for it is not lawful for us to hear blasphemy. Men of Israel, harken unto me, Shaphan, a rabbi, a teacher of the law, a man of wisdom and good report among you, a man whose father and whose mother were doers of the law,—harken unto me: Is it meet for us to listen unto this Babbler, whose mother Mary we know, and whose brothers and sisters are with us?"

"But and if He be the Messiah! Rabbi Shaphan, thou knowest well that the Shiloh of Jacob, promised by the holy prophets, must already be come; for the time is fulfilled!" exclaimed he whom they called Uriah. "And verily," he continued, "this Man doeth many miracles."

"But look you," interrupted the young man Tubal, who had been anxiously watching an opportunity to champion the cause of his father, "look you; say not the prophets that the Messiah must be born in Bethlehem of Judea? and of a truth this Jesus was born in Nazareth, where He hath abode, both He and His mother and His brethren, until He had heard that John, the son of Zachariah, baptized in Jordan. And as for the miracles which this Man doeth, surely there is another greater than He, who dwelleth among the mountains, and who doeth wonderful miracles. He is a mighty prince, and he also declareth that he is the Messiah,—and I doubt not, was born in Bethlehem of Judea. But now we know that this Son of a carpenter was not born in Bethlehem."

At this moment a stalwart figure was seen making his way through the crowd gathered about the rabbi and his son.

"Wherefore sayest thou, O Tubal, the things which thou knowest not? for behold I know and do testify that Jesus of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem of Judea!"

The speaker paused a moment, and glanced defiantly at the rabbi and his son. "It is Barjona, the fisherman of Bethsaida, the son-in-law of Sylvanus, the shepherd of Bethlehem," whispered Uriah.

"The fisherman!" exclaimed Shaphan scornfully; "verily he also is in league with the Deceiver, and they both be in league with Beelzebub!"

The dark, fiery eyes of the Galilean flashed. "Art thou a teacher in Israel, O Shaphan, and knowest not that thy miracle-worker who dwelleth in the mountains is a robber and a leader of sedition? Hear, ye men of Israel! his name is Barabbas, the robber, whom all Galilee and Judea fear; for his hand is lifted against every man."

"Well!" exclaimed Shaphan, "and this thy Master accompanied him, even in His youth!"

"How can this Barabbas be the Messiah?" questioned an earnest voice. "Verily the Messiah cometh not in guise of a robber."

"We will rest the matter until the morrow," scowled Shaphan, "for, behold, the sun is almost set, and the Sabbath cometh on. But look ye; on the morrow this Fellow will condemn Himself by the words of His own mouth."

A little later, after the people had dispersed each to his own home, the keen eyes of Barjona discovered a strange sight, as he was hastily making his way toward the home of Mary, the mother of his beloved Master. Secreted in one of the gardens of Nazareth, were the pompous rabbi and his son, behind a hedge of cactus, engaged in earnest conversation with a half dozen evil-faced men who had gathered closely about them, and whom Barjona recognized as some of the most notoriously vile characters of that little village from whence it was a matter of astonishment that even one good thing could come.

"These men devise no good toward my Master on the morrow," he muttered to himself, as he hastened onward.

(To be continued)