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

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Nov 15, 1910

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 37, No. 45.

Shiloh: the Man of Sorrows

By Mrs. L. D. Avery-Stuttle

Chapter XXXVII. The Story of the Former Demoniac

EN, twenty, thirty,—yes, more than thirty years ago, reader, you and I last saw this man of giant stature. He was in company with his fellow officer, Marcus, on his return to Jerusalem, with the murderous soldiers, after the massacre at Bethlehem.

But we anticipate. If we but curb our impatience, we shall shortly listen to his story.

The hospitable inn was at last reached, and our friend Matthias, who by this time was somewhat revived under the care of his rescuer, was placed in a comfortable bed in a large, airy chamber. All through the dim watches of the night, sat this Varro by the bedside. The deep, dark eyes which once shone with a cruel light, were kindly and mild; and his touch, as he ministered to the wounded man, was gentle and soft as a woman's.

About the third watch of the night, Matthias awoke from a refreshing sleep, and for the first time addressed his companion:

"Who art thou, friend? for verily thou art he who hath saved my life;" and the speaker stretched forth his hand feebly and laid it within the massive palm of his rescuer. "Speak," he continued, "that I may thank thee."

"Wherefore should I tell thee my name? Behold, I am come from the country of the Gadarenes; but of a truth, young man thou wast near unto death. Now thou shalt rest until the sun arises; then will I again bathe thy wounds, and take my journey toward Jericho, that I may go into Decapolis."

Before Matthias could reply, his rescuer had left the room.

In the morning, Jason, the aged keeper of the inn, made his way to the chamber of his wounded guest. "It is well, my son," he began, seeing that Matthias was already awake, "it is well that thou didst not die of thy wounds. Now thou shalt partake of this nourishment; for surely thy God hath been kind unto thee,—for I perceive that thou art a Jew,—this can I see albeit mine eyes are dim. Now do I marvel that this stranger who hath saved thee, is indeed a Samaritan; for he hath told me already that he was born in Samaria, and that his father was a Samaritan, tho his mother was a Roman."

"Surely I have seen thee pass this my inn many a time on thy way to and from Jerusalem, and sometimes I have seen thee in company with Machbor, of Jericho," continued the old man glibly.

"It was thither that I was bound, from Jerusalem, when I was overtaken by thieves,—even Barabbas and his band," replied Matthias, as he eagerly drank the cup of milk, and tasted the cake of barley.

"Barabbas the robber!" echoed Jason, stroking his long, white beard excitedly,—"the robber; and yet some men speak of him as the Messiah of the Jews, because it hath been said that he doeth miracles. But I have heard that even thus did Jannes and Jambres in the days of old."

"The true Messiah is indeed come," replied Matthias earnestly; "but the Shiloh of Jacob cometh not in guise of an assassin,—He cometh not to kill, but to give life."

"Truly the Messiah of Israel hath come!" exclaimed the deep voice of Varro. Matthias and Jason both turned their eyes toward the massive figure in the doorway.

"Verily," repeated the speaker, "Messiah hath appeared, and it is even He who hath healed me. Of this bear I witness, and for this cause return I into Gadara and Decapolis, that I may again testify unto my kinsmen and acquaintance."

"Come in, O stranger, that we may listen to thy words; for of a truth this young man, thy friend, hath eaten and slept, and is refreshed."

"Come," pleaded Matthias, "come; thou shalt sit by my bedside and tell me thy name, that I may thank thee."

"Why should I receive thy thanks, young man, when my own soul is filled with gratitude to Jehovah, for a greater deliverance than thine?" and the massive form sank upon a seat by the side of Matthias; "for verily," he continued, "Jesus of Nazareth hath made me whole; and now this day do I testify unto all men that I am he who—"

"We have indeed fallen upon strange days," interrupted the aged host. "Of a truth many of the men of Israel look for the Messiah to appear, for they declare that the time spoken of by the prophets is already fulfilled. Thinkest thou, stranger, that this Man, Jesus of Nazareth, who indeed doeth many miracles, is the Christ, even the Messiah of Israel? for verily their chief priests and rulers believe not upon Him."

"Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Christ, the Son of the Blessed," replied the stranger. "To proclaim this, is my mission."

"But," objected Jason, stroking his flowing beard reminiscently, "I can never forget some thirty and two years ago, the while I abode in Bethlehem and kept an inn, that there came into the city among others, one Joseph and his wife Mary, to be taxed. There was no room for them in my inn; and behold, the woman gave birth unto a male Child whom the wise magi from the Far East called the 'King of the Jews,' and whom Herod the king sought to slay. But this Child was indeed born in Bethlehem; and if He be King of the Jews, can one born in Nazareth be also the Messiah?"

"The Man was born in Bethlehem, tho He indeed dwelt many years in Nazareth," replied Matthias, who was too busy with his own thoughts to notice that these words of his aged host seemed to affect the man at his side strangely, and that the great hand which rested upon the head of the divan, trembled.

"I believe," exclaimed Matthias to his host, "that thou art that same Jason, of whom I have heard my father, Sylvanus the shepherd, speak. Rememberest thou not the night when the sword of Varro, the centurion of Herod the Great, destroyed the children of Bethlehem? But I, even I, escaped by the mercy of Jehovah!" and Matthias sank back upon his couch exhausted.

At once the giant form by his side arose, and fixing his dark eyes mournfully upon the wounded man, exclaimed:

"Varro,—the centurion of Herod the Great,—even such they called me; and truly my heart was filled with murder, as was that of my royal master, until even the cries of the little children nor the wild shrieks of the women kept back my hands from blood. Thou needest not shrink from me, young man, nor thou, Jason, mine host," he continued, as a look of horror and surprise settled upon the pallid countenance of Matthias, while the old man trembled, as faithful memory again brought back that night of horror.

"Thou needest not shrink, young man; for, verily, tho I would have slain thee as a babe, it hath been mine hand which hath rescued thee but yesterday," and the deep voice shook with feeling.

"Forgive me, O Varro!" exclaimed Matthias, holding out his hand. "I did thee injustice; because the name Varro hath rung in mine ears since infancy,—and I knew not—"

"Thou hast scant cause to wonder at my alarm," interrupted Jason, as he again stepped forward; "for thou knowest that even in the days of my young manhood, I trembled and was sore afraid at sight of thee. But see! thou art changed; and now, O Varro, tell us somewhat of thy life, for thou hast already said that thou wast healed by this Man of Nazareth. What plague hadst thou? and when healed He thee?" and the old man glanced curiously at the giant form, clear, ruddy face, and kindly eyes of his guest.

"I will tell thee; for to preach Jesus of Nazareth am I sent. Threescore years ago I was born in Samaria, of a Samaritan father, tho my mother was a Roman. From my earliest childhood I was taught by my father that hatred for the Jew, which is, alas, a distinguishing feature of the Samaritan; while from my mother I learned to worship and to fear the gods of Rome. The life of the soldier, filled with danger and hardship, violence and blood, was the life which I chose while in the days of my youth. I joined the soldiers of Herod the Great. My savage nature and my strange passion for deeds of blood — from which of a truth my soul now revolteth — at once secured me favor in the eyes of the king. After his death, I spent many years in Rome, continually growing more hard of heart, until at last I vowed to give myself up entirely to Mars, — the war-god of the Romans. I then returned to Samaria, the home of my childhood, only to find that my father's family had removed into the country of the Gadarenes.

"About this time, my mind also began to be strangely affected. It seemed to me that every man's hand was against me. At once I conceived a deadly hatred for all,—Romans, Samaritans, Jews, Gentiles,—for each and all, my heart was filled with hatred, deadly and deep,—the hatred of Beelzebub. I became completely possessed by a legion of evil spirits. At first I dimly realized my condition, and feebly struggled against the power of the demons that controlled me. Often was I captured and bound with chains; but when the fiends within me bade me break my fetters, I obeyed, and my chains were as bands of straw.

"Finally, in a frenzy of madness, I rushed away to the tombs of Gadara, on the shores of the Galilee, where, as ye well know, the rocks are wild and dreary, and the cliffs steep and bare. Here, so declare the dwellers round about, I dwelt for many years, a terror to all who ventured to pass that way. But I myself remember but little that occurred, until the day when I was delivered from the fiends that bound me,—I remember little, save the consuming desire to kill."

"Verily, thou wast the madman of the tombs of Gadara!" exclaimed Matthias shuddering.

"Even such was I named," replied the narrator meekly, while Jason, the timid host, looked about him uneasily, "and even such I was; and I abode naked among the tombs, through the heat of summer and the cold of winter, until the hair of mine head had grown matted and coarse like unto that of the beasts of the wilderness. Mine eyes were bloodshot and staring, and my bearded lips dripped with the foam of madness.

"Sometimes there appeared with me, also, another,—a strange, wild man,—gibbering and horrible. He spake no word unto me, neither spake I unto him; and from what country he came, I know not.

"One day as I ran shrieking up and down the rocky banks of the Galilee, I suddenly beheld the white sails of a ship set toward the shore of Gadara. With staring, fascinated eyes I watched it. Nearer and nearer it came. A feeling which I had never before known, came over me,—a vague, shadowy hope. Yet, even while I watched the boat as it made the landing, I was again overwhelmed with a desire to kill.

"Immediately a small company of men left the boat, and proceeded as if they would enter the city. At once, compelled by the demons within me, I rushed upon them, shrieking and beating the air.

"Seeing me, the men who had left the boat, all fled in terror to the hills,—all save One, who stood calmly regarding me. The eyes of the Man met my own. They were filled with majesty and power, blended with the light of divine love, such as I had never seen. As they rested upon me, my heart was filled with unspeakable emotions, and I cast myself at His feet and worshiped Him. But when

I opened my lips to entreat pity and help, the demons which possessed me cried aloud:

"'What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of the most high God? I adjure Thee that Thou torment me not!'"

"As I arose to my feet, once again His eyes met mine, His filled with the light of a love such as I can not tell,—mine, bloodshot and staring and terrible.

"'Tell me, what is thy name?' He asked, calmly and softly as if speaking to a little child. I opened my lips to say, 'Behold, I am Varro, the son of a Samaritan father.' Instead, the demons within me cried, 'My name is Legion; for we are many.' Once again the eyes of the Man met my own, in one long thrilling glance of love and tender pity, as He stretched forth His hand and touched mine own, from which still hung a part of the chain which had bound me.

"'Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit!' The voice of the Divine One thrilled my soul, and His touch melted my heart. But the demons which had so long possessed my wretched body were unwilling to depart. 'Send us not away into the abyss!' they entreated.

"I turned my head. Afar upon the mountains, I beheld a herd of many swine feeding. Their herders were close beside them, for they herded the swine of the merchantmen of the city. Again the fiends entreated: 'O Thou Son of the Most High, wherefore should we be tormented before the time? If Thou bid us depart, suffer us that we may enter into the herd of swine yonder!'"

"The Man bowed His head. 'Go!' He commanded. At once a sense of perfect peace came into my heart," continued Varro. "In astonishment I saw that I was naked, bruised, and bleeding; and I knew that I had been bound by the chain which hung broken from my wrist. But even as I gazed, behold, my bleeding body became whole and sound, and the strength and freedom of perfect health of body and of mind came into me. Again I cast myself at the feet of my Restorer, and worshiped.

"When I again raised my head, I saw with some surprise, that the other — the wild man who had sometimes roamed with me through the tombs — stood by my side, and that he also had been healed by the Divine One. But in a moment he was gone, and I saw him no more; and there remained none, save the divine Man and myself alone."

"Whither went he, thinkest thou?" questioned Matthias, trembling, for a strange hope had entered into his soul at the word of Varro, and he dreaded lest it be shattered, vague and uncertain tho it was.

"I know not; to his own country, peradventure," replied Varro, with a final wave of his hand as if in answer to further questions.

"What said the disciples of the Nazarene, when they saw the miracle of the healing?" entreated the old man, Jason. "Were they still afraid?"

"The men who were with the Nazarene?—After a time they returned, because they perceived that a great miracle had been wrought; for they were ashamed of their lack of confidence in their Master. And one of them, named Bar-jona, hasted and threw about me his fisherman's coat; and at the word of the Master, a piece of silver was given me, that I might go into the city and buy myself raiment.

"At that moment I heard an exclamation of astonishment at my side; and turning quickly, as I wrapped the fisherman's cloak about me, I beheld Bar-jona, with a look of wonder upon his face, pointing toward the mountains.

"In my ecstasy at the wonderful miracle wrought upon me, I had forgotten the demons' request to be allowed to enter into the swine; and now, behold, far down the mountainside, rushed the whole herd,—scores upon scores,—dashing furiously and tumultuously onward, past the affrighted keepers, who vainly sought to turn them back,—on, on. Just before them a high jutting cliff rose precipitously out of the sea. In a moment the whole herd, maddened by the demons, had cast themselves like a great, living avalanche over the cliff into the sea!"

"But tell me, O Varro," interrupted Matthias eagerly, "did this man Bar-jona see the face of the other,—even he who, thou sayest, was healed with thee?"

"Bar-jona returned not until after the other was gone; so that he saw him not. Then," continued Varro, "I went into the city, to procure raiment; and as I journeyed, behold, the keepers of the swine passed me by, for they hasted that they might make known unto their masters the thing which was come to pass.

"When I returned, I found the chief men of the city, together with the owners of the herd, gathered about the mighty One who had healed me.

"'Depart, O Man of Nazareth, we pray Thee, depart from our coast!' Thus they implored Him; for they cared not for the mighty good which had been done me, and I heard one say to another, 'Of a truth, if this Man remain in the country of the Gadarenes, of what good shall all our possessions be unto us?' Then they all raised the cry, 'O Jesus of Nazareth, depart Thou from our coast!'"

"The Master spake no word, but quietly made His way once more to the boat. Only once, as He walked, He turned about, and looked upon the people. Truly, O Jason, I have no words to describe that look of tender love and pity which rested upon His face as He sighed deeply. His gentle eyes for a moment became dim with tears, and His lips quivered with pain. As I marked this, how mine own heart went out more and more after the Man,—my Healer,—and I loved Him greatly! 'Verily, I will follow Thee, O Master!' I cried, as He entered the ship once again, and once more I threw myself at His feet. But placing His hand with gentlest touch tenderly and lingeringly upon my own, He said, 'Return unto thine own house and to thine own friends, and show how great things God hath done unto thee!' And now, I would willingly suffer death for His sake; for the memory of that love which beamed like a divine light in His eyes, as He regarded me, can never leave me.

"And now," continued the narrator, "I have already gone through the country of the Gadarenes, and I also went up to Jerusalem; and now I do return to mine own friends, even unto Decapolis, that I may preach Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of Israel. Now I know that mine own son Rufus is in the palace of Herod Antipas, that he may serve him even as did I serve Herod the Great; and if I could but reach him, mine own son Rufus, with this message of love, then would I die content."

Meanwhile another guest had visited the inn of Jason,—a man tall and dark, and having a bandage of linen tied carefully about his head, covering his right eye.

"Ho, Jason! I am this morning come up from Jericho, whither I have been arranging some matters of the law, for Machbor, the ruler. Behold, I thought to tarry with thee this day; but tell me, O Jason, who is this man of gigantic stature and fearless countenance,—this thy guest, whom I indeed saw as I was entering thine house?" and the lawyer grasped the old man by the shoulder excitedly.

"The man is a Samaritan, O Abner, and he came down from Jerusalem yesterday," reported Jason warmly: "and of a truth he hath saved a man from death at the hand of the robbers."

"But what—tell me, what is the fellow's name, O Jason?"

"He saith that his name is Varro. How knowest thou him, O Abner? for indeed thou art a Jew, and this my guest is a Samaritan."

The old man had spoken rapidly, but by the time he had finished his sentence, the face of the lawyer was ghastly, and he threw up his hand instinctively to the bandage which covered the injured eye.

"Thy guest!" he exclaimed, while his voice shook with excitement,—"thy guest! Knowest thou not, O Jason, that this fellow is a madman? How know I him, indeed! He hath left me but one eye, and the light from that is fast leaving me. Yet tho I had but half an eye, verily I would know Varro,—the madman of Gadara! But how knowest thou him?"

"I know him not save that he hath given me two pence for the lodging of this wounded man,—for surely Barabbas left him neither garment nor purse; and this same Samaritan declareth that he hath been healed by Jesus of Nazareth, who verily hath done many wonderful works. Now, of a truth, O Abner, I am not a Jew as thou art, but I do believe that this Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah,—the anointed One."

"Believe as thou wilt, O Jason; but the Shiloh of Israel cometh not in poverty. He cometh in splendor and in glory; and He, when He cometh, shall reign in Jerusalem!"

And with an uneasy laugh, Abner the lawyer mounted his beast, and rode again toward Jericho.

(To be continued)