CLEOPAS' DIARY - DAY 3

[This series of Devotions are in the format of Historical Fiction. The main facts are accurate, but the Diary is fictional.]

Text: Mark 11:27-33 (CSB) – They came again to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came and asked him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do these things?”

Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; then answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was John’s baptism from heaven or of human origin? Answer me.”

 They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’”—they were afraid of the crowd, because everyone thought that John was truly a prophet.  So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Dear Diary: Yes, last night I tossed and turned. I kept thinking about the rumors. Surely our religious leaders would not – could not – even conceive of murdering this Rabbi. His miracles, his messages, his compassion, all speak of one sent by God. He fits all the prophet's descriptions of the coming Messiah. We need to be delivered from Roman bondage and restored as God’s Chosen People.

As we got up today and headed back toward Jerusalem we noticed that the Fig tree that he had cursed yesterday had withered from the roots up. Overnight. What could this mean? Some say that it is an illustration of Israel and what is about to take place. Others are amazed at his power. He just encouraged us and told us to have faith in God.

In Jerusalem, he once again went into the Temple. Today he was teaching. He gave us lessons in parables – stories to instruct about what cannot be seen. One of my fellows calls them heavenly stories with an earthly meaning. The Scribes, lawyers, Pharisees, and others tried to entrap him with his words, but he always was able to disarm what they said. They tried to trap him with questions about taxes, the resurrection, and the greatest commandment. Over and over again he was able to fend off the attempts with wisdom.  He even gave a fearful denunciation of our religious leaders.

Today, as we were gathered around him in the Temple he surprisingly turned our attention to a widow who gave only two pennies into the Temple Treasury. Most of us had totally ignored someone who was giving so little. But not him. He told us she had given more than anyone else – because she had given all she had.

When we left the Temple today, I had the oddest feeling that this would be the last time we would follow him into the Temple. As we started back to Bethany, he stopped on the Mount of Olives and gave us lessons on the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the final judgment. He spoke of his coming back. Coming back? From what?

Again tonight was a tense time of fear and discussion. The Rabbi was not making any friends with the leaders of our people. In fact, he seemed to be constantly antagonizing them. To what purpose? If he is the Messiah he will need their support to deliver the people from this oppression. Why can’t he see that?