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Part Seven
JESUS
Before dawn, Shimei stood tall, testing his ankle. “Your
tunic still looks good, son.”
Belthasar said.
Dressed in their finest, Gasper looked everyone over.
Satisfied, he said, “Questers, lets drive our camels
directly underneath that star.
Ever since we started following it, we made a pact to go
where it leads.”
The caravan drove single file to one house.
A man was fiddling with something in the yard as they
approached.
Gasper’s camel stopped outside his yard, and as he disembarked,
the man walked towards him with his arm outstretched.
“Hi, my name is Joseph.”
He laid down the implement he’d been toying with.
Gasper looked skywards and back to Joseph. He said, “Nice
to meet you, Joseph. My name is Gasper, and this is my grandson,
Baanah. We’ve come
from afar following that star.”
He pointed directly to it.
Joseph looked up, then back to Gasper, who continued, “it
seems to have stopped at this house.”
Belthasar joined him and introduced himself, Shimei
hobbling behind. Melichoir strode into the yard and greeted
Joseph. Everyone wore huge smiles.
Joseph grasped hands with everyone, including the boys.
He saw their camels who were watching them from the road.
“Please, come and see my new son.”
Joseph said and carried the wooden object inside.
“Mary, we have company to meet our new son. They have
come a long way, let’s make them feel at home.”
With that he handed her the wooden cradle.
Mary gasped, “Oh Joseph, it’s perfect!”
To the men she nodded and smiled. Her black eyelashes
brushed her cheek as she lowered her eyes at the baby in her
lap. She said,
“Sorry this place is tiny, but it’s better than the stable.” She
looked up as her smile increased she said,
“We’re so glad that you
came! Please, make
yourselves comfortable.”
She held out the baby in her arms.
“This is our new son, Jesus.”
She laid him in the new cradle.
Tilting it towards the
company, she said, “Jesus, meet your guests.”
Gasper fell onto his knees and bowed low before the
cradle. Belthasar
kneeled down and bowed low.
Melichoir knelt beside him, bowing low.
Shimei and Baanah were behind them.
Looking at the little boy, they slipped on their knees.
Kneeling before Mary and Jesus in the rocker, a hush
blanketed the room.
Without anyone realizing it, they all fell prostrate on the
floor.
Finally Gasper
looked up, tears brimming in his eyes and said, “Jesus!
It’s really you!
I am honored to finally meet you!”
Gasper said, “Wait here!”
He jumped up and said to Mary and Joseph. “Be right
back.”
Belthasar and Melichoir looked at Jesus as though awaking
from a fog. “Yes!
I can’t forget.
Be right back.” Belthasar said.
Melichoir jumped up, too, nodding to Mary and Joseph as
he escorted Belthasar out the door.
Shimei and Baanah crept nearer to the cradle and peered
at Jesus. Shimei’s
ankle had twisted when kneeling, and throbbed as he lay
prostrate. He wasn’t going to let pain stop him from seeing what
he’d come so far to see.
Jesus opened his eyes and looked at them.
He smiled.
Shimei gasped.
Something had happened as Jesus looked at him.
Baanah said, “Hi Jesus.”
Shimei was dumbstruck.
His ankle felt fine!
He looked at Jesus and massaged his ankle.
Normal!
“Wow!” he
said. “Did you do
that? Thank you!”
Baanah said, “What Shimei?
He hasn’t moved.”
“Okay, whatever you say.”
Shimei said, shaking his head.
They looked back at Jesus, who was watching them
intently. Mary loved how
the boys crept up to the cradle, and smiled at them.
Baanah said, “He’s so
cute, and I don’t say that about babies.”
He giggled at Jesus.
Jesus blew a bubble out of his mouth at the boys, and
smiled. The boys
giggled. Baanah said, “Did you see that? He’s smiling at me.”
Shimei stuck his finger on top of Jesus hand.
Jesus turned his wrist and grabbed Shimei’s finger. “Boy,
Jesus, you’ll grow into a strong man—with a grip like that!”
Shimei said, his face exploding into a toothy grin.
Mary laughed, Joseph laughed.
Gasper entered carrying a cask.
He placed it at Jesus’ feet.
Bowing low, he said, “Gold
for the King of Kings.”
Melichoir set a flask next to Gasper’s gift.
Bowing low, he said, “Frankincense
for the Prince of Princes.”
Belthasar set a skin in the line of gifts.
Bowing low, he said, “Myrrh
to honor the sacrifice.”
A sense of awe pervaded the room.
No one moved.
No one breathed.
Their worship was accepted.
Jesus broke the spell himself speaking gibberish.
All eyes on Him, He relished in their attention, smiling
and talking.
The spell broken, Shimei said to Mary and Joseph, “You
must be so proud!
He’s worth every minute we travelled!”
Belthasar put his hand on Shimei’s head.
“Silent reverence is how you show honor and respect.”
Mary said, “Thank you for coming, friends.
Thank you for your gifts!
I will tell Jesus all about your visit and he will always
remember you.” She
looked at the boys and said, “A shepherd told me, ‘each is given
a gift.’ I pray
that you use your gift in service to our God.”
Shimei and Baanah looked into Mary’s eyes.
Shimei said, “Thank you, Madam.
We won’t forget you, either.”
Gasper replied “God made flesh.
We understand what has happened.”
His countenance mirrored Melichoir and Belthasar’s.
They all knew they were in the presence of wonder.
Gasper said, “This is why we came.
He is the reason that made our season of travel
worthwhile. I’m
afraid that it’s time to say ‘Good-bye’, good people.”
On the way out, Baanah and Shimei waved their good-byes
to Jesus. He blew
more bubbles, smiling, His eyes never left them.
Joseph walked them to their camels.
“Thank you indeed, for your visit.
May God bless you as you arrive to your homes safely.”
“And may God watch over you and protect you from all
harm.” Gasper’s
grip told Joseph everything.
Their camp outside
Bethlehem
gave them a chance to debrief from what they’d just witnessed.
Shimei was walking normally, and would never take his
strong legs for granted.
Baanah was quiet, listening to the men speak their hope
for their future.
Sharing the dinner fire, they rehashed their journey.
King Herod, Solomon’s
temple, cedars of Lebanon, swimming the Euphrates, meeting up
with the right people who heard and understood the prophesy from
old—nothing would compare with meeting the Messiah face to face.
As they were parting the next day, Gasper asked if any of
the men had weird dreams?
“Yeah, Gasper, I did!”
Belthasar said, nodding his head.
Melichoir looked oddly at the men and a smile broke out
on his face.
“Me, too.
Herod’s not an honorable man.
I’ll be heading
South and veer West going through Egypt.” Melichoir said.
“We’ll head
straight East, my friend.”
Gasper suggested looking at Belthasar who nodded his
head.
Belthasar said, “Best
to stay clear of
Jerusalem. I think you’re right,
Melichoir.
Herod is not an
honorable man.”
Shimei grasped Baanah in a bear hug before leaving him in
Babylon.“I’ll
never forget you, Baanah!”
“Like, I’ll ever forget you?
This trip was the greatest adventure I could ever
imagine. Thank you for being my friend.”
“For ever.” Shimei said with a tear streaming down his
face.
None who embarked on this King Quest forgot their
adventure.
Melichoir returned home to Midian and joined the priests who had
told them about the prophesy.
He let them know the Messiah was real.
Jesus is His name.
Gasper returned home to Babylon, returning Baanah to his tear streaked
Mom and Dad. Baanah
grew up hearing about Jesus’ travels and when His Apostle Paul
was in the area, he went to hear him preach.
He believed in Jesus and was baptized.
His entire household followed Jesus.
Hungry for word, Baanah started a church and invited
preachers to come and share the Good News of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Shimei returned home to Sousa.
Belthasar heard God calling him and said, “Yes Lord, here
I am.” He opened
his home to preach, inviting Jesus’ Apostle John to visit and
preach. Belthasar’s entire family believed,
following Jesus as their
Messiah. John,
himself, baptized Belthasar and his immediate family.
From then on, Belthasar baptized untold numbers in the
region. Shimei entered the ministry and was ordained, preaching
the Good News of the baby Jesus that He’d met many years before.
Shimei’s favorite things to talk about were when he met
Jesus as a baby. He
gripped his finger tightly.
He told everyone who’d listen how he was Jesus’ first
healing miracle.
“You should have seen His eyes following me out of the house
that day!”
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