NOTE: Starting today and for the two weeks that follow, i will be posting a total of three short stories surrounding the ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. These stories are fictional first-person accounts of three different men who encountered and responded to Jesus in very different ways. My prayer is that, through the stories, you will see Jesus and be reminded of the Good News of Easter.
The Rich Young Ruler (Reuben’s Story) – This week – March 17
The Servant (Malchus’s Story) – March 24
The Brother (Jude’s Story) – March 31
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I am Reuben, the oldest of my father’s six sons, and I grew up in Jerusalem. My father is a member of the Great Sanhedrin – a position he has held since I was a mere boy. He serves that grand body as its treasurer, overseeing the finances of the temple. His position has not only provided him with great influence among our people, it has also brought him great wealth.
He is a contemporary and confidant of our former high priest, Annas, and together they crafted many ways to increase the temple treasury – which also brought them personal gain. Their relationship dates back to their early years in rabbinical school and blossomed into a strong, lifelong alliance.
I was educated by the finest scholars among the most elite and brightest minds our people had to offer. I never knew “want,” as I always had whatever I desired. One of those desires was my wife, Rebekah. She is the eldest child of another one of the leaders of our Great Sanhedrin. Our fathers determined while Rebekah and I were young that we would wed. The marriage of their two eldest children would create a powerful alliance of two leading families!
When Rebekah grew up to become the most beautiful young woman in Jerusalem, there was no denying that Jehovah God had richly blessed me! Our families arranged for us to own one of the grandest homes in our city – located next door to the palace of the high priest. God had not yet blessed us with children, but we were still young and looked forward to those days. Truly, we were counted among those who were the most blessed by God!
Ever since I was a young boy, I studied the law and was considered to be one of the leading experts. Over the years, I was frequently called upon by the high priest Caiaphas to provide counsel to the Great Sanhedrin as they deliberated the weighty issues brought before them.
My desire, though, was not just to be an authority on the law but also to honor God through my obedience of His law. Rebekah and I always strived to be models of godly living before our friends and neighbors. I presented my gifts regularly into the treasury of the temple – not only because my father is the treasurer, but also because I knew it honors God and displays righteous living. I took great care to make certain others were watching me as I presented my gifts so they could be challenged by my example.
And I was equally attentive to the needs of the poor. As a matter of fact, there was a beggar who took up residence at the gate to my home. He suffered from open sores that covered his body. He was the most pathetic man I had ever seen. I instructed my servants to provide him with scraps from our table three times each week so he would not starve. After all, I knew that God would have me do no less. King Solomon himself wrote, “He that is gracious to the poor honors God.”(1) Rebekah told me not long ago that she had instructed our servants to give the man one of my cast-off robes to cover his body. Truly, we were seeking to live uprightly before the law.
Recently, I heard of a Teacher from Nazareth who is traveling throughout the hills of Galilee performing miracles and teaching from the Scriptures. I was told He teaches in a way that seems not only to be astounding the masses but also some of my more learned brethren. He has taught in the courtyard of the temple during some of the feast days, but each time I was prevented from hearing Him due to more pressing affairs.
A while back, two of the members of the Sanhedrin – Nicodemus of Capernaum and Joseph of Arimathea – were espousing some of this Teacher’s sayings to their brethren in the council. Though their words were not well received by the other members, I was intrigued. I felt this Man, whose name is Jesus, may have something worthy of consideration.
One of my favorite pastimes when I was together with other scholars and scribes was to debate questions such as, “Which is the greatest commandment?” or “What must we do to be certain that we have eternal life?” I had been debating questions like those since I was in school, but I had never heard a definitive or authoritative answer. As I listened to Nicodemus, it sounded like Jesus may have the answers I was seeking.
I knew Jesus would soon be returning to Jerusalem for the upcoming feast. Ironically, some of the priests were discussing ways they might entrap Him the next time He appeared in the temple. They were crafting questions in such a way that no matter how He answered them, He would either lose favor with the crowds or incriminate Himself before the Roman authority. Either way, they felt they would win. But I did not want to collaborate with that group. I also didn’t want to wait until the Teacher came to Jerusalem. If this Jesus had the answers I was seeking, I would go and find Him!
Rebekah did not want me to make the journey to see Jesus. She told me I should wait until He returned to Jerusalem. But she also knew my mind was made up. I told her I would only be gone for a few days. As I passed through the gate to leave my home, I noticed my dogs were licking the place where the beggar usually sat. They were known to lick his open sores each day. I asked one of my servants where the man had gone. He told me that he had died. I wasn’t truly saddened by the news, rather I received it matter-of-factly. I found myself thinking that upon my return home, I would instruct my servants to find another beggar to assist, so I could continue to honor my obligation to help the poor.
I learned that Jesus was currently teaching outside of Bethabara on the east side of the Jordan, so I set off in that direction to see Him. When I arrived, He was surrounded by children. Apparently, their parents had brought them to Him asking that He bless them. I heard Him say, “The Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.”(2)
That was exactly what I had come to talk to Him about! As I approached Jesus, I knelt down. I was aware some of the other religious leaders had already come to see Jesus before me. Their purpose was to entrap Him. But mine was to sincerely seek out this Teacher with the hope He would give me some answers.
“Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”(3) I said.
It took me by surprise when Jesus responded by saying, “Why do you call Me good?” Then He went on to say, “Only God is truly good.”(4)
In addressing Jesus as “Good Teacher,” I was using a title of respect. It was the same title I had always used to address other mentors and teachers whom I greatly admired. But this was the first time anyone questioned my motives!
Without waiting for a reply, Jesus went on to say, “You know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’”(5)
I will confess that I was relieved after hearing His answer. I was expecting something much greater. I confidently replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”(6)
But it was Jesus’s follow-up statement that radically altered the rest of our conversation. “Go and sell all your possessions,” He said, “and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”(7)
“What!?!” I thought. “Sell all of my possessions!?!”
I quickly thought back through all of the law – starting with the Ten Commandments. Jesus had just asked me about each of the last six commandments – and I could honestly say I had honored those! And the first four commandments had nothing to do with selling all of my possessions, they simply had to do with loving and honoring God with our whole heart, soul, and mind. What does that have to do with selling all of my possessions?
Surely, Jesus didn’t understand how much I possessed! It’s one thing to say that to a poor man who has very little, but I possessed great wealth. And I was using that wealth to help others – like my offerings at the temple and my gifts to the man at my gate!
God had blessed me with great wealth. Apparently, I deserved it. Surely, He would not have me squander it by selling it all! And what would Rebekah say if I went home and told her I was going to sell our beautiful home? Or what would our parents say about this preposterous idea? They would certainly declare that I had lost all reason!
I came seeking a good answer from this Teacher, and He told me to do something that was impossible! He was asking too much! I was willing to do whatever was necessary – within reason. But how could Jesus possibly ask me to sell all that I possessed? Surely, a good and loving God would never ask that of me. I desired to honor God – but that was a price greater than I was willing to pay!
No one ever considered me to be a sinner. I was always considered to be a good man. I was confident my good works would be sufficient to merit favor with God. Sadly, I turned and walked away. I had come to Jesus for an answer, but He had given me one I could not accept. Perhaps He was not as good of a teacher as I had been led to believe. As I turned, I caught one last glimpse of Him. I saw sadness in His eyes as He looked at me. But He didn’t plead with me or say anything further. He had given me His answer and was leaving the response to me.
As I walked away, I decided I would return home through Jericho. At this time of year, the city was always a pleasant respite from the worries of life. Undoubtedly, I would encounter friends who were also there on holiday. It would give me time to recover from the emptiness I felt as a result of my conversation with Jesus.
But as I approached the city, I was stopped by bandits. The ringleader, who the others referred to as Barabbas, demanded all of my possessions. I couldn’t help but think that his request was somewhat ironic in light of what Jesus had just said. Everyone was telling me to surrender all I had!
But in this bandit’s case, he was threatening me with bodily harm if I did not heed his demand. At least Jesus had made no such threat. I emptied my pockets of all my coins. Then he told me to surrender the ring on my finger. My father had given me that ring – and it was one of my most prized possessions. I refused.
The blade in the bandit’s hand did its work quickly and silently. I was dead before my body hit the ground. Instantly, my soul was transported from my body to a place that was unfamiliar. I was surrounded by fire, listening to great wailing and gnashing of teeth. Despair and anguish were palpable. I realized I was not in a place of eternal reward. My greatest fear had been realized. I was in a place of eternal death and suffering, and hopelessness overtook me.
But in the midst of my torment, I looked into the distance and saw a much different place. I was sitting in complete darkness, but that place seemed to be surrounded by light. I squinted my eyes to see more clearly, and I recognized the beggar who had been by my gate. He was resting in the arms of another man. Though I had never seen that man, somehow, I knew he was our father Abraham – the patriarch of us all! Abraham was giving rest to the beggar!
I cried out, “Father Abraham, have some pity! Send the beggar over here to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in anguish in these flames.”(8)
But Abraham replied, “Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and this beggar had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish. And besides, there is a great chasm separating us. No one can cross over to you from here, and no one can cross over to us from there.”(9)
I called back in desperation. “Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them, so they don’t end up in this place of torment.”(10)
Abraham responded, “Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.”(11)
But I knew my father and my brothers were unconvinced, just as I had been, so I said, “No, Father Abraham! But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God.”(12)
To my great sadness, Abraham replied, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”(13)
At that moment, the words of Jesus came back to me. He had answered me, and I had refused to accept His answer. My good works would never be good enough. I could never do enough to inherit eternal life because human effort cannot please God. The beggar had entered into eternal life because He had believed in Jesus and trusted Him with all of his heart. I, however, had been unwilling to give Him the one possession He required of me – my heart!
I wished I could return to the One who stood before me that day and receive the promise of eternal life He extended. But there was no going back! I had chosen my riches over Jesus … and now the sadness in His eyes would remain with me forever.
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This story is excerpted from The One Who Stood Before Us. The complete collection of forty short stories is now available through Amazon in standard print, large print, and for your e-reader. Click HERE for more information on how you can obtain your copy.
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In multiple instances the dialogue in this story comes directly from Scripture. Whenever i am quoting Scripture, it has been italicized. The Scripture references are as follows:
(1) Proverbs 14:31
(2) Luke 18:16-17
(3) Luke 18:18
(4) Luke 18:19
(5) Luke 18:20
(6) Luke 18:21
(7) Luke 18:22
(8) Luke 16:24
(9) Luke 16:25-26
(10) Luke 16:27-28
(11) Luke 16:29
(12) Luke 16:30
Copyright © 2021 Kenneth A. Winter All rights reserved.
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