|
~ The Centurion
~
I knew it when the earthquake came. Already, the day had
changed it??™s face completely. It was so dark the birds had
gone to roost! People were carrying lanterns. I never saw
midnight any darker. And, I never saw midnight in the
middle of the day! Over 2 hours, already, and it showed no
sign of daybreak.
So, now, what? All those tales, these superstitious people,
told had been true! I had barely listened. But, I retained
what I had heard and this was too much! What do I do? I
never uttered the name of God, except in an expletive, and
this guy looked so ordinary - so like any other man. How
could I have known? Should I stop the whole thing? I am a
soldier and I??™ve earned my way up the ranks. Though I hold
some power, it was gained by obeying orders. So, I could
not take it upon myself to undo what they had ordered. I am
only a centurion.
I sat down and watched. When the lightning came and
illuminated His face, I saw the suffering. But, also, that
face held love. I even heard Him say, "Forgive them, for
they know not what they do." I never heard that one before.
I was used to the filth spewed out from these criminal??™s
mouths. But, this was something new.
Now that the sun was gone (it wasn??™t just that the sun was
gone, it was really dark!) and the wind had risen, and the
rain came, it sounded like all of nature was mourning. The
thunder came, again, with the lightning illuminating the
sign above His head ... "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the
Jews". Was I executing a King?
It was
more than that! Cesar, himself, could not have called down
this storm and certainly not the earthquake. That was what
settled it for me. More than a King, an area that I
completely avoided in all my studies. I preferred not to
clutter my brain with those superstitious lies.
What
did it matter how this world came to be? I was here and I
would do the best I could with the one life I had. But, if
Someone made it, controlled it, cared about it ... well,
that??™s something I had never toyed with. But, I sure would
want to know everything about it. Where had He been all my
life?
The night hadn??™t been a good one anyway. They called me to
oversee the collection of some guy that had hung himself.
The Jews take this week too seriously; killing all those
lambs, letting blood until the Kidron is discolored with the
blood! What a strange people!
I
thought, today, I would have to oversee the execution by
crucifixion of two thieves. Some time through the night,
they had thrown this fellow in. So, what??™s one more? It
would not take any longer part of the day. But, this was no
ordinary man.
We divided His few possessions. His robe was seamless,
woven in one piece, quite a masterpiece. So, we cast the
dice.
He spoke to no one, until that thief said, "Remember me when
You come into Your Kingdom!" and then He said, "Verily I say
unto you, today, you shall be with me in Paradise!"
The
day had grown so dark that I couldn??™t see His face when He
said, "My God! My God! Why have You forsaken me?" But, I
could feel the agony of the cry.
When
things got back to normal, I would certainly do some
investigating on this Man. I watched it all. Sitting in
the rain with trembling earth beneath. He had directed his
last words to only a few, that thief, his friend, John, and
his mother, and Some unseen force. He had said, at the
last, "Father" and looked toward the sky, "Into Your hands I
commend my spirit!"
I had
never overseen a crucifixion like this. We had Him down
before the sun set, having been certain of his death by the
spear. We didn??™t break His legs and, suddenly, I didn??™t
want anything rash to happen to this body. So, His soul was
gone. Do we possess a soul? No matter, I would pursue that
later.
I told
my soldiers to be careful. Let Him down gently, not the way
we put Him up. His body was evidence of the last 24 hours.
There had been enough pain inflicted.
Already, there were two men, there, with proper papers to
take the body. No one needed to tell them to be careful.
They handled this Man as if He were Precious Stone! These
men were in that high court the Jews have, the Sanhedrin. I
had seen them both at the temple grounds and at the palace.
We took our spoils and left. I knew I had a lot of
questions to be answered, never given to staying in
ignorance.
The storm let up and the sky lightened. It was strange,
like having daybreak from the west.
I just
thought I was through with the Man. Only a couple of hours
and the call came to set a guard at His tomb. "Why would we
need soldiers to guard a tomb?" I had asked. They told me
because of some tales passed around, by this Man??™s friends,
and they were afraid of someone stealing the body and saying
He had risen from the dead.
What a
riot that would cause! It would have been better if they
had left this Jesus alive! Well, the men would be thrilled
at their exciting job. I would dispatch them and they would
complain and be bored for a few days.
Meanwhile, I had plans for my free time. I had the sign
that had been above His head: "Jesus of Nazareth, King of
the Jews" and now I brought it out. Strange words for a
criminal, strange day. Strange feelings in my heart, so
callused by all the "orders" I had followed.
I had
the feeling that I was beginning a great adventure, for it
had grown quite dark, now, and there was a definite chill in
the air. I reached for my coat and started out in the night
air. Nicodemus had said I could come anytime, said he once
made a midnight visit that had changed his life. I would
chance it. For, I had questions too great not to pursue!
Stepping out in the night air only brought back the events
of the afternoon. I really expected the earth to tremble.
That came the first day of the week.
My
guards answered to me. But, I answered to Pilate. Even the
Jews had set a guard and the body was gone! I never saw
such scurrying! Money was flying. Pay us all to say His
body was stolen! We knew better. For, we knew the
penalty. But, better to take the bribe than to face the
truth.
Someone had made a serious mistake and, for my part, I knew
I would never be the same. I had found some answers and I
was on my way to more.
What would you do if you had been there ... if you had seen
the signs and heard the jeers, felt the earth quake, and
seen the day disappear ... heard kind words, from a man
dying, because you did your job? What would you do, if you
had been in charge of the guard?
The
door to my soul was open and I could not but follow. He
had, truthfully, said, "They know not what they do ...
Father, forgive."
I know
I need many answers. But, until I get them all, I will
repeat what I said on that hill, on that dark day, "TRULY,
THIS WAS THE SON OF GOD!"
?©
2003 by Joan Clifton Costner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Blessings to you today
Bob Johnston
|
