Marta's Story
A short story for the season
Marta bent over the sewing project in her hands. The last stitches must not be rushed. Liddy would not appreciate a shawl that unraveled as soon as she put it on. Marta never liked long projects. The last stitches were the ones that always told the tale of her impatience. She wanted this scarf to be right, to last, and to be useful. Patience must be applied.
Marta’s sister Liddy had not been doing well these past few years. She and her son, Tobias lived just inside the gates of Jerusalem. They had a home and small yard where she kept chickens and sold eggs. Liddy spent most of the day sitting in the yard and listening to the gossip. She knew many of the people and things going on that others did not connect. Marta and Simon often brought in vegetables from their garden for Liddy and her son to keep or sell as they needed.
Marta snipped off the last thread with her teeth and held up the garment for inspection. It wasn’t fancy, but it was useful and would keep Liddy from being chilled on cool nights. She stood up from her place by the window, stepped out into the early morning and checked to see if Simon and the boys had finished gathering the lambs they would take to market. Passover was celebrated that night and they needed get them to the sellers before sundown.
“I do not understand this law, the killing innocent lambs to pay for sin that never really goes away.” Marta looked at the ones destined for market. She spotted one with a limp. It must have stepped in a hole or something. It would never sell. Only unblemished and healthy lambs would be bought. It was an insult to the Creator to give something that wasn’t perfect. It would have to go back to the pen. And what did it say about her and Simon that they would sell what was meant to come from the hearts of the people?
Was it really a sacrifice, or was it simply a religious requirement from which they prospered. Something seemed wrong with that. She would discuss it with Simon. He would help her understand.
“Simon! Simon, that one has a limp.”
“Ugh,” Simon came to where Marta was standing and examined the lamb.
“We could carry it and hope it heals by the time the priests examine it.” she suggested
“No, we’ll just put it back.” Simon replied.
“We have a few more to add to this number and then we will be ready to go, gather your things, Marta.” And he began to walk away.
To his back Marta called, “Religion is good business, isn’t it, Simon?” She surprised herself. She hadn’t meant to say that aloud. She waited for her husband’s admonishment. Held her breath, just a little and waited.
Simon turned scowled at her working out her comment in his mind. “Good business?” Understanding dawning, he smiled a sad smile. Not the reaction she’d expected. “OH, unfortunately you are right about that, my Marta. I know how you love the lambs. If only the Creator would make it possible for a sacrifice to simply remove the transgressions entirely, THEN we wouldn’t need to slaughter all these animals. I see no change in the transgressors after the sacrifices they make.” Stepping back toward her with the lamb in his arms, he confided out of earshot of their boys.
“Why, during the last festival I saw one rich man buy a lamb for sacrifice, go in and as he come out, Marta, with the blood of the lamb still clinging to the hem of his robe, he actually kick the beggar, Lazarus, out of his way as he pass through the gate!” Marta clicked her tongue in dismay.
“See?” she said, “It makes no difference. However, if the Creator made it possible for one sacrifice to be made for all time, we would have to find a new way of making a living. True?”
“True,” replied Simon, “but it would be worth it if it meant a lasting difference.”
“What kind of sacrifice would that take, Simon, do you know?”
“Surely a more important one than a little lamb, that’s for sure,” Simon turned and walked back to put the injured lamb into the pen with its mother.
Alexander and Rufus, their sons, brought out the rest of the lambs chosen for market and Marta gathered the food for the journey along with the shawl for Liddy. A half day’s walk was not a long one compared to how long it used to take Simon when he lived in Cyrene. They had met at festival many years ago and over time decided to marry and settle just outside of Jerusalem in the countryside. The idea of raising sheep and growing vegetables was one that had just happened. The house, yard and few sheep were a gift from Simon’s father. Simon in turn was building flocks and saving seed for each of the boys for when they married.
“Let’s go!” Simon demanded. Marta gathered the food and the gift she’d made for Liddy and they started out. She thought about the new Rabbi she had heard about. Yeshua was his name and he had been walking around teaching and healing people. After a time of walking, Marta turned to Simon and asked,
“Simon, Liddy mentioned a new Rabbi, Have you heard of him?”
“Yes, you mean Yeshua? He is causing quite a stir among the religious leaders. In fact, I saw him and some of his followers in Yazim’s wheat field picking wheat as they walked by. It was on the Sabbath, too!”
“What were you doing near Yazim’s field on a Sabbath? That is a bit farther away than you should be walking such a day, you know.”
“So I should let the sheep just get lost because of certain day of the week? Really, Marta?”
Marta smiled, knowing the sheep did not know what day it was and if they chose to wander off they did not check with the shepherd or the calendar first. “I’m sorry, Simon.” She smiled to take away the sting of accusation that had left her lips a moment ago. “What did this Yeshua say about his own actions on the Sabbath?”
Simon grinned. “I heard,” he said conspiratorially, “that he told those who accused him of disrespect of the Sabbath, that ‘the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath! And then, Marta! You would not believe what happened next! Yeshua went into the temple and healed a man on the very same Sabbath day!”
“Simon! That man is going to be in so much trouble if he continues to defy the laws and the teachers!”
From nearby, Alexander added, “Tobias’ friend, Mark said that he heard rumblings of death for Yeshua among the religious leaders after that.”
Marta was lost in her own thoughts and Simon ran ahead to catch a wandering lamb as it neared a drop off in the road. “We are a lot like those sheep, Lord, wandering around oblivious of how close we are to falling off the edge.”
Just then, Marta heard Rufus and Alexander quoting a psalm as was the custom on the way to Jerusalem for the festival meals…
“ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
“That does not sound like a God who would begrudge a healing on the Sabbath or satisfying a hunger on the way past a grain field.” Marta commented to herself.
Marta, Simon and the boys continued to talk about Yeshua and the trouble stirring in Jerusalem. As they neared the city they joined other families coming in from the countryside.
Arriving at the gate, Rufus and Alexander continued on to the sellers to trade in the lambs. They would be treated fairly since they carried their father, Simon’s well-known name. They would meet up again at Liddy’s home.
Arriving at Liddy’s house, Marta noticed the crowd had grown to a significant size. There seemed to be a lot of people on the streets. Sabbath did not start until sundown, so everyone was trying to get all they could completed before it began. Liddy was in her usual spot in the yard, but something was different about her.
“Liddy!” Marta called. Liddy turned and smiled and hurried to help carry in the vegetables Marta and Simon had brought. They entered the small home laughing over everyone trying to get through the doorway at the same time. Simon, wise as always, had handed off all he carried and remained outside watching the comical scene from afar.
“Liddy! You look wonderful! You are well again?”
“Yes! I was in my yard one day as Yeshua passed by. There was a big crowd and he stopped to speak to them. I went to the edge of the crowd to hear what he said. As he began healing people he healed me as well!” They continued to catch up on all the news until a commotion outside drew Marta’s attention. Stepping out into the sunshine she and Liddy saw many people lining the street. “Simon, what’s going on?” Marta asked.
“A passing dignitary, maybe, let’s go see.” Simon and Marta joined the crowd. They found a place near the front and waited for the important person to pass by. Soon they heard soldiers’ feet in the distance. The scene approaching was no parade for a dignitary.
“Simon!” Marta whispered “It’s a crucifixion! I don’t want to see this!” But the crowd pressed in to see and there was no way back without physically moving people. Marta decided to stay and endure the spectacle as best she could. She closed her eyes and clutched onto to Simon’s hand, but curiosity won out as the soldiers advanced. She opened her eyes, just a little, and gasped in horror at the plight of a man condemned to die. She had never seen a man so badly beaten and disfigured. “Simon, I can’t even tell what color his hair is for all the blood. And is that a crown…of thorns!? What kind of men do this type of thing?”
The crowd could be heard discussing the scene and the events of the night before. “Hush, Marta! That is Yeshua!”
“Where, Simon? Surely he will stop this outrage,” said Marta as she looked around for the famous Rabbi.
“There, the one who is condemned to die. He is Yeshua,” replied Simon sadly.
Marta’s heart sank to her feet and her stomach clenched. Just then Yeshua fell in the street no longer able to continue to carry the heavy wooden cross on his shoulders.
“YOU!” a soldier yelled. Marta jumped at the sound, so caught up with the sight before her she did not see the advancing soldier until he was upon them. He had Simon by the arm and was dragging him to Yeshua’ s side. Watching in horror, Marta saw the soldier command Simon to pick up the cross and carry it for Yeshua who was struggling to his feet.
Simon picked up the cross helping Yeshua to his feet at the same time, he and Yeshua and the company of soldiers continued up the street to Golgotha.
“NO!” Marta screamed inside her mind, knowing to scream aloud would mean reprimand from the soldiers. She followed as far as she could, struggling through the crowd and then stopped. She noticed a company of other women following and weeping as well. She thought to join them, but the effort was too much. Stunned and in fear she returned somehow to Liddy’s home to wait. She did not remember the journey back. Her mind filled with pictures of Passover which would start soon. Lambs would be slaughtered…Yeshua bloody and bleeding, crucifixions, and Simon’s abduction by the soldiers. Her mind could take no more in…she stumbled blindly to Liddy’s door and fell at the threshold.
Liddy, hearing the noise, opened the door, and gathered Marta inside. Marta told her sister of all she had experienced as best she could. Liddy brought her a cup of water and together they waited for Simon and the boy’s return. Rufus and Alexander had not arrived yet from the selling the lambs. Hopefully they did not witness she had seen.
They sat together for some time. A storm was coming, the wind whipped outside and the rain was sure to begin soon. The sky drew unnaturally dark. Something terrible was on its way or had already arrived. Marta remembered the Psalm of David the boys were reciting earlier…
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me...
The earlier conversation about lambs and sacrifices…flashed through Marta’s mind.
“What kind of sacrifice would it take?” she remembered asking Simon.
“The sacrifice…” Marta murmured aloud…
“What?” asked Liddy, her concern for her sister evident. “Marta, did you say something?”
“I was thinking of a discussion Simon and I had earlier today.” Marta replied. “Liddy, what do you think? Who is Yeshua?”
Liddy was about to answer Marta when there was a sound at the door. Rufus, Alexander, and Simon stumbled in together out of the wind. Marta was so happy to see him at first she did not see the horror he carried in his eyes.
“Marta”, he gasped and held her close. Then the weeping began. Who started it, she or Simon, didn’t matter they clung as a group with the boys and Liddy and Tobias who had joined them.
When the weeping was spent, they parted and Marta got a good look at her husband. He was covered in blood not his own and it was now on her and the rest of them as well. “Whose blood is on us, Simon?”
He answered, “Yeshua. It was all over the cross from the beatings he got. When they placed the cross on my shoulders it got on me.”
“You have splinters in your neck and arms. Sit down and let us remove them and you can tell your story.”
As Marta and Liddy worked to remove the splinters, clean off the blood and dress the wounds, Simon told of his journey.
“After I was forced to carry the cross, Yeshua and I walked near each other. He was not doing well. At times he leaned on me, yet he seemed determined to complete this journey. That determination alone kept him moving. I’m sure the loss of blood alone would have made a weaker man die before the end. It pained me to look at him. It seemed as we advanced toward Golgotha I noticed more and more the wounds and things that he had endured. He had done no crime, Marta, Liddy, I’m sure of it! He was as innocent as those lambs we sell at the market on festival days! In his eyes, though, what I could see of them, it was as if he carried the weight of the world.
“The suffering didn’t end there. When we got to the hill, they nailed him to that cross. Can you imagine the rough wood against a torn and bleeding back? To have to push up on the nails just to breathe? Ugh!” Tears leaked from the corners of Simon’s eyes once again. “There was no one at his side at the end except one man and a few women. Where were all those followers, Marta? The ones who celebrated his arrival and healings and miracles? I’ll tell you! People were there mocking him! Even the religious leaders had nothing compassionate to say! Oh Marta, Liddy…”
It was Rufus who remembered the prophesy found in the scroll of Isaiah. “Could he be the one Isaiah talked about when he said ‘So His appearance was marred more than any man And His form more than the sons of men’?”
Tobias, Liddy’s son entered the conversation. “My friend, John Mark says Yeshua told them this would happen and that in three days he would come back.”
“Well then,” said Simon, with a deep breath he gathered himself and set aside the grief. He rose from the stool where he sat, “we shall see what happens in three days.” He moved to the window to be sure it was secure against the weather. Liddy and Marta cleaned up the mess and lit the fire. The boys sat and discussed the day’s events and eventually everyone fell asleep to the sound of wind and rain.
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The wind and rain continued throughout the Sabbath and three days later, John Mark stopped by Liddy’s house with news as Marta and Simon were getting ready to head home.
…The tomb where they buried Yeshua was empty.
They were half way home when Marta noticed a stranger up ahead talking with Simon. The conversation seemed important and the stranger put his arm briefly around Simon in a brief farewell. As the stranger turned to continue his way down a different path, Simon dropped back to be with his family.
“Who is that? When did he join us?” Marta asked. “Simon? Are you alright? Who was that man? What did he say?” They had stopped walking and Simon was watching the stranger as he advanced further into the distance.
With a light in his eyes that Marta had never seen before, Simon grinned and replied, “Marta, if you dare to believe,
you’ll never guess what he said…”
The End
A final word: This Resurrection season, let us celebrate all that God the Father has done through God the Son to free us from the law of sin and death providing all who believe with the victorious opportunity to be saved, to change our allegiance to the Lordship of Christ and live according to the Law of the Spirit of Life.
