(The author is about to start a phase of acceleration. Readers, sit tight.)
Half a month has passed since the exchange in the temple, but to the twelve disciples, it is still vivid in their minds, as if what happened just now, in the temple, Joshua directly denied the Jewish priests
If so, the enraged Jewish priests would consider him a heretic and drive him out.
However, this was just the beginning. The words of the Jewish priests directly caused the restlessness of the whole city. Originally, this group of people had the aura of the sons of God, but after that day, the Jewish priests directly called them apostates.
The reverence disappeared, and all kinds of people with bad intentions came to the door one after another, either to blackmail or to question, and even devout Jewish believers came to insult him, which made the Twelve Apostles extremely anxious to deal with.
But regarding this situation, Joshua remained noncommittal and just prayed silently in his own quiet room, as if thinking about something.
On this day, another group of people who believed in Baal came to cause trouble. Fortunately, Judah was smart and drank them away.
In this era, various faiths gather in the Middle East, and people who believe in different religions quarrel endlessly, and even go to war over the differences between faiths. What's more, in order to eradicate the roots, people who believe in different religions will
ethnic groups were directly razed.
Baal, on the other hand, is the most powerful among the large and small religions in the Middle East. Unlike Judaism, which basically can only confine Israel, as the god of war and sun god, Baal's followers are spread throughout the Middle East and even Egypt.
The conflict between the two has existed for a long time. This time, when the believers of Baal saw that the Jewish priests did not protect them, they were ready to provoke them.
"It's really..."
Judah frowned as he looked at the backs of the Baal believers who were leaving. He realized that Jerusalem might not be a place to stay for long.
But at this moment, a disciple ran up to him and said something, and a look of doubt appeared on Judas's face.
…
In the quiet room, Joshua knelt in front of his six-pointed star and prayed silently.
There were not too many decorations in the small confined space, just as Joshua strongly advocated, frugality and simplicity, with only a few candlelights flickering around him.
Candlelight, six-pointed star, silent prayer.
After decades of baptism, there seemed to be no change in Joshua's body. He was as sincere and pious as he was when he was a child.
"Roll..."
In his ears, a not loud voice sounded. His closed eyes slowly opened and he looked at the six-pointed star in front of him. There was only calmness in his bright eyes.
"host……"
Behind him, a cautious voice sounded.
"Judas, you are here."
Without looking back, Joshua just looked at the six-pointed star in front of him and said slowly.
"Um."
Without answering the words of the person behind him, Joshua just stared blankly at the six-pointed star in front of him. In a trance, the six-pointed star seemed to transform into countless people and objects. For some reason, the memories of the past came one after another, like a rising tide and an ebbing tide.
, I can’t explain.
After pondering for a moment, Joshua spoke.
"Judas, you are the wisest among the disciples. Tell me, what do you think the church lacks now?"
"What is missing?"
Judah looked at Joshua with his back to him in astonishment. He was a little confused and didn't understand why Joshua brought up this topic. But after hesitating for a moment, he honestly expressed his feelings.
"I think... the church currently lacks a large enough mission house, otherwise preaching in the countryside all the time is not an option... It also needs to have its own financial resources, and you can try to charge a certain membership fee... As for other things
of……"
Behind him, Judas talked a lot, but Joshua just listened silently.
In the past few years, Judas has been in charge of the church's finances, and he is very clear about the various expenses of the church. After all, money does not deceive people. The various financial situations are enough for Judas to have a calm and clear-headed view of the current situation of the church.
Got to know each other.
The current church seems to be developing rapidly. In the past few years, it has tens of thousands of believers. However, in the final analysis, it is still too weak. The most embarrassing thing is that the church does not even have a suitable missionary site, so that Joshua
He and his disciples could only preach outdoors and in the countryside for long periods of time.
And as the church grew larger, its personnel organization and various expenses also grew larger and larger. It was no longer possible to rely solely on donations from believers. All kinds of severe tests were weighing on Judas' shoulders, making it difficult for him to sleep at night.
It is precisely because of this that Judas is so eager to get the support of the Jewish priests. With their support, the church can continue to move forward and realize the dream of "one faith".
But listening to Judah's words behind him, Joshua remained silent. When Judah finally said everything he wanted to say, he spoke.
"Judas, in my opinion, these are very important, but these are not what the church lacks most at the moment."
"...?"
Judah's face showed surprise, and then in front of him, with his back to Judah, Joshua's deep voice slowly sounded.
"What the current church lacks most...is a martyr who can lead believers."
Judas opened his eyes wide and stared in astonishment, but then he vaguely thought of something, his face became a little complicated, and finally he showed a look of perseverance resolutely.
"Lord, if this is your will... Judas is willing to be this martyr."
However, Joshua just closed his eyes, shook his head slightly, and then said.
"It's not you, it's me."
…
No matter how hard Judah tried to persuade him, he could not restore Joshua's will.
He is a gentle man with a heart as strong as iron. No one can undo what he has decided in his heart.
In the end, Judas could only respond in silence, bowed to him, and left the quiet room. But from the beginning to the end, Joshua never turned around once, always turning his back to his disciple.
When the ray of light that leaked through the crack in the door disappeared, Joshua opened his eyes, his eyes filled with deep confusion.
No one knows how confused Joshua, the son of God, has been in his heart over the past few years. No matter how he comforts himself in his heart, he always knows that he has tampered with God's will and replaced it with
own will.
The Bible never says that God will save everyone, but He always stubbornly says that God will save everyone. The Bible only says that those who murder will be killed, but He says to love your enemies as your brothers...
None of what he said was said in the Jewish scriptures, and there was not even any book that recorded what he said, because these words were all spoken by himself and were the world he expected.
Everyone loves and helps each other, is pious and simple, does not want war or kills, and everyone lives in peace.
This is what the doctor once named Han Na longed for. He had seen too many deaths and really didn't want to see anyone die in front of him again.
However, his childhood education made him suffer a lot...
"blasphemer!"
In his dreams, he had dreamed of this scene more than a thousand times. Everyone despised him and insulted him because he had deceived them and what he said was not true.
The god who was once infinitely bright in his dream was now extremely terrifying, with his angry eyes seeming to be roaring at him.
"Mortal! How dare you twist my will!"
During the day, he told the believers about God's tolerance and mercy and sought spiritual peace for them. But at night, he himself was in great pain and was the most restless person because he was caught between his compassion and his faith.
In the meantime, he no longer knew how to face the current situation.
god?
people?
Should he obey his compassion as a human being and provide comfort to believers, or should he insist on his own beliefs and obey God's will?
He doesn't know...really doesn't know...
It is precisely because of this that Joshua, who felt that his soul was approaching collapse, finally chose to die as a martyr.
"At least... at least I can help the church a little more."
In the quiet room, amid the candlelight, there was only a human being kneeling on the ground praying silently and the six-pointed star in front of him.