Martha (16 page)

 22 

Hour after hour passed, but Lazarus did not come. Martha fought the panic threatening to overwhelm her. The chief priests wanted to get rid of Jesus, and remembering the warning of Hanniel, they also wanted to get rid of Lazarus. Was he in danger? Had he been found and arrested?

The two sisters busied themselves with daily tasks, stopping occasionally to glance toward the gate. Once they thought they heard the sound of his voice, and Martha rushed to the gate only to see it was a group of pilgrims. One of the men was shaking his head and murmuring to himself, echoing Simon's words, “These are dark days indeed, and now Barabbas.”

Dark days they were. Barabbas was a robber and murderer. Why would people feel so frightened at his arrest?

She shook her head in exasperation. What was happening? Where was Lazarus?

Later that afternoon, exhausted by emotions as well as the heat that poured down in the courtyard, Martha and Mary sat on a shaded bench. Mary had prepared some fruit and cheese. They ate quietly; there seemed little to say. A lizard scurried across the hot earth and disappeared somewhere into the animal pens. It seemed the only movement. The animals were strangely quiet and huddled together. Little by little, Martha noticed the absence of sound around them. No cricket chirped; no birds sang in the sycamore tree. Martha turned to her sister, wondering if Mary sensed the same thing, when suddenly all around them the earth moved. The sycamore tree swayed and cracks appeared in the side of the house and the walls of the courtyard. Earthen pots of plants fell over and shattered. The bowl of fruit and cheese bounced out of Martha's lap and smashed on the earthen courtyard floor. The sky grew dark and menacing, hiding the sun.

Martha and Mary clutched each other in terror, and Mary cried out, “It's the end of the world!”

After what seemed like one long, terrible moment, the earthquake subsided. In the continuing darkness Martha stood unsteadily, still clutching Mary, who was weeping with fright. It was hard to see the house, let alone what destruction had occurred in the courtyard.

“Oh sister, what terrible thing has happened?”

“I don't know. I fear for Lazarus, wherever he is. I hope he was not caught on the road when this happened.” For Mary's sake as well as her own, Martha gathered her wits and took a deep breath. Putting Mary aside, she squared her shoulders. Someone had to keep a clear head in this household. “The earthquake is over; we must find a lamp.”

Martha inched her way in the direction of the storeroom and felt around for an oil lamp. She found one and, holding it carefully against her chest, slowly moved back toward Mary, her sister's small whimpers of fright acting as a guide. Pausing to get a sense of direction, she saw the glowing coals of the cooking stove. She set the lamp down by the stove and reached for a twig. Touching its glowing end to the wick in the lamp, she held her breath and let it out with relief when the wick caught fire and began to burn.

“Come over here, Mary. We can sit by the stove for a while.”

The two women sat down on the ground and held each other as they waited for the darkness to lift or the earth to move again.

In a few moments there was a knocking at the gate. To Martha's relief, she heard the voice of their neighbor Shaul calling to them. “Are you women all right?”

“We are all right.”

Shaul opened the gate and held a lamp up. His wife, Helah, followed close behind him. “We knew Lazarus was gone. How much damage is done?”

Martha stood up slowly as her neighbors picked their way carefully over the debris in the courtyard and came to stand by her. “I don't know. The house seems all right, but I'm afraid to go inside.”

Helah put her arms around Martha and as Mary stood unsteadily, gathered her in also. “We will stay with you until the sun comes out again.”

Martha looked skyward but there was nothing to see, not even a shadow across the sun. It was as if the entire world was one black, inky night.

Shaul spoke hesitantly. “I have seen this darkness in the middle of the day before, when I was a child. It lasted for perhaps half an hour and then the sun came out again. This is different. It didn't come on gradually and then fade away. It came suddenly with the earthquake. It is a sign of some terrible event, I'm sure. I pray the Lord of all the earth will have mercy on us.” His eyes in the darkness glowed with fear over the light of the lamp, giving his face a haunted look.

Mary tried to compose herself. “What do you think this means?”

There was another knock and a voice at the gate. It was Nathan. At Martha's call, he opened the gate and entered. He was also carrying a lamp. When he saw the two sisters sitting by the cookstove with Shaul and Helah, he seemed visibly relieved.

“It is good that you were not in the house when this occurred.” He found a bench in the dim light and moved it over near the stove so the women could sit down on it. “The roof of my house caved in. I will need Lazarus's expert help to repair it.”

“Stay with us, Nathan. Let me get something for us to eat.”

He waved a hand. “Do not trouble yourself, let us wait until we have some daylight again.”

Shaul moved over to stand by Nathan. “What do you think this means? It is very strange.”

Nathan shook his head. “I don't know. I've never seen anything like this. When I was in Hebrew school, the rabbi told of an event like this, but it only lasted for a short time before the sun was visible again.”

Shaul nodded sagely. “I was telling the women of a similar occurrence when I was a boy. Perhaps it is the same event.”

There were sounds from the street, and women's cries along with muffled voices of other men.

Martha looked toward the gate. “I hope no one in the village was hurt.”

The five of them sat quietly, their fear growing when the darkness did not lift. Both Nathan and Shaul tried to be strong for the women, but their faces in the lamplight belied their encouraging words.

It was a long time until at last the darkness began to lift. She wasn't sure how long it had lasted, but it seemed like hours. The thick clouds gradually gave way to sunlight again.

Nathan rose. “I must check my shop and see to the damage to my home.” He gave a half smile. “Let me know when your brother has returned.”

As he took his leave, she thanked him for his concern. Shaul and Helah also hurried away to assess the damage to their own home. Already Martha could see cracks in the walls of the courtyard and the house, but the house was intact. She sent a heartfelt prayer of thanks to the God Who Sees. Surely he had watched over them.

She turned to her sister. “It is over. We must clean up this mess before sundown when the Sabbath begins. I pray Lazarus will return in time for evening prayers.”

Mary nodded. She was still trembling as the two women picked up pieces of pottery. Mary retrieved some earthen pots from the floor of the storeroom and gently placed the plants from the cracked vessels into the new ones. Martha swept the debris into a pile. She eyed the cracks in the walls. Lazarus would have to repair those. She paused and in her mind gave voice to her fears . . . if he returned to them.

Fear permeated the air. Martha could sense it. The whole village must be frightened. What did the earthquake and the heavy darkness mean? Her father, with all his stories, never mentioned such a catastrophe in his lifetime.

All over the village men were at work repairing the damage from the earthquake. Two children had been injured slightly in one home, and one man had died of his injuries. In another home, a child had a broken leg; another woman in the village had been found under the rubble.

People gathered in small groups and talked in low tones of all that had happened. Some were still fearful of sleeping in their houses that night and many planned to sleep on the roof where they felt safer.

“Martha?”

She finally turned and saw Mary looking at her quizzically. “I called to you several times but you didn't hear me.”

“Hmmm.” Martha acknowledged her words.

“Is something wrong?”

“No. I was just thinking about some things.”

Mary came closer and put a hand on her sister's arm. “We all have much to think about these days. I worry about Thomas, hoping he will send me word he's all right.”

“I'm sure he will send word soon. He's probably busy fishing.” Martha gave a wry smile. “A lot depends on how successful he is.”

It was nearly the Sabbath, and the women hurried to prepare what they could. Martha wondered how many would travel into Jerusalem for the Sabbath services because of the earthquake.

Tobias came by and carried news that their home sustained some damage but felt it was fixable. Judith and his family were all right.

“I fear going into Jerusalem tomorrow. We do not know if another earthquake will strike. I don't think our house could stand another shaking like that. Many houses in the village are down. Some families have sustained injuries. It is said that Anna, the healer, has many to tend to.” He paused. “Adah is dead. Part of the roof fell on her head. By the time someone found her, it was too late. Her neighbors are seeing to the body.”

Martha clicked her tongue in sympathy. “Are there any others?”

“One man, old Jonas, but no other deaths that I know of yet. There are some injuries.”

“Thank you for coming, Tobias. Send our greetings to your mother and family. I'm glad they are safe.”

“I will. Would you let me know when Lazarus returns?”

“I'll send him to you.” She looked around at the damage for a moment. “He may have some work to do here first.”

Tobias nodded and went home.

Martha heated the lentil stew and banked the fire in the stone stove to retain the heat during Sabbath. She lit the Sabbath candles just before the shofar sounded in the distance signaling the beginning of the Sabbath. With a last glance toward the gate, she and Mary stood at the table. Martha put her shawl over her head, closed her eyes, and passed her hands over the flames of the candles, repeating the familiar prayer. In the absence of her brother, she wondered what to do about the part taken by the male head of the household. If he did not come, she and Mary would go into Jerusalem, despite the danger. She had to know what had happened to him. Surely Hanniel would be able to tell them something.

Suddenly the gate was jerked open and Martha's heart leaped as Lazarus stumbled into the courtyard, followed by Thomas. Their faces were drawn with pain and sorrow.

The sisters hurried toward them, and Martha spoke first. “What has happened? We were so worried for you.”

Thomas turned to Mary and took her hands. “The Lord is dead.”

She gave a cry and put her hand over her mouth. He helped her to a bench and sat with her.

Martha stood still in shock. “What do you mean, the Lord is dead? How can that be?”

Haltingly, his voice breaking at times, Lazarus poured forth the events that had happened in Jerusalem the night before and that morning . . .

“The Lord was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane last night. Soldiers, armed with swords and clubs came with torches, led by that traitor, Judas Iscariot. We learned that he had taken a bribe of thirty pieces of silver to betray the Lord's whereabouts.”

Martha gasped. “I knew something was happening. I felt it. When Jesus was teaching, I saw Judas leave the courtyard and go into the Temple with one of the scribes. I thought he was making an offering for Jesus and the disciples.”

Her voice sounding small, Mary looked from Lazarus to Thomas and back and cried, “Did you not try to save him?”

Thomas hung his head. “To our everlasting shame, we ran. We deserted him when he needed us the most. We were afraid for our lives. One of the soldiers almost caught me, but I left my cloak in his hand and fled wearing only my loincloth.” He began to weep. “I don't know where the others are right now. I hoped Lazarus was at the home of Hanniel and sought him there. They gave me a tunic and cloak to wear. We waited until morning and then made ourselves inconspicuous in the crowd that gathered in the streets.”