“What a strange creature you are.”
Lazarus began humming along with its noises and dipped his oar in the water again and again as he moved them toward shore. It was nearer now in the distance and as he rowed the sun began to rise above the mountains in the east, bringing a beautiful pink and orange hue across the cloudy sky. The sea was a pure, crisp aqua in the early morning light. There was something odd yet peaceful about humming his melody with the rock-rabbit’s trilling as the day began.
The two continued in their harmony for a while, but as they neared the salt coated beach the rock-rabbit suddenly stopped its song and moved to the edge of the boat, looking out at the sea. Its ears perked as it grunted and twitched its tail.
Lazarus stopped his humming and watched the twitching creature. “What do you sense?”
As if wanting to respond, the rodent turned to glare at him with its beady eyes and then looked out toward the shoreline once more.
“Then I will take us in that direction and we will discover it together.” With a stroke of his oar the boat turned and a warm wind blew over them. Lazarus could see nothing in the direction the rock-rabbit looked but he listened intently. A series of white boulders lined the beach there, leading out into the sea.
Lazarus shivered as he heard a faint high-pitched noise echo out of the rocks. Where have I heard that before? It sounds almost human. He tread water and moved closer. Something is crying. What would sound like that out here? As he moved the boat around the white rocks he saw a basket bobbing in the current against the rocks. A cloth stretched out of the basket. Its edge flowed in the water.
No. It can’t be. He put all his strength into the oar and went quickly toward the basket, grounding the boat into the rocky seashore. Lazarus dropped the oar in its hull before leaping into the sea toward the lodged basket and the baby’s cries.
The sea was warm and his clothes stuck to his body. As he reached the basket he braced an arm on the boulder close by and looked inside. He saw a beautiful baby’s soft, sun-reddened face as it wailed, unaware that he was there. “I am here. I will save you.” He grasped onto the edge of the basket and kicked his legs in the water, dragging the basket to shore. Lazarus’ knees scraped against the rocks as he reached land and hefted the basket, setting it up on the beach away from the water.
“Who would do such a thing to a baby? How did you survive?” Lazarus unwrapped the cloths from the baby’s body and was relieved to see that it seemed well aside from its sunburned face. With a sigh he reached into the basket and braced his hands around its back, lifting the baby and holding it against his shoulder. “Shhh. Shhh. All will be well. I have you now.” He rocked the child against him, soothing it until it slowly calmed and stopped crying.
Fear ran through Lazarus. How can I care for it beyond comforting it in my arms? I have no milk, no food. Will this babe die in my arms? Should I return to Zeboiim? Surely there is a woman there who could help this child. It was a bleak thought, and as soon as he had thought it he saw the boat drifting out to sea once more. The rock-rabbit lay on its back on his bench, bathing in the sun.
It would be too far for him to reach. The natural current of the sea drifted the boat quickly away from him. Lord, if ever I needed you, I need you now. What am I to do with this young one? I have no idea how near the closest city is or in what direction. I have never even had a child of my own.
The baby snored on his shoulder, at peace in the comfort of his loving embrace.
Lazarus picked up the empty basket with his free hand and walked up the white beach. There was an opening in the rock wall beyond the boulders and caves. Through it he saw the desert. I return to where I began. Jerusalem and other cities are to the northwest. That is the way I will go. Lord, lead me to a way to save this child. I would give my life for this baby. I would spend the rest of my life in chains.
13
The desert, Lazarus knew too well, was an uncaring place. He had walked for hours after leaving the sea’s edge and had seen no sign of human life. He had seen the decayed bones of a dead man being covered by the sand of a dune, but that was as close as he had come.
Why Lord? Please lead me.
Pain burned through his legs and up his back as Lazarus faltered, his body almost crashing down to the hot sand below. The baby in his arms was all that kept him upright.
I will get this child help. No matter the cost to me, this child will live.
The sun baked his exposed flesh as he held the baby tight. He had removed his own head wrappings and used them to better cover the child. At times the baby boy had awoken and cried, but Lazarus was able to soothe it quickly by swaying and bracing it tight in his arms. His greatest fear was that he would not discover a city and it would starve. Hours passed as the bright sun beat down on his head.
At times he saw a great city on the horizon, swaying in the heat, only to watch it disappear as he approached. The sun’s heat played games with him.
Lazarus braced the baby close and kissed its sleeping forehead.
I have come so far. Help me, Lord. Help me to survive.
As the sun set on the horizon, Lazarus felt all strength leave him and he kneeled in the cooling sands. Desert surrounded him for an infinite distance in all directions, it seemed, as he held the baby close to him and lay down in the desert, finally giving in to the exhaustion that consumed his body and mind.
חַי
“Lazarus… Lazarus… do not die, Lazarus.” There was a voice at the edge of his consciousness calling him back to the world.
חַי
As he opened his eyes sunlight burned into them. He could smell the hot sand and feel the baby’s body pulled close, still shaded from the sun. “I… I…” Lazarus tried to move, to stand, but his body would not answer him. It was as if the sun had decided he would not go on.
“Waaa! Waaa!” the baby awoke and began to cry a dry, rasped cry.
If only I can save this child… that is all I ask… I don’t want to die.
Time passed and as sweat seeped from his pores he began to feel as if he’d soon have no moisture left to give. He watched a bead of sweat drip from his forehead, sizzling into steam as it hit the sand.
Heat consumed him.
The baby ceased its crying, unable to make noise in its starvation.
Lazarus closed his eyes but continued to fight off the warm darkness swarming around him.
There were noises at the edge of his consciousness.
“Lazarus. Lazarus of Bethany, is it you?”
A warm hand was on his back, trying to roll his body over to look upward. Lazarus used all his strength to hold the baby close as he was rolled over, his eyes facing the sun. A hand went to his wrist.
“He is alive. It must be him,” a second voice spoke.
There was a hand on his forehead as he felt the baby’s weight being lifted away from his chest.
A female voice joined the first two. “A baby? Is it alive?”
“Yes, but barely.” The response came from above him, from whoever held their hand to his forehead. “Take the babe to Sarilia, the midwife. She will need the child now if it is to be saved.” There was a pause and Lazarus felt the hand move from his forehead to his chest. “Lazarus, can you hear me? Awaken. You are not dead.”
He tried to open his eyes, tried to speak, but he could not. His consciousness was somehow beyond his body. He was wrapped in dense, scorching heat.
“Lazarus, awaken. Be with us. You are God’s beloved.”
Suddenly his mind was clear and he was able to open his eyes. Above him, with sunlight silhouetted around his face, was John, Jesus’ disciple. “Are you… Are you a mirage?” Lazarus asked.
“No. We feared you dead, Lazarus. Where have you been?”
His skin was so dry. Is this really John? How could these people have found me? “I fled to the Jordan river…” He choked because of the dryness of his throat as the disciple helped him to sit. “…and from there to the Dead Sea.” Lazarus held hi
s sunburned hand above his eyes to block the sunlight and saw a small caravan stretching into the desert. There were carts pulled by mules and camels carrying packs. Men and women led the animals. He looked to John. He could see love and care in the man’s eyes. “How can you be real? How did you find me?”
“We were passing nearby when we heard the baby’s cries. The baby is with a midwife who travels with us and she will heal the child. We have been searching Jerusalem and Bethany for you since Jesus’ crucifixion. I heard of your confrontation with the guard after Jesus died.” John helped him to stand, bracing him with his arm. Lazarus was comforted by the man’s strength as John supported him, leading him toward the caravan. “Come and sit. You need food, rest and shade. It is obvious your journey has been long. And I have news to share that will warm your heart.”
Lazarus walked with the man to a cart that was shaded by a cloth cover. He stepped up and in and was happy the sunlight was blocked from him. John joined him on the other side.
“Head west,” John instructed a man on a camel who led the caravan. A plume of sand churned up from the animals’ hooves and John took a spare cloth from his own robe for Lazarus to wrap around his face. The disciple placed his warm hands on Lazarus’ own. “Your sisters have missed you dearly. They know you cannot return but have missed having you with them.”
Lazarus rubbed his temples. How did I get here, safe with these people? I could feel the life leaving me and now I feel rejuvenated.
“Here, drink this.” John took a jug from the side of the cart and handed it to him.
As Lazarus brought it to his mouth he could smell the crisp water inside. The liquid was moist and warm and he drank it fully. “You say you have news,” he said while handing the jug back. “I miss my sisters dearly, but somehow I sense you meant something else.”
John gave a wide smile. “Jesus of Nazareth has risen from his tomb. He appeared before us, his disciples, and commanded us to go into all the world and preach the gospel to all people. He told us to preach that ‘He who believeth and is baptized shall be saved.’”
Lazarus felt lightness in his spirit. Jesus has been resurrected? Of course… there could be no other way. I am not alone. He never left me. He is by my side. “What wonderful news! Where is he now?”
John looked into his eyes. “I do not know. After meeting with us he said he would be here with us for forty days before ascending to be with God the father. Only Jesus knows what he must do here on earth, but his spirit is always with us and he wants the world to know that he died so we can be forgiven for our sins. He bled and suffered so we can be with him in heaven.”
“What did he look like?”
“Like himself, like a man who cares more than all other men.”
They spoke for hours as the caravan traveled across the desert, and Lazarus learned more about Jesus’ teachings than he had ever known. They spoke of John’s travels with Jesus and of Jesus’ love of the world. John said his caravan was headed to the city, Antioch, and its port, Seleucia, where he would sail onward to the island of Cyprus to preach the word of the Lord and the news of Jesus’ resurrection. As the sun began to set they neared a river running through the land. The sand of the desert had changed to more solid ground and trees and grass lined the riverbank.
“We will rest here for the night. Set up the tents,” John told the man leading the cart before them as the carts slowed their pace. “Tomorrow we will look for a way to pass.”
When the cart stopped they both stepped out and Lazarus turned to him. “Which cart is the baby in? I wish to see the boy. I prayed and prayed that he would survive.”
“He is with the midwife in the cart with the purple drapes over there.” John pointed to a cart a few carts behind them. “Once you have visited the child, meet me by the riverbank. I wish to speak with you there.”
Why? Lazarus wondered as he walked to the cart with the purple drapes. “M’lady? It is I, Lazarus of Bethany, the man who was with the baby in the desert. May I see the child? How does he fare?”
“Yes, please. I am clothed.” A caring feminine voice came from inside. The purple drapes parted and a woman who couldn’t have been older than thirty smiled at him. In her arms were two babies, the boy he had saved from the sea and another baby he assumed was her own. “Do not fear, the baby is well. Once he was fed he was full of life. Where is his mother?”
“I do not know. I found him floating in a basket on the Dead Sea.”
“He is blessed to have found you and that you cared to tend to him.”
Lazarus couldn’t help but realize she had a beautiful smile. “I am blessed to have found him as well. This child filled me with life when much of my life seemed lost from me. I have never had a baby of my own but I felt a closeness to him as soon as he was in my arms.”
The woman smiled. “He will need a father. He will need love. Perhaps you can be that for him.”
Lazarus watched the beautiful baby in her arms, snuggled up against her as he slept peacefully. I could enjoy the life of a father. I could enjoy having a family of my own. “This baby will have all the love he desires from me,” he told her while reaching out and touching the child’s face. “Thank you for all you do for him. It means more than I can express.” They were both silent for a moment. “I must meet John down by the river now, but could I visit the baby when I am through?”
“I would be glad to have you. I’m sure the baby will appreciate it as well.”
She has such a beautiful smile. How amazing it is that John had a midwife in his caravan! God provides. When it seems like there is no hope the Lord always shows the way. If I have learned something in these recent days, it is that. He brings me the solutions when I have none.
Lazarus walked through the group as they erected tents near their carts and led their animals to the river for water. John waited patiently at the water’s edge. Pink hues danced along the river’s currents. “I have come!” he called to John. “The baby is well! It is so beautiful here! What is it you wish to share with me?”
John held cupped hands before him, over the flowing river. “Water is amazing. It gives us life, gives life to everything even in the dry world of the desert.” He let the water in his hands flow out of the bottom of them, catching the setting sunlight as the liquid fled to the river below. “But it can be so much more. It is a symbol of hope, of God’s love. You’ve been baptized before, haven’t you?”
“I was baptized a few years ago when a prophet first brought me and my sisters word that Jesus is the Messiah.”
“I thought so, but I’ve thought a lot about you since Jesus resurrected you from the grave. What must you be thinking? It must have been hard to have entered the realm after life and then be brought back to the living once more.”
“I have felt lost at times, and confused,” Lazarus admitted to John. “Jesus said he had a purpose for me and I found hope and purpose in that, but then when he allowed himself to be crucified I felt betrayed and alone.”
John placed his hand on Lazarus’ shoulder. “Jesus loves you. I know that with all my heart. He loves you like he loves all of his flock, his children. If he had not had great love, respect and faith in you then he would not have chosen you to be resurrected.”
“I am not so great. Why would he choose me?”
“All of us are sinners. We are not perfect, but he sees past that. God sees past that. We are human, but when we try hard to change ourselves and live in good ways we can mean more to the world and to those around us. It is the everyday man or woman who is chosen to walk with God. If we hear that calling and try we are great even when we do not see ourselves in that way.”
“What does that have to do with my baptism?”
“You have been reborn, you should be re-baptized. I will do that for you if you wish. Use it to let God’s love fill you and help you to better walk his path. Use it as a sign from God that he is with you in your rebirth, sometimes walking beside you and in harder times carrying you.”
/> John held out his hand. “Do you believe that Jesus is the son? Do you believe that God is the father and accept him as your Lord?”
“Yes, now more than I have ever believed before.”
“Do you wish forgiveness for your sins, something Jesus has given us through his death and suffering on the cross?”
“Yes, although I feel I am unworthy.”
“You are worthy, my friend. All people are worthy in the eyes of the Lord. Come with me, Lazarus of Bethany. Follow me into the river and come to my arms so that I may baptize you.”
John waded out into the gentle river and Lazarus followed him. The river’s current flowed around their forms. As Lazarus neared John, John came to him and held a hand to his back. Lazarus was silent as he awaited his baptism. Please be with me, Lord. Please help me to embrace this gift.
“May the Lord’s love flow into you and may he work through you for all your days,” John said before leaning Lazarus back and dunking him into the river.
Lazarus could feel the water move around him as he was baptized and hear the thump as he was dunked underwater. He felt immersed in God’s love and held close in the Lord’s embrace as John lifted him back out of the river. The setting sun was radiant in the distance. Thank you, Lord, for loving me and for leading me to John. I am but a common man, but I will use my heart to bring good to the world in your name. “Thank you for bathing me in God’s love,” he told John as he found his footing on the riverbed.
“You do not need to thank me, my brother. The Lord’s love is freely given and personally received. I am honored to participate in God’s gift with you.”
Lazarus took John’s hand firmly and then clasped it with his other hand as well. “Thank you anyways. Your care and love for me as a fellow man means a lot and has lifted me in the short time since we met.”
The two talked for a good while beside the river about God’s love and what it meant to them. They spoke with awe about Jesus’ resurrection and of Lazarus’ own returning from the tomb. And as the last of the sun’s light spread a dark red hue across the sky, Lazarus promised John he would accompany him across the Mediterranean Sea, to the island of Cyprus, to spread the good news of God’s love.