But after having his feet washed and being refreshed with water, James was eager to get to the matter at hand. And he was clearly exercised. “Tell me anything you may know of John the baptizer,” James said.
“Just what’s going around, brother. Most see him as a lunatic but admire his boldness in openly challenging the king. I don’t know what people think about his claims to be preparing the way for the long-awaited Messiah.”
“Well, that’s why I’m here.”
“So your message said.”
From his bag James produced scrolls. “You brought Scriptures?” Levi said. “This is not like you.”
“I know, but I do not want to rely only on my memory.”
“Which is as good as mine was, if our father and mother could be believed.”
“It is a strength of mine, Levi. But here, allow me to show you this.”
Levi led him to a table where he could unroll the documents, and he quickly found his place. He rested his finger on it, then looked at his brother. “I was assigned to go hear the man and report back to the elders.”
“Did you meet him?”
James shook his head. “But at one point I was close enough that I could have touched him.”
“Really? He mingled with the crowds while his life was in such danger?”
“Levi, he was fearless! And I know what he says sounds extreme, but never have I met a man with such passion. I came away knowing, knowing, that if nothing else, he thoroughly believed everything he was saying.”
“And what was he saying, besides calling the Pharisees vipers and the king immoral?”
Levi had never seen James so excited. He was by nature calm and thoughtful, befitting his station. But now he looked at his older brother with fire in his eyes. “What the baptizer said was that people should repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Levi nearly laughed but caught himself. “Sit, brother. Tell me what you think the man meant by that.”
“I will sit, but first let me show you this.” He pointed to the ancient passage. “Is it possible that this John is the one referred to by the prophet Isaiah?”
Levi looked over James’s shoulder and read, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’”
“Oh, I don’t know, James. You know I haven’t studied this for more than two decades. You think this man is the fulfillment of some prophecy? You haven’t said that about any of the other magicians or sorcerers who make claims of divinity.”
They sat, James seemingly unable to relax. “But he makes no such claims! He spoke of one who is to come after him who he said was ‘mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.’ He said this Man will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. But here was this impassioned man, dressed in camel hair and wearing a leather belt, baptizing people from all over the region who came to him confessing their sins.”
“He holds some sway over them,” Levi said. “Where were all these people coming from?”
“Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan. And when he noticed Pharisees and Sadducees in the crowd, he asked them, ‘Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?’”
“Again, James, what was he saying and who was he talking about?”
“That’s the reason I’m here, Levi.”
“I know! You wouldn’t come all this way to tease me with riddles, would you? Surely this is leading somewhere.”
“John said he baptized with water unto repentance, but that the One who is to come after him ‘will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.’”
Levi did not want to offend his brother, but he could not hide his amusement. “Well, I guess we’ll just have to see who comes after John and whether he can keep from the baptizer’s own fate.”
“He has already come, Levi, and he may be the Messiah.”
Levi was stunned to silence. Finally he managed, “You’re serious?” “Witnesses say that not long before John was arrested and imprisoned, a Man of about thirty came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by him. They say John at first tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’
“This Man answered that John should permit it because it was fitting for them to fulfill all righteousness. People say that when John baptized this Man, He came up immediately from the water and the heavens were opened and a dove alighted upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from the clouds, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”
“And you believe this?”
“I am fascinated by it.”
“Who wouldn’t be? Where is this Messiah now?”
“No one has seen Him for more than a month. But, Levi, listen. You always told me how and why our brother was killed. If the Messiah was born around that time, could this Man be Him?”
“Anything is possible. But why has He disappeared? If He is who you think He could be, does He not have a lot to accomplish?”
James stood and paced. “Should I be offended at your tone? I can tell you are merely humoring me.”
“I mean you no offense, brother. But you come to me with this wild tale about the kingdom of God being at hand and perhaps the Messiah arriving. What am I supposed to think?”
“That it could be true.”
“As I say, anything is possible, but it could also not be true.”
“Let me show you one more passage.” James moved to the scroll, and Levi sighed as he rose to follow. “Look here.”
He found a text that read: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles . . .”
James kept his finger there and looked up at Levi. “Would you not agree that describes Capernaum?”
“Yes, but—”
“Listen. ‘The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.’”
Levi cupped his brother’s face in his hands. “So when this mystery Man reappears, you think he’s coming here.”
“I do.”
“I will let you know.”
“That is all I ask.”
“No, it isn’t. You require more of me. You ask that I remain open to His actually being the Messiah.”
“What I’m asking, Levi, is that you allow in your mind the possibility that there may be some validity to this, especially if this Man does come to the ‘land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.’”
Levi smiled and clapped his brother on the back, surprised to feel that he was leaner, bonier than he recalled.
“Are you losing weight?”
“Brother, I am asking you a serious question! If this Man appears near here, you will know of it. Will you send word immediately?”
“How will I know of it? What does He look like? Who am I looking for?”
“If He is the Messiah, He will preach, He will draw more people to Himself than this John has.”
“And won’t He overthrow the government? I remember that much from my childhood studies.”
“I know you are taking this lightly, Levi. I am not. If Messiah should come in our lifetimes, imagine it! I would not want to miss any of it.”
“You know as well as I that I am in no position to be welcoming the Messiah.”
“Your decision is final, then? You turned your back on our God once and forever?”
Levi felt as if he had been struck speechless. Not long ago he would have answered with venom, insisting that this was exactly the case. God had failed him, disappointed him, proved Himself weak or incompetent or capricious at best. But his recent battles with sleeplessness and restlessness and disappointment in his own life had given him pause. His problem, he now kne
w, was that despite his deep feelings of anger and resentment and even abandonment, he missed God.
He finally found his voice and whispered, “I suppose if God chose this time to send Messiah, He might rekindle my attention.”
Levi was embarrassed by his own admission and realized that he had tempered his own self-assured image in the eyes of his younger brother. “Come,” he said more brightly. “Let’s walk my vineyard. And you need to tell me why you are growing thinner.”
James rerolled the scrolls, then followed Levi out. “It is nothing,” he said. “I confess both my appetite and my sleep have been affected by my recent assignment. It falls to me to investigate this Man for the Sanhedrin and to watch for any evidence proving He could not be the Messiah.”
Levi stopped and pressed a grape between his thumb and forefinger, then plucked it and popped it into his mouth. “I should think they would want evidence that He is Messiah.”
“Oh, I think they would like nothing more. But rumor has it that the man baptized by John in the Jordan is a carpenter from Nazareth.”
Levi threw back his head and laughed. “Nazareth! Well, that simply wouldn’t do, would it?”
“That’s not the worst of it. Some have said he may be related to John and that this whole thing may simply be something they have devised as a scheme.”
“To what end?”
James shook his head. “I cannot make sense of it. I don’t see how they profit from this, unless they begin raising money for some cause. The people were enamored of John. What might they think of this other Man?”
“And how do those who suspect a plot explain the voice from heaven?”
“I don’t know,” James muttered. “Maybe they are in on it.”
“Let me ask you this,” Levi said. “What about your new task costs you sleep and your appetite?”
James sighed. “I suppose because I so badly want it to be true. I have looked forward to the coming of Messiah since I was old enough to understand the prophecies. To think that He may come in my lifetime . . .”
“Come, brother. You realize how unlikely this all is.”
“Yes. Sadly, I do.”
“If I were you, I would eat more and try to get some sleep.”
As they walked back toward the house, James said, “You know, Levi, one of the reasons this is so important to me is the impact it would have on you.”
“On me?”
“Tell me you wouldn’t have to reconsider your entire attitude toward God if He sent Messiah to Galilee.”
Levi laughed again. “You have always been such a dreamer.”
“How would you know?”
PART TWO
LEVI’S CALL
THIRTEEN
When James departed Capernaum for Jerusalem, Levi realized for the first time how abjectly empty he felt. He was overwhelmed with a desolation that seemed to eat at him, and he missed his brother immediately, for more reasons than his own loneliness. This visit had brought memories of his parents flooding back. Though James was not a man who worked with his hands, and he did not have that big, broad frame of their father, still he bore a distinct resemblance to the man, especially in his jaw and chin.
And in James’s manner and tone, his loving spirit, Levi recognized his mother.
Whatever his problems with God were, had he had to be so cruel to Alphaeus and Mary? His intent was to make plain his bitterness and to flee from the plans they had for him. And while he had never been overtly hostile, his mere absence and silence—he knew—spoke loudly. As he walked to the office the morning following his brother’s visit he realized that he loved James and was still stung by his brother’s retort, asking how he could have known whether the man was a dreamer.
The implication, of course, was that he had hardly known James as a lad. And it was true. Levi had protected his heart from another tragic disappointment and by the time James was old enough to truly engage as a brother, Levi had left home. Over the years, while they had cordially visited occasionally, they were more acquaintances—not even friends—than brothers.
LEVI HAD WALKED PAST the local synagogue hundreds, yea thousands, of times on his way to work over the years. Never before had it given him pause. He had never so much as hesitated in its shadow, let alone been tempted to enter for any other reason than business—and his business there was infrequent. The leaders cared even less for him than he did for them.
Yet this morning, not two weeks since his brother had visited, Levi’s gait seemed to slow involuntarily. Was it time to slip inside and acknowledge God? He had not prayed since leaving home. And if he prayed, what would he say? Could he say he was sorry, that he had been mistaken? He still didn’t feel that. Yes, the ancient manuscripts made clear that no man should question the mind of God. No one who had not hung the stars or created the earth should dare question the great God and Father of the faith.
So, what was the point? Would there be any value in just standing in the house of God as a form of communicating that perhaps—just perhaps—Levi was open to being persuaded that God had some purpose behind what He had allowed some thirty years before?
Levi stopped, but he could not force himself to take a step toward the entrance. What would people think? What would they say? He had never cared before, but a reputation, especially in his profession, was precious. Why did that still matter? Was he not coming to the conclusion that for all he had accomplished and achieved, his life was empty and meaningless?
A heartbeat from creeping into the synagogue, Levi froze at the sound of voices from within. And then the young students came running. Some skidded to a stop before him and one shouted, “Publican! Sinner! Traitor!”
This was nothing he hadn’t heard countless times before—usually from adults—but always in the past he had grinned or smirked or scowled or snarled. Let them think and say what they wanted was his attitude, as long as they knew who he was and that he would not allow them to pay a shekel less than what he decreed.
But now he was unable to make a face, let alone form any response. Yes, he thought. You have described me most accurately if not well.
The hazzan quickly followed the boys out, scolding them and telling them to mind their own business. But even he shot Levi a glance, glaring and furrowing his brow as if he had found donkey dung in the middle of the road.
It was less than a quarter of a mile from the synagogue to the tax office, but Levi found it surprisingly long and slow. Whatever had been working on his mind the last few months, it had succeeded in taking all his motivation from living. What was his purpose? What was the point? He had become what everyone accused him of: a heartless, mean-spirited man.
He arrived at his office surprised to see Efah waiting for him. “I thought you were supervising at the harbor. Do we not expect cargo ships this morning?”
“It is all in hand,” Efah said. “Let me worry about my staff, if you would.”
“Don’t forget that your staff is only my staff that I have assigned to you.”
“Then allow me to do my job.”
“That’s my question, Efah. How can you do your job here when there is cargo to tax at the harbor?”
“My people will handle it, and if we are short, you may take it up with me. I am wondering where we stand with the fishermen at this point.”
“That’s why you stand idle here? To question me, the owner, your boss?”
“You are evading the question, Levi. It has now been two months since we gave them the break.”
“So now you wish for me to go and demand payment?”
“When was the last time you checked on them?”
“I told you about that. I saw the new and mended nets, the repaired boats. And Simon himself reported bigger catches already.”
“He reported. Did you do any counting?”
“Efah, really! Do you really intend to insult me? I hold your fate in my hands.”
“You have less sway over my fate than you may think. I am asking only the questions
Rome will ask. If I am to inherit this territory, I want it in the healthiest state possible.”
“That is four years from now! Are you not getting ahead of yourself?”
Efah shook his head. “You answer questions with questions! Do you need me to accompany you to the shore?”
“I had not forgotten, if that is your concern. Would you feel better about being at the harbor if you were aware that I was at the fishermen’s shore?”
“I would.”
“Then set your mind at ease, please, Efah, by all means. For I am on my way.”
Maddeningly, Efah continued to wait as if making sure Levi actually headed out to the seashore, making Levi delay and find things to do. It made him feel childish, and when Efah finally asked, “Are you going?” Levi had had enough.
“Honestly, Efah! I am not your employee! You are mine! Now, get yourself to your appointed station or I shall replace you.”
Efah reddened and began slamming things around, yanking on his cloak and muttering. Finally he said, “It is not I whose hold on this region is tenuous. You are the one who ought to be worried about his future.”
“That may be, but for now, you remain subordinate to me.”
“We’ll see for how long.”
“Yes, we will. Perhaps not beyond today if you cannot find it within yourself to do as you are instructed.”
Levi allowed Efah a half mile or so head start so he would not have to deal with him along the way. When finally he reached the fishing boats and began watching for the brothers, Levi quickly became aware of the stares and glares that always greeted the tax collector. He was puzzled at this today, however, because it had seemed the fishermen had been easier on him since he had offered the temporary tax break. Had something changed, or with the end of the reprieve was everything back to normal?