Bible KidVentures New Testament Stories by Focus on the Family

Author:Focus on the Family
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: JUVENILE FICTION / Religious / Christian, FICTION / Christian / General
ISBN: 9781624053771
Publisher: Focus on the Family
Published: 2014-04-01T04:00:00+00:00

“Drove them all out,” said old Hatshup, grinning and bobbing his grizzled head. “Sent them packing, he did! Every last one of them. They say you could hear those money changers howling and whining all the way across the Hinnom Valley!”

Livy looked up from the flat, round loaf of bread she’d been halfheartedly nibbling. Somehow she didn’t seem to have much appetite this morning. She’d missed the perfect chance to escape—all because of Quintus and his fear of dogs! She chewed the dry bread and swallowed hard.

“He’s an amazing man, this Jesus of Nazareth,” Hatshup was observing. “I don’t care what the priests say about him.”

From her place in the corner near the charcoal brazier, Livy stared across the smoky kitchen at the gray-haired Egyptian gardener. He was squatting on the stone floor beside the big clay oven, slurping hot broth from a wooden spoon. Slowly she realized what the old man was talking about. The scene in the temple. The man with the whip of thongs—the one Procula said she’d seen in her dream. Livy listened with greater interest.

“He’s a good deal more than amazing if you ask me!” said Cook, turning from the big kettle and shaking her ladle at the old man. Her sleeves were rolled up for work, and her flabby upper arms jiggled as she gave her head a vigorous nod. “Some think he might be the Messiah!”

Livy laid her bread aside. “What’s the Messiah?” she asked.

No one responded. Instead, bald Melanus put down his bowl, wiped his chin, and rose from the table. “Some?” he scoffed. “Like the rabble that followed him into the city on Sunday, for instance? Ignorant peasants! Waving their palm branches and singing songs about the ‘Son of David.’ Honestly!” He gave Cook a condescending smile. “My dear woman, do we really need any more messiahs? What’s the count so far this year?”

“Well, there’s the one who caused all that trouble up in Galilee last fall,” volunteered Hatshup. “Leader of the zealots. What do they call him?”

“Bar Abbas,” said Cook with a snort. “Fine messiah he’d make!”

“What are zealots?” asked Livy.

“Freedom fighters,” said Hatshup. Tipping up his bowl, he gulped down the last of his broth. “The kind who’d like to see Master Pilate and the rest of the Romans on the end of a skewer!” He smiled and nodded, then rose shakily to his feet and handed his bowl to Cook for a second helping.

Freedom fighters! thought Livy. She pulled the piece of parchment from her belt and made herself a note:

Bar Abbas. Freedom fighters. Find out more.

Looking up, she noticed Quintus, who sat beside her munching his own loaf of bread. He watched her intently with narrowed eyes. “What are you writing?” he asked.

Livy made a face at him and said nothing.

“Yes, indeed!” laughed Melanus as he started toward the door. “I’d say old Bar Abbas has more muscle in his arm than this fellow from Nazareth. Perhaps he’s your messiah after all!”

Cook stopped stirring. Dropping the ladle

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