#c: nazareth.

[kstarlitchaotics]

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It's even funnier cause the lion was there 🤣

[ba1duran]

live footage of me thinking about the fact that nazareth, distant and vague and otherwise emotionless nazareth who doesn’t seem interested in forming any kind of relationship with anyone, still wears the ring he was going to give malos, his partner before he became a paladin of denvyr, around his neck — and the way that he never takes it off and holds it when he goes into his trance at night, and

[milubrique]

alright all at once from the last three ask games you've posted:

Sun, Sagittarius, 3H

Spring Green, Wisteria and Glossy Grape

Tamarind, Mud, Ballet, red sour patch kid?

ahh hopefully this is okie :> and hopefully you're having a good day ^^

thanks for the ask!

sun ⇢ name 5 things you like about yourself?

5 IS WAY TOO MUCH. 1. i can be nice sometimes? i DON'T KNOW i don't enjoy these questions :') sorry

sagittarius ⇢ what places would you like to travel in the future?

italy, japan, kazakhstan, and any desert where i can scream as loud as i want

3H ⇢ what are some of the topics you like to talk about the most?

video games i play, and generally just stuff i've learned recently or like random or fun facts lol

Glossy Grape: Recommend something to your followers.

answered spring green and wisteria in my last post :) and thanks for the rest glshdjk

[enigma-the-mysterious]

@smhalltheurlsaretaken

do you guys think jesus, the son of a carpenter, smelt the wood of the cross & temporarily thought of home

[friendswithclay]

Nazareth, Palestine c.1891

[jcplana]

George C. de Lantenac - Refutación de la divinidad.

Se obvia que la divinidad usa intermediarios, libros, imágenes, para darse a conocer. Se obvia que la divinidad no es, así, inmediatamente percibida: sin ser educados, no sabríamos de ella. Como la belleza, es un concepto mediado. Y, como la belleza, en el medio se produce la divinidad. Pura contingencia, pues.  George C. de Lantenac, Ensayo sobre la Muerte de Jesús…

[vampirecorleone]

Horrorween Day 25 / 31: Needful Things (1993) dir. Fraser C. Heston "The young carpenter from Nazareth? I know him well. Promising young man. He died badly."

[notetaeker]

Everyday life in Palestine before 1948📸 Getty

a woman wearing traditional Palestinian clothing, 1925

men in Jericho sharing a meal, 1920

monk sweeping floor in Church of Nativity, Bethlehem, 1898

Jews gathering at the Wailing Wall, 1895

Romani women, Palestine, 1893

Jerusalem, 1903

Sikhs helping protect Jewish quarter in Jerusalem, c. 1900

Woman from Nazareth, 1870

Man in Dead Sea, 1920

A peace dinner with Arabs and Jews of Palestine, 1926

[whencyclopedia]

Sermon on the Mount

The Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew (chapters 5, 6, and 7) became a foundational element of the religion of Christianity. The sermon is based on the traditions of Judaism and the Law of Moses, but with added interpretations of the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Matthew placed it at the beginning of Jesus' ministry, and its themes continued throughout the gospel.

Sermon on the Mount

Carl Bloch (Public Domain)

Background & Setting for Matthew

Like the other gospels, there are no internal dates in Matthew. The 2nd-century Church Fathers placed Matthew as the first gospel in the New Testament, but we know that Mark was the earliest, c. 70 CE or beyond. Matthew (c. 85 CE) and Luke (c. 95 CE) contained almost verbatim stories from Mark, so the consensus is that they had a written copy of Mark. The sermon is not in the Gospel of Mark. Scholars have concluded that Matthew and Luke had additional sources for Jesus beyond Mark, known as the "Q" source. It has not survived independently but was named "Q" for the German Quelle ("source") because German Bible scholars were the first to categorize these additional teachings. Luke had a similar version, in his Sermon on the Plain.

The provenance for Matthew is understood to be Galilee. This is derived from several factors, one of which is that the gospel ends with the resurrected Jesus telling the disciples to go to Galilee and meet him there. He then appeared and commissioned them "to make disciples of all nations", the Gentiles (Matthew 28:19).

When the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple complex in 70 CE, some Jews, which may have included some Pharisees, survived by escaping the city and establishing formalized schools for the study of their scriptures now that the sacrifices in the Temple cult were no longer possible. Some of these schools were located in Galilee and centered in the synagogues. This became the beginning of what is known as Rabbinic Judaism over the next centuries.

Throughout Matthew's gospel, the vitriol against the Jews increased. His Jesus consistently taught against doing things the way the Jews do it in their synagogues. We have an image that Christians may have literally moved out of the synagogues and established their own version, which became the early churches.

Christians claimed that Jesus was the messiah predicted by the prophets in the final days. God would then establish his kingdom on earth. But as the decades passed, the kingdom was not manifest. Early Christianity rationalized this with the concept of parousia, or second appearance. Resurrected and exalted to heaven, at a future time, Jesus would return and fulfill everything the prophets had predicted. The overall purpose of the sermon was twofold:

to state that Christians have the correct understanding of the Laws of Moses as opposed to the Jews

to teach believers how to live in the interim while awaiting the return of Jesus.

Continue reading...

[talonabraxas]

THE 7-RUNGED LADDER OF THE MYSTERIES

A symbol of progressive advancement from a lower to a higher sphere, which is common to Freemasonry and to many, if not all, of the Ancient Mysteries. In each, generally, as in Freemasonry, the number of steps was seven.

LADDER, BRAHMANICAL

The symbolic ladder used in the Mysteries of Brahma has seven steps, symbolic of the seven worlds of the Indian universe. The lowest is the Earth; the second, the World of Coexistence; the third, Heaven; the fourth, the Middle World, or intermediate region between the lower and the upper worlds; the fifth, the World of Births, in which souls are born again; the sixth, the Mansion of the Blessed; and the seventh, or topmost round, the Sphere of Truth, the abode of Brahma, who is himself a symbol of the sun.

LADDER, QABALISTIC

The ladder of the Qabalists consists of the ten Sephirot, or Emanations, of Deity. The steps are in an ascending series: Kingdom, Foundation, Splendor, Firmness, Beauty, Justice, Mercy, Intelligence, Wisdom, and the Crown. This ladder forms the exception to the usual number of seven steps or rounds;

LADDER, MITHRAITIC

In the Persian Mysteries of Mithras, there is a ladder of seven rounds, the passage through them being symbolical of the soul's approach to perfection. These rounds are called gates, and in allusion to them, the candidate is made to pass through seven dark and winding caverns, which process is called the ascent of the ladder of perfection. Each of these caverns is representative of a world, or a state of existence, through which the soul must pass in its progress from the first world to the last, the World of Truth. The seven steps are further symbolized by the seven planets and the seven metals. Thus, beginning at the bottom, we have Saturn represented by lead, Venus by copper, Jupiter by tin, Mercury by qiucksilver, Mars by iron, the Moon by silver, and the Sun by gold; the whole being a symbol of the sidereal progress of the sun through the universe.

LADDER OF IZADOSH

This ladder, belonging to the advanced Degrees of Freemasonry, consists of the seven following steps, beginning at the bottom: Justice, Equity, Kindliness, Good Faith, Labor, Patience, and Intelligence or Wisdom. Its supports are love of God and love of our neighbor, and their totality constitute a symbolism of the devoir or duty of Knighthood and Freemasonry, the fulfillment of which is necessary to make a Perfect Knight and Perfect Freemason.

LADDER, ROSICRUCIAN

Among the symbols of the Rosicrucians is a ladder of seven steps standing on a globe of the earth, with an open Bible, Square and Compass resting on top. Between each of the steps is one of the following letters, beginning from the bottom: I. N. R. I. F. S. C., being the initials of Iesus, Nazarenus, Rex, Iudaeorum, Fides, Spes, Caritas. These words suggesting Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, Faith, Hope, Charity. But a more recondite or hidden meaning is sometimes given to the first four letters (INRI - All of Nature is Renewed by Fire).

LADDER, SCANDINAVIAN

Doctor Oliver refers the symbolic ladder used in the Gothic Mysteries to the Yggrasil, or sacred ashtree. It retains the idea of an ascent from a lower to a higher sphere, which was common to all the mystical ladder systems. At its root lies the dragon of death; at its top are the eagle and hawk, the symbols of life.

LADDER, THEOLOGICAL

The symbolic ladder of the Masonic Mysteries refers to the ladder seen by Jacob in his vision, and consists, like all symbolical ladders, of seven rounds, alluding to the four cardinal and the three theological virtues: Temperance, Fortitude, Prudence, Justice, Faith, Hope, and Charity

LADDER, JACOB'S

While sleeping one night on the bare earth and a stone for his pillow, Jacob beheld the vision of a ladder, whose foot rested on the earth and whose top reached to heaven. Angels were continually ascending and descending upon it, and promised him the blessing of a numerous and happy posterity. This ladder, so remarkable in the history of the Jewish people, finds its analogue in all the ancient initiations. It is certain that the ladder as a symbol of moral and intellectual progress existed almost universally in antiquity, presenting itself either as a succession of steps, of gates, of Degrees, or in some other modified form. The number of the steps varied; although the favorite one appears to have been seven, in reference, apparently, to the mystical character almost everywhere given to that number. - An Encyclopedia of Freemasonary and its Kindred Sciences by Albert C. Mackey MD

[elperegrinodedios]

Il film capolavoro del '73 messo in opera a teatro con musica rock inimitabile, per quanto copiata. Persino i Deep Purple suonarono l'overture. Una opera davvero colossale ancor oggi, che cambiò la vita a tanti compresa quella degli attori stessi.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Non a caso i registi che hanno trattato e messo in opera tale evento rispondono ai nomi famosi di P. P. Pasolini con il Vangelo secondo Matteo, di F. Zeffirelli con Gesù di Nazareth e poi ancora Mel Gibson con lo straordinario film la Passione.

"J. C. Superstar fu diretto da Norman Jewison".

lan ✍️

[kstarlitchaotics]

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Lewis: I have Lion Jesus 🤣🤣🤣

[ba1duran]

it’s the way that i’m pretty sure everyone thinks nazareth is crazy for constantly acting like the prince is alive. like he’s out there, living and breathing — despite the fact that everyone saw him die, despite the fact that he seemed to have been murdered in cold blood in front of everyone’s eyes.

and it’s just. nazareth, who saw the spell used against the prince as clear as day, just like everyone else. who felt cold nothing replace the warmth of one of fate’s chosen. the way that his god approached him in the early hours, and did not reprimand him, did not yank away the gift he had given him, but instead handed him something new, something to protect him. thinking about, with that, how his body had been whisked away, even though it would have been so much easier to leave it — as a lesson, as a challenge, as a declaration of war and disorder. nazareth and his paranoia and his subtle way of overthinking and his frankly terminal arrogance; something strange in the air, something strange about the circumstances, and he can’t do it, he can’t believe that the prince is dead. and he simply won’t believe it until he gets confirmation himself of the fact.

[artandthebible]

Mary Magdalen

Artist: Andrea Solari  (1460–1524)

Genre: Religious Art

Period: Renaissance

Date: c. 1524

Medium: Oil on Panel

Collection: Walters Art Museum

Mary Magdalen Description

Mary Magdalene went to anoint Christ's dead body, only to discover that he was resurrected. She is shown here transferring the ointment from a maiolica pharmacy jar to a smaller vessel.

According to Church, Mary Magdalene was a sinful woman, who upon meeting Christ repented her former ways. She was present at the Crucifixion and later went to anoint Christ's dead body, only to discover that he was resurrected. As in this painting, the Magdalene is often depicted as a great beauty with long golden hair. She is shown here transferring the ointment from a maiolica pharmacy jar to a smaller vessel. The artist has represented the Magdaene in a style influenced by the works of Leonardo da Vinci, particularly in the subtle "sfumato" technique that invisibly blends light and shade and make contours appear soft.

Mark 16:1-7 NLT

Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

Note: The painting has been attributed alternately to Andrea Solario and Bernardino Luini, both artists influenced by the works of Leonardo da Vinci in their definition of form and use of the subtle "sfumato" ("smoky" in Italian) technique that invisibly blends light and shade to make the contours appear soft.

[friendswithclay]

Nazareth, Palestine c.1891

[the-chosen-fanfiction]

Jesus | Such Is The Way Of Life | Platonic

Jesus and His followers stay over at a Roman household, where a teenage girl has made peace with her deathbed. She learns to trust in the Lord in all things, even if it means not being healed.

Requested by Em

Another painful-sounding rumble from your throat when you cough causes your father to shoot up in his seat and rush over to your side to support you. Weakly sitting up in bed, you allow him to pat your back to get rid of the liquid stuck in your lungs to his best ability; you have realised there is no way of actually getting it to completely go away. 

You heave a few creaking breaths when your father gives you a worried look. “Are you feeling better? Are you able to breathe?” You swallow a few times and nod, giving him a reassuring look even though it’s not convincing. He has seen it, too. The hollowness in your cheeks, the way your skin becomes paler and more sallow by the day, a purpleness to your fingertips that doesn’t go away with applying warmth. When your father holds a cup of water to your lips, you take a small sip before rejecting it altogether with a shake of your head. 

“Pater, I can’t, I’m sorry.” You struggle to speak, your brow furrowing in discomfort. “I’m sorry.” 

“Should I say more prayers over you? Look at Apollo—” he points at a statue across from your bed, “Pray to him whilst I light some candles—” 

You once again shake your head. “No— No father, no candles. No more prayers. It makes it even more difficult to breathe, and… Prayers aren’t going to do anything for me anymore, pater.” 

His (e/c) eyes fill with tears as he looks down at you, swallowing hard as he tries to not cry. “How can you say that? I— I can’t lose you, too—” 

“—It didn’t save mater, either.” Realising how insensitive that must have sounded, you sigh and squeeze your eyes shut, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to— I just… I have never sensed comfort from it in the first place. I don’t want spend my time praying to deities who do nothing for me—” 

“You’re delirious,” your father whispers, dabbing at your clammy forehead with a damp rag, “You don’t know what you’re saying, my daughter. Why don’t you rest whilst I go pray, yes?” 

“Pater, it’s—” 

 A knock on the door. Your father sighs and stands a little to call out. “Please, no visitors tonight!” A moment of silence followed by another insistent knock. “Give me a moment.” Father tells you before heading over to the door and unlocking it. 

“Make it quick, because I’ve got a sick child in here!” Your father yanks open the door and is met with a pair of warm brown eyes. 

“Hello,” a kind voice says, “May My followers and I come in?” 

“What?” your father spits, “Who do You think You are?” 

One of the Stranger’s followers leans closer to Him. “What are we doing at a Roman’s house?” 

“Patience, Simon, you will see.” The Stranger turns to your father. “We are looking for a place to stay the night and none of the inns can accommodate all of us. May we stay here?” 

The Roman man huffs. “As if I can keep all of you in here.” 

“Pater?” your voice sounds weakly from the living area, where your bed is currently located since you hardly have the strength to leave it anymore, “Who is there?” 

“Just some Jews,” your father calls back, “Go back to sleep, (Y/n).” 

“Is that your daughter?” the Stranger asks, “She sounds troubled.” 

Suddenly, your father feels a weight against his arm as you practically fall into him, holding onto him for support. He gasps and quickly grabs hold of you, keeping you up. “Why are you out of bed?!” 

“I wanted to see Who it was,” you smile weakly at the Man standing in the doorframe. “Hello. Who are You?” 

The Stranger chuckles. “My name is Jesus of Nazareth.” Both your and your father’s eyes widen, but yours for better reasons than his. 

“I’ve heard of You, You’re a Preacher, yes?” you ask with a curious tone to your voice.

“A Jew Who has been making things difficult for the Empire.” Your father grits his teeth.

“Pater,” you murmur, turning to your father, “May they come in? Please? If only for the distraction.” 

Your father looks at you as his shoulders slump. He knows there are barely no favours left that he can do for you in your current state. It seems that you are fully aware that you’re dying and perhaps he should come to terms with that, too. No matter how much he dislikes the Jews, he can simply not deny you this, not when you’re looking at him with such a hopeful glint in your eye that he hadn’t seen in months.

“Fine,” he mutters, “But only for one night.” 

“Of course,” Jesus says. “As your daughter said, My Name is Jesus of Nazareth and these are My students.” He gestures at the people behind Him, “What may We call you?”

“I’m (Y/n),” you whisper, feeling weaker in the knees now that you’ve been standing for a while. Your father notices this, holding tightly onto you. 

“And I’m Brutus. Alright, let’s get you back into bed.” 

Jesus and His followers walk inside the residence as they start muttering amongst themselves, one topic being that they are staying at a Roman’s house of all places, and that the living area is way bigger than an entire house. Whatever Brutus does for work, it is clear that your family is well-off. 

Under a few worried glances, you are helped back into bed by your father, who sighs and tucks you in. “You seem to have been sick for a while, no? Since you are sleeping in the living room instead of your own bedroom.” Jesus comments, and you give a weak nod. 

“Yes,” you mutter, “I have been. For about a year now. It started with horrible headaches and it progressed overtime into worse symptoms. The priests and physicians have done all they can.” 

The Disciples of Jesus fall into silence at the revelation. “By all means, take a seat and get yourselves comfortable,” you whisper, “You must be exhausted from your travels. Pater, do we still have food left?” 

Your father wants to open his mouth to reply that there is, but Jesus already speaks up and smiles.

“As much as we appreciate the gesture, (Y/n), we brought our own. Dietary laws and all.” 

You smile a bit sheepishly. “Of course, how could I forget?” Shivering involuntarily and in spite of the heat of the fire that your father keeps stoking alive lest you get cold, you let your eyes go through the group. “So, you are all students of this Teacher? What do You teach?” 

Jesus smiles warmly at His Disciples. “Well, what do I teach?” 

“Repentance,” one Disciple with curly hair says, “And forgiveness of sins.” 

“How to live a good life in the eyes of God,” adds another, “About humility and serving others over yourself.”

Humming, Jesus nods. “I can see you two have paid close attention, Little James and Thad. What else?”

“The Kingdom of heaven,” a woman wearing a pale pink head-covering says. 

“Very good, Mary.” 

Your eyes widen a bit at that. “A Kingdom? What kind of Kingdom?” 

Jesus hums and smiles a bit as He takes a seat next to you, taking a sip from the waterskin He has brought Himself. Your father stands a little aimlessly in the room as the students of Jesus begin to gather around you.

“Paradise,” Jesus explains, “How things were supposed to be before sin came into the world. A place where people will see God and worship Him for eternity.” 

You hum and bite your lip, the cogs inside your mind turning. “Seeing God? Which ones?” 

“The one true God, Adonai,” another Disciple who has curly hair tells you, “He goes by many Names, but He is the Creator of all things, the source of all things good in this world.” 

“You only have one God?” you ask in awe, waving off the cup of water your father tries to push into your hands. Your tongue is dry and your lips are chapped, but you don’t feel the urge to hydrate. “How does that work? What if you need something specific?” 

“You can pray to Him about anything,” the woman referred to as Mary explains. “No matter where you are or how many words you use.” 

Your gaze goes to the statue of Apollo on the dresser a little away and you stare at it for a moment. “You don’t need an altar?” As if triggered by your question, your father remembers that he had forgotten to light the candles and walks over to the idol to do so. One of Jesus’ followers, with sleek dark hair and a sleeveless tunic, leans closer to the Messiah, but Jesus shakes His head.

“Not now, Simon. Let it happen.” 

Biting your lip, you watch your father put flames on the wicks and he turns back to Jesus, almost in a challenging way. “The Father can be found anywhere,” Jesus explains. “There is no specific place where His presence is stronger than the other, if you go to Him whilst genuinely seeking Him.” 

“How absurd,” says your father with a scoff. “How can your God be anywhere and everywhere at the same time?” 

“Because He is omnipresent.” 

“If He is omnipresent,” your father accuses, “Why is my daughter so ill? Why would He allow that, huh?” 

Jesus gives him a sympathetic smile. “Because God’s omnipresence does not mean that evil has yet been done away with at the moment. Since God is perfectly just, He can not let sin go unpunished, and since nobody is good enough to get in the right with God at his own merit, there needs to be another way to make things right between Him and mankind.” 

Your father huffs, unconvinced. “Are you calling my daughter an evil person?” 

“Bad things happen to good people,” Mary says, Jesus turning to her with a gentle smile.

“Yes. Good and evil however, mean something else altogether when it comes to God. He is so holy and just that there is no way to make up for evil deeds with good deeds. When one hates with their heart, they have already committed murder in their heart.” 

Brutus crosses his arms. “That doesn’t add up. Thinking something bad doesn’t equal actually killing somebody.” 

“To God, not one sin is worse than the other.” 

“So I can just kill someone?” your father mutters.

“That’s not what I said.” 

Your father steps closer to the edge of your bed. “Then tell me why my daughter is so sick. She doesn’t deserve that, right?! Or has she killed people inside her mind?” There is a mocking undertone to his voice that you don’t like at all, so you put a hand on his arm and give him a warning glance upwards. 

“Pater, please.” 

He glares down at you, but when he sees the look on your face, he softens. Jesus hums in thought as He mulls over the question. “This world,” Jesus says, “Is not the way it was intended to be. Due to their free will, mankind allowed sin to corrupt them by choosing for themselves instead of what God wanted for them. Because of this, everything within creation is submitted to death and decay. Now, however, mercy is still to be found. For someone who genuinely seeks God with his heart, shall find Him, and there can still be forgiveness of sins, for someone who truly believes in the midst of the trials of this broken world.” 

Brutus huffs and narrows his eyes at Jesus. “You tell that as if You’re God Himself or something.” 

Jesus smiles a bit. “Interesting point.” 

Before your father can get another word in, another coughing attack tears itself from your shrivelling lungs, an all-too familiar rattle deep within. As he worriedly turns to tend to you, Simon leans closer to Jesus. 

“Are You going to heal her, Master?”

“Just wait and listen to everything I say, Simon.” There is an edge to Jesus’ voice that does not ease Simon’s sudden anxiety regarding your health.

“But she’s a child.” 

“I know.” 

“But she is suffering.” 

“I know.” 

There is a sad glint in Jesus’ eyes as He looks at your attempt at recovering from the painful coughs rattling your body. You weakly slump back into your pillows and you breathe in deeply, unevenly.

“The Roman deities,” you mutter, “They have done so little for me. I’ve never sensed their presence in my life, no matter how much I prayed. Everything is so based on… Fear. Doing the right rituals and prayers in an attempt to gain their favour. How does that work for your God?” 

The Disciples look at one another. One follower who is wearing a pale orange headband around his forehead clears his throat. “Well, we do have sacrifices and rituals, and we go to synagogue to hear about Adonai from Torah. That is our holy Scripture.” 

“Tor-ah,” you try with a small smile. “That sounds interesting. So you just pray to one God, then?” 

“Yes,” Mary breathes, “No matter where we are, we are able to pray to Him. There is no need for a ritual or altar.” 

“So how do you know if He will hear you? Because He is omnipresent?” 

A few of the followers nod and you hum, pursing your lips as you think for another long moment. Your eyes lose their focus as you stare at the dancing flames on Apollo’s altar.

“What happens after you die?” you then ask, “Where will you go? To the underworld?” 

All followers turn to Jesus, unsure what to say considering the circumstances. Jesus hums and smiles gently. “I have come to save people from their sin,” He whispers, as if revealing to you a secret so great that it cannot be said out loud just yet, “When people believe in My words and have accepted Me inside their hearts, they will be forgiven of their wrongdoings through Me.” 

“Through You?” 

“Yes, through My perfect sacrifice.” 

Brief silence and light confusion. “Your perfect sacrifice?” you ask, “What does that mean?” 

“It will not make sense now, but it will make sense soon.” 

You hum and draw your covers a bit higher over your chin. “And what then? What happens if such a person dies?”

“They will be with Me in paradise. There will be no more suffering, no more trials, no more death.” 

Softly smiling, you sigh. “That sounds wonderful, if I may be honest.” Then, your smile falls. “But that isn’t there for me, right?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I’m not a Jew,” you whisper, “If what You say is true, I have spent my life praying to deities who are false.” 

Jesus hums and gives you a watery smile. “What matters is who you are in Me,” says He. “It does not matter where you’ve come from. Your heart is all I require. You can trust Me with the rest.” 

You close your eyes as you smile a little, feeling exhaustion make your eyes grow heavy. “So… Is there a place for me, too?” 

“I promise,” Jesus says with a waver in His voice as He reaches out to gently touch your forehead. “I promise that one day, you and I will see each other again.” 

Your smile grows fonder, and for a moment, there is colour in your cheeks again. “Pater,” you whisper, “Don’t you think that sounds wonderful?” 

Brutus rushes over to your bedside and takes your hand in his. “Open your eyes, my dear.” 

You shake your head a bit. “I’m so tired, father…” 

He pats your cheek and you huff a small laugh, swatting it away whilst weakly opening your eyes. “Pater… Please. I trust Him. Things will be better. I’m so tired.” 

An ugly sob leaves his lungs as he squeezes your hand. “No—” 

One tear rolls down your cheek as you gaze up at him.

“Thank you for everything, for taking care of me.” Then, you turn to Jesus, “This is why You came here.” 

Jesus let’s a shaky breath leave Him, His eyes glittering with unshed tears. Even though He could heal you right this instant, it is not the will of the Father, and he can sense the agony going through your father already as he holds onto you for dear life. 

“Pater,” you mutter, “Look at me. Please, trust in Him, too. I have never felt this peace in all my life. It must be the Truth! Not Jupiter, not Apollo, not any of our dead deities. He must be the Truth!” Your gaze goes to Jesus. Several of His followers are misty-eyed as well. With a small sob, Jesus smiles at your soft, crooked grin. In your final moments, you look more alive than ever. 

A long exhale goes through the room. Silence follows for what feels like a minute, until it’s broken by a wail coming from your father’s lungs. “No! No— This can’t be!” 

He clings to you, face buried inside your neck as he fists at the blanket. A deep grief has settled in the space, even though the Disciples know nothing of you but your name and ailment. 

“Master,” Simon sniffs, “I don’t— I don’t understand, why didn’t You just heal her?” 

They watch your father mourning over your dead body. A soft smile sits over your lips as you lay there, lifeless, but graceful almost. “Healing her would not have taught her the same thing that My peace has brought her. What matters is that her soul is secure, not a temporary body. This is not her time, not her age.” 

“And her father?” Mary’s voice wavers as she wipes at her tears, “He is in so much pain right now...” 

Jesus hums, a few tears streaming down His own face as well as He sniffles. “Her peace will be his. Right now, things may seem dark and bleak with the end of her Earthly life, but one day, they will see one another again. Once the first grief has blown over, he will find Me in the midst of it all, and he will be comforted.”

At these words, a heavy quietness falls through the room, apart from the sound of your father sobbing over your lifeless form. 

So is the way of all things, you had come to terms with, and soon, your father would come to that conclusion as well, in spite of all the suffering the world forces upon many. A gaping hole is left inside his heart that can only be fulfilled by one, your father will one day learn.