THE STORY OF
REUBEN
“Reuben, I would like to speak with you after class.”
“Yes, Rabbi,” replied Reuben, wondering what that was all about. He couldn’t recall messing up on anything — at least not recently. He had given a report on the teachings of Jeremiah yesterday, maybe he had spoken incorrectly on something. For the rest of the day, his mind continued to wonder why the rabbi would want to meet with him. But finally the school day ended, and Reuben was left alone with Rabbi Adar.
“You wanted to see me, Rabbi?” Reuben asked politely.
“Yes, Reuben, but I assure you it is all good. I just wanted to know what your plans are for the future. You are one of the finest students I have ever taught, and all the other rabbis agree. You are almost through with your studies here. Remember that you will be expected to announce your plans for your future on your 13th birthday. I’m not pressuring you — you still have some time to decide — but I was just wondering if I could answer any questions or help you in any way. Have you given it some thought?”
“Yes, Rabbi. I feel strongly that I would like to continue my studies and become a scribe. I love studying the Jewish Scripture and my heart tells me that I would be happiest doing that full-time. I don’t know whether that will be possible, I mean, I will need to secure a rabbi to teach me, but....”
“Reuben, there will be no problem with you finding a rabbi to teach you. You are an outstanding student. Your study on Jeremiah was very thorough and I must say, I learned more from you than I have taught you.
“Your dad and I talked a few days ago about your Bar Mitzvah (a special party for Jewish boys when they turn 13). That’s just a few months away. Have you chosen the Scripture that you will recite?”
“Yes, Rabbi Adar. I have chosen Psalm 119. Every verse is about King David’s love for the Holy Scriptures, and I want to express that at my Bar Mitzvah.”
“But Reuben, there are 150 verses! You have chosen a very difficult passage to memorize. You could choose something simpler and still fulfill the requirements.”
“But, Rabbi, I’ve already got it memorized. It is so beautiful to me and I’ve been working hard on it.”
“Then, I have no doubt, it will be perfect. I just wanted to speak to you about these two things so that you will be ready for your special day.”
“Thank you, Rabbi Adar. I believe that I will be ready.”
“Have a good night, Reuben. You have made me very proud.”
Reuben and his mother were alarmed that Bartholomew, Reuben’s Abba, had not arrived for dinner. They had finally decided to eat without him. When he arrived, he apologized for being late and quickly joined them.
“I saw the most amazing thing a while ago. I can’t get it out of my mind. I’ve actually been walking around to try to clear my head. I had finished repairing a wagon and decided to come home early when I ran into a rather large crowd down by Mr. Abel’s house. I was just standing there waiting for them to pass when a leper came out of nowhere and bowed down at a man’s feet. The leper didn’t cry, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ but he was terribly deformed by the leprosy. He was obviously in the final stages because there wasn’t much left of him. His nose and lips and ears were all eaten off by the leprosy. His fingers were just bones. It was hideous.
“I jumped back and so did everyone else in the crowd. But he was bowing at the feet of a man named Jesus — at least that’s what someone told me.”
“Abba, I’ve heard about this man! He’s a fake claiming to be the Messiah!” exclaimed Reuben.
“Son, let me tell you what I saw with my own two eyes.”
“Yes, Abba, I’m sorry for interrupting you. I do want to hear what happened.”
“I was shocked that Jesus didn’t move away from him and he didn’t stop him from worshiping him. But I was trapped by the crowd and couldn’t move away — and besides, I wanted to know what would happen.
“A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’
“Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.1
“I was so shocked. Jesus reached out and touched him. And when he spoke, the leprosy just disappeared. This man’s face returned; his hands returned right there before my eyes. He was completely healed. His nose and lips and ears looked perfectly normal. His fingers and hands were just — just normal looking.
“I didn’t know what to do. The crowd was getting bigger, and very excited. I finally broke away from them so that I could think more clearly. I walked down to the beach because I needed some quiet. I’ve never seen anything like this!”
“Bartholomew, was it some kind of trick? Could it have been staged?” asked Mother.
“I don’t see any way that it could have been. My eyes and my heart tell me that I saw something that was from God.”
“Abba, don’t say such things!”
“Son!”
“I’m sorry, I was wrong to speak to you that way.” But Reuben was concerned that his Abba had been deceived, and he loved him and wanted him to be safe.
The last few months before Reuben’s 13th birthday were strange and stressful. His Abba was going to listen to Jesus teach as often as he could slip away from his business. Rabbi Adar was afraid that Reuben was being influenced by his Abba and Jesus’ teachings. So, Reuben was being watched closely at school. All the rabbis were questioning him and demanding that he defend his beliefs. They didn’t want Reuben to start following Jesus when he had such a promising future as a scribe and teacher of the Law.
One evening about a month before the big event, Abba announced at dinner, “I have decided that once you have turned 13 and are settled under your new rabbi, I will sell my shop and follow my new rabbi, Jesus. Mother has decided that she will travel with me, and together we will follow him wherever he leads us.”
Reuben’s heart sank. He felt that he had lost both of his parents to a false religion that would destroy their relationship with God. Nothing could have made him sadder — and yet, his parents didn’t seem sad. If anything, his Abba was happier than he had ever seen him. He was filled with a peace and joy that was real and made him seem more alive than ever.
Reuben was grateful that at least the move would not happen before the Bar Mitzvah. He was looking forward to that special celebration. Everyone from the local synagogue was invited, and all his relatives.
The month passed quickly and Reuben’s birthday and last day of school arrived. When he got home that Thursday, the house was a beehive of activity. Servants had been hired to help set up the courtyard for the party, and the kitchen was filled with all kinds of wonderful treats being prepared. Bread and meat were being cooked outside and everything smelled wonderful. Reuben felt like a king getting ready for his coronation — until Mother asked him to make sure the ceremonial water jars were filled.
Soon after noon on Friday, the guests started to arrive, servants were setting out the food, and the party began. When some of his school friends arrived, Reuben organized a ball game off to one side of the courtyard.
Families from the synagogue arrived and the courtyard was almost filled with the rabbis from his school and their families and Reuben’s relatives from all over Galilee. One aunt and uncle had traveled all the way from Jerusalem to be there. When Jesus arrived with seven other disciples that were close friends of his dad’s, there was a distinct murmur in the crowd. But Jesus was a delightful guest and soon had everyone relaxed and laughing again. Even the rabbis and Pharisees found him a delightful man to be around.
After dinner, Rabbi Adar led the ceremony, and several of Reuben’s other teachers spoke about his excellent study of Jewish Scripture. When Reuben was called upon to recite his Scripture, he was able to do all 150 verses without stumbling (actually, he missed a couple of words — but no one noticed except himself and maybe Jesus).
Then Rabbi Adar announced to the crowd that Reuben, son of Bartholomew, was officially a man according to Jewish law. He asked Reuben to declare what he had decided to do with his life.
Reuben cleared his throat and suddenly felt incredibly nervous. All night it had been a fun celebration, but now the seriousness of the moment hit him, and he couldn’t get his throat to work.
The crowd seemed to sense that something had changed in Reuben and they became very quiet. That made Reuben feel even more nervous. But as he accepted the cup of water his mother handed him, he steadied himself and addressed the crowd.
“Family and friends, I hereby declare that to the best of my understanding, God has called me to be a scribe. I want to continue my studies of God’s Word for the rest of my life and I hope to someday teach it to others.”
The crowd broke out in approval, clapping and cheering. The rabbis looked relieved that they had successfully taught this one well.
But Reuben was not finished, and he held up his hand asking for quiet.
“I have made another decision that I also want to announce. I feel that as a student of God’s Word, it is my responsibility to check out this one who claims to be our Messiah. So, Jesus, Sir, if it is all right with you, I would like to travel with you and hear your teachings so that I can compare them to our Jewish Scripture. I am asking the rabbis to allow me a break in my studies while I investigate your claims. It is my intention to continue my studies no later than one year from today.”
There was no applause, only a quiet gasp and then just quiet talking among themselves. Jesus and his friends were polite enough to not make a scene. But Reuben found himself being nearly squeezed in two by his Abba and Mother. He knew that they were pleased with this decision that he had kept a complete surprise.
The rabbis assured Reuben that he would always be welcome to resume his studies but expressed their displeasure at his decision to take such a break.
The party broke up fairly soon afterward, but Jesus and his friends stayed and talked to Reuben and welcomed him. They invited him to explore and ask any questions he desired. And he felt certain that he had made the right decision. He must find truth and the only way he knew to do that was to study the Scripture and investigate for himself.
During the next week, it was decided that a cousin who had trained under Reuben’s dad would take over the shop and also rent the house since he was planning to be married soon. With that taken care of, there was nothing left to do but to pack a traveling bag and begin their new life.
Jesus and his disciples were on their way to Jerusalem and had already left. Reuben was not used to long walks and neither was his mother, so they took it slowly. It was a very sweet time of companionship for the three of them. Reuben felt freer to ask questions about his dad’s beliefs now that he was 13 and was considered to be a man.
They talked about many things, but also just enjoyed this time away from work and school and responsibilities. It took them a whole week to get to Jerusalem and they found the disciples camped in the olive garden. The next day they were able to follow Jesus around the city.
That morning, Jesus led the group to the Pool of Bethesda. There were many crippled and sick people gathered around the pool. Most believed that the water of the pool would make them well. Even though there were lots of people there who needed help, Jesus went to one man and healed him.
Here’s what the Bible says:
Here a great number of disabled people used to lie — the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”
“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool ....”
Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked....2
Reuben looked at his dad and his dad shrugged his shoulders but didn’t say a word. He wanted Reuben to come to his own conclusions. Reuben found John, one of Jesus’ closest friends and asked if he had time to answer some questions.
“Sure, what’s up?”
“I guess I just saw my first healing. I’ve got some questions,” admitted Reuben.
“Yeah, it’s a little shocking at first. But you’ll see lots more!” assured John.
“But why did Jesus heal this man? I mean, he didn’t seem to be a follower of his. There were lots of other people who needed to be healed. Why did Jesus heal this guy? And he didn’t even say thank you!”
“Well, you’d have to ask Jesus. But what I’ve learned is that Jesus has compassion on all people. He’s not just good to Jews or those that love and trust him. He’s good to everybody.
“I think it broke his heart to see this guy in pain for so long. So, he made him well. And he’s not looking for thank-you’s even though he appreciates them. He does good things because he’s good — not because they are. Does that make sense?”
“I guess so. I’ve just never met anyone who cares like that,” said Reuben.
“You’ll see a lot more! And welcome to the group,” said John.
After the festival in Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples traveled out into the mountain area surrounding Jerusalem. Reuben enjoyed this time to just relax and be alone with God. But he also enjoyed getting to know the followers of Jesus and asking them questions. He loved doing research and studying, so he was always asking questions.
One day he noticed that Jesus was missing from the group and he asked one of the disciples where he might be. Has he deserted us here in the mountains? The man explained that Jesus often went into the mountains to be alone and to pray and sometimes would be gone all night long.
“He’s back today, though. He seems to be having one-on-one conferences with some of the men in the group. I don’t know what that is about, but he’s probably teaching them things they need to know.”
As Reuben began to pay attention, he noticed that one man would return to the group and tag another man who would leave. After a period of time, that man would return and call for another man to go and talk with Jesus alone. This continued most of the day. Reuben saw his dad being called out and he wondered if Jesus would call for him. Maybe Jesus would have time to answer some of his questions.
As the disciples gathered together for the evening meal, Jesus announced that he had chosen 12 men who would be his apostles. They would be his special students and would learn how to carry on the work after he was gone.
Reuben’s dad was one of the 12 chosen to be an apostle and Reuben felt proud of his dad. Then he immediately began to struggle: If Jesus is not the Messiah, then he is a liar and a fraud, or just plain crazy. Why should I be glad that Abba is following a madman? And why does it feel so right? He felt confused but decided to congratulate his dad and figure it out later. He could at least be happy that his dad was happy.
Reuben enjoyed traveling with the group and felt that it was a wonderful vacation from his years of study. His body was growing healthy and strong from all the walking and outdoor living and healthy lifestyle.
He listened closely to Jesus’ teachings and compared them to what he remembered about the Jewish Scripture. He was becoming more and more convinced that Jesus just might be the Messiah.
But one day as they were entering Capernaum, Reuben saw something that shook his belief. He saw Jesus help a Roman soldier. You see, Israel was an occupied nation. That means that the Romans had taken over their country and ruled it. They set the rules and collected the taxes, and they were hated for their cruelty to the Jews. Every Jewish family knew someone who had been either killed or made a slave by the Romans. And there were crosses in every town where those who didn’t obey the rules were crucified. No, Reuben couldn’t follow someone who helped the Romans.
Jesus not only healed this Roman soldier’s servant, but then he praised him for having faith. He even said that this Roman’s faith was greater than most Jews. That made Reuben mad. But when Jesus said that at the Great Feast in Heaven with Abraham and Moses, there would be some Romans and other outsiders present, while a lot of Jews would be thrown out — well, that settled it.
Reuben had been taught that the Jews and the Jews alone were God’s chosen people, and that God had no love for anyone else. And Reuben liked it that way.
Reuben began to think about his next step. He decided to stay with Jesus until he could secure a position as a student with a rabbi who would teach him. But something didn’t quite seem right about going back to Rabbi Adar. Reuben hated to admit it, but he really felt that he already knew more than Rabbi Adar about the Scripture. No. He wanted to study under someone who really knew the Scripture. He wanted to know the truth.
Reuben decided that he would stay with Jesus’ group until they returned to Jerusalem. He didn’t want to travel alone, and he was certain Jerusalem would be the best place to find a rabbi to teach him. Also, in Jerusalem he would be close to the temple and would have continual access to the Holy Scriptures. So, without telling anyone, he made his decision and felt relief that it was settled.
As the group began traveling south again toward Jerusalem, they were passing through the city of Nain. They stopped to let a funeral procession pass. Reuben was shocked to see that the dead man was no older than he was — just a very young man beginning his life.
Here’s what the Bible says happened:
As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out — the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.”
Then he went up and .... said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.3
Reuben felt that his head would explode. What have I just seen? I know the Scripture. I know that only God can raise the dead. Now I’m confused all over again.
He pulled away from the other disciples and camped alone that night. He wanted time to think and to pray. They would be in Jerusalem within a few more days. What should I do? What do I believe? He didn’t know. And He didn’t know who to ask.
Early the next morning, he woke to discover Jesus sitting quietly near his blanket. He sat up startled.
Jesus said very quietly, “I’m sorry to startle you. I was on my way to pray and saw you and thought I would encourage you. I know you are feeling confused.
“I suggest you contact Rabbi Nicodemus when we get to Jerusalem. He is not a follower of mine, but he is a serious student of Scripture, and I believe that he is searching for truth just like you are. He would be a great mentor for you and a place where you could grow and ask your questions.”
And before Reuben could respond, Jesus was gone.
Reuben rubbed his eyes and wondered if it was a dream. But he knew it wasn’t, and the name Rabbi Nicodemus was very clearly in his head. But how does Jesus know that I was planning on looking for a rabbi when I get to Jerusalem? And how does he know that I am feeling confused? And how does he seem to know so much about my desire to know the truth? There is something about this man Jesus that I just can’t explain.
Reuben decided that he would stay with the disciples until they arrived in Jerusalem. Then he would check at the temple to see if anyone knew a Rabbi Nicodemus. So, once again, Reuben felt his life settle down, and he relaxed and just enjoyed listening to Jesus’ teachings and watching him heal as they journeyed toward Jerusalem.
Rabbi Nicodemus came highly recommended by every priest and Pharisee that Reuben consulted. Apparently, he was a very highly respected rabbi and member of the Sanhedrin.
He made an appointment to meet with Rabbi Nicodemus and the rabbi granted him a one-week trial to see what kind of student Reuben was. When Reuben proved his excellent work habits and quick understanding of the passages, Rabbi Nicodemus agreed to mentor him.
It was hard to say goodbye to Jesus’ disciples, and especially to his parents, but he knew that he had found the place where he needed to be. Rabbi Nicodemus had several other students, so Reuben soon found himself immersed in his studies and surrounded by fellow students who enjoyed digging into God’s Word to find truth. Reuben was clinging to this promise from Jewish Scripture:
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.4
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