THE STORY OF
ARIAL, HAVA & MIRIAM
It was one of those strange things that sometimes happen in small towns. The three spiritual leaders at the synagogue in Capernaum, who were best of friends, and all three married within months of each other, were now all three anxiously awaiting the births of their first-born sons any day now.
But as strange things tend to not go as planned, all three men each ended up with the most beautiful little girl that they could imagine.
Twelve years later, the three girls, born within a week of each other, considered themselves to be an inseparable trio. Arial, Hava and Miriam were the wealthiest girls in town as their dads were the spiritual leaders of Capernaum. Arial’s dad was the Ruler of the synagogue. Hava’s dad was the Ruler of the Hebrew school there. And Miriam’s dad taught at the Hebrew school and was a member of the Sanhedrin, the governing body of the Jews.
The girls had every right to be spoiled rotten but had somehow managed to be the pride of Capernaum. Everyone loved “the trio.” They were the friendliest, kindest, and most caring of young women. If someone was ill, they dropped off bouquets that they picked in the woods. If someone was lonely, they made fancy breads and stopped by for a visit. They were a joy to be around and were loved by all.
Their latest project had made them more loved than ever. They were using their musical talent to entertain the little children of Capernaum. Twice a week, 15 to 20 little children would come to Hava’s back courtyard and there the girls would teach them songs.
Hava played the harp and sang. Arial played the lute and sang. And Miriam taught the little ones worship songs based on King David’s Psalms.
The girls spent much of their time writing their own music and rewriting the words so that the little ones could understand and participate. All three loved the Psalms, and when they found words they didn’t understand, each one had a doting Abba who would help them interpret the Hebrew.
They had created a hide-away in the woods behind Arial’s house, and their dads had helped them to place rocks in strategic places so that they had the perfect rehearsal studio. You could find them there most every afternoon where it was nice and shaded.
The trio was also very well informed for girls of that time period. They each had been taught to read the Hebrew Scripture and they knew about Jesus, the man who claimed to be the Messiah.
They knew that their dads’ positions as Jewish leaders forced them to be against Jesus. Yet, they also knew that their dads were torn and troubled. The trio often heard them discussing the healings and miracles and wondered why everyone was so stressed over a man who was doing so much good.
When Jesus first moved to Capernaum, he was often invited to read the Scripture and teach at the synagogue, but now it seemed that he wasn’t being allowed to teach there. The girls discussed what was going on and why orders were being given to stop Jesus’ ministry.
They wondered what would happen if Jesus really was the Messiah and overthrew the Roman government. They wondered what life would look like when the Jews were free from Rome.
Last week Jesus had been teaching along the Sea of Galilee. They had also heard that he had taken some of his followers across the sea to the land of the Gadarenes, but had left most of his followers still camped outside of Capernaum.
Yes, they were well informed young Jewish girls who were quickly approaching the age for marriage, a subject that often came up in their discussions. They hoped that whoever their parents selected for their husbands would always live close enough to keep the trio together.
“Let’s go down by the creek and pick a bouquet for my Aunt Sharon. She’s getting so discouraged,” suggested Miriam.
“Isn’t she getting any better? I thought she saw a new doctor last week,” asked Hava.
“If anything, she seems worse. I think he just took her money and did nothing. I don’t know how she stands being cooped up in that house all the time.”
“Let’s not only take flowers, but let’s serenade her.”
“Oh, that would be fun. Let’s pick out a Psalm.”
“I love the harmonies when we do this one:
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.1”
“I know that she’ll love it. We’ll pick a bouquet and then go to her house to sing.”
They found the flowers they wanted and arranged them into a nice bouquet. Miriam knocked on Aunt Sharon’s door and one of the servants, Rayna, answered. She took the bouquet to Aunt Sharon and helped her move to the window.
In a few minutes, Aunt Sharon was waving down to the girls and the girls began to sing their song for her. The trio could tell that it cheered her up, and they were glad they could do something to help.
They waved goodbye and Arial hugged the other two girls and said she needed to run to help her mother. They agreed to meet at the regular time to prepare for the children’s worship tomorrow morning.
Hava and Miriam walked slowly toward their own homes. They were trying to work out the harmonies for one of the children’s songs.
Early the next morning, Miriam arrived at Hava’s and they started setting up for the children. It was not like Arial to be late. When it was only a few minutes before time for the children to arrive, Hava’s mother volunteered to run to Arial’s home and see what was wrong. When she returned, the children had already arrived, and she just whispered to the girls that Arial was sick, and they would have to do it without her. The two girls sang with the children for a little while, but then sent them home early because they were so worried about Arial.
“Why didn’t she send word to us that she couldn’t come?” asked Hava.
Hava’s mother told her, “I think that Arial is a lot sicker than that. In fact, I think we should be going there now.”
Miriam, Hava, and Hava’s mother all walked quickly to Arial’s house. News traveled quickly in Capernaum, especially when it concerned the Ruler of the synagogue and his lovely daughter. The yard was filled with neighbors and friends. Hava and Miriam managed to get inside the front door where they saw Arial lying in the living room. They ran to her and kissed her, but she was too sick to know.
The girls were sent back outside so that the three mothers could tend to her. There was little that they could do except to keep applying cool wet cloths and pray that the fever would go away.
Hava and Miriam waited out in the courtyard with the other friends and neighbors. They learned that during the night, Arial had started running a very high fever. Hava and Miriam just sat and cried and waited with the others. All they could think about was singing together yesterday and picking flowers and the fun they had had ministering to Aunt Sharon. So many happy memories. How can Arial be dying when she was so alive and happy yesterday?
Suddenly, Rabbi Jairus burst out of the house. “I’m going to find Jesus. Jesus can heal her!” He took off at a run toward the Sea of Galilee.
That caused quite a stir among the crowd. The crowd was divided among those who felt it was the right thing to do, and those who felt that it was the worst thing their Rabbi could do. But everyone felt nothing but sympathy and concern for their Ruler regardless of their belief.
After another 30 minutes of waiting, it was announced that Arial was dead. The crowd was totally silent with shock. A group of men went to find Rabbi Jairus.
Within a few minutes the mourners began to arrive with their flutes and lyres. They began singing sad, mournful songs called dirges.
Hava and Miriam asked to see Arial and were allowed inside the house with the family and close friends. It was a horrible time of grief and sadness. The trio would never sing again. How they hated the sound of the dirges. Would they ever feel happy again?
About an hour later, Jesus and three of his disciples arrived with Rabbi Jairus. He asked everyone to leave the room except for them and her mother. Hava and Miriam and others quickly moved outside to the yard with all the other relatives and friends.
Here’s what the Bible tells us:
When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.”
They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished....2
Hava and Miriam waited outside. They couldn’t believe their eyes when Arial herself came running outside to find them. She looked perfectly normal. They kept hugging her and couldn’t believe their eyes. Jesus and his disciples went out the back way quietly and avoided the crowd. Rabbi Jairus and his wife stayed in the house and received their friends there.
“Let’s sing!” said Arial.
“Oh, let’s do the one we did yesterday,” Hava said. So instead of dirges, the trio once again sang King David’s Psalm in worship.
“That’s the song you sang for me yesterday,” said a gentle voice behind them. The girls were shocked to see Miriam’s Aunt Sharon standing there beside them.
“Aunt Sharon, what are you doing here? It’s great to see you and you look really good. But are you all right?”
“Not only has Jesus raised Arial from the dead, but he has healed my disease. I’m well — completely well! I’m trying to find your mother to tell her the news.”
“Oh, Aunt Sharon, what happened?”
“Well, Rayna, my servant has been telling me about Jesus and how he’s healed so many people. I didn’t want to get in trouble with your dad, Miriam, but what Rayna said made sense. I had watched Jesus and his disciples go back and forth past my window and he seemed okay. Rayna kept begging me to just go down to the front door whenever he was passing and ask him to heal me. But I was afraid.
When you girls sang for me yesterday, I knew that God was telling me I should give it a try. If he really is from God, then that would be better than seeing another doctor. So, I told Rayna to be on the lookout for his disciples.
When she saw them coming this morning, she told me, and I went out the front door and met him. And here I am! I’ll tell you the details later, I want to go find my sister.”
“I think Mother and Abba are still inside the house with Arial’s parents. Just go on in. They will want to hear your news too.”
Rabbi Jairus was with Jesus when he healed Aunt Sharon. But in all the excitement over Arial, he had forgotten all about it.
And so, on one day, Jesus turned the little town of Capernaum upside down. The three Jewish leaders spent many evenings talking about and considering all that they had seen and heard Jesus do. They had seen firsthand his healing powers and knew that he was sent from God.
And the trio declared that they believed that Jesus was the Messiah sent from God. They would sing his praises every day for the rest of their lives.
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