THE STORY OF
KOBE
“Kobe, wake up!
“Kobe, wake up!
“I need you to wake up NOW!”
Mother was shaking Kobe awake and he was trying to get his mind to function.
“Mother, what’s wrong? What’s happened?”
“I don’t know. But you know what Dad’s always told us. If he’s not home by the third watch (about 2 a.m.), we should get out and hide.
“We’ve got to hurry. I’m not sure what time it is, but it’s nearly sunrise. I overslept. Get up and get your bag packed. You know the plan.”
Jana had woken up a few minutes earlier and realized that her husband was not home. She had started packing a food bag when she realized that the sun was beginning to rise. She ran to wake up Kobe and get him started.
They had to get out of the house before the Roman soldiers arrived. Something had gone wrong last night, and they had to get out. But there were things she needed to pack.
Kobe appeared looking disheveled but alert. He had his bag packed. “Grab the skillet out of the courtyard and go to the hiding place. Can you carry this food bag, too? I’ve got to get myself packed,” said Mother.
“Sure,” said Kobe, as he took the food bag and his personal bag that included a blanket and a heavier robe. He grabbed the skillet as he ran to the back of the chicken coop. They would stay there to wait and see if the Romans would come and ransack the house. But what is taking Mother so long? She knows the rules.
He heard horses’ hoofs pounding up the street when he finally saw her coming out of the house. She was trying to salvage too much, and they would be caught. He ran out of hiding to grab a couple of her bags and hurried her to the hiding place just as the soldiers arrived and began knocking down the front door.
Kobe was only 12, but his father had drilled him repeatedly on what had to be done if something went wrong.
Kobe’s dad was a Zealot. Zealots were an organized group of men who opposed the Roman government’s rule over Judea. They often went on raids to attack the Roman forces and were always plotting ways to make life miserable for the Romans. In return, they were hated by the Romans. And if they were caught, there would be no mercy.
Not only would Kobe probably never see his dad, but the Romans would destroy their house and imprison or enslave both him and his mother if they were caught.
So, once she caught her breath, she and Kobe moved to the second hiding place deeper in the woods. “Mother, you brought too much stuff!”
“I know, and I didn’t have time to change. Let me hide behind this tree and change and then we can throw away this outfit.”
Kobe agreed and stood guard while she slipped her beautiful blue robe off and put on a plain black robe that symbolized mourning. It was true that she was mourning — but it was also her protection, because more than likely the Roman soldiers would not question her being alone on the main highway without her husband. They would assume she was moving because of his death. Hopefully, the soldiers wouldn’t identify them.
Once Mother had changed into her mourning clothes, she discarded the other clothes behind the tree and her load was a little lighter. “Mother, you know that Dad said to only take two bags apiece. I’ll take the food bag and my personal bag. I can pack the skillet in my bag. But you still have four bags. That’s going to call attention to us. What did you bring that wasn’t on the list?”
“I don’t know. I just grabbed things. I’m so sorry I overslept. I just couldn’t think.”
“Mother, you did the right thing. You got out just in the nick of time. But we need to repack things so that we don’t make people think we’re rich. If we are rich enough for all this stuff, then we should have servants to carry it. We don’t want to look like robbers! Remember, we need to look like two very poor people in mourning.”
“I think I grabbed everything,” said Mother.
“I think you did, too.”
“Okay, here’s your blanket. What other robe do you want?” asked Kobe. “Did you get the money and the jewels?”
“Yes, they are in that box.”
“Let’s tie them in a cloth and they won’t take up so much room,” said Kobe.
“Oh, but isn’t the box valuable?”
“Of course, but it’s too big. It’s got to go. And all this kitchen stuff has got to go. I’ll get a job and buy you new stuff when we get a kitchen to put it in.”
“Oh, Kobe, I’m so sorry. I tried to talk your dad out of going on this raid. I had a bad feeling. Now, I don’t know what we’ll do.”
“Mother, you know the plan. We need to get to Galilee, and that’s going to be a long walk. We need to stay hidden in Jerusalem for a couple of days, but then we can start walking. We’ll go to Uncle Amal’s house in Tiberius. He’ll take us in and take care of us. I’m sure he’ll know where I can get work and we’ll be fine. And if Dad can, he’ll meet us there.”
“Oh, Kobe. I’m glad that you are so brave. I’ll be brave if you are! Let’s move to the third hiding place and then we can stay put for a while.”
The next hiding place was a lot more pleasant, as it was near a stream and there were plenty of trees. They could hide their packs and just relax near the water. No one would suspect anything other than a poor, mourning mother and son spending the day seeking peace. But no one discovered them, and they began to relax.
Mother had grabbed plenty of bread, pickled fish, and cheese, so they just made a quick dinner and didn’t light a fire. It wasn’t terribly strange for them to throw their blankets on the ground and sleep under the trees since they had often traveled with Kobe’s dad on his missions.
But Kobe found it hard to be brave once the sun went down. He couldn’t remember ever sleeping outside without his dad. He was 12 years old, and he knew that he would try to protect his mother from any danger — but he sure hoped there wasn’t any. They were still inside the city of Jerusalem, so the only real danger was being discovered by the Roman soldiers. Kobe knew he was no match for one of them, and they didn’t usually travel alone.
Kobe and his mother stayed in their hiding place for two more days, but early on Thursday morning they packed their two bags apiece and started out of Jerusalem. They walked along the back roads, and while it took longer, doing so avoided anyone that might recognize them.
Soon they found themselves headed downhill and surrounded by beautiful mountains and scenery.
They had traveled many times to visit Uncle Amal, so they knew what to expect along the way.
It took them almost a week to arrive in Tiberius, but it was a pleasant trip for the most part. They fished and cooked their meals like Dad had taught them. But of course, everything they did reminded them of Dad. They tried not to think about what had happened to him. They had to keep their minds focused on getting to Uncle Amal’s. Maybe he would have news. Maybe Dad was already there.
Maybe they would just start a new life in Galilee and Dad would focus on being a jeweler again and not be involved with the Zealots. Yeah, right! Kobe knew that his mind was playing tricks on him. He tried to focus on the details around him and listen for Roman horses.
Before they left the main road and entered Tiberius, Mother changed out of her “mourning” clothes and back into a brown robe. They didn’t want to call attention to themselves in any way. She decided to keep the black robe just in case she wanted to wear it while at Uncle Amal’s. She shuddered as she thought about having to face the facts if her husband was dead. But she quickly put on a cheerful face for Kobe.
“Kobe, you have been so helpful for this hard journey. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you in a new way. You are growing into a fine young man.”
“Thank you, Mother. I know it’s been hard for you. I’m glad I’ve made it easier. How much farther is it to Uncle Amal’s? I’m looking forward to a home cooked meal and sleeping indoors for a change.”
“It’s only about three miles from here, so we’ll be there shortly.” She winked at him, and added, “Plenty of time for them to prepare a feast for dinner!”
Kobe couldn’t remember the directions to Uncle Amal’s, so he was glad that Mother was so familiar with the area. She and Dad had lived there before moving to Jerusalem, so she felt comfortable navigating the winding streets.
“Just around this corner and we’ll —”
Mother gasped and caught her breath as she and Kobe stopped still in their tracks. Uncle Amal’s home was totally destroyed. Parts of it had been burned and all the windows and doors had been broken.
They forced themselves to walk past it without looking too interested. But inside they were screaming. The damage looked recent, so he assumed that Uncle Amal was somehow included in the same raid his dad had been on.
They just kept forcing their feet to keep walking. What will we do? Where will we go? There was no plan now. It was just the two of them with no home and no place to go.
Mother led them down to the beach where they could at least sit and watch the fishermen heading out for the night. Kobe had never seen the Sea of Galilee at night and would have enjoyed the sights except that he had never felt so scared in his whole life.
He was only 12, so he knew it would be impossible to find a real job for at least a year. He knew they had some money and some jewelry, but he was pretty sure it wouldn’t last that long. Mother had been strong until now, but with the sun going down, she was crying as he had never seen her cry. He knew he had to be the strong one — but how?
He was suddenly aware of a group of people walking along the beach. He put his arm around his mother and warned her to compose herself until they were past. But as they passed, one of the women in the group stopped and asked if they were okay. When Mother looked up to assure her that everything was fine, their eyes met, and the woman recognized that something was wrong. She genuinely wanted to help. Dad had always warned them never to talk to anyone. But Dad was no longer guiding them. Mother took one look into the eyes of the woman and knew that she had to trust someone.
“My husband died in Jerusalem, so when my mourning was complete, my son and I came to my uncle’s home here in Tiberius. He was our only relative and now we’ve just discovered that he has recently died. We are alone and don’t know what to do. I don’t have any idea what to do.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss. But you mustn’t stay out here alone. If you’ll come with me, you’ll be welcome to stay with us until you can decide what to do. My name is Lois, and we are followers of Jesus. What is your name?”
“My name is Jana, and this is my son Kobe.”
Kobe was horrified that she gave their real names in case the Romans were still looking for them. But he knew better than to make a fuss and call attention to the mistake. So, he smiled his greeting.
Mother seemed to be gathering up her bags as if to follow this lady, so Kobe did the same. It would probably be safer than sleeping out on the beach. He didn’t know who this Jesus was, but there were many groups who followed a mentor or rabbi. He assumed that they were a similar religious group. So, they followed Lois for a few blocks and entered the courtyard of a large home overlooking the sea.
Lois introduced them to a few people, but Kobe’s mind was a blur. There were at least 100 people there. They were shown a place to stash their bags and blankets and then invited to wash up and prepare for the evening meal.
Kobe couldn’t believe their luck. This was too good to be true. They could safely hide and be provided with food. He wondered what kind of price they would have to pay for the food — but tonight, he didn’t care. He was just grateful for the plate that was placed in his hands. He and his mother went back and sat on their blanket and ate their meal in silence.
Everyone was friendly, but didn’t push for information, and he was grateful for that. After eating, they stretched out on their blankets, and while some in the crowd were singing pleasant songs about God, they cried themselves into a deep sleep.
Kobe and his mother continued to hide in their little world of pain and grief. The strangers around them were kind and caring but let them take their time to adjust to their surroundings. All his life, Kobe had been taught to hide and now he found his heart desiring to be a part of this new thing called friendship. He watched the other boys play ball and laugh and tease. He watched them going out in teams. Different boys would invite him to join them, but he always said, “No, thank you.”
He had never been allowed to attend Hebrew school because they moved so frequently, and his dad said it was too dangerous for him to be known. Now, he was feeling strange new feelings inside that yearned for friends.
After they had been at the courtyard in Tiberius for about a week, Philip, one of the apostles who often mentored the young men, came and sat down beside Kobe.
“Kobe, I need some help. I was wondering, if it’s all right with your mother, if you would go with me to deliver some food to a family in need.”
How could Kobe say no when they had been given so much for free? He felt he should say yes. He looked at his mother and she nodded her permission.
“Sure,” said Kobe as he got up to follow Philip.
“We’ll be back in a couple of hours,” Philip told Kobe’s mother.
“We need to go to the market and pick up some food for a family. The dad is sick and not able to work and there’s six little ones at home. Here, grab three or four of these bags and we’ll fill them with food.” Kobe and Philip both grabbed bags and Philip led them to the market.
Philip soon had the bags filled with fresh food, and Kobe watched as Philip paid at each tent. Their arms were filled with all they could carry as Philip led them to the home of the family in need. Philip talked with the woman of the house and encouraged her, and Kobe watched as Philip prayed with her. He knew there was a God, but he had never seen anyone talk to him as if he were really listening.
When they got back to the courtyard, Philip thanked Kobe for his help and told his mother she should be proud of him. That made Kobe feel really good. He was glad to help. Philip also told them that Jesus would be teaching down by the beach tomorrow if they wanted to come down and listen. Mother asked what time and Philip told her.
Kobe and his mother talked about what he had seen. He told Mother how Philip had treated the woman kindly and how he had paid for the groceries himself and given the groceries to the woman for free. That really impressed him. Mother could tell that Kobe wanted to learn more about this group, and she agreed that they, too, had been treated very kindly. She said they could go to the beach to hear Jesus for a little while tomorrow. She, too, wanted to know more about this group.
It was good to get out of the courtyard, and the beach was beautiful overlooking the Sea of Galilee. They listened as Jesus taught.
One of the stories that Jesus told really touched Kobe. Jesus said,
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
“But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
“The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”1
Kobe just kept thinking that all the efforts of his dad had ended in nothingness. He had spent his entire lifetime chasing a dream that had ended with nothing to show for it. And it had left Kobe and his mother crushed like the sand.
Kobe wondered if Jesus really could offer a better way of life. He certainly liked the love and kindness that he saw within the group. He liked how they cared for everyone and helped each other. If he were 13, he would be ready to choose, but right now he had to be obedient to whatever his mother wanted him to do.
After dinner, everyone in the courtyard was called together for a meeting. Jesus explained the plan for the coming days. He announced that a prophet named John the Baptizer had been murdered by King Herod, and that he wanted to spend some time alone with his apostles to grieve and hear their report of a recent ministry trip. He announced that the rest of the disciples would be moving back to Capernaum, and that he would meet them there in a few days.
The meeting was dismissed, and Kobe and his mother were wondering what this meant for them. Will we be welcome? They didn’t have to worry for long. Jesus himself came to their area and sat down to visit. He said that he was glad that they were with the group and hoped that they had been well treated. Kobe and his mother assured him that they had been.
Then Jesus said something that surprised both of them.
Jesus asked, “Kobe, would you like to go with me on this ministry trip? I don’t know how long we’ll be gone — not over two or three days at the most. I believe that you will learn a lot. There will be the 13 of us and Matthew’s son, Joel is going with us. Do you know him?”
“No, sir. I haven’t gotten to know any of the boys. But I would like to. I want to learn more about what you are teaching. I didn’t go to Hebrew school, so all of this is very new to me.”
“Yes, I know,” Jesus said kindly. Kobe had never felt so loved or understood, and he didn’t know why.
Jesus turned to Kobe’s mother and asked, “Would you allow me to take your son with us for a few days? We’ll be crossing the Sea of Galilee and I’m not sure how long I’ll need to be in Bethsaida. Then we will join you and the other disciples in Capernaum. Would you trust me to take care of your son?”
Kobe’s mother swallowed hard. Kobe was all she had left, but she, too, felt that she could trust Jesus. She said, “Yes.”
Philip and his wife came over a little later and brought their young son and newborn baby girl. Kobe’s mother, Jana, was thrilled to get to hold such a little one. Philip asked her if she would mind helping his wife as the group moved to Capernaum. He promised to keep a close eye on Kobe.
So, for the first time that Kobe could remember, he and his mother would be separated. They had never been apart overnight, and with their losses being so fresh, it was stressful for both of them.
At sunrise the next morning, Jesus and the apostles and the two boys headed to the shore. The other disciples gathered all their belongings and prepared for the short hike back to Capernaum.
Kobe had never been on a boat before and was excited and nervous about being out on the sea. Philip pointed to a bench and he sat down and watched as the men took turns rowing. Six men would row while the others rested — but the entire time was spent in laughing and talking and enjoying each other’s company. They talked about their recent ministry trip and Kobe enjoyed getting to know them better.
“Kobe, I think it’s your turn to row!” said Philip as he finished his turn.
“I’ve never done it, but I’m willing to learn.”
“That’s all I ask. It really isn’t hard. You just hold this end of the paddle and pull the other end through the water. There’s a rhythm to it that will take you a few minutes to catch on — but you’ll do fine. In. Pull. Up. Push. In. Pull. Up. Push. See, you’ve already got it.”
For the first time in Kobe’s life, he was participating, cooperating, being a part of something, and he could hardly believe how good it felt. All the men were encouraging him, and he felt something inside that craved this approval and attention. He had always gotten approval from Mother, but this was different, and he couldn’t quite put his finger on what it was. He finally came up with the word “teamwork.”
He also noticed that Jesus was relaxed and just as friendly and welcoming as the other men. He took his turn rowing and didn’t behave the way Kobe thought of priests or Pharisees back in Jerusalem. They were going to Bethsaida. The apostles said that this was a secluded place where they could be alone with Jesus. Everyone looked forward to times when they could ask questions and learn from him away from the crowds.
But as they got closer to shore, they could see that crowds had already formed and were getting larger by the minute. There would be no peace and quiet here. Some boats that passed them earlier must have announced their coming, and people packed the shore. Kobe wasn’t sure he had ever seen so many people except maybe at Passover time in Jerusalem.
As they waded to the beach, Jesus began to teach, and the apostles dispersed among the crowds to answer questions and to help with crowd control. Kobe found himself alone with Joel. They sat on the beach and listened to Jesus and found themselves gradually getting acquainted.
When they decided to take a walk along the beach to stretch their legs, Joel told Kobe about the first time he heard Jesus teach and how he had left to go and sit in the water so he wouldn’t have to hear him. Kobe laughed and discovered that it was easy to share with Joel.
Kobe told him how worried he was about his mother being worried about him since she had just lost her husband and uncle. “So, what made you change your mind about Jesus, or have you?” asked Kobe.
“Oh, yes, I’ve changed my mind and he’s changed my heart and life. You would not have wanted to be around me before he changed me and healed my feet.” And then Joel told him the story of his becoming a follower of Jesus. You read The Story of Joel earlier.
“Do you mean to tell me that Jesus just touched your feet, and they were made well?” asked Kobe.
“Yeah. It’s hard to believe, but you’ll probably see him healing people tonight. I’ve seen him heal the blind, the crippled, the deaf, the mute and the leper.”
“No way!” said Kobe. “No one can do that!”
“Let’s go back to where Jesus is teaching. Usually at the end of his teaching, he starts healing people.”
“This I want to see!” agreed Kobe.
And that’s what he saw. Jesus healed the blind, the lame, the deaf, the mute, the lepers, the crippled, and those with fevers. It was amazing and Kobe was in shock. People were crowded all around Jesus asking for his healing and he was talking with each one individually and meeting their needs.
“Man, I’m starving,” said Joel. “I wonder when Jesus is going to finish healing these people and send them away. We usually cook fish when we’re by the sea, but I don’t see anybody working on it.”
As the sun began to set, the people were told to sit down in groups of 50’s. Joel and Kobe asked Philip what they should be doing, and he told them just to find a group and sit down. So, they did.
They watched as Jesus took five rounds of bread and two small fish and asked God to bless it. Then he began to tear the bread and fish into smaller pieces, and the apostles began to pass it around to the hungry people. Kobe couldn’t take his eyes off of Jesus. He kept breaking the bread and fish and kept filling the disciple’s packs so that they could pass it around to the people. Kobe’s head felt like it would explode. This was not possible! There was only enough food for one grown man and yet Jesus was feeding thousands with it.
Kobe looked at Joel and said, “I’ll be right back!” He got up and walked around the area. If indeed everyone was seated in groups of approximately 50 men — and most of those men had wives and multiple children — that meant that just about every group was at least 100 people. And Kobe lost count.
Here's what the Bible says:
The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.2
Kobe found his way back to Joel and began to eat the bread and fish. He discovered that he had all the bread and fish he could eat. “How?” he kept asking Joel.
“What do you think?” asked Joel.
“I think that he’s the best magician I’ve ever seen. But this food is real, and it’s good. There isn’t anything fake about it. What does that mean?”
“I think it proves that he is the Messiah, sent by God. He’s a supernatural being living in a human body. And he can do supernatural things — like heal and produce food,” replied Joel.
Kobe didn’t know what to think. He knew that God existed, but he assumed he was distant and unapproachable. Not like this.
After the boys had helped the apostles clean up the area, they got back into the boat. Once again men took their turns at the oars, and this time Kobe volunteered for his turn. But after a while he noticed that Jesus was not in the boat. When he asked, he was told that often Jesus would give them orders that they did not understand. Their job was simply to obey.
Philip told Kobe that Jesus had said that he needed time to pray and wanted them to go on to Capernaum without him. He would probably spend a couple of days in prayer and then walk to Capernaum just for the peace and quiet.
The wind seemed to be rising on the sea and the waves were getting choppier. Kobe was feeling a little seasick but managed to keep his stomach. He took several turns at the oars, but it seemed the harder they rowed, the slower the boat went. They rowed and rowed and rowed. The fishermen in the group kept checking to make sure they were going the right direction, but the wind was just getting stronger and stronger and they seemed to be making no progress. The men were exhausted, and it was almost morning.
“What’s that?” asked Joel who was catching his breath on a bench near the front of the boat, watching the rowers, and looking behind them. Within seconds, everything was chaos. Grown men were screaming and Kobe tried to scream but nothing would come out. They were certain that they were seeing a ghost. What else could explain a human shape walking on the water toward them? They were three or four miles from shore, near the middle of the Sea of Galilee.
Some men were searching for weapons to defend themselves, others were just collapsed in heaps, crying from exhaustion and fear.
Kobe was frozen to his seat. Then the “ghost” spoke, and they recognized Jesus’ voice. He said,
... “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”3
Peter had a request. What do you think he asked Jesus?
Here’s what the Bible tells us:
“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”
“Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”
Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.... 4
All the men helped pull Jesus and Peter into the boat.
The Bible tells us that three things happened when Jesus got in the boat.
The wind stopped blowing and the waves died down.
The men worshiped Jesus and declared again that he was the Son of God.
And suddenly, they were at the shore.
Kobe just sat stunned. His mind kept going over what had happened. They had rowed and rowed and rowed and were only halfway across the sea. Jesus had walked three or four miles on the water through the storm and now, instantly, they were at the shore. How did the boat travel the remaining three or four miles? Kobe felt his head would explode. As the men were getting off the boat, he felt numb not only from exhaustion but from his amazement.
The apostles were laughing and talking about how scared they were, and Jesus was teasing them, but Kobe just felt dazed. Nothing seemed real until he heard these words:
“As a Zealot I have known a lot of fear, but I don’t think I’ve ever been that afraid!”
Kobe’s mind came alive as he looked at the speaker of those words. What had he said? What did it mean? Who is that man? He had to know.
But his body was too tired. They arrived at an unfamiliar courtyard and his body had to sleep. He threw his blanket down in the first available spot. Tomorrow...
Kobe lay on his blanket blinking his eyes in the bright sunlight. It took him a few minutes to figure out where he was since they had arrived before dawn and he had never seen this place. Later he found out that he was in Jesus’ courtyard. As he lay there, he felt the urge to pull the blanket over his head and go back to sleep, then he remembered that he needed to find his mother and assure her of his safety. She would be worried.
He asked around and found out that most of the other disciples were camping at another house nearby. He found his mother there and was pleased that she had made new friends and volunteered to help in the kitchen. She seemed to be doing fine. They sat and ate breakfast together and he tried to explain some of the things he had experienced. But he kept asking himself if maybe it was just a dream.
His mother encouraged him to get some more rest, and he agreed that it would probably be best since he’d only gotten less than an hour’s sleep before the sun woke him up. He threw down his blanket and was asleep before she could tell him to sleep well. Now with a mighty adventure, lots of exercise rowing a boat, a full tummy, and a blanket to keep out the light, Kobe slept until early afternoon.
This time he woke up clear-headed and eager to find the speaker who said he was a Zealot. He didn’t want to alarm his mother though, so he just said he was going to walk back over to Jesus’ house and see what was happening. She was glad that he had made some new friends and encouraged him to go and have fun.
Kobe wasn’t sure what he wanted to say or what he wanted to know, but he knew that he needed to talk with the man who claimed to be a Zealot.
When he arrived at Jesus’ courtyard, he found that most of the men were just waking up and were searching for food. They welcomed Kobe and offered him some fruit. He sat down and enjoyed their friendship, but his mind was focused on how to talk with the man and how to do so without revealing too much of his own history. As he sat and listened to the talk, he discovered that the man he wanted to talk with was named Simon.
Kobe kept watching for his chance to speak with him alone. Finally, that opportunity came when Simon took a water jar to the well to refill it. Kobe grabbed a nearby water jar and followed him to the well.
“Mr. Simon, my name is Kobe —”
“Yes, Kobe, I know you. You went with us on our adventure yesterday.”
“Yes, sir. I was wondering —”
“You probably haven’t seen that kind of adventure before, have you?” asked Mr. Simon.
“No, sir. I’m still trying to figure out if it really happened or if it was all a dream.”
Mr. Simon laughed, “Oh, it happened, all right. I was there too, you know!”
“Mr. Simon, I was wondering if I could talk with you privately — I mean — I have a question about something you said, and I don’t want to be heard by the others.”
Suddenly Mr. Simon realized that Kobe wasn’t just making small talk. “After breakfast, why don’t we walk along the beach and stretch our legs? Would that work?”
“Yes, sir, and thank you very much.”
They returned to the group and filled the water cups. Kobe still didn’t know what he would say or even what he wanted to know, but he knew that he had to find out about Mr. Simon’s being a Zealot.
“Kobe, come take a walk with me. This old man needs to stretch out his legs and I need some young ears to listen to me!”
“Oh, Kobe, I wouldn’t go; he’ll talk your ears off!” the group teased.
“I will be glad to listen, sir,” said Kobe as he got up to follow Mr. Simon out of the courtyard.
They talked about the things they had seen yesterday as Jesus had fed the 5000 men, and how he had walked on the water. They laughed about Peter trying to walk on the water, too, but both admitted that it was a brave thing to try.
“Now, I’ve got a feeling you’ve got something more serious you want to talk about. Here’s a couple of good rocks that will be perfect for a rest.”
The beach was deserted since the fishermen wouldn’t be arriving until around sunset. So, they could talk freely.
“Mr. Simon, I believe that I heard you say that you are a Zealot. I was wondering....”
“No. Let’s get this straight. I was a Zealot. They still call me Simon the Zealot to keep me separate from Simon Peter, but I no longer follow that way of life.”
“Okay... so you were a Zealot, but now you are not?” asked Kobe trying to put the pieces together.
“Kobe, I still have very strong feelings about the freedom of Israel, and I guess that’s why I don’t object to people calling me a Zealot. But I believe that Jesus is the Messiah, who has come to set Israel free from Rome. The very first time I heard Jesus teach, he taught:
“‘But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’5
“I knew then that I had to get out of the Zealots and make some serious changes. Later, after I started following Jesus and hearing more of his teaching, I knew that I couldn’t continue to hate. I had to learn to love. I watched Jesus heal Romans and love them and care for them. I knew that I wanted that kind of supernatural love.
“You’ve seen Jesus heal the blind and the crippled. Well, for this old man, he healed my heart. He set me free from hate and anger.”
“Thank you, sir, for telling me. I just wanted to know.”
“Kobe, I know that you’ve just recently lost your dad. Was he a Zealot?”
Kobe froze in fear. He had been taught to never reveal anything about his dad.
Simon put his arm on Kobe’s shoulder. “Kobe, I’m sorry. I know that you haven’t had an easy life. But you don’t have to hide anymore. Are you a Zealot?”
“I’ve never thought about it. I don’t think so. I hated the hiding and running all the time. When Mrs. Lois invited us to spend the night, I felt like there was nothing but peace and love and joy here.
“I would like to learn more about this new way that Jesus teaches,” said Kobe. “All I’ve ever known was hate. I’ve never felt this kind of love before. I think it’s sorta like Heaven. I think that’s why I was so surprised when you said you were a Zealot.”
“Well, I was. But that is in the past. When Jesus really, truly changes your heart, you don’t have to feel ashamed of your past — just sorry for the wasted time.
“Come on, let’s go see what the guys are up to.”
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