Joshua

The sun was already high in the sky, but somehow the rays did not warm his body that day. Joshua saw how his mother pulled her scarf closer around her shoulders and realized that she also felt the cold. He carefully walked in step with her for he did not want to lose sight of her in that big crowd. When a hand roughly pushed him out of the way, he clung to her and looked up into her face. She looked down and smiled reassuringly. He relaxed. His mother was his security among all these strangers. She knew he could not hear the voices or the footsteps of all those around them. Somehow she also sensed his fear when he was trapped in such a situation. He did not enjoy being with so many people, neither did he understand why his mother was taking him on such a long, long trip. They had been walking since sunrise and he noticed how the crowd just grew bigger and bigger.

His mother slowly steered him to edge of the crowd, and then he could see that they were actually climbing a steep hill. Some people had already reached the top and began to sit down on the grass. When they came closer, he followed his mother who took his hand in a firm grip and made a way for him and herself through the people already seated. He tried carefully not to fall over their feet or to step on their clothes. At last his mother was satisfied and sat down. He sat down very close to her and looked at the men seated on some rocks right in front of them.

One man was talking. Not that Joshua could hear Him, but of all the men, it was only his lips that were moving. Joshua’s eyes were drawn to the kindness in his face, the way his hands moved while He was talking, something in Him was different to all the other men he could see. Then the man’s eyes met the eyes of Joshua, the eyes of the eleven-year-old boy who could only perceive the world through his eyes, the boy who from birth was deaf. He motioned with his hand to Joshua to come to Him. Without once looking at his mother, Joshua jumped to his feet and went forward. He had complete trust in this stranger, actually his heart was drawn to Him.

When Joshua stood in front of the man who called him, He put his hands over Joshua ears for a short moment and when He took it away, the boy suddenly became aware of sound! Never in his life had he experienced something like that. Totally amazed he looked around, still standing in the same place, overcome with the wonder of sound rushing through him.
“Joshua!”
It was the man whose touch opened his ears that was still looking at him and saying that word which entered right into the boy. It had no meaning, only a sound. A wonderful sound!

Then Joshua could not remain standing any longer, the joy inside him exploded! He started to run. He ran around the crowd, down the hill and for the first time he experienced the sound of his running feet. He gave a little shout of joy, then stopped amazed, that was the sound of his own voice. He heard it! He was no longer wrapped up in soundless silence.

Around him was soft grass, in his joy he fell down and rolled down the hill, laughing and enjoying the sound of his own laughter. Suddenly he was among a flock of sheep that scattered into all directions because of the noisy intruder. The little lambs uttered their cries of shock and ran to their mothers for comfort. This gave Joshua such a thrill, he had so often seen sheep, but never knew they could make sounds. What he heard was so pleasant to his ear.

The shepherd approached and scolded Joshua for giving his flock such a fright. The boy could sense he had done something that angered the shepherd. Usually he only saw people acting out their anger, but for the first time he heard what it sounded like when someone was upset. It made him feel very bad and afraid.

Just then he heard a soft voice behind him. It was his mother. She had followed her son and was there to explain to the shepherd.
“Please, forgive him. The good Teacher opened his ears a little while ago, and he did not know how to handle his joy. The bleating of your sheep and the clattering of the many hoofs were sounds his ears heard for the first time in his life. He is eleven years old and he was born deaf but now he can hear! Every single sound is new to him.”

Joshua heard his mother’s voice for the first time in his life and he just loved the gentleness and kindness in it. He saw how the shepherd’s face lit up in a smile as he nodded his head. What they were speaking had no meaning to him, but the man’s voice became so soothing to his ears that his fear disappeared. Joshua stepped closer to the shepherd and pressed his head against the man’s arm. That was his way to say sorry and thank you, the way he had adopted growing up being deaf and dumb. He felt the shepherd’s arm going round his shoulder and he knew all was well again.   

They were still walking when the sun went down.  The night air was very cold on their faces. Even though the boy’s body was feeling the tiredness of the long day, he did not grow tired of learning as many new words as he could. They had a wonderful time on their way back home. Firstly, his mother taught him his name, “Joshua” then that he should call her, “Mom”. He was a quick learner and grasped the meaning of words without difficulty. Ground, trees, birds, sounds…. his mother was pointing and saying the word and he repeated after her. His tongue was clumsy at first but not for long. As they were nearing their home, Joshua was learning the words needed to greet his father. But it was his little sister who heard them approaching and came running to them, shouting, “Mom! Mommy!”  Then he saw his father coming from the house to meet them. He ran forward, saying loudly, “Dad, I am Joshua.”
“Son! The Teacher has touched you!”

O, the joy and thankfulness in their home that night! They were filled with glad hope that Joshua would soon be able to understand everything and to speak fluently. So it happened and very soon they even forgot that there was a time that Joshua was deaf and dumb.

After some months the parents noticed that Joshua often disappeared to be alone. He was quiet and deep in thought. One day his father went to look for him and found him on the beach close to their home. He was sitting with a piece of driftwood in his hands, looking out over the sea.

His father sat down next to him and for quite a while he also watched the waves rolling onto the shore. Then he said, “Son, your thoughts seem to be occupied with a big matter. Is there a way that I can be of help to you?”

Joshua put the driftwood in his father’s hand. It looked like a bird in flight. His son must have worked on it for hours to get the wood so smooth and clean.

“When the Teacher touched me, He gave me freedom. I can now fly like a bird. I am no longer locked in between the thick, solid walls of silence. That was a cage I was powerless to escape from, but He set me free from that life where I knew nothing of the depths that hearing opened up to me.”

For a moment it seemed as if Joshua regretted what he had said, as if he could catch all the words and hide them again in his heart. He felt his father’s hand on his shoulder and turned to look up into his father’s eyes.

“Dad, He did this for me, and I never thanked Him. In my joy I ran away. I never saw Him again, and I never thanked Him. When I hear the roar of the sea and the waves crashing down, I think of Him. He opened my ears and I did not thank Him. When I hear the sea gulls calling out, I remember that I never said thank you for this wonderful miracle.”

His father saw the tears and heard the sadness in his son’s voice.

“Dad, He even knew my name! His voice was the very first I heard. I did not know that He was saying my name! And I did not know He was called Jesus. But what I know is that I never thanked Him.”

“Would you like to go and thank Him, my son?”

Eagerly Joshua looked at his father and asked, “May I?”

“Yes, I will go with you.”

Joshua had not lost his old habit of pressing his head against his father’s arm. Like always his father responded by putting his arm around his son’s shoulder and the two returned home in that warm closeness of father and son.

This time Joshua did not hide the driftwood under a bush, as he usually did, when they left the beach. He took it home, because it was for Jesus who had opened his ears and made him escape the prison of silence.

His mother was busy preparing food for the road till late into the night. They heard people saying that Jesus would most probably have gone up to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast. He overheard a conversation between his parents while his mother was packing. They thought he was asleep, but his excitement kept him awake

“Would you be able to walk all the way to Jerusalem and back with that leg of yours, Gersom? Eight days on your feet! Remember, it is because of the pain you experience that we decided not to go up to Jerusalem to the feast this year.”

“Our son needs to go, my wife. He is pining away with this sorrow that he did not thank Jesus.”
“Could I not go instead of you?”
“Not in a time like this, it will not be safe for you two alone. For the sake of our son, I will endure. Let not your heart be troubled about me any longer.”

Joshua turned onto his stomach and put his head on his arms. He did not want his parents to hear that he was crying. He loved his father and did not want to make him suffer, but what then was the solution for this aching heart which so longed to see Jesus? Eventually he fell into a restless sleep and only woke up when his father gently touched him and said,

“Time to go, my son. The day will soon break.”

After half a day on the road, Joshua noticed that his father was beginning to limp and often stopped, pretending to enjoy the view from the road. But he could see the perspiration forming on his father’s forehead and lip. He knew his father was suffering. In his heart grew a decision. They needed to return home, his father would not be able to complete that four-day journey to Jerusalem and then all the way back again. He was willing to give up the longing of his heart to see Jesus again.

When his father was again resting for a while, Joshua gathered his courage to explain his decision to rather return home. Before he could speak his dad drew his attention to a man that was coming in their direction with long, purposeful strides. He seemed to be in a hurry and on a definite mission.

When the man caught up with them, he greeted them in a friendly way. “I am Dibri from Gadara on my way to Jerusalem.”

“The Passover was celebrated some days ago, so what then is your urgent business there? In the way you walk one cannot but notice that you are in a hurry,” commented Joshua’s father.

“I want to see Jesus of Nazareth. After He healed me, He commanded me to go to my people to tell them what great things God had done for me. I did that but cannot any longer suppress this deep, aching longing to see Him again. He did not want me to get into the boat with Him at that time, but now I just have to go and find Him. At first I heard He would not go to the feast at Jerusalem. I walked through the whole area of Galilee but could not find Him. He must have gone up to Jerusalem, and there I will find Him.”

With delightful surprise Joshua had a closer look at this stranger. Another person who was healed and had a desire to see Jesus again! He was so excited that he completely forgot about his decision to return home for the sake of his father.

“Then we can walk together. My son, Joshua, has the same desire. He wants to see Jesus again and we are on our way to Jerusalem.”

They had much to share as they journeyed together. What Jesus of Nazareth had done for them and the burning longing to see Him again, made them not strangers to each other any longer, but friends. Dibri quickly noticed that Joshua’s father could not keep up with the fast pace, so he slowed down. As soon as the sun was beginning to set, he suggested that they seek shelter for the night. He found a place close to the road between some rocks and started gathering wood for a fire. Joshua joined him while his father sat down with his back leaning against a rock, gratefully stretching out his legs. Dibri spoke softly so that only Joshua could hear him.

“Your father is suffering. When did he hurt his leg?”
“Some weeks ago.”
“Joshua, your dad will not be able to continue. We will have to take him home. Maybe he will allow you to travel with me, then we can go together to Jerusalem.”
Joshua gave a deep sigh. He felt so ashamed that he did not speak up earlier that afternoon when he had seen for himself that it was too difficult for his father. He was so overwhelmed with excitement to hear all Dibri had to share that he had made his father to suffer even more!

When they returned with some wood, a small group of travellers were on the road. Two were riding on donkeys. They stopped, greeted and turned off to come and rest with the three.

“We came from Jerusalem. From the Passover feast.”
“Did you see whether Jesus of Nazareth was there?” Dibri asked while he arranged the sticks to light a fire.
“Yes, He was there,” the older man answered. “It was a very difficult time.”
“Why?”
“He was crucified.”

His words fell like big rocks in their midst. They were stunned.
Dibri left what he was doing and came closer to the newcomers. He put his hand on the older man’s shoulder and looked straight into his eyes.
“I think you misunderstood me. Jesus of Nazareth is not a criminal, He is the One who healed those who were blind and deaf, the crippled and lame, even lepers. He drove demons out of us. He is the One sent by God.”

Tears welled up in the man’s eyes. “No, friends, it is no misunderstanding. The Romans crucified Him because our own leaders gave Him over to them to be crucified.”

Joshua went and sat very close to his father, so close that he could press his head against his arm. His father put his arm around his son’s shoulder and held him because deep sobs were shaking the young boy’s body.

Dibri asked in a voice filled with emotion,
“Tell us then, how could something so terrible have happened?”

No one could talk because what they had heard was too heavy and too unexpected.  After a long time, Joshua’s father broke the silence,
“When did you leave Jerusalem?”
“Very early the morning after the Sabbath. The day was just beginning to break and the gates were already open. So this is our third day on the road.”

“When did they crucify Him?”
“The day before the Sabbath.”
“Where you there?”
The older man answered, “No, I could not face it to see Him suffer, carrying His own cross outside the gate of the city. He cleansed me from leprosy and gave me back a normal life again. He was only good to me, I could not join the angry mob.”

“Were any of you there at His crucifixion?”

Joshua stopped crying but was still leaning against his father’s chest. His father asked these questions, so to say on his behalf and on the behalf of Dibri, who sat motionless on a log, face bent down and tears dripping onto his hands.

The question was addressed to the other three men in the group. They shook their heads. Then each one explained why they were not there,
 “I was lame and He made me to walk.”
“My mother was dying, and He healed her from her illness.”
“I was tormented by demons, and He set me free.”

Dibri slowly got up and walked away. Then he shouted,
“He healed us, He taught us, He fed us, why then was there no one to help Him and save Him from such a terrible death!”
He began to cry uncontrollably. Joshua went to him and put his arms around his heart-broken new friend while his father struggled to his feet to light the fire. It was already dark.

Suddenly they heard the sound of galloping horses nearing them. Two men on horseback appeared. Roman soldiers. They reigned their horses in when they noticed the group around the fire. No one moved and no one spoke.

One of the soldiers greeted in a friendly way. Then he asked, “Has anyone of you known the Galilean who healed people of their sicknesses? The One who was crucified in Jerusalem during the Passover Feast?”

Joshua said with a clear, loud voice,

“Yes, I did!”

“I want to tell you, He has risen! The grave could not hold Him and death had no power over Him. He is risen!” Then the two soldiers galloped away into the night without any further explanation.

The seven around the fire looked at each other and their thoughts were multiplying at a terrific speed!

“Be careful, they are Roman soldiers. Maybe they are just mocking us and want to increase our sorrow!”
“But there were Roman soldiers who came to Jesus for help.”
“But if it is true, if Jesus was dead and He is alive again, then we will see Him again!”

After everyone voiced their thoughts and opinions, and it grew quiet again, Dibri said, “Before the sun rises tomorrow, I want to be on my way to Jerusalem to go and find out what has really happened to Jesus.”
The three companions of the older man responded simultaneously that they were joining him. Joshua looked at his father. His immediate reaction was to join Dibri, but his father needed to return home. Pain was gnawing at his father, he had heard the groan which escaped when his dad had to get up.

“Dad, I will return with you. We do not need go to Jerusalem.”

The older traveller explained that he would also have to go back to Galilee and could not return to Jerusalem. Dibri saw a solution and gently suggested that Joshua’s father could ride back home on the second donkey and then they could take Joshua with them to Jerusalem.

“I will care for him and bring him back to you,” he reassured Joshua’s father.

“It will be a great relief if I could ride back. Walking has become increasingly difficult, but I was determined to persevere for the sake of my son. He needs to see Jesus.”

Joshua had to swallow and swallow again and tried his best to keep his tears back. He pressed his head against the familiar arm and as he felt that arm lifting and going around his shoulder, he heard the laughter in his dad’s voice.

“Joshua, I will tell your mother that you now have four fathers looking after you on your journey to Jerusalem, so she has nothing to be worried about!”

“Dad!”  He had no need to say more, his joy and gratitude was clearly heard.

No one of the seven really slept that night and very early the next morning, long before daybreak, they were on their different ways. Joshua thanked the older man for his kindness in allowing his dad to ride back home as he helped his father onto the donkey. His dad still touched his shoulder in a farewell greeting, then Joshua turned and hurried to fall in with the brisk pace of the four others on their way to Jerusalem.

Very soon after sunrise they began to meet more and more travellers on their way back from Jerusalem.  The first few groups they met, told the grievous happenings of the crucifixion of Christ. Some were even glad that the deceiver, the one who pretended to be like God, was put to death. One man boasted in a loud voice that he was present and saw how the soldiers nailed that troublemaker to the cross. He was proud that he had mocked that deceiver while he was hanging there helplessly between heaven and earth. Dibri could not bear listening to the end of his story and just walked on. Others did not even want to talk about what had happened, they just shook their heads in sorrow and confusion.

Later in the day they began to meet travellers saying that Jesus had risen.

“How do you know? Have you seen Him?”

“Some of the women went to the grave and found the stone rolled away. They have seen Him and He spoke to them. Peter went to the grave and saw that it was empty.”

Hope, wonderful hope began to grow in the hearts of the five as they listened to more and more people who said that Jesus did not stay in the grave. He was alive.

Many travellers passed them that day and each one had something to tell. Surprisingly some did not even know what had happened in the city where they went to have the Passover Feast!

Then, just as the sun was setting, they met a big group walking together, singing. There was an air of expectation in these people and their joy was felt when they greeted the small group on their way to Jerusalem.

“Shalom! He has risen! Friends, Jesus, has risen from the dead and He is alive! We are on our way to Galilee to meet Him there.”

To their amazement it was the disciples of Jesus who greeted them with these words of comfort. It was Peter himself who spoke!

They were told that Jesus appeared to different people after his resurrection, even to the eleven disciples while they were at table behind lock doors. He indeed is alive!
They were then on their way to Galilee because Jesus told them the night before He was arrested, “After I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
The angel who spoke to the women at the grave also said to them, ”He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see Him.” As they were running to tell the disciples, Jesus Himself met them and said, “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, there they will see Me.”

Without any doubt Dibri, Joshua and the other three left their plan to go to Jerusalem. They joined the disciple’s group. Their own hearts were filled with joy in the knowledge that Jesus was alive and He would be in Galilee to meet them. They rested with the group during the night hours and continued with them back to Galilee.   

During the long hours on the road, they heard much about the happenings before the arrest of Jesus, the details of His so-called trial and the horrors of the crucifixion. But much, much more about the wonder of his resurrection. Over and over the details of the empty grave, the words of the angels, and the appearances of Jesus were related, and nobody grew tired of hearing it again and again. As they walked more and more people joined them and rejoiced with them that Jesus was alive.

Joshua was comforted, and in his own heart grew an expectation that he would really see Jesus again.  From far off they could get some glimpses already of the sea of Galilee, but the crowd seemed to linger around the disciples. They were almost five hundred people together and no one wanted to part to go to their own homes in the area. They all loved the Lord Jesus and wanted to be with his disciples as long as possible. Peter led the group to a grassy hill where they rested a bit after walking a long stretch that morning. They realized that the time to part had arrived and Peter was sharing with them some of the teachings of Jesus to encourage them.

“Peace be to you!”

Jesus came! He was there!

While He was talking to them, He looked into the face of everyone sitting there listening to every word He was saying.
Then His eyes met the eyes of Joshua. A great warmth filled the boy’s whole being and he knew in his heart, Jesus had seen his big thank you and Jesus had accepted his deep gratitude for being able to hear and to speak!

“Do not let your hearts become anxious and stressed when difficult times come. I am going to prepare a place for you in my Father’s house. I will come back to fetch you and take you with Me to where I am.”

Then Jesus was not there anymore, but the peace, the comfort and the warmth stayed behind. He was alive! They all saw Him and they all experienced the comfort He brought.

One by one the people began to say goodbye. 
Dibri noticed that Joshua was taking something from his bag while approaching Peter. Other people were still greeting and talking to Peter, but Joshua drew close to that disciple of Jesus and pressed his head against Peter’s arm. Peter looked down and saw the young boy with something in his hand.
Without a moment’s hesitation he put his arm around Joshua’s shoulder and said softly,
 “Do you want to tell me something?

Joshua put the piece of driftwood in Peter’s hand and said,
“This I picked up on the beach and rubbed it smooth. I wanted to give it to Jesus to say thank you. I was deaf, closed in behind thick walls of dead silence, but He opened my ears.  Now I am free like this bird, no cage of silence holding me back anymore.
Please, may I give it to you, because you are close to Jesus and you love Him as much as I do.”

Peter wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, looked down into the clear eyes of the young boy and said, “Yes, thank you, Joshua, I will take it, I love Him as much as you do.”

After Dibri and Joshua greeted the disciples, they followed the road leading to Joshua’s home. Both knew that it would still take some hours of walking.

“Dibri, did you also feel that deep warmth within you when Jesus looked at you today?”

“I did, Joshua, and I knew in my heart that all is well between Jesus and me. Just think of it, that day when Jesus will come to fetch us we will all be together with Him never to part again! Let us stay faithful while we are waiting for Him.”

Joshua nodded his approval and stepped closer to Dibri to say thank you for his willingness to have been with him in the place of his father. He pressed his head against the arm of his friend. Dibri responded by putting his arm around Joshua’s shoulder. With a big smile he said,
“All is well, Joshua, son of Gersom!”