william23
Magistrate
The Stranger
Junos was 18yrs old and the son of Mortious and his mother Martha. They lived in a little village on the road leading to the town of Nazareth. This had been his home for all of his early years and he had learn't his trade of clay pot making well. His pots were well known in all the neighbouring villages and were most excellent for holding fine wine. As the shop was on a main road the trade was good and Junos and his family led a very happy life. Junos was an only child and for the first years of his life he had to amuse and fend for himself. Five years ago he, as a child, had witnessed the quashing of a rebellion and had learnt to hide himself from the marauding soldiers who were searching for the cult called Christians. He had heard how this sect was intent on destroying Rome and to spread the word, of their so called God, to the masses. The ultimate result was the crucifixion of their King on a hill outside of Jerusalem. Things then started to die down but the search still continued for the remainder of the sect and to bring them to justice.
One day Junos was in the yard decorating some pots for a customer when he was approached by a black man of quite large stature.
"How are you my good man," asked the stranger, "I am looking for work and somewhere to stay?"
"Well good day to you, sir," responded Junos, "can I offer you some water and some bread to eat, it's fresh as just baked today."
"That's really kind of you," replied the stranger, "how about a nice jug of wine for this silver coin?" and he flipped a coin towards Junos.
Junos caught the coin cleanly, "sure," he said, "let me get you some of our best wine, please sit and I will attend to it straight away."
The man sat on a stool and Junos hurried off to fetch the wine and bread.
"In a hurry son," called his father.
"We have a visitor and I am just going to fetch some wine and food, look he has paid me," and he showed his father the silver coin.
Mortious held the coin in his hand and spoke quietly to his son in a hushed voice.
"Better get the good wine," he said as he stroked the coin in his hand, "this man has travelled far, probably from Rome itself, it would not do to upset him."
Junos hurried and collected the wine, in one of his ornate pots, and took a couple of loaves on a wooden plate. He returned to the dark skinned stranger and placed the pot of wine on the table with the bread. He filled a silver goblet with the wine and sat down opposite the man. The man took a sip of the wine and smiled, "this is good," he said, "very good."
"We make our own wine," spoke Junos, "the soil here is just right for the vines and we have had enough rain to give us a good crop."
"Glad to hear it," smiled the stranger, "nothing like a good jug of wine with friends. By the way do you have any work I can do, I am a hard worker and right now I would be glad of anything you offer."
"I am not sure, let me ask my father. Father," called Junos.
Mortious came over, "good day to you stranger, I hear you have travelled far."
"Yes," replied the man, "I have been travelling for days looking for work but there is nothing that suits my trade." The man took a bite from the bread and then washed it down with a mouthful of the red wine.
"And what trade would that be?" returned Mortious, with an air of curiosity in his voice.
"Crucifixion," replied the man, "crucifixion."
To be continued........................................
Junos was 18yrs old and the son of Mortious and his mother Martha. They lived in a little village on the road leading to the town of Nazareth. This had been his home for all of his early years and he had learn't his trade of clay pot making well. His pots were well known in all the neighbouring villages and were most excellent for holding fine wine. As the shop was on a main road the trade was good and Junos and his family led a very happy life. Junos was an only child and for the first years of his life he had to amuse and fend for himself. Five years ago he, as a child, had witnessed the quashing of a rebellion and had learnt to hide himself from the marauding soldiers who were searching for the cult called Christians. He had heard how this sect was intent on destroying Rome and to spread the word, of their so called God, to the masses. The ultimate result was the crucifixion of their King on a hill outside of Jerusalem. Things then started to die down but the search still continued for the remainder of the sect and to bring them to justice.
One day Junos was in the yard decorating some pots for a customer when he was approached by a black man of quite large stature.
"How are you my good man," asked the stranger, "I am looking for work and somewhere to stay?"
"Well good day to you, sir," responded Junos, "can I offer you some water and some bread to eat, it's fresh as just baked today."
"That's really kind of you," replied the stranger, "how about a nice jug of wine for this silver coin?" and he flipped a coin towards Junos.
Junos caught the coin cleanly, "sure," he said, "let me get you some of our best wine, please sit and I will attend to it straight away."
The man sat on a stool and Junos hurried off to fetch the wine and bread.
"In a hurry son," called his father.
"We have a visitor and I am just going to fetch some wine and food, look he has paid me," and he showed his father the silver coin.
Mortious held the coin in his hand and spoke quietly to his son in a hushed voice.
"Better get the good wine," he said as he stroked the coin in his hand, "this man has travelled far, probably from Rome itself, it would not do to upset him."
Junos hurried and collected the wine, in one of his ornate pots, and took a couple of loaves on a wooden plate. He returned to the dark skinned stranger and placed the pot of wine on the table with the bread. He filled a silver goblet with the wine and sat down opposite the man. The man took a sip of the wine and smiled, "this is good," he said, "very good."
"We make our own wine," spoke Junos, "the soil here is just right for the vines and we have had enough rain to give us a good crop."
"Glad to hear it," smiled the stranger, "nothing like a good jug of wine with friends. By the way do you have any work I can do, I am a hard worker and right now I would be glad of anything you offer."
"I am not sure, let me ask my father. Father," called Junos.
Mortious came over, "good day to you stranger, I hear you have travelled far."
"Yes," replied the man, "I have been travelling for days looking for work but there is nothing that suits my trade." The man took a bite from the bread and then washed it down with a mouthful of the red wine.
"And what trade would that be?" returned Mortious, with an air of curiosity in his voice.
"Crucifixion," replied the man, "crucifixion."
To be continued........................................