Jesus has given up His life to ransom the souls of men, but death could not hold Him. Risen again, He promises a power that will come over His people.
Despite the joy that He is alive and interceding in the heavenlies on their behalf, heartache has...
It came with the territory. When one's husband was in a prestigious place in society, it only made sense that his wife did good amongst the community too. Socially awkward and introverted, clearly passed from her to Robert, Mavy had already opened her doors along with the other women to share and take alike, but to have to leave her comfort zone was entirely different. If she didn't love Joel, she'd never have married him, taking on the extra role in society. Moments like this had flashes of "I wish I'd stayed a widow" flow through her mind, even if just briefly.
Nerves hit her before she had replaced the perfume bottle, gripping the counter. "You don't owe them anything. You aren't obliged to stay," she self-talked into the deer-in-the-headlights reflection, "You are making their day! You aren't indebted to them. You can do this. What would Jesus do, huh? He'd volunteer. Be like Jesus, less like Mavy." With Estelle helping work in the markets with Samuel, Robert still in school, she had no excuses to stay behind semi-closed doors.
"It's Mavy!" Debora adjusted herself more upright in her chair, conveniently situated for its occupant to have a look at either the outside or others in the common room. A bird's eye view.
"Mavy!" Jubal repeated, his eyes brightening within sunken features, "Is that you?"
"It sure is Jubal," Mavy couldn't help but be warmed, reaching for his feeble hand with both of hers.
"I'm so happy to see you."
"Come sit here," Debora waved from the corner, gesturing to the stool, smiling when she obliged, tucked in close to her lap, they holding hands. "I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"Sing to me."
Mavy looked up, surprised, "Oh no, you don't want that. Trust me."
"I do."
"No. Really."
"Please."
"Well, alright," she cleared her throat, debating what to sing, settling quickly on an Israeli folk song, the room silent as she finished the chorus, pausing knitting her brow.
Do people have souls? When you sit down at a restaurant as a believer in Christ and a young woman waits on you, do you think of her having a soul? Or are you just wishing she'd hurry up and take your order? Do you recognize the image of God in that person?
She tried to shrug off the words of Joel's devotions that morning. She wasn't a rabbi, a Pharisee. While Joel seemed to live to preach and teach of Jesus, redirecting even the simplest of conversations towards eternal matters, she struggled, shying away from it.
she shook her head, glancing at the aged around her. How much time did they have? She bit her tongue when Debora prodded her to continue. She was just a volunteer. It's not as if she could get fired. Besides, no one was near to complain... She shook her head at her cowardliness, changing into a song about the goodness of the Lord Jesus.
Jubal hummed along off-key.
Sapphira's jaw dropped, stalling at the doorway, looking at Mavy.
"That was beautiful-"
"Mavy?" Sapphira interrupted Debora.
She looked up startled at her coworker, "Hey-"
What had she done? Proclaiming her faith in front of one she barely knew. "I'm sorry, I don't imagine Jesus-"
"You're a follower of Jesus?"
Mavy flushed, looking towards her toes, "Well, yes, yes I am."
"Me too! But be cautious. If it's known, you'll be banned," Sapphira lowered her voice, "Or worse."
Now Sapphira and her husband, Ananias sold their plot of land. It was commonplace now for those who claimed to follow Jesus to give freely for the common good of all. They had got a decent amount, 1407 coins, but conspired between them both to give only part of it and keep the rest for themselves, but let on that they were giving all. The lie conceived they came to the apostle's and laid the bag of money before them.
"Here, we have sold our possessions and have brought all to you. Use it as you see fit," Ananias smiled thinking of the lush dinner his wife and he would enjoy later. She'd stayed home just long enough to fix herself up.
"Why have you given satan room in your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, to keep back part of the selling price? It was all yours, to begin with before and after you sold it! Why would you lie then? You haven't lied to men, but God!" Peter looked sorrowfully at him.
Ananias clutched his heart, falling to the ground, the pulsing throb not found. Great fear came on all them that heard these things as the young men wound up his corpse, carrying him out and burying him.
Three hours later, Sapphira strolled in, blissfully unaware, her best clothes underneath a more modest robe. Ananias had likely just got caught up talking of the latest. It was so like him to get sidetracked.
"Hello, Sapphira," Peter approached her, his brow already creasing. Perhaps in the time she'd been alone, she'd repented, or had not known of the foul lie. "I heard you sold your land for seven hundred and two coins, that is a good price."
"Yes, seven hundred and two," her eyes scanned those gathered. Where was Ananias?
"Why is it that you both agreed to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out."
Sapphira collapsed to the ground, dead, and the men who'd no sooner buried Ananias, carried her out, burying her beside her husband.
A great fear came upon all the church and those that heard the news.
Mavy was shell shocked.
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