Description
Set in 28 A.D., Yeshua’s Thief is the story of the family of a thief on the cross who was forgiven. It is a story of sacrifice, redemption, and romance.
Ezekiel struggles with the stigma of being the son of a thief. His father, Dismas-leader of the Zealots, is not around much. One day Dismas returns home and Ezekiel is excited to see him. Dismas reveals that he has an important task: keep the dagger safe until he returns. The dagger encrusted with jewels and garnished with gold is the most valuable thing Ezekiel has ever seen. He quickly hides the dagger and his father leaves and does not return for eight years.
Presuming him dead, Ezekiel sells the dagger at the market for enough money to build three fishing boats. He is encouraged to seek out Yeshua a local carpenter. Yeshua refuses to build the boats telling Ezekiel that he must return the money and get the dagger back or someone in his family will die. Ezekiel does not listen. A few years later his father returns in chains and needs the dagger to buy his freedom from the Romans. If Dismas does not return the dagger, then he could be sentenced to the cross.
This story takes an obscure character in the Passion Narrative and tells his story.
Yeshua’s Thief takes a broken family and a young man who longs for the approval of his father and tells a story which many people can relate.
Chapter 1
As morning dawned on the city, Ezekiel walked home from the market with a basket of fresh fish. The scent of freshly baked bread rose to his nostrils through clean air. His father had given him a thin copper coin to buy the family’s daily food. The pit of his stomach churned as if a spirit was trying to make butter in his belly. It was the same churning as when he once got lost in the hills.
He didn’t feel right buying food with Roman money, which was out of his father’s character. Dismas, his father, hated the Romans. Even though he was careful, the hatred bubbled to the surface when he had too much wine. It always upset Aaliyah, Ezekiel’s mother, who sent him to the market to talk privately with Dismas.
Ezekiel inhaled deeply and could almost taste the musht. It had been some time since they had such a treat. Ezekiel carried a sense of expectation along with the basket as he made his way up the hillside to his clay house. Across the street stood his grandfather, Elyam.
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“Hi, Ezekiel. Your grandmother sent me out here to ask you to gather some firewood. If you would like, I could help you.”
Ezekiel smiled. “Anything for my favorite grandfather.”
“I wasn’t aware of you having another grandfather somewhere.”
“Exactly my point.” Ezekiel smiled. He admired Elyam for his steadiness. Unlike his father, Elyam was well respected by his family and friends.
On the other hand, Dismas did not share the values of the rest of the family. Still, he loved Aaliyah with unending passion. He continually sought to win over her affection with lavish gifts. The day before, the gift had been a sack of Roman copper coins.
Ezekiel wanted to believe his father’s exotic tales of adventure that he occasionally spun to account for the seemingly miraculous gifts. Still, they seemed too fantastic to be true.
As he neared the door, Aaliyah burst onto the street, her eyes telling the story of her heart as they often did. With one look, Ezekiel suspected this would be the last time, for a long time, that he would lay eyes on his father. Walking through the open door, he could sense the familiar tension and said nothing as he laid down the fish in the small alcove beside the clay oven.
Dismas sat on his haunches in the corner with the tail of his cloak piling in the dirt. He dragged his finger on the ground in circular patterns as if contemplating what to say next. Ezekiel went up to him and hugged him with intensity.
Dismas put his arm around his son and slowly stood up. Then he turned.
“I have a gift for you.”
“Really? What is it?” Ezekiel looked at his father, not knowing if he could trust him. Dismas returned the look with a discerning impression as if to signal that this gift was great and came with responsibility. Then, suddenly, he pulled out a sheathed dagger. The crafting was more
beautiful than anything Ezekiel had seen before, with a gold inlay and a pearl-studded hilt. Again, Ezekiel’s heart sank into his stomach.
“It’s really more of a loan. Keep it safe until I return.” “Why are you giving it to me?”
“Because, Ezekiel, I believe I can trust you. Am I right?” “Of course.”
“Good. I am going away for a while. Please keep it safe. Bury it if you must. Whatever you do, do not lose it.”
“When will you return?”
“I don’t know. Maybe a few months. Maybe never.”
Ezekiel promptly hid the dagger amidst his cloaks. He didn’t like
hiding things. It made him feel like a cheat. However, he was a good son and did as he was told. He planned to steal off in the night and bury it under the olive tree that Elyam planted when he was born. For the moment, all he could do was tell his father goodbye.
The weight of the moment caught the young boy like a swift punch to the stomach. So he ran out of the house along the path by the sea. People didn’t seem to notice, and if they saw him, they didn’t seem to care.
It was a harsh time to be a boy of fifteen in Galilee. He was old enough to carry responsibilities but young enough to carry a hopeful heart within him everywhere. Unfortunately, being hopeful sometimes felt like carrying a cup around that other people would fill with a bitter drink. He slumped against the wall, skidding to the floor, and let his tears flow.
He was so overcome with emotion that he failed to see the approaching Roman soldier. Most of the time, he could avoid such annoyances, but with his head down, he was unable to move out of the way before it was too late.
“You, there!” said the soldier. The sun glistened off his armor like shimmering water.
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Ezekiel slowly looked up to see the face of the oppressor. “Yes, I said you! Carry my shield, for I am tired and in need of rest.”
“Yes, sir.” Ezekiel wiped his cheeks on the short sleeves of his tunic, fearing the consequences of a response that could be taken as impertinent. He stood and picked up the shield, which was so heavy that he had to sling it onto his back, causing him to stumble. This brought a peal of laughter from the soldier.
Sweat poured over Ezekiel’s forehead as he struggled to keep up with the soldier. His muscles ached, and his side felt the sharp pain of a cramp as he neared the obligatory mile required under Roman law. Ezekiel knew the measurement of a mile was a relative distance. It was almost always exaggerated to mean as far as the soldier needed to go.
Looking past the guard, he saw his friend Rina with a basket of grain under her arm. Even under the weight of the shield, he took notice of how much she had changed over the last few years. Every day, it seemed, she grew visibly in her womanhood.
Rina looked at him and nodded. Ezekiel knew then that his mother would soon understand why he would be coming home late.
“Keep your eyes focused on the path. I have an important meeting tonight and need to get there quickly.” The flat side of the Roman’s sword came crashing down on Ezekiel’s left shoulder, causing him to stumble. Again, a cruel laugh came from the Roman, who then swiftly kicked him in the stomach, sending Ezekiel sprawling to the ground.
Rina came running to him and tried to help him up, which prompted the soldier to grab her by the hair and throw her to the side.
He picked up the shield, cursed under his breath, and walked away, leaving Rina and Ezekiel lying together, face-down in the street.
“Are you alright?” Ezekiel asked Rina, struggling to get up.
No answer came, only sobbing. Ezekiel realized Rina had hit her head on a stone.
“Rina?” Still, she laid there sobbing. Ezekiel forced himself to his feet. Once he was up, he felt a little better. He took a few steps over to Rina, who tried on her own to get up. Grabbing her arm, he helped her to her feet, which seemed to give her strength. He bandaged her forehead with strips torn from his tunic, and they hobbled home arm- in-arm.
The arid climate of Tiberias seemed to choke the life out of Ezekiel. His mother came rushing out to meet them. Ezekiel could see that tears streaked down her cheeks as she grabbed him and held his head close to her heart.
Rina stumbled to her knees. Aaliyah caught her by the arm then knelt to face her, wrapping her in a tight embrace.
Rina continued to cry. Ezekiel noticed her resolve didn’t falter even when her body did. It made her even more attractive.
“Let’s go inside,” said Aaliyah. “Come, Rina, we’ll find a place for you to lie down.” Rina just nodded. Ezekiel was glad she was there, though he would have spared her this pain if he could. He could tell Rina was forcing a smile as Aaliyah helped her inside. Out of respect, Ezekiel sat outside on the west side of the house and watched the sun fade from view behind the roofs of Galilee. Aaliyah brought Ezekiel some fish and bread, along with some water in a clay pot. The cold liquid felt kind to his throat, and the salty fish tasted like a little bit of heaven, given how tired he was. When the sun was nearly hidden from view, Rina’s mother, Ester, came home from working the vineyards.
“Thank you for protecting Rina, Ezekiel,” she said as she reemerged from the house with Rina under her wing. Ezekiel smiled as they walked away. His heart lightened at the thought that his best friend was going to be alright.
“I’ll come by to check on you tomorrow.”
Rina just forced a smile. “It’s been a long day,” said Ester.