Jairus and others crowded around the man, asking him if he was all right and helping him to his feet. And then Jesus told us it was time to go. Time to go? But what had happened? I knew what had happened; I was there, but I really didn’t have a clue as to what I had seen.

“Well guys, I think we’ve had enough excitement. Let’s call it a day and pick it up tomorrow.” And then, he just walked away. Weird.

“Simon, what happened in there?“ Esther’s voice brought me back to earth, of course she was here, she never missed celebrating the Sabbath. “I didn’t see you go in, was that Jesus? I thought he’d be older, he’s not much older than we are. And it sounded like there was shouting. But even when Old Man Saul gets wound up there’s no shouting, not inside the synagogue. Who was shouting?”

So many questions and so few answers.

“Yes, there was shouting, and no it wasn’t Old Man Saul. It’s a long story, I’ll tell you all about it when we get home.”

“This must be Esther.” I almost jumped out of my skin, I didn’t know Jesus was behind me. “Now I know why Peter is smitten.”

“We were just talking about you, speak of the devil.”

“Not even close Peter. but I know what you mean. Esther, thank you for being so understanding.”

“Understanding?”

“Of me borrowing Peter, I mean Simon, from you. I know there will be times you wished he was home more. I promise I’ll do what I can to make that happen. We’re done for today, so he’s all yours.”

“Hey, I’m right here! I can’t be borrowed, it’s not like I belong to her.”

Jesus and Esther just grinned.

“If you haven’t figured that out my friend, you haven’t been married long enough.

Have a great rest of the day and I’ll see you tomorrow.

Esther, it was nice meeting you, and thanks again.”

That night snuggled up in bed I told Esther what happened at the service. She had more questions than I had answers for. And the answer I used the most was, I don’t know.

“Who was the man?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen him before.”

“If he was from Capernaum, we’d have known him, where was he from?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen him before.”

“What do you think was wrong with him?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen him before.”

“What do you know? You were there, weren’t you?”

“Seriously Esther, I told you what I know. The guy shouted at Jesus and calling him the Holy One come from God. Then Jesus told him to stop it and to leave the man alone. The man fell down, there was the purple haze, a horrible smell and it was over.

I don’t know who the man was, I don’t know where he came from or what was wrong with him. It was strange, and I don’t know what he meant when he called Jesus the Holy One from God.

But I know that tonight I don’t have to go fishing, your mother is asleep and Andrew’s out of the house.”

And for a little while we didn’t think about Jesus, purple haze or screaming men.

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