An Easter Dialogue

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 86, 12 April 1941, Page 16 (Supplement)

An Easter Dialogue

BARABBAS is accosted outside the temple by a Roman soldier. Soldier: Saved by Jesus the Christ, that's what you've been. If He had known as much about you as I do He d have saved Him self the trouble. Barabbas: He had no choice. Soldier (looking around before wlusperiii" in the ear of the released crimiJ,a 1): Tliev siv He was the Son ot Cod. Sh-h-h. But' keep that under your toga. Barabbas: The Son of God! Ihe Messiah! Soldier: Yes! Have you heard the rumour ? Barabbas: What rumour! Sol.licr: About Hi* rising from the dead this morning, \alentius and Septimus were there on and in the mess room to-day 1 heard that they had been called before a tribunal which Pilate is setting up, there to give account for their neglect of dntv. Some say thai, iiis body was stolen. Knough for the present! Here comes; a Centurion! I'll see you on the Ascent of Adummim. (The Ascent of Adumuiim wasin tliose days better known as the Ascent of Blood, and was the robber-infested road that led from Jerusalem to Jericho. It lias since been named Tal'at ed-l)timm.)

Barabbas: Ascent of Blood. The name hurts me. Many's the man I've slung I, v the wayside" there before the final insurrection which me my freedom and very nearly my life. 'Uiis lime the dico was loaded against .Testis Barjoseph instead of against tlie Jesus Barabba. Jfa ! J la! But wait, if what the soldier naid was true, He was the Son of <;od. Perhaps lie loade<l it against Himself to set me free.

Just then two men, Cleophas and his friend (unknown to Barabbas) pass by on their return from Kmmuus, and Barabbas notices the briskness of their gait and a strange new light in their eyes. Like a haunted thing lie steps into the porch of a bazaar and crouches there in order to avoid being seen by. them. As he does so he catches two words from their animated conversation. "Risen, indeed."

Barabbas: Risen indeed! Whom can they mean but Him! The soldier was right. Then Tie not only saved me, but saved Himself as well. The Ascent of

CHARACTERS: Barabbas, and An Unknown Roman Soldier. TIME AND PLACE: Jerusalem, 33 A.D., "On the Third Day." Barabbas, like Bartholomew and Bartimaeus, is a patronymic, possibly "the son of the father" (i.e., the Rabbi) and, according to the ancient reading of Matthew xxvii, verse 17, the brigand's name was Jesus. If so, there is a dramatic adroitness in Pilates presentation of the alternative to the multitude, '•which of the two do ye wish me to release unto you. Jesus the barabba or Jesus that is calicd Messiah." (Hastings.)

By Rev. C. W. Chandler

Adummim is not for inc. I've d.me with that bloody hannt. I'm hack into the city within sight of c\eryone. I've no one to fear but in\>clt'. He rushes a.'ter the two n:en from Emmaus. Comes within a few leet of tliem and halts abruptly. I wish I'd asked the sol'lier his name. He <=aid Valentius and Septimus were at the tomb. I'll search them out and learn from them just who that soldier was. He hurries to the barracks and is met at the trate hv the soldier whom he seeks. Soldier: Hello! You again! What's on the Ascent of Adummiin? J?arabl>as: Not for inc. I've done with that place. I'll leave it to the fools that >vant it. "The way of tra ii-p: tv-koi-s is hard" I've heard my. Be.-iucs Jesus Barjoseph is risen! He's sa\ed Himself as well ae me, and I'm going to give myself up. Soldier: Not Barjoseph, my friend, but Bar-Go<I; remember what I tolj you when lirst wc met. But why give yourself up? What mischief have you now been up to? Barabl-us: I'm going to give myself up to Him who saved me. Soldier (in a whisper): Move ahead! I'll follow. (Barabbas walks ahead and waits in the shadow of the East Oate. The soldier quickly joins him there.)

Soldier: See this! It's the sponge that touclicd those sacred lips. I kept it. Ho was the Son of God! He's £ot me, like He's prot vau. You've been saved from death and*l've been saved from life.

Barabbas: From life* Ye, from iif e , '-elcs rouIK, of p]easures ■"» pain. Some of lhose the Cro* mlgU \^ been at a gladiatorial n of at a cru-hixion at Hun ami lathed ai each M'uselc-s buffi Kmerv. When ® t hem shout "Come down from the 1 i"uld mi <i murdered the lot ' M - Of tho e \L COid an< ® »■>' allegiance to r? ? " lc - I was nearer .1^ ' ■ ,h "» "hen I lif W u ' T'Z-V 1 Hi" 1 toHis %, It ;V" timicle.) m W r..'":iMias: 11:* blood! >"id;er: It's on my hands, ton a:t II- u-l! y,iii cannot see it \yi. • w-rse. it's on my soul as we!' t. = . ro it s beyond the reach of all bm Barabbas: And on my soul, too! But a :,li Ibe Descent of LQ Te has saved me irom the Accent of Bbo rom Adummim. Love went alj Z way with H:m. Through the X n „! portals oi deatii and onward into W ) all 'way and I'll not 7 t uikil _l fee liarjuseph who is calfel -»le->:a,i. lie must lie hereabouts kjjt w|ien 1 find Him I'll follow Kin. ihev toil me Magdalene was there."

S,,Mi,.r: Yes. she was there, to ~nj C. ivsi m an agony of grief. c Karabbas: She was one of us. I neas .-lie lard on ln-t until love saved W 1 nev were ?un ; to stone her I've heart tell, 'i was only in the nick o' time lie camc.

. --• 'i'lit-r : If wo don't hurry from hen in tho nick o time." as you call it we'll he lost. too. I'll be had up fa consortsn;j with a thief and a mar..', no, forgive mo, I dare not say it. Yo'nr hands are clean compared with mine lor I. and the likes of me, killed Goi Barabbas: Vou can't kill God. He's iir-en:_ What's more, Iheartashow Ho said > >nic:hin ? about "a Jip of cold water in My Xan:e/' and you gave Him vinegar to drink. (Curtain.)