Gad is now coming out of the water and Jesus has taken the crowd down the road away from him. He is looking like a new man, and a very handsome one. His hair is clean and smoothed back and he grooms his beard now preparing for his homecoming. He dons his white robe just received from the holy women, adjusting the sash at his waist.
Now he arrives at the door of his home and nervously fusses with his appearance a bit before he lightly taps on the door. I hear whispering within but no one opens the door."Sarah?....Sarah?....I...please...Sarah,...please open the door." But no one stirs within. "Sarah, I'm not the man I was....I...I won't hurt you. Something has happened." I hear more whispering and rustling within and then the sound of a sliding board and the creak of hinges as the door slowly opens. Sarah peeps out but looks ready to slam the door shut if need be. Gad does not force his way in but stands calmly waiting to be invited. He stands brawny and powerful and yet somehow meek. "Something has happened, Sarah. Someone... someone touched me and healed me.....He..."
"The Nazarene?" asked Sarah. "Was it Mary's Son who touched you, Gad?"
"Jesus! They said His name was Jesus!"
A quiet gasp is heard coming from the far corner of the room and the sound of a vase teetering and then crashing to the ground. This startles both Gad and Sarah and they turn to spy two little frightened girls with hands over mouths, wide-eyed and cowering in the darkness. "Oh girls!" cries Sarah. "Oh girls, never mind that. Your father is here! Your father is back!" The girls seem to be terrified but Sarah gently takes her husband's hand and re-initiates him into the family.
"Mariah! Ruthie!... My dear babies!" Gad begins but then, trembling with emotion and falling to his knees in repentance and remorse from bygone days, copious tears pour down his face. "I am so sorry! I am so, so sorry!... Oh forgive me my sweet ones! my babies!" Sarah remains faithfully at his side, her arm embracing him which causes the girls to understand that it is safe to approach.
"Daddy?" little Ruthie quietly breathes the words. "It's good to have you back." and the two girls come close and snuggle into his arms and lap.
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This might not sound like anything spectacular for a meditation, but as I continued to think about this family, I realized that had he followed Jesus as he was attracted to doing there would have been so much unfinished in his life. I imagined that the happy couple, remaining friends with Jesus and His family, were blessed with many more children after that, creating generation after generation of faith filled Christians coming down to this very day and age. Who's to say but maybe even I have descended from a family such as Gad's who had their roots among Jesus' followers. This makes me anxious to insure that my descendants carry on this great Faith.
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