Today I am participating in Five Minute Friday, where a group of writers get together and free write about a one word prompt for 5 minutes. Today's word is "escape." Usually I wrote non-fiction, but today I thought about trying some fiction again.
Begin.
End.
*This is a fictional rendering of the events that happened in John 7:45-52, from the perspective of Nicodemus, the night before a woman caught in adultery is brought to Jesus in the Temple.
There was no escape. I was standing there just listening to them. I was trapped, trapped in the middle of those who had been my brethren. But now I just felt like I was on the outside, looking in. It seemed like mania in that room.
The officers were standing there shuffling their feet back and forth, one with beads of sweat forming on his brow, waiting for a punishment to come.
I couldn’t take it any longer. So, I just blurted out, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”
Every face in the room turned to me. The chief priests, the Pharisees, and the officers all stared at me intently. After the surprise wore off, a few of the Pharisees knit their eyebrows in confusion, and possibly some in anger.
I really wanted to turn and run. But I held my ground. I stared back and waited for the inevitable; a chastisement was surely coming.
A few of them began to speak in unison, all with the same thought. “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”
It was all I could do to not roll my eyes. I simply said, “Hmmmm” while stroking my beard, trying to appear in thought. This diverted their attention away from me and back to each other somewhat. It was not time for me to give myself away just yet. Who knew what else was to come?
After I lost their attention, I turned to leave the boiler of a room, and walked away with my hands behind my back, mumbling quietly under my breath, “Well Jonah came from Galilee.”
As I walked out the door, I could hear them plotting. “We must trap this carpenter in his own words, expose him before the people. But what can we do?”
I couldn’t take it any longer. So, I just blurted out, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”
Every face in the room turned to me. The chief priests, the Pharisees, and the officers all stared at me intently. After the surprise wore off, a few of the Pharisees knit their eyebrows in confusion, and possibly some in anger.
I really wanted to turn and run. But I held my ground. I stared back and waited for the inevitable; a chastisement was surely coming.
A few of them began to speak in unison, all with the same thought. “Are you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.”
It was all I could do to not roll my eyes. I simply said, “Hmmmm” while stroking my beard, trying to appear in thought. This diverted their attention away from me and back to each other somewhat. It was not time for me to give myself away just yet. Who knew what else was to come?
After I lost their attention, I turned to leave the boiler of a room, and walked away with my hands behind my back, mumbling quietly under my breath, “Well Jonah came from Galilee.”
As I walked out the door, I could hear them plotting. “We must trap this carpenter in his own words, expose him before the people. But what can we do?”
End.
*This is a fictional rendering of the events that happened in John 7:45-52, from the perspective of Nicodemus, the night before a woman caught in adultery is brought to Jesus in the Temple.
Thanks for sharing this perspective 'There was no escape. I was standing there just listening to them. I was trapped, trapped in the middle of those who had been my brethren'. I just can't imagine how trapped Jesus must have felt at times, His deep trust in His Father is what sustained Him.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading Leisa. I always learn something new when I write about something pertaining to Scripture. That's one of the reasons I do it.
Deletehmm... interesting perspective. Not entirely sure what I think. FMF15
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading Annette. I learned something new while writing this. Nicodemus is only mentioned in the Gospel of John. None of the other Gospels mention him. It was fun and enlightening to try and look through his eyes.
DeleteGreat perspective, Beth, I felt like I was standing in the room with the pharisees.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lisa. I am glad you could picture yourself there. I enjoyed thinking about it and writing it out.
DeleteI love this kind of writing. I learnt about it in reading through the Sensible Shoes series, learning to put yourself in the story. It's so powerful. Thanks for sharing, Beth. Kath, visiting from FMF #21 this week.
ReplyDeleteThank you for stopping by Kath! Your words were encouraging. I will check out that book series you mentioned!!
DeleteThey tried to trap the Carpenter
ReplyDeletethrough the loving things He said,
but in that, dude, did they err,
and have to lie on self-made bed.
It was a power trip, of course;
they thought that He might be a threat,
and that through cunning they'd reverse
the setback that they knew they'd get.
And at first they thought they'd won,
when He was hung upon the Cross.
But being God, He was not done
and He handed them a loss
when the stone was rolled away
on that fresh bright Easter Day.
I love this!! Thank you so much for sharing!!
DeleteI love this. So beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
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