An Easter Disciple: The Chronicle of Quintus, the Roman Knight — John Shaqi
An Easter Disciple: The Chronicle of Quintus, the Roman KnightSanford, Arthur Benton
Religion
An Easter Disciple: The Chronicle of Quintus, the Roman Knight
Sanford, Arthur Benton
Easter stories
Two other peculiar disciples does Quintus see, both of whom have
been raised from the dead. Lazarus has come, who has so often
welcomed the Lord to his home in Bethany; and with him are the
sisters, of whom one has heard the Teacher say. "Whosoever liveth
and believeth in me shall never die." The other is a young
vineyard keeper from the neighboring village of Nain, whom Christ
has restored. His word to Quintus is:
"Last year I sickened with a fever and passed through the door of
death. They were carrying me out for burial, and my widowed mother
was weeping as one weeps who has lost her only son. The Master
halted the mourners, and called me back to earth. I have never
told of the wonders which I saw in the spirit world; it would not
be lawful. But I have been in the great spaces beyond the stars,
and know that the tomb is only a resting place for a little sleep."
"How many disciples are there here?" Quintus asks of the good John.
To which question the other answers:
"Over a half thousand. It has been our Master's wish that every
disciple of his throughout the land should come to this meeting
place. Unto all he would show himself once more, before he returns
to the upper life. So they shall have a glad memory of his face,
and shall be strengthened in their coming tribulations by the hope
of immortality."
Then suddenly--the risen Lord has come! The marvel of it! The
splendor of it! While the five hundred are talking together, the
air grows luminous with his presence. Out of the invisible he
appears. As suddenly he comes as Aurora in her chariot drives up
the eastern sky and brings in the shining day. When the company
have fallen on their faces and have adored their Master, in the
hush that follows he gives them a great commission:
"You are to go forth." he says, "and herald my gospel to the world.
Let there be no laggards in your company. It is a lifelong charge.
There is a task for Petrus and Johannes, for Philippus and
Mattheus, and for all. You are to look for disciples everywhere.
You are to proclaim the message of repentance. You are to give
them the waters of baptism, in the name of the God triune. You are
to declare to sad-hearted men the promise of eternal life, until I
shall come again to take men to myself."
That honorable commission! It was in coming days to stir the souls
of apostles and quicken the feet of missioners and fire with zeal
earth's coming reformers. Nor does Quintus forget that he too has
his charge. In the city on the Tiber is to be his task. To his
home circle, to priests in the temples of the gods, and even to the
royal Tiberius he is to herald the gospel of the resurrection. His
vision of the risen Lord is the measure of his opportunity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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