Well into the afternoon on a warm day we came to a spot where pepper trees, over-hanging the road, offered a bit of shade.

Jesus, adjusting himself at the base of a tree, sat down to rest. Putting his elbows on his knees, he held his head with his hands and then rubbed his face and eyes. Soft currents of breeze whispered through the hanging boughs giving the impression of massaging the Son of God. He smiled, looking upward through the limbs as if to say, "Thank you."

There were others about, including a family with a small boy about ten years old. The child approached, carrying a pot of water. He set the pot down and taking a cup offered the Lord a drink. We were all very thirsty and Jesus, with gratitude, accepted the cup from the boy. After serving Jesus, he then served each one of us, and approaching the Master once more he said, "I know who you are." This with a bright smile looking up at Jesus, as though he knew something no one would expect him to know. "You are Jesus of Nazareth, the son of David the king."

It was one of the few times that I saw genuine surprise on the Lord's face. "How did you come by this knowledge, my boy?"

"My father told me," spoke the lad.

"And what is your name?"

"Eben, sir," the boy responded. "My name is Eben ben Eben."

"Eben? The son of Eben?"

"Yes, Jesus," came a nearby voice, "This is my son." Jesus glanced in the direction of the voice and observed the man and a woman standing, staring at him. The man's beard was short, black and rough cut. The woman at his side with golden hair and intense blue eyes smiled back at him. It took a moment, but recognition came. Jesus sucked in his breath like he had been hit in the stomach.

"Ah!" he shouted. A brief pause and again, "Ah! My old friend! What pleasure! What joy!" At once he strode to the man and embraced him warmly.

"Eben!" he cried, "Eben, is it really you?"

"It is I," said the man. "And this is my wife, Miryam."

Miryam bowed as if she were meeting royalty. "I am pleased and humbled to meet the Son of God," she said softly. "I have heard much of you. My husband speaks of you almost every day. His faith in God the Father finds its strength in his faith in you."

Jesus was moved by her obvious sincerity and, no doubt, by her eyes, blue as a deep pool. "I, too, am honored to meet the wife of my childhood friend. But please, to you, I am Jesus ben Joseph, an old childhood and family friend. Come, let us sit and renew our friendship." Not too far from the pepper tree was an inn with a courtyard cafe. Tables were set about where people gathered and refreshed themselves with food and wine. A table was quickly found for the four of them, the boy looking bright-eyed and excited; and when food was brought, he wasted no time with preliminaries. The rest of us either found a table or stayed outside and waited.

"So," Jesus began, "Tell me, Eben, what of your parents? What of your life? And how in the world did you find me? Tell me everything! Leave nothing out!"

Eben smiled, glanced knowingly at his wife and then spoke, "I have found you, my Lord, because I . . . well, I have a concern. I suppose you could call it a major concern . . . a need." His voice trailed off.

The expression on Jesus' face changed from excited anticipation to serious interest. With his elbows on the table, he brought his hands up in front of him clasping them. "You bring a man water to slake his thirst after a long journey. You are a friend who was lost and now is found. I am overjoyed with your presence. Tell me, is there a possibility I can help? How may I assist my dearest of old friends?"

"I don't know," said Eben flatly. "I just don't know. Maybe this is a bad idea." He looked uncomfortably at his wife, thinking that perhaps they should not have bothered Jesus. Miryam extended her hand and placed it on his, comforting him. With her other hand she stroked the sandy-colored hair of the boy.

Jesus saw how intensely she loved her husband and how devoted she was to her son. He also saw in her a deep strength of character and dignity. When she spoke her voice was soft, yet commanding. "I will speak for my husband . . ." She looked wistful for a moment and began to speak. "The winds of autumn are bringing a bitter chill to our home. Eben, my husband, hasn't had a restful night for months. Eben, my son, often finds his father weeping and crying out to God our Father in great agony of spirit. Still, they come. Each week they come. And the days of the week are spent in anguish for their coming and in dread for their coming again." The expression on Jesus face became intense. "They are men, rough men, usually two of them, sometimes three. They come to our home and leave with every denari we have. If we do not pay them, they threaten to take away our son. If our son is taken, we will never see him again, and only God knows what will happen to him." She paused and then shuddered visibly.

"In some respects," responded Jesus, this is a re-visit to our childhood, Eben. You remember that one of the concerns of my parents when I turned up missing in Jerusalem was that I may have been abducted by flesh-peddlers. How did you come to be in debt to such men?"

"We owe them nothing!" exclaimed Eben bitterly.

"Are they doing this to everyone in your community or just to you?"

"I have heard rumors but nothing more. If others are like me, they will not advertise their shame. No one wants other people to think that they are in debt to vile men like these. I have seen these same men enter the houses of others. It is as if all are being victimized, and no one speaks about it. But I am very afraid for my son. It is said that the landowner likes . . . likes young boys."

"Let me make sure I understand," said Jesus, eyes furrowed. "These men are in the employ of your landlord? And they extort you of your livelihood on the threat of abducting your male children?"

"Exactly," spoke Eben. Several moments passed in silence. Jesus' friend appeared drained and in a state of dazed emptiness and, yet, still terribly burdened. Abruptly, Jesus smiled, leaned back in his chair and stretched extending both of his arms above his head. When he relaxed and brought his arms back down, he appeared in obvious relief that all things were settled.

"These men will not bother you again," he stated simply. "You may return to your home in peace."

Miryam stared at Jesus with incredulous joy. Eben lifted his eyes from the table and stared but said nothing. Jesus looked back at him smiling, raised his hands palms upward and shrugged. "That's it?" said Eben in agitated disbelief. He frowned and appeared greatly irritated. "I bring to you the most terrible threat of my life and you tell me to go home? Everything will be just wonderful?" Eben's voice rose in gathering pain. "Why do you play with me, Jesus? Why do you mock me, as if I were a fool!?" He did not wait for a response, "I came to you expecting . . . I don't know what I expected . . . at least some sympathy, some comfort or perhaps some action from you and your men on behalf of an old friend who loves you. I guess I thought you might confront this landlord and his thugs . . . if he saw you and your men . . . well, with your fame and . . ."

"Eben, please!" his wife spoke. "It's all right. Don't you see? His eyes!"

Jesus looked at Eben evenly. He spoke, "My dear friend, you have heard of my storytelling. Well, let me tell you a story meant for you." Eben rolled his eyes and looked exasperated. "Listen well. There was once a very wealthy man who dressed himself in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. A beggar named Lazarus laid every day at his gate, covered with sores, and would have been glad to eat the crumbs that fell from this man's table. His solitary comfort as he lay at the gate too weak to move was when dogs came to lick his sores.

"Well, this beggar died, and instead of dogs, angels came to him and carried him to Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in agony in this fire.'

"Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime, you in your greed and lust received many things and gratified yourself. Lazarus received the attention of street curs. But now he is comforted here and you are in agony. Besides, there is fixed between us and you a great chasm, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to here.'

"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

"Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them listen to them.'

"'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will listen; they will change.'

"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"