James of Jerusalem

James reached out and encircled both Joel and the dog. Gently he led Joel back to the low wall he had just vacated. “Now, my friend, tell me what doesn’t work. Where’s Micah, and why are tears your friends right now?”

Swinging Joel up onto his lap, James looked over the boy’s head at John and nodded in the direction of a vendor selling bread. John returned the nod and set off. “Stay right there,” he called. “I’ll be back right away.”

James turned his attention to Joel, who between sobs was trying to explain. “Micah’s working. He’s trying to bring home some money so we can eat. He doesn’t go to school anymore ‘cause there’s no time and we don’t have any money. Ima’s sick, and she hurt herself when she fell, and I don’t know what to do to make her better. I tried making bread the way she said, but it turned out all gooey – and we had to eat it anyway. The merchants laugh at me when I ask for work and call me names. The ladies try to help, but they don’t have enough food either.” Joel caught a breath and continued, “I heard you tell the people that if anyone was suffering, he should pray. You did say that, didn’t you?”

James nodded. “Yes, Joel, I did, and you should, you know. I remember that I taught about that very thing three weeks ago. But what was it that doesn’t work?”

“That, sir. We’ve prayed and prayed, but things are still a mess, and they’re only getting worse. I’m afraid and scared.” He hiccupped, and a new torrent of tears coursed down his wavering chin. “The temple guard chased me away. He accused me of mocking the grownups and warned me not to come back. Our prayers at home don’t seem to work, and now I don’t dare go to the temple.”

Just then, John rounded the corner with several barley rolls. He heard the last of Joel’s lament and caught James’s eye, shaking his head. “Why would a guard be so cruel? To think that a child should be so discouraged because of a grown man’s callousness!” The look on James’s face resembled a thunder cloud, on hearing that someone had been turned away from seeking help from his heavenly Father.

Seeing James holding Joel, John couldn’t help but remember a similar situation: Jesus sitting, surrounded by children, and the lesson he and the other disciples had learned that day – that children were a precious part of God’s kingdom. And here sat one very sad and upset young boy. Hungry, too, if he didn’t miss his guess.

Smiling, he held a roll out to Joel, who looked surprised – but only for a moment, before reaching out and hungrily devouring it – all the time trying to express his thanks with a full mouth. Almost finished, he offered the little dog the rest, watching as the pup consumed it more quickly than he had.

“Here, have another. And here’s one more for the pup, too,” John offered. Giving another roll to Joel, he turned to James. “There’s more than one hungry being here and, from what I surmise, there’s more to be told, eh?”

James shifted Joel so he could look at him more directly – and in doing so shifted the pup, who squirmed and let out a little yelp.

“Oh, be careful! Watch his leg! He’s hurt! See what I mean? Nothing’s right! Even the puppy’s life is messed up, and nothing’s getting fixed, and I prayed and asked. I really did.” Joel’s words dissolved in another torrent of tears, and James pulled him closer and gently wiped them away. Joel burrowed into James’s embrace and sobbed, his little shoulders shaking and his arms cuddling the frightened puppy.

John looked helplessly at the situation and then noticed a small smile appear at the corner of James’s mouth. The smile grew as James opened his eyes. Obviously, he had been in prayer. What else would he have expected of James? And what was more, James had obviously heard from Adonai. John marveled at the relationship this brother had with his heavenly Father – so confident that his Lord had everything under control and faithfully answered the pleas of his children. A smile came to John’s own lips. He couldn’t wait to hear what the answer would be and leaned forward in anticipation.

Gently, James put his finger under Joel’s chin and lifted his tear-stained and rather drippy face. “Joel, I believe our heavenly Father heard your prayers and has told me his plan to solve all this. Would you like to hear?”

“Really? He heard my prayers? You mean he was listening to me and didn’t think I was mocking the elders, like the guard said? You mean he can fix all this?” For the first time, Joel’s face looked brighter, and he lifted his eyes to James’s, questions at the tip of his tongue and his head nodding.

“Well, yes, our heavenly Father can certainly fix it all, but he wants us to help. And Joel, sometimes we need to be patient and let him answer in his own time. He’s not at our beck and call, you know.” Joel shook his head up and down in understanding and then turned a worried look to John. “Do you think I made him angry? I mean, do you think he thinks I don’t believe him? What’ll I do now?”

“What I think you need to do now is listen to Rabbi James.” John couldn’t contain a chuckle as he added, “and know that our prayers are always heard. Our Lord doesn’t get angry at us for wanting things to be better. He just wants us to trust him – that whatever his answer is, it will be good for us because he loves us. Now let’s hear what his plan is.”