Sacred Scrolls; Chapter 16

Sacred Scrolls; Chapter 16

© 2021 by Amber Wright

CAST OUT

Junia felt her throat constrict but quickly reminded herself, This is no time to panic. Calm and quickly act is the key to escape. She took a slow deep breath and started forward.

“Hello. Why are you running?”

At that, she felt her heart leap into her throat. She shot the hooded man a glance, heart pounding.

“Junia,” Demetrius pushed back his hood to show his face, “it’s only me. You don’t have to be afraid.”

“Thank God,” Junia felt her shoulders relax. “Sorry. I had no idea it was you.”

“I thought not.” Demetrius smiled but his dark eyes had a dull expression to them. “Even though you probably do have reason to run from me.”

He dropped his eyes and Junia wondered what to say next. He looked so miserable and yet—what words could she say to cheer him? So she remained silent for a few seconds before speaking. “Demetrius, what is it?”

Silence.

“You can trust me. Please?”

“I figured if I was doing it for the Lord, it would be alright.” Demetrius began in a slight groan. “It wasn’t my debt anyways, but I thought—” a heavy sigh, “it would be right this once.”

“Thought…what…would be right?” Junia felt her panic rise again. Robber, the word Lucius had called him earlier. Surely Demetrius was not. She glanced up, feeling dread replace her panic. “You didn’t…steal?”

~

“Yes, Junia.” Demetrius watched her face fill with shock. “I helped some fellows rob a merchant stall this week to get the money to pay the church.”

“Oh…Demetrius.”

She did not have to reprove him. Her wounded look made him feel hollow inside…and so weak. He had not told the truth. He had stolen money. And now, he had betrayed his friend’s trust in him.

He felt his lips move. “I know. It’s no use, Junia. I can’t be good. I thought this Christianity thing was all too good to be true.”

Junia’s blue eyes wavered as he glanced her way.

“I’m not fit.” Demetrius hammered his foot forward and a hiss from a ball of fur made him step over a napping cat. He sent it a glare for having further disturbed his spirits. “I’m just a sinner. A thief.”

Junia’s eyes looked too watery for his comfort.

He felt most wretched. “A liar. A reprobate to the Faith!”

“No, Demetrius. No!” Junia tugged on his sleeve to stop his words, sounding close to crying.

He stopped then, and faced her. He let all the harbored silent

questions fill his face, hoping she would understand. Please God,

don’t be finished with me just yet. I need to be understood. I did it

for them. Even for my father. His debt is free now—because I paid

it.

“You’re not truly bad yet.” Junia was speaking again. “You admit your wrong. That’s something even I find hard to do, really.”

Thank You for the shred of light in my darkness, God.

“Rather than a reprobate,” Junia decided upon a stronger voice to speak in, “I think you’ve been reprobated. You took Deacon Demas’ blame freely. You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to,” Demetrius felt his words slip through gritted teeth, “but now I almost regret it. He’s so ungrateful, so… He wants me out of church.”

“Don’t think about him.”

“How?”

Junia shook her head. “I don’t know. Maybe…”

“Besides,” Demetrius reminded her, “how can I climb back up the ladder of Faith with his menacing face staring at me every week?”

Junia started to speak but he politely interrupted, “Don’t try to mend what cannot be mended, Junia. It’s no use. I’m too bad. He knows it and that’s why he wants me out.”

“Don’t believe that.”

Demetrius felt his mind whirl. Where had his words come from? He must be mad. How else could he defend that man called Demas?

“You can always try again.” She sounded too optimistic. “Try, my Fil’os, try.”

Demetrius opened his mouth to give yet another reason why he could not, then closed it.

“Please?” Her voice begged him now.

He nodded, feeling a thread of hope steal through his shattered world called life. “I’ll try, Junia. That’s all I can promise.”

“Trying is only what we all can do. It’s up to God to do the rest.” Junia gave him a pointed look. “That’s when we trust Him and not ourselves.”

The words sank into him and he would remember it in days to come.

~

When would life ever be normal? was his bitter sigh.

It was happening again, his second trial within the month. He should have eaten an entire bowlful of garlic before entering “his lion den”. He needed to be brave, whatever the outcome would be. Stay strong.

But no. Normal things did not happen to him.

Demetrius sat there as glum and lifeless as a muddy stone. As he heard the reasons why he was there at that meeting, he felt as clouded as the sky outside. He sat there, alone like an island within a sea of familiar faces.

Words wafted past him, like lost air into the universe. Then his thoughts grew grim and doubting. Is this all there is to Christianity? Pretentious meetings, false accusations, groundless charges and sanctimonious deacons who use their God-given power to misuse the weak of the church? How can this be?

“Demetrius.”

The sound of his name brought him back to the trial. He looked up. The deacon called Abner was speaking now. Beyond Abner, Bishop Diotrephes was sitting on his chair of importance, overseeing the whole affair with a blank face and equally blank spirit. Where is the bishop’s soul during these unfair events? Lost in his blanket of comfort, the reply came back to him.

“Yes?” Demetrius felt his thoughts melt away. Painful as they were, the thoughts of yesterday were brighter than the future that lay ahead of him with the conclusion of today’s meeting.

“Is it true that you helped a man in this city rob a merchant’s stall?”

Demetrius caught his breath. So here it was. His sin laid before him, the money he had stolen to pay the church for the money his father had taken…and his lie to save the Christians lives, including his accusers.

“Do you plead guilty or innocent?”

“I plead guilty.” Demetrius took a deep breath to settle the nervous tremor that ran up his neck. “But I took the money to pay back the church.”

“That is no excuse.”

“It is when Deacon Demas told me the church needed the money so badly. That is why I took it. Ask him if you don’t believe me!”

One glance at Demas and he found the man glowering at him. Still, he pressed the council. “Ask him why. He knows.”

“He is not the one on trial.” Abner’s voice rose a few notches. “How dare you speak of a deacon of this church in such a way! You will—”

“It is both unlawful and unholy,” Bishop Diotrephes interrupted Abner and his glare cut into Demetrius, “to partake in such things as robbery, my son. I am surprised at you.”

“He’s done it before.” Demas' voice was haughty. “It’s no surprise to me!”

Yes, no surprise to you, Demetrius clenched his teeth to keep silent, when you were the one who threatened to kill me—and the Christians—if I had not paid you the money as soon as I had. No surprise indeed!

What came next was worse than he had imagined. He must not only apologize but swear to his guilt of thievery—including the church robbery. That he could not do. To swear…would be another lie.

“I will not apologize in oath.” Demetrius crossed his arms for emphasis. He had suffered from enough guilt over his previous lie—when he had pleaded guilty when there was no guilt to plead.

“Hear him, Bishop Diotrephes?” Demas’ voice shrilled into a high pitch. “He will not repent. He is obstinate. He is a child of Satan!”

“I hear, Deacon Demas.” Bishop Diotrephes sounded calm and decided. “Young man, I have pity upon your poor soul. I will therefore have to excommunicate you from our assembly. Will you submit? Or will you further sin by coming against our wishes?”

“I submit.” Demetrius felt his eyes sink to the floor.

Despair filled him. He was a stranger to this town…as he had always been in the other towns before. He had only been in their assembly for a few months and already he was being cast out. I’ll need my cinnamon drink again…after all this pain! I thought I had drank my last cup. Of course, I should have known. My life never stays free from pain for very long. He felt all hopes slowly drain from him.

Although he knew what his life had been in times past, Demetrius still had not expected this. Not from a Christian church. Not from an assembly where the Master of their Faith taught about love, justice and equality among all man. This equality was for all man—not just for the people who served in the church or, in some instances, people who hid behind the offices of a church. How can such evil come from a place seemingly so good?

What followed or was spoken Demetrius did not hear nor did he want to know. He was once again the outcast, stripped of spirit and hope because he had found the man called his father. But when he began to wish he had never come to that place, he thought of Junia—his friend. He was glad he had met her, even through this pain. Her words echoed into his ears like falling rain upon thirsty soil, Demetrius, I trust you… Trying is only what we all can do. It’s up to God to do the rest. That’s when we trust Him and not ourselves. He blinked.

“Dismissed.”

Demetrius heard the word and felt actual relief release the tightness in his shoulders as he stood. He would never have to face his father again, or his angry threats. He would go…far away. Somewhere new. But to where would he go? Other towns would be like this one. Other towns would cast him aside…threaten him, try to destroy him. As for Abner, he was well glad he was rid of him as well. And his half-brother, Lucius? The boy needed to eat garlic for weeks on end to gather some bravery, and grow up. But how could Lucius not be unmannerly living with a father like theirs?

At the door, Junius restrained him with a fatherly arm around his shoulders. “I’m sorry, Demetrius. I didn’t know this would happen.”

“Forgive me, sir.”

“There is no need for my forgiveness, young man. Only God need forgive you,” Junius said sadly, “and you yourself for your hurt inside.”

Demetrius felt his throat tighten as he nodded briefly. Inside, his mind screamed with regret for not telling the truth. For not telling them what his father really was. A dangerous thief who would kill the Christians if they were not careful. But Demetrius went his way. He had done too much damage already. Perhaps if he humored his father, Demas would let the Christians rest in peace.

Demetrius must go back…to the life he had known before. His heart felt like a millstone as he left. Images of Junia shot through his mind. How would she react when she heard he had been cast out? And now, would he ever see her smiling face again?

A Few Greek Words:

Fil'os: friend

Meh'tehr: mother

Pah'tehr: father

Adher'fi: sister

Adher'fos: brother