One Thousand Years
Genesage
"Devotion"
(chp1:8)
Jesus and Eben had spent some time by the lake praying. As the light was rising behind the cloud cover, it was time for both men to go. Before they did Messiah produced some “bread.” Eben was never watching at the right time to see where Jesus got the bread from. But whatever Jesus needed, it was always there. It wasn’t a magic trick, it was just as there was a need, Jesus seemed to fulfill it. If the bread had floated down from heaven like manna, he would not have been surprised. Or if angels hand delivered it like some ‘angel bread cake’ it would have been no shock. Yet God was like that, full of surprises. Eben meanwhile took a cup he always brought to the lake for such an occasion. It was a gourd formed from the shell into a goblet. It appeared “grown” for just such a use. No tool marks or carving was upon it. It was “perfect” for this time. Matching need with production the gourd fit the occasion well. Eben always used it only for this time with Jesus storing it nearby; which with little to disrupt, seemed appropriate. Taking the cup, he filled it with water from the lake. Standing both men raised their offering upward to the sky. Jesus the bread, Eben the Wine. Pausing, there was a moment of silent awe and wonder. Both men standing there, arms outstretched high, waiting. A hesitation of stillness in the air, as if heaven waited to see what would happen. Maybe it did. After a moment or two, each prayed according to a very familiar pattern from the Days of Oldbefore the Tribulation Period. The stillness dissipated with a Blessing they shared. It was hard to say which was the more effective. The silent stillness or the Traditional Blessing. To Eben they both had meaning. Each gave one to the other as Jesus shared bread from the earth and Eben shared the wine. Passing the bread and the wine each day reminded Eben daily of His purpose in the Kingdom of God. It “set his day” in the right remembrance and recognition of why He was there. In drinking the wine and sharing the cup Jesus said, “You’re getting good at water into wine, now if you could just walk on it” Eben laughed, The water or the wine, he was about to say, but instead he said, “I had a good teacher.” The day was set for good as Jesus made ready to leave. Before Jesus left, Eben kissed the Son of God on his scarred cheek. He was always amazed that his lips felt those coarse scars so horrendous to see. It was a constant reminder to Eben of just what the Son had done for him in dying and rising again. It was also true the proverb that said, Kiss the Son lest he be angry. Seeing the face so scarred and marred, that was hard enough to do. It would be harder still to see that face angry when it had suffered so much for him. Bread, wine, friendship, conversation, recognition and remembrance, the day was a good day when Eben started it with Jesus. The Promise of the Kingdom had come. The promised one was there, the Son of God, The Son of Man.
