That Boy
Once upon a time in Nazareth ... Hannah, a teenage girl, leans against a village well, a large clay jar at her feet, watching the clouds. Miriam, another girl with a jar, approaches.
“Hannah! Your mom told me you’re to hurry up and fetch the water! Oh, and that you’ll never get a husband unless you start carrying the jar with a straighter back because what nice young man would want to look at such rounded shoulders! Hannah?.. Hannah!”
“Hmm? What?”
“You’re not even listening to me!”
“Sorry. Daydreaming.”
“About what?”
“Nobody.”
“Ha! I said ‘what’, not ‘who’! So who is it you’re not daydreaming about?”
“None of your beeswax, Miriam the Mouth.”
“I won’t tell anyone, I promise! Star-of-David my heart and hope to die!”
“Okay okay! If you must know … it’s Jesus.”
“Jesus the carpenter’s son, Jesus the baker’s son, Jesus the blacksmith’s son, or Jesus the used-camel salesman’s son?”
“The carpenter’s son.”
“Really? Hmm. Well, he is the only one of those teenage boys who doesn’t act like he thinks he’s God.”
“I was walking past his dad’s carpentry shop the other day and Jesus was chopping wood. He looked up and smiled at me.”
“He’s not much to look at, if you ask me.”
“Maybe not, but there’s something about that boy. Whenever I see him around he just makes me feel … good.”
“But he’s kind of weird. He goes off in the hills and prays all the time. Is that what you wanna do on a date?”
“A date? Miriam, he smiled at me. That’s all.”
“Well, I’ve got you two married now! Hannah and Jesus, sittin’ in a tree … P-R-A-Y-I-N-G …”
“Miriam!”
“As a husband he may not bring much to the table, but at least he can build you one. Praise God, you’ll save money on furniture.”
“I need to get going. Same time next Passover?”
“No, seriously… what do you like about this boy? I don’t get it.”
“It’s a bunch of things. He’s funny … kind … nice to the unpopular kids … I like the way he treats other people, especially women. He’s a real gentleman, never rude, and even though we know men aren’t supposed to speak to us women publicly, Jesus will sometimes! Naomi says she actually had a conversation with him over by the lake one day! And what’s more, he was more interested in talking about her than about himself! Have you ever heard of a male like that? She said it was amazing! They got talking about what her talents are, and that God wants her to use those talents. He’s just … different. A really good different.”
“That’s incredible! Naomi’s got talent? Naomi from our street?”
“I’ve heard other girls say that when he looks into their eyes they feel like he really sees them as full human beings, as equals even! Can you believe it? Equals! Who wouldn’t want to spend time around a boy like that? Just that smile as I walked by … our eyes met and I felt … understood. Appreciated. And I don’t even know him! It’s hard to explain.”
“My mom told me there were rumors about his folks not being married when he was conceived. That makes him a … well, you know. Personally, I’d say you’re way beyond his league, Hannah! You’re good-looking and popular and come from a well-respected family. Jesus has none of that going for him! Seriously, you can do better.”
“I don’t think he’s interested in me that way anyhow. Jesus always looks like he’s in love and yet I find it impossible to narrow down who the object of his affection is.”
“Well, it better not be me! I’ve got my heart set on someone else for a husband.”
“And who might that be?”
“Judas Iscariot! He’s going into money management! Now there’s a boy who’ll make a name for himself!”