Encounters with the Master

By Tesiri Moweta

What happens when Iram the leper makes his way to the Serog? Jacob and his household collide with the threat of total annihilation when his sons slaughter all the men in the cities surrounding them. The doctors have given up on Adrianas dad. Her mum is suffering from a stroke, and the family is facing a fierce legal battle. How could everything go wrong at the same time? Sir Jonathan Halberd, a debonair bachelor in Abbotsbury has found the lady of his heart, but she curtly refuses to marry him. How could any lady turn down someone like him?
Encounters with the Master plots out an assortment of interesting situations reflected in the bible days, allegorical milieus, the 18th century, and the world today. This intriguing collection of short stories, reveal the God whose power and existence cannot be ignored or denied, regardless of the time or place.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: May 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781481791892

Book preview

1

THE SOREG

It was a busy afternoon at the temple that day when Iram waded through the pillars. He sojourned to the chamber he thought he would never see in his lifetime. Iram felt the sweat on his palms as his heart beat faster. He smiled. "Calm down now Iram he told himself, Yahweh planned this day for you".

Iram reduced his pace and squatted to check the birds he carried in a cage. They had caught his excitement and chipped loudly all the way without care.

His mind briefly floundered to how he gathered the materials he needed for the rite. He did not have any of them and had thought of borrowing a lamb as a substitute for people of his kind who had no money, but Alon, head of his family would not hear of it as he provided the two clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet and hyssops required for the cleansing. Iram slowly blinked back tears as he remembered Alon’s words. Iram, go for the rite, on your return, a field is waiting for you, perhaps a wife too, they both laughed at the comment. His life was back.

He continued his trek to the chamber of lepers and gradually neared the Soreg. It was the barrier that prevented the unclean from entering into the temple. Being a former leper, he would have to be examined by a priest before gaining entry into the temple’s chamber of lepers to commence the cleansing rites according to the Law of Moses. At the completion of cleansing, the priest would declare him clean and fit to live among people again. He took a look around the wooden fence, and sighted the entry point as well as a temple guard whom he approached with a smile and pleasantries.

My name is Iram, I am from the family of Ishad. I have come to be examined and cleansed. I am no longer a leper.

Wait here. The guard hurried into the temple obviously surprised and came out with a priest. Iram recognized him immediately. It was Sachar now a priest, but as a teenager, he taunted Iram and made a mockery of him. Sachar was the one who instigated their peers to refer to him as Iram the leper, much to his chagrin. He did not feel the hurt anymore. It must have gone with the leprosy.

Sachar walked forward, his countenance showing total disbelief.

Iram, is this you?

Yes, it is me. Please examine me so I can make my way to the chamber of lepers. I have a lot to do after the eight days of cleansing. Iram took off his kippah and other clothing so the priest could see that his skin was back to normal.

Sachar marvelled at the new look Iram’s skin had taken. Even his did not look so supple, smooth and beautiful.

How did you get into the pool of Siloam? he asked as he gently checked Iram’s hands and fingernails.

I did not. Sachar stopped short. He almost took offence with Iram. It had to be the pool of Siloam which the angel of God stirred occasionally for sick people to wade in and get healed. If it was not, how did Iram get healed? Iram was lying. How could he be lying to a priest?

How then did you get healed? he asked calmly, determined not to let his suspicion show. He knew he had an apology to offer Iram and did not want to compound matters. There is a difference between a teenager and a priest.

Iram smiled. I heard about him from a lot of people. There was heavy contention among the lepers about whether he was a leprosy cleanser or not, but I refused to get involved. I heard he could heal all manner of disease and sickness, and I considered leprosy to be included, so I began to search for him all over Galilee. I did not find him immediately. I heard later that he was on the mountain top fasting and praying. Six weeks went by, and I continued my search. I almost gave up, but the hope of seeing a day like this, a day when I would be cleansed kept me going and then one day, I heard the sound of a multitude from afar, and knew He was the one. I prayed to Yahweh to grant me the favour of Joseph, the son of Jacob and give me audience with Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus of Nazareth healed you? Sachar the priest looked stunned. He examined Iram’s feet and asked him to dress up.

Iram began wearing his clothes. The crowd was enormous, there was no way I could cut through the multitude, so I scurried around the crowd and made my way through a road that put me ahead of them. As soon as Jesus turned to where I was waiting, I jumped out and faced him. Many gave way shouting unclean! Keep away! Because Iram the leper was around, but Jesus did not distance himself like the others. I reckon now that he did not see Iram the leper. He saw someone else. This was the moment I had yearned for many days. I seized my opportunity, worshipped the Master and said to him Lord, if you will, you can make me clean. The look in his eyes already told me that he was willing to heal me. It was pure, loving, and true. No one ever looked at me that way before all my life. Then He touched my head and said, I will, be clean and immediately, my leprosy vanished. Iram the leper vanished, and Iram the cleansed appeared.

Sachar couldn’t hold it anymore. Look Iram, I am sorry for all the hurt I caused you, I was young and stupid, and I am truly happy for your healing. Will you forgive me?

Iram smiled. "There is no hurt or pain anymore. It