The Man in the Middle

By Laurie Burysek Gloyd

After living a life of bad decisions, Jason finds himself in a place he never imagined he would be-taking the life of a man for a few silver coins and some jewels. The result of his choices lands him on a cross beside a man who has the power to save Jason’s life. Will Jason decide to accept The Man in the Middle’s offer, or will he turn him down and die in his sins?

I strained my eyes to see if I could recognize him. His face was badly beaten; it was so swollen and bloody that I could not tell who the man was. Part of his beard had been ripped out, and there was a circle of thorns smashed onto the top of his head. Blood trickled from each thorn down his face and neck. He wore a purple robe, which stuck to his body where his blood had congealed on the fabric. Th e guards ripped the robe off of the man, causing fresh blood to drip from wounds that were trying to heal. There did not appear to be a place on his body that was not red, bloody, or torn. . . As I looked at him, I supposed the man in the middle had also passed out, because he was silent, although his chest still rose and fell. His eyes were closed, and his head lolled over one shoulder as though he were sleeping. Even right beside him, I still did not recognize this man. I looked at the piece of wood the guard had nailed over the man’s head. It read “King of the Jews” in several different languages, but it gave me no clue as to who he was. I had been raised a Jew, but that was a long time ago. I absolutely did not know this man.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512751505

Laurie Burysek Gloyd

Laurie Anne Gloyd was born in Franklin, KY and has lived in several states before again calling Kentucky home. She has been married to her husband since 1988 and they have six children together. Throughout her life, she has homeschooled her children as well as been a teacher in a Christian school setting. She has also been a parent volunteer for the public schools their children have attended, instructing both Boy Scouts of America and NASP Archery at different times. She recently attained her RN degree, dedicating her life to serving others. In her spare time, she helps with her church’s youth and children’s Sunday school programs and teaches women’s Bible study events. She and her family have a love for camping, fishing, and rock hunting, which allows them time to enjoy the beauty of the wonderful outdoors.

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Copyright © 2016 Laurie Burysek Gloyd.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by

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without the written permission of the author except in the case of

brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author

and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of

the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of

people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

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of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher,

and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-5151-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-5223-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-5150-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016912834

WestBow Press rev. date: 8/09/2021

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter I

Chapter II

Chapter III

Chapter IV

Chapter V

Chapter VI

Chapter VII

Chapter VIII

Chapter IX

Chapter X

Chapter XI

Chapter XII

Chapter XIII

Chapter XIV

Chapter XV

Chapter XVI

Epilogue

Reader’s Guide

How to study the Bible

This book is to all who have ever made

a bad choice or wrong decision.

It is never too late to change.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I thank my Lord Jesus Christ for saving me.

He has blessed me more than I deserve.

This book is all for him.

Second, I must thank my husband. Through mountains

high and valleys low, he always believed in and

encouraged me to pursue the dreams God has given.

My children bless me so much; they have

encouraged me to do my best but still love me at

my worst. I love them with my whole heart.

Many people in my life have helped review, pray over, and

encourage me throughout this entire process. My parents

and in-laws have been so supportive, as have the rest of my

family, church family, friends, and teachers. I thank each of

you all for believing in me when I did not believe in myself.

FOREWORD

I have been a Chaplain in Kentucky’s maximum security prison, Eddyville, ministering to death row inmates since 1978. When I picked up this book, I literally could not stop reading it. The characters of Brutus and Barabbas are similar to many inmates I have come to know through the years. I have also met many like Jameson who are truly sorrowful for their actions and accept the grace and hope that Jesus Christ offers to each of us. Laurie was truly inspired to bring out human characteristics still present today not only in the lives of inmates but all of mankind who are prisoners of sin. The Man in the Middle is alive today and offers forgiveness, love, and hope to all who trust in Him.

This is truly a book you cannot put down.

Romans 5

Chaplain Mike Humble

INTRODUCTION

Not much is mentioned about the men who were crucified with Jesus Christ on that fateful day a couple thousand years ago. We know they were thieves. We know they deserved death. Two different scriptures which give their accounts are intriguing: Mark 15:32B says, Even those who were crucified with him reviled him. Yet Luke 23:39-43 recalls how one of the criminals defended Christ to the other. So, during their brief time on the cross, something transpired, causing one of the criminals to change his mind from reviling Jesus to saying, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.

What happened in that short amount of time to change his mind?

This story could possibly be how it happened.

It is never too late to change.

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CHAPTER I

The wind whistled around the canyons, swirling dust and sand into small, twisting whirlwinds that disappeared as quickly as they came. There was no sound other than the occasional gust of wind or the screech of a hawk searching for prey. I wiped my brow with my sleeve before sweat dripped into my eyes. I forced my hand to steady as I smoothed down my beard. It had grown unruly in the past few weeks, but my appearance was the least of my worries at the moment. My heart was beating so loudly that I thought my companions could surely hear it. I felt my pulse throb in my neck. I tried to act like I wasn’t afraid, but really, I was scared stiff. I had never robbed anyone before. My business dealings hadn’t always been honest, but to flat-out rob someone—that was another story.

Brutus had encouraged me to go along with him and Barabbas. There had to be a lot of money involved because Barabbas was here. Barabbas was known all over for his blatantly unlawful behavior. People were terrified of him because he had been connected with several murders and other terrible acts. Somehow, though, he had never been arrested. There had never been enough evidence to fully connect him to a crime, even though his guilt was well known to everyone.

Barabbas called me his middle man. I am not sure exactly how I came to be involved with him—it seemed to just happen. My friend Brutus, after hearing that I was out of work, asked me to go along with him one day on a delivery. He had begun working for Barabbas a few years earlier. I knew the kind of money Brutus was making. He did a little talking for me, and next thing I knew, I was delivering on my own.

I never had close contact with Barabbas. There were messages and notes, sometimes a short communication when we passed on the street about where to pick up, where to drop off, and where to find my payment—there was never any extended contact. Before making a drop, I would search the area until I saw Barabbas. We would make eye contact, and only then would I make the drop. I never questioned what I was delivering; I just did what was asked of me. Barabbas always kept up his end of the bargain, paying me in straight silver.

I had been working for Barabbas for several months, but this was the first time I would personally work with him. I had always been nervous around him; I was glad to keep some distance between us, knowing his reputation as I did. Barabbas was notorious for being ruthless. There were stories of what he did to men who tried to cheat him—things that couldn’t be made up. Like the story of the man he had tied up, beaten, sliced open with a knife, and left for the animals because a couple of jewels were missing from a drop. The man begged for mercy and to be put out of his misery, but Barabbas just hid in a nearby thicket to wait for the wolves and watch the fun.

Soldiers had questioned Barabbas several times about such incidents, but he always managed to talk his way out of it or to escape. There were rumors that Barabbas had a government official in his pocket, that he gave this official a large amount of money to keep himself out of jail. However he did it, Barabbas managed to stay out of prison and stay alive.

While I was working for him, there were many times that I had large amounts of gold or silver in my possession. Not once did the idea of stealing any of it cross my mind; I truly feared for my life. But even though I knew how dangerous he was, Barabbas was still the quickest way to make a lot of money in a short amount of time. He paid me very well, and I guess it was a privilege that he trusted me enough to bring me to the next level. There were few people Barabbas trusted that much.

Even though I did not yet know all the details, I had a feeling this journey into the wilderness with my two comrades would change the entire course of my life.

We three had agreed to meet at an abandoned barn on the outskirts of town. The barn was off the road a bit, just over a little ridge. The weathered boards of the broken-down roofline blended into the small rise of a hill behind it. Rock walls that had once been protection against weather and wild animals were now broken and partially scattered around the base of the crumbling building, holding up the few support beams still remaining in just the right places. The paw prints of small creatures who now called the weakened structure home could be seen in the dust patches of their habitat. A fresh snakeskin was snagged on a few boards piled beside an outer