And Three More Bible Stories That Never Happened…But Maybe Could Have

By Robert Bailor

This book is a second sequel to my previous book, SIX BIBLE STORIES THAT NEVER HAPPENED…but maybe could have to complete the trilogy of BIBLE STORIES. It takes additional underdeveloped characters of the New Testament and presents imagined stories about them woven into the Biblical narrative. “Malchus and Photine” is a coming-to-faith story. Malchus’ loses his ear to Simon Peter’s sword and Photine meets Jesus at Jacob’s well. These are transformational moments leading to struggle and salvation. “Didymus” is the story of the Apostle Thomas and his identical twin brother,Tamir, who learn the meaning of sacrificial love through doubt and conflict. “Joanna” is a story about Jewish aristocrats who become disgusted with their rich and powerful lives and come to know that Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 23, 2022
• ISBN: 9781665566483

Robert Bailor

ROBERT (BOB) BAILOR is a Philosophy Professor with a particular interest in meaning of life issues. He is also a retired Licensed Mental Health Therapist and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor. Bob has published two non-fiction books in philosophy (Passion, Longing and God and A Month of Wonders), one non-fiction book in addiction counseling (Chemical Addiction & Family Members) and a fictionalized self-help book on aging (Getting Older). His first three novels are a trilogy about one person’s spiritual journey from agnostic to genuine believer (Through Fire to Faith, Through Horror to Hope, and Through Loss to Love). Bob’s fourth novel (Murder in the Time of COVID) is a murder mystery set in the time of the COVID pandemic demonstrating the courage, intelligence and integrity of law enforcement personnel. AND THREE MORE BIBLE STORIES THAT NEVER HAPPENED...but maybe could have is the last in a trilogy of fictional bible stories meant for believers and nonbelievers alike. Bob’s books are available at his website: robert bailor.com and at authorhouse.com. Bob has also published numerous articles in philosophy and counseling, and he has presented talks at various professional conferences on teaching philosophy, spirituality, and advancing professional counseling skills. Bob lives in Westerville, OH with his wife, Mary Rose. They have three grown children and four grandchildren.

Book preview

AND THREE MORE BIBLE STORIES

THAT NEVER

HAPPENED

. . .but maybe could have

ROBERT BAILOR

45500.png

AuthorHouse™

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.authorhouse.com

Phone: [phone]

©

2022 Robert Bailor. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Published by AuthorHouse 08/16/2022

ISBN: 978-1-6655-6649-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-6648-3 (e)

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from New American Standard Bible (NASB) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to all those who would like to engage the New Testament in a way that stirs the imagination and nurtures understanding. These three stories, like those in my previous books, SIX BIBLE STORIES THAT NEVER HAPPENED…but maybe could have and THREE MORE BIBLE STORIES THAT NEVER HAPPENED…but maybe could have are fables intended to bring alive the narratives of the Holy Scripture and to inspire the reader with spiritual truth and wisdom.

Contents

Preface

Malchus And Photine

Didymus

Joanna

Acknowledgements

Work Cited

Other Books By Robert W. Bailor

Preface

P reviously in my SIX BIBLE STORIES THAT NEVER HAPPENED and my THREE MORE BIBLE STORIES THAT NEVER HAPPENED , I offered nine fables about characters in the New Testament that sprang from my imagination but were based on people and events found in Holy Scripture.

In this third book, I have presented three more fanciful stories based on the Bible. The storylines are woven from the fabric of the New Testament so that the events, words and characters that populate the Scripture might come alive as you become involved with these stories. Hopefully these three fables, like their nine predecessors, will inspire fresh insights into the truth and wisdom of the Holy Scripture.

You are invited to be part of these new adventures, all meant to foster a greater devotion to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. May you find peace and wisdom in them.

Malchus

And

Photine

40744.png

So Judas got a band of soldiers and guards from the chief priests and the Pharisees and went there with lanterns, torches and weapons. Jesus, knowing everything that was going to happen to him, went out and said, Whom are you looking for? They answered him, Jesus the Nazorean. He said to them, I AM. Judas his betrayer was also with them. When he said to them, I AM, they turned away and fell to the ground. So he again asked them, Whom are you looking for? They said, Jesus the Nazorean. Jesus answered, I told you that I AM. So if you are looking for me, let these men go. This was to fulfill what he had said, I have not lost any of those you gave me. Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it, struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear. The slave’s name was Malchus. (Jn 18: 3-10)

But Jesus said in reply, Stop, no more of this! Then he touched the servant’s ear and healed him. (Lk 22: 51)

He had to pass through Samaria. So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon.

A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give me a drink. His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink? (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water. [The woman] said to him, Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where then can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks? Jesus answered and said to her, Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. The woman said to him, Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water. (Jn 4: 4-15)

Jesus said to her, Go call your husband and come back. The woman answered and said to him, I do not have a husband. Jesus answered her, You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’ For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true. The woman said to him, Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem. Jesus said to her, Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth. (Jn 4: 16-24)

The woman said to him, I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything. Jesus said to her, I am he, the one who is speaking to you. (Jn 4: 25-26)

The woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Messiah? They went out of the town and came to him. (Jn 4: 28-30)

Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, He told me everything I have done. When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world. (Jn 4: 39-42)

All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing then in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. (Mt 28: 18-20)

40746.png44854.png

T he gnarled and weathered trees stood like ancient sentinels in the garden by the olive press. Silver slivers of moonlight pierced through their crowns and highlighted the Roman soldiers and temple guards slowly walking with their clubs and swords and torches in hand. They were unfamiliar with this place, so they depended on their Jewish guide to lead them through it and point out the one they were looking for.

Walking in the lead next to the Roman tribune was Judas Iscariot. He and the rest were sent by the high priest Caiaphas and the Jewish elders to seize a single person, Jesus of Nazareth. No one other than Judas knew why Jesus had to be arrested and taken to the Sanhedrin, so the rest let Judas guide them to their prey. And as Judas wended his way through the trees, he wondered how he was going to approach Jesus without giving Him cause to try to escape.

Among this group of armed men was the personal bodyguard of the high priest named Malchus. Caiaphas always referred to him as a servant, but in fact Malchus functioned more as a specialized temple guard and confidant.

He had done as Caiaphas ordered and gathered together a group of thirty armed men, some of which were colleagues of his in the temple guard and others which were Roman auxiliaries under the charge of a Roman tribune named Sextus. The tribune was given command over the entire motley crew so that Caiaphas and the Jewish ruling class could deny responsibility for the capture of Jesus who was seen by the Romans as just another bothersome revolutionary.

As Malchus walked along with the group holding his place in the middle of the column, he could not help but wonder why so many armed men were sent to arrest just one man. Did Caiaphas and the others think this man so dangerous that a small army was needed to overpower Him and bring Him to the temple area? This did not make much sense to Malchus, but neither did a lot of things recently. And his orders were his orders.

Eventually the group came upon an open space that was well lit with moonlight. There were two groups of men there fast asleep. The armed band came upon the larger group first. They did not stir even though the band’s sandals sounded like horses’ hooves and their armor and weaponry made a clatter that announced their presence as they passed by.

A little farther ahead were four figures far less visible as the tree branches and leaves around them blotted out the moonlight. Three were resting against a tree. The other figure was kneeling against a rock in prayer. He prayed aloud, and although His words were indistinct, they seemed colored with sadness and fear. Then when He heard the armed band approaching, He stopped praying, stood up and stepped forward as if to greet the group whom He seemed to be expecting. He stood still when Judas ran up to Him and kissed Him as a friend would. He whispered something to Judas which made Judas walk away as if he were deeply wounded by the words.

Then the man asked the crowd, Whom are you looking for?

The tribune answered, Jesus the Nazorean.

He said in response, I AM.

At this the tribune took a step back, bumping into the others standing close behind him and causing them to fall to the ground like dominoes. The meaning of this response was completely lost on the Romans, but the temple guards new exactly what it meant and gasped.

Then Jesus asked again, Whom are you looking for?

And this time the captain of the temple guards answered in a guarded voice, Jesus the Nazorean.

Just then the three other men who were sleeping close by awoke, startled by the presence of the armed band and the questioning of their Master. They quickly surrounded Jesus and yelled for help from their colleagues who were stirring a little way away.

The swarm of armed men set upon Jesus. They crashed into the small group surrounding Jesus and began to push and shove and strike them any way they could. Simon Peter drew his sword and swung it viciously at the group to make them back off of Jesus.

Malchus was in the middle of the armed group. He did not raise the club he was carrying and did not move menacingly toward Jesus. He stood his ground as if he did not want to be involved in Jesus’ arrest.

But the others were determined to accomplish what they came for, so they violently fought off the apostles who now as a whole were attacking the armed party like a pack of starving wolves. Because Malchus was positioned in the middle of his comrades, he was hemmed in and could not defend himself because the fighting was at close quarters.

Then as members of his group began to retreat in the face of the crazed onslaught, Malchus found himself vulnerable to attack with space opening around him. Noticing this space and seeing that Malchus was hesitant to use his club, Simon Peter, fiercely intent upon making the armed group move away from Jesus, slashed at Malchus with his sword. At first Malchus successfully dodged Simon Peter’s blade. Then Simon Peter let out a cry like a wild beast and his sword came down with full force towards Malchus’ helmet. Malchus tried to sidestep the blow but could not. Simon Peter’s sword slashed violently at the right side of Malchus’ helmet. The blade severed Malchus’ ear guard along with his right ear.

Malchus immediately dropped his club and fell to his knees. The pain coursed through his body. Malchus cursed and reached up for the stub of ear that was left. Cupping it with his right hand, he felt the warmth and stickiness of his blood oozing through his fingers. He was sure he would die then and there because the enraged Simon Peter was standing over him with his arm raised to strike a killing blow. (Jn 18: 3-10)

But just when Simon Peter was ready to strike, Jesus yelled out, Stop! No more of this! Simon Peter hesitated then lowered his sword, and the other combatants stood down as well. It was like a spell of peace and restraint had covered over the battlefield. Everyone went silent and froze where they were, except Malchus who was still crying out in pain and pressing his ear stub tightly to stop the bleeding.

Jesus then walked calmly and confidently into the crowd of guards and soldiers and apostles. Those closest to Malchus quietly stepped away from him. Jesus approached Malchus and looked down at him with compassion. Malchus looked up at Jesus expecting Him to kick him in the face and finish him off with Simon Peter’s sword. But that was not what Jesus did.

Jesus knelt down in front of Malchus. The entire scene was still except for the sound of the night wind rustling through the trees and night birds piercing the silence with their calls. Saying nothing, Jesus searched around the area where Malchus was kneeling. Jesus found the severed ear nearby Malchus, picked it up and wiped off the dirt mixed with blood that covered it. Then to the astonishment of everyone on the scene, Jesus gently put the ear back where it belonged. And when Jesus took His hand away from the side of Malchus’ head, the ear miraculously remained in place, the bleeding stopped, and everyone could see that Malchus was no longer in pain. (Lk 22: 51)

Malchus was stunned. Dumbfounded. He could not move. He could not think. All he felt was relief and a deep sense that he had been caught up in a power he could not fathom but for which he was immeasurably grateful.

Then Jesus stood up and turned to Simon Peter saying, Shall I not drink the cup that the Father gave me? (Jn 18: 11) Put your sword back into its sheath, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot call upon my Father and He will not provide me at this moment with more than twelve legions of angels? But then how would the scriptures be fulfilled which say that it must come to pass in this way? (Mt 26: 52-54)

Jesus turned to the rest of those around him and said, I told you that I AM. So if you are looking for me, let these men go. (Jn 18: 8)

Immediately after Jesus said this, the tribune ordered his men to seize Jesus and bind him like a criminal. And the apostles, seeing what was happening to Jesus, were overcome with great fear that they would meet the same fate. So they panicked and dashed off into the night. Let them go, commanded the tribune. We can deal with them later. Then he began to lead the group out of the garden toward Jerusalem with Jesus in tow.

But Malchus was fixed to his spot. He did not respond to those who were encouraging him to stand up and come with them back to Jerusalem. And when they were finally convinced that he was not going to move, a temple guard remarked, Let him stay here till he is ready. We have to get this Jesus to Caiaphas as soon as possible and let the Sanhedrin deal with Him. Another guard more familiar with Malchus added, It seems this Jesus is quite a magician with that ear and all, but that is Malchus’ business, not ours. Malchus has always been a strange one. It is better he not come with us. He might get in the way of this nasty business.

Malchus was left alone in the garden still clutching his healed ear and trying to make sense of what had happened. He stayed on the ground in a semi-conscious state because of the loss of blood and the strangeness of the whole episode. But he was aware enough to let what just happened take him back to his life story leading up to the miraculous healing. And so Malchus’ life stretched out before him as if the healing of his ear had begun to heal his heart. His mind went back to that bright, sunny morning when he was selling his iron wares in the Samaritan town of Shechem…

Shechem was at the center of the deep dispute between the inhabitants of Samaria and the Jewish inhabitants to its north in Galilee and to its south in Judea. The Samaritans held that the center of worship should be on Mount Gerizim nearby Shechem since it was the center of worship in the time of Joshua; the Jews believed that the center of worship should be the Great Temple in Jerusalem. Besides, the Jews considered the Samaritans not to be pure bred, genuine Jews. With the Assyrian conquest of the northern Jewish kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C., the Assyrians deported many Jews that populated this area and brought in deportees from other conquered areas to replace them. These foreigners were pagans who brought their gods with them. Eventually the Jews in the area of Samaria intermarried with these pagans and formed a hybrid people whose customs and beliefs were not in sync with the religious sensitivities of the Jews in Galilee and Judea. The Jews in these two regions considered the Samaritans to be idolaters who had strayed from the true worship of Yahweh. They were unclean and to be avoided.

It was into this quarrelsome situation that Malchus was cast. Malchus was a Jew born and raised in Galilee. His family relocated often, so he did not have allegiance to any particular place, which brought him to Shechem on business even though he was a Jew.

The proscription against consorting with Samaritans meant little to Malchus. Although he was a Jew by birth, Malchus did not consider himself a serious Jew by the Law. He observed the Sabbath, and as best he could followed the strict Jewish dietary laws. Yet Malchus often slept during worship services or conveniently exempted himself from them. He even enjoyed the taste of pork on occasion when he would do business with pagans.

Malchus was a blacksmith. Because of this he had broad shoulders, narrow hips and strong arms. His physique appealed to women, and it sometimes led him to indulge in casual sexual dalliances. He thought himself like a god when it came to sex because he had a very attractive gladiator-like body and because his sexual prowess never seemed to leave his partners unsatisfied.

Malchus had his own blacksmith shop in the Galilean town of Gennesaret, but he frequently traveled in a covered oxcart to different places around Galilee and Samaria to sell the tools, weapons and decorations he fashioned. He saw no issue with venturing south to the towns and villages of Samaria to peddle his wares in marketplaces or directly from his cart. Besides, he found young Samaritan women to be most attractive because they seemed to combine the best features of Jewish and pagan women.

This day he was in Shechem to be part of the marketplace that took up much of the center of the town. He liked Shechem because his friend Abram had a forge nearby the marketplace where he could customize his iron wares on demand. He made more money this way, and Abram profited from the rental of his shop.

Just as Malchus was winding down from another tiring day of hawking his merchandise under the unforgiving sun, he spied a young lady going from stall to stall collecting foodstuffs in one wicker basket and trinkets in another. She filled his eyes with the way she walked and held herself. Her homespun clothes belied the impression she made of being a genteel, cultured woman of some means.

Malchus watched her intently while he sat on a wooden bench beneath the parapet of