"kill him!kill him! Stone him to death!" The crowd shouted with rage and it was evident that they would readily pounce on the offender if ordered to do so.
"He speaks lies" Someone from the crowd shouted.
" Blasphemy!!" Another added.
"Let His God that he so much speaks about save him today" another said and others mummured in agreement.
The offender sat on the ground,bound with chains,blood spilling down his face.It was obvious he had been tortured by the crowd.
Inspite of all this,he seemed unmoved and in low tones continued to pray to God.Sometimes,he spoke in tongues no one could understand and then,he would switch to singing,tears flowing down his face.Not tears of sorrow but tears that came from deep understanding of what was happening to him.He smiled at other times and his face radiated peace which further annoyed the crowd.
Tristan scoffed and turned to the soldier next to him "He seems overly confident".
Cato nodded "He believes His God will save him this time,the Christians always believe that.They hold on to their God like He's there with them, doing all things for their sake "
Tristan laughed mockingly "Then,let His God save him"
Once again,his eyes found the offender.He was a young man in his late twenties and his name was Jasper.Every morning,he would walk past the city gate, preaching and proclaiming his God as the only living God.
At first,the people ignored him and pretended he wasn't there but then, Jasper wouldn't stop.He told stories that people found so difficult to believe.He said his God sent his only son to die for the sin of the world and whosoever believes Him would not perish! What sort of blasphemy was that?! If there was one thing Tristan hated the most,it was the Christians and their teachings.
If their God was so merciful as they claimed,why would He allow the ones He loved to die such brutal deaths?
Tristan couldn't count the number of Christians he had killed on the order of the king.What surprised him most was, even though he has killed many; others still joined them and claim to believe so much in the gospel.
He could clearly remember the man called Stephen who died for the same reason.Stephen was dragged out of the city and stoned to death,did his God save him? NO!. Even when he looked up to heaven and claimed to see the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,the people were vexed.
Still, his God did nothing.Even while they were stoning him, Stephen shouted to his God and said "Lord Jesus, recieve my spirit."Then,he fell on his knees and cried out "Lord,do not hold this sin against them"
Tristan clenched his teeth in anger.Even at the point of death, Stephen honoured his God, that God who let him die.Looking at Jasper now,he wondered why he chose to follow the same path Stephen had followed…was death and suffering something to boast of for their God?
"The king is here!" Cato announced and the crowd stopped shouting at once.
Jasper watched as the people bowed to acknowledge the king.He wasn't scared at all,God would save him.He always does.
Even if he died now,he would gain his reward in heaven.Did apostle Paul not preach and say that their reward wasn't on Earth? Didn't Paul write to the Corinthians and say "We are confident,I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord"
"This is my judgement…." the king was saying.
Jasper bowed his head and prayed silently to God .He read Psalm 121 repeatedly in his mind and then,he heard God's voice in a whisper…
"NEVER WILL I LEAVE YOU; NEVER WILL I FORSAKE YOU"
Tears of joy ran down his face as he lifted his eyes to heaven, thanking God.
"Put him back in prison,he shall be executed at dawn!" The king ordered and the crowd cheered.
Even as he was being dragged back to prison, Jasper continued thanking God and Tristan hated him more.
"I can't wait to cut off his head tomorrow" he told Cato.
★...…..★...…★
Tristan made sure his eyes were opened and that he was at alert as he was the one guiding the prison that night.
His focus was more on the Christian boy and he couldn't wait till dawn to cut off his head.
He wouldn't be the first , neither would he be his last.Christians would always die by his hands,he smiled reminiscing the thought.
He looked at Jasper again and noticed he was praying again.
Just then,he felt a soft wave like someone passed by him but he saw no one.
At that moment,his vision began to blur and he struggled to keep his eyes open but he couldn't.
The last thing he saw before he became unconscious was a man opening the gate where Jasper was kept and loosing the chains that bound him.
At that moment,the only thing that came across his mind was : Is that his God? And if that was his God,who is He?