Troubled Times

Rivka. Troubled Times Sara! What happened? Robbers came. They stole the sheep. They beat him up pretty badly. Ayoub! Ayoub! Oh! Oh! They got away with some of your sheep, but most of the flock scattered. Come. Bring him into our house. Easy. We can put him over here. I almost beat them off. Don't just stand there, go get more water at the well. Go! Sara! Where was Dawud? He was... not there. What? You help Dawud with his sheep. You leave your warm bed to sleep on the ground for him and he leaves you alone? Sara. Thank you, Yacoub. I did not do anything that Ayoub would not do for me. I'll try to gather the sheep that are left. I saw Daliyah at the well. She said everyone in town already knows. Quiet! His arm is badly hurt! Daliyah said they are saying this happened to us because we follow the Messiah. They say we have deserted the ways of our fathers. Maybe. Maybe I was attacked because of our faith. Ah! Shh. Please, Ayoub. It's, it's... it's possible, isn't it? But to have the whole town against us? Jesus was rejected by his own people. He knew that they would kill him, yet He chose to obey God. Rest, my husband! He said that we have to expect... to be treated the same way He was. I understand. You must rest. It's part of following Him. Quiet, Ayoub. Please. One way or another... ah! We, we never know when we have to choose, like, like the rich young ruler. Calm yourself. I see what you want to say. We have to choose to follow Jesus no matter what. The rich young man asked Jesus what he must do to receive eternal life. He claimed to have followed all of God's commandments since he was very young. And Jesus told him, "There is still one thing you must do. Sell everything that you have, give money to the poor and then you'll have riches in heaven. And then come follow me." The man was forced to choose and he left Jesus rather than part with his own riches. Could He ask us to give up our reputation... our safety? He could. And He never forces us to follow Him. Please, my husband. Remember, Jesus (grunt) Jesus said... that if... you do not... warned us that if you do not listen to his words... or obey them... ah... that we... are like a house built on sand. When the flood comes, it is swept away. But a house built on rock... But the house built on the rock the life built on Him. The rains can pound and the winds blow... But that house will never fall. Please, my husband, rest. Ayoub! What happened? You left him alone to be beaten! What? He's alive, no thanks to you. If Yacoub bar Abram hadn't been there... It wouldn't have made any difference if you had been there, brother…. There were too many of them. I'm sorry, Ayoub. I should've stayed with you. Where were you? I had to meet with someone. Before dawn? I came to tell you. I heard what they are saying about you, but I don't care. Thank you. Thank you. You are my neighbors and my friends, and I will stand with you. I am going to follow Jesus... no matter what the townspeople say. Even if your family's elders oppose you? I will always respect my elders. But I have to answer to God for my own life. Yes, I suppose we all do, Mariam. I just heard about Ayoub. Auntie Rivka, it is good of you to come. Thank you for coming. How are you Ayoub, anything broken? I'm fine. No, I think his arm may be broken. Well, if we… if we act quickly, we can get a good set before the swelling starts. Um, Mariam, we'll need some clean rags; could you fetch those, please? My Yusha could set a break. Maybe I can help. I think we need someone stronger. Dawud? Now, if you will just... hold his shoulder like this. Bite on this. Thank you, dear. He's a good young man, that Ayoub. Yes. Yes he is. I hope the arm heals. You were wise to set it, Rivka. I'm... glad the break wasn't any worse. Would you like to sit and rest before you return home? Yes dear. That would be wonderful. Sometimes we have to go through pain so that we will not be left broken. So we can truly be healed. I think... you have more on your mind... than Ayoub. I have been thinking about this... Jesus of Nazareth... and the stories you have told me about Him. Yes? His words are powerful. I find myself thinking about them during the day and my heart is warmed. I find myself believing that He is the Holy One sent from God. Oh, Noura, this is wonderful! Are you ready to follow Him, to give your life into His hands? My life is not worth much. It is nearly over. But what I have left, if He will have it, I will gladly give it to Him. Of course he will have it. Jesus once told a story about a man who owned a vineyard. The man went out early in the morning and hired laborers, and agreed to pay each one a silver coin, which was a day's wage. And then later in the day he hired more workers. Then shortly before sundown he brought even more men to work in his vineyard. Then... when it came time to pay the laborers... the owner paid each man a full day's wage! The men who had worked all day were outraged. "These men who were hired at the last worked only one hour," they said, "while we have put in a whole day's labor under the hot sun. And yet you have paid them exactly the same as you gave us!" Well, the owner replied, "I have not cheated you. After all, you agreed to do a full day's work for one silver coin. Am I not free to do as I choose with my own money, or are you jealous because I am generous?" Jesus concluded the story by saying, "Those who are last... will be first, and those who are first will be last." You may only have a "few hours" to work in God's vineyard, but these can be your best days. And Jesus promised us that He would never leave his disciples, or us, alone. He is with us here! And when we leave these bodies behind... He welcomes us into His presence. And that is a place of great joy and great glory! Oh, I know this will make trouble for me in my family. But the pain is worth the healing? Just so. Will you pray with me Rivka? Yes. How do you respond to people when they disagree with you or disapprove of you? How can we respect others while disagreeing with them? What does Mariam learn from the story of the rich young ruler? What does the story of the houses built on a rock and on the sand mean to you? If you were in the story of the man with the vineyard, which laborer would you be and why?