Dawn of grace

SUBAJAYANTHI WILSON

The air was fraught with mystery. Even the silence was grim. Everything was fearfully still, except the branches of the old fig tree that soberly stood on one side of the narrow road in Jerusalem. Under the tree was Alphaeus, alone and lost in thought. He had travelled a long way to reach there. His heart was gripped by grief and disbelief. The news he had heard two days ago was hard to digest. His Master was dead. The rulers and a few people had conspired against him and killed him.

Images of his Master came alive before his eyes. When the Master was alive, He did only good to others. He was called the Healer because all the sick who came to Him were healed. Some called Him "Teacher" because He had an answer to every problem they came up with, and the words of wisdom He uttered brought cheer to the distressed. There were some who were convinced He was a Prophet who unravelled the future. The listless viewed Him as a Shepherd in whom they found guidance and protection. Those people whose wrong doings bothered them, came to Him to be forgiven. The needy, the underprivileged and the outcasts of society rejoiced as they believed to have found, at last, a leader to take up their cause. Children loved Him for they saw in Him a friend for all times.

He was poor. In fact, He was born in a stable in Bethlehem. His father, a carpenter in a Galilean village called Nazareth, worked hard everyday to provide for his family. His mother was a virtuous woman named Mary. His life was full of struggles, yet His heart was always glad. He was moved when people suffered. His purpose was to save humanity. He was the Son of God. His name was Jesus.

A multitude of thoughts flashed through Aphaeus' mind. He recalled the day when he first met his Master.

Alphaeus, a beggar at that time, was blind. As was his routine, he sat begging on the road in the outskirts of Jericho when the Master passed him by. A large crowd followed and from the noise they made, Alphaeus knew that it was Jesus. He had heard how Jesus had the power to cleanse lepers, make the dumb to speak and cause the blind to see. He could even raise the dead. On one occasion earlier, a beggar just like him, and blind too, named Bartimaeus received sight because he sought the Master's mercy.

Not wasting a moment, Alphaeus with all his strength shouted: "Jesus, have mercy on me."

Jesus heard his cry. He stood still and told the people to bring him where He was. Alphaeus was happy. He threw aside his rags, got up and went to Jesus. Looking at him, Jesus asked: "What do you want Me to do for you?" - though He knew what Alphaeus wanted. "Master, let me receive my sight," Aphaeus quickly replied.

Jesus said to him,"Go your way; your faith has made you well." From that moment on, Alphaeus began to see.

As he sat thinking of that day, his heart ached. His eyelids were heavy from much sorrow, and soon he was fast asleep.

Early the next morning, he woke to the footsteps of two men who, with fear and excitement, brushed past saying: "Jesus is alive." Alphaeus leapt for joy. His Master was alive. But how did it happen? He reflected on all that he had learnt and known. Yes, he believed that Jesus who came to save people had power over death. Afterall, he was just one of the many whose lives had changed because of the Master.

Christmas, celebrated the world over to mark the birth of Jesus Christ, is not just for a season. The beauty of Christmas is lived through each day of the year by acknowledging the grace that has come from Jesus' birth and life. The world experienced a dawn when Jesus was born. That dawn of grace continues to touch human lives, mends and renews broken spirits, today, as it did when it first appeared that Christmas day long ago.

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