Salome

CHAPTER 44

Salome comes to the home of Yeshua, Miriam, and Martha with a great weight of sorrow upon her shoulders as she confesses that she was the cause of Yochanan’s death. Yeshua explains the circumstances of the situation to Miriam and Martha, and they welcome her into their home.

 1 And it came to pass that Yeshua and Miriam and the other Apostles came down from the hill and returned as evening was falling to their homes. They walked through the midst of many people encamped, but were not put upon by them.

 2 Yeshua and Miriam approached their home with contentment, looking forward to seeing their children again and Martha, and they spoke in amazement to one another that they had been within sight of their house for a day and were just now making their way to it, for it had been an event-filled day.

 3 As they came near the door, they heard Martha speaking with another woman, and Miriam, not recognizing the voice, asked, “I wonder who that is speaking with Martha.”

 4 Yeshua answered her with a big smile upon his face, “It is the one you have waited for.”

 5 Before Miriam could ask who that might be, they were at the door and over the threshold.

 6 Seeing them, there were cries of joy from Martha and the children, and Yeshua and Miriam were swamped by the many embraces of their family.

 7 Through the tangle of arms and heads, Miriam spied an unknown young woman standing against the wall with her head down, so she could not see her face. And looking to Martha who was still embracing her, she asked, “Who is the young woman among us?”

 8 Martha pulled away from Miriam, and going over to the young woman, she reached out for her hand and then pulled her toward Miriam and Yeshua. Still the woman would not look up, so they could not see her face. But Miriam noticed that she was dressed in the finest clothes, such as only a noble woman could afford.

 9 “Yeshua, Miriam,” Martha began, “before I introduce you to this lady, I need to tell you that I have welcomed her into our home. She has a great weight upon her heart, greater than any I have ever known someone to have.

 10 I have told her that in her sincere sorrow it should be lifted, but she will not let the weight depart. I hope your words will have more effect than mine; otherwise, I fear she will be crushed by the weight of her sorrow.”

 11 Then turning to the lady, she said, “Please lift your face and look upon my Lord Yeshua and my sister Miriam. Have no fear; if I have shown you only friendship, they will show you no less.”

 12 The woman seemed to bring her head up a fraction, but then she broke down into uncontrollable crying and fell into a heap upon the floor. The children of Yeshua and Miriam and Martha stood around, looking at her uncomfortably, while the adults looked to one another silently seeking a consensus upon how to act.

 13 Then Martha gathered the children into their common bedroom, and Yeshua and Miriam knelt one on each side of the woman, each with a hand laid lightly upon her back. And Miriam said unto her, “Milady, do not sorrow so. Speak to us, and let us comfort you.”

 14 But the woman continued to cry and remain in a heap upon the floor until Martha returned and also knelt beside her, saying, “Come, come, you spoke not ten words to me for hours because you wanted to wait for Yeshua. Well, now he is here; please speak.

 15 I have pity for your sorrow for things unknown, but the children are becoming frightened, and nothing is accomplished by having us merely watch you cry. We can help, but you must let us.”

 16 At the words of Martha, the woman looked up. Even though her face was swollen and red from crying, they saw that she was beautiful. She looked Martha steadfastly in the eye and said in a wavering voice, “I am a murderer. I killed your husband.”

 17 With that confession, she stopped crying and simply fainted upon the floor.

 18 Martha and Miriam looked with confusion at one another and then looked to Yeshua questioningly. He explained, “This is Salome, daughter of Herodias, stepdaughter of Herod. Herod had granted her one request, and her mother compelled her to demand the head of Yochanan, who was in prison. Though it was not her will, it is her enduring sorrow.”

 19 Martha and Miriam looked to one another and then, still kneeling, embraced each other. Martha took a deep breath, and then exhaling told Miriam, “If Yeshua says that it was not her will, and even still she has such great sorrow for her complicity, I bear her no malice.”

 20 Miriam nodded her head and said unto Martha, “The beauty of her soul emanates even in the disarray of her body. It is unconditional love that will heal her heart and none more so than from you, the wife of the man whose death she grieves.”

 21 Then Yeshua reached forward and held the hand of Salome as she lay upon the floor, and he said unto her, “Wake, child, and be at peace.”

 22 In that instant, she awoke, and still holding her hand, he lifted her up and they all rose with her, until they were all standing side by side, with Yeshua on her right, Martha on her left, and Miriam straight in front of her.

 23 Then without a word, the four of them reached out and put their arms around those beside them, and they pulled close into a circle of one embrace, and Yeshua asked Salome, “What do you feel?”

 24 She answered him softly, saying, “Love, love such as I have never before felt. Love such as I had never imagined could exist. It fills me. I feel as if I am lifted upon a warm breeze, touching the clouds.

 25 But how can this be? How can you touch me, let alone embrace me? You should revile and hate me, for it is only because of me that a great man who was your kin is dead.

 26 I have come here not to seek forgiveness, for I know that is not possible, but to ask that I might be the servant of your house for the rest of my life, to make an insufficient, but small amend for the evil I have done.”

 27 “We are all servants of Elohim,” Miriam said looking into her deep brown eyes. “But beyond that, we hold no servants, nor compel any, for we are all brothers and sisters of the light, and though called to different callings, we are all equal in the sight of our Father and Mother in Heaven and judged not by our station in life, but by the Celestine Light of our soul and the evidence of the light in our lives.”

 28 “How wicked must be my soul then that I could have done such a terrible thing?” Salome protested.

 29 Martha gave her a small rub with her hand upon the small of her back and said unto her, “Yeshua has said that you were merely the tool of your mother, and therefore, it is she who has been wicked and must make account before God for the death of my Yochanan.”

 30 “But, my Lord, you were not there,” Salome said softly. “In my weakness, I did do evil, and I must make amends.”

 31 Yeshua turned so he could look into her eyes and said unto her, “But I was there, Salome. I stood in prison with Yochanan, and together, we watched as your mother compelled you to demand his head from Herod.

 32 Though we were unseen to you, Yochanan and I watched as you valiantly tried to defer that which your mother compelled you to do.

 33 Even when at last she broke your will, the deed you have sorrowed for all of these days never happened. The moment before the executioner came forward, I held the soul of Yochanan close to me, and before the axe fell upon his neck, his mortal body was already lifeless upon the ground.

 34 Even as all mortal bodies shall die, so shall all souls continue on: the righteous to the resurrection of glory. And so has the eternal and glorious soul of Yochanan risen to his glory. He lives still today and shall forevermore.

 35 His widow does not grieve, because she knows it is only for a breath of eternity that they have been separated, and together they shall be again.

 36 I promise you he looks down upon you even now from the Celestine Realms and has only love for you, even as we do.”

 37 “You do not hate me?” Salome asked incredulously.

 38 In unison, Yeshua, Miriam, and Martha shook their heads and silently affirmed that they did not hate her.

 39 Salome spoke to them with quiet astonishment, “Instead, you give me love, such as I have never felt or imagined? What manner of man and women are you? For this is not how people are.”

 40 Miriam again looked into her eyes with great compassion and, holding her gaze, said unto her, “We are Celestines. We are Children of Light. We are the son and daughters of Elohim, even as you are. We are not as the people of the world, because we are not of this world. We are among them, but they know us not. Only another who is one, as you are, can know the Children of Light.”

 41 “This is a great deal for me to grasp,” Salome said with a sigh of happiness. “I came here feeling on the edge of death, and now I feel more alive than I have ever felt.”

 42 Then Yeshua spoke unto her, saying, “We must decide now how to care for you and where you shall go . . .”

 43 Before he could finish his words, Salome interrupted, saying, “I desire to go no place other than here. Despite your kind words and love, I feel I still have amends to make and desire still to serve your house.”

 44 “But you are Herod’s stepdaughter,” Martha pointed out. “Besides the fact that you cannot stay with us as a single woman and that we also have no room in our small house for another, you bring danger to us, for the king shall certainly come looking for you and bring trouble upon us were he to find you here.”

 45 “I will sleep outside in a shed, on some hay,” Salome answered. “And neither Herod nor my mother will come for me, for I am dead to them. I spoke ill to them and very severely. I told them I was coming here to be your servant. At first, Herod thought I was merely trying to connive something from him; then he was incensed.

 46 But at the last, it was my mother who threw me into the street, calling me the most vile names, with only these clothes upon my back. She said henceforth I was dead to them.

 47 She grabbed Terah, one of her slave girls, and her parting words to me were that Terah was no more, for she was now Salome, and if ever they saw my face again, it would be that I was Terah.

 48 Trust me, they will not come looking for me, and it will be as they said. There is surely another Salome now in the palace, even the slave girl Terah, and I am not even a memory.”

 49 “It is astounding the depths of evil that those of the dark can fall to,” Miriam commented. “Certainly, we must find a place for you.”

 50 Again Salome objected, saying, “This is the place for me; I desire no other. Please do not send me away. I meant the words I spoke. I know I cannot live under your roof, for it would be against the law, but it is with gladness that I will make my bed upon the straw under the stars.”

 51 Miriam laughed, saying, “The law does not have the same meaning in this house as you have been accustomed to. We will not board you as an animal outside, but in truth, there is not room enough inside.”

 52 Miriam looked questioningly in silence to Yeshua, seeking his thoughts, and he said unto them, “This week, we will have the men of the community build another room where Salome may stay, and we will welcome her into our home as a friend.

 53 Let her serve as she desires. She may travel with us on our journeys or remain and help Martha with the children or choose other tasks that she feels called to.

 54 Let her learn of our ways and we of hers, for she has wisdom beyond her years and training such as few women will ever know, having been a daughter of the palace.

 55 Let her walk and listen and see and breathe the Communities of Light that she will know her home and her home will know her.”

 56 Salome could scarcely contain her joy, and she bowed to Yeshua, saying, “Thank you, my Lord. I will do all of those things which you have said and serve in every other way I am able.

 57 But most of all, if I may, I desire to walk with you, even as we have heard in the palace that Miriam is said to go all places with you. I desire to learn of your teachings until every word is etched into my heart and flows into the world with every word I speak.”

 58 Yeshua brought them all together again, holding hands in a circle, and looking upon Salome, he said unto her, “As you have desired, so it shall be.”