Before Winter (13)

 Ten: 

…The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen. 

After reading the last line, Mark looked up from the manuscript. “So. Paul is imprisoned again.”

Timothy nodded.  

“I will come, of course, since he asks it. Cadmus can look after the church here well enough, though taking care of his family makes traveling far difficult. But Timothy,” Mark frowned, “We have not finished discussing Alexander. I will talk to him before I leave, and ask for an explanation of  your accusations.” 

“You will only hear lies…” Timothy began, but Mark held up his hand and Timothy fell silent. 

“It is only just to hear his side. I will go find him now, and you should rest. If you have really been searching for me all over Cyprus, you must be very tired.”

It was not much of a joke, but Timothy smiled weakly in response, acknowledging the effort to ease the tension. 

Mark stepped past him, out of the room. He was taken aback to find Alexander standing right by the door, waiting for him. 

“We need to talk.” 

“Yes, we do.” Mark began walking along the dusty street, and Alexander fell into step beside him. 

“I haven’t told you everything about my life in Ephesus. I let you think that I left in perfect harmony with Timothy and the church there, but…that’s not exactly true.” 

“Obviously.” 

“We had differences of opinion on some things, and he wouldn’t wait to hear my side of the story. Instead, he accused me of heresy, and threw me out of the church. When I tried to meet with some of the brethren for fellowship, I must have been followed by an informer, because almost as soon as I entered the house Roman soldiers were pounding on the doors, shouting for everyone to come out. Some were arrested, but since I wasn’t, everyone assumed that I had called in the soldiers. I had to leave the city after that. I got angry, I admit, and said things that I wish I had not, especially about Timothy. I think my words hurt him personally, and that is why now he cannot accept the idea that I might have changed.

I was on my way to Rome when I met Tychicus, who told me about the letter, and that Timothy would be going to see Paul. I came here to meet him, to explain, and to ask him to take me with you two to Rome. I saw from his reaction that he’s not ready to listen to me.” Alexander shook his head sadly. 

“Since I’ve been here, I see that I was wrong in some of my ideas. I want to talk with Paul about doctrine, and to ask his forgiveness for the ways I hurt him and the church.”

“Why wait until now to tell me all this?”

“I thought if you got to know me, you might be more likely to believe me. I was planning on telling you before Timothy got here, but I didn’t think he would arrive for another week or two. Please, ask Timothy to bring me too. I know he won’t listen to me, but I’ve got to see Paul.”

Mark was silent for a moment before answering, thinking about Alexander’s story. At last, he said, “I’ll talk to him, and tell him your side. I don’t know who I believe, though, Alexander. I’ve only known you for a few weeks. Timothy has been a leader in the church for years and years.” 

“Judge me by my works here, not the words of another.” Alexander said. They had reached the door of the house where Alexander was staying, and he now stood with one foot on the step, facing Mark, his hand stretched out in farewell. Nodding, Mark grasped his hand, before turning back toward his own rooms. 

A frown crept onto Alexander’s face as he watched Mark leave, thinking about Timothy’s reaction to his presence. This was going to be harder than he had hoped it might be. 

The thirty-third year since the resurrection of Jesus Christ, still the eighth day of the fifth month.

Too much has happened today to process properly. Timothy showed up unexpectedly, and asked me to come to Rome! It seems that Paul is to be executed within the year, which causes great sorrow in my heart. At the same time, I am filled with confusion over Alexander. Timothy is irrationally angry at him, as far as I can see. I do not completely believe Alexander’s story—why should he pull me away from the seaport to do mission work when he knew Timothy was on his way with an urgent message?—but I think that he deserves continued observation before I decide. Either way, I believe it is better to bring him with us, but it will be hard to convince Timothy of this. Lord Jesus, give me wisdom to make the right choices, and to know how to respond to these two friends of mine.