Day 2: Describe how a Pharisee saw Jesus standing on the steps of the temple. What did he see and hear? Use all the senses.
I had just been in the middle of my third prayer that day to the Almighty Lord, Ruler of all, when I saw him. Actually, I didn't see him right away. Someone bumped into me while trying to see him while I was praying.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, you ruffian! You could have ruined my best robe." I dusted it off and carefully inspected it for any marks.
"I'm s-s-sorry, sir," the young boy stammered. He backed up a cautiously for a couple feet then turned around and continued running towards the temple.
It was then that I had become aware of the crowd gathering. Dozens of people were hastily following the boy's path. I was amazed that I could have even droned out this noise before. There were shouts of joy and desperation. The voices that mingled together made it impossible for me to think anymore, and more people were coming all the time.
"Do you see Him yet?" a young woman asked as she strained to see above the crowd.
"No," said a man, presumably her husband. "Let's move in closer."
"I hope we haven't missed too much of His teaching."
I was confused about who this man was that the crowd was hurrying to see. I doubted that it was the High Priest. I followed the throng of people and took advantage of my right to push my way through them. The closer I got to the temple, the thicker the people became. Soon I had to literally shove men out of my way to get closer. Their clothing felt coarse and damp, probably from the heat of the day. The sun had been beating over my head for a good fifteen minutes now. I was repulsed when my fingers went through some holes of one person's clothes as I was making my way through. His skin felt moist and wrinkled. I turned to see an old man with a crutch struggling to get off the ground. Other people were helping him.
A voice started to tower above the rest. It was loud yet mellow, powerful yet subdued. There was a certain warmth in it that I couldn't recognize, a warmth that comforted me in a way nothing had ever done before. I shook off the feeling and moved in closer to see this speaker. The sharp stench of sweat, disease, and the beggars was almost unbearable, but I pressed on. The voice got louder and louder, and I could finally start making out what he was saying. It was something about loving other people like yourselves. I wasn't sure what that even meant.
Then I saw him. He was dressed in average clothes. He did not possess any stunning good looks or other features. His face looked lean and worn, as if he hadn't eaten very much or slept in a while. Despite his weariness, he seemed animated as he spoke, captivating everyone including myself. Then his eyes locked on mine. They were a soft brown. It is difficult to describe what I saw in them. It was as if all the love, joy, hurt, pain, and hope in the world were wrapped up in one. I even detected a sparkle in them. But they were also piercing. I felt like he was penetrating the depths of my soul. I stood fixated. I couldn't move away from his gaze if I tried. It was the worst feeling in the world. All other noises were in the distance. Then he turned his head to look at someone else. I shook my head and started studying my surroundings again. There were one, two, three...twelve men near to him. Then it occurred to me.
"This is that Jesus fellow that everyone has been talking about." My eyes turned cold. "The fraud. He's trying to put us out of a job." I stalked away with a big huff. I never did forget those eyes. They have haunted me ever since.
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