The Village Named Bethlehem (Chapter Three)(Gordon B. Robey) Chapter Three


It was almost midnight when David marshal walked across the square on his way home. He was half way across, when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Light drew his eyes to his right and he was suddenly afraid at what he saw. The Statue of Jesus Christ was glowing with a soft white light.

He stared for a full minute, before turning and ran up the steps to Martha’s house. There he reached up and pulled on a cord which started a bell ringing. It echoed through the village. Lights came on in the houses. And people began to shout at the noise the bell was making.

Martha almost fell out of bed in her haste to see what was wrong. As she went out of the door, she saw who it was ringing her bell. “What’s wrong David, why are you ringing my bell, is there a fire”? All David could do was to point across the square to the Statue of Jesus that continued to glow.

Many of the villagers had left their houses. They came into the square looking across to the house of Martha, wondering what was wrong. It was then that a sleepy eyed woman saw the glowing Statue of Jesus. She screamed and pointed “Oh my God, it’s shining, Jesus is shining”.

Martha, who came down the steps with David, said to her people, “This is to show us his love for us. Things will be better from now on. The Lord is here with us”. She stared at the glowing Statue of Jesus, and crossed herself as the light went out. “Go back to your homes, it’s all finished” Martha said as she heard some saying that they had seen a Miracle. She looked up at Jesus who stood with Mary at the top of the steps. She smiled and said “Thank you Lord”.

When everyone had gone back to bed, the village was again silent. But Jesus was awake. He arose from the folding bed and looked around the village square. Mary came from her room and stood beside him. She had awakened suddenly, as if he had called her. She hadn’t heard his voice, only a thought in her head. As she looked at him he spoke to her “Come Mary, there are many things to do before daybreak”.

As she followed him around the dirt square, the clothes of her Lord Jesus changed. Now he wore the long white gown that he had returned in. He kept looking up at the trees. Mary gasped in astonishment as each tree they passed by was suddenly covered with fruit. Some she saw still had blossom, and would fruit later. Already there was enough fruit to pick that would make money for the village. “This will surprise them Lord” Mary said. “It certainly surprised me”.

When Jesus was satisfied with what he had done, He said, “This is enough for tonight Mary. We still have another day to finish it”. And so saying, he turned and went to sit on the steps of Martha’s house. “Lord, may I speak freely to you”? Mary asked. She saw the slight nod of his head.

“Lord Jesus, from what Martha has told me, there will be a lot of people here in two days time. The Mayor and his wife will come with their friends. And the Bishop Powers, he will take mass. She’s expecting more people to come this year, and thinks the square won’t hold them all.”
She looked at Jesus who nodded. “I will sort it all out when the time comes Mary”.

Martha stood on her porch in the early hours, watching as the men went to work. This would be their last day before the holidays started. Each of them as they passed the Statue of Jesus crossed himself, not forgetting what had happened in the night.
Martha also looked across at the Statue, and smiled. She had a feeling that something good was about to happen.

The women, who she had selected to help her run the village, came into the square waving and smiling as they approached her house. Each knowing this was the last day to get the village ready for the big day. “Good morning to you all” Martha said. “It’s going to be a lovely day, so we can get everything done. We’ve got all day”.

They began their tasks with gusto, each knowing what to do. The first thing they attempted was to hang the streamers, from tree to tree across the square. It took them until lunch time, but they enjoyed every minute of it. The young sons of the villagers had climbed the trees to stretch streamers across the square. And now they sat on the ground, enjoying the meal that the ladies had prepared.

On the porch their parents sat with Martha eating their light meal. Jesus and Mary sat at the far end of the porch, discussing what they would be doing later that day. As Jesus told her his plans, Mary often nodded her head.

When the ladies had finished their refreshments, Jesus stood up and went to join them. “Congratulations ladies, on making the village so beautiful”. Martha’s helpers smiled, embarrassed that a Priest should be thanking them. When Martha stood up and bowed to the Priest, they were even more surprised. “Thank you Father" She said. “My girls love this village almost as much as I do. Without their help it wouldn’t be what it is. I am very proud of them.” Then she returned to her seat, smiling at Jesus.

Martha’s friends had been watching the Priest for sometime, wondering who he was, and why he was there. After congratulating them on their efforts, Jesus bowed slightly and smiled as he said “Peace be with you”. He chose a seat that allowed him to see them, without having to turn, and made himself comfortable.

“You are wondering who I am, and why I am here. So I will tell you.” He looked at Martha and smiled, giving a slight nod. “I came to your village because Martha asked God to send someone to help here. So he sent me.” There were looks of astonishment on their faces, as they looked at Martha.

“Ah” Jesus said smiling, “Some of you are asking yourselves if I am an Angel, because I said that God had sent me.” Still smiling he looked at Martha, and nodded his head. She got to her feet and walked slowly across the porch. Her friends looked at her in amazement, watching her legs as she walked away from them.

“Oh my God” Samantha Estella whispered. “Martha, you're not limping anymore.”

The other ladies started to get to their feet, staring at Martha as she returned to stand before them. There was a huge smile on her face, as she looked at Jesus.

“Father Jesus is a priest of the highest order” She said. “God has sent him to me so that I might be healed”. She turned slowly, with her arms open. “Through God he as made me whole again”.

Sara Juan, a retired school teacher and a mother of three children. Took her eyes from Martha and looked at the smiling Priest. “This is a Miracle Martha.” She sat down heavily on a seat, looking at her friend. “First the Statue of our Lord Jesus was glowing. And now your legs are both the same, after how many years?" She looked at the other women. “Two Miracles in one night? It’s unbelievable.”

Now Jesus stood and walked a few paces away from them. Then he turned back. “Is it not said that God works in mysterious ways? I say to you who stand before me that God is here in this village with you. Believe in what I say, Martha already knows the truth.” It was then that Mary pointed across the square, “Look ladies” She said with a smile.

The women turned to see the Statue of Jesus, once again glowing with a soft white light. “Father, does this mean that our Lord is with us again. Is he trying to tell us something we can’t understand”? Samantha Estalla was worried, it showed on her face. She, like the other women, believed in God. She looked at the Priest Jesus. "Father, can you tell us what it is that God wants us to do”? She looked at her friends, seeing them nodding their heads. They were thinking the same as she was.

Jesus looked at Samantha, his blue eyes smiling. “This I say to you. God is showing you that he is pleased with what you are doing in your village. You have named this village Bethlehem.” He opened his arms, turning to look over the square at the likeness of himself. “Ladies…This is God’s reward for believing in Him, and His son Jesus.”

As they listened, amazed at what he was saying, they saw the shining light slowly fade away. They stared in silence, each with their own thoughts. The children had all gone to their homes by this time. It was time for television. “Ask your ladies to return here after their meal Martha” Jesus said. “I will show them something.”

Martha’s friends returned and took the same seats as before. Jesus was sitting with Mary, at the far end of the veranda, as Martha greeted her friends. Getting to his feet he smiled, first at Martha, and then her ladies. “Peace be with you” He said. “And with you Father” came their reply. “And now I do this for you ladies, for believing in me as you do.”

Mary thought she knew what was about to happen. And sure enough the clothes of Jesus changed. He now wore a long white gown, reaching down to his sandaled feet. Martha went to her knees, followed by her bewildered friends. Gasps of amazement came from all of them, including Martha. Jesus began to glow, with a soft white light.

Moving slowly towards them, He said, “He who believes in me shall never perish, but have eternal life with me in Paradise.” Then he smiled. "I ask that you keep who I am a secret until tomorrow. You are the only ones who know of me.” Happy smiles were on every face when they answered, “Yes Lord Jesus, we’ll do as you say.”

The village was quiet, now that everyone had retired for the night. But Jesus didn’t sleep. He stood on the porch for as long time, as if deep in thought. Then he went down the steps, and stood in the center of the square. Turning around slowly, looking at everything, he smiled and began to walk down the dirt path towards the highway. It was already after midnight, so he wasn’t expecting there to be any traffic.

He stood in the middle of the road. With his back to the village, he slowly raised his arms and spread them out. The wide grass verge over the road was suddenly flattened. At the rear a wall of interwoven trellis suddenly appeared, covered with vines. In the fore front a raised concrete bed filled with rose bushes. In its center was a sign, hanging from two chains.

Jesus smiled as he looked at it. Words appeared, written in gold,
Saying ‘Welcome to the Blessed Village of Bethlehem’. Then he turned and looked towards the village. On each side of the opening the ground became flattened, and covered with concrete. Two more hanging signs appeared, facing the opposite way, with the same words written on them. To the rear more and more shrubs appeared. As Jesus moved forward, the dirt track leading up to the village disappeared to be replaced by a concrete road.

Mary came slowly from the square, and down the new road. She looked across the highway, and saw what Jesus had done. Such was the beauty of it all that it took her breath away. “Lord” She said. “You’re making the village into a shrine. Thousands will come here, if you keep this up.”

She followed Jesus as he walked up the new road to the square. Here he stopped, and again opened his arms as he looked around. Suddenly the square was like the road, concrete covered it up to the steps of all the houses that surrounded it. “When I am finished, Mary, no one will ever forget the birth place of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

Mary watched, still marveling at the things she saw happening before her eyes. Vines began to creep up the porch posts of every house. Green leaves appeared and blossom of all colors. All around the square shrubs and bushes covered with blossom were in abundance.

“Now it is finished Mary” Jesus said as he looked around at his handy work. Tomorrow these people will have something to show to their visitors, and be proud of this village of Bethlehem.” Then he walked across to the steps of Martha’s house and sat down. Mary sat beside him, looking in wonder at what he had done.

As the night began to fade, and a new day began, Martha left her bed and went outside to wash. It took her a while, but when she had finished she turned to face the Village square. This was something that she had done every morning for as long as she could remember. But this morning was different. She stood, not believing her eyes. She stared at the beautiful flowers and the climbing vines on all the houses, hers included. She looked behind her, knowing who had done this wondrous thing to her village. But Jesus was nowhere in sight.

The first person to have seen the Statue of Jesus glow two nights ago came into the square. David Marshal looked at it again, and breathed a sigh of relief. Then he saw Martha, standing in the middle of the square looking around her, with a big smile on her face. She saw David and let out a sigh, glad that he was here. “Good morning David, you're up early.” David smiled. He had always liked Martha. His wife was one of her helpers. “Good morning to you also Ma’am” He replied.

“Look” She said. “Have you ever seen anything like this before? We must have the most beautiful village in the world? David could see how happy and excited Martha was. He knew how proud she was of her village. He looked around himself. No wonder she was excited. He’d never seen anything like it before ether. “This will be a great day for you Ma’am, and for the village. What will the others say when they see this”?

What David couldn’t understand was how this could happen over night. As he looked up he saw that almost every tree was bearing fruit. And others with blossom, yet yesterday there were only buds. David turned and looked across at the Statue of Christ. He crossed himself and smiled. “You know what this is Ma’am”? He said, as he pointed at the trees and the colorful flowers. “This has got to be a Miracle”. Martha saw David make the sign of the cross, and looked at him in a new light.

“The Lord Jesus is already in this village with us David. You shall see him later, and everyone else.” As the village came to life, many of the residents came into the square. Some were carrying babies, others holding hands with their older children. There were cries of astonishment, as they saw the transformation that had taken place in the village. The word ‘Incredible’ was heard from someone ‘Fantastic’ from another. But Martha liked the last comment that someone made, ‘A Miracle’.

Jesus and Mary suddenly appeared on the porch of Martha’s house. They watched the excited villagers, most of them women and children, dancing and holding hands. All of them laughing and pointing to the houses that were covered with beautiful flowers. “Look Ma” A boy of about twelve said in an excited voice, as he jumped up and down “Someones concreted the ground.” Jesus smiled as he heard the boy. “It’s good to see so many happy faces Lord Jesus” Mary said. “They love what you have done to their village. And so will their visitors, when they arrive."

Excitement swept through the people as the time for their visitors drew close. Many lined each side of the new road. Others were down on the highway, looking into the distance for the first glimpse of the Mayors car, and that of the Bishop. Jesus stood with Mary and Martha waiting for their visitors to arrive. Martha turned to look at the Statues. It was only then that she noticed both the head of Jesus, and that of the Virgin Mary, were covered with white clothes. So she pointed, and said in a worried voice, “Lord Jesus, why is your face and the Virgin Mary’s covered? We didn’t do that.”

Jesus looked to where Martha pointed, and put his hand on her shoulder. Smiling he said, “Don’t worry Martha, all will be revealed later” He turned then to look down the new road. “We will go down the road and welcome your visitors Martha, they are on their way and will be here soon.”

Martha remembered how many had turned up for this day last year. As she walked beside Jesus and Mary she said, “Father Jesus, many came last year, but I think there will be more this time. I hope there will be enough room for them.” Jesus glanced sideways to look at her, seeing how worried she was. Nothing must go wrong for her today. “If there isn’t room enough Martha, then we will make more. And do not worry, everything will be all right, I promise”.

They came at last to the highway. Many of the villagers were looking at the signs in the flower bed across the road. And the other two each side of the entrance. “This is so beautiful, Father, it takes my breath away. But why is everyone interested in those hanging boards”? Her friend Samantha Estella came towards them and bowed to Jesus. ‘Come and look at the signs Martha, it’s wonderful. The name of our village is written on them.” Everyone was commenting on the hanging signs, as Martha and Samantha went to join them.

There was a shout, “They are coming, look, I can see the cars”. Down the road came a fleet of cars. The first was the private car of the City Mayor, followed by his councilors from City Hall. At the rear of the procession came the Land Rover with the Bishop Father Ross on board. As the cars came to the new turn off to the village, they slowed down. There was plenty of room to park each side of the new road, and across the highway. Jesus had made sure of that before hand. “Is this the same place we came to last year Sam”? The Mayor asked his personal driver. “Yes Sir it is, but it’s certainly changed since our last visit,” The driver answered.

The Mayor and his wife walked up the new road leading into the village. They were followed by the councilors, taking their time as they admired the beautiful flowers. But the Bishop took his time in moving from the signs that told of the name of the village. It was the words on those boards that surprised him. Even though they were beautifully inscribed in gold, there was something he didn’t like.

The three rows of seats were filled with the Mayors men and their wives. The men sat at the front, with the ladies behind. The villagers stood in the large space to their rear. The sight that confronted the Bishop as he entered the square astounded him. He went to the Mayor, who stood and faced him. “What is it Bishop, is something wrong” I think this village is the most wonderful place I have ever seen, and my wife thinks so too.”

But the Bishop was only interested in saying his piece. “Mayor, how could these people afford all this”? He asked as he gazed around. “It must have cost them thousands of Pesos.” The Mayor had also been thinking the same as the Bishop, but found no real reason to say anything before. “You’re right of course Bishop. I have the same thoughts as you. Perhaps we will find out later”? The Bishop made his way to the group of lady helpers, and beckoned to Martha. “Sister Martha, I am not pleased with some of the things I have seen.” Martha looked at the Bishop Father Ross in surprise. Everything seemed to be all right for her. And she knew that Jesus didn’t make mistakes.

“What could possibly be wrong Bishop? We have everything in order, ready for you. What have we done that you don’t like”? “It is not your village that upsets me Sister Martha’ The Bishop said. “I have never seen one of such beauty in my life before. No it’s not the village Sister, it’s what I’ve seen at the entrance, and across the way.” Martha was still looking at him in surprise. “You’re talking about the beautiful signs that you saw Bishop. What’s wrong with them”? The Bishop let out a sigh, “Sister Martha, what is written on your signs can not be right. You can’t put, 'The Blessed Village of Bethlehem'.”

He saw the devastation on Martha’s face but continued, “This village has not been blessed by the church, or any Priest that I know of. Sister, they will have to be taken down.

A smile came to Martha’s lips. “Bishop Ross” She said, “Those signs were put there by someone very high in the church. We will not be taking them down.” Bishop Ross opened his mouth to say something, but then changed his mind. Taking a deep breath he said, “We will begin the Mass”. He left Martha and went to the raised platform that he had stood on last year. The villagers began to move forward, so as to see him better. Going up the steps, the Bishop turned to face the people.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we are gathered here today to remember the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Who gave his life to save us all. But before I begin I have something to say about this village that is not right.” He stopped speaking and looked around at everyone. He saw Martha looking at him with a smile on her face. ‘She doesn’t seem worried about what I said to her’ He thought. ‘After all, I am a Bishop, they should heed my words.’ “You have allowed someone to put on your signs, 'The Blessed Village of Bethlehem'.”

Bishop Ross stopped speaking and looked at the silent villagers and the visitors. They stared back at him, at what he was saying. “This can only be called a Blessed Village if it as been blessed by the church. But this has not been so. It is a sin to say your village is Blessed. As I have already explained to Sister Martha, the signs will have to be taken down. In the eyes of the church it is blasphemy.” There was total silence in the square, as the villagers and the visitors looked at each other.

“I thought that we had come here to remember the death of our Lord Jesus Christ” The Mayors wife whispered to her husband. “I didn’t expect this, maybe we should go home. These people have worked hard to get this village ready for us, and now they’re being punished for something that’s not their fault.” The Mayor nodded his head in agreement with his wife. Seeing how upset she was, He said, “Calm down dear, we can’t leave just like that, lets see what happens, shall we”?



Continued in Chapter Four...

(Note that this story consists of multiple chapters published on Storystar in previous or later installments. Please look for them in the link below to other stories by this author. Thank you.)

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