I could tell I was not the only one in the room who was unsure of what Jesus was talking about.  The twelve men present also appeared puzzled by his remarks and they conversed with each other in low tones, gesturing for emphasis.  My own questions bubbled out into my consciousness almost faster then I could consider them.  Was Jesus setting himself up as leader of a revolution against the Romans and these men were the nucleus of his army? No insult intended but although he had a definite air of authority about him, this gentle little guy hardly looked the military type.  Besides, according to the rumors I'd heard the conflict was between Jesus and the Jewish power structure; not the Romans.  So; maybe Jesus intended to lead a popular uprising to get rid of the Jewish rulers and install a new, Godly and spiritually pure priestly class. Lordy; there certainly was need for change. The Pharisees utterly despised the peasants and didn't hesitate to take away their property in the courts or steal it outright. Together with wealthy landowners and the religious leaders,the Pharisees--snakes dressed in robes of gold threads-- preyed on widows, orphans and the desperately poor, without mercy. And they had the nerve to say flies are nasty  
  I hopped up on the cushion close to Jesus to listen in on the conversation he was having with the fellow next to him. (Jesus call him John.)  Jesus looked down at me and stopped in mid-sentence.  His brown eyes were so soft I felt I could float in them. He smiled and gently picked me up by the wings.  "Greetings, Brother Noah," he said. "Make haste; visit Al bar Levi and then return quickly."  He let go of me and my wings revved up, lifting me toward an open window, my mind whirling as fast as my wings were beating. How did Jesus know my name? And how did he know that Rabbi Al bar Levi and I were friends?  This was getting more and more exciting and mystifying. But why was I being sent to visit my rabbi?  I didn't want to leave. The action was here in the upper room and I was afraid I would miss something important. But I had felt the touch of Jesus and the irresistible persuasion of his words moved me to do as he said.
  I was in Rabbi Al bar Levi's study in just a few minutes.  "Master," I said, a little out of breath, "I have been celebrating the Passover with a group of men at an inn a few blocks from here. The leader of the group, a man named Jesus, told me to come see you and then return quickly."
 Bar Levi looked up from the scroll of Isaiah spread before him.  "Jesus, you say?" Bar Levi stroked his beard and appeared thoughtful.  "Why did he send you to me?"
  "I--I don't have the foggiest,"  I stuttered.
  "I believe I do," bar Levi said, still fingering his beard. 
  "Is he a rabbi?"
  "The Rabbi of rabbis."
  "A prophet?"
  "The Prophet of all prophets.  But neither of these is the purpose of his being."
  "What, then?"
  Bar Levi placed his hand on the scroll.  "It's all right here.  Isaiah gives you a complete description of Jesus the Messiah. Everything but his name."
  The rabbi's words reverberated and crashed like thunder in my brain.  "The Messiah?  That unimposing little man?"
  "That unimposing little man and his twelve companions are about to turn the world upside down.  Now; up with you.  Fly, Noah, fly.  Return and see the unveiling of what was prepared before the world began."

More of Noah's adventure in the next blog.
 

  Hello; I'm a fly. That's right; a fly,...with wings and everything. Wait a minute; don't hit 'delete.' I know that I and my kind can be very, very annoying.  We show up, uninvited, at your picnics, barbeque's etc and walk all over your food. Yeah, we're universally hated and reviled and the word 'fly'is usually preceded with the word 'damn.'  But, hey, flies have to make a living too, you know? Nothing personal; it's the way we're made. I guess we're not all that bad 'cause how many times have you said, "I wish I could be a fly on the wall" so you could eavesdrop on your friends, family and neighbors?  Gotcha.
  Well, I can be a fly on the wall and boy, the stories I could tell.  All of which brings me to a story I can tell you, passed down from my great-grandfather 7 or 8 thousand times removed: Noah Fly lll. Ol' Noah III was the great grandson of one of the two flies taken on the Ark and he lived a long time. (All the male animals and insects brought on the Ark took the name Noah.  I bet you didn't know that.)  Anyway, here's his story as he told it.
  "In the year 33 A.D. I had taken up residence in the second story of an inn.  My wings were getting heavy and my wandering days were over.  This upper room was comfortable and food was plentiful.  I didn't have to share it with any other flies because they stayed away out of respect for my great age and my vicious left hook.
  "This particular day was the time for the Feast of Passover and, being a good Jewish fly, I looked forward to sharing it with whoever rented the room.  The servant girls came early and arranged couches in a circle and placed small low tables close to them.  Later, a group of men filed in and reclined on the couches; the humans customary way of dining.  The men seemed to defer to one member of the company. There was nothing in his appearance to distinguish him from the rest. It was plain that he was of peasant stock but there was an air of charisma about him that even I could detect.  The servant girls brought the Passover food and wine and left. As I listened to bits of conversation going on I began to get the feeling that this was not going to be your usual Passover celebration.  For once in my life I forgot all about eating and pestering the diners.
  "Suddenly, a hush fell over the crowd as the Leader began to speak.  'I can't begin to tell you how much I wanted to eat the Passover with you before I suffer.  I won't eat it again until the Kingdom of God comes.'  Whoa. This really got my attention.  What did he mean about suffering?  And, if he's not going to eat the passover again I suppose he knows he's going to die. Wait a minute; I'll bet this the fellow the servants have been talking about.  They said the Pharisees have been harassing someone named Jesus because he's been making things uncomfortable for them and the Sanhedrin. Don't those people have anything better to do?  I turned off my buzzer and flew right below him on the floor. 
  Jesus held up a whole loaf of unleavened bread, broke it, gave thanks and said, 'This is my body broken for you; do this in remembrance of me.'  Crumbs fell and I ate one.
  Next, Jesus picked up a goblet of wine and said, "Each one of you take a drink of this and pass it around 'til it's all gone.'  A drop appeared on the floor beside one of the fellows and I slurped it up. 'This is my blood of the new covenant which is shed for you,'  Jesus said.
  Like all Jews I had memorized the scriptures and Jesus' words reminded me of some passages in Isaiah. I felt certain I was on to something; but what?

 Follow Noah's search in my next blog.