Jesus Of Nazareth Part 7

(Enter Cleophas and Nathan.) CLEOPHAS: This is it.

NATHAN: They must be asleep. Shall we awaken them?

CLEOPHAS: It must be done. They have to know. (he raps) NATHAN: Sinister messengers, the two of us.

CLEOPHAS: It's less troubling to have to inform a friend than the mother. Peter and John have reserved the most difficult mission. (Lazarus enters) Peace be with you, Lazarus.

LAZARUS: Peace be with you, Cleophas and with you, Nathan. You are welcome.

NATHAN: Don't wish welcome to misfortune.

CLEOPHAS: Speak much lower. Martha and Magdalene will soon enough learn the news. Lazarus, if he wishes will see to informing them.

LAZARUS: I hear you. It's about the Master, isn't it?

NATHAN: Yes, Lazarus.

LAZARUS: Well?

NATHAN: He's been arrested. At this very hour, he's answering his judges.

LAZARUS: Who a.s.sumes the right of judging him?

CLEOPHAS: The Sanhedrin, naturally.

LAZARUS: What complaint?

CLEOPHAS: What do I know? Who can know?

NATHAN: How will this end?

CLEOPHAS: With his death.

NATHAN: Cleophas, you think?

CLEOPHAS: From the moment he is only a man like us, and that he is not the Messiah and the King. Who now will be able to save him from their claws, him, the Galilean? We have only to return to our homes and not boast of having known him.

LAZARUS: Cleophas, Nathan, this was your friends.h.i.+p?

NATHAN: We had faith in his word. Why, if he is King, is he allowing himself to be seized like a thief! A sheep without rage. He didn't even show surprise.

LAZARUS: O my Master!

CLEOPHAS: And you are not astonished, either?

LAZARUS: Your astonishment does him injury. You are truly men of little faith.

NATHAN: You who lived in death and live today in life through the will of this man, don't you know any more of him than we know?

LAZARUS: He lives.

CLEOPHAS: In what a poor vacillating life henceforth, which leans towards death and whose good deeds for the living have ceased!

LAZARUS: For him a word suffices to calm the sea, a look to attach it to him.

And I can no longer detach myself from him. In the cell, in the tomb, he lives, his word lives and I can no longer hear anything but it amidst the uproar of the world. The word pierced the rock, and death, and my dead flesh and my inert soul. (Judas has come in) JUDAS: Will you be of an equal help for him?

NATHAN: Judas, what have you learned?

JUDAS: They condemned him. I am coming from Jerusalem. They are going to demand from Pontius Pilate the execution of the sentence.

LAZARUS: You have seen him, him, the Master?

JUDAS: Meeting him as he left the house of Caiaphas, amidst torches. Mistreated by the soldiers, mocked by the servants of the Temple, absolutely treated like the worst of criminals, he made me feel pity. I wouldn't have thought that he could descend to that; that he consented to the infamy of such punishment. If he is innocent, why does he so placidly accept outrage, and if he is the prophesied King, why doesn't he make his bonds snap off? I was ashamed for him and for us.

We are besmirched by this derision; despite my pity for him, I wanted to scream: It is well done!

LAZARUS: Cleophas, Nathan, do you permit your ears to hear this?

CLEOPHAS: There's some truth in what he says.

NATHAN: He's ruined our reputation.

JUDAS: And you, Lazarus, he saved you from the tomb only to give his execution one more shameful witness; and to better confound and overwhelm you.

LAZARUS: Do you come from h.e.l.l? And you were one of his disciples.

JUDAS: Yes, I come from h.e.l.l, if you mean the h.e.l.l that travels in his entourage. (to Cleophas and Nathan) You were his only in name, in heart and from a distance. You couldn't know what he made us endure; we who left everything to follow him. You've only heard tell of his cures, of great crowds enchanted with his voice and the tracks of his feet, of our intoxication and exclamations.

Hosanna! Son of David! Vain and paltry triumphs which fill these simple souls with joy and courage, my fishermen companions, these souls of mules, that, having once conceived a fable and the vision of the kingdom and the glory, a nothing, the applause of villagers suffices to reinflame their chimera and to make them forget the weariness, the rebuffs, the sneers of the great; the bleeding feet, the nights of sleet, the burning days. And they delight themselves, these beastly hearts, to caress with their swollen fingers, in a vision, the hot and sweet fleece on the steps of the future throne. We city-folk, we don't have these tenacious rural illusions, right, my friends? You remained prudently at a distance, not neglecting your business, full of a firm and healthy suspicion.

NATHAN: Full of faith and confidence also, Judas, hoping indeed not to die before seeing him on the throne of Israel, gloriously raised above the nations and ridded of Roman legionaries, magnified as in the days of David.

JUDAS: Surely. And as for me, I too had a firm confidence, but each day made a gap and could no longer repair the weight of the feeble purse which was owed to the swollen popular enthusiasm. And it's we who were right and the country-b.u.mpkins now look at themselves confused. Simon Peter, the son of Jonas, and those of Zebedee; they don't understand and they will never understand how their Messiah ah! ah! ah! found himself to be one day nothing but a fine rogue, that tonight or tomorrow we are going to watch hang on a cross; and his death will be more profitable to us than his life, if we know how draw profit from the lesson and reverse our judgements.

LAZARUS: It's not possible that the Master did not perceive your spitefulness, Iscariot!

JUDAS: Oh! surely, revived he knows all. He sees spirits, he sounds hearts, but he can't prevent anything.

CLEOPHAS: There's nothing left for us to do but go home.

JUDAS: Nothing more to know. Peace be with you, Lazarus, and with that sister of yours who didn't change her life. You were really good to take back the other one. Watch her for fear she doesn't commit some new folly with the money she earned at Magdala.

NATHAN: Peace be with you, Lazarus.

(Magdalene enters.) LAZARUS: Did we awaken you, Mary?

MAGDALENE: No. It's day.

LAZARUS: Already.

MAGDALENE: You didn't sleep tonight, Lazarus.

LAZARUS: Nathan and Cleophas have come.

MAGDALENE: The peace of the Lord be with you, Nathan and Cleophas; and with you, Judas. (greetings) Can I know, brother?

LAZARUS: Awaken your sister, Mary. You and I will go down to Jerusalem. Cleophas and Nathan bring us bad news. The Master has been arrested.

MAGDALENE: The Messiah! Arrested?

JUDAS: The Messiah! What are you babbling to us about the Messiah, poor madwoman!

LAZARUS: Silence, Judas! Don't further scandalize JUDAS: The Magdalene scandalized by a word? Yes, woman, Jesus was arrested. And what is more, tried, and what is more, condemned.

MAGDALENE: Condemned! Him! Judas, you are lying, right? You have never inspired me with confidence. Cleophas, Nathan, Lazarus!

LAZARUS: Let's go to Jerusalem. We will know.

JUDAS: Don't go if you are sensible. You will only see lamentable things there.

Do you really want to see a man die so much?

MAGDALENE: Die?

NATHAN: The hate of the Sanhedrin is great.

CLEOPHAS: He didn't spare the doctors and the priests in his speeches.

MAGDALENE: You believe that they will kill him?

JUDAS: They will put themselves out to do so.

MAGDALENE: Oh! Let's go! Let's go. All to witness for him. And with us, all the disciples.

JUDAS: Now there's a dangerous madwoman! Compromise ourselves? Us? And for an impostor, a sorcerer? Thanks. As for us we don't push love to that point. Go witness. You, if you wish, with your brother, the resurrected. Perhaps with your see-through dress from Magdala and him with the shroud of the sepulchre, you will make an impression on the tribunal. Or on Pontius Pilate, the Procurator.

Witness? Us? On what pretext? On the pretext of dupes. I can hear the laughter when we, morons, will say, "It's we who believed he was king." Let's go, Cleophas, come on, Nathan. I would sooner see you howl with wolves. It's been long enough that we followed the shepherd's crosier of this pastor from h.e.l.l! He was leading us to the slaughterhouse. Let's be gone; they breathe dementia around this one who returned from the tomb. Rather, let's seek out the company of people of mud and sin; we will find someone to talk to.

CLEOPHAS: I shall return home.

NATHAN: I am returning to my business. Goodbye, Lazarus.

MAGDALENE: Cleophas, Nathan; you aren't going to abandon him like this! Him, the Christ, the King, the Great Friend who loved us so much; you are truly thinking of abandoning him in an hour so dark and bitter?

CLEOPHAS: If he is the Christ?

NATHAN: Yes, why this dark hour?

MAGDALENE: It's a test! It's a test!

NATHAN: A test ?

MAGDALENE: Wouldn't a king have the right at the moment of introducing his friends into his kingdom to test their friends.h.i.+p? We pretended to love him. Who knows if this humiliation is not so he can distinguish among us those who love him in truth, and those who love him only with their mouth, their heart being solely occupied with a brilliant greed? Don't you feel remorse or trouble when you speak of returning to your business? You lower your eyes. You see indeed you cannot abandon such a friend in distress. Is there someone other than him? Is there a brother, a relative, a mother you have ever spoken to as he spoke to you? You yourself, Judas, somber heart, I know that all the words you utter against him are returning against you and bite you like serpents. His generosity is more terrible than the wrath of the Eternal One. He who speaks against generosity sharpens the swords which devour him and is preparing for himself a bed of burning coals. Cone on! Let's all go to Jerusalem.

CLEOPHAS: But what can we do for him? As Galileans we will be scorned. Our testimony will not be received. They will stone us if we raise our voice in his favor. The Pharisees won't forgive. What are we?

MAGDALENE: Well, at least we will be there. The Master will recognize us.

Indeed, won't you be pleased to have friends at the bed of your last fever, to hide from you the terrible face of death? Indeed, isn't there merit for us to endure some small tortures so as not to leave him all alone amidst the terrors of the day prepared for him.

NATHAN: Well, let's go down to Jerusalem.

JUDAS: I'm not going there. It's not rendering him a service by imposing on him the sight of those he deceived. Your presence will be a reproach to him. An overwhelming reproach. I won't go. I don't like seeing a man die; and this death, were it of my best friend or the worst swindler.

MAGDALENE: Come, Judas, come, too. It's not necessary that he have a traitor amongst the twelve that were dear to him. It's necessary that he see you all.

JUDAS: A traitor? Why do you say a traitor? If there was a traitor amongst us it was him! None other! You don't have the status to judge, to judge me. Who are you to judge me?

MAGDALENE: O Judas, I don't judge you. I am only a wretch who sins, who is remorseful. Don't come if you don't wish to come, Judas.

JUDAS: No, I won't go. If I went there I couldn't prevent myself from shouting, "Christ, you who saved others, save yourself!" And when I shall see him on his cross I fear my furor would exclaim "Christ, come down from this wood then, you who resurrect others! Maker of prodigies, now is the hour of your prodigies or never! Triumph! prove your royalty! Defend yourself or peris.h.!.+"

MAGDALENE: While he's living, don't defy him, Judas Iscariot.

JUDAS: While he's living? Is he still living? And, if he's living, it's a life so enchained that he'll much prefer to be dead.

MAGDALENE: And who tells you that during the hour of death the hour of glory won't thunder? And aren't you dismayed by being excluded from it, you who lived to possess it? You know quite well he commands death. Look at this one, my brother. You are not dreaming. Here's the sun and he has not vanished. I feel, I know, Oh, I know, I divine! You, today, you dread to hear burst out the very voice which commanded Lazarus to arise. He is living! He is King! He can do what he wishes! At this moment, even when you outrage him, and the sun rises, Jerusalem sees, perhaps unheard of things and echoes with Hosannas!

NATHAN: Let's go; let's all go! Woman, you have restored my faith.

CLEOPHAS: Let's go! For the day won't end without a great miracle having appeared.

JUDAS: They are mad! I tell you, he is bound, condemned. He knows it, he foresaw it. He can do nothing to prevent it! I could tell you LAZARUS: Judas, you can only hurt us. You speak from a troubled heart. I pray the Eternal to give you peace. Goodbye, Judas. Mary, we are leaving. Go wake up your sister.

(Magdalene exits.) JUDAS: I am leaving you. Don't believe that I hate him. But he deceived us. I have difficulty understanding that you take it this way, this reversal, this malice, this this betrayal. Yes, and that you could still believe in the face of this disaster.

LAZARUS: No disaster. All disaster is for one who doubts.

JUDAS: As for me, I don't doubt. As for you, I could tell you Perhaps, you could understand me.

LAZARUS: I understand you enough to pity you.

JUDAS: No. Ah! Pity me! As for me, I'm safe. As for me, I am bathing in jubilation! It's I who pity you. Resurrected because you are a fool; the sepulchre has rendered you mad. Madness germinates beneath the feet of the Nazarene; it's born from his voice. Life ceases to be angry with itself. It almost makes me mad like you, like your sister who hopes to see impossible things one day. What then? The heavens open? The angels of Jehovah in the streets of Jerusalem? She won't see anything but a man hanged; about whom no one will speak further tomorrow. And you will be confounded with your madness.

Remember what I say to you, me, Judas. And when you are cured, I will tell you to whom you owe your health! Goodbye. We will speak of it again.

(Exit Judas.) NATHAN: If we are mad, I beg the Lord that he never make me sane like that man.