No, no - let the children come

It has been a long day, a very long walk. Hot and very tired now, resting on the bench, leaning his head back against the house wall. Someone gives him water and he smiles his thanks.




The villagers come out to see the celebrity. His friends say, Leave him be now, please, he is too tired.

Then the grandmothers come out, pushing the little ones towards him. Go and get a blessing from the holy rabbi! 

No, no...

'Let the little ones come,' he says, leaning forward and looking into their small faces. One shyly hands him a bunch of daisies and willowherb. He takes it solemnly, asking, 'Which is your favourite?' The child touches one with his forefinger and Jesus removes it from the bunch and raising it to his lips, kisses it and gives it back to the child saying, 'Please give this to your mother from me.'

Shyness is gone from them now. They like his crinkly smiling eyes and gentle voice. A brave tiny one tries to get up on his lap. He reaches both hands out and swings him up in the air and down on to his knee. This is their cue. The tiniest clamber all over him, giggling and squealing and pulling his hair, he laughing, tiredness forgotten, his companions watching from the corner.

The grandmothers eventually come to take their babes home, bowing and blessing him and blowing him kisses for loving their darlings.

One child remains behind, looking into his eyes, serious and silent. He looks at her. She moves slowly towards him until she stands at his knees, head bowed.

'My mother has a demon,' she whispers.

'Yes,' he says, as he folds her in his arms.

She burrows her face into his chest, smelling the warm sandy scent of the linen, feeling his hands gentle on her back, his arms enveloping her firmly in love, and she begins to weep. He whispers, and she sobs against him, heartbroken sobs, until it is all gone, the bewilderment, the hurt and the grief.

Her breathing eases. He kisses the top of her head. Then, putting his finger under her chin, he raises her face and smiles into her eyes. She smiles in reply and nods, and then turns away and walks over to her mother's house. She looks back at him just once, completely calm now as she pushes the door and goes inside.