Book Tour & Giveaway ~ Messiah: Biblical Retellings by C.A. Gary

Messiah: Biblical Retellings

by C.A. Gray

Genre: Biblical Retellings

Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to be one of the five thousand when Jesus multiplied the fish and the loaves? Or one of his disciples when he walked on water? Or to have seen Lazarus come out of the tomb? Ever wonder what Mary thought when Gabriel told her she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit, or what the fallout was like in her personal life? Ever considered how those two disciples felt on the road to Emmaus, when they found that the man with whom they had been talking was in fact their risen Lord?

This collection of retellings from the gospels is designed to bring each of these stories and more to life in your imagination. They stick to the facts wherever the facts are known, from either the scriptures themselves or from extra-biblical commentaries. But they also add in back story when necessary, reimagining the sights, the sounds, the colors, and the emotions for the person most involved. Each retelling ends with an afterword discussion, summarizing the reasons for the choices made in the story, followed by the scriptures themselves.

Together, I hope these retellings help to paint a portrait of the Messiah.

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Jesus Curses the Fig Tree (Jesus’ perspective)

The energy of the crowd was palpable, the dull roar of their excited chatter at a fever’s

pitch. Jesus had stopped them between Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives. His throat was thick with emotion as he instructed Matthew and Bartholomew, “Go into the village opposite you,” here he pointed to Bethphage, “and as soon as you have entered it you will find a donkey and a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose them and bring them. And if anyone says

to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them here.”

The two disciples nodded and hastened to obey. Jesus waited for them now, standing

aloof from the rest of his disciples, and from the crowd.

How many of them knew that he was doing this in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9? he

wondered. He had told his disciples over and over again that he was going to his death, but he knew they didn’t understand what he meant. They thought it was a euphemism for something else. Particularly now, when he was surrounded by adoring worshippers, all bubbling over with excitement that their king was about to enter Jerusalem.

This was the culmination of his earthly ministry. The earth had been waiting for this

moment, for the King of Kings to enter the Holy City in glory, since the fall of man in the

Garden. There was almost a “charge” in the air, of the spirit converging upon the physical; the people could do nothing but worship. Yet these same people would turn on him and cry out for his blood in less than a week.

He felt so very alone.

Thank you, Father, he prayed silently, that You never leave me or forsake me.

Normally people crowded Jesus everywhere he went, but something about His troubled expression today must have put them off. Many instead clustered around the

exuberant Bartimaeus, whom Jesus had healed of blindness just a few hours earlier. He and his formerly blind friend had since cast off their beggar’s cloaks and joined his entourage. Of the two, Bartimaeus was by far the more gregarious, and he entertained the crowds. He seemed a born performer.

Matthew and Bartholomew returned, leading the colt and the donkey to Jesus by the

reins. The people saw this, and immediately understood that they were about to head into the city

now. They also understood the significance of the donkey: kings rode donkeys to signify a peaceful entry. Horses were for war. They got busy, excitedly throwing their cloaks over the animals’ backs for Jesus to sit upon. Some of the people threw their cloaks in the road, an ancient

Jewish practice for welcoming a conquering king. Others cried out, “Palm branches too!” This was a reference to a wider cultural practice of the same, and it met with great enthusiasm. The crowd scurried about, retrieving fallen palm branches and snapping or sawing off those that they could reach from nearby palm trees.

Jesus meanwhile mounted the colt. It meekly accepted his weight, despite the fact that it

was unbroken. Matthew and Bartholomew raised their eyebrows and exchanged a look at this, impressed, but said nothing. Beside the colt which Jesus rode, John led the donkey by the reins like a groomsman. As his most empathic disciple, Jesus suspected that John sensed his mood and

lingered nearby for emotional support. He felt a rush of affection for his friend.

As Jesus began the journey, the people spread the branches they had collected on the

ground before the colt along with their cloaks, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who

comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

From oldest to youngest, they all picked up this refrain as Jesus began his last ride into Jerusalem. The people danced and sang, and once he’d passed over cloaks and palms, they picked them up again and ran forward, laying them on the road before him. Jesus’ chest constricted with conflicting emotions. The people who worshipped him now did so genuinely;

and yet, their hearts were the stony ground of his parable. They were those who would immediately receive the word with gladness, but when tribulation or persecution arose, they would stumble and scatter. It would come all too soon.

The commotion of Jesus’ entourage drew a crowd of onlookers from Bethany as they descended the Mount of Olives, whispering among themselves. Jesus knew what they were saying. Many asked who he was that drew such a response. Others, the scribes and

Pharisees who joined the onlookers, murmured amongst themselves against him. Finally, one of them cried out, “Teacher, do you hear what these are saying? Rebuke your disciples!”

Jesus looked at the one who had shouted and replied in as steady a tone as he could

manage, “Yes, I hear. I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones themselves would cry out.”

The Pharisee who heard him turned to his fellows with furious grumbling. Jesus turned

away, and from his position on the slope of the Mount of Olives, he saw Jerusalem spread

out before him in the distance. The tears that he had kept at bay until then sprang unbidden to his

eyes, and spilled over his cheeks. Most of the people did not notice, but John did, and placed his

free hand on Jesus’ shoulder in comfort. Jesus cast him a quick, sad smile, and then looked back

at the city.

C.A. Gray is the author of three YA Amazon bestselling trilogies: PIERCING THE VEIL (magic and quantum physics meet Arthurian legends), THE LIBERTY BOX (dystopian metaphysics and mind control technology), and UNCANNY VALLEY (dystopian coming-of-age with neuroscience and super intelligent A.I). She starts with some scientific concept that she's interested in learning more about herself, and then creates lots of epic chaos and high-stakes action to go along with it. Her stories are free of gratuitous violence, language, and sexual content, and she abhors depressing endings... but they're not all kittens and rainbows either! She also listens to and reviews audiobooks on her website (www.authorcagray.com), Goodreads, Instagram, and on her podcast, Clean Audiobook Reviews, where she also occasionally interviews other authors.

By day, C.A. Gray practices naturopathic medicine, podcasts, and writes medical non-fiction under her maiden name (Lauren Deville). She lives in Tucson, AZ with her husband Frank, and together they maintain an occasionally contentious film review blog (under her real name: Lauren Baden. Three names. Yes.) She's kind of the queen of multitasking--so in her spare time, she creates whatever meals or crafts she found most recently on Pinterest, drinks lots of coffee (Aeropress btw) and occasional wine (reds--and she saves the corks for craft projects), works out (while listening to audiobooks), and studies the Bible (about half of the podcasts on Christian Natural Health are scripture meditations). ...She does sleep, too.

Join her newsletter for best-of-the-month reads, freebies and giveaway information, as well as new releases! http://eepurl.com/F3rof

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