PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING SHORT STORY BEFORE LISTENING TO THE SERMON: 

The Dreamer
By
Lacy Andrews

Martha had just finished preparing breakfast when she heard him enter the room. He was already dressed, cane in hand, and headed for the door. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re not leaving without breakfast,” she stated firmly. He gave her an exasperated look and said, “Today might be ‘the day’.” “It might be. But if it is, it will still be ‘the day’ after you’ve had breakfast.” “Anna will be waiting for me,” he protested. “Anna is always waiting for you,” she replied. Anna was an 84-year-old widow, who stayed in the temple courts night and day and shared her father’s expectations.

The old man sighed and knew better than to argue anymore. He shuffled across the room. His hands trembled as he pulled out his chair before gingerly sitting down. Martha put his plate in front of him and took her seat on the other side of the modest table. The gray-haired man bowed his head as he did before every meal and gave thanks to God for the food. Then father and daughter ate together in silence.

When he finished, he struggled to get out of his chair, his legs weakened by age. Martha hurried over to steady him and helped him to his feet. He thanked her before picking up his cane and heading for the door. After a silent nod he closed it behind him. There was nothing she could do to stop him, and she just shook her head.

The routine had been the same for twenty years. In the beginning he was younger and she didn’t have to worry about him; but now that he was feeble, she couldn’t help herself. Every day he left his house with such high hopes, only to return with a shrug of his shoulders and the quip, “Maybe tomorrow.”

Martha cleaned up the table and washed the dishes. As she worked she thought about her father. She never doubted him. He was the godliest man she’d ever known, but in recent years she’d begun to doubt his dream. Almost no one else believed him. She’d heard their laughs, the jeers. “The Dreamer,” they called him as he walked down the street. “Old man! How long are you going to wait for your dream to come true?” “Father Abraham waited longer for God to fulfill his promise with Laughter,” he would often reply. He always called Isaac, “Laughter,” because he said, “When God fulfills a promise it makes one laugh – So Abraham and Sarah called him ‘Laughter.’”

Only Caleb believed him. Caleb lived across the street and was a man of the Scriptures. He had collected many of the holy scrolls. The two men often poured over them in search for answers to their questions. Caleb believed in her father’s dream, because he knew him to be a man of integrity. If he said he’d received a message from the Holy Spirit through the visitation of an angel, Caleb believed him. Most scoffed that God didn’t speak to His people in dreams anymore.

It all began many years ago. Martha was a young widow and was welcomed back into her father’s house. He was a cobbler, who earned a living for his wife and daughter by making and mending sandals. He was a joyful man, but when Martha’s mother died just over twenty years ago – something died in him too. Her father hardly had energy to continue his trade as he mourned his loss. Even with his daughter to care for him, he felt empty inside. At night he prayed that God would take him home, even though he was still relatively young and in good health. He felt lost without his wife and longed to be with her in heaven.

One night, everything changed. Martha knew immediately that something special had happened. Her father’s face was aglow with joy when he emerged from his room the next morning. “I’ve seen an angel!” He exclaimed excitedly. “You’ve seen what?” She asked, wondering if she was hearing things. “I was visited by an angel last night,” he declared. “Did he come into your room?” His daughter inquired. “Well, not actually,” he replied, confusing her. “Did you see an angel or didn’t you?” “I did, but it was in a dream,” he said.

Martha quizzed him further, asking if his dream could have been caused by a bit of indigestion from the lentil soup they had for supper. “No, it was as clear as day,” he responded with all assurance. “It was a visitation of the Holy Spirit through an angel, and he spoke a message to me.” “What did he say?” His daughter asked. “He said that I would not see death until I beheld the Lord’s Christ.” Martha’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?” “Yes, I must go to the Temple and see if today is ‘the day.’”

She’d made him eat his breakfast that day, and the routine was established. Martha believed in her father’s integrity. If he said he had a visit from an angel in his dream she knew it was true – at least he believed it was true. More than anything she was thankful that he seemed to have a reason to keep living. She still saw moments of sadness as he thought of his wife, but more and more he was driven to see the fulfillment of the promise made to him by the Holy Spirit. For that newfound purpose and zest for life, Martha was grateful.

Thoughts of her father faded from her consciousness as she busied herself with her chores. She didn’t think of him again until she began to consider the noon meal. A frown crossed her face because it was hard to plan. She never knew whether he would come home in time to eat or wait until later in the day. It was difficult, but she did the best she could under the circumstances. Regardless, she needed to prepare something in case he did return to eat.

She was surprised when he came through the door mid-morning. He was never this early, and it frightened her. Was something wrong? Was he sick? One look at his face told her that something wonderful had happened. The man who could barely walk when he left that morning hurried to his daughter and hugged her.

“What happened?” She asked, astonished at his countenance. “I’ve held ‘Salvation’ in my hands!” He cried as he lifted them in the air and began to dance around in circles. Then suddenly he started to laugh – a chortle that arose from deep in his belly. It was the laughter of joy, joy born of a promise kept – a glorious promise kept.“Tell me about it,” Martha said, as she found herself laughing too.

“At first, it was just like any day, but then I saw them across the court. It was a woman with her husband, and she was carrying a baby. This time, I didn’t see an angel, but the Holy Spirit came upon me and stirred my soul. I knew I had to see the baby.” He paused momentarily to catch his breath as Martha waited anxiously for him to continue.

“People were everywhere, and I had to force my way through the crowd to make sure I got to them before they left. Thankfully, she was seated on a bench when I arrived. She looked up at me and smiled. There was a little boy standing there, and the baby was holding his finger. I couldn’t help myself – I felt compelled by God to do it. I reached down and took the baby in my arms. His mother didn’t refuse me. Suddenly, I lifted him high in the air and a song escaped my lips – a song from God.” “Tell me the song,” his daughter urged.

“The song was a prayer. ‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.’” The old man’s eyes were aglow as he relayed his song.

“Daughter, remember the Lord’s promise – that I would not see death until I beheld the Lord’s Christ. Today I saw Him. I held Him in my arms. Today is ‘the day’!” “But He’s just a baby,” a confused Martha replied.“Yes, but He’s still the Messiah. The Holy Spirit told me, and Anna was there too, and He told her.” Martha had never seen him more certain, even on the morning after he had the dream.

“Don’t you remember the word of the prophet Isaiah?” He asked, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.”

He paused after citing the Scripture before exclaiming, “Today, this prophecy began to be fulfilled – the Child is born, and the Son is given. Now, all we have to do is wait until God places the government upon His shoulder.” “We will have to wait a long time,” Martha said. “You will be waiting, my daughter. I will already be with Father Abraham and with your mother, long before this child sees His day. You must wait, watch and see.”

It saddened Martha to hear her father speak of his death, but she knew it must be true. “I’ll wait and watch,” she whispered. “And I’ll watch from heaven,” he replied, before bursting into laughter once again. Martha couldn’t be sad and began to laugh with him. It was a day of rejoicing. The two of them danced together around the room praising God.

It wasn’t long before both of them were out of breath and her father had to sit down. He looked into the joyful eyes of his daughter, until she saw a shadow cross his face. His eyes which were alive with joy only moments before became filled with sadness, and then it deepened. They became filled with grief. She’d not seen that darkness in him since the day of his dream.

“What is it, Father?” She asked in alarm. It took him a moment to compose himself. “The song was not the end of the words the Holy Spirit gave me,” he whispered. “What else did He say?”

“When I put the baby back in his mother’s arms I looked into her eyes, so full of love. Then I saw something dark. I felt sick in my stomach, like something had soured deeply inside of me. I saw the little boy’s face, the one who was standing nearby. He seemed frightened.” “But what were the Holy Spirit’s words?” She asked with trepidation.

“He told me to say to the baby’s mother, ‘Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.’”

“What do the words mean?” She asked him in a whisper, frightened to know. “I don’t know. I don’t know,” he said as tears ran down his face. “I know that He gave me the words, and I know the deep sorrow I felt; but I don’t know why or how they will come to pass – only that they will. I know that His mother will suffer great travail in her soul because of Him.”

Martha was bewildered. “How can the two parts of the prophecy both be true? They seem to contradict each other. One is a message of victory and glory, of a Messiah’s reign; while the other seems to speak of great suffering. How can it be?” “I told you. I don’t know. I just know that somehow in God’s plan it will be.”

He paused for a moment to consider his words before rising to his feet. Once more he struggled with the pain in his joints. His age began to show on his face, and this new countenance troubled his daughter.

“I’m going to Caleb’s house. We will study the Scriptures and try to find the answer to this question.” Martha nodded her head in resignation, realizing the two men would search for as long as it took. “Do you want something to eat before you go?” She asked. Her father shook his head before uttering, “I can’t eat anything right now. My mind is spinning. Caleb will have food at his house. Martha watched him go out the door. He was confident that God had spoken through him, even though he didn’t fully understand all that was said. He would search the Scriptures until he found his answer. Of that, she was certain.

She ate both the noon meal and the evening meal alone, but she wasn’t worried about her father. She knew he would be home in due time and hoped he would have his answer. It was late when she finally retired for the evening. Her head had just hit the pillow when she heard him come into the house. Slipping out of bed, the weary woman walked to the door and peeped into the room. He had a scroll in his hands.

“Can I get something for you?” She asked. “No, I’m fine. I had a bite to eat at Caleb’s.” “Shouldn’t you get some rest? It’s been a long day.” He smiled at her before he said, “It certainly has. I am tired, but there is one passage that came to me. I need to study it and then I’ll go to bed. You go on and get some sleep.” Martha nodded her head. She was too weary to ask him if he’d discovered an answer to his question and knew he would tell her the next day. Before retreating back to her room, she moved to him and gave him a hug. “I love you, Father. I believe in you.” “I love you too,” he responded. “But all that’s necessary is to believe in God.” “I do,” she said. She can’t recall even getting into bed that night. Sleep overcame her as soon as she closed her eyes. It was a restful sleep, knowing that God had kept His promise to her father.

Early, the next morning she got up to begin breakfast. After dressing she walked into the main room and saw him still seated at the table. The scroll was spread out on top of the table and his cheek was resting comfortably on the parchment. Martha eased over quietly to awaken him. “Father,” she whispered, but he didn’t respond. “Father,” she said louder, and then the words slipped out of her mouth, “Oh no.”

Tears ran down her face as she hurried across the street to Caleb’s house. She knocked but didn’t hear anything. She knocked louder, “Caleb, come quickly. It’s father!” Caleb opened the door and immediately knew what had happened by the expression on her face. “I’m coming,” he said, “You stay here for a moment while I put on my robe.”

The two of them walked across the street together. When she came to the front door, she couldn’t bring herself to enter. “Let me go first,” he said in a soothing tone of voice. “Simeon,” he called as he walked over to the table. Caleb put his hand on his friend’s shoulder and said softly, “My brother, it looks like God answered your song, and you’ve departed in peace.”

Martha was no longer afraid as she looked at her father’s face. It was serene, that’s the best word to describe it. She knew in her heart that he had died in peace. The two of them stood there in silence for a moment before she finally managed to ask,

“Did you find the answer to the question of how the two parts of the prophecy fit together?” Caleb shook his head, “No, we searched, and we prayed, but we couldn’t find the answer. Your father had one other passage he wanted to look at, but I was so tired I sent him home with the scroll.” Martha looked down and saw the way his hand was positioned on the parchment. His finger seemed to be pointing to a particular passage.

“What does that say?” She asked her father’s closest friend. Caleb looked at the words and gasped. Tears started running down his cheeks. “Martha, he found the answer to his question.” “What – what does it say?” She asked again. Caleb read the words on the parchment aloud, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”