A portion of Matthias Meets Jesus by Holly Miller
Matthias is a small boy living on the streets of Jerusalem. He longs to meet Jesus but feels like Jesus wouldn’t want to meet him because of his sins. He follows the crowds each day when Jesus is in town and listens as He speaks.
….Matthias listened carefully to everything Jesus said. The more he listened, the more he wanted to really know Jesus. Thoughts of all the wrongs he had done kept him from coming face to face with Jesus. Matthias felt that he could really love Jesus and he had a feeling that Jesus would be a forever friend. But he knew he would never get a chance to find out because of his sins.
One day as Matthias wandered the streets of Jerusalem he happened to see one of Jesus’ disciples. Without really meaning to listen he heard him say to one of the chief priests of the temple, “What will you pay me? I’ll deliver Jesus into your hands. You can do with him what you want.” Matthias then watched as coins changed hands and Judas slipped the money into his cloak. For a moment Matthias wondered what the chief priests wanted Jesus for and why they couldn’t just go and talk to him. Then bits of conversation he had heard over the past few weeks came back to him and he suddenly realized they meant to hurt Jesus.
His heart began pounding as he silently slipped into the crowd of people behind him. What could he do? He should find Jesus and warn him of what he had overheard. But then, he remembered…his sins….he couldn’t let Jesus see him. Yet if no one else knew, he could be the only one able to save Jesus.
For the next few days Matthias haunted the steps of Jesus. Should he tell him? Nothing had happened so far. Maybe he had misunderstood. But NO… He was sure the high priests were out to harm Jesus.
Finally, Matthias could handle this burden no longer. He had to tell Jesus what he had heard. It didn’t matter what Jesus thought of him. He wanted to make sure Jesus would not get hurt.
Darkness began to fall as Matthias hurried through the streets of Jerusalem. Tonight was the Passover. He had heard Jesus talking of taking their Passover at Simon’s house. He would go there and tell Jesus about the plot to harm him.
Just as he arrived at the house he heard voices and then saw Jesus and his disciples coming down the steps. They turned and headed toward the Mount of Olives. Matthias followed, determined to talk to Jesus.
He heard Jesus as he asked Peter, James and John to go with him into the garden to pray. Jesus looked troubled. Matthias wondered what was wrong. He did not realize that it was his sins that troubled Jesus, as well as the sins of each and every one of us. Jesus had never sinned and so he had never felt the disapproval of God. Jesus knew that dying for our sins would turn the disapproval of God on Himself, but Jesus was willing to do that because of His great love for us.
Listen closely as Jesus kneels and you too, along with Matthias can here Jesus as he prays:
“O my Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me, nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt.”
Matthias watched as Jesus seemed to be overcome with a heavy burden. Matthias was so close he could see the agony etched upon Jesus’ face and the sweat and tears as they rolled down his cheeks. He heard as Jesus prayed for all those that would love Him. Matthias suddenly grasped the thought that Jesus was praying for him, for He loved Jesus so much.
When Jesus was done praying and walked back to his disciples Matthias quietly slipped out of the bushes and walked toward Jesus. Just as he began to speak, bright lights and loud voices were heard. Matthias watched as Judas walked up and kissed Jesus. Then to his astonishment soldiers reached out and grabbed Jesus and bound His hands. Without thinking, Matthias stepped back out of sight and was hidden in the bushes. With a feeling of despair he whispered, “I’m too late. I’m too late. If only I had come sooner.”
Matthias felt numb as he followed the crowd that had Jesus. Surely they would do nothing to really harm Him. Oh they couldn’t! Not when he was just finding out that Jesus really did love him in spite of his sins. The hope Matthias had for Jesus’ release slowly dwindled, as throughout the night they falsely accused him of blasphemy. Matthias’ heart was heavy, for he felt that it was all his fault. If only he had talked to Jesus earlier, then the soldiers wouldn’t have been able to get at him.
To be continued
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