Gospel

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Part 2 (of Christmas Eve)
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And suddenly there was with the angel
a multitude of the heavenly host
praising God an saying,
Glory to God in the Highest,
and on earth peace among men
with whom He is pleased!
[Luke 2:13-14]
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Morning has come to their
little town. Michael is waiting
for his breakfast, but.....
it has been a long time in coming.
_______________________
"Rebyah! Please! Haven't
you caused ENOUGH trouble,
this morning? You husband
is over here, dying of HUNGER!"

"Here, HERE, Michael! There
is still plenty, and THEN some!"
(Rebbie is still looking a bit
pale in the face. Michael shakes
his touseled head.)

"Sit DOWN, Rebbie!
Are you ILL?
Do you want me to call back,
Sammy's mother?"

"No! No! That's ridiculous,
Micha'lah. Just eat your meal.
I'm going to search for more
blankets...."

"Rebbie! What's gotten
INTO you? It's much warmer,
today! She's going to suffocate;
you've given her so MANY!"

[Rebyah waves at his husband,
and goes outside for a minute.
Then, she returns with another
jug of water.]
"Here. After you eat, I want
you to take this down to....."

"Yes, YES! ALRIGHT!
Anything to stop your
PACING! Just set the
pile of things, over there.
I'll call for Sammy."

"I hope he's feeling better
.....poor tyke. He must have
had a terrible dream, last
night!"

[Michael nods, and then, chuckles.]
"Hmph. I told him not to
eat so many berries from the
field. He was probably sitting
out there, all night, gorging
on them."

"Yes, that was probably it,
Micha'lah. I don't think he's
stayed out all night,
with the sheep, before."

"Neah. His uncle wouldn't
permit it. After all this,
he might not allow it, again!"

"Well, perhaps Sammy's still
too young. He almost
scared me to death, what
with all his YELLING!"

"Yes. I would've slept right
THROUGH it, if you hadn't
kept NUDGING me!"

"Well, what could I DO?
He was running up and down
our road, right OUTSIDE,
calling out about
ANGELS....and SINGING!"

[Michael belched. He liked
Rebkah's morning cakes,
but, they often did that
to him.]
"Yes, well, his uncle needs
to give him a good talking to.
People are sleeping at that
hour of the night.......I'm going
to be grouchy, all day!"

"Just TODAY, Micha'lah?"
[Rebyah laughs; her face
has gotten a bit of her old
color back, and her husband
was relieved. He didn't like
a lot of craziness in his
quiet life....or, in their quiet town.
His younger brother, Jacob,
lived in Jerusalem, and he
didn't envy him one bit.]

"Well, I was still half-asleep,
until I saw you fall down,
in a faint! That was quite
a scare, Rebbie. I order you:
don't do it, AGAIN!"
[Michael roughly wiped his beard,
and sipped some more water.
It was very cold, and revived
his drowsy head.]

"I TELL you, Michael! I didn't
FAINT! I was not sick,
at ALL!"

"Well, then, what were you DOING,
collasping onto our cow straw:
examining it for FLEAS? Anyway,
it's not the time of year for it...."

[Rebyah laughed, aloud. She sat
down, opposite her grouchy
husband, and drank some cold
water, also. It quenched her
suddenly dry throat.]
"NO! I already TOLD you, Micha'lah.!
It was His EYES! They opened,
and...."

"And, WHAT? Rebbie, you've
given birth to five children -
all healthy ones - praise God...."

"Praise God!"

"Yes, and you've seen a newborn's
eyes, before. Besides, at those
early hours they don't open
but, just a tiny bit. I think
you were just imagining things....
like Sammy. Perhaps,
there is a sickness going around.
You ought to stay in, today,
and rest."

"NO, Michael! I have never
felt BETTER! And, I KNOW
about a newborn's EYES!
His were just not so! They were
nothing......like, nothing I
have ever seen before, Micha'lah......
I can't explain......I could do
nothing......
but, fall on my knees."

"But, WHY?
WHY, Rebbie?
Why would you DO such
a thing?"

[Rebyah set her cup down,
and, almost shyly, looked
down at her leathery,
warm hands. She was
quiet for several moments.
Finally, she spoke.]
"Because, Michael,
because.......
He looked at me."
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When the angels went away
from them into heaven,
the shepherds said to
one another,
Let us go over to Bethlehem
and see this thing
which has happened,
the Lord has
made known to us.
[Luke 2:15]

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