Matthew 18 The heart of a child, a story about innocence. (Part 2)

When Thomas got home, the thought still lingered in his mind of what Mary had said to him.  He brought in the water to the kitchen and saw his mother preparing the evening meal. 

 “Mother, may I ask you a question?”

 “Yes son, what is it?”

Visitor to Anne's Honeysuckle.

 “I was just talking to Mary my friend.  She is so kind to me and I really like being with her.  She does not treat me as a little boy when I am with her.  But something Mary said, confused me.  She said to me, ‘You are kind and always treat me as an equal even though I am a girl.’  What did she mean by that?”

 “Thomas, sit down please.  Have you noticed that when we go out into the market, that I speak only to the person selling me his produce?  I do not talk to anyone else, it is forbidden for me to do so.”

 “You talk to father all the time, why is it any different when we are away from our home?”

 “Your father treats me as an equal, but when we go into the public, neither of us are allowed to speak to one another, unless it is an emergency.  Our customs forbid this from taking place.  There is an unwritten saying among our people, ‘It is a man’s world.’  We as females are not allowed to speak in public because it is set down by our elders that we must be servants to our husbands, and respectful to other men by not speaking to them.”

Anne's Gladiolas

“Then why is that, I heard father saying that this Galilean speaks to women in public and they to him.  Is he not breaking our customs by doing this?”

 “Yes I suppose he is breaking our customs.  Your father also said that some of these women were non-Jews.  In their cultures, women are allowed to speak more freely and can address men in public places.”

“If it is so for these non-Jews, then why is it not ok for you and other ladies to do the same?”

 “My son, even if I decided to break the rules and speak to your father in public, we would be forbidden to buy and sell.  Our neighbors and priests would shun us and we could not survive without friends, food and water.  Though it might not seem right, it is our customs, and they are what we must bare in order to remain here in our community.”

A visitor to our feeder. (Gold Finch)

 “It seems not very fair mother, I wish I could change it.”

 “Thank you son.  I believe that God made each of us equal in his eyes, but we must wait for our Lord to help us to see this truth.  In time it will change my son.”

 “I love you mother.”

 “I love you as well my precious son.  Now go and clean up for supper.”

 “Yes mother.”

Mother and child.

 In the morning both Thomas and his mother went through the routines of breakfast and packing rather hurriedly.  Nothing was said, but their smiles revealed the anticipated excitement of seeing Thomas’ father once again.