Free Luke's Story by Tim Lahaye 7 Jerry B. Jenkins

jealousy, anger, sloth . . . none of these things invade?”

    Saul fell silent a moment, another rarity. He rubbed his hands together and seemed to study the darkening sky. “Not for a long time. Though these are the things that come to mind when we celebrate a feast of atonement.”

    “Atonement for sins?”

    “What else?”

    “I don’t know. It’s just—well, I—I just have never seen these things manifest in you.”

    “Nor I in you, Luke, but I daresay that is not due to your Stoicism.”

    “Why?”

    “Your philosophy, as I understand it—and believe me, the longer I study here, the more I know of it—is not about laws and statutes. I rarely need to atone for sins, because I am focused on following God’s laws. It is my life.”

    Now Luke had something else to envy, though he was no less put off by the man.

    “Interesting,” was all he could muster.

    “That’s it? That’s all that was on your mind?”

    If he only knew.

INTERVAL

    Fifteen years bridged Luke’s life from the time he graduated from the university in Tarsus until an encounter with an old acquaintance would change his life and make his one ="3">The talk of the campus the day he left was that the irascible Saul of Tarsus was on his way to Jerusalem to work in the temple, with designs on one day becoming the youngest member of the Sanhedrin. “And he’ll probably do it,” was the general consensus, even by those who could barely stand to be in the man’s presence.

    Luke had to admit he would be glad to be out of earshot of Saul and wondered if the three hundred miles between Syrian Antioch and Jerusalem was enough. He had long since resigned himself to the fact that one of his major issues with Saul was jealousy. He didn’t want the man’s reputation—for he was widely considered obnoxious and annoying—but to Luke it seemed unfair that his own good qualities were not worthy of such fame.

    For his part, Luke headed back to Theophilus’s estate to serve as the family and business physician. Luke pleaded with the master to not welcome him with the same type of fete he had hosted when sending Luke off to university.

    “Sorry,” Theophilus said, “but the meat and fruit have already been ordered.”

    “Please tell me the slaves have not yet been invited.”

    “They haven’t, but no doubt they expect to be and are eager to come.”

    “Trust me, they are not. If you value my opinion in the least, accede to my wish that this be a private party, perhaps just your paid staff and the family.”

    Theophilus scowled. “If you insist.”

    “I do.”

    “Here’s my thinking on your freedom, Luke. I would like to ask you to serve me here for five years. At the end of that time, if you wished to stay on, we could talk about compensation. Otherwise, you would be free to pursue any employment avenue you wish.”

    “Thank you, sir. And I have one more request. I would like to live in the same chambers I stayed in before I left.”

    “In the slave quarters? Wouldn’t it be easier for you and more comfortable right here in the house?”

    “Of course, but I fear it would separate me too much from my people. And I would always be just moments away if you needed me in the night.”

    “If you’re sure.”

    “I am.”

    “But once you are a freeman, if you were employed here, I would insist—”

    “That would be fine.”

     
    BUT IT NEVER CAME to that. During the five years Luke served as Theophilus’s physician, his work often took him into Antioch for supplies and consultation with other doctors. He enjoyed his role in Daphne and occasionally at the Mediterranean retreat and seemed to endear himself to the entire population of the compound, but the squalor of the worst parts of the city seemed to plant something deep in his heart.

    Every timeh="1em"> “Starting with all the hubbub in Judea.”

    “I’m not aware.”

    “Really? My aides tell me a working man from Nazareth is causing a commotion, traveling