Killing Jesus Page #4

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- I'm called Mary.

My mother's name.

Come. Sit, please.

- What is your son's name?

- His name is Judah.

Judah. How old is Judah?

Who's she?

Twelve.

May I touch you, gently?

You are without fear, Mary?

I don't fear disease of

the skin or the flesh.

Only disease of the spirit.

Hmm.

Something you've known.

I'm from Magdala.

Do you know Magdala?

A barracks town

for Roman troops.

Where Jewish daughters

are enslaved...

to pay the tax debts

of their families.

You would see an end

to such suffering.

I'm told it's your purpose.

Oh, be certain it is,

Mary from Magdala.

Then my purpose

must be serving you.

Thank you.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs

is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those

who hunger and thirst.

Is it the Nazarene who speaks?

Yes.

And those who should be tending my

fields are here bewitched by him.

Blessed are those persecuted...

for their righteousness,

for theirs

is the kingdom of heaven.

Your father knows your needs.

Knows them before you ask.

So this then

is how you should pray.

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day

our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts,

as we also forgive our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil,

for yours is the kingdom,

the power...

and the glory...

forever.

Amen.

Amen!

Governor,

I saw huge crowds of them enraptured...

as he spoke his platitudes in the

crude accent of some Galilean peasant.

They wept, were overcome,

believing he's the Messiah come

to bring God's wrath upon Rome.

And what is more,

we've learned he's a cousin of the Baptist.

We're being menaced

by a family of lunatics.

There's real danger here.

If he could rally zealots to free the Baptist,

there could be an uprising in Galilee.

What's his name, this man?

Jesus of Nazareth.

His cousin the Baptist should

be killed without delay.

That undercuts any thoughts

of freeing him...

and also makes this Jesus aware of

the fate that could well await him.

Leave.

Finally.

Meaning?

Pilate's blessing.

Kill the Baptist.

Killing him is a

convenience for the Roman,

not for me.

I'm already vilified for

imprisoning the Baptist.

Kill him,

and all of Galilee turns against me.

Pontius Pilate's praise of you

to Caesar could make you king.

What I see is Pilate praising

what serves Pilate.

If he wants the Baptist dead, let him drag

him to Jerusalem and nail him to a cross.

So you are set on doing nothing.

Mm-hmm.

Salome told me you asked her to dance

at the feast for your birthday tonight.

Did she also tell you

that she refused?

She's not a performer

from the marketplace.

You must offer her something.

Meaning... she is

her mother's daughter.

We like our rewards.

And what would hers be for

entertaining my guests?

Suppose I tell her

that whatever she asks for...

you will not refuse.

She must dance

to my satisfaction.

Be certain she will.

You remember your promise.

Salome, tell him.

Show Caesar you're a man.

And show us too.

Salome!

Rabbi!

Thomas and Andrew, welcome.

They've murdered him.

Cut his head off.

Beheaded?

You are with us now.

You... come. Eat with us.

As John has said,

the cup has come to my lips.

I fear its bitterness, Father.

Give me the strength

to welcome it.

Who am I?

What am I?

How do people call

the son of man?

Tell me. Tell me.

For me, you are

a giver of courage...

to act as I never imagined.

Reaching out for the sick,

the unclean...

without fear.

But, Judas, how am I called?

I've heard you called

the coming of Elijah.

A prophet.

What else is said?

Many will believe you're the

Baptist risen from the dead.

There was no greater prophet

than John.

But... But you... you who see me eat,

sleep, wash,

know my every gesture, my moods,

who do you say I am?

You're the anointed one.

Son of the living God.

Bless you, Simon, son of Jonah.

No other has said this.

I think it was revealed to you

by my heavenly father.

It is simply what I believe.

From now on,

I'll call you Peter.

Peter?

In Greek,

Peter means "rock."

And on this rock,

I'll build my church...

and give you the keys

to the kingdom of heaven.

I must be alone now.

- You believe he's...

- The Messiah.

Take great care saying that.

What harm will come

to God's chosen?

Before this council of the

Sanhedrin proceeds to judgment,

I should tell you

we have been warned...

that the Nazarene Jesus

has come to Jerusalem.

It is proposed

that we forbid him...

to enter our holy house of God.

No! No!

No. No.

We may dispute his words,

but we cannot deny a devout

Jew entry to the temple.

I... I have heard Jesus speak,

and he is to be welcomed,

not shunned.

Allow him.

- Allow him in.

- Allow him!

So, the Nazarene enters

this very room.

Where his name is spoken,

dissension follows.

- Allow him!

- He must be allowed entry.

He is a Jew, like us.

But I'll not push

to forbid him entry.

I only recall Jeremiah's

warning of false prophets.

They fill you with false hopes.

They speak visions

from their own minds,

not from the mouth of the Lord!

When Jesus says the meek

shall inherit the earth,

there's nothing meek about him,

nor those that follow him.

He's right.

But it's true they seek

to inherit the earth.

Allow him!

Allow him in!

It's the law.

- We have lost.

- Let the Nazarene come.

With luck,

he may condemn himself.

Bring the woman.

We are now to hear and judge

the case of a woman...

who has defiled the sacred

covenants of marriage...

and thus brought shame

upon her husband's house.

Stone her!

Show no mercy!

Stone her to death!

Take her to the pit!

Harlot!

What shall we do?

Have the guards take him away?

We're enacting a law.

I want you to provoke him.

We stand here ready

to enact the law of Moses.

An adulteress condemned by the high

court of the temple is to be stoned.

A punishment

called for by Moses.

Do you deny the law

revealed on Mount Sinai?

She has sinned and been judged.

Do you oppose

the law of the Torah?

Is his silence a defense

of her fornications?

Her harlotry?

I know you, Jesus of Nazareth.

You have opinions on everything.

What's his opinion on this?

Any among you

who is without sin,

let him be the first

to cast a stone at her.

Any among you

who is without sin?

God has set forth the law,

not him.

The law must be carried out.

Kill her.

Here, kill her.

You kill her.

I cannot.

Then neither can I.

I have begged for forgiveness.

Go and sin no more.

We are the law.

We will see you accused,

judged and punished for this.

To maintain the order

that your office demands,

we must have obedience

to our laws.

Now, this man,

this false claimant to religious stature,

has thwarted the legal

execution of an adulteress.

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