Chapter by chapter 14

 14. Uzziel’s Loyalty

 I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33 Hanan stood to remove his apron as his grandfather had. He was looking forward to their walk home. Meanwhile, Emet was in the front of the bakery, tidying up the sales counter and preparing to close up shop for the day. Hanan grabbed a basket and gathered what remained of the four loaves from the workbench. Then, it dawned on him—they hadn’t discussed the bread from the lower left-hand quadrant yet. Holding that loaf in his hands, he turned to Emet and called out, “Hey, Gr—” but stopped short when he noticed that Uzziel had returned. Emet called out, “Good afternoon, Uzziel! Nice to see you again!” But Uzziel didn’t return Emet’s kind greeting. “Is there anyone else in here besides you two?” he asked, glancing around the shop before carefully closing the door behind him. He nervously stroked his thick black beard. Hanan grabbed the basket and walked to the front of the store. “Nope, it’s just the two of us, Uzziel,” he answered, placing the basket full of bread on the sales counter. He couldn’t help but notice how small the loaves looked when they were placed near the massive man. He imagined Uzziel could eat an entire loaf in one bite! Emet put his arm around Hanan’s shoulders and looked up at their guest. He asked, “What can we do for you Uzziel? Need some more bread?” Glancing down at the basket Hanan had prepared, he added, “We’ve got a nice assortment here we could contribute to your gathering.” “No need, Emet.” The expression on Uzziel’s face was an odd mix of anger and anxiety, making it difficult for Hanan and Emet to discern what he was thinking. “I, umm. . . .” was all he said. Then he paused. “Yes, Uzziel?” Emet asked softly. The two men had known each other for a few decades, and both were devoted followers of Jesus. However, in recent years, Emet had often thought that rather than abiding in Jesus—and Jesus abiding in him—Uzziel kept Jesus in his back pocket for those times it proved beneficial. Not consciously, of course. Emet just sensed that Uzziel had gradually shifted to that place over time. “It’s just that, well. . . .” Uzziel began with frustration in his voice. “I’m a little concerned that you don’t want to come to the gathering this afternoon. Back in the day, you were always up for a get-together with other believers.” “Oh, well maybe I just misunderstood,” Emet said, tilting his head slightly. “Are you meeting for a time of worship? Because I thought you had said something about meeting with some important official.” “Is there a difference, Emet? I mean—” Catching himself in the odd comment, he asked, “—can’t we do both?” Hanan started to feel a bit uncomfortable, unsure why he felt such tension mounting between Grandpa and his friend. Emet dropped his arm from around Hanan’s shoulder and rested his fingertips on the countertop in front of them. “Now Uzziel,” Emet began, “you need to listen to what you’re saying.” “These are perilous times, my friend.” Glancing over his shoulder at the door, Uzziel then turned back and whispered to Emet, “If we don’t do something about it—if we don’t meet with the right people in the right positions of power—we’ll lose our chance to freely worship. I think you know that.” Emet sighed. “No one can take away our freedom to worship, Uzziel. Ever. I’ve been worshiping all day, in fact—regardless of any law.” Putting his arm back around Hanan, he continued. “Teaching my grandson, chatting with customers, baking bread, giving some of it away, praying in the Spirit—I’ve done all of this without hindrance and to the glory of God.” Uzziel shook his head in hopeless frustration. His dark beard quivered. “You know what I’m talking about.” Emet tapped on the side of his head, and replied, “My old friend, as you probably know, I like to keep a few of Jesus’s words in this old lump of dough. Here’s one that comes to mind often.” Uzziel rolled his eyes. He couldn’t help but chuckle at Emet referring to his brain as a lump of dough. “I’ve always respected your good memory, Emet,” he said, softening slightly. “Okay. Let’s hear it.” Emet lightly punched Uzziel on the shoulder—in a friendly fashion, of course—as he quoted Jesus: “I have told you these things,” Emet deliberately emphasized the word “you” as he spoke, “so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Uzziel shook his mammoth hands in exasperation. “That’s my point!” he exclaimed, a look of anger returning to his face. “We’re living in a time of trouble, and it’s time for us to overcome!” “Yes, of course,” Emet offered with a warm smile, “but I believe Jesus said that He already did that.” Uzziel backed toward the entrance, shaking his head. “You need to decide whose side you’re on, old friend—if you even are a friend.” As he opened the door, he looked back and warned, “I worry for you and your family. We’re trying to protect our faith and freedom, and you’re happy just making and eating bread.” Uzziel ducked out of the shop, allowing the door to slam behind him. Hanan looked at Emet, his eyes full of questions, and said, “Grandpa?”