Chapter 9 of 15
Now Herod was pleased to see Jesus, not only because he had heard many stories about him, but because he believed that, by sending Jesus to him, Pontius Pilate was recognizing that Herod had jurisdiction over all Galileans, a subject that had long been sore between them. Of course, my master knew that Pilate had sent Jesus to Herod merely to be rid of an annoying problem, but he felt it best not to share that knowledge with the Tetrarch.
When Jesus refused to perform miracles at Herod's command, the Tetrarch became upset; he sulked and he pouted in a manner more befitting a spoiled child than a ruler of men. Sensing their patron's mood, his followers taunted Jesus and treated him roughly; they draped him in the finery of the court and paraded him in front of Herod, while the Tetrarch roared with laughter.
Mercifully, Herod soon tired of this sport, and motioned for my master to approach. "Tell the Procurator that it is my desire that Jesus should be returned to him," he said, "to dispose of as he sees fit." He leaned closer to my master and spoke as if he were sharing a confidence. "Far be it from me," said the Tetrarch, with a gleam in his eye, "to deny Pontius Pilate the pleasure of conducting an execution!"
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©2004 Henry Charles Mishkoff