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Three Brothers

Posted in Stories, Word Pictures, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 19, 2025| Leave a Comment »

(Another older writing)

Today, it all became clear to me.  It wasn’t always that way; for many years I felt caught between two worlds or more accurately between two brothers.  I (Marcus) was the second of my fathers’ three sons; born seven years after my brother Phillip and just a year before my brother Andrew.  My father is the King of this great land and of course that makes each of us a Prince.  The affairs of the kingdom have kept my father away for as long as I can remember and thus much of what I know of him has come through my older brother Phillip. 

As the first born and the first heir to the throne, he has access to things within the kingdom that Andrew and I don’t.  I’ve never struggled with that knowledge, but it has always been a point of resentment for Andrew.  He’s never seemed content with his role in our family or in the kingdom.  All through our childhood his discontent grew stronger, along with his resentment of Phillip.  I tried to stay out of that conflict, but eventually I was drawn into the middle and forced to choose a side.  To understand that choice, I must go back to the beginning.

Andrew and I have always been close; I suppose this is largely due to the small difference in our age and the fact that Princes rarely have the opportunity to interact with other children.  Even so, our temperaments seemed to fit well together.  Andrew is fierce and impulsive; full of passion, emotion and expression; while I am naturally cautious and thoughtful; more of an observer and slower to speak.  Though I am older, I’ve always tended to yield to Andrew, even in the times when I’ve disagreed with him.  I guess that I’ve rarely felt passionate enough about my own beliefs to fight with him; and to disagree with Andrew will always mean a fight.  We spent almost every waking moment of our childhood together and this forged an unbreakable bond between us, or so I thought.

Phillip is very much a reflection of our father.  He is even tempered, wise beyond his years and deliberate in all that he does. He always seemed much older than us and has always been busy with the matters of the kingdom.  I can scarcely remember a time when he’s acted like a child, even when he was one.  Everything that he says or does seems to be motivated by either, “the kingdom calls” or “it is what father would want”. 

Those phrases tend to aggravate Andrew, but I’ve never sensed any pretense in Phillip, so I tend to view them as noble.  Phillip was always fair with us, though he could be very firm as well.  I know that he was aware of Andrews’ feelings toward him, yet he never acknowledged them or acted in a way that I thought was retaliatory.  He didn’t really have to force us to do anything, but often Andrew would complain bitterly whenever he asked anything of us.  Though Phillip and I are probably more alike, we’ve rarely spent much time together and thus we haven’t shared the closeness that Andrew and I have.

As we reached early manhood, I sensed Andrew becoming more distant.  He would leave the palace and be gone all day.  He was rarely willing to speak of where he had been or what he’d been doing.  In this time, his resentment for Phillip seemed to grow into hatred.  Just the sight of him would cause Andrew to seethe.  On occasion I tried to reason with Andrew about this condition, but his anger would normally just turn on me, so I quickly abandoned that effort.  As much as I could, I tried to remain neutral, but the day eventually came when that became impossible.

Late one evening, I was lying in my chamber, when I heard the foot steps of many men moving through the passageway.  I quickly moved to the door, just in time to see the door of Andrew’s chamber close.  I quietly moved down the passageway, intent on learning the source of this commotion, and as I paused at the door, I could hear Andrews’ impassioned voice.  He was describing how they were going to overtake and kill “him” and I suddenly realized that the “him” that they were speaking of was Phillip. 

I was immediately torn as whether to burst into the chamber, letting them know that their plan was exposed or whether I ought to run to Phillip.  After a momentary pause, I chose the latter and quickly went to awaken Phillip.  Even coming out of a deep sleep, he seemed immediately coherent and calm.  As I excitedly conveyed what I’d heard, he didn’t seem at all worried or even surprised.  When I was finished, he told me that he knew that this day would eventually come and then he asked me a disturbing question.  He said, “Which side are you going to take”? 

I was instantly irritated by the idea that he would expect me to choose between my brothers and after some hesitation, I blurted that out.  Phillip calmly agreed that no man should ever have to make such a choice, but went on to say that all of my tomorrows would hinge on that choice tonight.  He also reminded me that if Andrew was successful in killing him, that I would be the next in line for the throne, which is something that I’d not yet considered.  Phillip genuinely seemed more concerned with what decision I was going to make, than with the fact that Andrew and his accomplices could arrive at any moment. 

It felt as though either way I chose to go, one of my brothers surely would be destroyed.  I asked Phillip, “how does one make such a choice”, to which Phillip replied, “For me it is simple; what would father have me do”, “but the question you must resolve is whether that will be your standard”?   As I sat there in a daze, Phillip eventually broke the silence, thanking me for warning him and assuring me that he would handle Andrew’s uprising.  Before I departed from him, he reiterated that no matter what happened, whether I acted or failed to act, I will have made a choice.

As I made my way back, I noticed that all was silent in Andrew’s chamber and I tried to convince myself that it had all been talk; but as I stepped through my own door, a voice emerged from the shadows, “good evening Marcus”.  Surprised, I stammered, “Andrew, what are you doing here”?  He said, “I’ve come to speak with you brother, where have you been so late in the evening”?  I replied, “Well it seems as though we’re all having difficulty with sleep tonight, what is it that you’ve come to speak about”?  “We’ve come to discuss the future of the throne”.  “We”, I replied; “Yes, I’ve some friends with me”, said Andrew.  I could sense their menacing presence in the room as I said, “Since when does a brother need friends to speak to his brother”?  To which Andrew replied, “My friends haven’t come for you”. 

“Who have they come for” I inquired.  “I think you know” responded Andrew.  I let out a sigh and said, “Yes I suppose I do; but then what happens”?  “Why you’ll become the first heir to the throne of course”, he replied.  After a silent moment, I asked, “What if I refuse to be a part of this…brother”.  At that moment Andrew stepped out of the shadows, with his sword drawn and moved slowly toward me.  Upon reaching me, he raised the tip of his sword to my chest, just poking through the cloth of my shirt and said, “The choice is yours…brother”.

I could barely breathe at the revelation that my own brother was willing to destroy me, but before I could respond, Phillip and a squad of palace guards poured through the door.  Before Andrew could fully turn, Phillip had knocked the sword from his hand and had his sword drawn on Andrew, while his accomplices were immediately subdued by the guards.  To my surprise, Phillip did not address Andrew, but instead he queried me. 

He asked, “So have you decided Marcus”?  “Decided what”, I responded weakly.  “Which side you choose”, said Phillip?  After a moment I asked, “What if I choose Andrews’ side”?  “If that is your decision, I will lay down my sword, surrender my claim to the throne and put myself at Andrews’ mercy”.  His words were like a kick in my stomach, no matter what I chose it would mean the destruction of one of my brothers.  As my mind flooded with thoughts and memories; memories of Andrew and I laughing together as children, thoughts of his sword at my chest; it suddenly became very clear to me and I said the only thing I could think of, “what would father want”? 

At those words Andrew screamed in agony and it was finished.

In the time that has passed since that night, I’ve often wrestled with whether I’d made the right decision, but today it was resolved forever in my mind.  Today, our Father came home.

This story is a parable about the relationship between our body, soul and spirit.  In the story, Andrew represents the body, or more rightly our flesh (i.e. our carnal nature).  We naturally feel more connected to the flesh, because we grew up being guided by it and our relationship is much closer than to that of the spirit.  Like Andrew, the flesh always wants its way, even to the eternal destruction of the soul.  Phillip on the other hand represents our spirit, which is our connection to the spiritual realm and to our Father in heaven.  Like Phillip, the spirit is motivated by the things of the kingdom and is edified by doing the Fathers will.  As in the story, the spirit is not willing to destroy the soul to gets its own way, but if we are willing to submit (through our spirit) to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, the kingdom rule of our King will be manifest, even in His apparent absence. Marcus represents our soul (i.e. our mind, will and emotions), which is what makes us who we are and lives on for eternity.  As in the story, we don’t like to have to choose, but the Bible clearly says that the flesh wars against the spirit and that what is pleasing to the flesh is not pleasing to the spirit; it goes on to say that the flesh needs to be put to death, so that we can partake of a life in the Spirit.  While the battle between the flesh and the Spirit may be difficult and confusing today, it won’t be on the day we come face to face with “Our Father”. 

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Jury Duty

Posted in Stories, tagged on March 9, 2015| 2 Comments »

When Paul walked through the apartment door, he saw his younger brother Matt reach over from the couch, grab the remote, and quickly turn off the television.

 

Acting as though he didn’t see this, Paul said, “Hey little brother, how goes it?”

 

Matt abruptly sat up, and tried to act nonchalant, replying, “I’m good.”

 

But as Paul crossed the room, he swooped down and grabbed the TV remote with a grin.  “So what are we watching?” he said playfully, as he turned the television back on.

 

Matt jumped to his feet, and tried to wrestle the remote from him, but it was too late.  To Paul’s utter amazement, what came on the screen was a television preacher, talking about hell.

 

Turning to Matt, he said, “What is this?”

 

“It’s nothing,” Matt replied defensively, as he pulled the remote from Paul’s hand, and turned the TV back off.

 

“What do you mean, ‘it’s nothing’.  If it were nothing, you wouldn’t be trying to hide whatever it is that you’re doing here,” Paul said.

 

With an intensity that Paul didn’t often see from his younger brother, Matt looked him in the eye and sternly said, “It’s nothing that you need to worry about,” before disappearing into his bedroom and closing the door.

 

Paul’s curiosity made him want to go after Matt, and push him for an answer, but he reminded himself that they were both adults now; and that when they’d agreed to share an apartment, they’d also promised to stay out of each other’s business.  He knew Matt well enough to know that he wasn’t going to talk until he was ready, so Paul decided to wait him out.  As he thought about it, he realized that Matt would eventually have to come out to eat, and so he decided to help that process along.

 

After throwing a bag of frozen fries in the oven, Paul fried up some bacon and burgers, and made himself a plate.  He knew the smell of the bacon had to be working on Matt, as he knocked on his bedroom door and said, “There’s burgers and fries if you’re hungry.”

 

Though Matt didn’t come out right away, Paul knew it wouldn’t be long, as he sat on the couch, and turned on ESPN.  Sure enough, a few minutes later Matt came out, made a bacon double-cheeseburger, and sat down in the living room.  They didn’t talk much at first, other than to react to whatever the sportscasters were saying, but after he finished his food, Paul decided to try again.

 

“So what’s going on?” he said gently.

 

Matt let out a sigh of frustration, and started to get up.  “What difference does it make?” he said.  “Why is this such a big deal to you?”

 

“Come on Matt, don’t get mad.  I’m not trying to bust on you.  I’m just asking what’s got you so upset.” Paul said, in a tone that seemed sincere.

 

Matt grabbed Paul’s empty plate and carried the dishes into the kitchen.  When he came back out, Paul expected him to head to his bedroom, but instead he came back in and sat down heavily in the chair.  Letting out another audible sigh, he began to share the story.

 

“You know that I had jury duty today,” he said.

 

“Oh yeah, you’d said that was coming up,” Paul replied.

 

“Well, I got there and they have you fill out this ridiculously long questionnaire with all sorts of things, like you’re opinion on the death penalty, and have you ever been convicted by a jury…  And one of the questions was about ‘Religious Affiliation’.  So you could say Muslim, or Hindu, or Christian, or New Age…  And they also had blocks for, ‘Atheist’ or ‘No Religious Affiliation’.  And I know this is going to sound crazy, but I didn’t know what to put down.”

 

With a look of confusion, Paul said, “What do you mean you didn’t know what to put down?”

 

“I mean, what am I?” Matt replied.  “Mom and Dad raised us in church, so I guess I could say that I am a Christian.  But I haven’t been to church in years, so maybe I should just say, ‘No Religious Affiliation’.  But if I’m honest, I haven’t really thought about God in years, so at some point would you just be considered an ‘Atheist’?”

 

Shaking his head, Paul said, “No, an Atheist doesn’t believe that there is a God.”  And then, after a brief pause, he added, “You do still believe that there is a God right?”

 

“I guess,” Matt replied.  “I mean I’ve always believed that because that’s what we were taught.  I’ve never really questioned it.”

 

“Do you still believe the whole Jesus story?” Paul asked.

 

“I guess,” Matt repeated.

 

“Well it sounds like you’re a Christian” Paul declared confidently.

 

With a look of doubt, Matt replied, “I don’t know.  I wanted to check that box, but it seemed kind of dishonest.  You know, like I was trying to fool someone.  I thought that the ‘No Religious Affiliation’ box was probably more accurate, so I checked it.”

 

“OK,” Paul said.  “So what’s the problem?”

 

“I don’t know,” Matt stammered.  “It made me feel kind of guilty that I couldn’t say that I was a Christian.  I thought of how disappointed Mom and Dad would be if they saw that.  I thought about the time I got baptized at church camp, and I remembered being pretty sincere about all of that back then.”

 

“Listen little brother, you’re way over thinking this.  I’m sure that the courts don’t really care that you don’t go to church, and no one else is ever going to see that questionnaire.  If I remember my Vacation Bible School trivia correctly, it says something like everyone who believes will be saved.  So if you believe, you should be good.  You’ve done your time in church.  You did the whole baptism thing.  You’re a good guy.  I think you’re really worrying for nothing.”

 

“I understand what you’re saying,” Matt said.  “But I had hard time shaking this uneasy feeling.  Then, I got picked to be on a jury, and we drew a civil case.  And that was interesting enough to take my mind off of it for a while.”

 

“Yeah, so how did that go?” Paul asked.

 

“It was pretty cool.  This old guy had died, and his will said that everything should be divided between his kids.  But this woman, who claimed to be his wife, was contesting the will.  She said that in the last year of his life, he had changed his mind, and that he really wanted everything to go to her.  She claimed that she had a piece of paper that he’d signed, which was essentially his new will.”

 

“So did you believe her?” Paul said.

 

“She had a pretty good lawyer, and from his opening remarks, he made it seem like they had proof of everything.  The way he told the story sounded so reasonable that I felt like I was probably going to vote in her favor.  The lawyer for this guy’s kids just said that the woman didn’t have any proof to back up her claims, and that the kids were the rightful heirs.  I guess that was all he really could say, but I liked the first guy better.”

 

After taking a drink, Matt continued, “But as the day wore on, I really had to wonder.  She said that they’d been living together for almost two years, but the kid’s had never met her, or spoken to her.  She tried to say that it was because they lived in other states, and that the man kept it from them so that they wouldn’t feel like he was betraying the memory of their deceased mother.  I guess I could kind of see that, but if they were really married, you’d have thought that he’d have told them at some point.”

 

“Wouldn’t the state have a record of them getting married?” Paul interrupted.

 

“Yeah, but she claimed that they got married when they were on vacation in Mexico, and that their luggage, which had the marriage papers, got lost on the trip back,” Matt replied.

 

“That sounds pretty shaky,” Paul said.

 

“Yeah, but then her lawyer pointed out that this is a ‘Common Law Marriage” state, and that the law says that if you live together for more than a year, you are considered legally married; which kind of sounded like a slam dunk.  But then, the kid’s lawyer pointed out that there wasn’t any real proof that they’d ever lived together.  In fact, he had proof that she’d had her own permanent address for that whole period.  She claimed that she’d been trying to sell her old place, and that she just wasn’t having any luck, but then the kid’s lawyer showed phone and utility bills that made it seem like someone was living there.  And this new will she claimed to have didn’t look right either.  The signature didn’t look like his handwriting, and she tried to say that it was because he was really sick and couldn’t hold the pen steady when he signed it.”

 

“This all sounds pretty crazy,” Paul commented.  “How did you decide who was right?”

 

“Well, for me it was the testimony of both the woman claiming to be the wife, and the man’s oldest daughter, that made the difference.”

 

“What did they say?” Paul asked.

 

“It’s not exactly what they said,” Matt replied.  “It was more like the way they acted.  The woman seemed like she was after this guy’s money, and like she was willing to say anything to get it.  Nothing that she said gave me the feeling that she really knew or cared about this guy.  His daughter was just the opposite.  She just seemed to want to do whatever her father would have wanted.  She didn’t seem to care about getting his stuff, and she actually seemed more hurt that he might have had a life that he’d kept secret from them.  When we got together to deliberate, it didn’t take us any time to decide.  This woman didn’t have any real proof to back up her claims to be his heir, and none of us believed her story.  So we ruled in favor of the kids.”

 

“From what you’ve told me, it sounds like you guys got it right,” Paul said.  “So what does all of that have to do with you watching TV preachers?”

 

Matt’s face turned serious, as he said, “As I was driving home, I had this crazy thought pop into my head.”

 

“What was it?” Paul asked.

 

“I was thinking about my difficulty in answering that questionnaire, and about the rest of the day’s events, when a little voice inside my head said, ‘I wonder how your trial will go if you show up in heaven claiming to be an heir?’”

 

Paul’s face appeared to twist into a painful expression, as he quietly exclaimed, “Ouch!”

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