A pair of small
lamps illuminated Peter’s house, producing shadows on the walls. That
night, like almost every night, we stayed after dinner talking, and
Jesus told us the story of old Ephraim.
Jesus: ...Yes, that man had a heart as huge as this lake. His
name was Ephraim and he had six children. The first four were girls
and the other two were boys. His wife died when the last child was born.
Ephraim became a widower and had to work very hard to raise his six
children. He had a small piece of land at the right side of the hill
of Nazareth. There he sweated it out from morning till night, plowing
and sowing. He worked like an old mule to provide them with their daily
bread.
Jesus: The
years passed and his daughters got married. Ephraim was left with his
two sons: Reuben, the elder one, and Nico, the youngest....
Neighbor: Good morning, Ephraim!... How’s life treating
you, neighbor?
Ephraim: Well, as you can see my friend, working
very hard!
Neighbor: But your sons are already helping you, aren’t
they?
Ephraim: Of course. Right now, the elder one is plowing
one side of the field... It’s almost sowing time for us, my neighbor.
Neighbor: Ah, that son of yours, Reuben, is a grand
boy, yes sir. He’s very dependable... but your other son... he’s something
else!
Ephraim: Poor Nico...
Neighbor: Don’t defend him, Ephraim, ’cuz every one
here knows your son’s misadventures. All he does is run after the girls.
He’s a bum, that’s what he is. You gotta talk to him, Ephraim. Correct
him while there’s still time. He isn’t growing up properly.
Ephraim: This boy grew up without a mother, neighbor.
I had to be mother and father to him, do you understand? I know him
quite well. He isn’t a shameless guy, definitely not. He’s just a little
confused....
Jesus: That night, Nico, the youngest son, came
home very late....
Ephraim: Where could he’ve gone?... This is strange
because your brother always comes home to eat....
Reuben: Oh yes; if only for this, he knows how to
come on time... How brazen can he get... He doesn’t even bend his back
to work, but you should see him eat... Oh, Papa, I’m done... I’m going
to bed now.
Ephraim: I can’t sleep until he comes home, son.
I’ll wait for him.
Jesus: Nico came home past midnight. The old man,
Ephraim, was waiting for him....
Nico: Cheers to life, cheers to love...! Hic!
Hey, Papa, you’re still up..? Hic...!
Ephraim: Son, why did you come home so late? I was
worried about you....
Nico: Old man, life must be lived! Hic!... I was
with some friends... We have some plans, you know. We’re leaving this
little town... It’s so boring here, Papa... I’m bored to death here,
and I can’t stand it anymore.
Ephraim: But
son, what’re you talking about?
Nico: I’m
leaving. Tomorrow I’ll be off. I don’t wanna stay here stagnating. I
wanna see the world....
Ephraim: Nico,
my son, you’re drunk. You dunno what you’re saying....
Nico: Listen,
Papa. I know you’re keeping some money from the previous harvest...
Gimme what’s due me... I’m gonna enjoy life... Cheers to life, cheers
to love...!
Jesus: The next morning, old Ephraim took from a hole in the
yard the money he had been saving from the last harvest, and gave his
son what was due him. He was old enough to claim his inheritance. He
wrapped the money in a piece of handkerchief and gave it to him hoping,
up to the last minute, that his son wouldn’t go away...
Ephraim: Well
son, if that’s your decision....
Nico: Hey
old man, stop being sentimental.... Money’s supposed to be enjoyed and
not kept....
Ephraim: And...
where are you going?
Nico: Anywhere
I can have some fun...!
Ephraim: Son,
send me news about yourself through the traders coming here....
Nico: Nobody
ever comes here, Papa, because this is a dead town. I’m sick and tired
of everything and everyone here.... I’m going now, Papa, goodbye!
Jesus: Ephraim saw his son off as he disappeared
down the road without even looking back. The father followed him with
tear-laden eyes until he was lost on the horizon, among the olive trees
along the road....
Reuben: Damn
him, Papa! Why did he get the money he didn’t earn?
Ephraim: Your
brother is free, son. If he wanted to leave.... I’ll not tie him up
like a donkey. He isn’t my slave either.... He’s my son...
Jesus: At the port of Japhia, Nico started to squander
the money he got from his father. Months passed by. He was in the company
of women, got himself drunk or would simply gamble... All the money
that Ephraim had saved by working like an old mule was squandered in
a short time... Meanwhile, in Nazareth, his father never stopped thinking
of him....
Neighbor: How’s
life with you, Ephraim... just like any other day?
Ephraim: Yes,
my neighbor, here I am still waiting.... The caravans from the South
pass at this time. My son could be in any one of them...
Neighbor: He’s
not coming back, Ephraim, after having been given such a large amount....
Ephraim: I
don’t know anything about him. It’s as if he died.
Neighbor: Exactly.
Consider him dead and suffer no more. Forget about him. You have five
others left and they’re good. Forget about this black sheep....
Jesus: But
how can a mother or father ever forget the child they’ve brought up?
How can they cease worrying about the child who’s part of their guts?...
Though his son forgot him, Ephraim never forgot his son....
Nico: Hey,
potbelly, bring me another jug over here; my throat’s so dry! Hik!...
Besides, my girlfriend here, also wants to have a shot!... Isn’t that
right, precious one?.... Ha, ha, ha...!
Jesus: Another month passed and another... Nico
continued to squander his money. One day he bet all he had left and
lost.
Nico: Damn
the luck!... What the hell can I do now?
Jesus: He then looked for a job but found none.
Things did not go well in Japhi. The harvest had been poor because of
the drought that year. Money was scarce and there was hunger everywhere...
Finally, after several days, a man contracted him to work on a pig farm
in exchange for a measly salary....
Nico: What a miserable life! I’d gladly eat those
carob beans instead of the pigs... but if the owner sees me, he’s gonna
kill me with a beating... By the horns of Beelzebub, I’ve never felt
so starved before!
Jesus: So weeks passed. Nico was dying of hunger
while the pigs all got fat. He was filthy, stinking even more than the
pigs, and he did nothing but complain....
Nico: Here I am, a shabby and miserable man, while
at home they’re probably enjoying a nice and hearty meal.... They may
be poor there, but they always have something to eat. I gotta return...
I can’t bear this anymore.... I’m gonna tell the old man: Look, Papa,
I’m sorry, I was wrong, things have been bad for me. Say whatever you
want; yell at me; do anything you please; but please, help me. I’m sure
the old man will soften up and will give me some money.... Yes, I must
return....
Jesus: And so he decided to return....
Ephraim: It’s been more than 3 years since your brother
went away....
Reuben: He’s your son, and not my brother. For me,
it’s like a hundred years ago....
Ephraim: If I only knew where he was, I’d look for
him...
Reuben: You could use up 10 sandals and still not
find him. This son of yours is dead. Forget about him once and for all,
Papa....
Jesus: That morning, like all mornings for more
than 3 years, Ephraim went out to the road during the passage of caravans
from the south, hoping to get some news from his son.... When the sun
peeped over the horizon and illuminated the road, the poor father saw
something coming from afar. Someone coming near. His heart told him
it was his son, and old Ephraim, like a child, ran to receive him....
Ephraim: My son, my son!
Jesus: He embraced and kissed his son....
Ephraim: My son, you’ve returned...!
Nico: Papa, look, I’ll explain....
Ephraim: There’s no need to explain. You’ve returned
and that’s enough! Come, let’s go.... Neighbor, help me bring me the
best suit in the chest and get me the wedding ring of his mother for
him to put on, and a pair of new sandals too.... My son’s in tatters....
You, servant, bring the fat calf and roast it fast.... My son’s hungry
and he’s so thin, he has to eat well... He isn’t dead! He’s alive!...
He was lost, but I’ve found him!
Jesus: Soon, the whole of Nazareth was in Ephraim’s
house. The old man told the whole town that Nico, his son, had returned.
He was home again....
Woman
Neighbor: Where
have you been, you rascal? Here we thought you had left the country....
Another
Woman: How many
girlfriends did you have?... See how happy your father is today. Look,
he’s dancing with Susana!...
Nico: The truth is I’ve never seen him so happy.
Woman
Neighbor: Ever
since you left, he’s been waiting for you everyday. He always said you’d
come back.
Another
Neighbor: You did
come back, young man! Come, let us dance to that!
Jesus: At noontime, Reuben, the older brother came
back from work on the farm. As he approached the house, he heard the
music playing and he wondered....
Reuben: Hey, you, what’s all the noise in the house?
Neighbor: Why, didn’t you know? Your brother Nico’s
back! There is a big feast goin’ on in your house. Your father even
ordered the slaughter of the fattened calf for the celebration. Run
and catch up!
Jesus: The elder brother was enraged when he heard
this and didn’t want to enter the house. Old Ephraim was informed what
happened and he ran to look for his older son...
Ephraim: Reuben,
my son, Reuben... your brother’s back! He’s back safe and sound! Come
inside, we’ve been waiting for you...
Reuben: But
Papa, you knew very well how this bastard squandered your money in wine
and with whores. Now you offered him the fattened calf for his food
and party.... You’re outta your mind, Papa!
Ephraim: Yes,
my son: I’m crazy. I’m mad with joy. I was told that your brother was
dead, but as you can see, he’s back with us. We’d lost him, yet we’ve
found him. How can I not be happy? If I only had three calves, I would
have killed all of them so we could have even a better celebration!
Reuben: Of
course. I have spent my whole life with you, working and obeying you
every time, yet you’ve never offered me even a young goat to celebrate
with my friends....
Ephraim: Why
didn’t you tell me, son? ...You know fully well that what’s mine is
yours. You know how I love the two of you....
Jesus: The old Ephraim embraced his older son with the same
joy with which he embraced Nico. Then they went inside the house. Reuben
embraced Nico and smiled. He hadn’t smiled for a long time.... After
a few days, when his daughters and their families went to Nazareth for
a visit, Ephraim had his two sons seated around the table, and everyone
in the family was there.
That is the story of old Ephraim, that old father whose heart is
as big as the lake. If you understand, then you understand our Lord...
It was Jesus who taught us how to love God as our Father.