Devouring World Dragon

Chapter 148 Martyrdom (First Update)
(The author is about to begin a phase of accelerated writing, readers, buckle up!)
Half a month had passed since their exchange in the Temple, but for the twelve disciples, it was still vivid in their minds, as if it had just happened. Inside the Temple, Joshua had directly and bluntly denied the Jewish priests' words, and the enraged Jewish priests had driven him out as a heretic.

However, this was only the beginning. The words of the Jewish priests directly caused turmoil throughout the city. The group of people, who were originally hailed as the children of God, were now called apostates by the Jewish priests after that day. The previous awe disappeared, and all sorts of ill-intentioned people came to their door, extorting, questioning, or even insulting them by devout Jewish believers, leaving the twelve disciples in a state of utter chaos.

However, Joshua remained noncommittal about the situation, only silently praying in his quiet room, as if he were thinking about something.

On this day, another group of Baal followers came to cause trouble, but Judah was quick-witted and drove them away.

In this era, various faiths converged in the Middle East, and people of different religions quarreled endlessly, even waging war over differences in faith. Some even went so far as to completely wipe out groups of people who did not follow the same religion.

Baal is the most powerful of the many religions in the Middle East. Unlike Judaism, which is largely confined to Israel, Baal, as the god of war and the sun, has followers throughout the Middle East and even Egypt. The conflict between the two has a long history. This time, seeing that the Jewish priests were not protecting them, the followers of Baal were restless and tried to provoke them.

"Really..."

Judah frowned as he watched the departing Baal followers. He realized that Jerusalem was probably no longer a place to stay.

But just then, a disciple ran up to him and said something, and Judah's face immediately showed a look of doubt.

……

Inside the quiet room, Joshua knelt before his six-pointed star, praying silently.

The small, enclosed space was sparsely decorated, reflecting Joshua's strong advocacy of frugality and simplicity, with only a few candles flickering nearby.

Candlelight, a six-pointed star, a silent prayer.

Despite decades of trials, Joshua seemed unchanged, remaining as sincere and devout as he had been in his childhood.

"Crack..."

A soft voice sounded in her ear. She slowly opened her closed eyes and looked at the six-pointed star in front of her. Her bright eyes were filled with only calmness.

"host……"

A cautious voice sounded from behind.

"Judas, you have come."

Without turning around, Joshua simply gazed at the six-pointed star in front of him and spoke slowly.

"Ah."

Without answering the person behind him, Joshua just stared blankly at the six-pointed star in front of him. In a daze, the six-pointed star seemed to transform into countless people and objects. For some reason, memories of the past came rushing back, like the rising tide and the receding tide, inexplicable.

After a moment of contemplation, Joshua spoke.

"Judas, you are the wisest of all the disciples. Tell me, what do you think the church is lacking now?"

"What is missing?"

Somewhat bewildered, Judah stared at Joshua, who had his back to him, wondering why Joshua had brought up this topic. After a moment's hesitation, he honestly shared his feelings.

“I think… the church currently lacks a sufficiently large preaching location; otherwise, preaching in the countryside all the time isn't a sustainable solution… it also needs its own source of income, perhaps by collecting a certain amount of membership fees… as for the rest…”

Behind him, Judah rambled on and on, while Joshua listened in silence.

For the past few years, Judas had been in charge of the church's finances and was very clear about all the church's expenses. After all, money doesn't lie, and the various financial situations were enough for Judas to have a calm and clear understanding of the church's current state.

The church may seem to be growing rapidly, with tens of thousands of believers in just a few years, but in the end, it is still too weak. The most embarrassing thing is that a church of great stature does not even have a suitable place of ministry, so Joshua and his disciples can only preach in the wild and countryside for a long time.

Furthermore, as the church grew larger, the number of people and the expenses also increased, and it was no longer possible to maintain it solely through donations from believers. All sorts of severe trials weighed on Judas's shoulders, causing him sleepless nights.

This is precisely why Judas so desperately wanted the support of the Jewish priests. With their support, the church could continue to move forward and realize the dream of "one faith".

Joshua remained silent as Judah spoke behind him. Only after Judah had finished saying what he wanted to say did he speak. "Judas, in my opinion, these are all important, but what the church lacks most right now is not these."

"...?"

Judah's face showed astonishment, and then Joshua, with his back to Judah, spoke slowly in a deep voice.

"What the church lacks most right now is... a martyr who can lead believers."

Judas stared wide-eyed in astonishment, but then he seemed to realize something, his expression becoming somewhat complicated. In the end, however, he resolutely revealed a determined look.

“Lord, if this is your will… Judas is willing to be this martyr.”

However, Joshua simply closed his eyes, shook his head slightly, and then said.

"It's not you, it's me."

……

No matter how hard Judah tried to persuade him, he ultimately could not change Joshua's mind.

He was a gentle man with an iron will; once he made up his mind, no one could change it.

In the end, Judas could only remain silent, bowed to him, and left the quiet room. Joshua, however, never turned around once, always keeping his back to his disciple.

When the sliver of light that had seeped through the crack in the door disappeared, Joshua opened his eyes, his gaze filled with deep confusion.

No one knew the extent of the confusion that Joshua, the Son of God, had felt over the years. No matter how much he tried to comfort himself, he always knew that he had altered God's will and replaced it with his own.

The scriptures never say that God will save everyone, yet he stubbornly insists that God will save everyone. The scriptures only say that murderers will also be killed, but he says to love your enemies as you love your brothers...

None of what he said was written in Jewish scriptures, nor was it ever written in any book, because these were his own words, and they were his vision of the world.

Everyone should love and help each other, be devout and simple, avoid war and killing, and live in peace.

This was what the doctor, formerly known as Hanna, longed for. He had witnessed too much death and was unwilling to see anyone die before his eyes again.

However, his upbringing caused him immense suffering...

"blasphemer!"

In his dreams, he had seen this scene countless times. Everyone despised and insulted him because he had deceived them and that what he said was not true.

The god who had once been infinitely bright in his dreams was now terrifying, his angry eyes seeming to be roaring at him.

"Mortal! How dare you twist my will!"

During the day, he spoke to his followers about God's tolerance and mercy, seeking peace of mind for them. But at night, he himself was in great pain and the most restless person, because he was caught between his own compassion and his faith, and he no longer knew how to face the current situation.

god?
people?
Should one follow one's human compassion and offer comfort to believers, or should one uphold one's faith and obey God's will?

He didn't know... he really didn't know...

It was precisely because of this that Joshua, feeling his soul was on the verge of collapse, ultimately chose to die as a martyr.

"At least... at least I can help the church a little more."

Inside the quiet room, in the flickering candlelight, there was only a human kneeling on the ground, praying silently, and a six-pointed star before him.

(End of this chapter)