Romans 6:23

       He comes to the street everyday, calling the name. His eyes are filled with wisdom and compassion. His white robe shines brighter than the sun.  He waits everyday for someone to listen and answer. He calls out to everyone as they hustle along. Most tune out his fervent cries asking for someone to work for him. They rush by, too busy with their own lives.
       On the same street, another man stalks the people going by. Black cloak pulled across his shoulders, he paces the street, whispering in the ears of everyone who lets him. The hood is pulled far over his face, concealing the scars and sneer. But those those blood red eyes are unmistakable.
        A blind girl stumbles down that very street. She is pushed around by the crowd of people, looking for someone to heal her. She wants so badly to see again. The man cloaked in black makes a beeline for her. He puts one hand on her shoulder and another on her arm and pulls her away gently. He whispers her name,
       "Abby, Abby, come with me."
       Unable to see the red eyes staring at her, Abby cocks her head to the side, staining to listen above the din to her new guide. "Who are you? Can you help me see?"
       The man is overjoyed with the lies he knows she will believe. "I have many names. Call me Master. Yes, precious one. Yes, I will make you see. Come with me." He leads her away from the street, away from the man in shining robes, to an alley where nobody ever goes. Abby follows, without question. She can't see the crooked dagger hidden in the folds of his cloak. She can't see the malice-filled, red eyes.
       "Master, how will you heal me?" she asks.
       "With these." The man answers, slipping handcuffs around her wrists. The click of the lock echoes off the damp walls of the alley. "And these." Two more chains are placed around Abby's ankles. She stiffens.
       "Why can't I see now?" The cuffs cut into her skin. Abby is disappointed. Master wasn't any help. But he had called her precious... She had hoped he really cared about her. Now she wasn't so sure.
       "Because you will never see!" cried the man. He gleefully watched the anger and frustration and despair contort her face. "And you will never see because you are worthless." Abby began to cry. The black-cloaked man chuckled with delight. "And now you will work for me," he concluded.
       "How could I ever work for you? I can't see." Abby didn't want to work for this Master, but how could she refuse when she didn't even know which way to run from him? Besides, she was chained. Maybe it would just be easier to serve him. The sound of metal scraping metal reverberated. Abby flinched as she felt something cold and sharp against her neck. Master pressed the dagger close.
       "Why are you doing this?" Abby sobbed.
       "You work for me," snarled Master. "My wages are pain, cruelty, and-" he licked his lips- "death."
       Suddenly, the alley was filled with a bright light. Abby heard Master scream in terror. "No!" He cried. "She's mine! She gave herself to me!" There was a clang as the dagger dropped out of his hand.
       "Abby," called out a clear, strong voice. Abby wondered who could possibly be her rescuer. "Who is this who binds you?"
       "He tells me his name is Master." Abby answered in a trembling voice.
       "Because it is!" squeaked the man desperately. He was shielding his eyes with his hands from the brilliant light.
       "Deceiver!" rebuked the voice. "Your name is Tempter and I command you to leave."
       "You cannot order me to leave," the man howled, although he was already slinking his way along the alley's wall.
       "In my name,  I command you to depart from this place." His voice was like thunder. Abby stood shaking, wishing she could see what terrible power was before her. Tempter uttered a piercing caterwaul that diminished as quickly as in began. Abby felt the chains on her hands and ankles disintegrate.
        "What- who are you?" She managed and shrunk away because she was afraid this man would send her away like he did to Tempter. What she could not see, was that this was the very man who called out for people on the street where Tempter had ensnared her. He looked at her shivering form sadly and sympathetically. He knew how it felt to be forsaken.
       "My name is Christ. I have come to free you and give you life."
       "But why would you give me anything?" She asked. "I've never worked for you."
       Christ smiled. "The life I give you is not a payment, it's a gift." He stooped down to pick up the fallen dagger. He took the blade and cut his own palm. Blood oozed from his hand. He walked closer to Abby and put a hand on her shoulder. Squeezing his wounded hand into a fist, he let the blood drop onto each of her eyes. Abby blinked and rubbed he red liquid away. As she opened her eyes, she gasped. She could see! After all these years of blindness, she could really see! She saw the dark alley walls, her own hands, but most of all, she could see her healer, Christ himself, and he was beautiful.
       She didn't know what to say. This man had cured her of her blindness! Abby wanted to thank him, but none of the words racing through her mind seemed enough to express her gratitude. She looked into though bright eyes of his, and knew that she didn't need to say anything.
       "Abby," he said more sternly, "There will be other tempters who will try to lead you away. There is only one Way to the place where they will not reach you, my Father's house. That Way, is to follow me. Can you do that?" Abby nodded. Christ smiled once more. "Joy shall be yours." He turned and walked out of the alley without turning around. He had already rounded the corner before Abby realized she had to keep up with him. She jogged out to the street, but he was no where to be found. There were people bustling along here and there, but Christ had disappeared.
       "Where are you?" Abby whispered to herself, turning in every direction. She heard a voice, the voice, although her healer was not to be seen.
       "I am always watching over you," he said. "Though you may not see me, you will feel my presence." Sure enough, Abby felt as if the same compassionate eyes were looking at her.
       "But how will I know where to follow you if I can't see you?" She asked.
       "I will show you." And after he spoke those last words, Abby felt he wouldn't speak aloud to her again for a long while.
       Just then, she saw a small boy sitting with his knees to his chest on the sidewalk. His eyes were red and his cheeks were stained with tears. Abby walked over to the boy, knelt down and put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her with round blue eyes. He was alone; he needed comfort.
       "My name's Abby. Can I help you?"