This represents the complete story of the short story number 5 which I wrote in the 10 day challenge in March 2018.
The purpose is to help understand why Satan is called the Accuser, one way in which Jesus’ reselection makes sense and to provide a small survey of possible responses to Jesus’ gift of salvation.
Once upon a time there was a famous judge. He was very rich, indeed he owned most of the country. He gained his wealth through hard work. This meant that he was also rather wise as he had seen nearly everything before. Moreover he was responsible for much of the development of that society. As such his wealth made him impossible to bribe and his position in society made him impossible to threaten.
This judge began searching for a Worthy Advocate. The judge promised to make such an advocate his heir and co-owner of all he had. But, much to his dismay, the judge had found no Worthy Advocate. Everyone was more or less selfish. Most had taken bribes. Many lied. None worked for the good of those they defended, only toward their own ends.
In that country there was a particularly nasty advocate. He delighted in the destruction of others. One day he decided that what he would really like to do is wound that worthy judge. So the nasty advocate found three children that the judge loved and began to deceive them.
To Stubborn the evil advocate convinced that drink was the ultimate good. Stubborn initially drank only a little, but slowly his body built up resilience and, faster, he Stubborn grew bored of only being tipsy. So he drank more. Stubborn drank more and more, taking out increasing loans to keep the beautiful liquid flowing.
Next that wicked advocate targeted Doubtful. To Doubtful he showed "substances of transcendence". Her first kick pushed her into what she thought was other realms. Then she crashed. In her stupor the bad advocate pushed on her the next smoke. Up she went. Into the ethereal plane. Oh how boring life was in that country without transcendence, but oh how expensive it is to attain! So Doubtful borrowed money in huge amounts to chase that elusive realm.
Last that evil advocate targeted Broken. To Broken he showed the pleasures of sex. Broken’s first partner was wonderful, and they stayed together for some time. But the breakup was calamitous. With the prompting of that devious advocate Broken soon found another partner to comfort and satisfy him. But that did not last. So Broken found another and another, until all his relationships where mere instants. Desperately he paid "professionals" to satisfy him and lavished expensive gifts on others to get them to stay. Needless to say his debt was soon enormous.
With this work done the evil advocate dragged these three into court and accused them before the judge. Each could earn maybe 300 denarius a year but each had a debt of about 50’000 denarius - the amount earned in 150 years; a completely unpayable amount.
The evil advocate mocked the judge, knowing the judge loved these three. The advocate took the name “Accuser”. He accused the three children of their debts. He accused the judge of injustice if he did not condemn the three children to bitter slavery to pay back their debts.
What was the judge to do? Injustice he could not do, yet he loved these three and would not see them sold into bitter slavery.
But there was another advocate. He was young but competent. Moreover he was wealthy and upright, being a nephew of the Good Judge. He heard about this case against the three ;loved children and investigated.
He found that the evidence was irrefutable. They were guilty. The only way was for them to pay their debts, but that was impossible.
The young advocate took the only coarse of action he could to save the children. He sold all he had. He even sold the suite he would were to court (but kept it on loan to appear before the judge). He sold everything as the childrens’ debt was very large and he intended to pay it off.
The young advocate stood before the judge and confronted the Accuser. “Yes” he said“ they are guilty; and yes their debt must be paid. But I have sold all I have and here is a check for the full amount. Let me pay it for them.” The judge ruled in favour and the Accuser mocked. This was better that the Accuser had hoped. The judge’s own nephew would go into slavery! Moreover, if the check did not clear the children would remain condemned.
They stripped the young advocate and sent him to the slave camps, to labour as cruel as death. He went to pay the debt of the loved children. The children were kept in a holding cell pending the clearing of the check.
But after a time, the usual three days of banking, the check did clear. The slave camps could not keep the young advocate because the debt was paid. The three children were released because there was no more accusation against them.
The Accuser’s plans were undone . The Good Judge also ordered an investigation into his conduct, expecting to find him guilty of deception and ensnaring. The accuser was furious that his plans had failed. He was also aware that his days were numbered. This only heightened his malice.
The Good Judge declared the young advocate worthy because of his good defence. The Good Judge then fulfilled his promise and named the Worthy Advocate his heir and made him co-owner of all he had. The Worthy Advocate’s wealth and honour were not merely restored, but were greatly increased as a result.
It was with great pleasure that the Good Judge summoned the three children back to court and declared to them that their debts has been paid by the worthy advocate. He delighted in telling them that they were free to go and live again. The Worthy Advocate added to the joyous occasion by paying for the services of experts to help the loved children overcome their addictions.
But the Accuser at once launched a new campaign. His work was undone and his days numbered, but perhaps he could still cause some harm. He went to the three children and told them lies.
He tried to convince them that they did not need a gift, they were independent. As a result Stubborn refused to accept the Worthy Advocate’s gift. Stubborn despised the Worthy Advocate for his gift. Stubborn declared that he would pay his own debt, and sold himself into cruel slavery.
Again the Accuser tried to convince the children that, though they had this gift, they still needed to prove themselves to the Advocate and judge. As a result Doubtful accepted the gift, but still worked very hard to pay back the Advocate. But every time Doubtful presented her earnings to the Advocate the Advocate would kindly tell her that it was not necessary as the debt was already paid.
Every time this happened Doubtful went away distressed. Why would the Advocate not accept her earnings? So Doubtful slowly sank into despair and thought herself worthless. Although she was free, she still lived in misery and could not accept any of the acts of love the Good Judge sowed her.
Finally the Accuser tried to convince the children that their first addictions were good and that they should use their new found freedom to indulge in them all the more.
To the first charge Broken responded that his independence was a lie, Broken could not hope to pay the debt on his own. To the second charge Broken responded that the gift was a gift and given in love, so needed no repayment. Broken gratefully accepted both the gift and the love given by the Worthy Advocate and Good Judge. Finally, to the third charge, Broken responded that his first addiction had nearly destroyed him and surely would have, but for the Advocate’s gift. So, while Broke struggled with cravings and lapses, he refused to again let his addiction be his source of pleasure or the goal of his life. Broken accepted the love, the gift and the help of the Good Judge and the Worthy Advocate.
As for the wicked Accuser, he was found guilty of all his wickedness and condemned to cruel labour. His accusations were nullified and his power broken so that he could no longer deceive anyone or bring accusations against them.
Broken lived fully and sought to love as he had been loved. In the course of time the Good Judge adopted him as a son and the Worthy Advocate delighted to make him coheir of the estate. Broken took on the name of “Loved” and together that family worked for the good of their society. They ushered in a new era of peace, prosperity and joy.