In Chapter 16, Thacia, Joel, and Daniel are discussing how Thacia will disguise herself as Joel in order for them to fulfill Rosh's assignment. Thacia mentions that she would feel ashamed to meet Jesus while she is disguised as Joel because she doesn't "want to face Jesus with a lie." Daniel responds by saying that in war, a lie is considered a weapon. Thacia disagrees, then asks Daniel and Joel what makes them so sure Jesus wants war. They assume that when Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, he is referring to an upcoming war. Thacia challenges their beliefs by mentioning that Jesus might mean that the kingdom of heaven will come some other way without fighting. Thacia goes on to say that Jesus has helped her see that they don't need to wait for God to care for them because he already does. Thacia tells...
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them, "Jesus says that God sees into our hearts and loves us. If everyone understood that---every man and woman---" (Speare 178). The boys then ask her if that will rid them of the Romans, and she says, "Suppose---the Romans too could understand?" (Speare 178). Thacia also asks them why Jesus says that they must love their enemies. Daniel loses his temper and yells, "He is talking to men. A girl can't understand such things!" (Speare 178). Daniel becomes upset because he is a sworn enemy of Rome and hates them with a passion. He cannot accept the idea that God loves Romans, especially under the present circumstances. Galilee is under Roman occupation, and the Jews are their enemies. Daniel believes that the only way to restore the kingdom of heaven is through a violent uprising.
What does Jesus help Thacia understand about God's kingdom? Why does this anger Daniel?
Jesus had helped Thacia understand that the coming of God's kingdom will be different from what might be expected. Instead of involving victory in warfare, it instead will manifest itself in a radical change in men's hearts.
The Jewish people believed that the coming of the kingdom would bring about their deliverance from hated Roman rule. Daniel himself has devoted his life to seeing that this happens. When he first heard of Jesus, he had hoped that Jesus would join with Rosh's renegade band and build a great army with which to overthrow the occupiers. Thacia's explanation of the kingdom Jesus is talking about completely goes against everything for which Daniel has worked.
According to Thacia, God's kingdom may come "without any fighting", and that the Jews "don't have to wait for God to care for (them)...He does that now...every one of us". Thacia has learned from Jesus that "God sees into our hearts and loves us...every man and woman". This concept leads to the conclusion that perhaps God loves the Romans too.
Daniel is incensed by this idea. Having seen the ruthless hand with which the Romans have victimized the Jews for so long, Daniel harbors a deep and abiding hatred for them. The thought that all people - Romans and Jews alike - might be called to live in harmony is too much for him, but perhaps more importantly, "Thacia's words had come close to his own secret doubts" as well (Chapter 16).