PenWorks of the Word | Featured Review | Judas, Otherwise by Steven Marks

Greetings, 

When the author of Judas, Otherwise shared his book in one of my favorite Author Facebook Groups, I was thrilled. The premise intrigued me a great deal, and I was happy to add it to my reading list. Before I get too far into this one, though, I must apologize to Steven Marks since I've had this one on my to-be-read pile since May.  

It's been a long time coming, but I'm excited to feature this one on the PenWorks of the Word Blog Tour this year. 

See you in the pages, 

MJE

PenWorks of the Word | Featured Author | Anna Moore Bradfield

The Sponge and the Stick: 

What a Roman Toilet Taught Me About the Cross

By Anna Moore Bradfield

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I didn’t expect one of the most convicting moments of our trip to Turkey and Greece to happen at a public restroom.

My husband John and I recently traveled with Jonathan Cahn's Revelation Tour, walking through the ruins of the seven churches of Revelation. Among many other sites on that trip, we visited Ephesus. We stood where Paul preached, where a riot once shook a 25,000-seat theater, and where tradition says the apostle John dug his own grave. But the moment that stayed with me the longest happened at the ancient public latrines there.

Communal Toilet

A Very Public, Shared Experience

Our guide walked us through the daily life of the ancient city. We eventually arrived at the communal toilets. Communal. No kidding. No stalls for privacy. No place to wash your hands when you finished. Social by design. Imagine long stone benches with holes cut into them, positioned over a channel of running water, and you have an accurate picture.

The Romans held power then, over a huge span of territory that included Ephesus. Since they didn’t have toilet paper, they fashioned a simple tool that did the same job. It amounted to nothing more than a stick, with a sponge fastened on the end. They called it a tersorium. It was also communal. Just imagine. Someone would use it, rinse it in a trough of water or vinegar, and return it to its holder for the next one in line. Shared. Among strangers.

Our guide let that image settle. Then he said something that changed the way I will read the crucifixion account for the rest of my life.

The Sponge and the Cross

This element of the crucifixion scene was so profound that all four gospels reference it (Matthew 27:48, Mark 15:36, Luke 23:36, John 19:29). We’re no longer in Ephesus for these portions of Scripture but in Golgotha, just outside Jerusalem. Rome ruled there, too. 

When Jesus said, "I thirst," Scripture tells us that a jar of sour wine sat nearby. Some might call it vinegar. Roman soldiers soaked a sponge in it. Then they fixed it to a branch of hyssop and lifted it to His lips.

A sponge. On a stick.

They repurposed the same crude instrument used in the latrines, immersing it in sour wine, and held it up to the mouth of a dying man. Our guide made no attempt to soften that detail. Rightly so. Whether the soldiers grabbed it out of convenience or handed it to Jesus as a final act of contempt, the symbolism is the same. This is what the world offered the King of Kings in His final moments on that cross.

As we stood in Ephesus, in the ruins of a city where a mob had once rioted for two hours rather than give up their idols, that image from Golgotha landed with a weight it never could have in a classroom or a church pew. This was the same place where people chose a goddess over a Savior. And now, here was the picture of exactly what that choice cost Him.

What’s the Lesson?

We naturally read the story and feel the horror and injustice of this cruelty. We may even swipe at a tear. But I think the real weight here isn't just historical. It's personal.

The question I grapple with when I think of the sponge and the stick isn't, "How could they do that to Him?" But rather, "What have I handed Him lately?"

We don't offer Jesus a literal sponge soaked in sour wine anymore. Yet we hand over our leftovers all the time—those exhausted, distracted, half-present versions of our attention after everything else has had first pick of our day. We offer Him convenience instead of devotion. Duty instead of love. We offer that thing closest at hand instead of our best. It isn’t so different spiritually from what happened at that cross. We hand over something ordinary and repurposed instead of a gift worthy of the Son of God.

How Do We Apply This?

Here's what I keep coming back to since that day in Ephesus:

What's "at hand" in your own life? When you turn to God in prayer, worship, or obedience, are you offering Him your first? Your best? Or are you handing Him whatever happens to be closest and most convenient at that moment?

Discomfort has its place. The image of the sponge is uncomfortable on purpose. Sometimes the most spiritually formative moments come from sitting with discomfort rather than rushing to explain it away.

Who are you offering this to? Jesus didn't spew accusations or judgments against those soldiers who lifted the sponge to him. He didn't demand better treatment in His final moments. He absorbed the worst that people offered Him—their indifference, their mockery, their convenience dressed up as cruelty—and still finished the work He came to do. So much more than a historical detail, that's the gospel encapsulated into a single moment in time.

What do you hand Him now? Not in the past, not someday, but today? Is it genuine? Is it all you have? Or is it whatever’s left over, after everything else gets your best?

John and I went to Turkey expecting to be moved by grand things. We dreamed of basking in what remained of ancient libraries, hearing our voices echoing in the massive theaters, and walking through the ruins of some of the greatest wonders of the world. Instead, a public toilet, along with a bit of Scripture I'd read a hundred times before, undid me.

Sometimes the smallest, strangest details in the Bible carry the greatest weight. It’s when we stop reading as spectators and start looking for the part we play in the story that we truly uncover those details and hear, maybe for the first time, what God has been trying to tell us all along.

~~~

Anna Moore Bradfield writes character-driven biblical fiction that explores the untold stories surrounding King David, bringing depth, emotion, and spiritual insight to the people Scripture only briefly reveals. Her series, The Lambswool Chronicles, invites readers into the lives behind the narrative—stories of faith, struggle, power, and surrender set against the backdrop of ancient Israel.

Readers describe her work as gripping, immersive, and hard to put down—stories that pull you in and don’t let go.

Connect with Anna:

Follow Anna to stay connected with new releases and future stories from The Lambswool Chronicles

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Get Liminal, Anna’s free prequel to her series, when you join her community.

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As part of the PenWorks of the Word Blog Tour, this article is one of many author features happening throughout October. Don’t forget to check out the full lineup and explore the incredible stories being shared all month long. And while you’re here, make sure to enter the PenWorks of the Word Giveaway. This is your chance to win featured books, special goodies, and more. It’s open to all participants during the tour, so be sure to get your entry in before the deadline.

PenWorks of the Word | Featured Author | Elmer Fuller

 Elmer Fuller interview on crafting
faith-friendly historical fiction

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Matthew, I'm delighted for this opportunity. Thank you for the interview.

You write both biblical and Christian historical fiction. What's the difference?

Biblical and Christian historical fiction are subsets of historical fiction. Fiction set before the Vietnam War is a standard definition for historical fiction, although that definition might change. I've spoken to one author who considers anything before the last life-changing technology to be historical. We may include everything before the smartphone's invention in the future. Regardless of where you draw the line, historical fiction covers a vast amount of time and can be set anywhere on the planet.

PenWorks of the Word | Featured Author | Natasha Woodcraft

  

Reflecting on Hebrews 4:12 and Book Talk

by Natasha Woodcraft

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For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12, NIV)

I don’t know about you, but I constantly need rest. Life is a little (read: a lot) hectic, and there is always someone who needs my time – some excuse not to ‘Sabbath’. I’m often drawn into a cycle of running from one task to the next, feeling increasingly stressed or anxious as everything takes longer than I’d hoped.

PenWorks of the Word | Featured Author | Barbara M. Britton

Going Viral from Galilee

by Barbara M. Britton

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Many people are familiar with the manger scene in Bethlehem where shepherds gazed at baby Jesus. Most would remember that Jesus grew up in Nazareth. Jesus is even called Jesus of Nazareth. But His home base for ministry doesn’t roll off our tongues. I didn’t realize the importance of Capernaum in Jesus’s life until I visited the Sea of Galilee.

PenWorks of the Word | Featured Author | Demi (D.M.) Griffin

An Interview with D.M. Griffin
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How has your life experience helped in your writing journey?

My life experience included a dedicated English teacher when I was in high school. She encouraged me in my writing, made us partake in timed essays three times a week, and entered me in a few writing contests. I didn’t like her for it at the time, but looking back on it now, I realize that those timed essays truly developed my ability to write quickly. She also taught me how to self-edit while writing. And her pushing me to be vulnerable and put myself out there is something that stirred up the desire to indie publish. 

PenWorks of the Word | Featured Author | Karen Lopez

Spurring One Another On: When Words Become a Lifeline

By Karen Lopez

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“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” ~ Hebrews 10:24 ~

When I study a Bible verse, I sometimes look at the original Hebrew or Greek words behind the English translation. Other times, I look at synonyms for what a particular word might mean in everyday life.

Consider is an interesting word.