Friends and Heroes

In the bustling marketplace of Alexandria we meet Samuel and Macky. Soon they encounter two young refugee girls who have stowed away aboard a ship from Galilee and are being pursued by Roman soldiers. Macky and his family risk their safety and defy the Romans by taking the sisters into their home. Samuel tells the story of Daniel in the Lions’ Den to encourage the family not to be afraid - and Macky learns that violence is not the answer. When the girls are captured, Macky reminds everyone how Jesus demonstrated his power with a Miraculous Catch of Fish before calling his followers to leave everything and follow him. This motivates Samuel to help Macky spring a daring raid on the prison to free the girls.

Macky rescues a snobbish, aristocratic Roman girl, Portia, from her runaway horse and she is so fascinated with Macky and the whole world of Alexandria’s Delta Quarter ghetto, that she returns and hires Diana to make a dress for her - at the Governor’s palace! Rebecca is horrified that a Roman should enter their lives and uses the story of how Delilah led Samson astray to warn against being corrupted by foreign ways. But Macky senses there is more to Portia than they have seen so far. Diana teaches the youngsters the value of tolerance through the story of Peter’s friendship with Cornelius, the Roman Centurion - and with help from their new Roman friend Portia, the gang thwart an extortion scheme run by Tobias and his sergeant, Brutacus.

A giant warship docks in Alexandria harbour and Macky learns from Portia that the ship’s mission is to attack the rebels resisting the Romans in Galilee. Macky inspires his neighbour, the young genius Sollie, with the story of David and Goliath. Sollie comes up with a plan to sink the ship. When Macky and Samuel are captured and imprisoned on the doomed ship, the story of how God released Peter from prison encourages them never to give up hope. As a result of the heroic destruction of the ship, its Roman architect decides to stay away from objects of war.

Macky arrives in Jerusalem disguised as a member of Portia's entourage, and soon comes across both some old adversaries and several new friends. Awed by the sight of the besieged city, he tells Portia the story of Jesus in the Temple as a boy, and a mysterious Roman soldier tells Macky how King David captured Jerusalem, reminding him that great obstacles may be overcome.

Macky is now a dependable courier between Jerusalem and the outside world. But he's soon given a job that might be too much, even for him: taking an elderly man out of the city for medical care.

The Romans are bringing in an enormous battering ram to use against the walled city of Jerusalem. Macky have to find a way to help out. Waiting to fight it, the zealots liken the Romans to Ahab and Jezebel, who wanted Naboth’s land, had him killed, then took the land for themselves.

Macky and Portia finally arrive in Rome, but under very different conditions: Portia is welcomed as the niece of Rome’s famous General Tiberius, while Macky has arrived in chains... and that’s just the beginning of his problems. He has been sold to a school for gladiators! Macky tells the story of Amos speaking out, and recalls the preaching of John the Baptist, to remind us of brave men who spoke out against corruption.

When Macky refuses to kill another trainee during practice, the gladiator school manager decides to send him to the arena the next day. Because he won’t kill, he will almost certainly be killed. Portia goes to Senator Antonius, who has spoken out on behalf of the Friends of Jesus in the Senate. But Antonius seems unwilling to help. We hear the story of King David and Three Soldiers, and Antonius tells Portia about Jesus speaking in Nazareth.

Macky is now a slave in Senator Antonius’s home. After telling the story of Jesus calming the storm to the Senator’s two children, to help them get to sleep during a dramatic storm, Macky discovers something extraordinary about their father. We hear of the trust between David and Jonathan, while Macky succeeds in foiling a trap laid by Brutacus and the mysterious Masked Rebel considers acquiring a daring young partner.