A5- PART N

A gospel in blank verse with rhymed parables
Should you, because you bear the name of Christ
be well received, the one who welcomes you
will also be much blessed. It’s like a chain.
They welcome me because they welcome you:
in doing that, they welcome God Himself -
my Heavenly Father who has sent me here.
And those who serve the rest of humankind
for love of me – they will not lack reward,
however small their contribution is.
The contrary, of course, is also true.
To reject me is to reject the One
from whom I’ve come – Almighty God himself.
They came to Jesus in the hope that he
would bless their children and their babes-in-arms.
No doubt among his friends were those who helped
prevent the crowds from overwhelming him:
and these began, perhaps, to try to stop
the practice and to hinder those who sought
to thrust their children forward to be blessed.
But Jesus was not slow to demonstrate
how cross he was with those who barred their way.
‘Let no-one stop a child from reaching me:
for Heaven is theirs and anyone who wants
the gift of entrance to the Kingdom must
receive it like a child. For otherwise,
unless he’s born again, he will be stopped.
With that he swept a child into his arms.
The reputation Jesus had, now meant
that he was followed everywhere by crowds
who either came to hear him speak, or hoped
that he would heal them of their sicknesses.
Sometimes he preached out in the open air:
at other times he might be found indoors.
On this occasion he was in a house.
The Scribes and Pharisees were there in force,
all seated comfortably near the front
anxious to question and to criticise.
The place was full to bursting, and indeed
the less prestigious crammed the doorways, pleased
to catch a glimpse or hear a word or two.
y