A5- PART R

A gospel in blank verse with rhymed parables
If you would serve me, follow in my path.
By doing so, you’ll gain my Father’s trust
and he will honour you. But I myself
am now uncertain and distressed. ‘Father!’
I dare to say, “Don’t ask of me what I
feel bound to do!”And yet I know that this
is why I came…“But, no! Thy will be done
and Thy Name honoured and be glorified!”’
And then there seemed to come a voice from heaven
(though some took it to be a thunderclap).
‘My wishes have already been obeyed
and my name glorified and once again
it will be so.’ ‘For sure, an angel spoke
to him,’ some called aloud. But Jesus said
it was for them and not for him the voice
was heard. They were the beneficiaries.
‘Now comes the time when this world will be judged.
The princes of the world will needs give way
when I am lifted high above the earth
and demonstrate my right to precedence.
Both Jew and Gentile will be reconciled
and all men be attracted to my cause’.
By this he hinted how he was to die.
‘The Law has taught us that the Christ will live,
for ever’, came the voices from the crowd,
‘but what’s all this about the ‘Son of Man’?’
Who is this ‘Son of Man’? How lifted up?’
‘For just a little longer you have light,
So make the most of it while you can see.
When darkness comes, you’ll not know where to go,
but while you have the light, believe in me.
That way, you may become the sons of light.’
Then with these words he disappeared from view
and no-one could discover where he’d gone.
The crowds who’d hung around all heard him say,
‘Not long from now I shall be leaving you
but you will find you cannot follow me.’
The Jews concluded that he’d kill himself.
‘That’s what he means!’ they said. The Lord explained,
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