A5- PART N

PART N: Preference confirmed
PART N:
PREFERENCE CONFIRMED
Though Martha wants Mary in the kitchen, Jesus encourages her to listen, instead,
to his message, if that is her choice.
From Tyre north to Sidon, Jesus walked
then turned back southward to the lake he knew
so well, in Galilee. To the south-east,
its borders reaching to the shore, there lay
the territory of Decapolis.
Here, on a steep hillside, one day, the Lord
sat down, and great crowds came to him and placed
in turn, the deaf, the maimed, the blind, the dumb
and other anguished sufferers at his feet:
and every person healed. One was a man
who was both deaf and practically dumb.
The Lord took him aside, and privately,
putting his fingers in his ears, he spat,
and touched his tongue, and looking heavenwards, sighed,
and breathed one single Aramaic word,
‘Ephphatha’. ‘Open up’ is what it means.
Immediately the man could hear and speak.
Though everyone who witnessed all such cures
was charged by Jesus not to speak about
his extra-ordinary miracles,
astonishment soon over-ruled his pleas.
All glorified the God of Israel
and made well-known the things that Jesus did.
’He who sees me, sees not just me, but sees
the Father who has sent me to bring light
into the world. Whoever puts his trust
in me will not remain a prisoner
of darkness.’ Thus the message of the Lord
rang out to reach the furthest listener.
And then he called, ‘If you should hear my words
but do not keep them, I’ll not be your judge.
But who rejects my words will have a judge
whom he will face on Trial Day to find
that he’ll be judged from all that I have said.
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A gospel in blank verse with rhymed parables
But I’m not here to judge: I’ve come to save
and what I speak is not from me, it is
the message from my Father I pass on.’
The Parable of the Lost Silver Coin
Perhaps I miscounted
There should be ten
There seems only nine here.
Let’s count again.
Could I have dropped it
Inside a shoe?
Surely I’d see it
It’s shiny and new.
Under the carpet?
Down by the bed?
A crack in the floorboard?
Best mind how I tread.
I’ve looked in the larder
I’ve brushed down the stairs
I’ve checked all my pockets
I’ve moved all the chairs.
Oh! The clouds are fast thickening
Here comes the night
This is ridiculous
I need a light. (Ah! Better!)
The box with the trinkets
The box with my beads
Under the pillow
Heavens! None of this leads
Anywhere!! Just a moment
What’s this?
Under a flower pot!
Why! There it is!
I’m so pleased to see it
Would you believe?
It’s worth all the other ones...
The one you retrieve.
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PART N: Preference confirmed
I’ll tell all my neighbours
They can laugh at me – then
They can come round to supper
And I’ll count out all ten.
On one occasion the disciple, John,
told Jesus that they’d seen a man – some one
not of their following – who went about
and using the Lord’s name, was casting out
spirits of evil, just as they’d been taught.
‘He lacked the mark of real discipleship.
He was no follower of yours,’ said John.
‘We told him that he must not use your name.’
‘Do not forbid him,’ Jesus said. ‘Why not?
‘No one who works a miracle through me
will ever after speak maliciously
of me. Whoever’s not against us must
be for us, and indeed, no one who gives
a little drop of water in my name
to any thirsty child will lack reward.’
The Parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard
Early each morning
Standing around
Casual labourers
Could always be found.
Men in the market place
Waiting each day
For someone to hire them
Someone who’d pay
For tending to vines
Or some other chore -
Anything to keep
The wolf from the door.
Only just daylight
In comes a man
Rich in appearance
Has a quick scan.
Offers the going rate
‘Denarius a day?’
Agreed! Undisputed!
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A gospel in blank verse with rhymed parables
They’re off on their way
To work in his vineyard.
Up comes the sun.
A laugh and a handshake
He hires every one.
Nine in the morning
He’s there, back again
Others are waiting
More unemployed men.
‘What are you doing
Just hanging around?’
That is his question.
‘Oh! We’ve found
No one who wants us.
Nothing today –
We’ll wait. We’re patient
We’ll hope and we’ll stay.’
‘But, come, I can use you
My vineyard’s not small
Just follow my steward
He’ll take you all.’
One hesitated.
‘Wages tonight?’
‘Oh, yes. I’ll pay you.
You’ll get what is right.’
At noon, three and five o’clock
He took on more yet
It seemed that he wanted
Every man he could get.
Then came the evening
The day’s work was done
At least, (one could argue)
A day’s work for some.
The steward was called
‘Make the men form a queue
Late comers first.
I’ll pay them their due.’
He gave one denarius
To those who’d come late
To those who’d worked early
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PART N: Preference confirmed
He paid the same rate.
To the men who’d worked hard
In the heat of the day
He gave one denarius
Just the same pay
As those who had worked
For a short hour or two.
There were complaints
From more than a few.
‘I’ve paid you’ the owner said,
‘What we agreed.
You make it sound
Like some villainous deed.
Where’s the wrong-doing?
Wherein lies the vice?
You’ve taken fair wages
They’ve had a slice
Of what is my own –
From my own bank .
Your best course of action
Would p’rhaps be to thank
Me for plain dealing:
And be happy for the
Not treated as ‘workers’
But valued as men.
‘Do not imagine I have come to wreck
the Law, or undermine what has been taught
before by prophets. This is not the case:
for I have come to make their meaning clear.
Take Scribes and Pharisees, whom many think
have scaled the pinnacles of righteousness –
I’ll tell you this: unless your piety,
unless your goodness and integrity
exceeds that of the Scribe and Pharisee,
God’s Heavenly Kingdom will be closed to you.
No details of the Law should be ignored,
nor any prophet’s teaching overlooked.
This is the way that you must spread the Word –
the Word that I bring you – the Word of Truth –
and those who catechise you otherwise
will find themselves rejected at the last.
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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.
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PART N: Preference confirmed
At this point four young men came on the scene.
Between them they were carrying a friend.
He was completely paralysed, and lay
upon a stretcher. They were very keen –
perhaps they’d carried him for many miles –
that Jesus should have sight of him. Thus, not
to be outdone by doors blocked by folk
who would not move, they hit upon a plan,
and climbing on the flat roof, tile by tile,
they opened up a space just wide enough
to let their sick friend through, and gingerly,
to climb down after him. So! There he was,
exactly as they’d wished, safe and unharmed,
and lying at the feet of him they sought.
When Jesus saw the certainty with which
the youngsters stood, awaiting his response,
he looked down at the prostrate man and said,
‘Your sins are all forgiven. So! Take heart!’
The Scribes and Pharisees said not a word
but everyone took note: for what they heard
was blasphemy. Forgiving sins was God’s
prerogative. It was more evidence
that they could use against this renegade.
But Jesus could read minds and fathom thoughts.
‘Cannot you rid your hearts of spitefulness?’
he asked. ‘You men of learning, tell me this.
Which do you think the easier to say?
“ Your every sin has been forgiven you,”
or “Stand! Pick up your stretcher now, and leave!”
Well, to convince you that the Son of Man
has power and authority on earth
to cleanse a man of sin and to remit
the penalty, watch what will happen now.’
This time, in earnest, the instruction was
repeated, and the paralytic stirred.
‘Get up! Pick up your bed and take it home.’
With every mouth agape, the man stood up
shouldered the load, and made to leave at once
reciting prayers of thanks as he went out.
Thus, fear, amazement, and a deal of shock
was on the faces of those in the room
or those who saw what happened from outside.
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A gospel in blank verse with rhymed parables
‘Such strange things we have never ever seen,’
they said, and glorified the God who gave
such power to Jesus, Son of Man.
They journeyed on and found a place to stay.
A woman they called Martha welcomed him
and those who followed him: so while he taught
in comfort in her house, she went about
and busily prepared a meal and served
their needs –and there was much to do – indeed
so much that she’d have liked some help. She asked
her sister Mary for a hand, but ‘No!’
she sat enraptured at the Teacher’s feet,
curled up and hanging on his every word.
The girl refused to budge. Martha complained.
‘Look, Lord,’ she said, ‘I am in need of help
but not one finger will my sister raise!
She lounges with the guests. Tell her to help.’
‘Oh, Martha, Martha, Martha don’t you see?
Your head is full of commonplace concerns
preparing food and making sure the guests
all have a helping and are full. Well done!
Your sister chooses to digest the food
that I bring to the world. Then let her be.
Her’s is the better choice. She shall not be
deprived of that which is her preference.’
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