Easter 2020 resources from Allsaints.
TAKE A LUKE AT EASTER
POEMS BASED ON LUKE’S GOSPEL BY DAVID RYCROFT
135 HOSANNA Luke 19 v 22-38
Jerusalem loomed –
The final chapter;
Last success now –
Strife hereafter.
Find a donkey
For the Master,
Take things slowly,
Nothing faster.
Folk arriving,
Cheers and banners
Building up to
Great Hosannas.
136 FIND ME A PONY Luke 19 v 28-38 and Luke 18 v 31-34
Find me a pony upon which I can ride
And take it by the nose and lead me by your side
And come along with me , I know you’ll like the ride …..
But glory soon fades away.
Something tells me that the crowds will all be out,
The world will seem to explode with happy shouts
And you will think you know just what it’s all about …..
But the echoes will soon die away.
Find me a pony , we’re due to be received –
The road we’ll ride along is strewn with green palm leaves
But don’t be blinded and do not be deceived …..
The green leaves will soon rot away.
137 TEMPORARY LEASE Luke 19 v 41-44
Jerusalem , if you could see,
With Christ installed as King,
You could be saved a future time
Of war and suffering,
Defeat and then destruction
For the people in your walls.
(No walls will be left standing
When the Holy City falls.)
Alas, you do not understand
That Christ is Prince of Peace,
Your pride and your security
Are on a temporary lease.
138 TURNING THE TABLES Luke 19 v 45-46 and John 2 v 13-17
“Den of thieves!”
“Mark-up market!”
(Money changers’ coins
He scatters,
Chases out the
Pigeon sellers.)
“Space for praying
Is what matters!”
He’s afire
With indignation
That the Temple
Is degraded,
That His Father’s House
Should be
The very place
In which they traded.
139 FIX HIM! Luke 19 v 47-48
How do you kill someone
When it is you
That’s the teacher of
‘Thou shalt not kill’?
With people aware that
You have the best motive,
A ‘hit man’ just won’t
Fit the bill.
To trump up some charges
Could be an answer,
But He’s too sharp to
Fall for cheap tricks;
This man is so liked
That, whatever you do,
It will be a real headache
To fix.
151 FINAL ROUTINE Luke 21 v 37 – Luke 22 v 1
Daytime,
In the Temple,
Teaching;
From
The early morning,
Preaching.
Mount of Olives
In the
Night time;
Evening cool,
For prayer
The right time.
Closing days,
The Feast
Approaching,
On
Remaining time
Encroaching.
152 INSECURITY Luke 22 v 1-2
My private world is crumbling
With insecurity,
My authority is threatened;
Why can’t he leave us be?
This far-too-clever Holy Man’s
A spanner in our works …..
Too many people following him
– They really must be jerks!
Ignorant fools they may be
But they are my power base …..
I wish that we could rub him out
– But he’s so tough to erase.
He writes on minds indelibly,
And it’s quite exciting stuff!
The things he does … well, we can’t do
– We only ever bluff!
The populace is rumbling us,
We’ll have to call a halt;
So, if we kill him , he’s to blame –
It really is his fault.
I wouldn’t call it ‘murder’,
That’s quite a nasty word …..
Get someone else to execute!
– No blame must be incurred.
153 SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE Luke 22 v 3
Somewhere along the line,
I must have left the back door ajar …
That’s ironic because, bit by bit,
My front door seems
To have been closing.
Somewhere along the line,
The privilege of being one of the twelve,
Of being called by name,
Has lost its shine.
….. To you I am disclosing, that
Somewhere along the line,
I watched Christ’s days,
Then drew away, to say
Not your will, but mine.
….. To you I am exposing, that
Somewhere along the line,
True light denied,
The gloom inside
Took over behind a closed front door.
….. And now I am supposing, that
Somewhere along the line,
By darkness hid,
The Prince of Darkness slid
Unnoticed, through the door ajar.
….. His will, he’s now imposing.
154 DO IT FOR THIRTY Luke 22 v 4-6 and Matthew 26 v 14-16
“I’ve come in response to your advert
– Said you wanted somebody with drive.
So what is this job you want doing? …..
You’re joking! …..
And the fee is just five?!
You’re not used to this kind of thing, are you?
And you’ll likely not do it again!
It’ll cost more than five, so you’d better get real –
Come on, gents! …..
You can find more than ten!
Pleasing you, and not Him, feels uncanny.
You’re owed nothing ; you owe me plenty!
Really, I owe Him a lot more …..
What’s that? …..
You thought I said ‘Twenty’?!
You know , there’s a lot you must answer;
This whole scheme is degrading and dirty!
– I can’t think of a single good reason …..
Take or leave it …..
I’ll do it for thirty!”
155 PASSOVER UPSTAIRS Luke 22 v 7-13
“Have you seen Judas lately?
Never mind, I’ve got a job;
Pete and John, here’s your instructions –
Go and find this man called Bob.
He’s easy enough to find, because
I’ve heard he likes a jar,
And he walks round with it on his head
– Takes things a bit too far!”
“I know you won’t believe this,
But you’ll see him in the street
– Just follow him into his house
And he’ll show you where we’ll eat.
He’s got a big room at the top
With a table and some chairs;
You know, I’ve always fancied
Spending Passover upstairs.”
“So go and get things ready.
Don’t buy bacon or boiled ham;
Remember, it’s a Jewish feast …..
Let’s have a nice roast lamb.
It’s tasty and it’s meaningful,
Reminds us of our past –
Our Father’s love and faithfulness
When evil dice are cast.”
156 IN BREAD AND WINE, TILL THEN Luke 22 v 14-20
My compliments to the chef!
A feast fit for a king!
Your laughter has been wonderful
– Alas, there is a sting …..
For three years now, we’ve shared great times;
Sadly, I must confide,
This Feast will be the last you’ll see
Before your Lord has died.
When times get hard , as times must do,
I beg you please recall
– And to this end, let’s drink a toast;
Pass this cup round you all!
My blood just like red wine will pour
And bathe the lives of men,
Just like a river, washing far
Away each ingrained sin.
Then pass this broken bread around;
Let it be part of you,
Just as my broken body’s life
Will make your life anew.
Take every word and thought of mine
And inwardly digest;
Let my life fill each part of you,
Then you’ll be fully blessed.
In bread and wine, I make this pledge
– You will be in my heart,
Until my Father’s Kingdom gives
This world a brand new start,
And, reunited, joy will know
No bounds for you and me …..
In bread and wine, till then my friends,
Each other we will see.
157 YOUR SECRET’S SAFE Luke 22 v 21-23
I’m deeply sorry, Judas,
I’ve known this for some time
– Like a man hanging from a cliff,
Hand slipping out of mine.
Your friends don’t know yet!
They’re all searching deep inside;
Which one of them’s the traitor’s
What they’re trying to decide.
Relax … Your secret’s safe with me
Until you let it out …..
Look! All of them are gutted –
Can’t decide what it’s about.
I’m deeply sorry, Judas,
But I gave you every chance;
It’s crunch time, and you’ve blown it,
It’s too late to change your stance.
Those other poor disciples …..
I’ll just have to let them sweat!
Each one of them is capable
Of cowardice, and yet
They’ll search inside for motives
To betray me, all in vain,
And be saddened by their weakness
– But they’ll gain strength through their pain.
Every kind word that I gave you,
Every time I placed my trust,
Every time I tried to help you –
They have all been turned to dust!
You are lost to me, poor Judas,
Driven by some hellish force;
I have no way to dissuade you
Or to bar you from your course.
158 ‘GREATEST’ RE-RUN Luke 22 v 24-27
“I am the greatest!”
“No you’re not, it’s me!”
Maybe you’d have thought by now
That they could all agree.
Jesus must remind them
In very large amounts
That, for greatness in the Kingdom,
It’s servanthood that counts.
Who is the greatest?
Why, Jesus is, of course!
Yet He is their servant
– Of humility the source.
“Do not try to lord it
Over others, as do kings;
This should never be your way
– You’re made for better things!”
159 ‘GREATEST’ AGREEMENT Luke 22 v 28-30 and Luke 20 v 42-43
Jesus has the right to rule
In His coming Kingdom;
All the world for His footstool,
To judgment He will bring them.
Now a new agreement making;
Part in power-sharing
– Through His trials, themselves forsaking
– Then new ‘trials’ chairing!
160 BRAVADO Luke 22 v 31-34
“Simon, you’re not listening to me!
Satan will not leave you be –
You’ll be harshly tested when
He has his final fling at me.”
“Let me at him! Who’s he kidding?!
I’m prepared to die for You!
Jail is nothing to your *Rocky –
Nothing to your buddy true!”
“Such bravado, Simon Peter!
You don’t know with whom you deal!
Why, he’ll blow and you’ll fall over,
Very soon his force you’ll feel.
Yes! Today you’ll hear a cock crow
After you’ve denied my name –
I have prayed God will restore you
To my friendship, once again.”
(* NOTE : PETER MEANS ‘STONE’ OR ‘ROCK’)
161 WORSE THAN THE FIRST Luke 22 v 35-38
“That formidable task …..
In pairs you were asked
To go, without sacks –
And yet nothing lacked.
This time, take your purse;
It will be much worse –
Far worse than the first,
You’ll think you’ve been cursed!”
162 GETHSEMANE Luke 22 v 39-46
In the Garden,
You must pray alone,
The distance of a stone.
In the darkness,
Left alone to weep,
Friends all gone asleep.
In the silence,
Straining every nerve,
Is your pleading heard?
In the pleading,
Drops of blood for sweat,
Has your request been met?
In the torment …
“Take this cup from me,
If another way there be!”
In submission …
“Not my will be done,
Yours, only, is the one!”
163 SUDDENLY Luke 22 v 47-48
Suddenly, their sleep was broken,
Their tiredness awoken
By harsh words being spoken …..
Suddenly, the stillness shattered
By armour being clattered;
Gruff voices neared and chattered …..
Suddenly, lit up by torchlight
Shimmering, see through the night
The faces, ghostly white …..
Suddenly, a recognition
From earlier premonition –
Disciple of ambition …..
Then suddenly ….. a kiss.
164 WHEN JUDAS KISSED Luke 22 v 48-53
When Judas kissed the Saviour’s cheek –
An evil night, when all was bleak –
The Hosts of Hell all hissed and moaned
While all the Hosts of Heaven groaned,
And fear struck hearts and made them melt
Like wax, and legs like jelly felt;
Confusion, courage ebbing low ,
But what to do they did not know.
A sword flashed in the flickering light,
A curdling scream that pierced the night …..
Some ran off, whilst others swore …..
A bloody ear lay on the floor.
Amid the chaos, One is calm
And, sorely pressed, shows no alarm;
Re-joining ear, rebuking force ,
Allowing things to take their course.
With probing questions to the guards
Before the High Priests, several yards,
Of why they’d come with clubs and swords
When He spoke only loving words.
Not in the Temple, but at night,
He was arrested without fight;
In recognition of their hour,
He gave Himself into their power.
165 EAT YOUR WORDS THEN EAT YOUR HEART OUT
Luke 22 v 54-62
Jesus arrested,
Sitting round waiting,
There in the courtyard
With others relating
Tales of the evening –
Fast-moving drama.
(Back at the High Priest’s house,
Things are now calmer.)
There, in the half-light,
Peter is sitting;
Three separate challenges –
Not once admitting
He is the friend
Of that Man over there.
(Turning to face Him,
He meets Jesus’ stare.)
He had been warned –
But then he had forgotten;
Hearing the cock crow
And then feeling rotten,
All he could do
Was to get up and go.
(But, oh, how he wished
That it hadn’t been so.)
166 BAND-WAGON Luke 22 v 63-65 and Matthew 26 v 53
The ‘small’ men play games ; unwarranted spite,
Poking their fun … Can they know who this is?
Jesus is beaten for who-knows-what-reason,
Given a blindfold for sadistic quiz.
Very restrained is the man with the power –
Oh, what a long road He’s started upon;
Here, on the very first step of His journey,
All human dignity from Him has gone.
167 MEN FROM THE COUNCIL Luke 22 v 66-71
Now, at last, the day breaks
And now to face the ‘big’ men,
Meeting elder Jews,
The ‘teachers of the Law’ men;
“Are you the Messiah?” –
A question from the ‘prig’ men,
“Are you Son of God?” –
The ‘Jesus-we-deplore’ men.
Jesus cannot answer
The ‘no-way-we’ll-believe’ men,
Knows he cannot beat
The ‘card-stuck-up-the-sleeve’ men.
168 THE ‘WEAK’ MAN AND THE ‘PUPPET’ MAN (1)
Luke 23 v 1-12
Pontius Pilate seated in invidious position …..
Former heavy-handedness against the Jews’ tradition …..
Any further war crimes will require your extradition …..
What are you to do?
Herod, you’ve upset the people by your second marriage ….
Rumours which you’ve heard of Jesus make you Him disparage …..
Jesus treats you with disdain, does not approve your carriage …..
What are you to do?
( NOTES : PILATE, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, DEALT HARSHLY AND INSENSITIVELY
WITH JEWISH POLITICAL PROBLEMS, SOME OF WHICH HE CAUSED. HE IS
BELIEVED TO HAVE LATER BEEN REPLACED AND TAKEN TO ROME FOR TRIAL,
AROUND AD 37.
HEROD THE TETRARCH (ANTIPAS) WAS A JEWISH ‘PUPPET KING’ WHO RULED
OVER THE GALILEE AND PERAEA TERRITORIES OF OCCUPIED ISRAEL.
POLITICALLY ADEPT AND A GREAT BUILDER, HE UPSET NABATAEAN KING
ARETAS IV BY MARRYING HIS DAUGHTER AND THEN DIVORCING HER IN
FAVOUR OF HERODIAS (LUKE 3 V 18). IN AD 36, ARETAS DEFEATED
HEROD HEAVILY IN BATTLE. HEROD WAS DEPOSED BY THE ROMANS IN AD 39.)
169 THE ‘WEAK’ MAN AND THE ‘PUPPET’ MAN (2) Luke 23 v 1-25
Hear the twisted trumped up charges …..
Council’s smoke-screen camouflages
All their hidden base intent;
Seditious tales they now invent.
Whipping up to great excitement
Early morning crowd ….. incitement …..
Party-faithful close to riot …..
– Not the governor’s favourite diet.
Cowardly Pilate, feeling peppered,
Handing Jesus on to Herod …..
Passing buck , avoiding friction …..
(Falls in Herod’s jurisdiction.)
This is just a transient respite …..
Herod disappointed, despite
Obvious glee when Jesus meeting …..
Thus returned with guard policing.
Pilate’s cross-examination
Left him feeling most impatient …..
Holding here an innocent man …..
Must release him, if he can!
“This man’s as innocent as me!
I’ll have him whipped, then set him free …..
Passover pardon’s my discretion;
To set him free is my volition.”
“Give us Barabbas!” ….. “Jesus? Kill him!” …..
Noise and clamour now instil him
With a fear of Rome’s displeasure …..
Pilate folds up under pressure.
170 FIT FOR A KING Luke 23 v 1-12 and 37-38
Wearing a fine robe,
The finest thing you’ve had in all your life –
Fit for a King!
Are you a King, then?
The questions on their lips to save your life
No answers bring.
No need for answer;
Your whole demeanour speaks the name you have –
Of kings, the King!
171 SIMON OF CYRENE Luke 23 v 26 and Mark 15 v 15-18
Why did they make him carry
The cross You had to bear?
Were You so badly beaten
That your back was one great tear?
‘Midst crown of thorn and rigours
Of that long and dusty road,
This one last kindness …..
Carrying for You your heavy load.
172 DYING DAY Luke 23 v 27-39
Oh! Look how the crowds do stare!
How came you by your bloody hair?
How came you by your low stooped gait?
How came you by your beaten face?
Where are your friends , your chosen ones?
Do they not know where love belongs?
And how must your heart be bleeding now?
Is there no right on Earth below?
O your dying day! O your dying day has come!
You give your life away … and the Devil’s day is done!
Oh! Look how they laugh and jeer
And turn their back with wicked sneer.
They tell you save yourself! How can
You suffer thus, O Son of Man?
And men, like pawns, will have their fling
In blinded ignorance of their king.
The Devil gloats ; his hopes are high,
Believing victory is nigh!
O your dying day! O your dying day has come!
You give your life away … and the Devil’s day is done!
173 FATHER, FORGIVE THEM Luke 23 v 33-34
“Father, forgive them
For they know not what they do! …..
If only they had known Me,
If they had just known You,
My death would not be needed
In a bid to help them live …..
This, the whole purpose of my life –
So, Father, please forgive!”
174 CENTRE CROSS Luke 23 v 38-43
Centre cross , the central span
Of the bridge from God to man …..
On your right, a dying thief –
Dying, still in unbelief;
Centre cross has not availed
For this man on cross impaled.
On your left, another dying –
But for mercy he is crying;
Now, your Kingdom realised,
Crosses bridge to Paradise.
So it is for everyone –
To the place the Lord has gone
We can follow via the cross;
Not to do so, our great loss.
175 DYING SECONDS Luke 23 v 44-46
The darkness falls
Unnaturally early …..
The suffering Christ
Alive, but only barely …..
Darkness, as if
To hide the tragic second
When darkest death
To Him will soon have beckoned …..
Yet, as He dies,
“Father, I give my spirit
To Your safe hands,
With me right to the limit” …..
That moment done,
The Temple curtain rending,
Opens the way
To God that’s never ending.
176 THE POWER AND THE GLORY
Luke 23 v 49 , Luke 2 v 35 and John 19 v 25-27
Here is my story –
About a son I bore not long ago,
And the Power and the Glory
Came on me when I conceived, I know;
And I nursed him as a baby
And I held him in my arms;
And if I could hold his destiny,
I’d keep him from all harm!
He moved me deeply
With his thoughtful sonly love,
And the Power and the Glory
Came down on him like a dove;
And I watched him from a distance
And I saw him cure the blind;
And if I could hold his destiny,
I’d shout, “He’s my son; Oh yes, he’s mine!”
One day news reached me –
He’d been taken and he’d been tried
And the Power and the Glory
Ran down from his head and side;
And I rushed there to be with him
And he made his friend my son;
And if I could hold his destiny
I’d have him back again …..
Oh yes, I’d have him back again!
177 ARMS OF THE CROSS
Arms of the cross reach out to embrace
Every person of every race.
Every persuasion, bow down your knee!
Arms reaching out , calling, “Come, follow me!”
178 WHERE WERE THEY? Luke 23
Where were the crowds supporting Jesus
On that tragic day?
Not everyone was pleased to see
Messiah done away!
Of course, the crowds were fickle,
Blowing hot and blowing cold,
And others hid away in fear
(Not everyone is bold).
With night arrest and early trial,
Some were still in bed;
Still others changed allegiance,
By the Pharisees misled.
Then, Councillors like Joseph
Were to Jesus quite devoted –
They pressed for His acquittal,
Just to find they were out-voted.
179 THE BURIAL Luke 23 v 50-56 and John 19 v 38-39
Joseph,
No longer careful for his reputation,
And wishing to make amends,
Forms a mini-deputation
To Pilate, for the body,
Asking to take it from the cross
And place it in his tomb,
Offsetting his sorrow and his bitter loss.
Joseph,
Accompanied by Nicodemas and the faithful women,
Wrapping the body in a sheet of linen,
Lay it in the unused grave
And, awaiting passing of the Sabbath,
Their embalming and their spices save.
180 WHAT DAY IS IT? Luke 24
Your promises forgotten ,
All hope is lying , rotten ;
Disciples in confusion –
Those three years an illusion .
They have no preparation
For Sunday’s great elation ;
Their vision stops at Friday …..
Their ‘blackness-of-the-sky’ day …..
Their ‘finally-you-die’ day …..
Their ‘been-and-gone-goodbye’ day …..
Their ‘just-pie-in-the-sky’ day …..
Their ‘hide-away-and-cry’ day …..
Their ‘heave-a-heavy-sigh’ day …..
Their ‘why-oh-why-oh-why?’ day …..
etc.
181 DAY THREE Luke 24 v 1-12
As soon as Sabbath will allow ,
Observance of Passover past ,
The women travel to the grave
To use their costly spice at last .
Expecting body lying cold
And heavy stone to bar their way ,
Their first surprise – to find it gone
In the dim early light of day .
The second shocking thing they find –
No body there for them to embalm …..
So , looking in the empty tomb ,
Their minds are filled with numb alarm .
Two shocks did not their quota fill ,
For , looking round , two men they see –
But these are shining in the gloom ,
Yes , shining quite angelically .
So bowing down , low to the ground ,
This was their message of good cheer,
“Why seek the living with the dead?
He is alive ; He is not here!
Remember what He said to you
While He was here in Galilee –
That He would die and rise again
And this would happen on day three.”
Two Mary’s and Joanna , next
Reported all this to the men
Who thought that it was gibberish –
Since when did dead men rise again?!
But Peter , fingers burnt the once ,
Ran to the grave , bent down , looked in
And saw just grave cloths lying there ,
Went home to try to take it in …..
182 WALKIE-TALKIE Luke 24 v 13-35
Slowly trudging to Emmaus,
Two folk, probably man and wife,
Busily discuss events
Disturbing their once happy life.
Then a fellow-traveller joins them,
Says, “Hello” (withholding name),
Asks the reason for their sadness
(Faces give away their pain).
“You must be the only person
In all of Jerusalem
Not to know the various happenings –
Jesus , prophet , killed by them ,
Our chief priests, handing him over
To the Romans for a cross;
We had pinned our hopes upon him,
Now our lives are at a loss.
Furthermore, this very morning,
Three days after Jesus’ death,
At the grave something suspicious –
Now we’re trying to catch our breath!”
Very gently, he rebukes them,
“Can’t you see these things should be?”
Going through the scriptures with them,
Points out relevant prophecy.
183 THE WITNESSES Luke 24 v 36-48
Emmaus pair,
There, telling out their story;
Simon, too
Has got a tale to tell,
Like the pair,
Why, he has seen the Lord now –
Corroboration;
Jesus is alive and well!
Suddenly,
The Lord is there among them –
Can it be?
It’s hard to take it in …..
“Peace be with you!
Look and feel me –
I’m no ghost!
– Just feel this bone and skin.”
Eating fish
As further confirmation,
He invites them
Look at hands and feet …..
There, the marks
Of cruel crucifixion –
Death, so real,
Itself now in defeat.
“Sorry, but
I hate to say I told you!
Writings
Of the prophets have come true;
Message of
Repentance and forgiveness,
And my witnesses are
………… YOU!”
184 YOU NEED POWER! Luke 24 v 47-49 and Acts 1 v 8
You need power!
Too weak and timid still to speak for me.
You need power!
To challenge this community.
You need power!
To spread my name, the whole world wide.
You need power!
Internal, coming from inside.
You need power!
The Holy Spirit soon will come on you.
You need power!
The promise of your Father true …..
All the power you need,
As great as needs may be,
Will be given you
To help you in your work for Me.
185 V.T.O. (Vertical Take Off) Luke 24 v 50-53
“Come walk with me
To Bethany.
I have to say goodbye”,
He raised His hands
And blessed them –
Then He took off in the sky!
Is Heaven ‘up’?
It doesn’t matter –
Now they understood;
They walked
The ‘horizontal bit’
With Him, far as they could.
And looking up,
They worshipped Him;
For them, a new life starts –
The sadness
Of His leaving
Swallowed up in thankful hearts.
186 THE END!
So, recently, year 2000 ;
Time is really flying on –
But the story is as poignant
As it was right from day one;
Even now, demands involvement
From the readers of his book …..
Let’s be more than mere spectators,
In respect for Dr. Luke!