Poetry

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JESUS WENT THEN TO HIS HOME TOWN
HIS DISCIPLES FOLLOWED HIM.
IN THE SYNAGOGUE HE SAT DOWN
HE TAUGHT DEEP AND DID NOT SKIM.

PEOPLE AMAZED ASKED THE QUESTION
WHERE DID THIS MAN GET THESE THINGS?
HE HAS WISDOM AND HE HAS DONE
MIRACLES THAT NO ONE BRINGS.

2.
ISN'T HE A MERE CARPENTER
ISN'T HE JUST MARY'S SON.
HIS FOUR BROTHERS AND TWO SISTERS
LIVE HERE JUST LIKE EVERYONE.

AND SO THEY TOOK OFFENSE AT HIM
JESUS THEN TO THEM REPLIED.
RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS LOOK DIM
ON ONE WHO'S NOT FROM OUTSIDE.

3.
A PROPHET IS WITHOUT HONOR
WHEN HE IS AMONG HIS OWN.
MIRACLES COULD NOT THERE OCCUR
THEIR HEARTS WERE AS HARD AS STONE.

JESUS COULD HEAL ONLY A FEW
AS HE ON THEM LAID HIS HANDS.
FROM SUCH LACK OF FAITH HE WITHDREW
AMAZED AT THEIR REPRIMANDS.

4.
JESUS THEN WENT AROUND TEACHING
SENDING THE TWELVE TWO BY TWO.
AS VILLAGES THEY WERE REACHING
THEY HAD AUTHORITY TOO.

THEY COULD CAST OUT EVIL SPIRITS
BUT POSSESSIONS THEY MUST LEAVE.
TAKE SANDALS AND TUNIC WEAR IT
BUT TO EXTRAS DO NOT CLEAVE.


5.
WHEN A HOUSE YOU ENTER, STAY THERE
UNTIL YOU SHALL LEAVE THAT TOWN.
IF THOSE PEOPLE SHOW YOU NO CARE
SHAKE THE DUST FROM YOUR FEET DOWN.

SO THEY WENT AND PREACHED REPENTANCE
AND DROVE MANY DEMONS OUT..
HEALING TO MANY THEY DISPENSE
WITH SICKNESS THEY WIN THE BOUT.

6.
KING HEROD HEARD ALL ABOUT THIS
JESUS HAD BECOME WELL KNOWN.
EVIDENCE HE COULD NOT DISMISS
PEOPLES TALK HAD REACHED HIS THRONE.

JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS RAISED THEY SAID
THUS MIRACLES WORK THROUGH HIM.
OTHERS CHOSE ELIJAH INSTEAD
OR SOME PROPHET WAS THEIR WHIM.

7.
BUT WHEN HEROD HEARD THIS HE SAID
JOHN, THE MAN I BEHEADED.
HAS BEEN RAISED UP NOW FROM THE DEAD
THE VERY THING I DREADED.

HEROD HAD JOHN PUT IN PRISON
BECAUSE OF HERODIAS.
HE DID THIS TO AVOID SCHISM
HIS WIFE PUT UP SUCH A FUSS.

8.
JOHN HAD BEEN SAYING TO HEROD
YOUR BROTHERS WIFE CAN'T BE YOURS
IT VIOLATES THE LAW OF GOD
YOU CAN'T HIDE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.

SO HERODIAS NURSED A GRUDGE
AND WANTED JOHN TO BE KILL'D.
BUT TO THIS HEROD WOULD NOT BUDGE
FOR HE WAS WITH FEAR QUITE FILL'D.



9.
HE KNEW JOHN WAS A HOLY MAN
HE LIKED TO LISTEN TO HIM.
PROTECTION WAS PART OF HIS PLAN
HE'D NOT KILL HIM ON A WHIM.

BUT AN OPPORTUNE TIME THEN CAME
IT WAS AT HEROD'S BIRTHDAY.
LEADING OFFICIALS, MEN OF FAME
WERE AT THE BANQUET THAT DAY.

10.
THE DAUGHTER OF HERODIAS
DANCED AND GREATLY PLEASED THEM ALL.
HEROD SAID SINCE YOU HAVE PLEASED US
ASK WHAT YOU WILL, MAKE YOUR CALL.

WHATEVER YOU ASK I'LL GIVE YOU
OF MY KINGDOM UP TO HALF.
THEN OFF TO HER MOTHER SHE FLEW
TO SEEK GOALS ON HER BEHALF.

11.
MOTHER WHAT SHALL I ASK HIM FOR?
SHE ANSWERED I WANT JOHNS HEAD.
SHE HURRIED BACK TO THE DANCE FLOOR
ASKING THAT JOHN'S BLOOD BE SHED.

GIVE ME JOHN'S HEAD ON A PLATTER
WAS HER REVENGEFUL REQUEST.
THIS DID HEROD'S PARTY SHATTER
HIS OATH WAS HEARD BY EACH GUEST.

12.
HE DID NOT WANT TO REFUSE HER
SO HE HAD JOHN BEHEADED.
DISTRESS IN HIM THIS ACT DID STIR
BUT HE FELT OBLIGATED.

JOHN'S HEAD WAS BROUGHT ON A PLATTER
SHE TOOK IT TO MOTHER'S ROOM.
FOLLOWING THIS GRUESOME MATTER
JOHN WAS THEN LAID IN A TOMB.



13.
APOSTLES GATHERED TO JESUS
TELLING HIM ALL THEY HAD DONE.
GREAT CROWDS WERE MAKING SUCH A FUSS
THEY WERE NOT HAVING MUCH FUN.

THEY DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO EAT
IT WAS TRULY A RAT RACE.
JESUS SAID LET'S TAKE A RETREAT
FIND A RESTFUL QUIET PLACE.

14.
SO BY THEMSELVES THEY WENT AWAY
TO A SOLITARY PLACE.
BUT THEY COULD NOT MAKE THE CROWD STAY
THEY RAN AS IF IN A RACE.

WHEN JESUS SAW A LARGE CROWD THERE
HE HAD COMPASSION ON THEM.
LIKE SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD'S CARE
HE COULD NOT SUCH SHEEP CONDEMN.

15.
SO HE BEGAN TEACHING THEM THINGS
BUT IT WAS LATE IN THE DAY.
IT WAS REMOTE, FAR FROM ALL SPRINGS
SO HIS DISCIPLES DID SAY.

SEND THEM TO THE TOWNS AROUND HERE
SO THEY CAN BUY FOOD TO EAT.
BUT THIS PLAN JESUS WOULD NOT HEAR
HE SAID YOU GIVE THEM TO EAT.

16.
THEY SAID THAT'S A WILD SUGGESTION
EIGHT MONTHS WAGES OF A MAN
THEY RESPONDED WITH A QUESTION
SHOULD WE SPEND THAT FOR YOUR PLAN?

JESUS ASKED DO WE HAVE MUCH LEFT
FIVE LOAVES AND TWO FISH THEY SAID.
THEN SEAT THESE DOWN WHO ARE BEREFT
FOR THEM I'LL PRODUCE A SPREAD.



17.
IN GROUPS OF HUNDREDS AND FIFTIES
THEY SAT DOWN ON THE GREEN GRASS.
THEN THOSE LOAVES AND FISH HE DID SEIZE
DETERMINED TO FEED THIS MASS.

HE LOOKED UP TO HEAVEN, GAVE THANKS
BROKE THE LOAVES, GAVE TO HIS OWN.
ALL ARE EQUAL NO ONE OUTRANKS
GIVE EQUAL SHARES TO EACH ZONE.

18.
FROM THOSE TWO FISH ALL WERE SUPPLIED
THE CROWD HAD ALL THEY COULD EAT.
THEY ALL ATE AND WERE SATISFIED
IT WAS MORE THAN JUST A TREAT.

TWELVE BASKETS FULL OF BREAD AND FISH
WERE GATHERED AS CHRIST HAD WILLED.
THIS WAS MORE THAN MEN COULD DARE WISH
FIVE THOUSAND MEN HAD BEEN FILLED.

19.
WHILE JESUS DISMISSED THIS LARGE CROWD
HIS DISCIPLES SAILED AHEAD.
HE WENT TO THE HILLS AND THERE BOWED
LONGING BY GOD TO BE LED.

WHEN EV'NING CAME HE WAS ALONE
THE BOAT WAS OUT IN THE LAKE.
GOING HE COULD NOT NOW POSTPONE
HE COULD NOT HIS OWN FORSAKE.

20.
HIS DISCIPLES WERE IN A STORM
THEY WERE STRAINING AT THE OARS.
JESUS BROKE FROM WHAT WAS THE NORM
HE KEPT WALKING PAST THE SHORES.

IT WAS THE FOURTH WATCH OF THE NIGHT
ON THE WATER HE PASSED BY.
IT GAVE THE DISCIPLES A FRIGHT
IN TERROR THEY GAVE A CRY.



21.
JESUS SAID TO THEM TAKE COURAGE
IT IS I, DON'T BE AFRAID.
IN ME YOU WILL FIND ANCHORAGE
THE WIND THEN BEGAN TO FADE.

THEY WERE ALL COMPLETELY AMAZED
THEY HAD JUST NOT UNDERSTOOD.
THEIR HEARTS WERE HARDENED WITH A GLAZE
THEY GRASPED NOT ALL THAT THEY SHOULD.

22.
THEY CROSSED OVER AND THEY LANDED
ANCHORED AT GENNESARET.
PEOPLE SAW HIM AND DEMANDED
THAT THEIR HEALING NEEDS BE MET.

THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE REGION THEY RAN
BRINGING THE SICK ON THEIR MATS.
THEY COME ANY WAY THEY CAN
JUST TO BE WHERE HE IS AT.

23.
EVERYWHERE THAT JESUS DID GO
VILLAGE, TOWN OR COUNTRYSIDE.
THE SICK JUST CONTINUED TO FLOW
SEEKING WHAT HE COULD PROVIDE.

THEY BEGGED TO TOUCH EVEN HIS CLOAK
AND ALL THOSE WHO DID WERE HEALED.
TO THE MASSES OF COMMON FOLK
JESUS, HIS GREAT LOVE REVEALED.

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