Tough words

Haiku for disciples

He began to teach:

The Son of Man must suffer.

His friends are appalled!

Religious leaders,

take issue with his message,

are out to get him.

He will be silenced

one way or another. They

will do what it takes.

They will reject me,

I must be put to death. Don’t

say these things! They cry.

Time for plain speaking.

Would you be my disciples?

You must bear your cross.

Follow in my way.

Only by letting it go

can you save your life.

The gospel’s demands

must come ahead of all else.

Lose you life for me.

What is the world worth,

its pleasure, fame and fortune,

if you lose your soul?

(Hear this, O blind guides,

proclaiming your fake gospel

of prosperity!)

© Ken Rookes 2021

Testing Time

Haiku for the start of Lent

Immediately:

baptism to temptation.

Mark gives no details.

In the wilderness,

tempted; forty days, Satan,

wild beasts, and angels.

Satan the tester,

doing what God asks of him;

checking out Jesus.

How was he tested?

Mark has no answers, leaving

us to speculate.

Jesus commences;

he will not be diverted

from his Father’s will.

Comes to Galilee

with God’s message of good news:

The day has arrived!

The kingdom is near,

the age of love is revealed;

believe it and live!

© Ken Rookes 2021

Dazzling White

 

Surprising haiku

Transfiguration,

that’s what we call the event;

filled with wonder, light.

Peter, James and John;

mates of Jesus, went with him

up a high mountain.

Some sort of vision,

collective experience

shared by one and all.

Jesus was glowing,

dazzling white like bleached cloth

shining in the sun.

Moses, Elijah;

law-giver, prophet; join him

in conversation.

Perhaps they talk death;

the two long buried, and one

still facing his own.

His mates are flummoxed,

don’t know what to say. Better

not to have spoken.

A cloud and a voice

bring the scene to its climax:

My Son: Hear his words!

© Ken Rookes 2021

At Capernaum

 

Haiku for making a start

Jesus hung out with

Simon, Andrew, James and John;

his first disciples.

The Capernaum

sermon completed, Jesus

entered Simon’s house.

His mother-in-law

being crook, Simon informed

Jesus, who healed her.

Quick recovery;

being a woman she got

straight back to serving.

With dusk the Sabbath

ended; the townsfolk came out

seeking to be healed.

Before dawn he left

to find a deserted place,

so that he might pray.

They went and found him.

Ev’ryone’s looking for you,

wants your healing touch!

There are other towns

where my message is needed;

I must go there, too.

© Ken Rookes 2021