Impressed

Haiku for those who are close

The scribe was impressed;

this itinerant teacher

is clearly no fool.

An honest question:

Which, of all the commandments,

is the first of all?

One: Hear, Israel,

the Lord God, is one. Love God

with all your being.

Wait, there’s a second!

Your love for God becomes real

in loving others.

As you love yourself,

so you must love your neighbour.

It’s all about love.

Great answer, Jesus.

To love completely, this is

the way to true life.

No burnt offering

or sacrifice can compare

with the work of love.

The scribe understands!

Jesus speaks: You are not far,

from the realm of God.

© Ken Rookes 2021

 

Some came seeking truth

Haiku for the wise

Not all of the scribes

were counted as enemies;

some came seeking truth.

One brought a question

to Jesus, not to trick him,

but to understand.

Of all God’s commands,

which is the one that comes first,

which is the greatest?

The shema, he said.

The Lord is one: Love the Lord

with heart, mind and strength.

The second is this:

You are to love your neighbour

as you love yourself.

The scribe was impressed.

These are very good answers,

there is none better.

You show great wisdom,

you are close to God’s kingdom,

responded Jesus.

Close to God’s kingdom,

nearing the destination!

Yes, I would take that!

© Ken Rookes 2018

Your neighbour as yourself

We all heard the reports and the rumours.

It seems he was from Nazareth,

“Centre of intellectual enquiry

and religious education,”

we had joked among ourselves.

We went down together,

to the temple precinct, to see for ourselves.

We weren’t the only ones.

Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians,

and fellow scribes

keen to bring him down a notch or two.

My colleagues entered the fray

with great enthusiasm, but I stood back.

I watched, I listened.

I was impressed.

Amid the grunts and snorts of all the scoffers

he spoke confidently, with passion,

and seemed concerned for the truth.

After the others had finished,

and retreated, muttering,

to devise new riddles,

I stepped forward, and respectfully asked

him to name the greatest commandment.

He quoted two laws about love;

of our duty to God and to neighbour.

I heard the candour in his voice;

saw the joy in his eyes.

I smiled. We talked,

nodding our heads in agreement;

and he told me I was close

to God’s kingdom. I smiled again,

and let him have the last word.

I wasn’t looking for,

didn’t need his seal of approval,

but I took it.

© Ken Rookes 2012