Who finds me guilty

Reflecting on Isaiah 50

Haiku of vindication

I am called to teach,

to bring words to encourage

those who are weary

.

Every morning

God wakes me, opens my ear

to teach me his way.

I listened to God,

I did not rebel or turn

away from the Lord.

Enemies struck me;

I took their blows, accepting

cruel punishment.

They tore at my beard,

I hid not my face from them;

their spitting insults.

I am not disgraced,

I have set my face like flint;

The Lord God helps me.

God vindicates me

and God is near; no one dares

to contend with me!

Who challenges me?

Bring them on! The Lord helps me;

who finds me guilty?

Ken Rookes © 2025

God's chosen servant

Haiku for a new age

God’s chosen servant,

he on whom God’s spirit rests,

will bring forth justice.

He will quietly

go about God’s work, helping

the weak and broken.

He will persevere,

he will establish justice;

as purposed by God

God who gives us life

calls us, leads us, blesses us

to be light for all.

Called to open eyes,

to set the prisoners free,

from darkness to light.

Former things are gone.

The time is coming for God

to do something new!

Do something new, God!

Stir your people to rise up,

to work for justice!

© Ken Rookes 2023 

At your right and left

Haiku for servants

Teacher, will you grant

whatever we ask of you?

They ask, cunningly.

What is it you want?

He asked brothers James and John

when they came to him.

In your glory time,

grant us to sit at your right

hand, and at your left.

Jesus must have sighed.

You don’t know what you’re asking;

haven’t heard my words.

Can you drink my cup,

or share in my baptism?

Sure we can, Jesus!

Yes, you will follow.

Death will be my baptism,

suffering my cup.

The Gentile rulers

play at power, lording it;

Don't imitate them!

Would you become great?

You must become a servant;

be the slave of all.

The Son of Man came

not to be served, but to serve;

and to give his life.

The sighs continue.

Many still play power games;

refusing to hear.

© Ken Rookes 2021

Making matters clear

Haiku of servanthood

Avoiding the crowds,

hanging with his disciples,

making matters clear.

Betrayal awaits

the Son of man, and then death;

but there’s more to come.

His words seem riddles.

to his friends. Afraid to ask,

not understanding.

They were arguing

as they travelled. Which of them

would be the greatest.

They are embarrassed

when he asks them, will not say

why they had argued.

Those who would be first

must be last of all, must learn

to be a servant.

He takes a small child

in his arms. When you welcome

such, you welcome me.

Some self-styled Christians

climb the ladder, reach the top,

then forget to serve.

© Ken Rookes 2021

To forgive or not?

Haiku of new beginnings

 

To forgive or not?

That, friend, is the conundrum:

Do you deserve it?

You say you’re sorry,

but the question remains: Will

you do it again?

Seventy seven?

Should I forgive that often?

He must be joking!

Another story,

of a man forgiven much,

who couldn’t forgive.

It is at the core

of Jesus’ teachings: Forgive,

as God forgives you.

Without forgiveness

there is only bitterness,

violence and death.

It’s that important,

forgiveness opens the way

to new beginnings.

© Ken Rookes 2020

Drum Major instinct

One of my favourite sermons of Martin Luther-King Jr is his 'Drum Major instinct sermon. it makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. If you can, look up the whole text of the sermon, and even better listen to the mp3. Here is an excerpt.

"...I want you to see what Jesus was really saying. What was the answer that Jesus gave these men? It's very interesting. One would have thought that Jesus would have condemned them. One would have thought that Jesus would have said, "You are out of your place. You are selfish. Why would you raise such a question?"

But that isn't what Jesus did; he did something altogether different. He said in substance, "Oh, I see, you want to be first. You want to be great. You want to be important. You want to be significant. Well, you ought to be. If you're going to be my disciple, you must be." But he reordered priorities. And he said, "Yes, don't give up this instinct. It's a good instinct if you use it right. (Yes) It's a good instinct if you don't distort it and pervert it. Don't give it up. Keep feeling the need for being important. Keep feeling the need for being first. But I want you to be first in love. (Amen) I want you to be first in moral excellence. I want you to be first in generosity. That is what I want you to do."

And he transformed the situation by giving a new definition of greatness. And you know how he said it? He said, "Now brethren, I can't give you greatness. And really, I can't make you first." This is what Jesus said to James and John. "You must earn it. True greatness comes not by favoritism, but by fitness. And the right hand and the left are not mine to give, they belong to those who are prepared." (Amen)

And so Jesus gave us a new norm of greatness. If you want to be important—wonderful. If you want to be recognized—wonderful. If you want to be great—wonderful. But recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. (Amen) That's a new definition of greatness.

And this morning, the thing that I like about it: by giving that definition of greatness, it means that everybody can be great, (Everybody) because everybody can serve. (Amen) You don't have to have a college degree to serve. (All right) You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You don't have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don't have to know Einstein's theory of relativity to serve. You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. (Amen) You only need a heart full of grace, (Yes, sir, Amen) a soul generated by love. (Yes) And you can be that servant."

For full text: https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/drum-major-instinct-sermon-delivered-ebenezer-baptist-church

for a good listen

https://archive.org/details/MlkAFoolishManAndDrumMajorInstinct

Seventy-seven times.

Haiku for forgetting to keep score.

Peter came and asked:

How often must I forgive

my comrades in faith?

Would seven times do?

Not really, Jesus answered;

add seventy more.

Another story.

A king forgives a huge debt.

Well done, your highness!

The king shows pity,

his debtor is much relieved.

High fives all around!

Relieved and grateful,

the man will show like pity

to others, won’t he?

Quickly forgetting

the forgiveness he received,

he demands payment.

When you have known grace

how can you not live by grace?

Unbelievable!

We forgiven ones

are expected to forgive.

End of the story.

© Ken Rookes 2017

Only speak the word and let my servant be healed

They have an efficacious power

written deep within the interstices of their syllables;

these words of Jesus.

We disciples should repeat them often,

even the difficult ones.

We should speak them confidently

with an attitude of blessing, hope

and encouragement

Be whole!

Be at peace! Forgive!

Love your neighbour!

(And your enemies.)

Live generously!

Do for others

as you would have them do for you!

Walk away from your wealth!

(How did that one sneak in?)

Be free! Live fully! Follow!

Sometimes,

laying aside reservations

and overcoming our inhibitions,

we might even voice the words

loudly, in public spaces.

We could spray them rudely on walls,

pass them out with cups of water,

or paint them boldly upon our faces;

shouting with appropriate outrage and defiance,

and causing good people

to gasp.

© Ken Rookes 2016

Seats of glory

You know I love you both like brothers,

but I’m embarrassed,

and you should be too.

You don’t get it; you haven’t been listening.

If it was up to me you could have them,

but it’s not that simple

and the others might object.

The seat on my left and the one on my right,

they’re not mine to grant,

because they belong to everybody

and no-one.

There will be no worldly kingdom,

because it doesn’t work like that;

and there will be no heavenly kingdom, either,

because a paradise among the clouds

is just as irrelevant, and disquieting,

as one amid earth’s dust.

There will be no seats of glory;

not for me, not for anyone.

There are no seats, only places,

and they have little to do with glory

and much more to do with serving

and giving and suffering

and living and dying and making peace.

Places for standing and moving,

not seats for sitting and presiding;

places for gathering and for sharing together.

Places for being a servant,

not reserved for the best, or the greatest.

Places for everyone

who is willing to drink the cup

and to immerse themselves

in prickly water-spirit baptised life.

Places for disciples; followers

who allow themselves to be raised

above all the fears and the worries.

Places of connection, with the Spirit,

building justice, love and grace,

into kingdom and community.

© Ken Rookes 2012