Make him a wonder worker

Haiku for establishing credentials

Jesus the teacher

spoke of forgiveness and love;

the way to true life

Forget other stuff;

love and generosity

create peace and hope.

His words of promise

bring great joy to hungry hearts.

They make him welcome.

But words are one thing:

make him a wonder worker

to prove he is God.

In bed with fever,

Simon’s wife’s mother is ill;

Jesus makes her well.

They came that ev’ning,

the sick and the troubled ones;

all of the city.

Jesus had pity.

He looked on them with mercy,

healed and blessed them all.

On to other towns;

his words must be spread widely.

This is why he came.

Peace and grace abound;

God’s undistinguishing love

is for all people.

© Ken Rookes 2018.

A teacher come from God

 

A teacher come from God;
that’s what we all need.
Recognising him or her
might be the challenge, though;
and which God?
Seriously, though,
we’ve had more than a few
across the millennia; prophets, messiahs,
gurus and the like,
not to mention all the mystics,
visionaries and spiritual guides
who we didn’t even notice at the time
or dismissed as fanatics.
In John’s classic nocturnal encounter
Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel,
affirms the educational credentials
of one called Jesus.
A teacher come from God:
speaking to remind us about generosity,
justice, grace and truth, (whatever that is),
and of living with courage;
recklessly, passionately and outrageously.
Fully alive, for the sake of love,
the children, and the planet.

© Ken Rookes 2014

Teachers

Those who impart knowledge

and engender learning,

should be bearers of truth;

what else is worth telling?

This high calling brings its own reward.

Just as well; teachers today

might console themselves with the story

of Jesus, the itinerant teacher,

who practised what he taught

and depended upon the generosity

of those who heard his stories.

As an educator,

the Nazarene lacked a Dip. Ed,

but his teaching methods

didn’t seem to suffer as a result.

Of course, to become learned back then

one went and sat at the feet

of the best teacher one could find;

listened intently, and did one’s best

to create an intelligent dialogue.

(A rare thing in any age!)

No degrees or diplomas then,

simply the boast that called upon

and extolled the reputation of one’s master.

We don’t know much of Jesus’ schooling,

save one small glimpse, (probably mythical,

but ringing true), at the age of twelve.

Then he was said to be a prodigy,

precocious enough to take on

and astound the heavies in the temple.

Among the truths that Jesus told

were teachings about the humility

that should envelop all

who have been graced

by the deep and loving

wisdom from above.

© Ken Rookes 2012