(Christ in Luke’s Gospel)
The sinless One came to take His place
With sinners: repenters: so that His part
Was with the righteous. With them, baptised,
But distinguished as being noted
As praying: and therefore the One
Heaven’s deed and voice could endorse.
Servant, He took His place in the desert, praying.
Desiring others to have part as servants
He directed to God a night of prayer.
So He prayed alone, but in the presence
Of those disciples whom His presence taught
He was none less than the Christ of God.
He went up to the mountain to pray
And there the fashion of His face
Became different: while even His clothes
Became resplendent. With such glory
He could venture the Jerusalem road.
He prayed in a certain place. Then ceased
And His disciples desired His teaching
To pray. So the teaching Priest showed
That prayer best starts with God’s glory.
Before sin marshals its greatest
Intensity; before God’s judgment’s
Intensity, the perfect Man bows in
Intensity of prayer at the mount of Olives:
A perfect human will repulsed by
The looming intensity the perfect Man
Subjects Himself to Another’s will.
Indianapolis 13 May 2019
Luke 3: 21
Luke 5: 16
Luke 6: 12
Luke 9: 18
Luke 9: 28
Luke 11: 1
Luke 22: 44
The sinless One came to take His place
With sinners: repenters: so that His part
Was with the righteous. With them, baptised,
But distinguished as being noted
As praying: and therefore the One
Heaven’s deed and voice could endorse.
Servant, He took His place in the desert, praying.
Desiring others to have part as servants
He directed to God a night of prayer.
So He prayed alone, but in the presence
Of those disciples whom His presence taught
He was none less than the Christ of God.
He went up to the mountain to pray
And there the fashion of His face
Became different: while even His clothes
Became resplendent. With such glory
He could venture the Jerusalem road.
He prayed in a certain place. Then ceased
And His disciples desired His teaching
To pray. So the teaching Priest showed
That prayer best starts with God’s glory.
Before sin marshals its greatest
Intensity; before God’s judgment’s
Intensity, the perfect Man bows in
Intensity of prayer at the mount of Olives:
A perfect human will repulsed by
The looming intensity the perfect Man
Subjects Himself to Another’s will.
Indianapolis 13 May 2019
Luke 3: 21
Luke 5: 16
Luke 6: 12
Luke 9: 18
Luke 9: 28
Luke 11: 1
Luke 22: 44
Wow hi David I'm ve speaking on John 17 next Sunday so I was wondering if I could read your piece of poetry as an introduction. Blessings Nicky
ReplyDeleteThat's fine; I don't claim any copyright!
DeleteBut - here is a thought: why are the words "pray" and "prayer" not used in John's gospel?
Very thought-provoking. Were you just in Indianapolis?
ReplyDeleteThanks. We just had two weekends in the United States, our first trip across the Atlantic. The first was in Indianapolis and the second in Wheaton, Illinois. We considered the prayers in Luke during the second weekend.
Delete