JUDAS
BY
FRANK A VOLLMER
THERE IS A CHILDHOOD POEM ABOUT CHRISTMAS
THAT SAYS
THERE WAS A KNIGHT OF BETHLEHEM
WHOSE WEALTH WAS TEARS AND SORROWS
HIS MEN AT ARMS WERE LITTLE LAMBS,
HIS TRUMPETERS WERE SPARROWS
JESUS HAS SUMMONED HIS DISCIPLES
TO GATHER WITH HIM
FOR THE PASSOVER
FOR A MEAL
A MEAL
THAT WE HAVE COME TO CALL
THE LAST SUPPER
JESUS HAS WASHED THEIR FEET
JUDAS HAS LEFT TO BETRAY HIM
PETER
HAS DECLARED HIS LOYALTY
EVEN ONTO DEATH
AND JESUS HAS TOLD HIM
THAT BEFORE THE ROOSTER CROWS
TO BEGIN THE DAY
HE WILL HAVE DENIED HIM THREE TIMES
THERE WAS A KNIGHT OF BETHLEHEM
WHOSE WEALTH WAS TEARS AND SORROWS
HIS MEN AT ARMS WERE LITTLE LAMBS,
HIS TRUMPETERS WERE SPARROWS
NOW BEGINS THE LAST DISCOURSE
THE LAST SERMON
THE LAST CHANCE
BEFORE HIS DEATH
FOR JESUS
TO CONVINCE HIS FOLLOWERS
WHO HE WAS
AND WHAT HIS MESSAGE WAS
LOOKING BACK THROUGH HISTORY
WE MARVEL
HOW DUMB THEY WERE
HOW DENSE THEY WERE
LOOKING FORWARD TO NOW
WE WONDER
HOW DUMB WE ARE
HOW DENSE WE ARE
ENTER NOW IN OUR PLAY
ABOUT THE LAST SUPPER
ENTER NOW
THOMAS AND PHILIP
THE QUESTIONERS
THE DIALOGUE GOES LIKE THIS
THOMAS SAID TO HIM
LORD,
WE DON'T KNOW
WHERE YOU ARE GOING,
SO HOW CAN WE KNOW THE WAY?"
JESUS ANSWERED
I AM THE WAY
THE TRUTH
AND THE LIFE
NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER
EXCEPT THROUGH ME
IF YOU REALLY KNEW ME,
YOU WOULD KNOW MY FATHER AS WELL.
FROM NOW ON,
YOU DO KNOW HIM
AND HAVE SEEN HIM."
PHILIP SAID
LORD
SHOW US THE FATHER
AND THAT WILL BE ENOUGH FOR US
JESUS ANSWERED:
PHILIP
DON'T YOU KNOW ME
EVEN AFTER
I HAVE BEEN WITH YOU
SUCH A LONG TIME
PHILIP
ANYONE WHO HAS SEEN ME
HAS SEEN THE FATHER
NOW JOHN
USES THOMAS AND PHILIP
TO BE A VOICE
TO SHOW
WHAT THE THOUGHTS OF THE PEOPLE WERE
WHEN JESUS WAS TEACHING
TO BE A VOICE FOR ALL THOSE
WHO FOUND HIS TEACHING HARD
THEN
TO BE A VOICE FOR ALL THOSE
WHO FIND HIS TEACHING HARD
NOW
THERE WAS A KNIGHT OF BETHLEHEM
WHOSE WEALTH WAS TEARS AND SORROWS
HIS MEN AT ARMS WERE LITTLE LAMBS,
HIS TRUMPETERS WERE SPARROWS
WHAT WAS THAT HARD MESSAGE
IT WAS
THAT WHEN YOU LOOKED AT JESUS
YOU WERE LOOKING AT GOD
IN THE TIME OF JESUS
TO LOOK AT GOD
WAS INVITING DESTRUCTION
REMEMBER WHAT GOD
TOLD MOSES ON THE MOUNTAIN
YOU SHALL SEE MY BACK
BUT MY FACE YOU SHALL NOT SEE
WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING
WAS THAT GOD
WAS NOT TO BE FOUND
ON SOME MYSTIC MOUNTAIN
OR TRAPPED IN A TEMPLE
TO BE APPEASED BY SACRIFICE
WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING
WAS THAT GOD
HAD BECOME DOMESTICATED
HE WAS LIVING AN ORDINARY LIFE
AMONG MEN
IT IS JESUS WORKING
WHO GIVES WORK DIGNITY
IT IS JESUS WEEPING
OVER LAZARUS
THAT GIVES GRIEF
JOY
FRIENDS
AND FAMILY MEANING
IT IS JESUS DIPPING BREAD IN OIL
AND FEEDING JUDAS
THAT SHOWS A GOD
THAT KNOWS PAIN AND SORROW
AND WHAT BETRAYAL FEELS LIKE
IT IS JESUS
LABORING TIME AND AGAIN
TO EDUCATE HIS FOLLOWERS
WITH LITTLE SUCCESS
THAT GIVES MOTHERS OF FAMILIES MEANING
IT MEANS TAKING CARE OF THE WORLD
BECAUSE GOD LIVES HERE
IT MEANS TAKING CARE OF EACH OTHER
BECAUSE WE ARE IMPORTANT
BECAUSE GOD MADE US IMPORTANT
WHEN HE BECAME
ONE OF US
THERE WAS A KNIGHT OF BETHLEHEM
WHOSE WEALTH WAS TEARS AND SORROWS
HIS MEN AT ARMS WERE LITTLE LAMBS,
HIS TRUMPETERS WERE SPARROWS
AND HE COMES WITH A MESSAGE
HE GIVES TO EACH OF US TO TEACH
THE MESSAGE
THAT GOD IS
HE LOVES
HE CARES
HE WALKS AMONG US
THERE ARE NO CASTAWAY PEOPLE
THIS IS WHAT PETER MEANS
WHEN HE WRITES
BUT YOU ARE A CHOSEN PEOPLE,
A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD,
A HOLY NATION,
A PEOPLE BELONGING TO GOD
,
THAT YOU MAY DECLARE
THE PRAISES OF HIM
WHO CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS
INTO HIS WONDERFUL LIGHT
ONCE
YOU WERE NOT A PEOPLE,
BUT NOW
YOU ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD;
ONCE
YOU HAD NOT RECEIVED MERCY,
BUT NOW YOU HAVE RECEIVED MERCY.
THAT MERCY
THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED
WE ARE ASKED TO PASS ON.
WE ARE ASKED
TO DO THIS BECAUSE
JESUS
LOVED THIS WORLD
SO MUCH HE CAME TO LIVE HERE
AND TO DIE FOR IT
SO JESUS IS ASKING US
AND IS ALWAYS ASKING US
LITTLE LAMBS
WILL YOU HELP ME
LITTLE SPARROWS
WILL YOU HELP ME
WILL YOU HELP ME
BUILD A BETTER WORLD
AND I SHALL BE THE CORNER STONE
THE STONE THAT THE BUILDERS REJECTED
AMEN
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THE KISS
I THINK IT WAS THE KISS THAT BROKE HIS HEART
NO MATTER WHAT ELSE WAS DONE TO HIM
THAT NIGHT AND NEXT DAY
NOTHING COULD MATCH THE FRIENDSHIP SIGN
AND GREETING
HAIL RABBI
PERHAPS THAT'S WHY HE STOOD SO SILENT
IN FRONT OF PILATE
EMPTY
TOO HURT FOR WORDS
OR TO EVEN CARE
THREE YEARS HE'D KNOWN THE MAN
HAD ATE WITH HIM LAUGHED WITH HIM
SHARED CONFIDENCES AND MEMORIES
HAD THOUGHT HE HAD A FRIEND
PETER JAMES JOHN THE REST WOULD RUN AWAY
THEY WERE AFRAID
HE COULD UNDERSTAND FEAR
HE WAS AFRAID HIMSELF NOW
HIS BODY WAS WET WITH NERVOUS SWEAT
HID MIND STILL ECHOED HIS WORDS
OH GOD LET IT PASS LET IT PASS
IF JUDAS HADN'T KISSED HIM FOR A PRICE
HE MIGHT HAVE DONE IT BETTER
BUT THE KISS TOOK THE HEART FROM HIM
SO THAT HE STOOD EMPTY SILENT HEART GONE OUT
LIKE A LAMB BEING LED TO SLAUGHTER
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FROM THE MOMENT OF LEAPING
TO THE END OF THE ROPE
HE CRIED
JESUS FORGIVE ME FOR MY SUGH
LATER WHEN JESUS VISITED
THE DEAD
ALL THOSE WHO HAD WAITED
FOR A MESSIAH
HE MET HIS FATHER
KINGS AND PROPHETS
ORDINARY PEOPLE
WHO DIED LONGING
HE HAD COME TO
PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS
HE HAD COME TO TAKE THEM HOME
AT THE BACK OF THE CROWD
HEAD DOWN OUT OF SHAME
ROPE MARKS ON HIS NECK
HE SAID
I HAVE GRIEVOUSLY SINNED
BUT JESUS SAID
I HAVE DIED
LET’S GO HOME
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A Possibility (Matthew 27:5 )
THE SOLDIERS
WOULD JUST AS SOON
HAD LET HIM ROT
SWINGING FROM THE TREE
BUT THE STRANGER CAME
AND IN A VOICE BROKEN WITH SORROW
HAD BEGGED
BURY HIM WELL
PLEASE
BURY HIM WELL
FOR JUDAS WAS MY FRIEND
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ZACCHAEUS (Luke 19:1-10)
IT WASN’T THAT HE LACKED FOR FRIENDS
HE HAD THE SUMMER LEAF KIND
THAT DISAPPEARED IN WINTER
WHEN THE MONEY WAS GONE
BUT TRUE FRIENDS
NO
HE’D DONE IT TO HIMSELF
BY WORKING FOR THE OCCUPATION FORCES
THOUGHT OF A TRAITOR BY JEWS
AS A LACKEY BY ROMANS
HE’D GROWN RICH
AS A TAX COLLECTOR
PRIMARILY FROM THE ROAD TOLLS
JERICHO WAS A HUB OF TRADE
HE LIVED WELL
BUT EMPTY
HE HAD MUCH
BUT NOTHING
HE WAS A DRY SPONGE
WAITING FOR WATER
AND JESUS WAS COMING
TO THE CROWD SURROUNDING HIM
ZACCHAEUS
WAS A NONENTITY
AND BEING SHORT
NO MATTER HOW HIGH HE JUMPED
HE COULDN’T SEE
BUT JESUS WAS COMING
SO HE CLIMBED A SYCAMORE TREE
TO SEE
NOW A SYCAMORE TREE
IN THE ORIENT
IS A FIG MULBERRY
AND JESUS CHECKING THE TREE FOR FRUIT
SAW ZACCHAEUS
COME DOWN I WILL DINE WITH YOU
AT THE MEAL HE SAID
IF I HAVE DEFRAUDED ANYONE
I WILL MAKE RESTITUTION
FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT
WHICH WAS MORE THAN JEWISH LAW REQUIRED
THE MOB SAID
HE EATS WITH SINNERS
BUT HE SAID
REJOICE
THAT A SON OF ABRAHAM
WHO WAS LOST
HAS BEEN SAVED
SOME SAY ZACCHAEUS
WAS SURNAMED MATTHIAS
BY THE APOSTLES
AND REPLACED
JUDAS ISCARIOT
IT MAY BE TRUE
BUT THIS IS TRUE
NO MATTER HOW SMALL
IGNOBLE
IGNOBLE
INSIGNIFICANT
YOU THINK YOU ARE
YOU THINK YOU ARE
GOD WILL FIND YOU
WHEN HE FINDS YOU
HE WOULD LOVE
TO COME TO YOUR TABLE
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