Bible In Poetry: Gospel Of St. Mark (Chapter 12) Poem by Dr John Celes

Then Jesus spoke in parables again.
“A man had planted vineyard in his place;
He put a hedge around and dug wine-press;
He built a tower, leased it to farmers;
He then set off on journey to somewhere.
He sent a servant at the proper time
To get some produce from his place.
They beat him, sent him empty-handed back.

He sent another servant once again.
They beat him on his head and drove him back.
He sent another whom they had just killed;
Like-wise they did to many others too.
So, last of all, he sent his only son.
He thought, perhaps they will respect his son!
This time, those tenants told one another,
“Here comes the only heir. Let’s kill him too.
The inheritance will belong to us.”
So, seizing him, they killed too!

“What will the owner of the vineyard do?
He will then come, put all tenants to death.
And he will hand the vineyard to others.”
Have you not read what scriptures say?
“The stone, the builders rejected,
Became the principal cornerstone! ”
This has been done by Lord wonderfully;
They sought arresting him but feared the crowd.
Just then, He had told them a parable;
They left Him now and went away.

They sent some Pharisees, Herodians
To try ensnaring Him in His own speech.
They told, “O Teacher, we know you’re truthful;
You do not care about opinions;
You teach in accordance with truth alone;
“Must we pay Caesar census-tax or not? ”

“Why to test me? Bring me a denarius.
Whose image/ inscription are found?
They replied immediately, “That of Caesar’s! ”
So, Jesus said to them, “Repay Caesar
Whatev’r belongs to Caesar as per law,
And give to God whatev’r belongs to Him.
They were astonished by His great wisdom.

Some Sadducees then asked Him, “O teacher,
Then, Moses wrote that if one’s brother had died,
And leaving wife, without any children,
His brother must raise descendants through her!
The first of seven brothers got married;
His wife had no descendants when he died;
The second married her and also died,
And left no descendants; the third like-wise;
The seven married her in turn and died;
Without a child, the woman also died.

At resurrection, whose wife, will she be?
Then Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you misled?
You neither know scriptures nor God’s power.”
When people rise from dead, they’re angel-like;
They marry not, nor given in marriage;
As for the dead raised, God is of living;
He is not God of dead but of living;
He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

On seeing Jesus answer them so well,
A scribe asked, “What’s the first commandment then? ”
And Jesus said, “God is the Lord alone.
You love your God with heart, mind, soul and strength.”
The second is, “Love neighbor as yourself.”
There is no commandment greater than these.
The scribe agreed, “God’s one and only one.”
To love Him with your heart, mind, soul and strength
Is worth more than burnt off’rings / sacrifice.

Then Jesus said, “You’re not far from God’s kingdom.”
So, no one dared to ask Him more questions.
How do scribes claim Messiah as Son of David?
When David said, “The Lord said to my lord,
Sit till I place your foes under your feet.”
When David calls him ‘Lord’, how’s he, his son?

“Beware of scribes with robes so long,
Who accept greetings in market-places,
And seats of honor in all synagogues,
And places of honor at banquets too;
They devour houses of widows and then
Recite such lengthy prayers as pretext! ”
They will receive severe condemnation.

Jesus sat opposite the treasury,
And saw the crowd put money into it;
Rich people offer large sums of money;
A poor widow dropped in two coins worth cents.
And Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you,
The poor widow put more than all the rest!
The others gave their surplus wealth but she
Gave everything she had in poverty! ”

Copyright by Dr John Celes 5-20-2007