Poetry

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© Bob Barra, 2-8-06

I found myself at Jesus’ side,
Beholding all the wonders of God;
Provoked by His word and teaching,
To live a life that He would laud;

Confounding the religious leaders
With insightful sapience;
He called His own to Himself,
Desiring their repentance;

Hearing of a friend’s illness,
Beckoned to come and have him healed;
He deemed it right to wait four days,
For God’s glory was to be revealed;

He said for us to return to Judea;
To our dismay, we followed His whim;
In my zeal, I encouraged us,
"Let us also go, that we may die with him;"

A day came, of judicial travesty,
They arrested Him in the garden;
Into their hands He was taken,
Subject to their hearts so hardened;

The trial, an insult to Truth,
He proclaimed it, to His loss;
Convicted of blasphemy,
They sentenced Him to the cross;

He died, forgiving His accusers,
With two thieves on either side;
He expressed feeling forsaken,
And mercy, for Him, was denied;

After three days, in the earth’s womb,
The eleven told me they saw Him alive;
My grief kept me from my belief,
Would such glory really arrive?

“Unless I see the nail marks
And put my hand in His side,
I will not believe;
No, I‘ll not abide;”

Soon He appeared to us,
And then He came to me;
“Put your hand here and here;
Believe that I am He.”

Asking me to put my hand in His side,
I saw He was my Lord and God;
Loving all His word and teaching,
My life, for Jesus, Whom I would laud!




Author's Note: Was Thomas really a doubter? Didn't he often express loyalty to the Lord, or was he loyal to his perception of who he thought Jesus was? Yes, he believed Jesus was the Messiah, but what did that mean for him, and was what he saw the truth?

Either way, later, bowing before the resurrected Jesus, he believed who Jesus really was, so much so, that tradition tells us Thomas was martyred in India, being thrust through with a spear while proclaiming the gospel of the Christ.

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