Gospel

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Seeing the crowds,
He went up on the mountain,
and when He sat down
His disciples came to Him.
And He opened His mouth
and taught them......
[Matthew 5:1-2]
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Joach and his brother,
Maschugah, are sitting
in the grass. Both are
hungry. It's past their
midday meal, and they
can hear their
stomachs growling.
Speaking of growling,
their pooch, named
Schnootkah, is sitting
with them, in the
sweet smelling grass,
and whining.
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"Pssst! Hey, Maschugah!
What do 'ya think: should
we LEAVE?"

"Shhhh! Uh, uh! I think
He's just started....!"

"Who is He, anyhow?
I've never seen Him, before!"

(Schnootkah whines, again,
this time a little more loudly.)

"SHHH!
(Meschugah waves at his
brother, and their happenstance
pooch. Then he shrugs,
and whispers.)
"Who knows? I heard that
one 'a His friends used to
be a TAX COLLECTOR."

"No kiddin'.........which one:
the guy with the BALD head?
Listen, I think I'm just gonna' go.
Mitzeh's probably got
my dinner on the table........
and Schnootkah's used 'ta
eatin' scraps, around this
time 'a day."
(Joach begins to rise;
his knees make a big
creeking sound. His
pooch, a scraggly sort,
who couldn't be used
for much, having a
lame left front paw,
scrambles to his good
paws, and begins wagging
his ungainly tail.)

(Meschugah pulls at his
brother's grass stained robe.)
"Will you and that
mutt SIT DOWN!
Can't you guys
WAIT just 5 minutes?"

(Joach frowns, and plops
back down into the fresh
smelling grass. His stomach
growls, again. Schnootkah
whines even louder.)
"Alright! Alright! I'll
stay 5 minutes.
But, I don't know what He's
TALKIN' about; why does He
keep saying we're all BLESSED?"

"SHHH! Just LISTEN!
SHHH!"

(Suddenly, Joach's face
grows warm. He has looked
up, and feels the Stranger's
eyes on him, his scruffy dog,
and his plump, younger brother.
Is this new Rabbi actually SMILING?
Rabbis didn't usually
smile; they were
more likely to frown
and sniff at you, as if they
had just smelled fresh
manure in the barn.
Joach chuckled to himself.)

"Will you BE QUIET!"
(Maschugah whispers loudly,
and pokes his older brother
in the ribs. Joach's ribs
are hard to find; it wouldn't
hurt him to miss 5 minutes
of Mitzeh's dinner.)

"OW! Hey, QUIT it!"

"SHHH! And, get that
filthy DOG OUT of here!"
(One of Joach's neighbors,
and elders in their community,
has turned to glare at the
3 of them; his beady eyes
growing even smaller, as they
take in the whiney Schnootkah.)

(Joach continues to
rub his sore ribs,
and noisy stomach.
Then, he leans over to
whisper something into
his pooch's right droopy ear,
patting him on his smelly rump.
He and Maschugah give
each other a humorous,
and questioning
glance; why would
Platzee the Pharisee
be sittin' HERE?
Platzee wasn't the type to
sit on a grassy knoll,
getting his pristine
robes dirty, just to
listen to some Stranger,
Who may or may not be
Anybody important.)

"Well? What'd ya THINK?
Should we GO?"
(Joach whispers loudly,
again, to his brother.)

"Hm........I don't know,
Joach. I like this Teacher....
though, I don't understand
everything He's sayin'.
He's not like anybody,
I've ever seen, before."

"Yeah! I know what 'ya
mean, Maschugah. 'Ya
know something?
I think He SMILED
at me!"

(Jesus, sitting on the little
hill, just aways from them,
continues speaking to the
growing crowd amidst the
fresh-smelling grass. But,
He smiles gently again, and nods.)
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Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
[Matthew 5:3-5]

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