 Lazarus
by Ernest Ben Dorantes
Lazarus lies at the gate--
Sores, unhealing, ulcerate;
Hunger does emaciate;
Yes! bitter is his portion.
Anguish robs him of his rest,
As a crumb he would digest
If the chance would manifest,
To relieve his distortion.
Dogs come licking at what's sore:
This his comfort, and no more.
For the wealthy him deplore:
He'll not find their consortion.
Yet, he is Abraham's child--
Soon he will be reconciled.
He is homebound, undefiled:
His part in life's apportion.
Copyright 2000
by Ernest Ben Dorantes
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The Blind Receive Their Sight
"I found it! I found it!" cried Olivia the Obedient
to her friend, Blind Bart. "It's right here in the book of
John, chapter 15, verses 9 and 10. I'll read it from my translation
of the Bible. It's real easy to understand. This is Yeshua (Jesus)
speaking to his disciples. 'I love you just as the Father loves
me; remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain
in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain
in his love."'
Olivia smiled secretly up at her Heavenly Father and continued.
"Except, of course, for the command to keep the 7th day Sabbath
holy. I abolished that one -- the one that Ezekiel said was a sign
between God and his people, Israel -- Israel being Israel in the
Old Testament and in Romans 11 of the New Testament, Israel being
'spiritual' Israel, grafted into the tree, no less a son than those
of actual, physical birth..."
"Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Where's my Bible? Let
me see that." Olivia's blind friend slid his fingers deftly
over the pages of his KJV Braille Bible. "Okay, okay, here
it is -- verse 9, 'AS THE FATHER HATH LOVED ME, SO HAVE I LOVED
YOU: CONTINUE YE IN MY LOVE.' And -- verse 10, 'IF YE KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS,YE
SHALL ABIDE IN MY LOVE; EVEN AS I HAVE KEPT MY FATHER'S COMMANDMENTS,
AND ABIDE IN HIS LOVE. "I don't see anything about abolishing
the 4th commandment. In fact, it says we are to obey Yeshua's example
of obeying the Father's commandments, and if we do, we will abide
in his love."
"Is that so?" "Olivia, it's right here.
Can't you see it?" Bart snorted. "I think you need
to find a more accurate translation."
"I know you can't see me, Bart," Olivia beamed.
"But I'm smiling." -Lynn Langan |
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