Rhyming Redsong: Matthew 7 (The Sermon on the Mount concludes)

Rhyming Redsong: Matthew 7 (The Sermon on the Mount concludes)

“Do not judge, or you will be judged as well.
For in the same way, this, you, I will tell,
that you judge, then how you will be judged too,
and by that measure, that one that you use,
it will be measured to you. Why do you
look at the speck of sawdust in his eye,
your brother’s and you, no attention, pay,
to what is in your own eye, that, a plank?
You hypocrite, first, from your eye, it, take,
the plank out, and then you will clearly see,
to, from your brother’s eye, the speck, retrieve.

“Don’t give dogs what is sacred; do not heave
your pearls to pigs. If that is what you do,
they’ll likely trample them beneath their hooves,
and turn and tear you, pieces, up into.

“Ask and it will be given unto you;
seek and you’ll find; knock and the door will be,
up, opened to you. For who asks, receives,
will everyone; he finds, the one who seeks;
and opened is the door to one who knocks.

“Which of you, if your son would ask for bread,
will give to him a rocky stone instead?
Or if he asks you for a fish that tastes
good would you rather give to him a snake?
If you, then, though you’re evil, know how to
give to your children gifts you know are good,
how much more will your Father, heavenly,
give good gifts to those asking faithfully!
So in all things, to others, what you do,
what you would also have them do to you,
for this, the Prophets and the Law, subsumes.

“You enter through the narrow gate. For wide,
the gate, broad, to destruction, leads, the road,
and many enter through it. But small is
the gate and narrow is the road that leads
to life, and only find it, e’er, a few.

“Watch out for prophets, false. They come to you
in clothing, sheep’s, but they are deep inside
ferocious wolves. By their fruit, recognize
them, you’ll. Do people, from thornbushes, pick
grapes, or do they pick from the thistles, figs?
Likewise, every good tree bears fruit that’s good,
but a bad tree bears bad fruit, it is true.
A good tree, bad fruit, what it cannot bear,
and a bad tree, good fruit, it cannot bear.
Each tree that does not bear good fruit’s cut down
and to the fire, the place where it is thrown.
Thus, by their fruit, will you, them, recognize.

“Not everyone, to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ who says,
will enter into it, the kingdom, heav’n’s,
but only that one who does his commands,
those of my Father who is up in heav’n.
On that day, many will say this to me,
‘Lord, did we, in your name, speak prophesy,
and in your name, drive demons outwardly,
and miracles, a multiplicity,
in your name we performed?’ I’ll tell them plain,
then, ‘I ne’er knew you. From me, get away,
you evildoers, flee without delay!’

“Therefore, those who hear all these words of mine
and, into practice, puts them, like a wise
man who built his house on the rock. The rain
came down, the streams rose, and the winds, against,
blew and beat that house; yet it did not fall,
because where its foundation was installed:
the rock. But everyone, my words, who hears,
and doesn’t put them into practice is
like a man, foolish who, on the sand, built
his house. The rain came down and filled
the streams, the winds blew and they beat against
that house, and it fell downwards with a crash.”

When Jesus finished saying all these things,
the crowds were, at his teaching, all amazed,
because, as one who had authority,
he taught, not as those legal, scholarly,
professors, Pharisees and Sadducees.