Rhyming Redsong: Matthew 15 (Pharisees test Jesus; the Canaanite Woman; Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand)
Then Pharisees, the law, of, teachers, some,
to Jesus, came, out from Jerusalem
and asked him, “Why do your disciples break
that of the elders, their tradition? They,
to eat, don’t wash their hands, that special way!”
Replying Jesus, “Why is it you break
commandments, God’s, for your tradition’s sake?
For God said, ‘Honor, father, your, and her,
your mother,’ and too, ‘Anyone who’d curse
their father, mother, should be put to death.’
But you say that if someone would express
that what might have been used to otherwise
help father, mother, their, devoted, is
to God, they’re not ‘to honor them’ with it,
‘their mother, father’. Thus you nullify
God’s word, so, your tradition’s satisfied.
You hypocrites! Isaiah, he was right
about you, when these words he prophesied:
“‘These people, honor, give me, with their lips
but, far from me, their hearts, they veer and list.
They worship me in vain; their teachings are
mere human rules.’” The crowd, then, Jesus called
to him, and he, ‘Now listen, understand.
What, to somebody’s mouth, does not, goes in,
defile them but what comes out of their mouth,
that is what, them, defiles,” said this aloud.
Then the disciples came to him and asked,
“Do you know that they took offense at that,
the Pharisees, when they heard what you said?”
“Each plant not planted by him, heavenly,
my Father, by its roots, will upwardly
be pulled up,” he replied. Continued, he,
“They are blind guides, it’s them whom you should leave.
If they, the blind, the blind would also lead,
then both, to fall into the pit, proceed.”
“Will you, to us, explain this parable?”
said Peter. “Do you still remain so dull?”
asked Jesus, them. “Don’t you see that whate’er
will enter to the mouth, next, into there,
the stomach, and then outwards, bodily?
But things that from a person’s mouth proceed
come from the heart, and, what defile them, these.
For from the heart, where evil thoughts proceed–
adult’ry, murder, immorality
with sex, theft, slander, testimony, false.
These things are what defile a person, all,
but anyone whose hands remain unwashed
while eating, that, defilement, will not cause.”
That place, then leaving, Jesus, to, withdrew,
the region of Tyre, and Sidon, too.
A woman who, from that vicinity,
a Canaanite, came, crying out to plead.
“Lord, Son of David, mercy have on me!
My daughter has, by demons, been possessed
and she is suffr’ing terribly with this.”
No answer, not a word that Jesus gave.
So his disciples, urged him, to him, came,
“Since she keeps crying after us, away,
please send her.” Answered he, “To the lost sheep,
of Is’rael, only, I was sent, unique.”
The woman came and Jesus, ‘fore him, kneeled.
“Lord, help me!” she said. Answ’ring thus, said he:
“It is not right to take the children’s bread,
from them and give it to the dogs instead.”
“Yes it is, Lord,” she said, with him, agreed.
“It’s even fallen crumbs that dogs will eat,
those from their master’s table, downwardly.”
Then Jesus told her, “Woman, you’ve great faith!
It’s granted, your request.” And right away,
her daughter, healed, she was that very day.
There, Jesus left and went along the Sea
of Galilee. Up on a mount, went he,
then, and sat down. Great crowds, to him they came
and they brought those who were blind, crippled, lame,
the mute, and many others, and they laid
them at his feet, he, healing to them, gave.
When they saw this, the people were amazed:
the mute could speak, and walking, were, the lame,
the blind received their sight. And Is’rael’s God,
they praised. To him, disciples, his, he called,
did Jesus. “For these people, what I feel,
compassion; for they’ve been with me, days, three,
already and they, nothing, have to eat.
No hunger they should have when they’re dismissed,
or else they might, upon the way, collapse.
Disciples, his, they answered, “Where could we
get bread, enough, for such a crowd, to feed?”
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.
Replied, they, “Seven, and a few small fish.”
He told the crowd, upon the ground, to sit.
Then he took up the seven loaves and fish,
and when he’d given thanks, he broke them and
gave them to the disciples, they in kind
to all the people. All were satisfied
when they ate. The disciples picked up all
the broken pieces, seven basketfuls
they filled up with the pieces, those left o’er.
The number of the men was thousand, four,
who ate, too, women, children, by the score.
Then after, Jesus sent the crowds away,
he got into the boat to cross the lake
to Magdan, its vicinity, that place.
T.H. Chalm 