T. H. Chalm (1967-2015)

Rhyming Redsong: Matthew 22 (The Parable of the Wedding Banquet; Paying Caesar’s Tax; the Resurrection; Jesus Silences the Jewish Leaders)

To them, again, in parables he spoke,
with Jesus saying, “Heaven’s kingdom’s like
a king who had a wedding feast prepared.
He sent his servants to those who, been, had,
invited to the feast to tell to them
that they should come, but they refused to come.

“Then he sent some more servants and he said,
‘Tell those who have, invited, been, I, that,
my dinner, have prepared: My oxen and
my fattened cattle all have, butchered, been,
and everything is ready. Now, to, come,
the wedding feast.’ But, went off, each of them,
and no attention any of them paid–
one to his field, one to his business place.
The rest, his servants, seized, and them, disgraced,
and killed them. At this, the king was enraged.
He sent his army and, those murderers,
destroyed, and, to the ground, their city, burned.

“Then he said to his servants, ‘It’s prepared,
the wedding banquet, but, did not deserve
to come, those whom I had invited there.
So to the corners, street, go and invite,
the banquet, to, just anyone you find.’
So out they went, the servants to the streets
and gathered all the people they could see,
both those, the bad, as well as them, the good,
and up with guests, the wedding hall was filled.

“But when the king came in, the guests, to know,
he noticed a man there, his wedding clothes,
he wasn’t wearing. Of him, the king asked,
‘How did you get in here without them, friend,
your wedding clothes?’ And speechless was the man.

“Then the king told attendants, the, ‘Tie him
both by his hand and foot, and then expel,
throw him out to the darkness where there will
be weeping, also gnashing of the teeth.’

“For many are invited to the feast,
but few are those who’re chosen, there, to eat.”

Then, out, the Pharisees went, and laid plans
to trap him in his words. They sent to him
disciples, their, with the Herodians
along. They, “Teacher,” said, “we know that you
are a man of integrity, the truth,
you teach the way of God, according to.
You are not swayed by others ‘cause you pay
attention, none of your, to who, are, they.
Please, then, what’s your opinion, to us, say?
Is it right for us Jews, that tax, to pay,
imperial, to Cesar, yay or nay?”

But Jesus knowing, evil, their, intent,
said, “Why do you, to trap me, this, attempt?”
Show me the coin you use, the tax, to pay.”
They brought him a denarius. “Whose face,
whose image is this, whose inscription writ?”
Replied, they, “Caesar’s.” To them, he said this:
“So give to Caesar back that which is his,
to Caesar, and to God that which is God’s.”

When they heard this, they greatly were amazed,
so then they left him, and they went away.

The Sadducees, that same day, those who say
there is no Resurrection, to him came
with, question, a. “Good teacher,” what they said,
“as Moses told, a man would die, that if,
without, some children, having, brothers, his,
must marry her, the widow, and, up, raise,
some offspring for him. Now ‘mongst us once lived
some brothers, seven. Was, the first one, wed,
and then he died, and since he, children, had
no, he left his wife to his brother and
the same thing happened to the brother, next,
as well the third, until the seventh, last,
to him. The woman fin’lly died. Now at
the resurrection whose wife will she be,
the seven, of, since, brothers, all of these,
were, to her, married?” Jesus, this, intoned:

“You are in error ‘cause you do not know
the Scriptures or the pow’r that God can show.
The resurrection, at, the people will
not marry nor, in marriage, be impelled;
be like the angels, heavenly, they will.
But ‘bout the resurrection of the dead,
have you not, what God said to you, e’er read?
‘I am the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, and of Jacob, I’m his God’?
He is not, of the dead, the God, but of
the living.” When the crowds heard this, were, they,
astonished at his teaching and his ways.

That Jesus silenced them, the Sadducees,
when they had heard of this, the Pharisees,
they got together. One of them who was
an expert in the law, him, tested, with
this question: “Teacher, in the Law, which is
the greatest of them, the commandments, all?”

Replied, he, Jesus: “‘Love the Lord your God,
with all your heart, with all your soul and mind.’
Of the commandments, this one is the first,
and also is the greatest of the list.
And, too, the second is like it as well:
‘Your neighbor, love, as you would love yourself.’
All of the Law and Prophets hang on these
commandments, two.” While they, the Pharisees,
were gathered all together, Jesus asked
them, “What do you, ‘bout the Messiah, think?
Whose son is he?” This, they, to him, replied:
“The son of David.” He, to them, this, spake:

“Then how is it that David, speaking by
the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For what he says:

“‘The Lord said to my Lord the following:
“Sit at my right hand till your enemies,
I put them, subject to you, ‘neath your feet.”’

“If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he
be his son?” No one could say further words,
reply, in, and from that day on, none dared
to ever ask him any, questions, more.

Rhyming Redsong: Matthew 21 (Jesus Enters Jerusalem; Jesus Curses the Fig Tree; Jesus Confronts the Jewish Elders)

As they approached Jerusalem and came,
upon the Mount of Olives, to Bethphage,
disciples, two, sent Jesus, to them, said:
“Go to the village, that’s, of you, ahead,
and there, at once, these two, what you will find:
a donkey with her colt by her that’s tied.
Untie them and then bring them both to me.
If anyone, to you, says anything,
say that the Lord needs them and, send, he will,
them right away.” This took place to fulfill
what, spoken through the prophet, was: “Say to
her, daughter Zion, ‘See your king, to you,
comes gentle, riding on a donkey, colt,
upon them both, the donkey with her foal.’”

Went, the disciples, and as Jesus told
them, that is what they did. The donkey, colt,
they brought and placed their cloaks on them, to sit,
for Jesus, on. A very large crowd spread
their cloaks upon the road, while others cut
some branches off the trees and, on, spread them,
the road. Ahead of him, that went, the crowds,
and those that followed shouted out these words:

“Hosanna to the son of David!” “Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When
Jerusalem, to, Jesus, entered, had,
the city, whole was stirred and asked, “Who’s this?”
“The prophet,” the crowd answered, “Jesus, is,
this, the, from Nazareth in Galilee.”

The temple courts, then, Jesus, entered, he,
and drove out those engaged in commerce there,
those who were buying and, too, selling wares.
The money changers tables he, o’er, shoved,
the benches of those who were selling doves.

“It’s written, ‘My house will,’” to them he said,
“‘be called a house of prayer,’ but this instead,
you’re making it into ‘a robbers’ den.’”

The blind, and too, the lame both came to him,
the temple, at, and he healed all of them,
but when the chief priests, teachers of the law,
the things, most wonderful, he did, they saw
and in the temple courts, heard children shout,
“Hosanna to the son of David!”, out,
they were indignant. “Do you hear what they,
these children, say?” they asked him. Jesus said,
“Of course, ‘From children’s lips,’ have you not read,
‘and infants, you, Lord, have called forth your praise’?”

And he left them and went to Bethany,
out of the city where, that night, he’d sleep.

As Jesus was, in morning’s hours, wee,
on his way back into the city, he
was hungry. Seeing by the road, a, tree,
fig, he went up to it but nothing found
on it except for leaves. Then this he said
to it, “May, never, you, bear fruit again!”
Immediately, withered, was the tree.
Amazed were the disciples, when, this, seen,
they had. “How did, the one sans figs, the tree,
so quickly wither?” of him they inquired.

“I tell you truly,” Jesus then replied,
“if you have faith and doubt, you would eschew,
not only can you do what was done to
the fig tree but you also could, it, tell,
this mountain, ‘To the sea, go, throw yourself,’
and it will be done. If, this, you believe,
whate’er you ask, in prayer, for, you’ll receive.”

The temple courts, to, Jesus entered in,
and, while he, teaching, was, they came to him,
the elders of the people and chief priests.

“By what authority, are you, things, these,
them doing,” they asked, “and who gave you this
authority?” Replying, Jesus, “I
will also just a single question ask,
and if you answer, I will, you, apprise,
authority, I do these things, what, by.
So, John’s baptism, where did it come from?
Was it of heav’n’s, or human origin?”

They said this, once they’d ‘mongst themselves, discussed,
“If we say, ‘Heaven, from there,’ he will ask,
‘Then why did you believe him, not,’ but if
we say, ‘Of human origin’– we risk
the people’s wrath, of them, we’re sore afraid,
for ‘John’s a prophet,’ that is what they say.”

“We don’t know,” so, to Jesus, answered, they.

Then he said, “Neither will I tell to you,
by what authority, these things, I do.”

“What do you think: there was a man who had
two sons. He went, the first, to, and he said
today, go and work in the vineyard, Son.”
“I will not,” answered he, but later on,
he changed his mind, and to the vineyard, went.
The father, to the other son, went, then,
and said the same thing to him. Answered he,
“I will, sir,” but, there, he did not proceed.
Which of these two did what his father wished?”

“The first,” they answered. Jesus, to them, quipped:
“The tax collectors and the prostitutes,
I tell you truly, they’re ahead of you
at entering God’s kingdom for John came
to you to show you righteousness, its way,
and you did not believe all that he said,
but tax collectors, prostitutes both did.
And even after you had all this seen,
you still did not repent and, him, believe.

“Now listen to another parable:
a vineyard planted in land, arable,
was by its owner. It, ‘round ‘bout, a wall
he put, a winepress, also, dug in it,
and a watchtower, over all, he built.
Then to some farmers, vineyard, the, he leased,
and moved his household to another place.
The harvest time, when it approached, he sent
three servants to his tenants to collect
his fruit. The tenants seized those three who served:
they beat one, killed the second, stoned the third.
Then other servants, more, to them he sent,
than the first time. The tenants treated them
the same way. Last of all, his son, he sent
to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said,
but when the tenants saw the son they said,
each other, to, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s
kill him and take all his inheritance.’
So they took him and, out, from -yard, the vine,
they threw him, and they killed him. Therefore, when
the owner of the vineyard comes, what will
he do to them, the tenants who, him, killed?”

“A wretched end, those wretches, to, bring, he’ll”
replied they. “And he will the vineyard, lease
to others tenants who will, him, supply
his share of fruit that’s sown at harvest time.”
To them, said Jesus, “Have you never read
in Scriptures, Psalms: ‘The stone rejected by
the builders has, the cornerstone instead
become; the Lord has done this, in our eyes,
and, it is marvelous’? Therefore, I tell
you that God’s kingdom, from you, will,
away, be taken, and then given to
a people who’ll produce the kingdom’s fruit.
Who, anyone, falls on this stone will be
to pieces broken; anyone on whom
it falls, that one will be crushed certainly.”

When the chief priests and, too, the Pharisees
heard Jesus’ parables, they knew his speech,
about them, was, and they looked for a way
to, him, arrest, but they were much afraid
of all the crowds because the people held
that he, a prophet, was, if truth they’d tell.

Rhyming Redsong: Matthew 20 (The Vineyard and the Workers; The Greatest in the Kingdom; Jesus Heals Two Blind Men)

“For heaven’s kingdom, this is what it’s like:
an owner of some land went out to hire
in early morning, workers for his vines,
those of his vineyard. He agreed to pay
them a denarius as one day’s wage
and to his vineyard, in there, he sent them.
‘Bout nine o’clock, in morning’s time, he went
out and saw others in the marketplace,
there standing, doing nothing. He told them
‘You also go and, in my vineyard, strain,
and you, whatever’s right, is what I’ll pay.
So they went. ‘Bout noon, he went out again,
and ‘bout three in the afternoon to find
more workers. In the afternoon, ‘bout five,
he went out and still others, he found, whom,
just standing ‘round. He asked them, ‘Why have you
been standing here all day long, doing naught?’
“They answered, ‘No one has hired us, because.’
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work,
my vineyard, in!’ When evening time, towards dark,
the vineyard owner, to his foreman, said,
‘The workers, call, and them, their wages pay
beginning with the ones who were hired last
and going on until you reach the first.’
The workers who were, five o’clock, ‘round, hired,
the afternoon, in, a denarius,
what each received. So when they had arrived,
those hired first, they thought payment, more, was just.
But each of them, just one denarius,
what they received. How, grumbling, they began,
when they received it, the landowner, ‘gainst:
‘These, only one hour worked, who were hired last,’
they said, ‘Them, equal to us, you have made,
who’ve borne the burden of the work, the day,
its heat.’ But answered, he, to one of them,
‘I am not, unfair, being to you, friend.
Did not, for one denarius, agree,
you, to do work? Now take your pay and leave.
I want to give the one who was hired last
the same as I gave you. Do not I have
the right to do what I want with my stuff,
my money, or is it you’re envious
because to them I was so generous?
So the last will be first, first will be last.’”

Now Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
He took the twelve aside along the way.
“Jerusalem,” is what he said to them,
“we’re going there, and he will be conveyed,
the Son of Man, unto the priests who’re chief,
and to those ones, the law is what they teach.
To death, they’ll, him, condemn, and then convey
him over to the Gentiles to be mocked
and flogged and crucified. On the third day,
he will be raised to life and resurrect’d.

The sons of Zebedee, their mother, then,
to Jesus, with her sons, together, came,
and kneeling down, a favor asked of him.
What is it that you want?” he asked. She bade,
“Grant, in your kingdom, one of these two, that,
my sons may sit upon your right, your left,
and there the other, at, their proper rank.”
“You don’t know what you’re asking,” Jesus said
to them. “Can you drink the cup I will drink?”
“We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them,
“Indeed, you’ll drink from my cup, but to chose
who sits at my right, left is not for me
to grant. These places, they belong to those
for whom my Father, has prepared, these seats.”

Indignant with the brothers, two, they were,
the ten, when all about this, they had heard.
Together, Jesus called them and he said,

“You know the rulers of the Gentiles, that
they lord it over them, they exercise,
their high officials, their authority
o’er them. Not so with you, contrariwise,
whoever, great ‘mongst you, to be, aspires
must be your servant, and whoever yearns
to be first must become your slave–just like
the Son of Man did not come to be served
but to serve and, as well, to give his life
for many as a ransom, sacrifice.”

As, leaving Jericho with his discip’es,
was Jesus, large crowds, followed, he’d acquired.
Two blind men, sitting, in the road, its side.
When they heard, Jesus, that he’d pass them by
in a short while, they shouted, this, they cried:

“Lord, Son of David, mercy, on us, show!”

The crowd rebuked them and them, they implored
to quiet, be, but all the louder, how
they shouted. “Mercy, have on us, O Lord,
the Son of David!” Jesus stopped, inquired
of them, “What do you want me to do for
you?” he asked. “Lord,” they said, “we want our sight.”
Compassion on them, Jesus had that more,
and touched their eyes. Immediately they
received their sight and followed him that day.

Rhyming Redsong: Matthew 19.13-30 (Little Children; The Rich and the Kingdom of God)

To Jesus, little children, people brought
for him to place his hands on them and pray
for them. But the disciples, them, they caught,
rebuking them. To them, what Jesus said,
“The little children, let them come to me,
don’t hinder them for it’s to such as these
that heaven’s kingdom’s ownership belongs.”
Then after he had placed his hands on them,
on, Jesus, from that place, is where he went.

Just then a man came up to Jesus, asked,
“What good thing, Teacher, so I may possess,
must I do for eternal life?” “Why do
you ask me ‘bout behaviors that are good?”
replying Jesus. “There is only One
who’s good. To enter life, if what you want,
keep the commandments.” He inquired, “Which ones?”

Replying Jesus, “‘Murder, you shall not,
adultery as well do not commit,
don’t steal nor, testimony false, e’er give,
your father, mother, honor, too, and love
your neighbor as yourself.” “All these I have
kept,” said the young man. “What do I still lack?”

Replying Jesus, “To, your life, perfect,
go, your possessions, sell, and, to the poor,
give, and, in heaven, treasures for you stored.
Then come, and follow me.” When, this, he heard,
the young man, sad, away, was how he went,
because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said
to his disciples, “Truly, I tell you,
it’s hard for someone, rich, to enter to
the kingdom, heaven’s. I again tell you,
to go, a camel, easier, what’s done,
a needle’s eye, through that, than for someone
to enter, kingdom, the, of God, who’s rich.”

Astonished greatly, when they heard of this,
were the disciples, and they asked of him,
“Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them
and said, “With man this is impossible,
but with God all things are made possible.”

Him, Peter answered, “We’ve left everything
to follow you! What will be for our gain?”

To them, said Jesus, “Truly, I tell you,
when, all things, at their time to be renewed,
when on his glor’ious throne, of Man, the Son
will sit, you, who have followed me, upon,
will sit, twelve thrones, and you will judge, as well,
of Is’rael, all her tribes that number twelve.
And anyone who, houses, brothers, left,
or sisters, father, mother, or their wife,
or children, fields, for my sake will receive
a hundred times back what it is they gave,
and life, eternal, an inheritance.
But many who are first will then be last,
and many who are last will then be first.”

Rhyming Redsong: Matthew 19.1-12 (The Pharisees Test Jesus About Divorce)

When, Jesus saying all these things, complete,
he, Galilee, left and did then proceed,
Judea’s region, to, was his design,
and, of the Jordan, to its other side.
Large crowds, him, followed and he healed them there.
Some Pharisees, to him, came to, him, snare.
They asked, ‘Is, lawful, it, for, to, a man,
divorce his wife for any and each one,
all different reasons?” “Haven’t you, that, read,”
replying Jesus, “the Creator ‘made
(at the beginning) both them female, male,’
and said, ‘For reason, this, a man forsakes
his father, mother and he, to his wife,
united, is, the two become one flesh.
So they’re no longer two, but just one flesh.
Therefore what God together he has joined,
let no one separate.” They asked, “Why then
did Moses, to his wife, a man, command,
to give her a divorce certificate,
and her, away, send.” “Moses did permit,”
replying Jesus, “to divorce your wives,
you, ‘cause your hearts were hard. Contrariwise,
creation, from, it’s not how it was like.
I tell you that whoever would divorce his wife
‘cept, sexual, for, immorality,
and marries someone else, adultery,
commits.” Disciples, the, said to him, “If
this is the situation, them betwixt,
a husband, wife, it’s better for them to
not ever marry.” Jesus’ words ensued,
“Who can accept this word? Not everyone,
but only those to whom it has been giv’n.
For there are eunuchs who were born that way,
and there are eunuchs who, by others, they
were made that way, and some who, for the sake
of heaven’s kingdom chose to live that way,
as eunuchs. Whoe’er can incorporate
these concepts should accept these words I say.”

Rhyming Redsong: Matthew 18 (The Greatest in the Kingdom; Forgiveness; the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant)

At that time the disciples came to him,
to Jesus, they asked, “Who’s the greatest in
the kingdom of it, heav’n?” To him, he bade
a little child, and, them, amongst, he placed
the child. And he said: “Truly, you, I tell,
unless you change, become like children, li’l,
to heaven’s kingdom, enter, never, you’ll.
Therefore, whoever, the position takes,
the lowly one, this child’s, he is most great
in heaven’s kingdom. Whoe’er in my name
one such child, welcomes, welcomes me the same.

“If anyone would cause just one of these,
ones, little—those who do believe in me—
to stumble, it would, better, have, to, be,
a millstone, large, their neck, hung weightily,
around and be drowned in its depths, the sea’s.
Woe to the world ‘cause all the things that cause,
to stumble, people! Such things, then, come, must,
but woe to, persons, such, through, they come, whom.
If your hand or your foot, it causes you
to stumble, what it is that you should do:
cut it off and throw it, from you, away.
It’s better for you to, life enter, maimed
or crippled than to have two hands and feet,
and fire eternal, into it, thrown, be.
If your eye’d cause you stumbling, downwardly,
it, outwards gouge, and too, away, throw it.
It’s better for you to life, enter, with
a single eye than to have eyes, them, both,
and be, into the fire of hell, there, thrown.

“See that you don’t despise, not one of these,
ones, little. For I tell you that his face
is what it is their angels always see
in heav’n, my Father’s. What is it you think?
If he, a man owns them, a hundred sheep
and one of them would wander, will not he
upon the hills, the ninety-nine, there, leave,
and go look for the one gone wandering.
And if he finds it, I say certainly,
he’s happier about that single sheep
than ‘bout the ninety-nine that didn’t stray.
Your Father, who’s in heav’n, in the same way,
is willing, not, that any, little ones,
of these, should perish. If they, either, sin,
your brothers, sisters, go, their fault, out, point,
but do so, just the two of you, between.
If, listen, they, to you, you’ve, o’er them, won.
But if they will not listen take along
one or two others so that, matters, each
may ‘stablished, be, by witnesses, two, three,
their testimony. If they still refuse
to listen, then you, tell it to the church
and if they, even to the church, don’t choose,
to listen, then just treat them, you would, as
a pagan or collector of the tax.

“I tell you truly whate’er you on earth
would bind will be bound up in heaven, sure,
whate’er you loose on earth, in heaven, loosed.

“Again, I tell you truly, that if two
of you on earth ‘bout anything agree
they ask for, it, for them will certainly
be done by him, my Father, heavenly.
For where’er two or three would gather in
my name, there I am in, of them, the midst.

Then Peter came to Jesus, asked of him,
“How many times shall I forgive my kin,
my brother, sister, when they, ‘gainst me, sin?
Up to times, seven?” Answered, Jesus, this:
“I tell you, truly, it’s not seven times,
but seventy times seven. Therefore, like
a king, the kingdom, heaven, of, it is
who wished to settle all accounts of his
with servants, his. As he, the settlement
began, a man who, bags of gold, owed him,
ten thousand, was brought to him. Since he was
not able to pay, ordered, master, the
that he, his wife, his children, all he had,
so that the debt could be repaid, be sold.

“At this the servant fell down on his knees
before him. Begged, he, ‘Patient, be with me,
and I will pay back everything I owe.’
The master, pity, on the servant, showed.
The debt he canceled and he let him go.

“But when that servant went out he soon found
one of his fellow servants who, him, owed
a hundred silver coins. He then, him, seized,
and him, began to choke. ‘Pay back to me
what you owe!’ he demanded. To his knees,
his fellow servant fell and, of him, begged,
‘Be patient with me and I’ll, it, back, pay.’
But he refused. He went off and instead,
the man, had, thrown to prison till he had
paid back the debt, entirely, that he owed.

When what had happened, and the servants saw,
the others, they were outraged and they went
and told their master, had occurred, all what.

The other servants saw these happenings,
and when they did, they were outraged at him,
they went and, what occurred, the master, told.

“The master then, the servant, back in, called.
He said, ‘You are a servant, very wick’d.
I cancelled all of yours, your massive debt
because you begged me to. Shan’t you express
upon your fellow servant, mercy, just
the same as I had on you?’ Then, o’er as well,
the master, to the keeper of the jail,
the servant, handed, to be tortured till
he paid him back, all that he owed, in full.

“This how my Father in the heavenlies
the way how he, each one of you, will treat
unless you would forgive them in your heart,
your brother, sister, closest to you, start.”

Rhyming Redsong: Matthew 17 (The Transfiguration; The Temple Tax and the Fish)

Then, after six days, Jesus took with him
James, Peter, John (James’ brother, they were kin)
and led them up a mountain that was high,
and all, themselves, alone, how they were, by.
And, there before them, he, transfigured, was.
His face shone like the sun, became, his clothes
as white as light, the. Just then there appeared
before them, who, with Jesus, they conferred,
both Moses and Elijah. Peter said
to Jesus, “For us to be here, it’s good,
Lord. I’ll construct three shelters, if you would–
one each for you, Elijah, Moses, too.”

While he was speaking, still, a bright cloud came,
them, covered, and a voice from the cloud said,
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him, I’m
well-pleased. Now listen closely, you, to him!”

When the disciples heard this, facedown, fell,
they, to the ground, and terrified as well.

But Jesus came and said, as them, he touched,
“Get up. Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up
they saw him, Jesus, and nobody but.

The mountainside, as they were coming down
instructed Jesus, them, “Not anyone,
don’t tell them what it is that you have seen
until, raised from the dead, the Son of Man.”

Asked him, disciples, the, “Why then do they
the teachers of the law, that he, they say,
Elijah must be, to come, the first one?”

Replying Jesus, “To be sure, he comes
and will restore all things. But I tell you,
Elijah has already come, and they
did recognize him, not, but have done to
him everything they wished. In the same way
the Son of Man is going to suffer at
their hands.” Then the disciples understood
that he was talking to them, him, about,
the Baptist, John. When they came to the crowd,
to Jesus, did approach and knelt, a man,
before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,”
he said. “He, seizures, has, he greatly is,
and, suffering. Into, he often falls
the fire or also in the water, too.
I brought him to, disciples, the, who’re yours,
but they, heal him, could not.” “O you, perverse,
and, generation, filled with lack of faith,”
replying Jesus, “How long shall I stay
with you? How long will I put up with you?
Bring the boy, to me, here.” Jesus rebuked
the demon, and it came out of the boy,
and at that moment he was full-restored.

To Jesus, the disciples, how they came,
in private, and they asked him to explain,
“Why couldn’t we drive it out of the boy?”

Replied, he, “‘Cause there’s, in your faith, a void.
I tell you truly, if your faith is weighed,
as light as that, a single mustard seed,
this mountain, to, what you can say, words, these:
‘From here, move over there,’ and it will move.
For naught will be impossible for you.”

When they, together, came, in Galilee,
he said to them, “The Son of Man will be,
to wicked men’s hands, a delivery.
They will, him, kill and on the third day, he
will be raised back to life.” Disciples, the,
were filled up in their hearts with, great grief, a.

Once Jesus and disciples, his, arrived,
Capernaum, in, of the temple tax,
those who, for Rome, those drachmas, two, derived,
came up to Peter and, this, him, they asked,
“Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?”

“Yes, he does,” he replied. When Peter came
into the house, was Jesus, first who spake.
“What do you, Simon, think?” he asked. “From whom,
the kings of earth, do, taxes, they collect,
as duty, children, their, or others, from?
“From others,” Peter answered, what he said.

“Then children, the, exempted all are they,”
said Jesus to him. “But so that we may
not cause offense, go over to the lake,
the first fish after throwing out your line,
its mouth, up, open, you will find a coin,
four-drachma. Take it and give it to them
to pay my tax, it, for yours, also spend.”

Rhyming Redsong: Matthew 16 (Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees; Peter’s Declaration and Rebuke of Jesus; Jesus Predicts His Death)

The Pharisees and Sadducees both came
to Jesus and they tested him this way:
they asked, a sign from heav’n, he’d demonstrate.

Replied, he, “When, comes evening, then you say
‘Fair weather we will have, the sky is red,’
and in the morning, ‘Storms what we expect,
while overcast, the red sky tells us why.’
Interpret the appearance of the sky,
you know how to, but you cannot, the signs,
interpret those prevailing of the times.
A generation, ‘dulterous and wick’d,
looks for a sign, none will be given it,
except for Jonah’s sign, a giant fish.”
Then Jesus left them and he went away.

When they left to go back across the lake,
disciples, the, forgot, some bread, to take.

“Be careful,” that, what Jesus to them spake.
“Be on your guard against their wretched yeast,
that of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Among themselves, these things, what they discussed
and said, “It’s, we forgot the bread, because.”

Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked,
“Of little faith, you, why, amongst yourselves
do you talk ‘bout not having bread. You still
don’t understand? Think of the basketfuls
you gathered after all of them were fed,
don’t you remember the five loaves of bread
for the five thousand? Or the seven loaves
for the four thousand, and the basketfuls,
how many, gathered, you? How is it you
don’t understand, I wasn’t talking to
you, bread, about? But on your guard, you, be,
against that of the Pharisees, their yeast,
and too the leaven of the Sadducees.”
Then, understood, they, he did not refer
to guarding ‘gainst the yeast, to bread, you stir
but ‘gainst the crooked things they sought to teach,
both them, the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The region, Caesarea Phillippi,
when Jesus came there, he asked his discip’es,
“The Son of Man, who does the people say
he is?” Replying to him, this way, they,
“Some John the Baptist; too, Elijah, say;
and Jeremiah others speculate;
or one, a prophet from a former age.”

“But what about you?” of them, he inquired.
“Who is it that you say,” he asked, “am I?”

Then answered Simon Peter, what he said:
“You’re the Messiah of the living God,
his Son.” Replying Jesus, “Simon, blessed,
you are, the son of Jonah, for, you, this,
was not revealed to you by blood and flesh,
but by my Father in the heavenlies.
As “Petras,” it is your identity,
and on this rock, my church, build solidly.
The gates of Hades it won’t e’er subsume.
The keys of heaven, what I give to you.
Whate’er you bind on earth is bound in heav’n.
Whate’er you loose on earth is loosed in heav’n.”

Then, ordered, he, to not, disciples, his
tell anyone, Messiah, the, he was.

Then Jesus started to, as time progressed,
explain to his disciples that he must
go to Jerusalem, how many things,
the elders’ hands, by them, his sufferings,
the chief priests and those who, the law, they teach,
that he must, killed, be, and on the day, third,
again be raised to life and disinterred.

Aside, where Peter took him and began
rebuking him. “Lord, never!” what he said.
“This, to you, shall ne’er happen!” Jesus turned
and, “Satan, get behind me!” said to Pete.
“A stumbling block is what you are to me.
You don’t, in mind, have them, concerns of God,
but merely human ones, by them, enthralled.”

To his disciples, Jesus, words, said these,
“Whoever, my disciple, wants to be,
deny, themselves, must, and their cross, up, heave
and follow me. For whoe’er wants to save
their life will lose it, but whoever would,
their life, lose for me, it, what they will find.
What good will it be for someone to gain
the whole world yet, their soul, what, forfeit, they’d?
Or what can anyone give in exchange
for their own soul? For he, the Son of Man
will with his angels, come, his glory, in
that of his Father, God, who is in heav’n
and, to, all persons, he’ll reward them then,
according, what each one of them has done.

“I tell you truly, who’re here standing, some,
will not taste death before they see the Son
of Man, who’s coming in his kingdom soon.”

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.