A meditation on Christ's passion

You drove them with a whip from the temple courts

Holy righteous One, in Your own holy anger

Those who defiled Your Father’s house, they were scattered

their goods and chattels strewn on the ground

Defending Your Father’s honour, You chased them out

while those who employed them and gained from their greed looked away

and the helpless, the poor, the lowly and meek

returned to the House of Prayer.

Did they watch You, those who were driven out

and the church officials, mourning their income lost,

as You stood accused, Holy blameless Lord?

Did they join their vengeful shouts to the call for Your death?

Did they mock You, the ones whose tables You overturned

as the lash fell on Your bloodied flesh?

Did  they plan their return to the temple? Did they cheer

as You trod the solitary road to Calvary?

“Father, forgive them.” It was for all Lord,

that you suffered and perished and bore the sin

from Eve to all eternity
You died for us in our sin

that we might come to You

Your church, Lord, do we sit in the courts at the tables

or kneel in your house of prayer?

©Josephine Collett Easter 2011