Today I am giving you one
of my favorite poems. As you read it please notice all the complaints (excuses)
Judas has about why he betrayed Jesus, and then see how Jesus addresses each complaint.
It also shows what Judas did because of his sin, and the effect it had as
apposed to what Jesus did because of our sin and the effect that had.
I took a little poetic
liberty about the coins. I hope that is okay.
Please help me get this poem out there as a witness to more people. I would appreciate it if you would send this poem, or even better, send this link to friends so they can enjoy my blog each week. Thank you so much and have a very Happy Easter. God bless you.
Think about it.
Two
Trees
The thirty silver
pieces were placed within his palm,
He grabbed them and
he walked away appearing to be calm.
But a voice cried out
within his heart, “You fool, what have you done?”
“You placed the kiss
of death upon the cheek of God’s own Son.
“I followed Him for
years”, said Judas, trying to ease his mind.
“I watched Him heal
the sick and give new eyesight to the blind”
“He raised the dead,
changed water to wine and made the demons flee.”
“But, in all the
years I walked with Him, what did He do for me?”
“No silver or gold,
no cattle or land, or any kind of pay.”
He only taught me how
to live and love, and how to pray.”
“I owe Him nothing more than this, He deserved just what He got.”
Poor Judas never
truly heard the things that Jesus taught.
As Jesus’ hands were
bound and He was cruelly dragged away
He knew He’d been
betrayed by one who’d supped with Him that day.
A voice cried out
within His heart, “My child, what did you do?”
“But I’ll give the
gift of life to you, if you’ll allow Me to.”
“You followed me for
years and witnessed miracles galore.”
“I healed your soul
and showed you things you’d never seen before.”
“I built a home with
streets of gold I want to share with you.”
“The cattle on the
hills are mine, which means they are yours too.”
“No money did I give
to you, but your sinful debt I’ll pay.”
“I bear no grudge, I
will forgive. Don’t turn your heart away.”
But Judas clutched
his silver coins and tucked them in his purse,
While Jesus walked to
Pilot’s hall, to face sin’s awful curse.
As Judas pulled his
coins out to view his rich reward,
He knew he was a
poorer man for selling out his Lord.
He hid his eyes and
ran away to find someplace to hide.
But shame and guilt
exposed his soul, no matter how he tried.
The foolish man had
turned away from Christ, his only hope.
He took his thirty
coins to town and bought himself a rope.
Out on a hill he
found a tree and hung himself that day.
Despair made Judas
think that death could be the only way.
But nearby, on
another hill, on another rugged tree
The man he’d sold was
hanging there, with love beyond degree.
In pain and suffering
He still asked His Father to forgive.
He died that day so
everyone could have a way to live.
So, Judas died in
vain that day to pay for what he’d done.
But death had simply
sealed his fate, with no place now to run.
He hung upon a tree
that day, a sad and desperate man.
The gulf between his
soul and God, a black and awful span.
But Jesus died in
pain that day to pay for all our sin.
His death had sealed
sin’s dreadful fate, true life could now begin.
The awful gulf of sin
was spanned when Jesus died that day.
He paid the price and
gave His life to take our sin away.
So, two men died upon
two trees to pay for sin that day.
But only one death
had the power to take that sin away.
It’s still the same,
our debt was paid the day that Jesus died.
Now we can live
eternally, in heaven by His side.
Janice Austin
May 12, 1999
