Who taught the Christian to scoff
At what he does not understand?
Surely not that Wisdom,
To whom every soul
Shall bow the knee.
Who taught the Christian to be smug–
To defend and offend
with overconfidence about his knowledge?
It was certainly not that Lamb,
Who, by his own will,
Counted himself as nothing.
Who taught the Christian that
God would not let him–
Or his preacher–
Be wrong about anything?
It could not have been the Master
Whose very own disciples
He so often corrected.
Who taught the Christian
To take offense at correction?
Surely it was not the Teacher
Who taught his own to
“Go and show him his fault…”
Who taught the Christian
To be incurious about the scriptures?
It would not have been that King of Kings
Into whose affairs
Even the angels longed to look.
Who taught the Christian
That he will be exempt from the Judgment?
It could not be Him who sits on
The judgment seat of Christ–
To whom we must all give account.
Who taught the Christian that his own feelings
Are God’s only way of testifying to him?
Never would it have been the Word of God
Who had his prophets write the scriptures.
Who taught the Christian that “grace” exempts him
From having to live in the image of God?
It most certainly was not the Son–
The Radiance of God’s Glory, and
The exact Representation of his Being.
Who has taught the Christian these things–
These foolish, corrupt things?
Who has taught them
To be blind to the truth?
These things are taught
By those the ubiquitous imposters–
Those counterfeits–
Those pretenders–
Those usurpers who cannot stand
To let Him sit on his own heavenly throne–
Who declare themselves kings
With the sly edict:
“God appoints the leaders”–
And who will never
In a thousand years
See the error in their ways–
Until He makes them see it.
They are the self-appointed “shepherds”
Who assure us they
“Felt the call”
And that God now speaks through them.
Such a scheme could not succeed
in that Heavenly Jerusalem,
With God so near
And vanity so far.
But here, where so few esteem
The light that the Holy City
Sheds upon this Earth,
The preachers are the pride
And idol of the millions,
Who, themselves, will later
Have to give account,
Not only for following other masters,
But for doing it
In the Name of the One and Only.
And I, too, spent too many years
Not realizing the difference.
And then, too many years
Realizing it, but not enough.
But having finally left the crowd–
Who would not really let me listen–
I have been able to hear
What he said so long ago,
And what he seems to have
Had delivered to our time,
For our consideration.
And I now regret that I ever wanted
Anything but what He wants.
