The Rich Young Ruler

The Rich Young Ruler

One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

           -St.Mark 10:21-22

As the night fell, he arose and walked alone,
Wrestling in his heart beneath black clouds, all the night long,

Until the dawn shone upon the sea.

The sheep brought a fair price. The cattle did not. 

Neither did the coat off his back.

Many, many silver shekels clinked into the grimy hand he had passed daily.
They fell silently into the woolen pouch of the one

Who leaned on a crutch in the streets of Machaerus.
They brought tears to the wretch draped in rags at the River Jordan.

His young shoulders carried the cross to the streets of Bethany,

The walls of Jerusalem, the palace of Caiaphas, to Antonia, and even to Calvary.

It was no burden when he carried it to the mountain where the Lord ascended.

And when his jeweled father spit on him and his gilded brother cast him out,

He carried the cross.

He carried it against Romans, against insults, against mockery,

Against lashings like the Lord’s that sliced flesh to the bone.

He carried the cross while James was slain by the sword of Herod Agrippa.

He carried the cross when Peter was crucified, unworthy, with his head and arms to the earth.

He carried the cross alone, when no new Matthias was called as the rock.

After his skin had leathered and aged,

His son, his only son, denied the testimony, turning to Jupiters of gold.

And his strength failed at last.

As he fell on his knees, tipping the beam to the ground,

he heard a whisper, still and small:

Take up the cross

-J Washburn

I love this poem. I think it is full of so much hope. We never know the full story and we never have to judge. We can all hope for the best for everyone, even those we've written off in the past. To see the author's post about this poem, click the link below:
http://blog.jwashburn.com/2011/08/rich-young-ruler-poem.html