Ye Do Err

 

Matthew 22:29

 

Jesus answered and said unto them,

Ye do err,

not knowing the scriptures,

nor the power of God.

 

Ye do err,

Not knowing the scriptures,

Your agenda in view

Blocks the true picture.

 

The Sadducees had said

There was no resurrection

And had tried to trap Jesus

With a difficult question.

 

They wanted to prove

What it was they believed

But they were the very ones

That had been deceived.

“Ye do err,” said Jesus,

“Not knowing the scriptures,”

And then proceeded to give them

The true picture.

 

A woman had seven husbands

Seven brothers they were,

Each of the predeceased left her

To the brother after.

 

“Whose wife shall she be?”

The Sadducees asked eagerly,

Hoping to trap the Master

With their perceived mystery.

 

“Ye do err,” said Jesus,

“Not knowing the scriptures,”

No marriage in the resurrection

End of the lecture.

 

My brother’s first wife died,

He is now on his second

But for either in the resurrection

There is no provision.

 

They will have a new name

And it will not be Russell,

There’s no need in the resurrection

For any such tussle.

.

I know the assurance given

Is that we will meet over there

But not as husband and wife,

Only one bridegroom appears.

 

The Church is his bride

And he is Head of his Church,

Consult the Holy Scriptures

And forget the experts.

“Ye do err,” said Jesus,

“Not knowing the scriptures,”

They were blind to the truth

Though they looked on its picture.

 

Pilate had the same problem

When he asked what is truth,

Before him stood Jesus

Its undeniable proof.

 

I am grateful for Lynette,

My adorable wife

But this union will end forever

When I leave this life.

 

I will enjoy all she offers me

For as long as we live

And with God being my helper

Give her what I can give.

 

At my graveside

I hope she will understand

I am no longer hers

But totally in God’s hand.

 

We have discussed together

That death will part us forever,

No husband and wife in eternity

But heaven to treasure.

 

Stewart Russell © December 7, 2021

 

Fall from Grace

 

 

West Indies among the lowest

Even trailing Afghanistan

That won two of their engagements

And look more like champions.

 

They were an experienced side

With stars passed their battery life

That were brutally exposed

When records did not suffice.

 

Christopher Henry Gayle

The brightest star of them all

Though with his illustrious record

Could not avert this fall.

 

His greatest opponent, I believe,

Was an opponent known as “age”

And clearly Gayle was not its equal,

Certainly not on this stage.

 

Neither Bravo nor Rampaul,

Allrounders Pollard nor Russell

Could stem the effects of advancing time

In this the greatest of tussles.

 

 

The selectors thought it best

To go with experience and age

But except for a single nerve-wracking win

The West Indies were upstaged.

 

Their performance was pathetic

Nothing to shout about

And from the very first match played

They were on their way out.

 

Bowled out for a paltry 55

And though not their lowest ever,

Demonstrated by the way they played

They were not too clever.

 

A narrow win over Bangladesh

Just by a 3 runs margin,

The hopes of the current T20 champions

Definitely looked dim.

 

With Group 1 now completed

West Indies are one from the bottom,

Certainly not what was expected

From the World T20 Champions.

 

 

No doubt this is Gayle’s last

I do hope he hangs up his shoes,

He surely can’t do like he did before

Not at the age of forty-two.

 

With an overall total of 45

And an unimpressive average of 9

Gayle force winds refused to blow

They were only in our mind. 

 

His record is still impressive

As the greatest T20 batsman ever

But to continue at his present age

To me is really not clever.

 

This is indeed a fall from grace

Not because the West Indies lost

But hardly was there any pep in their step

Or in that of the Universe Boss.

 

Stewart Russell © November 6, 2021