Who Shall Declare His Generation? Sonnet Prayers Through the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 1

The Book of the Generation of Jesus Christ

JESUS, “God with us,” who begat mankind,
May your life and your words begat in us
A hunger and a thirst for who you are,
For you are Emmanuel-Messiah,
The one for whom your prophet wrote poems
That foretold your virgin birth: the promise
Against sin and death which haunt Creation.
And when Israel, your people, were cut
Justly down for their sins, low to the dust
By Babylon, your shoot from David came
Up through the ages of imperfect man.
Thus, in Mary conceived the Holy Ghost,
And Joseph obeyed for the birth of CHRIST.

Matthew 2

Greater Than Herod the King

King of the Jews, you were born under rule
Of a lesser king who took troubles
To your people. He killed children under
The age of two years. A substitute reign
Over the Jews, derelict Herod strove
Against Your Majesty, thinking himself
The greater. His Cain-like fury lived the
Prophet’s claim: “In Rama was there a voice
Heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great
Mourning, Rachel weeping for her children,
And would not be comforted, because they
Are not.” But Herod died, as we all die.
Would we forsake Herod to be as wise
Men with gifts and worship for the True King?

Matthew 3

Repenting Trees

Oh Righteous King of heaven who came down
To man, we repent, for your kingdom is
At hand. As John the Baptist cried in the
Wilderness, preparing the way of GOD,
May we bring fruit worthy of repentance.
And not go the way of vipers who will
Burn in the wrath to come: that ax lays on
The root of the trees which bear no good fruit
And casts them into the fire by HE
Who is mightier than John the Baptist,
Mightier than all principalities,
Mightier than the viper and its sting:
JESUS, beloved Son and well-pleased of GOD,
Fulfill all righteousness; You are righteous.

Matthew 4:1-11

Divine Right of the King of Kings

IMMANUEL, beloved Son and well-pleased
Of GOD, took to wilderness and fasted
Forty days and forty nights and hungered.
Unlike First Adam in Eden splendor,
Your lowly state seemed ripe for a defeat
By the tempter when he dared show his face
To usurp Your exclusive Divine Right
As the beloved Son and well-pleased of GOD.
Dispute and Dictate, the devil’s fierce hounds
Unleashed on You, You brought to heel by the
Written words of GOD. Then Satan tried false
Treaty with exchange for Your Divine Right
As King of Kings. By GOD’s Word You kept right
What GOD ordained, and made the devil leave.

Matthew 4:12-25

The Fire to Follow

When he rode past I seen he was carryin fire in a
horn…and I could see the horn from the light inside of
it….I knew that he was goin on ahead and that he was fixin
to make a fire somewhere out there in all that dark and all
that cold and I knew that whenever I got there he would be
there.
– Cormac McCarthy, No Country For Old Men

JESUS, like John wrongfully jailed, help us
Accept that we are not Messiah who
Dwelt in the land of Capernaum that
It might be fulfilled which Isaiah spoke:
People who sat in darkness saw great light.
And to them which sat in the region and
Shadow of death, light is sprung up, saying
“Repent for the kingdom of heaven is
At hand.” And, “Follow me. I will make you
Fishers of men.”
                             Straightway they followed You.
Great multitudes and fame followed after
You while You taught in their synagogues and
Preached the Gospel of the kingdom, and all
Manner of sickness and disease, You healed.

Matthew 5:1-12, part 1

The Light by Whom We See & Live

JESUS CHRIST, Light sprung up in shadowlands,
You saw multitudes look to You, Kingdom-
Seekers desirous for a different king
Who could usurp crowns and defeat the foes
That kept heels dug deeply into men’s throats.
One day, You set Yourself on a mountain,
And Your disciples came unto You there,
Ready, perhaps hungry, for Your commands
To go forth, reaping riches in Your wake,
Their oppressors cut down, sifted like wheat.
Mountain King, You opened Your mouth and taught
Them: Blessed are the poor in spirit; Rejoice!
Great is your reward in heaven: for they
So afflicted the prophets before you.

Matthew 5:1-12, part 2

He Who Is, Does, & Teaches

Poor in spirit, King of heaven’s kingdom.
You mourn us when wages of sin collect.
You are comfort unto all afflicted.
Man of tempered heart the earth your city.
Deep appetites You feed with righteousness,
Being always satisfied and serving.
Mercy your meal for all mankind, for who
Does not need more mercy? In You many
Saw GOD, but many more failed to see.
You make no lies, for lies never bring peace.
Peace with GOD, which abides in Truth, You make.
You, the beloved and well pleased Son of GOD,
Righteousness, who were so persecuted,
Teach us, Embodiment of Happiness.

Matthew 5:1-16

For the Glory of Our Father

JESUS, for Your sake we exist. We have
Our beginning in You. We are sustained
By Your WORD, even blessed under the sun.
And our eternal souls, with our bodies,
Take heart, enduring persecutions for
Your sake. Oh, Righteousness, Holy Divine.
For in righteousness You fulfill true joy
And greatly reward those who here rejoice,
Those who like ancient prophets are reviled,
Having evil spoken against them falsely
For Your sake: poor in spirit; they that mourn;
The meek; those who hunger and thirst after
Righteousness; the merciful; pure in heart;
The peacemakers — who are salt of the earth,
Light of the world who savor and who shine
good works before men unto GOD’s glory.

Matthew 5:17-20

The Great Lawyer

IMMANUEL, You came to fulfill the
Law. Did the multitudes on the mountain
See what you meant? For who could make that claim?
Prophets of old kept their lips sealed. They knew
Messiah’s work and knew they weren’t The One
Anointed to bear that burden. They spoke
The law, which man gelded, made an idol,
Or cast aside for one’s personal truth.
Yet the prophets, like Wise Men, looked for You.
They pointed to You so others could hope
In Truth. And You came with Holy Ghost
And fire to purge the Pharisee heart,
To quell the Madman lust, autonomy.
You are the Greatest of Heaven’s Kingdom.

Matthew 5:21-48

Supreme Court

JESUS, you know our bodies. You know the
Soul embodied and are not deceived by
Our deception we clothe in finery
Of law and religion. Our souls, hateful.
We covet yet show clean, raised hands as if
Our bodies are everything that we are.
We liturgy unsavory offerings,
And our fellow man cannot tell the truth
Between our hidden sin and outward lies.
What judge is equipped or even gives care
To sentence the invisible man? You
Alone are Truth in Flesh and Divine Cloak.
Hellfire smacks its jowls with blood of souls
Who made their defense in a lie, in smoke.
May we move towards the Telos who is GOD.

Matthew 6:1-18

The Father’s Reward

Good works, good works, for eyes of man alone.
Such is not Mercy. She does not parade
Herself. GLORY took stage in a manger.
Again, it bowed resolute on that tree
Unto the will of the Father, hallowed
Be His name. His kingdom come. His will be
Done on earth as it is done in heaven.
Prayer, secret prayer, puts trust in GOD
And not in man, fleeting and fickle man.
Can creation out reward Creator?
Then let not our fasting be show-and-tell.
May our righteousness, if seen of man,
Be borne unto our Father who sees true
And in secret and rewards shiningly.

Matthew 6: 19-34

Trust

TREASURE OF HEAVEN: JESUS CHRIST cannot
Be corrupted or broken and stolen,
Not by earthbound men or the lesser gods.
Yet, what do our eyes trust? What we can see
And touch of earth and stars, seeking to fill
Our soul’s coffer. For who can stand empty
Storehouses, or whispers and talks of want,
Of hunger and thirst long unsatisfied?
Poverty keeps comfort away with knives.
Food, clothes, shelter, youth, and man’s praise — gone.
The fear slithers among our thoughts and dreams.
Day and night, that venomous strike without
Relent. We see our tomorrows ruined
Like Eden, long wrecked on the serpent’s banks.
HEAVEN’S TREASURE, be our truest trust.

Matthew 7

The First and Last Full Measure

RIGHTEOUS MESSIAH, You measure all men
According to their works and secret hearts,
Nothing hidden from You. May we believe
That and not weigh our neighbors on false scales
Tipped always in favor of our own side.
What good do we gain when we live by lies?
Find good in CHRIST who does our Father’s will,
For our Father is always, only good,
Though the hard way CHRIST walked means we repent
To face wolves that pose well as pious men
Whose fangs betray their bellies lusty for
Man’s faith that seeks a path to follow here.
Lies and wolves drag men to that cursed home, but
MESSIAH’S words hold faith secure as stone.

Matthew 8

Where Does Our Faith Live?

JESUS Christ, who spoke with authority
The doctrine of the kingdom of heaven,
That Mountain Kingdom which will never fail,
Blessed faith professed by trusting souls. Faith
Asks. Faith seeks. Faith desires GOD alone.
Healing for leprosy, cures for the ill,
Keeping death at bay, leading other men,
Homes to live in, beds to sleep in at peace,
The havocs that Nature brings, avoided —
We want these all and want them at all times.
Should one or none of these be given would
We cut our faith in GOD? Is this mortal
Pass all there is? Or do we live as if
Heaven is our complete and perfect home?

Matthew 9

Let All Souls Cheer the CHRIST

JESUS of Nazareth, to Your city
Returned. You forgave a man of his sins.
Aphiemi! That cosmic stone which grinds
Soul and bone, You lifted and set aside.
Let all souls cheer, let all souls cheer the CHRIST,
The SON of MAN who displayed power to
Aphiemi our sins by miracles
Performed over the elemental stings
Man still cannot defeat, though man still tries.
Let all souls cheer, let all souls cheer the CHRIST,
The SON of MAN who calls with “Follow me.”
May we, like Matthew, arise, obey, and
Be of good cheer in faith in work in CHRIST.

Matthew 10

LORD of the Harvest and His Sheep

LORD of the Harvest, You labored in the
Harvest. The master with hands to the plow.
Casting out unclean spirits and healing
The sick and raising the dead from death.
All we who fainted like hopeless, lost sheep
You dwelt among, wrought miracles, offered
The kingdom of heaven with “Follow me.”
To take the way that is JESUS the CHRIST
And walk the road the SON of MAN himself
Tread is to go out like sheep among wolves.
Where Men will scourge, and family will betray.
But the wise sheep find their lost lives in CHRIST
Who came to the high and the lowly ones
Of earth, that harvest where His sheep must work.

Matthew 11

Good Work

JESUS, the one that did appear from GOD,
We trust in You and hope in none other.
You gave sight to the blind, made lame to walk.
Cleansed lepers, gave deaf men music. Raised
The dead and preached the gospel to the poor.
May you forgive our doubt. And steel our faith
That our eyes see and our ears hear the Truth.
Chorazine, Capernaum, Bethsaida, their
Pride redoubled, their doubt a strong idol,
Wise and prudent, they did not see the CHRIST,
Judgment day awaits. There, proud doubters fall.
May we be meek and lowly as JESUS
That our labor goes not restless into
The night but yoked with Reason and with Light.

Matthew 12

The Law of GOD’S Servant

JESUS, how well You know the Holy Law.
May we read and pray and live Your Word. And
Keep ourselves from the Pharisee’s kingdom,
To which you said, “Have you not read the law?”
CHRIST, greater than the temple, You will
Have mercy and not sacrifice, for the
SON OF MAN is Lord of the sabbath day.
The sabbath day, rest from servile work,
From service in the yoke of Pharisees,
For it is not easy or light and sees
Nothing of man as the imago dei,
Only as sheep worked without mercy. Oh,
SON OF DAVID, Your Law leads unto Life.

Matthew 13

The Parable Jesus

JESUS, prophet without honor at home,
Your presence, a parable shown to us.
The MYSTERY INCARNATE gave good works,
Was seen yet not perceived, was heard
But not understood, “for this people’s heart
Waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed; lest at any
Time they should see with their eyes, and hear with
Their ears, and should understand with their heart,
And should be converted” and healed by CHRIST,
The Man of Wisdom and of Mighty Works,
Who did astonish all who heard Him teach,
Yet was the carpenter and Mary’s son
And, so, offended the soil in seed.

Matthew 14

Be Of Good Cheer

MESSIAH, moved by the death of your saint
John the Baptist, whose life was cut off by
Evil men, You took to a desert place
And were followed on foot by multitudes
You had compassion for and healed their sick.
They did not need to depart. You fed them.
May we be like the bread and the fish You blessed
Then sent to all who hungered after You.
And be of good cheer, not of doubt or fear
For over sin and death; the wind and waves,
Sickness, devils, and man — You have power.
You have authority as the One Sent,
The Faithful Servant Isaiah foretold,
The Beloved Son and Well-Pleased of Father GOD.

Matthew 15

When GOD’S Law Lives In the Heart

O Lord, Son of David, You abide with
GOD’S commands, right tradition unto Life.
May we not transgress GOD like hypocrites
Against whom the prophet Isaiah said,
“This people draweth nigh unto me with
Their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips;
But their heart is far from me. But in vain
They do worship me, teaching for doctrines
The commandments of men.”
                                                      May we hear and
Understand, “not that which goeth into
The mouth defileth a man; but those things
Which proceed out of the mouth come forth from
The heart; and they defile the man.” Let the
Blind lead the blind. The way of Sight is CHRIST.

Matthew 16

CHRIST the Sign

JESUS CHRIST, the Son of the Living GOD,
Greater than Jonah. Jonah did show
That the way to GOD calls for repentance,
And that GOD answers the repentant heart,
And GOD raises the dead to life, even
His Living Son slain for the sin of all
Mankind.
                  Keep us from the doctrine of the
Pharisees and the Sadducees; “wicked,
Adulterous generation who seeks
After a sign, and there shall no sign be
Given to it, but the sign of Jonah.”
Help us savor the things of GOD; deny
Ourselves, take up our cross, follow the Sign,
Exchange our souls for Life always in CHRIST.

Matthew 17, part 1

Tribute

The transfigured CHRIST, resplendent as the
Sun, his clothes, luminous as firelight,
Did talk with Moses and with Elijah.
Forelight of the Glorified CHRIST to come.
Who with his angels rewards everyone
According to good works. Yet the King of
Glory would suffer what men loved, like the
Prophets of old persecuted by us,
JESUS would be betrayed into the hands
Of men, to be killed and in three days time —
Rise again.
                    O, CHRIST, keep our faithfulness
That we be not a corrupt generation
That has not faith or prayers or fasting.
May we, Your children, be Your right tribute.

Matthew 17, part 2

Fisher King

The FISHER KING
knows even how
the fish do swim
and draws from them
the vain custom
To give proud man
who easily
is offended
By the FISHER KING

Matthew 18

Greatest In the Kingdom Of Heaven

JESUS, You came in form of the greatest
In the kingdom of heaven and stood in
The midst of us who almost cannot help
Ourselves; we want greatest acclaim. We want
A peerless crown. Even the pious mind
Keeps imaginations of its glory
Rising above the Glory that is GOD,
Yet our offense of little ones has earned
Us millstones hanged around our stubborn necks,
And our refusal to repent or to
Forgive our fellow man and companion
Keeps us from the Mercy of the Master.
JESUS, Great King of Heaven have pity
On us who would as fools usurp Your throne.

Matthew 19-20:16

The Reward Of Home

JESUS, You came so we would join to You,
And You will not put us away, though we
With hardness of heart cast off covenant,
Putting asunder that which GOD hath joined
From the beginning, male and female to
Be one flesh. We have done the same with GOD.
We have done the same against GOD’S Servant.
We fail to suffer the little children,
And we cling to all our possessions
While thinking ourselves the first and most blessed.
The last are made first in the Son of man,
That Great Householder who calls many to
Reward only to be answered by few.
JESUS, may we trust Your call and reward.

Matthew 20:17-34

The Ransom For Many

Son of man, betrayed to the chief priests
And the scribes to be condemned unto death;
Delivered to Gentiles to be mocked
And scourged and crucified. And on the third
Day, rise again.
                            But we worry for seats,
For our own prominence in the kingdom.
Have mercy on us, O Lord; give us sight,
Thou Son of David, Thou Great Minister,
That we would follow You and minister
And not worship for seats on right or left
Of You who are the Ransom for many.
May we trust GOD the Father, who rewards
According to His Good and Righteous Law
Which is satisfied in His Holy Son.

Matthew 21

Hosanna

“Hosanna to the Son of David! Oh,
Blessed is He that cometh in the name of
The Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
May we our lives lay down in faithful praise,
Just as the multitudes did straw the way
When you appeared as King of Peace in the
City of Peace, JESUS of Galilee.
Help us keep Your house the House of Prayer,
Drive out the finery and thieves our hearts
Give quarter. Establish Your rich peace here
On earth as it is in Your kingdom of Heaven.
Let not wicked workers destroy Your house
Made for us to gather according to
Your glory. Hosanna, Son of David!

Matthew 22

The Commandments Demonstrated

Oh, GOD of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
You are the one true GOD of the living.
All the law and the prophets hang upon
Your two commandments of “love the Lord thy
GOD with all your heart, and with all thy soul,
And with all thy mind. And love thy neighbor
As thyself.”
                     CHRIST demonstrated true love.
May we think rightly of CHRIST the Lord,
To whom JEHOVAH said, “Lord, sit thou on
My right hand, till I make thine enemies
Thy footstool.”
                          CHRIST, Lord and Son of David,
Put Sadducees and Pharisees to
Silence with knowledge of the scriptures and
Of the power of GOD.
                                         We are silent.

Matthew 23

Blessed Is He That Cometh In the Name of the Lord

Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that keeps
The works of the Pharisees who say and
Do not but to be seen by men. Vipers
That omit the weightier matters of
The law of GOD – judgment, mercy, and faith.
Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that
Killest the prophets and stonest them which
Are sent unto thee. Often would CHRIST
Have gathered thy children together as
A hen gathers her chickens under
Her wings, and ye would not! Behold your house
Is left unto you desolate. Ye shall
Not see CHRIST henceforth till ye say, Blessed is
He that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Matthew 24-25

Watch For the Return

“As the lightning cometh out of the east,
And shineth even unto the west; so
Shall also the coming of the Son of
Man be.” Thus saith Good IMMANUEL.
“Watch therefore for ye know not what hour
Your Lord doth come.” Thus saith JESUS CHRIST.
“When the Son of Man shall come in all his
Glory, and sit upon the throne of His
Glory, then shall the King say unto them
On His left hand, ‘Depart from me, ye cursed.’
And unto them on his right hand, ‘Come ye
Blessed of my Father, inherit kingdom
Prepared for you from the foundation of
The world.’” Thus saith Good IMMANUEL.

Matthew 26

Communion With Glory

JESUS the CHRIST, Son of Man, and of GOD,
You took bread and blessed it, broke it, and said,
“Take eat; this is my body.” You took the
Cup, gave thanks, and gave it to us, saying,
“Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood
Of the new testament, which is shed for
Many for the remission of sins.”
Your body and Your blood You gave, although
“As against a thief, with swords and stave for
To take you,” a great multitude of sinners,
You sat with daily and taught in the temple,
Under shroud of Night and false witnesses
Mocked You with Your Word and Your Law. They’d not
See You, Oh Son of man, in Your Glory.

Matthew 27

When the Morning Was Come, Part 1

JESUS, all chief priests and elders of the
People took counsel against You to death.
They bound You who spoke Time into its form,
You who condescended into that form
And took upon Yourself the shape of us
When we were bound by our iniquity.
Who are we to sit in the seat of judgment
And smite You, the Holy Temple, image
In which we were made?
                                              JESUS THE KING OF
THE JEWS, You were falsely accused and scourged.
Delivered up by Pilate to Envy.
Crucified on that hideous strength. And
Sealed in sepulcher where Envy sat watch.

Matthew 28

When the Morning Was Come, Part 2

JESUS CHRIST, sealed in sepulcher where sat
Envy to watch its corrupt handiwork,
You could not be kept entombed by Death
But rose again as foretold by the old
Prophets. And you met the women and said,
“All hail. Be not afraid: tell my brethren
They shall see me.”
                                    Chief priests and elders took
Counsel to deny Your resurrection,
Oh MOUNTAIN KING. Yet You told Your brethren,
“All power is given me in heaven
And in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all
Nations, baptizing them in the name of
The Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost. Lo, I AM with you always.”

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