9.8 They Don’t Own Jesus

THEY DON’T OWN JESUS
by Eric Chaet

The rabbis couldn’t control Jesus
neither could the Romans
nor the ruled who sold out & got more than average
nor the ruled who lived & died envious & resentful
he was so special
despite everyone’s understandable cynicism
they’ve hung a thousand stories on him since
& we’ll never know just what he did & said
but it’s clear that if someone did & said
approximately what he’s reported to have done & said
he’d be betrayed & executed by nearly all
who claim to be his devotees
so there’s a good chance that there’s a lot to
the gist of the somewhat contradictory accounts
even if they’re the ones insisting
that every single word is holy & justifies them—
they don’t own him.

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Picture: Jesus + leper, Rembrandt