Holy Week: It was on the Thursday

It was on the Thursday
that he became valuable.

He hadn’t anything to sell…
not since leaving his hammer and saw three years earlier.
Needless to say,
he could knock together a set of trestles
or hand a couple of shelves at the drop of a hat,
no bother at all.

But he wasn’t on to making things.
Not now.

He was into…
well…talking, I suppose.
And listening
and healing
and forgiving
and encouraging…
all the things for which there’s no pay
and the job centre has no advertisements.

So his work wasn’t worth much.
Nor, indeed, was he.
For, not being well dressed
or well heeled or well connected,
he wouldn’t have attracted many ticket holders
had he been put up for raffle.

But he had a novelty value…
like the elephant man or the fat lady
or the midget at the circus.
Put him on a stage and he might be interesting to look at.
Sell him to the circus
with the promise of some tricks
and there could be a silver penny or two
or thirty in it. 

It was on the Thursday
that he became valuable.

adapted from Stages on the Way, Worship Resources for Lent, Holy Week & Easter by the Wild Goose Worship Group.