No Thank You: A Poem about a Pharisee
I dreamed I was to be seated for dinner
With men and women from God’s Word.
“Jesus Christ, the savior of each sinner,
will arrive at the table,” I overheard.
But I could not sit next to the Samaritan girl.
She had been married five times!
With a quick, dignified whirl,
I distanced myself from her crimes.
“No thank you,” I said.
An offer to sit with a man came my way.
Wretched sores covered every limb.
“A leper!” I exclaimed. I couldn’t stay.
For me, the sight was just too grim.
“No thank you,” I said.
Another man waved, wearing fancy clothes.
A short man, he collected tax.
So I turned up my nose.
Who could forgive that greedy act?
“No thank you,” I said.
A third man, so handsome and strong,
Gave me a kind smile, but my eyes widened then.
An adulterer, a murderer — how wrong!
I would not sit at the table with him.
“No thank you,” I said.
Perhaps this woman would suit.
The first-ever female — it was Eve.
I knew then she had eaten that serpent’s fruit.
How could she have been so naive?
“No thank you,” I said.
This continued on down the line.
Drunks, liars, murderers, cheats.
They were all there to dine.
By the end of the table, I had no seat.
I stood alone as my dream came to an end.
The door opened, and a light shone so bright.
A man with holes in his wrists entered in.
My savior was an unforgettable sight.
The man who died on that mount
did not sit at his own lavish meal.
He greeted all his guests — no matter the count.
My embarrassment I could not conceal.
He talked to the first evangelist.
He thanked the mighty king of Israel.
He ate with little Zacchaeus.
And he hugged the man whose sores were visible.
My savior did not pick and choose.
He loved each person the same.
And not once did he accuse —
Not once did he bring shame.
I awoke with a start.
What have I become?
From this pharisaic body I will depart.
I have never felt so numb.
Where was my compassion?
What about God’s never-ending mercy?
My tear-streaked face was now ashen.
Of his love I am forever unworthy.
Suddenly Jesus Christ was in my room.
He said: “I love you no matter what you’ve done.”
The man who rose from that dark tomb
Willingly forgave me — and everyone.
Then my savior approached my side.
He earnestly asked, “May I sit here too?”
And so I sincerely cried,
“Yes, thank you.”
An expert editor, best-selling author, and book marketer, Shayla Raquel works one-on-one with authors and business owners every day. A lifelong lover of books, she has edited over 400 books and has launched several Amazon best sellers for her clients.
Her award-winning blog teaches new and established authors how to write, publish, and market their books.
She is the author of the Pre-Publishing Checklist, The Rotting (in Shivers in the Night), The Suicide Tree, and The 10 Commandments of Author Branding. In her not-so-free time, she acts as organizer for the Yukon Writers’ Society, volunteers at the Oklahoma County Jail, and obsesses over squirrels. She lives in Oklahoma with her dogs, Chanel, Wednesday, and Baker.
