by Pat Severin

My heavy heart with sorrow aches
at what was born of fear.
How they would treat the Father’s Son,
while this to God was clear.

Why should the guiltless be condemned?
And yet our Savior knew
this was the Father’s will for Him,
to see the promise through.

But sometimes did He query this:
“Why is this mine to bear?”
The Father told Him, “This must be.”
He answered, “Don’t you care?”

He pleaded, “Father, take this cup,”
while at Gethsemane.
Intent and hopeful were His words,
“Please, won’t you hear my plea?”

“I cannot take it from you, Son,
that which you ask of me.
You must fulfill the promise made,
that someday soon you’ll see.”

And so He did as He was told,
sustained the cruelest blows.
He was condemned and ridiculed,
yet not a crime disclosed.

Three days He hung upon the cross
as nails pierced His flesh.
His punishment was undeserved.
My sin with Him was meshed.

But He was God although a man,
so death would never win.
The tomb His body could not hold;
He rose to life again.

All this He did so heaven was mine,
that I may live anew
and feel my Father’s sweet embrace
when earthly life is through.

Pat Severin is a retired Christian school teacher who serves her Lord in many ways. These have included school, church and teen ministries and her current personal ministry of creating cards that include her original poems of encouragement. These she sends out weekly to those going through difficult life struggles. 

In addition to her Christian poetry contributions to the Agape Review, she has been published in the Clay Jar Review, Thewayback2ourselves, and Pure in Heart Stories, which features Christian poetry and stories for children. She has been published in many of the Southern Arizona Press Anthologies, in the book called I Chose You: Imperfectly Perfect Rescue Dogs and their Humans and will be featured in the upcoming book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Lessons I Learned from My Dog. Pat is a member of SCBWI, the Society of Children’s Book writers and Illustrators.