Do you see the boy?
Do you see the wretchedness in his eyes,
the blood and tears streaming from his face?
The bruise on his cheek,
the cut in his lip,
and the sword in his stomach
are nothing compared to
the pain in his heart.
He has been pierced with the realization
that he chose to follow his heart
in hopes of the greatest power and pleasure,
only to wind up serving a devil
from the deepest part of hell.
He betrayed his brothers for candy,
and turned away from his King
only to replace Him with
a liar and a murderer –
a devil dressed in white.
He deserves no friends,
no forgiveness or pity.
He is a traitor,
deserving of death –
a stone knife in the heart.
But look again.
Do you see the other figure?
The one beside the boy on the hill?
That is his Savior.
The King he betrayed,
the enemy of the devil in white.
His love is unending,
and His forgiveness pours out like water.
His power is beyond that of any devil.
This love He will show to the boy,
and this forgiveness He will grant him.
His power He will use to remove
the guilt and the sin
of the boy on the hill.
The task will be hard,
and pain will ensue.
But His love is greater
than any wound and every hurt.
His power is greater than death.
He was forsaken by friends.
He received neither forgiveness nor pity.
He was treated like a traitor.
Death was brought upon Him
in the form of a stone knife
in the hand of a devil
dressed in white.
He breathed His dying breath.
Darkness descended and storm clouds gathered.
The King was dead
and the devil had won.
But that is not the end,
for after the darkness comes the dawn,
and after the storm comes the sun…
with the sun, rising above the hills,
came the King in all His majesty.
Death He had defeated
and the boy’s sin He had removed
as far as the east is from the west.
He had taken the boy’s punishment
upon himself.
The stone knife meant for the boy
pierced Him instead.
The traitor had been rescued,
the price had been paid.
Do you see that boy?
The boy wearing the crown,
sitting on a throne
amongst the noblemen –
those warriors and ladies?
That was the boy on the hill.
He who deserved to be disowned
is now a part of the royal family
of the castle on the sea.
He who was once a traitor
is now a king.
Do you see that castle?
Do you see the boy?
Do you see the delight in his eyes,
the tears of joy streaming from his face?
The face you see
is the face of a sinner,
forgiven by the love and grace
of a King – not tame, but good…
good beyond imagination,
and loving beyond all knowledge.
- By Ashlyn Aura (Written June, 2011)