his guts wrenched

Mark 9:38–50 

Jesus looked at the little ones with them,
the starving, the hurting, the children
not old enough to count; he looked
at the healed with them, restored,
forgiven, connected; he looked, then,
at his disciples, the ones he hoped
were learning all he was teaching,
through his words, through his love:
his guts wrenched within him, his heart
beat quickened, and he could not stop
the projectiles vomiting forth  –

cut it off, that hand
that causes you to stumble – 
get it out, protect yourself
from that harm! 

cut it off, that foot 
that causes you to fall – 
limp around, rather 
than suffer that fate! 

tear them out, your eyes, 
if they cause you blurred vision – 
what good are they to you,
if you are too far from God to see? 

he licked at a tear rolling over his lip:

what good is salt if its saltiness
is gone? Protect your saltiness! 
Be at peace together. Be at peace.
Be at peace. 

And he stopped, waved them away,
and sat, searching for the salt.