On the Sabbath
he healed the man with a withered hand, whose heart,
broken, reached out in need of grace denied by
the holy men who stood, disbelieving, now.

            As they tallied
their virtues and condemned the Christ for breaking
this holy day, evil stretched its hand into
their hearts. They missed the miracle, made a plan.

            From that moment
they plotted against him, raising holy hands
against the conspirator who dared to break
rank. On the cross, they watched him stretch out his arms.

            Satisfied, they
turned toward the Sabbath which began at sundown.
Smooth fingers traced scripture from the holy book,
pointed out truth, hearts withering all the while.