Forgiveness

Draped within a scarlet robe
her trait for all to see
A veil shrouds her tear-stained face
she kneels before His feet.

A broken woman in her pride
a life that's filled with shame
Selling more than just her "self"
where emptiness remains.

It was with great surprise that she
heard of a gifted man
Who heals the sick of deep regrets,
with the touch of His hand.

An opened wound, a shattered heart
she comes to bare her soul
Seeking forgiveness of the One
she knows will make her whole.

Weeping now before the man
her sins she did confess
And though her shame was His to judge
He granted forgiveness.

Bruised and battered by the life
she had chosen to lead,
Humbling herself before Him now
His grace then set her free.

Though she had naught to offer Him
the only thing He asked
Was that she flee her life of sin
and accept Him into her heart.

A blessed woman such as she was
her beauty could be seen
Not in the scarlet robe she wore,
but as Mary Magdalene.

© Christina
24th February, 2005

"This poem says it all. I saw this painting and pictures Mary Magdalene at the foot of Jesus pleading for His forgiveness for her sins. So I illustrated Mary Magdalene's story as a point for us all ~ not all of us shame ourselves in prostitution as Mary did, but we are all sinners and we all have shames and griefs to bear. And like Mary, we all need to come to the foot of Jesus and ask for His forgiveness too. This poem, like the painting which accompanies it, depicts not only one woman coming to Jesus humbly for forgiveness but it depicts all of us in that lone woman."

This poem is featured on both the Easter page and in Religious Poetry