A Man Went Free
A man went free the day You died.
Barabbas.
Hero. Macho Man. The People’s Choice.
They cut his chains
and buried his past in an empty prison cell.
Murder. Insurrection.
It didn’t matter.
But they nailed you down,
strapped you with the weight of a cross.
While he walked away clean.
They restored his dignity to him;
Free man. Pardoned. No more labels.
But they stripped you.
Gave you thorns for your crown,
a weed for your scepter
and a line in the obituary column that read: Jesus, King of the Jews.
They shouted his name through the city,
Blazed it in neon lights
and put a marquee around it.
While they drove you to the place of the Skull,
gave you vinegar to drink,
and threw dice for your clothing.
When darkness came, You bowed Your head
and died
alone.
While he celebrated in the streets
with the Passover crowd.
A man went free the day you died.
I was that man.
~ Ruth Senter
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