The Saint And The Neophyte

This is the story of a man
Who hailed from Magdala.
He served a great astrologer,
Who lived in Nineveh.

This man was a descendant of,
A famous Persian King.
A king whose name was Darius.
He'd served him since the Spring.

His master had become obsessed
With Hebrew prophesies,
He searched the heavens for a sign,
With skill and expertise.

Two colleagues came, from time to time,
Comparing what they'd learned.
They acted like some zealous cult,
And this left him concerned.

For when it comes to things foretold,
There is no guarantee.
What starts as an objective quest,
Can spark insanity.

But he had nowhere else to go,
He had a wife and son.
If he should forfeit his employ,
His life would be undone.

So he did what was asked of him,
His master led the way.
He was a lowly neophyte,
'Til one predicted day.

Appearing in the western sky,
A light shone from afar!
Compelled by ancient prophecy,
These men pursued a star.

He hoped that once they reached their goal
His studies could return.
The goal of his apprenticeship
Had always been to learn!

But his master was distracted,
Neglecting what he swore.
To provide an education,
That opened certain doors.

Assembling a caravan,
They followed that new star!
The journey took them many weeks,
Through lands both near and far!

A brief stop in Jerusalem,
Then on to Bethlehem.
A journey ends, as one begins,
The moment he saw … Him.

At first he only saw a child,
Until that child looked up,
And met his gaze with knowing eyes,
That offered him a cup.

This was a cup of destiny,
To pass on to his heir!
An heir who'll help transform the world,
With words the lad will share.

Through the many years that followed,
He often shared this tale.
But his son had a skeptic's heart,
With him, he thought he'd failed.

His son would help the Romans rule,
Which only brought him shame!
Collecting taxes from the Jews,
Disgraced his father's name!

Until that child from Bethlehem
Looked his son in the eye,
And asked him to: "Come follow me."
To preach and testify.

A neophyte named Alphaeus
Was changed one fateful morn,
As his eyes beheld salvation,
The day God's Son was born.

His stories would prepare his son,
For what the Lord had planed.
This led the boy to Africa,
Where he would make his stand.

His writings would be canonized,
And live on to this day.
He wrote of his father's journey,
And taught us all to pray.

He showed that even when you're lost,
You can be found in Christ.
He told how Jesus washed us clean,
When He was sacrificed!

He helped the generations hear
The good news he proclaimed.
A servant of the Son of God!
Saint Matthew is his name!