Apr. 02, 2022
Jesus – the Son of God, the One who was present with God when the world began, the One who was witness to the flood and the parting of the Red Sea, the One who welcomed Abraham and Elijah and Isaiah into his embrace upon their death, the One who at any moment could have snapped his fingers and ended Rome – submits to torture and humiliation that none of us would be willing to endure under most any circumstances. WHY? An obvious answer would be because he was being faithful to what his Father was asking of him. But a deeper, much more profound answer is that he was using his own body to illustrate the transforming power of sacrificial love. Refusing to hate, refusing to retaliate, willing to endure pain and suffering, willing to see the brokenness in the one inflicting the pain and believe in redemption – that's how Jesus interacted with those that tortured and humiliated him. Did it change any of them? The story doesn't say, and that's not really the issue. The issue is, will we understand that sacrificial love as meant to change US, and will we let it? And will be love in our real time living with that same kind of sacrificial love?
TAKING IT HOME
Our readings for the week ahead are:
MONDAY, April 4 Mark 4-5
FRIDAY, April 8 Mark 9