Death: a meditation for Good Friday

"Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists, and others slapped Him."  Matthew 26:67
Jesus endured so much.  He patiently allowed Himself to be barbarically treated, when He could, as He said, " appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels."  Can you imagine?  More than 72,000 angels could have come at any point in the Passion narrative, and Jesus could have done whatever He willed.  He could've even destroyed all of Jerusalem, with its fallacious Pharisees and rebellious rabble.  But He didn't.  He stuck to the plan, fulfilled the prophecies, and allowed himself to die.  Die.  Death.  Crucified.  Asphyxiated.  Jesus had nothing to gain by coming to earth to die.  But He did so willingly.  Why?  He did it for the four-year-old orphan in Japan whose parents were swept away by the tsunami.  He did it for the English Royal Family, who, though they have it all, have nothing if they reject Him.  He did it for the prostitute in Las Vegas, struggling to find meaning.  He did it for the druggie in Chicago, whose only existence is measured by the next high.  He did it for the stock-broker on Wall Street, whose materialism has become so oppressive that he doesn't know what life is even about anymore.  And He did it for me.  And He did it for you. Did what?  He died.  Jesus died.  Is that in your head yet?  First He was pummeled by fists, spit upon, and slapped.  Then He was flogged so hard that He couldn't carry His cross.  And then He was nailed, yes, nailed to the cross.  Big, thick nails were hammered into His hands and His feet.  Can you feel His pain yet?  Do you see His anguished face?  He could have said it was too much at any moment, but he didn't.  He kept going for you.  He endured the most brutal torture and death.  He was lifted up above the hill on a cross naked, for the whole world to see, and He hung there in agony.  With probably more pain than you can even imagine experiencing, Jesus died.  The earth shook at the death of her Maker.  Does it affect you?  Do you understand?  Jesus died.  God died.  For you.  Because of your sins.  The source of all life, the maker of life--He died.  And he forgave those who did it to Him.  Do you accept this?  Are you cognizant of the enormity of His sacrifice?  The sinless perfect Man, the One who did no wrong to anyone, died.  He died for all the wrongs that you and I have done.  He even died for all the wrongs that Hitler and Stalin and Mao and Paul Pot did, if they had only accepted His sacrifice.  That should make you completely humbled in His presence.  The Author of Life, in the prime of life, died.  Jesus died.  The earth produced a blackness for three hours in the middle of they day while He hung in agony.  Then it shook when He breathed His last. The curtain in the temple which separated the people from God's presence was torn in two from top to bottom by God's unseen hand, because Jesus' death forged the way to Him.  He sacrificed His life.  He died.
Death.
Death.
Death.
Death.

Death.

Death.

Death.

Death.

Death.

A meditation on Ecclesiastes

Why does this world so entrance us?  It lures us into its embrace, deceiving our hearts--we think it is our home.  We want to enjoy life.  "Live life to the fullest."  We think of all the ways to have fun.  We party on the weekends to relieve the stress of the daily grind--week after week, month after month.  "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity."  "Eat, drink and be merry." 
This is the world's attitude, and we are drawn into it. 
Why are we so entranced?  What about this pointless existence holds our minds, appeals to our souls, and captures our bodies?  Why live a meaningless, empty, yes, even vain life? 
Put some meaning into your life.  Don't let the daily grind wear you down.  Don't let "earth's vain shadows" hide what your life could be like.
"Fear God and keep His commandments."  "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth."  "Take every thought captive to Christ's commands."  "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven."
May our lives be a reflection of His light, and may that light brighten the shadows of the vain existence of the lives of others. 

Pride

"All of you, clothe yourselves with humility 
toward one another, because, 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" - 1 Peter 5:5
Pride, how perilous it is!
The Prince of pride 
would pull us places 
which seem privy, 
which principle alone 
would plead against. 
In the prime of life,
the price of pride 
is prison,
a privation of privilege 
and prize.


O Prophet, Printer of life's pages,
prepare us for Your presence.
Predictor of predicaments,
press us to the precipice,
paint us on Your paper 


O Priest of peoples!
We plead for patience!
Progress pauses, pinched by pride--
Pare us with precision,
preclude the predator!


Primogenitor, Principate,
Principal of principle,
Pluck us from this path 
the prim and proper prance.
Plant us in Your park.


O Paschal Lamb,
preeminent in power,
we praise Your precious promises.
Produce purity in us
to proclaim Your primacy.  

"Follow Me!"

Today, when reading the last chapter of John, I noticed something very interesting.  Jesus' last command to Simon Peter was, "Follow me."  If we read Jesus' first encounter with Peter in Mark 1, we will see that Jesus first command to Peter (and his brother Andrew) was, "follow me."  And, one of Jesus' last statements to His disciples before he ascended into heaven, and the closing statement of Matthew is, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations ... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

Jesus told His disciples, especially Peter, to follow Him, and to teach His commandments and ways to the world.  But what are His commandments?  And how can we follow Him?  Jesus tells us in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."  Jesus tells us to follow Him, to love Him, by keeping His commandments (John 14:15).  And He tells us what that commandment is in John 15:12-13: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."  "But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)  That ought to seem amazing to us.  The way we follow Jesus Christ is to love others as He has loved us.  So before anyone ever shows aught of affection, and while we owe naught to them, to be true followers of Christ, we ought to love them with such depth that, without a moment's hesitation, we would be willing to die for them.  It's one thing to be a hero, and push someone out of the way of imminent death, but what about being willing to do something else, something much harder?  What about seeing that a person is walking a road, living a lifestyle, that will inevitably lead to death, whether physical or spiritual, and being willing to sacrifice our lives--our time, talents, or treasure--on/for that person?  We must never do it begrudgingly, but always out of love, because that is the example Jesus set for us.  To be true followers of Christ, we must imitate His every step, walking in His footprints.  It is a high calling, but depending on God's grace and mercy, asking for His guidance, and trusting in His everlasting love, we can take the first step in following Him by loving others just as He loves us.

Desire

"Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you
 the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it. " (Psalm 37:4,5) 
Sometimes I treasure up desires in my heart.  I allow my mind to fantasize about the future, which, though not damaging in and of itself, can lead to a self-centered focus.  If on the other hand, I rest on Jesus, and desire His will, the future becomes not about me but about Him.  When I mold my desires to His, when I commit myself to abiding in Him, when I realize the future is in His hands, I am at peace.  If you learn to commit your desires to Him, and desire Him first, then His desires will become your desires.
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)