I have been studying the passion narratives in Mark this Lenten season so that I can retell the stories. Entering these stories has been gut wrenching. Jesus bore all this for us? How could people, including the religious establishment, have been so cruel?
"Some spit on Him..and beat Him." Mark 14:65
Jesus' agony. Jesus' suffering. Jesus' absolute loneliness break my heart.
"They all forsook Him and fled." Mark 14:50
His disciples left him to suffer, to be beaten, to be ridiculed, and to die alone.
"Even the temple police took Him and slapped Him." Mark 14:65
We want to turn our heads, we want to be like the disciples and flee for more pleasant pastures as fast as our legs can carry us.
"Now a certain young man having a linen cloth wrapped around his naked body, was following Him. they caught hold of Him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked." Mark 14:51-52
But the passion shouldn't allow us to turn our backs. We cannot turn away: we
look in the face of the suffering Savior and we are able to face our own pain,
our own loneliness.
May we reflect our suffering Savior: Let us not look away. Let us weep with the hurting, comfort the lonely and embrace the left out, just as our Savior did for us.
"Some spit on Him..and beat Him." Mark 14:65
Jesus' agony. Jesus' suffering. Jesus' absolute loneliness break my heart.
"They all forsook Him and fled." Mark 14:50
His disciples left him to suffer, to be beaten, to be ridiculed, and to die alone.
"Even the temple police took Him and slapped Him." Mark 14:65
We want to turn our heads, we want to be like the disciples and flee for more pleasant pastures as fast as our legs can carry us.
"Now a certain young man having a linen cloth wrapped around his naked body, was following Him. they caught hold of Him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked." Mark 14:51-52
But the passion shouldn't allow us to turn our backs. We cannot turn away: we
look in the face of the suffering Savior and we are able to face our own pain,
our own loneliness.
May we reflect our suffering Savior: Let us not look away. Let us weep with the hurting, comfort the lonely and embrace the left out, just as our Savior did for us.
