04092022 – Palm/Passion Sunday
At the cross of crucifixion, we see the Jesus, called ‘the Christ, the “Messiah,” the Anointed One of God,” he hangs between two thieves.
It is something no one could have ever anticipated.
A spectacle to be sure.
Messiahs do not die as common thieves. And they do not hang from Roman crosses, either.
We see the posted, planted soldiers of Rome.
We see the swelling of the crowd and we hear their constant mocking shouts and their wild taunts and accusations.
We hear the wailing and the weeping of a handful of women followers.
We see the cross and the ground stained with the blood of its prisoners, held captive, held hostage.
We see the darkness in the sky up above and we feel the earth itself trembling beneath our feet.
The birds of prey soar overhead and circle off in the distance as they call to each other and look toward their next meal.
One must take in the whole experience.
It happens in real time, before our eyes.
Many look away. Many cannot bear the sight.
And then, there are those who look back again.
Some leave and flee, and go to places more comfortable.
Everything we see and hear at the cross plays a major role in the crucifixion process, and a process it is.
There is a beginning and there is likewise an ending.
Some of these people have seen it played out many times before. For others, this is a first time experience.
Every part and every moment at the cross has a story and a message to tell.
Nothing can be taken for granted.
Every breathe is a major struggle of logistics.
Every body movement pure torture.
Someone wincing in pain is difficult to watch.
And yet people stand there. They gawk. They have to see.
It is almost like they cannot get enough of this stuff.
They watch the life go in and out with every breath. They silently pray, as they watch.
There is no celebration of Easter without first standing before the cross.
There is no bypassing the cross of crucifixion…
So what started out, just a few days before with glad shouts of Hallelujah and “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord,” ends in pain, torment and abandonment.
Where are the tambourines, now? Where is the merriment? Where are all the followers?
The waving of leafy branches is no more.
Now they stretch and crank their necks to view something they did not ever expect to see.
I tell you, there is no bypassing the cross of crucifixion.
It all matters. It is all a part of the process.
There is nothing more important than for you to see the cross, to know the power of the cross and to embrace the message of the cross.
Unbelievable, as it sounds, the message and the meaning of this particular cross has been passed down for some 2,000 years.
As strange as it has always sounded: here you will find a message of salvation and eternal life.
At the cross of crucifixion you can find the assurance of God’s love and forgiveness.
Nothing was held back.
Everything was laid bare.
Some embrace and hold tightly to the cross while others despise it, and reject it, and it has always been that way.
The words of the cross have echoed throughout human history. Time has not silenced them.
The crown of thorns, the flesh-separating nails, the upward movement of the torso, just to get air into the lungs, and with every ounce of strength, the attempt is made to speak one last time.
And breathy though it be, it is audible enough to be heard and to be remembered. “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
It is a word of forgiveness, meant to transcend all places, all peoples and all times.
“Forgive them.”
Forgiveness, it doesn’t just flow from the lips, but rather it comes from the body that has been broken.
And, I tell you, each in our own way, we are all broken, and we need to forgive others, as we have been forgiven.
The story will continue on…