And this is comfort:
that when the children cry
the Man of Sorrows
suffers too.
Eternity encircled
and enclosed
the crossbar
of his suffering
with the pain of ages,
all our griefs
and every
ruination
choking out
the Breath of Life.
Heart broken
under awful weight
of every horror,
crime and burden,
he was crushed.
His throbbing lifeblood
spurted down
a tree he sculpted,
soaked into
the soil he made,
soil filled again
with loathing at
the brother’s blood
poured down its gullet.
And so the curse
was nullified,
the gaping break repaired,
innocence and love
the capital
that freed us.
He knows our tears
from inside out;
he cried them all.
And now he holds
the hurting world
in his embrace
and waits for us
to hug him back.
Have you seen “The Passion of the Christ”? That film details the suffering of Jesus in a way that chokes me up. Hearing that “he died on a cross” is easier to take lightly; seeing the agony that those crucified endured is nauseating. It was intensely cruel.
Jesus knew what was going to happen to him—he even tried to prepare his disciples (Matthew 16:21). He knew that his body would be broken, torn like a loaf of bread. He knew he would bleed to death. The Passover Feast that featured a sacrificial lamb was given new meaning as he added these metaphors concerning his role as that sacrifice. His disciples did not understand it at the time. But he did.
Yet he entered Jerusalem willingly, humbly, knowing that the crowd welcoming him would be replaced by crowds booing him. He was being lauded as the one come to save them from colonial rule, their hero and rescuer. They didn’t know that he had in mind a much deeper purpose: saving them and everyone from the rule of sin and death. They thought the main enemy was Rome, and it’s true that Rome did not accept this champion’s challenge to their goals. The true Enemy thought he was going to erase this supposed savior, using Rome’s desire to maintain their power as his weapon, not understanding that he himself was fulfilling God’s purpose by making sure that the Lamb was killed.
Jesus understood. Nevertheless he moved forward. After feasting with his disciples and trying to prepare them, he downloaded his grief and foreboding to the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane. He knew that what awaited him was going to be even worse than physical suffering; he was going to take on himself the blame for all the sins of the world. I think about the violence we see even now, the killing sprees done by nations and by individuals, the oppression of those with no hope or resources, the wounds made by verbal vitriol. And those are only now. He would bear the weight of those future horrors and also all the ones of the past centuries.
Yet he gave himself up, the Messiah whose power came not from resistance or attack but from passively allowing the opposition to insult him, whip him, and nail him to a cross. He was the Word that breathed creation into existence. He was Life. But he had willingly taken on human form in order to take my place, your place, and break the Curse, conquering death and the plans of the Enemy. (For more background on his suffering, see Isaiah 53.)
The title “man of sorrows” paints a picture of that other side of the crucifixion. He suffered incredible physical pain, yes, but the worst part was the weight of our sin. But he obeyed, he did what had to be done. He seemed weak to those tormenting him. His passivity seems beyond belief to those who don’t understand the beauty of his purpose. It was actually not feeble “giving in.” Instead, it was inner strength; he was moving forward to do what needed to be done out of love for the world. So to those who have opened themselves up to receive God’s gift of cleansing love, it is powerful!
For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Cor. 1:18 NET)
And that power not only opened up the Most Holy Place to us so that we have freedom to approach the King of the universe, it also works in us to empower us to be like him. What? Be like him? I cannot picture myself walking willingly toward suffering the way that he did. I have been through wars; I did not accept the possibility of attack with any kind of peace. Interpersonal conflict is scary enough for me—I dread being misunderstood or being insulted. Jesus knew his self-sacrifice would include all of that: the Almighty would be treated like scum.
So how is it possible that I am supposed to “take up my cross and follow him”? Jesus warned his disciples even before he went to Jerusalem to be crucified that this kind of self-denial would be essential for anyone who wanted to join his cohort!
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. (Matt. 16:24 NET)
Here is the context to that warning:
20 Then he instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. 21 From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law,and be killed, and on the third day be raised. 22 So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him:29 “God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you!” 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.” 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross,and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matt. 16:20-25 NET)
This happened, of course, before he entered Jerusalem and went toward the agony of Friday. He had his heart and mind set on God’s purpose: rescue for every person who would accept his outstretched hand of love.
Losing my life for Jesus’ sake means to let go of control of my plans and let him be the Master. I need to set my mind “on God’s interests.” That is the only way to be a true follower, a disciple on the Way that leads to unending life and perfect peace. The Way is full of challenges, even suffering. But the goal is worth it all. And along the Way there is this amazing privilege of companionship with the one who pulled me out of the dung heap of meaninglessness.
When I was in college I attended Urbana ’70, the InterVarsity conference that cemented this for me. I realized that I was afraid to trust God to direct my life path. I could say he was “good” but I didn’t trust his goals for me to be what I wanted. Then I released my clinging grip and said, “What you want, may it happen!” And I began to learn what it meant to “lose” my life (my own priorities) and rest in God’s wisdom and purpose. I began to learn because it has been a lifelong journey, one I have increasingly realized means to live life resting in his loving arms, letting him choose the path ahead as he directs each step.
Jesus prayed conderning that self-denial in the Garden, knowing the suffering that was ahead of him. He said, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.” (Lk. 22:42 NET)
Not my will, but yours! That is what it means to follow Jesus. It means letting go of my sensitive fears and letting the Good Shepherd direct my path. There are so many ways to illustrate it! That is what the apostle Paul learned, too. Let’s take Paul’s words to heart, let our Lord embrace us—and hug him back!
More than that, I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung!– that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness– a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.
My aim is to know him,to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me.(Phil. 3:8-12 NET)
“I have not already been perfected”! Amen! What is essential is pursuing what Christ has in mind. I need to put my energy into it—that is what is called “devotion.” It is becoming mature in my faith, learning obedience to the One who suffered to give me unending life, a secure hope. If he himself “learned obedience” through what he suffered, then I know that what comes my way is teaching me that as well. He has an excellent purpose! And he understands my struggle, because he struggled too:
During his earthly life Christ offered both requests and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death and he was heard because of his devotion. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through the things he suffered. 9 And by being perfected in this way, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 and he was designated by God as high priest in the order of Melchizedek.11 On this topic we have much to say and it is difficult to explain, since you have become sluggish in hearing. (Heb. 5:7-11 NET)
And so we must each pray: “Dissolve my sluggishness! Make me like you, Christ, willing to take up my cross and accomplish what my Master wants: his will not mine!”
Like a child running in trust to his father, settling into his loving embrace, we can then show our love by embracing him and his priorities in return. After all:
We love because he loved us first. (1 Jn. 4:19 NET)
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