Good Friday Reflection 2: It is Finished

As the cry, “It is finished!” is heard from the cross, I am remembering Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus. He had dinner at the home of Zacchaeus and at the end of this ‘short’ story, Jesus says, “Today salvation has come to this house…For the Son of Man came to seek out and save the lost.” Luke 19:9, 10. As he cries from the cross, “It is finished”, I am remembering the parable of the lost sheep and Jesus says, “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost…” Luke 15:4. In that same chapter, the woman rejoices over the lost coin that she found and a lost son is reunited with his family and the father said, “…we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.” Luke 15:32. It is finished! “The prophet says, “…And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6

From the Hebrew text, we know about the ritual of the ‘scapegoat’. “Then Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over it all the iniquities of the people of Israel, and all their transgressions, all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat, and sending it away into the wilderness.” Leviticus 16:21. It is finished! “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6. Jesus the Lamb of God. Jesus the scapegoat for our iniquities. Jesus has come for the lost and hopeless, the rejected and the shunned. He comes for shepherds and kings, a prophetess and a priest. The blind see, the lame walk, and the lepers are restored to wholeness. The lost have been found and the dead have been raised to new life. Jesus comes for you and for me. His body is sacrificed on the Cross of our sins and it bears the ‘iniquities of us all’. “Father, remove this cup from me; not my will but your be done” Luke 22:42. God’s will is done. God’s plan is complete. It is finished! And darkness falls over all the earth.

Prayer:  

Thank you God! Your will is done. I am humbled. Be my strength and never permit me to forget what you have done to return me to your fold. It is finished! Thank you God!

Good Friday Reflection 1: "Woman, here is your son!"

The Crucifixion, El Greco, painted 1596-1600

It would seem that everyone else abandoned Jesus. There were some woman and the disciple, ‘the one whom Jesus loved’  who remained. How terrible it is to lose a child, especially through a government sponsored execution such as the crucifixion.  I wonder what Mary was thinking? Was she remembering the day that Jesus was born – that day when the angels sang, the rich and the poor gathered at his manger – the day God shone a heavenly spotlight on that night when, for a moment, all the world knew peace. Perhaps she  remembered the blessing of Simeon on Jesus' dedication day, “…For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel” Luke 2:30-32. Could it be that Simeon’s troubling comment to Mary and Joseph was finally make sense to her? He said, “This child is destined for the falling and rising of many in Israel…a sword will pierce your own soul too.” Luke 2:34, 2:35. Could this moment be sword that pierced the soul of Mary, the mother of Jesus?

Here, in this moment, when Mary was trying to understand all that had come to past, her son was thinking about her. In the midst of his suffering, his ridicule and his humiliation,  Jesus makes accommodations for his mother. “Woman, here is your son…”  It is hard to know who this ‘one’ is, the ‘one whom Jesus loved’, but it must have been someone Jesus could trust enough to protect his mother. He was, after all, the only disciple who remained – all the others had disappeared into the shadows of the night. “Here is your mother…” Here at the foot of cross, Jesus provided a safe place for his mother to remember the memories that she long ago, pondered in her heart. Even as he neared his last breath, Jesus was thinking of the people he loved and making sure that all the details of living were taken care of in these final hours. 

Where is your heart today? What,  in your life,  must you attend to in these days? The day is far spent, the night will soon come. What business remains unfinished for you? Will your faith be strong enough to endure the night? What about tomorrow? There is still time to attend to the things that remain unfinished. Even as Jesus hung dying on the cross, he attended to those whom he loved. He will attend to you too. Open your hearts and receive God’s grace, for God is still working miracles in our lives. May it be so with you today?

Prayer: 

God be present with me. Help me prioritize those things that matter and try not to be distracted by the things that do no matter. Help me through this dark and lonely day. Amen.