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JESUS ON THE CROSS

My Morning Devotional Reading

 

Reflecting on last Sunday and what it all means to us as believers, I wanted to share my thoughts on who Jesus was and how his words from the cross resonate with each of us. Remembering what the Bible explains in scripture: Jesus was beaten continuously in a hidden courtyard, forced to carry his cross when he could barely walk up the hill, and then nailed to it. I can only imagine what that was like. The Bible paints a very difficult situation for a human being to endure. 

 

The hot sun beaming down on him, his loss of blood from the beating, and his inability to carry the very weapon they were using to kill him all seem very difficult and horrible. Tearing his clothing, spitting on him, depriving him of water, and anchoring him by hammering nails into his flesh is quite horrific for a human being to endure. And yet he asked his father to forgive them for they had no idea what they were doing. 

 

How many times have you been devastatingly hurt by someone and forgiven them? How many times have you sworn to get them back somehow, one day? How many times have you called someone names that are surely not on their birth certificate? How many times have you thought of ways to hurt someone who has hurt you? And lastly, how many times have you thought of ways to destroy someone who has tried to destroy you?

 

Jesus left examples of how we should treat one another, but because we are human, we unfortunately feel the need to hurt those who hurt us. Walking away and asking God to forgive them isn't something we often consider. The joy we feel hurting someone who hurt us is real. We often feel better when we do that. 

 

I know some of you are saying right now, "But I am human.""Well, so was Jesus, the brother was both human and divine. Was the duality of his existence what allowed him to endure and forgive those who made the last day of his human life so horrible? 

 

What would it be like to forgive those who have hurt you? What would it feel like for you and how would you tell those who have hurt that you asked God to forgive them? What would they think of you? They may find it hard to believe. They may be a bit wary around you because doing that isn't the norm. How do we create a new norm? How can we, in our humanity, try to be more like Jesus? And how long can we hold onto hating someone for something that happened so long ago, and how does that affect our very being?

 

What if you reach out to someone who hurt you and tell them that you forgive them? You're not asking for anything; you're just letting them know that you have let it go and moved on by forgiving them.

 

Not a sermon, just a thought.

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Namaste

Akosua McCray