Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Talk Tuesday-When Love's Cry is Obedience

This morning I sat down to meditate on Mark 15- the account of Jesus' crucifixion. It begins with the following observation, "And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate." Mark 14:1

Pilate asks him if he is the King of the Jews, to which Jesus simply replies, "Thou sayest it." Mark 15:2

The Bible goes on to explain that although the chief priests accused Jesus of many things, he did not answer them. I paused and began to think. What were they accusing him of? Deception? Misleading the people? Insurrection? Of being who he said he was? I felt indignation rise up in my heart.

"And Pilate asked him again, saying, 'Answerest thou nothing? Behold how many things they witness against thee.' But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled." Mark 15:4-5

I began to marvel as well. What was going on in the heart of Jesus at that very moment? He is fully God, yet fully man. He felt pain, humiliation, indignation, yet stood silently as a lamb about to be slaughtered. As is customary, Pilate offered them to release one prisoner and in Pilate's economy of thinking, Jesus was the obvious choice. He asked the crowd, "'Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?' For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy." Mark 15:9-10

Envy. I paused and considered that. Pilate, an outsider, knew that it was envy that motivated the chief priests. Jesus knew all that was in their hearts at that moment, yet he said and did nothing. As I continued reading, I tried to understand why the Roman soldiers who took him to the Praetorium, mocked him, beat him, spat on him and abused him. Why? What is in the heart of man to cause them to mistreat an innocent, harmless man. If he was to be flogged according to Roman law, then why the following?

"And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head. And began to salute him, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees  worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him." Mark 15:17-20

Why? I still do not understand the motive of the Roman soldiers. The chief priests were gripped by envy, but what was the reason for the Roman soldiers to behave that way? And why did the people even want to crucify him? What had Jesus really done to deserve the basest treatment we could offer? The rest of the crucifixion is rife with ridicule, abuse, condemnation, and mockery. They cast lots for his clothes? They taunted him to display his power and come down from the cross?

Then it happened. He cried out, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? Which is, being interpreted, 'My God, my God, why has thou forsaken me?'" Mark 15:34 

"And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. And the vail of the temple was rent in twain from top to the bottom. And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, 'Truly this was the Son of God.'" Mark 15:37-39

As I pondered all of this, I asked myself WHY? Why did he have to be treated so basely? Why did he allow himself to be treated that way? And what was in his heart as all this was transpiring? My only answer was that LOVE'S CRY LED TO OBEDIENCE, EVEN TO DEATH ON A CROSS. Jesus knew what was in the heart of man, what was broken, ugly, hurting, twisted and ignoble. He knew what needed fixing, so he humbled himself and paid the price for our redemption.

I still do not understand. I never will. Oh, but how I love the One who loved me while I was yet a lost sinner!

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you for that awesome post. He died for my sins and HE IS RISEN! Thank you again, for blessing me with this post. ALLELLUIA! JESUS IS ALIVE!

Anonymous said...

When we are accused wrongfully or when we are vilified even by our loved ones because we have chosen to follow the cross above all, we have the blessed assurance that Jesus understands our pain because they did it to HIM also. Therefore, we too can say with conviction, “Father forgive them, for the know not what they do.