A Lenten Journey…
“He came to pay a debt He never owed because we owe a debt we couldn’t pay”.
A couple of days ago, I was complaining of muscle ache from hiking two miles uphill to see the beautiful seqouia trees in Yosemite. The road was closed and we had to hike up to see this awesome sight.
One Friday thousands of years ago, an innocent man walked uphill for miles towards Golgotha. He was carrying a heavy cross, beaten, profusely bleeding from the crown of thorns on His head and from being flogged, He was vandalized, mocked, spit upon, hit. His name is Jesus Christ. The Bible never once mentioned that He complained of pain. He suffered and died on the Cross so that He could free us from our sins. What a price to pay for someone you love!
Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ” portrayed a scene that for many years have been downplayed. My Paschal journey will never be the same again. I’ve seen the movie a few days after Ash Wednesday. It was an experience I could never forget. I’ve never cried as hard for any film ever. It was then that the truth hit me hard and fast. Jesus suffered an unimaginable death and torture He did not deserve.
Looking at the world today, I am prompted to ask myself if Jesus suffered and died in vain. The war in Iraq has claimed hundreds, if not thousands of lives because of senseless killings. There is too much corruption everywhere. Sex and violence is prevalent everywhere you look.
During communion, the minister said “The Body of Christ” in which I replied “Thank You” instead of “Amen”. My lips echoed the feeling in my heart. I am eternally grateful because despite my sinfulness, Jesus loved me enough to die for me. My challenge as a Christian is to strive to be deserving of this love.
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