Jesus True Sacrifice on the Cross

 

April 8, 2011

Stations of the Cross Reflection

Dc. Larry Brockman

He was a man who endured much suffering.  Nothing could be clearer to us than that   After pondering the readings for each of the stations tonight, it is clear Jesus suffered in mind, body, and spirit.  He was falsely accused, betrayed, and misunderstood.  He was physically abused, taunted, and humiliated.  And finally, he was tortured and put to death in the most painful way the authorities knew of.  But something else was clear in the readings.  He was in love.  True God and True Man, Jesus loved His own creation, mankind, so much that he suffered for us, and took on our own infirmities.  Indeed, Jesus shows us the way.  Every human life, and that includes yours and mine, will experience suffering and pain.  The secret is to accept the pain and suffering that is part of our lives in the same spirit as Jesus accepted it.  Because our bodies are imperfect; our minds imperfect, and our world is imperfect, the consequences of living God’s will for us will always mean a mix of good times and bad times, of joy and suffering.  Jesus accepted his cross with love, and a sense of joy.  Yes, he was afraid- that was what Gethsemane was all about.  Yes, he was disappointed in his Apostles and followers-  they fell asleep while he prayed, and then abandoned him.  But it didn’t matter.  He accepted the cross out of love, love for all of creation.  The last couple of weeks of Lent are a good time for us to reflect on our own suffering.  We will experience it; it is part of life.  But, we need to accept it with the same spirit as the Lord did.  Illnesses, stress, bad breaks in the world, and stupid mistakes- these are a few of the things that cause us suffering.  What makes us truly Christian disciples of Jesus is our attitude towards them.  Can we love even when we are afflicted, as Jesus did?  Can we endure, even when we are in pain as Jesus did?  Yes we can; because we know that Jesus will always be there for us for ever and ever. 

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