God of the One who suffered much for us, may this dear reader's life be made more blessed by Jesus today; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from Psalm 31: 9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also. 10 For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away. 11 I am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. 12 I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. 13 For I hear the whispering of many— terror all around!— as they scheme together against me, as they plot to take my life. 14 But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, "You are my God." 15 My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. 16 Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love. (NRSV)
The road that leads to Calvery is called the Via Dolorosa or the Painful Way. It is called that because of the condition of Jesus' soul and body as He walked down it. It marked the last path He would walk as an earthly man and it marked a very public humiliation at the hands of those who, caught up in the frenzy of the moment, hated Him and screamed for His death. Every step our Lord took was a word from this Psalm, a prayer of petition, asking for God's power to come and intervene in an otherwise desperate situation. Yet it is a prayer of hope and faith that even in the midst of this painful situation, God is present and God is all powerful to act and to deliver.
You and I caused that pain and I cannot honestly say that I would not be among the crowd that would scream for Jesus' death just some days after I had screamed Hosanna for Jesus' appearance in my city. It was our sin that necessitated this act on God's part.
PRAYER: Dear Lord, as we get close to the end of this Lenten Journey may I be reminded of Your great love even as the words spoken in worship may be words of Your great pain and suffering. May I be a better person as a result of all You endured for my sake. I ask this in Thy precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
