Submitted by Joe Pitocco
The dialogue that Friday morning was bitter.. from the
onlookers, "Come down from the cross if you are the Son of God!" From the
religious leaders, "He saved others but he can't save himself." From the
soldiers, "If you are the king of the jews, save yourself." Bitter Words.
Acidic with sarcasm. Hateful. Irreverent. Wasn't it enough that he was
being crucified? Wasn't it enough that he was being shamed as a criminal?
Were the nails insufficient? Was the crown of thorns too soft? Had the
flogging been too
short? For some, apparently so........Peter, a writer
not normally given to using many descriptive verbs, says that the passers-by
"hurled" insults at the crucified Christ. They didn't just yell or speak
or scream. They 'hurled" verbal stones. They had every intention of hurting
and bruising. "We've broken the body, now let's break the spirit!" So the
strung their bows with self-righteousness and launched stinging arrows
of pure poison. Of all the scenes around the cross, this one angers me
the most. What kind of people, I ask myself, would mock a dying man? Who
would be so base as to pour the salt of scorn upon open wounds? How low
and perverted to sneer at one who is laced with pain. Who would make fun
of a person who is seated in an electric chair? Or who point and laugh
at a criminal who has a hangman's noose around his neck....? You can be
sure that satan and his demons were the cause of such filth. And then the
criminal on cross number two throws his punch. "Aren't you the Christ?
Save yourself and us!" The words thrown that day were meant to wound. And
there is nothing more painful than words meant to hurt. That's why James
called the tongue a fire. Its burns are every bit as destructive and disastrous
as those of a blowtorch. But i'm not telling you anything new. No
doubt you've had your share of words that wound. You've felt the sting
of a well-aimed gibe. Maybe you're still feeling it. Someone you love or
respect slams you to the floor with a slur or slip of the tongue. And there
you lie, wounded and bleeding. perhaps the words were intended to hurt
you, perhaps not; but that doesn't matter. The wound is deep. The injuries
are internal. Broken heart, wounded pride, bruised feelings.....or maybe
you wound is old. Though the arrow was extracted long ago, the arrowhead
is still lodged.....hidden under your skin. The old pain flares unpredicably
and decisibly, reminding you of harsh words yet unforgiven. If you have
suffered or are suffering because of someone else's words, you'll be glad
to know that there is balm for this laceration. Meditate on these words
from 1 Peter 2:23 "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate;
when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to
him who judges justly." Did you see what Jesus did not do???? He did not
retaliate. He did not bite back. He did not say, "I'll get you!" "Come
on up here and say that to my face!" "Just wait until after the resurrection,
buddy!"............No, these statements were not found on Christ's lips.
Did you see what Jesus did do? He "entrusted himself to him who judges
justly." Or said more simply, he left the judging to God.....He did not
take on the task of seeking revenge. He demanded no apology. He hired no
bounty hunters and sent out no posse. "Father, forgive them, for they do
not know what they are doing." Yes, the dialogue that friday morning was
bitter. The verbal stones were meant to sting. How Jesus, with a body wracked
with pain, eyes blinded by his own blood, and lungs yearing for air, could
speak on behalf of some heartless thugs is beyond my comprehension. Never,
never have I seen such love. If ever a person deserved a shot at revenge,
Jesus did. But he didn't take it. Instead He died for them. How could he
do it? I don't know. but I do know that all of a sudden my wounds seem
very painless.....my grudges and hard feelings are suddenly childish. Sometimes
I wonder if we don't see Christ's love as much in the people he tolerated
as in the pain he endured............Amazing Grace....