We live in a beautiful world, but suffering is a harsh reality every day. Whatever form pain strikes the human reaction ranges from resilience to acceptance, anger to resentment, fighting to hopelessness. The catastrophic destruction, senseless loss of life, mangled bodies and overcrowded hospitals leave us stunned by its sheer magnitude. Suffering marks the human face with sorrow, anguish, torment and fear wrapped in the question – why do we suffer? When will it end? Why? Is that question tormenting you?
That question must have tortured the mind of Christ’s followers on that unforgettable black Friday. The gospels tell us only John and Mary remained at Calvary to the bitter end. At what stage the other disciples left the unsightly proceedings we don’t know. As they returned to their home horrible scenes must have flashed through their reeling mind. In less than twenty four hours their whole world had collapsed, shattering their dreams and hopes. The unexpected, shocking betrayal, sudden arrest, illegal trial after trial, merciless flogging, mocking parade, abusive insults, derive comments and the final, barbarous execution left them staggered by its speed and brutality. To watch suffering is an emotional test some cannot endure. When we watch the tragic spectacle at Calvary what we must hold firmly in our mind is – in the body of Jesus being mercilessly crucified is the Incarnate God, Almighty God in human flesh ….’Our God contracted to a span, Incomprehensibly made man’.
God silently, willingly submitting to the appalling atrocities inflicted. God praying words of forgiveness for the incensed leaders, mindless crowd and callous soldiers, who had no idea who they were butchering. God looking over the hysterical crowd with compassion to find the lone disciple, John, and Mary, his mother, the woman whose flesh he had shared. God yielding to vicious human beastliness with measureless grace, serenity and relentless love. God, alone, experiencing the terrifying darkness of abandonment. God, the Creator of all life, roughly manhandled by those he had created. Look at his agony and see his unchangeable, relentless love and realize he is bearing this for you and me. This has eternal dimensions embracing us today in some mystical union untouched by death.
The disciples had no such knowledge. Judas tortured by guilt ended his life to escape the pain. Peter, after swearing loyalty, betrayed Jesus with three denials then burst into tears. The others, felt themselves under immediate threat and locked their doors. What thoughts tumbled through their mind, disturbed their sleep and caused them to look over their shoulder with alarm at every unusual sound. Throughout Friday night and all day Saturday they were submerged in a crushing, icy, empty, puzzling – Silence! Question after question arose. All the promises lay around them like crumpled, discarded, trampled tickets – worthless, meaninglessness, silent scraps.
Families have returned from hospital in numbed silence with unanswered questions. Having watched a loved one struggle to breathe, unable to speak, staring helplessly at the ceiling – Why? No answer! “God is on mute”, says Pete Grieg. Silence produces the bitter conclusion, no one understands or cares. Prisoners in the Auschwitz barracks and victims in the bloody corridors of Gaza driven to this conclusion. Are you living in the silent darkness of Saturday? Only faith gives the resilience to endure silence. Faith hangs in when all seems lost. Jesus commends faith more times than love. His faith is vividly expressed in his final words, “Into your hands I commit my spirit”.
Resurrection morning brings the unbelievable event that startled the women with fright and brought the disciples running with trembling legs and doubtful minds to an empty tomb. The impossible had happened. Love had won over evil. Light had banished darkness. Faith had not been silenced by death, but proven through it. What a glorious morning ushering in a new dimension in which God’s infinite greatness, unconquerable, unchanging love proved victorious. His divine power and wisdom surmounted all the schemes of human malice, rejection and sinfulness with the resounding assurance – Love wins! Overcome with emotion they realized Eternal Love is on their side, if only they will believe. God is for them, with them in them; through all the anguish.
Why do we doubt this? Why do we think of God with fear? Why do we imagine God is out to get us, poking around to find every minor mistake? Resurrection morning brings the resounding assurance and astonishing news measureless grace is his gift – for free! We cannot earn it. The psalmist, who had committed crime got the message; “Generous in love God, give grace! Huge in mercy-wipe out my bad record. Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry. I know how bad I have been; my sins are staring me down” Ps. 51:1-2 TM. And again, “I’m an open book to you…You know me inside and out… you know exactly how I was made… from nothing into something….Your thoughts-how rare, how beautiful! …Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you” Ps. 139 TM. The resurrection morning makes that a glorious possibility for you. Yes, you!