I had the pleasure to serve the Our Savior's and West Prairie congregations this evening as a lay preacher. We gathered for worship at West Prairie, and as the name depicts, it's a beautiful little church sitting on the "prairie" just a bit east of Thompson, Ia. The message I brought to them was a Tenebrae service. Tenebrae is Latin for "shadows" ... a service of light. Through the seven last words of Jesus on the cross, we extinguished a candle and turned out the lights of the church. Serving as the lay preacher it was my honor to read the Gospel lessons, the words that our Savior, Jesus Christ, spoke from the cross. Following each reading, I gave a bit of a meditation. With each meditation it was my hope that those gathered could feel, could remember, could find a deep meaning to these words, to this day. Warning ... this is a LONG post ... but here is a little synopsis of my message this evening. If you didn't make it to church, I hope these words bring you just a bit of reflection.
The most touching words for me personally, "Father, forgive them, for thy know not what they do." This tortured man prayed for our forgiveness, the Son of God, asks for his Father to forgive us ...
"Today you will be with me in paradise." Looking through tears, reaching out to the theif, this man of God continued to teach and heal from the cross. Those words brought comfort and peace to a criminal, truly he could have saved his energy, saved his breath.
"'Woman here is your son.' and to the disciple, 'Here is your mother.'" In those simple words I think he was saying, "Momma, here's my friend, you can love him, he will love you. He knows me momma, he walked with me, he understands what I must do, he will hold you and comfort you when I am gone and momma, he shares your grief." And likewise I think that to his friend, to the disciple whom he loved, I think he was saying, "My friend, here's my momma, I love her, and I want you to love her, and she will love you. She is the one who taught me, she raised me, she wiped my tears, she fed me, she held me, and she will hold you." I think that's what those 9 or 10 words meant from the cross.
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" The cross, the torture, the pain, the agony ... can we even imagine the pain? The cuts and tears of his skin from the lashing, the dry blood on his face from his "crown" of thorns, and the agony of his body hanging there in the heat of the day. He found his strength in God, he found purpose in his Father, but in this moment I think he found himself to be alone, utterly, entirely, completely, absolutely, downright alone. He found himself walking in the steps we all walk, the footsteps of despair, the point when we wonder, "My God, my God .... why have you forsaken me?" And I think at this moment that God himself had to have wept as he heard His Son cry out , "Why."
"I thirst." ... "It is finished" ... I think that not only did this man thirst for water for his swollen tongue, his raspy throat, his dehydrated body, but I think he also had a thirst for the living water of baptism. The promise of those waters seems so far from him right now, and Jesus is clinging to the hope ... to that hope of eternal life. And again he is mocked, they take a wine vinegar, and put to his parched lips ... and Jesus says, "It is finished." Now I know this is getting long ... but I want to share a little bit out of my most favorite Max Lucado book, God Came Near.
And I quote, "The voice that screamed at God, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me,' now says, 'Father.' The two are again one. The abandoned is now found. 'Father,' he smiles weakly. 'It's over.' Satan's vultures have been scattered. Hell's demons have been jailed. Death has been damned. The sun is out. The SON is out. It's over. An angel sighs. A star wipes away a tear. Take me home. Yes, take him home. Take the prince to see his king. Take this Son to his Father. Farewell manger's infant, bless you holy ambassador, go home death slayer, rest well sweet soldier the battle is over."
Not only was it over, fulfilled, or complete ... It is finished.
And then he spoke clearly, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit." then he breathed his last. Why? Why did he take the energy to speak ... why those words? Well ... I think he prayed, he proclaimed his faith in God. Into the darkness, as the light of the world goes out, he spoke. And he breathed his last.
God bless each of you ... ... ... until soon
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