None of us WANT to hurt.
And as I’ve said before, I do think it is possible for someone’s heart to literally hurt as it is emotionally breaking.
Richard Rohr writes about how the Franciscans were great catalysts in the world understanding the crucifixion in a more profound way.
John Duns Scotus (1266-1308) taught that instead of us understanding the crucifixion as a “necessary sacrifice” – what if we see the cross as a freely chosen revelation of TOTAL LOVE on God’s part. It is the absolute beautiful example of God’s love reaching out to us.
It wasn’t about “spilling blood to get to a distant and demanding God.” Rather, it was and is a profound demonstration of God’s outpouring love. If we allow it to, this monumental and radical demonstration of love can “utterly shock the heart and turn it back toward trust and love of the Creator.”
Today as we gaze upon the image of the crucified Jesus, may it soften our hearts to all suffering.
May we do our own “grief work” and recognize that as we each hold the mystery of pain, we can look at it, focus on it, and learn from it.
I promise . . . if we hold the pain and if we are willing to do the hard soul work that comes with emotional and physical suffering, we will get to the other side.
We will travel through the valley and goodness, joy, peace, hope, and great love – they will define our days.
But first, we must sit in the darkness, gaze upon the suffering, and know . . . Great Lessons Come From Great Pain!
The Crucifixion
They took Jesus away. Carrying his cross, Jesus went out to the place called Skull Hill (the name in Hebrew is Golgotha), where they crucified him, and with him two others, one on each side, Jesus in the middle. Pilate wrote a sign and had it placed on the cross. It read:
jesus the nazarene
the king of the jews.
20-21 Many of the Jews read the sign because the place where Jesus was crucified was right next to the city. It was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. The Jewish high priests objected. “Don’t write,” they said to Pilate, “‘The King of the Jews.’ Make it, ‘This man said, “I am the King of the Jews.”’”
22 Pilate said, “What I’ve written, I’ve written.”
23-24 When they crucified him, the Roman soldiers took his clothes and divided them up four ways, to each soldier a fourth. But his robe was seamless, a single piece of weaving, so they said to each other, “Let’s not tear it up. Let’s throw dice to see who gets it.” This confirmed the Scripture that said, “They divided up my clothes among them and threw dice for my coat.” (The soldiers validated the Scriptures!)
24-27 While the soldiers were looking after themselves, Jesus’ mother, his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of the cross. Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother.
28 Jesus, seeing that everything had been completed so that the Scripture record might also be complete, then said, “I’m thirsty.”
29-30 A jug of sour wine was standing by. Someone put a sponge soaked with the wine on a javelin and lifted it to his mouth. After he took the wine, Jesus said, “It’s done . . . complete.” Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit.