Holy Week Reflections- Part 5

Scripture reading:  Luke 23:39-43

³⁹One of the criminals hanging alongside cursed him: "Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!"

   ^{40 -41}But the other one made him shut up: "Have you no fear of God? You're getting the same as him. We deserve this, but not him—he did nothing to deserve this."

   ⁴²Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom."

   ⁴³He said, "Don't worry, I will. Today you will join me in paradise."  (The Message)

Reflection:

 As we watch the crucifixion from a distance of 2,000 years, it is easy for us to rebuke the thief who is mocking Jesus.  Surely we would have known who he was if we were there with him.  But in our hearts of hearts, we know that it takes much less than being nailed to a cross for us to turn away from Jesus.  When life gets confusing, agonizing, or dangerous, we too can turn on Jesus and like the criminal on the cross we cry out- “why aren’t you saving us from this?”  In the end, we can see ourselves in the thief- for there is no distinction, St. Paul says-  since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

The other thief saw through the blood, the pain, and the utter absurdity of a crucified messiah, and asked Jesus to remember him when he came into his kingdom.  Did he truly see the King of Kings, or was he just hedging bets in case Jesus was the real thing?  We do not know, but Jesus promise of love to the thief was real. “Today you will be with me in paradise”. 

 Our response to Jesus doesn’t change Jesus’ love and faithfulness, any more than the thief’s ridicule made Jesus betray his mission of love.

God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.  In Jesus we see love in action, even in the face of ingratitude, fear and hatred.



Oh Sacred Head Now Wounded

Text: Anonymous; trans. by Paul Gerhardt and James W. Alexander
Music: Hans L. Hassler, 1564-1612; harm. by J.S. Bach, 1685-1750

1. O sacred Head, now wounded, 
 with grief and shame weighed down, 
 now scornfully surrounded 
 with thorns, thine only crown: 
 how pale thou art with anguish, 
 with sore abuse and scorn! 
 How does that visage languish 
 which once was bright as morn! 

2. What thou, my Lord, has suffered 
 was all for sinners' gain; 
 mine, mine was the transgression, 
 but thine the deadly pain. 
 Lo, here I fall, my Savior! 
 'Tis I deserve thy place; 
 look on me with thy favor, 
 vouchsafe to me thy grace. 

3. What language shall I borrow 
 to thank thee, dearest friend, 
 for this thy dying sorrow, 
 thy pity without end? 
 O make me thine forever; 
 and should I fainting be, 
 Lord, let me never, never 
 outlive my love for thee. 

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