Holy Saturday--April 15, 2017
Over these weeks of Lent, Kathy and I have invited you to journey with
us as we have considered some of the well-known prayers found in
Scripture. With you, we have considered
David’s prayer for a clean heart and renewal of a right spirit…and Jesus’ own
instruction to the Disciples regarding “how” to pray. In these culminating days of Holy Week, we
will consider Jesus’ personal prayer at his greatest time of trial.
--Scott
There are many perspectives from which one can interpret
scripture. Obviously, a literal
interpretation—taking the words, events, and descriptions exactly as they
appear on the Biblical page—is one approach, and one that many use. The risk, in my experience, comes in applying
our 21st century meanings to a language in which these writings were
not originally penned or spoken. Without
considerable study and a deep knowledge of the meanings of Greek, Hebrew, and
various Middle Eastern languages and dialects in the vernacular of origin for
these texts, all “literal” interpretations do become largely “subjective.”
One can also interpret scripture through a lens of symbolism
and application (note that I said “also,” not “instead,” as any individual can
employ varied approaches to interpreting scriptural text). What are the greater, deeper meanings of the
words, events and descriptions? How do
those deeper meanings relate to, or transform, my experience?
The entire narrative of the Passion of Christ—indeed the whole
week leading up to the Crucifixion—is so laden with drama, politics, grandeur,
and tragedy—that a literal approach in and of itself can be, well, overwhelming.
A cast of thousands, heroes and villains, plots and subplots, graphic
violence, earthquakes, dark clouds, and supernatural phenomena abound. As the central figure and protagonist, Jesus
the Christ’s manifestation as the Son of the Almighty God can overshadow the
moment which, to me, is the most powerful example of Jesus the Human Being, the one just like us…
A few years ago, a friend shared a sentiment I’ve now heard
many times since: “Every person is
fighting his or her own great battle…so be kind to each person you meet.” Indeed, suffering is one of the common
experiences we all share as humans. Existential threats, worries about things
only imagined, poverty, physical pain and illness, loss—all of these and more are
inescapable for anyone living and breathing on this great planet. Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “To live is to
suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering."
Sometimes I think we forget (or at least minimize) the very human nature of Jesus by focusing solely on His
divinity. Perhaps this is thanks to the
portrayals of Him in films and stories over the years, combined with the many
missing details of his life. He often seems to be "above" the day-to-day experiences that the “regular”
folks have.
But was Lazarus’ death the only time that Jesus wept? You might think so from the limited and
literal interpretation of what’s on the Biblical page. Did he ever have a cross word with Mary or
Joseph, or a moment of adolescent rebellion?
Did Jesus ever have the flu? Did
he have a pet he loved and lost, and the broken heart that followed? Did he ever fall in love?
Just the thought of answering some of these questions is
challenging for many, if for no other reason than the notion of Jesus being
both “human” and “divine” is challenging for our limited understanding. We may even think it’s “blasphemous” to ask
such questions, even silently. Easier to
fixate only on the mystical, "God-Man" nature of Jesus as The Christ than to
consider all of it together.
Yet, there at the very depth of the Passion narrative is
Jesus at his most human, just like us,
I dare say. Because who among us who has
ever suffered greatly, been paralyzingly afraid, felt desperately alone, did
not in some way cry out, “My God! My God!
Why have you abandoned me?”
This is the cry of the weeping father over the casket of his
own child…of the young mother who has learned of a devastating diagnosis…of the
teenager who has learned that an unexpected baby is on the way…of the sole
provider suddenly laid off a job…of a community in ruins after an earthquake…of
a country in ruins after years of no rain, or the devastating rain of
warfare.
This is the cry of a suffering world.
Hanging on the cross, facing an inevitable end, he cried
out, “Eli! Eli! Lema sabachtani? (Matthew 27:46)” This is
not a new prayer, one we see attributed only to Jesus in scripture. No, this is a familiar prayer of David predating
the time of Jesus by centuries, found in Psalm 22. This cry of desperation echoes from a long
past across the ages, through Jesus, to us today.
Jesus' cry is the cry of humanity.
Are we bold enough to claim more than the joy of the
resurrection… that, in suffering, Jesus’ story is our story? We can celebrate the Resurrection with
thanksgiving; at the same time, we can also be thankful that the One who was
resurrected was human enough to cry
out to God in desperation and anguish…just like us.
“This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all
of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin (Hebrews 4:15).”
One of the greater, deeper meanings found in the Passion
narrative is that life is a continuous cycle of suffering, death, and
resurrection. We see this pattern played
out in all of nature, not just in our human experience.
None of us can escape the suffering. Even the Son of God wasn’t able to do
so. And we know, as sure as day follows
night, joy will eventually return in the morning………