If honest, we only hope the fruit of our labor will show, brilliantly, or matter greatly.
Jesus’ love included having a Crown of Thorns placed upon His Precious Head, the thorns imbedding into His brow. Is this the fruit of His labor He wanted to show, to show brilliantly and matter greatly?
Yes.
As God, He could have halted all of the crucifixion process.
He washed the disciples’ feet, even His accuser, He washed his feet, also.
Enough is enough he cried, like I.
But as God, He must display that suffering is part of the brilliance of the Greatest Story. The beautiful red flowers above, sit atop of stems encased with thorns on every side.
We don’t like dealing with the thorns, we want the lovely red color to show to our neighbors. We rush to Easter. We are Peter, cutting off the soldier’s ear – ‘don’t hurt my Jesus’ and then we deny our association with Him when the pressure increases, the powerful demand our allegiance.
We asked if we could go with him and He said, not now,
but you will follow me…must we wear a crown of thorns?
Fame is what many desire. Me? The “fame” of Jesus, drawing people to His Heart, to His Father’s Heart? The journey to Jerusalem includes the suffering, most especially if our desire is for earthly fame. “I AM” He reminded us and we waivered in belief. Making bricks out of mud and straw and yet, grace showed us His glorious parting of the Red Sea.
What, my friends, are the bricks you are making that you don’t feel you should “slave” over? What suffering have you been offered that will allow you to know Jesus deeper and deeper as He parts the Red Sea for you moment by moment?
“No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing;
but I have called you friends,
for all things that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15
Receive Good Friday,
receive and hold His Crown of Thorns
as His brilliant show of blood shed for the world He came to save.
Here is a magnificent rendition of Via Dolorosa shared by Sandra, a POP Chaplain in Brazil.
May we silence ourselves in these days; embracing our suffering as a gift to lay at His Feet.
Then, together, we may rush to His empty tomb and rejoice in His brilliant Resurrection!
Halleluiah and Amen!