The Glory and Suffering of the One Sent by God

Prayer-Soldier

The Glory and Suffering of the One Sent by God

Scripture:

And when they were drawing near to Jerusalem and to Bethania, at the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, and said to them: Go into the village that is over against you, and immediately at your coming therein, you shall find a colt tied, upon which no man yet has sat. Loose him and bring him. And if any man shall say to you: What are you doing? Say that the Lord has need of him. And immediately he will let him come hither. And going their way, they found the colt tied before the gate without, in the meeting of two ways. And they loose him. And some of them that stood there said to them: What do you loosing the colt? Who said to them as Jesus had commanded them. And they let him go with them. And they brought the colt to Jesus. And they lay their garments on him: and he sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down boughs from the trees and strewed them in the way. And they that went before and they that followed cried, saying: Hosanna: Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed be the kingdom of our father David that comes: Hosanna in the highest. (Mark 11:1-10)

The Lord has given me a learned tongue, that I should know how to uphold by word him that is weary: he wakens in the morning, in the morning he wakens my ear, that I may hear him as a master. The Lord God has opened my ear, and I do not resist: I have not gone back. I have given my body to the strikers, and my cheeks to them that plucked them: I have not turned away my face from them that rebuked me, and spit upon me. The Lord God is my helper, therefore am I not confounded: therefore have I set my face as a most hard rock, and I know that I shall not be confounded. (Isaiah 50:4-7)

Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man. He humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. For which cause, God also has exalted him and has given him a name which is above all names: That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: And that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)

And straightway in the morning, the chief priests holding a consultation with the ancients and the scribes and the whole council, binding Jesus, led him away and delivered him to Pilate. And Pilate asked him: Art thou the king of the Jews? But he answering, said to him: You say it. And the chief priests accused him in many things. And Pilate again asked him, saying: Do you answer nothing? Behold in how many things they accuse you. But Jesus still answered nothing: so that Pilate wondered.

Now on the festival day he wanted to release unto them one of the prisoners, whomsoever they demanded. And there was one called Barabbas, who was put in prison with some seditious men, who in the sedition had committed murder. And when the multitude came up, they began to desire that he would do as he had ever done unto them. And Pilate answered them and said: Will you that I release to you the king of the Jews? For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him up out of envy. But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas to them. And Pilate again answering, said to them: What will you then that I do to the king of the Jews? But they again cried out: Crucify him. And Pilate said to them: Why, what evil has he done? But they cried out the more: Crucify him.

And so Pilate being willing to satisfy the people, released to them Barabbas: and delivered up Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. And the soldiers led him away into the court of the palace: and they called together the whole band. And they clothed him with purple: and, platting a crown of thorns, they put it upon him. And they began to salute him: Hail, king of the Jews. And they struck his head with a reed: and they did spit on him. And bowing their knees, they adored him.

And after they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him and put his own garments on him: and they led him out to crucify him. And they forced one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and of Rufus, to take up his cross. And they bring him into the place called Golgotha, which being interpreted is, The place of Calvary. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh. But he took it not. And crucifying him, they divided his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.

And it was the third hour: and they crucified him. And the inscription of his cause was written over: THE KING OF THE JEWS. And with him they crucify two thieves: the one on his right hand, and the other on his left. And the scripture was fulfilled, which said: And with the wicked he was reputed.

And they that passed by blasphemed him, wagging their heads and saying: Vah, you that destroyed the temple of God and in three days build it up again: Save yourself, coming down from the cross. In like manner also the chief priests, mocking, said with the scribes one to another: He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the king of Israel come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him, reviled him.

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole earth until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying: Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabacthani? Which is, being interpreted: My God, My God, Why hast thou forsaken me? And some of the standers by hearing, said: Behold he calls Elias. And one running and filling a sponge with vinegar and putting it upon a reed, gave him to drink, saying: Stay, let us see if Elias comes to take him down. And Jesus, having cried out with a loud voice, gave up the ghost. And the veil of the temple was rent in two, from the top to the bottom. And the centurion who stood over against him, seeing that crying out in this manner he had given up the ghost. said: Indeed this man was the son of God. (Mark 15:1-39)

Reflection:

How the people throng to the just King, the trusted leader. As Jesus entered the city, those with faith cheered the greatness before them for the glory of God was in their midst. As it was prophesied, the King came to Jerusalem, humble, riding on a colt, the foul of a donkey. As it was prophesied, the King came to the people to banish the bow of the warrior and to proclaim peace to the nations. The crowds came before Him with palms to pave the way and joy filled the hearts of those who thronged to Him.

If all the land had accepted Him, the people would have seen peace in their day. Instead, there were those who rejected Him. They turned from Him because they did not know Him. They turned from Him because they did not understand the wisdom of what He tried to teach them. As it was then, it is now; the faithful seek Him and the blessings of His Word, but those who do not know Him reject Him and the blessings which could be theirs.

The Son He sent to the world was sent to be the salvation of the children of His creation. He could have sent Him with armies of angels to vanquish the evil of the world, instead, He sent Him with a greater power; the power of the wisdom of the Word. Though battles have been raged and evil has been fought the healing of the children of His creation will come only through the blessings of the Word. Those who accept the Word made flesh will find eternal light, but those who reject Him will fall to eternal darkness.

Though He could have called every angel to protect Him, it was not to be for there was a greater purpose; the purpose of sacrifice for the salvation of the world. He told us there is no greater love than for one to lay down their life for a friend. He faced the scourging, suffering and death on the cross so that all the children of His creation could be saved through His sacrifice. Those who understand what was done for them bow before His name and pray in thanks and praise for the salvation offered them and the blessings brought through His resurrection.

As it was then, it is now; the battle of faith rages with many unknowing of what they do and what they reject when they withhold their belief in Him. There are those who scoff at His memory and persecute those who follow Him. There are others who seek to confound the faithful and seduce them away from their God just as the evil one attempted to seduce the Son away from the Father.

As the faithful walk the land, there are those who believe in a different path. There are those who believe that man created God rather than the One who created all. The unbelievers look around and believe they can explain all the complexity which exists and all which cannot be explained through a mere combination of chances and accidents; yet with all their intelligence and intellect, they are unable to reproduce even the smallest form of life. Though they cannot fathom what renders life, they scoff at those who accept it from their Creator. Those who do not understand are able to build great structures and machines of great power, yet, the true understanding of life eludes them because they have no true understanding of it, they have no true respect for it; they only perceive it as beginning and ending; they do not understand how it can be eternal.

Many thronged to Him as word of His power to heal spread through the land. Those who believed in Him accepted the miracles He performed. Though they could not explain how He made the lame walk, the deaf hear, the blind see or the dead come back to life; they saw in Him what others could not see; the power of compassion and love. Though He did great works, it was not for the healing of the body which He came to the world, it was the healing of the soul. Those who listened, heard and understood His Word; those who came to believe in Him received through Him the gift of eternal life.

Those who did not understand saw Him as a threat to their power. Those who did not understand scoffed at what they had been told. Though He did works they could not explain and taught with wisdom they could not contradict, they believed they knew God better than God Himself. They simply did not understand who stood in the midst before them and so they sought to deal with Him by demanding His death.

Though He was betrayed and turned over to those who did not understand, there were the faithful who wept bitterly as the events which were prophesied unfolded before them. It was all to be so that the One sent to teach the message of love could offer Himself in sacrifice as the greatest example of it. Those who understood knelt to worship Him, but as an example of His Word for all to see and follow, He humbled himself before all He came to save.

As it was then, it is now; the battle of evil and faith continues to rage; but it will not end until all the children of His creation come to fully understand the Word and the purpose of His commandments. As long as people walk the earth in selfishness, evil will have a hold until the last day when He will hold all to account.

For some, the appreciation of what happened by His sacrifice will be revealed through small moments of understanding. For some, the appreciation of what happened by His sacrifice will be revealed in one great flash. For some, they will never comprehend for they choose to remain blind, they refuse to hear, they refuse to let go of the selfishness which consumes them.

And so the day has passed, the day where the Word made flesh set into motion that which cannot be overcome by evil. As it was then, it is now; only the children of His creation can make the choice of what they believe, what they will accept, what they will reject. As it was then, it is now; choices will be made, choices which will be written for eternity; choices which are righteous and choices which can only be forgiven through the belief in and acceptance of the One who gave himself over so that all who follow Him and seek to live His Word might be saved. As it was then, it is now; the hope for the one who sins is through the One who has offered a new covenant for the forgiveness of sins. Blessed are those who have come to understand the sacrifice made for all and turn to Him in thanks and praise for the wonder of His sorrowful passion offered for the salvation of the whole world.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier