Excerpts from the Peanut Gallery

Good Friday

Its Good Friday.

Bloodied; brutally beaten; spat upon; mocked; insulted; laughed at; tortured; left to die; executed like a common criminal- the perfect one, the Holy one. The absolute injustice of it being him who takes this- the abysmal wretchedness of it makes me cringe.

"The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him... It was the third hour when they crucified him... In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. 'He saved others,' they said. 'But he can't save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe' Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi lama sabachthani?'- which means, 'My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?'...

With a loud cry Jesus breathed his last.

The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom."

-Mark 15:16-20, 25, 31-34, 37-38

There just isn't enough to express the inadequacy, the unworthiness, the insufficient feelings. I should be overwhelmed; to the point where I throw myself to the ground, face down, howling at the searing lack of recognition for what this day marks and who he is. This is what I wanted to do earlier today- I still want to do it. But of course I don't, we have decorum. But I am starting to wonder- maybe... have we reached that point where no one would mind?

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love,
according to your great compassion blot out my transgression
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts, you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore me to the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me..."

-Ps. 51:1-12

I am in awe of this: that in the middle of his death this occurs:

"One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: 'Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!'
But the other criminal rebuked him. 'Don't you fear God,' he said, 'since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.'
Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.'
Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.'"
- Luke 23:39-43

wow, I can't even imagine what it would be to be that criminal. Thank God he recognised he was being slaughtered next to the greatest one, the one who really was who he said he was, who would save him, and who would return. This guy gets it. In the midst of his depravity and guilt, he asks and receives freedom.

posted by Kiki @ 10:19 p.m.