Word to the Wise
Friday, April 10, 2009 - Good Friday of the Lord's Passion
[Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12; Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:7-9; John 18:1 -19:42]Through his suffering, my servant shall justify many, and their guilt he shall bear.
Good Friday is everywhere. Every crucifix and every cross proclaim it. Every word proclaimed in the eerily majestic passage from Isaiah is shouted from every crucifix Every cross speaks to us of one who knows our weaknesses and pains as proclaimed in the passage from Hebrews! Both crucifix and cross preach the story of Good Friday. It is not a tale of the past but a present drama, as the passion account from the Gospel of John reveals! After we hear these scriptures today and the prayers of intention, we are invited to come forward to reverence the cross. At places where I have presided over the service, I have added nails and vinegar to serve as additional reminders of the suffering lest we get too vague about our actions. Every crucifix is a reminder of what Christ has done for us. Every cross is a reminder of his invitation to take up our own cross and follow him. Throughout the world today the suffering of all humanity is lifted up and blessed with hope in the midst of pain. The list is endless and its magnitude more than any one person can bear except for that one person, Jesus, who suffered and died for us all. AMEN