But He didn’t, He sacrificed

Easter is fast approaching, Holy week will be upon us soon, are you ready? Am I ready? If I were to respond to this question honestly I would have to say no, I am not ready. In fact I am no were near ready!

Who really is ready for the death and resurrection of our Lord? Who can truly say they have used Lent and it’s 40 days to the fullest? I know I can’t, wish I could, but I can’t. I have failed yet again, each Lent I tell myself that this year will be different, that this year I will make a bigger effort, that I will keep all my sacrifices, that this year Lent will truly transform me. And each year I eat my words!

This year, like all the years past, I have done some things better than others, some sacrifices I have kept, but over all I failed. What if Jesus did this, what if when he was in the desert being tempted by the devil, he allowed himself to fail, he allowed himself to give in to a few of the smaller temptations.

I mean would God really be that mad if Jesus turned a rock in to bread. God would understand , wouldn’t he, I mean it has been 40 day, and Jesus didn’t eat. Man has to eat something, I know I get cranky if I miss lunch, and Jesus went 40 days with out food, so really what is one rock turned in to bread when you consider the larger picture?

But Jesus didn’t, he sacrificed…

What if Jesus resisted arrest? What if he allowed Peter to fight for him. We all would expect our friends to fight for us, to protect us when an injustice is being done. Jesus had all the right in the world to run from his captors, he could have defended himself. Jesus, like Peter, could have drawn a sward to fight off those who wanted to kill him. The bible would have even backed him up on this, the old testament would have allowed him to protect himself. And really, could God have gotten mad at Jesus for protecting the gift of life?

But Jesus didn’t, he sacrificed…

And Jesus could have defended himself in court, he could have told them that he was the Son of God, preformed a few miracles and proved it. Jesus could have spoken up, could have told them all what they were about to do. I know I would have, I would have done everything in my power to protect myself, but Jesus stood there saying nothing. Would a loving and understanding God have condemned Jesus for standing up for himself? Surly God would have understood, Jesus has a right to speak, to save himself.

But Jesus didn’t, he sacrificed…

What id Jesus didn’t speak from the cross, we all would understand, he was in lots of pain. What if he never promised the good thief salvation, really what difference would it make? And what if he never to John, the one he loved, to care for his mother, I am sure someone would have. What if Jesus remained silent, saying nothing. God would understand, Jesus was in pain, saving his strength to hold on to this earthly life a little bit longer. Would he love him any less? He was only doing what any human would do.

But he didn’t, he sacrificed…

What if Jesus did come down from the cross when he was being taunted, what if he just walked away, surly that would have proven his claim as the Son of Man. What if Jesus just ascended to heave at that moment, and bypassed all the pain and suffering, avoided all the humiliation. Just took his seat at the right hand of God. I mean Jesus is God, so he could have, and can God truly get mad at himself?

But he didn’t, he sacrificed…

The road Jesus walked to Calvary was not short walk, nor was it an easy walk. The walk was filled with pain and suffering, humiliation and taunting. The walk was not a one days journey for Jesus, for it it was he would have fought back, spoken up and bypassed all the suffering. No the walk to Calvary was a 33 year walk, one taken one step at a time.

We all are on this walk, we all are preparing for our end, just as Jesus was. But Jesus understood something that we all to often forget, the end we are preparing for is truly the beginning.

Jesus suffered humiliation knowing that in doing so he would be exulted in heaven, Jesus suffered pain knowing that the pain would be love in heaven, Jesus sacrificed life knowing that a new life awaited him on the other side.

Jesus was not short sighted, he was able to see the promised land, the land of milk and honey, and he knew he had to pay the price of entry not only for himself but also for us.

Jesus paid for our salvation, and nothing we can do will every equal the price he paid. But the little acts we perform, the good works we allow God to work through us are outwardly signs of devotion to our faith, to our Lord.

Lent is a time of preparation, a time to remind ourselves that we are on a walk to Calvary, a time to remember that our Lord suffered for us, that he sacrificed for us. So truly what sacrifice can we offer back, what humiliation can we endure, what pain can we feel that will come even close to that our our Lords? None, none at all, for we are all to human to feel such things. But we can offer them up, we can strive to know, and we can pray for courage that if one day we do achieve the goal, that Jesus will teach us  endure.

So yes I failed in my Lenten tasks, I have let not only myself down but also God, but in my humanity I understand that this is a fact, and in my humility I turn to God to ask for his graces so I can try yet again.

Jesus could have failed, he was human in all ways, but he didn’t, he sacrificed…

Paul