Matthew 27:39-40
Find a place and time free of distractions for the next 7-10 minutes. Sit comfortably and breathe deeply for a few seconds before you begin. As you breathe in, say the name of Jesus and become aware of his presence with you. As you breathe out, open your mind and heart to receive whatever Jesus has for you today.
As we contemplate the death of Jesus in slow motion, read Matthew 27:39-40 continuing to remain present to your emotions and reactions.
Perhaps there is no clearer example of the cancerous nature of hatred than this picture of Jesus hanging on an instrument of torture while passersby mock him in his agony. What began as an annoyance to the religious leaders and grew to become a gnawing jealousy of Jesus’ ministry, took root and continued to expand into an out and out murderous hatred for Jesus as a person. The contagious nature of this hatred is so virulent that even uninvolved people are caught up in it as they walk by.
Unexamined reactions and emotions do not merely go away. They tend to fester and spread until they have the power to undermine even our best intentions.
Take a moment to still yourself in the presence of Jesus. Breathe deeply receiving your breath as a gift from God until you are quieted and centered.
Now invite the Holy Spirit to bring to mind any unexamined feelings you may about another person or group of people. Let the Spirit speak to you about this.
Read Matthew 27:39-40 again.
Often when we hear of someone being punished for a crime, our honest gut reaction is satisfaction that justice has been served. We have a deep, innate longing for wrongs to be righted and for the balance of justice to be restored when others go afoul of what we believe to be right and good. But as flawed and fallen people, the process by which we develop our sense of right and wrong is imprecise and prone to error.
The great paradox in the scene described in today’s passage is that the “criminal” hanging on a cross in the middle of two rebels is the only person who’s sense of justice is always right.
Jesus is the truth and Jesus is the essence of justice as God defines it. Our inner longing for justice is a distorted echo of the image of God in us. We can trust only Jesus to guide us towards rightness and justice.
For the final moments of this time of reflection, talk openly with Jesus about how you are seeking to let him shape your sense of right and wrong. Then get quiet and listen to him.
What do you sense Jesus saying to you today?
What will you do in response?
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