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– Friday of the Passion of The Lord –
‘Just as there were many who were astonished at him—so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of mortals—so he shall startle many nations; kings shall shut their mouths because of him; for that which had not been told them they shall see, and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate. [Isaiah 52:14–15]
Jesus, knowing all that was to befall him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” [John 18:4–5]
Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”’ [John 18:37]
We begin by noting that the things of God are never what they seem. The three brief excerpts from the Good Friday readings are testimony to things being different to how they first appear.
The suffering servant depicted by the prophet Isaiah locates the holy one as the one who suffers so terribly that those who cannot engage with what they see turn away.
When it comes to the truths of God, we often turn away. We have our expectations of what a life of faith means, so we are blinded by those expectations.
The misconception that often prevailed throughout the Old Testament and into the New was that suffering was a sign that God had rejected the person. The righteous person was thought not to suffer because God was on their side, protecting them. Suffering then becomes a sign that God is angry with a person. That has nothing to do with the real Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The reality of how God works in and around us belies outward appearances, easy answers and trick ‘gospel’ messages. Our inability to see the reality of God is pre-echoed by those who came looking for Jesus (“For whom are you looking for?”) and by Pilate (“Are you a king?”). Their failure to see what was before them should not be allowed to be our failure.
As we contemplate the Gospels, we see who Jesus really is. Jesus is truly human and truly divine. He is God the Son incarnate.
by Shane Dwyer
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