the first station

In honor of this most holy Season of Lent, I thought I would share some of my musings on the Stations of the Cross.  Meditating on the sufferings of Christ in a more purposeful and specific way has helped me a great deal in drawing nearer to Christ and seeing how we too can offer our individual sufferings to God and allow Him to transform them into new life for us.  Here is the first installment.  I pray that you too may be drawn into the Heart of Christ in a new way this Lent that you may know the incomprehensible Love that He holds for you.

Station 1: Jesus is condemned to death

I saw their ways, but I will heal them and lead them; I will give full comfort to them and to those who mourn for them, I, the Creator, who gave them life.  Isaiah 57:18-19

“Now on the occasion of the feast he used to release to them one prisoner whom they requested. A man called Barabbas was then in prison along with the rebels who had committed murder in a rebellion. The crowd came forward and began to ask him to do for them as he was accustomed. Pilate answered, “Do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” For he knew that it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed him over. But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas for them instead. Pilate again said to them in reply, “Then what [do you want] me to do with [the man you call] the king of the Jews?” They shouted again, “Crucify him.” Pilate said to them, “Why? What evil has he done?” They only shouted the louder, “Crucify him.” So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them and, after he had Jesus scourged, handed him over to be crucified.” Mark 15: 6-15

Isn’t it strange that there was a tradition to release a prisoner to celebrate a feast?  Humans are strange creatures, aren’t we?  We turn away from Love Himself and choose other than what we were created for.  That first line in the quote from Isaiah: “I saw their ways”.  It makes me want to turn my head in shame, for He does see our ways.  Our ways of selfishness and pride.  He saw what we would do to His Son, but He still said “I will heal them and lead them; I will give full comfort to them”.  What wondrous Love is this?  My soul cries this question to our Creator.  His answer:
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways...
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
my thoughts higher than your thoughts” Isaiah 55: 8-9

We would never have chosen this way to be redeemed.  Not out of our own love, but out of selfishness.  We don’t like things to be messy or painful.  We don’t like to look at the effects of our sin in the face and see sin for what it really is.  We couldn’t stand the Beauty of Jesus.  We couldn’t look at Love in the face in our condition.  We preferred the face of a murderer than that of our compassionate and Loving God.

Thankfully, God doesn’t go by what feels most comfortable to us.  He goes by what is best for us.  He invented tough love.  Love that willingly sacrifices and completely gives without counting the cost.  Jesus wanted us to be with Him so much and desired our eternal happiness so much that He counted not the cost of leaving Heaven.  All He could see were His beloved sheep in need of a shepherd.  
One of my absolute favorite moments in Jesus’ earthly ministry:
“At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned,  like sheep without a shepherd” Matthew 9: 36
He saw us and was so moved, not by our virtues and wonderful qualities, but because we were just as we are.  Like little sheep that cannot do anything without Him.  To Him, we are beautiful and worth saving just as we are.  

He saw that time in history.  He saw that instead of showing any shred of compassion for Jesus, who was guilty of no crime, the crowds asked for a murderer to be released.  He still wanted us.  He saw the nails being driven into His hands.  He still wanted us.  He saw the weight of every single sin that He would carry so that we could be set free.  He still wanted us.  

What wondrous Love is this?  How do we respond to this Love?  How dare we receive it after all we have done?  

Our only hope is to respond with humility.  To say as the centurion said to Jesus: “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed” Matthew 8:8

To reject His Love and His Mercy and the gift of Salvation would be the ultimate offense.  He gave His very Body and Blood, and still gives it, so that we might be with Him.  All we must do is surrender to Him ourselves.  Our imperfect heart is what He desires.  Let’s give Him the one thing that He was willing to give up Heaven in order to have for eternity.  Ourselves.  

Have a beautiful weekend!