Good Friday

This story is rife with elements that offend the sensibilities of 21^st century Americans.  So much is so wrong in the story of the suffering and death of Jesus.  Jesus was up against a “system” that was corrupt and self-serving: when it suited the needs of the religious or civil authorities both were willing to cooperate for personal or corporate gain.

Jesus is hauled in on trumped-up charges on the word of a money-grabbing traitor.  False witnesses are seriously entertained.  He is judged by a governor who admits ignorance of truth.  He is subjected to the brutality of the military police.  The sentence is handed down by a mob of the kangaroo court that found Jesus guilty.

A known rebel and murderer is set free and Jesus becomes the victim.  Nothing here is as it should have been.  Northing here is right or fair or just.  Everything here is so wrong.  “Jesus, innocent and without sin, gave himself into our hands and was nailed to a cross.”  Jesus is the victim: “the lamb led to the slaughter,” who took upon himself our sins, our failures, our injustices, our infidelities.

Everything here is so wrong, and yet it is in this very injustice done to Christ that we are justified before God.  It was “our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured… he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins; upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole… upon him was laid the guilt of us all… by the stripes on his back, we were healed.”

If this story in any way offends our sensibilities, let us use our indignation to fuel our efforts to right the injustices in the governments, civil and ecclesial, of the institutions to which we belong; let us use our righteous anger to rescue the innocent victimized by war, power and finance; let us use our embarrassment to right the wrongs in our own lives, in our families, our communities and our work.

In a few moments, we will come forward to venerate the cross of Jesus.  It will be a time to praise God for the mercy shown us in Jesus’ love; a time to lay down our burdens at the foot of the cross of him who has already carried them for us; a time to remember that Jesus asks us to shoulder the burdens of those who suffer today.  All this we do in memory of Jesus, our Passover and our lasting peace.

Paul A. Magnano

Pastor