A Garden of Suffering

From the Pastor… A Garden of Suffering

 

According to Morgan Cutolo in an article “The 15 Most Bizarre Perks of the Royal Family”: when the current queen of England, Queen Elizabeth II dies, the people of Britain are banned from being funny on public television.  The BBC isn’t allowed to air anything humorous for the 12 days between the Queen’s death and funeral. The BBC will immediately stop what they’re doing, announce her death, and start airing pre-recorded documentaries about the Queen’s life. The station even has black suits and ties ready to be thrown on at a moment’s notice.

 

Good Friday has traditionally been a day when Christians take the death of our king, Jesus of Nazareth, most seriously. In their book, The Last Week: A Day‑By‑Day Account of Jesus’ Final Week, scholars Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan recall a time when the world seemed to stop on Good Friday—school was dismissed, businesses closed, and churches held multi‑hour services to lead the faithful through the experiences of the day. – Strangely enough, Holy Week 2020 finds schools and businesses closed and NO church services, but for a very different reason

 

Our Good Friday remembrance this year can begin and end in a garden; two separate gardens. The first we is the Garden of Gethsemane, a Garden of Betrayal, for it was there Judas betrayed Jesus. Matthew and Luke detail Jesus’ natural reluctance to experience the agony of the cross. In Gethsemane he prays, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” But then he adds, “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” — Jesus’ suffering was both physical and emotional as he faced a most painful and degrading death.

 

When you and I go through painful and degrading situations we need to know that Jesus understands and hurts for us. He experienced such a brutal trial himself.

 

On the other hand, His death is not the end of the story. On Sunday morning in another garden, the women went to the tomb of Jesus and found… what?

 

 

                 God’s best to you,     

                            Lee