Daily Worship

Voiceless

Jo Penn March 20, 2024 5 4
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Mark 15: 40-41 (NRSVA)

40 There were also women looking on from a distance; among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. 41 These used to follow him and provided for him when he was in Galilee; and there were many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem.

Mary Magdalene stands with the women, looking on:

I was beside myself with weeping, numb with grief, with sobs stuck deep in my belly — deep inside — trying to hold the shock, the scenes of violence, the force unleashed against my Lord. Why did he walk that road? Why did he not defend himself? Why did he not call the very angels down to help him?

I could not believe my eyes – so beaten up he was, hardly able to walk, and weighed down with the beam, falling, so physically weak, so worn, so determined to walk with as much dignity as possible. And who he met, yes, who he met on the way, tell stories of encounter — wonder in the midst of horror — He stared into their eyes, with love and compassion — just like he had looked at me, when he forgave me and set me free.

I was compelled with tears to give him the best that I had, my solidarity, to thank him for my life, to honour his life… To honour his life, the life that he chose, yes, he chose to give up. Not for some grand heroic gesture, but for deep, compassionate, heart-splitting love that cost everything that he had, everything. Surrendered to the events of the last week, serving to the end, healing to the end. Contending with his heavenly Father, struggling and trusting, believing that this was the only way. And the whole earth mourned, the sky went black at the moment of his death, and I stood and watched with the women. How we wailed, and shook, and sank to the ground, voiceless, as we looked on.

 

Prayer:

 

Jesus, thank you for the way that you loved to your death — particularly, whole-heartedly, sorrowfully.

You took the violence and hatred of the world upon yourself.

You forgave those who knew not what they did.

You forgive us when we don’t know what we do to you as we protest against your ways of truth and love and seek to find power by our own striving.

Lord of love, forgive us today.

Amen