An Inspirational Message for Lent– March 2023 – by Charles Schokman
He could hear the crowds screaming “crucify” “crucify”…He could hear the hatred in their voices, these were His chosen people. He loved them, and they were going to crucify Him. He was beaten; bleeding and weakened… His heart was broken, But still He walked.
He could see the crowd as He came from the palace. He knew each of the faces so well. He had created them. He knew every smile, laugh, and shed tear, but now they were contorted with rage and anger…His heart broke, But still He walked.
Was He scared? You and I would have been. So His humanness would have mandated that He was. He felt alone. His disciples had left, denied, and even betrayed Him. He searched the crowd for a loving face and He saw very few. Then He turned his eyes to the only one that mattered and He knew that He would never be alone. He looked back at the crowd, at the people who were spitting at Him, throwing rocks at Him and mocking Him and He knew that because of Him, they would never be alone. So for them, He walked.
The sounds of the hammer striking the spikes echoed through the crowd. The sounds of His cries echoed even louder. The cheers of the crowd, as His hands and feet were nailed to the cross, intensified with each blow. Loudest of all was the still small voice inside His heart that whispered “I am with you, My Son”, And God’s heart broke. He had let his son walk.
Jesus could have asked God to end His suffering, but instead He asked God to forgive. Not to forgive Him, but to forgive the ones who were persecuting Him. As He hung on that cross, dying an unimaginable death, He looked out and saw, not only the faces in the crowd, But also, the face of every person yet to be, and His heart filled with love. As His body was dying, His heart was alive. Alive with the limitless, unconditional love He feels for each of us. That is why He walked.
When we forget how much our God loves us, remember His walk. When we wonder if we can be forgiven, remember His walk. When we need to be reminded of how to live like Christ, think of His walk. And to show Him how much you love Him, wake up each morning, turn your eyes to him and walk. Keep on walking with Jesus and know that He will be with You ‘until the end..
When you begin to feel hurt because you think about the people who judge, criticize and persecute you, remember … His walk!
When you feel hurt because you think of the people whom you have helped and put before your own needs and now they are attacking your character, slandering you and plotting evil against you, remember … His walk!
When you begin to feel scared and all alone because people have used, abused, and betrayed you. When all the people who claimed to love you no longer want anything to do with you because you are not satisfying their needs anymore, remember … His walk!
When you want to harden your heart so the world will never be able to hurt you again, remember … His walk!
When you want to get revenge for all the wrongs and all the injustices people have inflicted upon you or on those you love, remember … His walk!
When you don’t want to forgive someone because you don’t think they deserve forgiveness or that they are not remorseful, remember … His walk!
When you begin to consider anything being about you and your feelings, you have to remind yourself of … His walk! Because everything you face here on earth is exactly what Jesus endured first. And worse! And because you love Him so very much, when you wake each morning, turn your eyes to Him … and walk
Author unknown
