Last Words Series, Part Six - "Enough"

Enough

“Jesus called out with a loud voice,
‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.’
When he had said this, he breathed his last.”
– Luke 23:46


Here I am, my son.
Your struggle is over.
It was near impossible
to keep from turning
toward your cries.
I felt each lash,
wailed as they
drove the nails.
I blacked out the sun
so as not to see
your suffering.
Come to me now,
let me bandage
your wounds. Drink
from the spring
and rinse clean, rinse
until the water
runs clear. This part
of the journey
is finished.
We only need
to wait a second
for morning.

-----------------------------------------

Probably one of the most difficult tasks for a parent is to watch her child suffer, and next in line is probably the tough love of discipline.  While nothing is too difficult for God, surely watching his Son suffer and die hanging on the cross must have been anguish, even knowing the end result.  I'm probably projecting my own humanity onto the God of the universe, but the God that created me and my emotions must be able to feel, as well.  There are plenty of examples in the Old and New Testaments of this very God experiencing and expressing rage, joy, and grief.  So why not here, too?

Unlike Mary's personal grief, which must have been coupled with bewilderment and the limitations of perspective, God the Father knew the end results of this suffering.  He can see all of eternity, and this earthquake in the middle of time is a mere blip on the radar, a blip that changes history.  Can you visualize the reunion of Father and Son?  I imagine it would have been like the reunion of father and child when a child returns from war.  Or after a car accident where one's life is spared.  The child that returns is transformed by the experience - physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically.  The father receives him, unconditionally grateful for reunion, scars and all. 

The best part about the reunion of God the Father and God the Son is that Easter Sunday is right around the corner, and all that was promised to be accomplished on the cross is indeed finished and realized when Jesus returns to earth, bringing the Holy Spirit and the Kingdom of God with him.

Tomorrow is Good Friday.  I've always thought of the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday as the darkest day in the Christian calendar.  Baffled disciples of Jesus went into "what now?" mode - the man they put all of their hopes into was gone, and how do you recover from that kind of an encounter, that kind of a disappointment?  Thank God it was just Saturday.  Can you imagine having to hold out longer than that to find out that Jesus really is the Christ, after all?  Saturday is enough.  We only have to wait a second for morning.