“Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted.” -Is 52:13—53:12
On this Good Friday, we are reminded of Jesus’s suffering for all of humanity. Despite those who have cursed his name, spit on him, beat him and disrespected him in all ways possible, He still died for them and all of our sins for our salvation. This is what true unconditional love is.
It reminds me of my family. Growing up, my brother was aggressive and disrespectful in many ways towards my parents. He too cursed their names and fought them. And despite all that he put my family through, my parents still gave him unconditional love, forgiving him for all that he has done and praying for his future. They never abandoned him after he gave them many reasons to do so. And so Jesus is seen doing the same, being crucified up on that cross and never casting judgment or hate towards those who hurt Him. Through Jesus’s sacrifice, He allowed us to be free of our sins, allowing us to move forward in a new direction with Christ. That is what God calls us to do as Christians, to love unconditionally even when it may be hard to do so.
So I ask and pray that we may be able to reflect on all those who have hurt us and all of those we have hurt and to forgive them and ourselves as our past doesn’t define us. And with God’s grace may we continue to grow in His love and sacrifice to better serve His will.
– Anonymous