Church of the Incarnation

It's hard to listen to today's gospel. It's hard to shout, "Crucify him!" And it's hard knowing that Jesus submitted to crucifixion out of love for me.

Jesus saw my sin, he saw the evil and pain in the world. And he had three options. He could confront it, tell me that what I was doing was wrong. God tried that for years: through Abraham and Moses, through kings and prophets. But people - I - wouldn't listen. So Jesus could avoid the world's evil and pain. He could leave me in my mess and move on to more important matters. But Jesus loves me - you - us - too much to do that. So Jesus chose to absorb our evil and pain, to take it on as his own, and to transform it so we no longer have to live under its spell.

Jesus, God himself chose to set aside his power and become like me, needy and small and hopelessly lost. He chose to take on my pain. Out of his love for me.

I feel so many things at once when I think about Jesus' death: despondent, guilty, unworthy, and yet so deeply loved and valued.

For me, there's a hymn that expresses this muddle of feelings far more eloquently than I can. So I'd like you to turn with me now to Hymn 158. Staying seated, let's sing it together as a prayer in response to today's gospel.

Ah, holy Jesus, how hast thou offended,
that man to judge thee hath in hate pretended?
By foes derided, by thine own rejected,
O most afflicted.

Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon thee?
Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone thee.
’Twas I, Lord Jesus, I it was denied thee:
I crucified thee.

Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered;
the slave hath sinnèd, and the Son hath suffered;
for our atonement, while we nothing heeded,
God interceded.

For me, kind Jesus, was thy incarnation,
thy mortal sorrow, and thy life’s oblation;
thy death of anguish and thy bitter passion,
for my salvation.

Therefore, kind Jesus, since I cannot pay thee,
I do adore thee, and will ever pray thee,
think on thy pity and thy love unswerving,
not my deserving.