Matthew 27:38-44
Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God’s Son.’” The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.
The picture Matthew paints is of absolute abandonment, isolation, and rejection. No one pities this man hanging on the cross. Rather, people who once may have beseeched him for healing or listened to him preach now deride him. His opponents scoff at him and even the bandits crucified along side him taunt him. He is utterly and completely alone.
Consider, though, the taunt hurled at him by his accusers and opponents: “Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him.” At face value, it actually makes a certain amount of sense. When these religious leaders think about God, they think about power. Truth be told, most of us do. God creates, punishes, cures, and all the rest. Why not, then, expect someone from God to wield that kind of power and to look to God for divine intervention?
I suspect we’ve often prayed similar sentiments. Perhaps not “come down from the cross,” but what about, “save my child…,” or “heal my disease…,” or “fix my relationship…,” or “help me find a job…and I’ll believe.” This is what gods do, right? They wield their extraordinary power to change things, fix things, order things according to their design and desire.
But not this God. For had Jesus come down from the cross he would have rejected, not just his suffering, but also his incarnational mission to take on our lot and our life completely and fully. For we, too, feel at times utterly alone and abandoned. We, too, suffer greatly and unjustly. We, too, know disappointment and betrayal. And so this God – the God we know in Jesus – is not out simply to fix things, let alone order them to God’s desire, but to redeem them, creating something new, including each of us.
And so Jesus does not come down. He stays there, so that we might know the depth of God’s love, mercy, and understanding.
Prayer: Dear God, when we come to you in prayer, let us come confident that you know us truly and deeply and love us completely. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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