Editor’s Note: Palm Sunday, also known as Passion Sunday, marks the beginning of Holy Week. Today at Mass we’ll hear the story of the Passion and Death of Jesus. Below is a meditation about how God the Father saw His Son’s Passion, and it’s completely worth your time. You’ve probably never thought of this common story, in this extraordinary way. It’s by Pat Gothman, Youth Minister at St. Ann’s in Texas.
I think that it’s very hard for us to understand that Jesus is looking at each one of us tonight, each one you sitting here now and His message for you is, “You’re worth it to me.” Do you believe that here tonight? That God is looking down at each one of you and is saying:
“Don’t give up on me, because I am not giving up on you, not now, not ever, I love you. You’re why I came. Why do you think I came to earth? I came for you.”
Let me walk you through it for a minute, the Passion of our Lord, from a perspective you’ve probably never stopped and thought of it from, which is through the eyes of God the Father, what did He see that day? It began, when they took Jesus before Pontius Pilate and Herod and they accused him of everything vile, said he was a blasphemer, said he was a drunkard, why are you even here Jesus?
Jesus didn’t respond. Do you know why? Because He saw each of you here and He saw you with your struggles and He saw how much you were doubting – Is this real? He knew that each of you were asking the same question in your hearts, the same one I’m asking,
“Why are you here Jesus?”
And He says, “I’ve come for you, that’s why I’m here.”
And then they took Him and they scourged Him. All the world saw simply a man bound and bent over a pillar so they could whip Him and beat Him.
You know what God the Father saw? He saw His Son bent over with His arms around YOU, protecting you . . . saying, “Don’t come near him, he’s mine . . . you won’t hurt her, I will take the punishment for her sins. Don’t come near her.”
And then they went and they made Him carry a beam up a hill, and God the Father saw Him carrying you . . . when you’re too weak, when you’ve given up hope, lost faith (as we all do), when you struggle to believe, when you want to turn your back, when you don’t want to go any further. He saw His Son droop down and pick you up and say, “I will carry you; I will carry you up the hill.”
And then the whole world saw the soldiers take nails and pierce His hands and they saw His hands convulse in pain. And God the Father saw His Son reach out and grab your hand and say, “Don’t let go, not now, we’re almost home.”
And they went and they hung Him on the cross, and the whole world simply saw a man die alone. God the Father saw His son with His arms outstretched over the whole world.
And He heard Him whisper one thing – your name.
Whisper your name to yourself. Do you believe that that’s what Jesus was saying to Himself on the cross? You . . . you’re who He was thinking of. That’s the truth that our Church teaches – that He was thinking of you then.
And then, all the world, all of hell, and all of heaven heard Him utter His final words, “It is finished.”
You’re His.
You’re free.
You’re able to come home.
All you have to do is accept it, don’t give up.
Amen.
For God to love that world that he gave His only-begotten son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. John 3:16-17
- Pat Gothman, MakeaFriar.com
