“But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was dead already…one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear…”
John 19:33-34
Throughout the Gospels we encounter Jesus in many states. One of the hardest circumstances to encounter Jesus is when his fragile body is taken down from the cross. Never could anyone have imagined that God Incarnate would lay lifeless at the top of a hill and be pierced with a spear.
"He was dead already ..."
I get it, many want to draw on the strength of Christ. Christianity is filled with discourse on God’s power. Instead of highlighting the valid yet commonplace celebration and proclamation of God’s power today let’s embrace Jesus’s fragility.
God isn't only about unbridled power...
Feeling breakable is something I can relate to. A phenomenon I have lived through has occurred every time that I left the psychiatric ward after a long term admission. Each of the five times I have transitioned back to life outside of the psych ward I felt incredibly fragile. The sounds, sights, personalities and speed of the world outside of the hospital were almost too much to bear. In fact, I have discovered that the fragility of a mental health diagnosis only partially subsides. Today, I live with an ever slight underlying sense of fragility.
Get ready...
Coping with a mental health diagnosis has been a lesson in accepting the fragile aspects of myself. My spiritual and theological reflection on Jesus’s fragility in death has allowed me to welcome any experiences or feelings of fragility. With Jesus’s resurrection in mind I am not something meant to be broken, instead I am a person ready to be repaired, revitalized, renewed and repaired.
God of all people, embrace us and reveal the Divine in our fragility.
AMEN
8 Responses
Pastor Seth, I am truly blessed every time I read your fresh devotions! May God continue to strengthen you and your ministry, always remembering than any day can be fragile!
Don, I appreciate your support and comments. Indeed… any day can be fragile.
Thank you for being open and sharing about your challenges. It helped me to read about you and to understand other people who may be going through similar things. God bless you for your courage and your continuing challenge in life.
Thank you Vern. I appreciate your encouragement.
Yet again, you bring a perspective that I haven’t fully considered before., even in my nursing career. Relatability with the concept of Jesus showing fragility, provides validation and hope for you and others, who experience feelings of fragility in treatment transitions and in the undercurrents of life. Thanks for sharing this insight!
You’re welcome.
Decades ago, coping with divorce challenged me to embrace the pain and, in that fragile state, move forward. Today as I approach age 80, more and more often I am challenged with acknowledging my increasing physical fragility (as I was yesterday working on my windows). Your message has helped me as an older person realize that physical as well as emotional fragility must be embraced as part of life’s transitions.
In God’s embrace we do what comes next–and sometimes that means acknowledging what we can no longer do…difficult yet divine. Thank you for today’s message.
Thannk you for your vulnerability. What a beautiful message!