Matthew under the arm 135
We were in a crowd of pilgrims who were making there way to some festival. There standing on a pavement was a pathetic young woman, cheeks soiled with tears. Her baby was wrapped in a filthy shawl and crying with hunger. The door of an adjacent house slammed shut. ‘Well pilgrims, eh? Well, pray for the slut!’ came a shout from a window. ‘She’s a whore and the child is the result of her whoring’. Two pilgrims as they passed her, haughtily scolded her. ‘You ought to have been on the pilgrimage with us, repenting of your slimey practices.’ Columba immediately went to her and hugged her and kissed her on the forehead. I was embarrassed. He took the child from her and urged her to join him. ‘Come with me. You are a pilgrim with us. We will find warmth for the night’. The other pilgrims? They had gone, of course.
Matthew 27.39-44
The passer-by… To pass by or to be at a safe distance can lead to the cowardice of finger pointing. Watching a drunken brawl on a city street can call forth dismissive accusations from that cold distance of righteousness. As I stand and condemn, I realise the dark confusion and violence of my own soul. When the pain is happening to someone else, so often it comes with relief for me. The jeering and laughing continues: ‘Save yourself!’ Here is an appeal that has echoed down history. A party atmosphere forms as jibe after jibe, including quotes from the Old Testament, gather pace and volume. ‘He has put his trust in God’. Death by countless sneers that probably for his crucified colleagues was at least a little distracting from their own pain.
OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART THAT I MAY SEE WITH CLARITY YOUR LOVE IN THE DESPISED.
Before entering this exercise, use the sentence to still yourself for a few moments. Then…in your memory, go back to a time when you were jeered at; when you were powerless, belittled, humiliated at a meeting. See the people; listen to what is being said. Notice the looks on the faces. Imagine Christ there with you. Do not ‘do’ anything – just experience and watch in your prayer. Now recall the time when you have rejected and participated in negativity towards somebody. Now see Christ with that person. This exercise is not about shame or guilt. It is simply about being aware of the destructive power of group aggression. Allow Christ to be the dominant ‘centre’ of your prayer as he becomes an instrument that ;’short-circuits’ the dark energies of back-biting and jeering. Note down your feelings and reactions. Above all, do not accuse yourself, just notice….That is enough. This is your Passion!
+Martin
Bishop of Argyll and The Isles.
Matthew 27.39-44
The passer-by… To pass by or to be at a safe distance can lead to the cowardice of finger pointing. Watching a drunken brawl on a city street can call forth dismissive accusations from that cold distance of righteousness. As I stand and condemn, I realise the dark confusion and violence of my own soul. When the pain is happening to someone else, so often it comes with relief for me. The jeering and laughing continues: ‘Save yourself!’ Here is an appeal that has echoed down history. A party atmosphere forms as jibe after jibe, including quotes from the Old Testament, gather pace and volume. ‘He has put his trust in God’. Death by countless sneers that probably for his crucified colleagues was at least a little distracting from their own pain.
OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART THAT I MAY SEE WITH CLARITY YOUR LOVE IN THE DESPISED.
Before entering this exercise, use the sentence to still yourself for a few moments. Then…in your memory, go back to a time when you were jeered at; when you were powerless, belittled, humiliated at a meeting. See the people; listen to what is being said. Notice the looks on the faces. Imagine Christ there with you. Do not ‘do’ anything – just experience and watch in your prayer. Now recall the time when you have rejected and participated in negativity towards somebody. Now see Christ with that person. This exercise is not about shame or guilt. It is simply about being aware of the destructive power of group aggression. Allow Christ to be the dominant ‘centre’ of your prayer as he becomes an instrument that ;’short-circuits’ the dark energies of back-biting and jeering. Note down your feelings and reactions. Above all, do not accuse yourself, just notice….That is enough. This is your Passion!
+Martin
Bishop of Argyll and The Isles.
Labels: Despised
posted by Martin at 8:34 pm
1 Comments:
How wonderful to know the Lord Jesus’ presence with us when we are despised and ridiculed by the leaders of the church. “He was despised and rejected by men” how comforting that the religious authorities did it to Him first. How sad that the religious leaders still reject God’s messenger rather to listen to false teaching. Praise God for the Holy Spirit, the comforter. We pray on, that our religious leaders may have their eyes opened by the Lord of glory who knew the depths that rejection could go to.
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